Wednesday 18, may, 2016

$115 Diezani loot: EFCC quizzes Yero, Jonathan’s secretary

marcus fatunmOle ABUJA

E Diezani

conomic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested former Governor of Kaduna State, Ramalan

Yero.

Yero is being quizzed by the commission over his role in the sharing of N700m allocated to Kaduna State out of the $115m deposited in Fidelity Bank by former Minister of Pe-

Power supply worsens as electricity drops

troleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in the build-up to last year’s general elections.

The former governor, it was learnt, was picked CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

P.37

Fashola

Court stops planned strike, Labour adamant Vol. 6 N0. 1372

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

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•FG sets up c’ttee on minimum wage, PPPRA dissociates self from strike

ObiOra ifOh, GeOrGe Oji, OluseGun KOiKi, Olufemi adeOsun, Kemi Olaitan, GeOrGe Opara, ubOnG uKpOnG and dOOsuur iwambe

N

ational Industrial Court, NIC, yesterday ordered the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, not to embark on its planned nationwide strike today over the removal of fuel subsidy pending the determination of a suit filed by the Federal Government against the move.

President of NIC, Justice Babatunde Adejumo CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Reps approve petroleum P.12 varsity bill P.4 Senate P.7 Threat of parallel throws out anti-social convention looms in PDP media bill Police arrest 5 persons for raping 15-year-old girl P.12 Joint Action Front (JAF) in a rally for support of strike and reversal to original price of fuel, in Lagos, yesterday.

PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

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Court stops planned strike, Labour adamant CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

granted the exparte application, which was moved by the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

The court further treated an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendant/respondent from demonstrating or engaging in any action that may disrupt economic activities of the country, pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons.

Justice Adejumo, while granting the exparte order, urged the Federal Government and the unions to implore an amicable settlement of the dispute.

He regretted the absence of both NLC and TUC in court, adding however that he would have urged them to go for alternative dispute resolution.

The case has been assigned to Justice Benedict Kanyie of the Lagos Division of the Court, who is expected to sit in Abuja for adjudication.

In a twenty six paragraph affidavit in support of the originating summons, the Federal Government blames the removal of subsidy on huge sums of money and negative activities of marketers and importers, who were diverting Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, to unknown destinations, thereby causing hardship to Nigerians.

The affidavit, which was deposed to by one Mr. Enoch Simon in the litigation department of the AGF explained that the Federal Government, considering the above fact, decided to deregulate the petroleum sector through a policy shift that will ensure a better deal for Nigeria.

The affidavit claimed among others that:“The Federal Government did not include or make any provision in the 2016 Appropriation Act just passed by the National Assembly and assented by President Buhari for payment of fuel subsidy.

“After the passage of the 2014 appropriation act as considering a fact that Nigerians were not benefiting from the subsidy being paid, the Federal Government on the 11th day of May 2016, conveyed a stakeholder meeting presided over by the

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo end of which a statement was issued and the meeting was attended by all stakeholders in the petroleum sector, representatives of the major labour unions and representatives of civil society organisation.”

The affidavit added that in the said statement read by the vice president, cogent and genuine reasons were given for the removal of fuel subsidy, some of which includes difficulties in accessing forex, acute shortage of the product and the need to liberise the market.

“That after the removal of subsidy which place the price of PMS not to be sold above N145, the organised labour union issued an ultimatum to the Federal government to reverse its policy decision, failure of which they will embark on an indefinite strike with effect from 12 midnight Tuesday, 17th day of may 2016.

“That the planned strike of the labour unions; the defendants/respondent herein is to shut down the Nigeria economy by closing down all government apparatus, including revenue earning establishment,” it said further.

Government stated that if the planned strike is allowed to go on, federal, state and local governments will lose revenue worth billions of naira thereby causing untold hardship and unimaginable security problems/challenging across the country.

The government added that if the restraining order was not granted on or before Tuesday, the 17th day of May 2016, the defendant/respondent will em-

Youth groups on a peaceful demonstration in support of fuel subsidy removal in Bauchi, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN bark on the planned strike.

Government added that organised labour unions like NUPENG and PENGASSEN are in support of the removal of fuel subsidy.

It is the contention of the Federal Government that the labour unions have not complied with the lay down procedure to give government notice of their planned strike apart from media publications.

The matter was adjourned to Tuesday next week.

However, crack has emerged within the ranks of the labour unions as the Federal Government and the Joe Ajaero led faction of NLC have set up a 14man committee to review the national minimum wage.

The committee is also charged with the responsibility for the reconstitution of the Board of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, and the full imple-

mentation of the N500bn social infrastructure fund as contained in the 2016 budget.

Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, disclosed this yesterday after a marathon meeting with the NLC faction in Abuja.

The committee will be made up of seven members from both the government and NLC. Ajaero, who confirmed the development, noted that the committee had been given two weeks to come up with appropriate recommendations.

Ajaero also announced his faction, after the meeting, agreed to shelf the proposed strike to enable government resolves some of the lingering issues.

He said: “We have come to the conclusion that there was no way we could mobilise, sensitise, and even start an action tomorrow.

“Instead, we agreed to rather negotiate, and that it is only when the negotia-

tion fails that we will take the option of going to any action.

“On the bases of that, we agreed that a committee should be set up to among other things look at the issue of minimum wage, the N500bn social investment, PPPRA Board, and review the N145 new pump price of petroleum product.

“The committee is to report back in two weeks time.”

But the Ayuba Wabba faction has vowed to go ahead with the planned strike despite the ruling of NIC. Benson Upah, the union’s head of information, confirmed this yesterday.

“NLC’s position has not shifted. The strike will go on tomorrow,” he said.

When asked if he could be quoted, he said: “Quote me the strike will go on tomorrow.”

The NLC also asked its comrades to mobilise

ahead of the industrial action, saying the take-off point for the federal capital territory (FCT) is at its secretariat by 8am.

The faction walked out of a meeting with Federal Government at 10:30pm yesterday, alleging that some of the key issues raised were not addressed.

Senate yesterday expressed tacit support for the Federal Government’s subsidy removal.

Rising from a two-hour executive session, where they discussed the issue and threat by organised labour to embark on a nationwide strike, the lawmakers came out with three resolutions.

They sympathised with the ordinary people on the hardship they are going through and assured that they would engage the Federal Government to find sustainable ways of improving the people’s welfare.

Secondly, the lawmakCONTINUED ON PAGE 4>>

$115 Diezani loot: EFCC quizzes Yero, Jonathan’s secretary CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

up in Kaduna on Monday and moved to the Kano office of EFCC, where he is being questioned.

He was one of the former governors that have been quizzed by the agency in recent time.

The former governor was arrested after two top members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, allegedly implicated him, it was learnt.

A former Minister of State for Power, Nuhu

Wya, and chairman, PDP, Kaduna State, Haruna Gaya, had reportedly told investigators that they gave the N700m sent to the state to the former governor.

Yero was said to have admitted that he received the money during interrogation, but, according to him, the money was distributed to PDP chapters in the 23 local government areas of the state, and was used for logistics and payment of party agents dur-

ing the last elections.

Similarly, EFCC also arrested a former Principal Private Secretary to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Hassan Tukur.

Tukur was picked up by operatives of the commission, also on Monday in his Abuja residence.

Tukur was one of the most powerful persons in the administration of the former president.

“It was not clear why he was arrested, but the commission has been investi-

gating how government monies were stolen and diverted for political purposes during the administration of Mr. Jonathan.

“The EFCC is already prosecuting a former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki and many other top politicians.

“The anti-graft agency also has in its custody a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, who served as the director of publicity for the cam-

paign organisation of Mr. Jonathan during the 2015 election.

“The commission had also earlier arrested and granted bail to four former ministers who served under Jonathan,” the report stressed.

However, EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, did not confirm the arrests through a text message sent to his phone by our correspondent yesterday.

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Wednesday, May 18, 2016

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Threat of parallel convention looms in PDP ObiOra ifOh ABUJA

T

he Prof. Jerry Gana led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has vowed to go ahead with its planned separate National Convention.

The faction, led by National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff will also hold its convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Saturday.

The splinter group, which met at the premises of Daar Communication, in Abuja as Concerned PDP Stakeholders, openly disagreed with the leadership of Modu Sheriff in the party.

The faction said it is going ahead with its own convention, also scheduled to hold this Saturday in Abuja at the same time the proSheriff faction would be meeting in Port Harcourt.

Among party leaders at the meeting of the group were Gana himself, who was appointed national coordinator, former Deputy President of the Senate, Ibrahim Mantu, former special duties minister, Turaki Tanimu, former Imo State governor, Achike Udenwa among others The group according to

a source has also appointed coordinators for the thirty six states.

It would be recalled that Modu Sheriff had received the nod of the Board of Trustees (BoT) to lead the party till 2018.

New BoT secretary, Ambassador Ojo Madueke, had, after a meeting on Monday in Abuja called on the National Executive Committee, NEC, to ratify the decision of the body that Sheriff remains in office till 2018.

Madueke said the BoT resolved that there should be a resolution at Saturday’s convention that the 2019 presidential candidate should come from the north and when that happens, the chairmanship should automatically move to the South in 2018.

He said Sheriff, who is likely to retain his position this Saturday, would continue in office until 2018, when a mid-term convention would be convened.

The BoT also resolved that all the grievances within the party which are for the purpose of making the party stronger should be looked into for the purpose of carrying everybody along in the scheme of things.

L-R: Director-General, Poultry Association of Nigeria, Onallo Akpa; Chairman, Lagos Chapter of the Association, Olabode Adeboye; Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri; National President of the Association, Dr Ayoola Oduntan, at the annual poultry summit in Lagos, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

8 bag 20 years imprisonment each for killing 2 NDLEA officers

A

Federal High Court sitting in Yola yesterday sentenced eight persons to 20 years in prison each for killing two officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, while on duty.

Delivering judg-

ment, the presiding Judge, Justice Balkisu Aliyu, said the convicts were found guilty under section 14 (1b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act of 2004.

“It could be recalled that the incident occurred on March 21,

Court stops Labour on planned strike CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

ers called on government to continue to engage the organised labour and other stakeholders to resolve the issues in order not to ground the system and impose more hardship on the people.

Finally, the senators urged government to immediately start implementing palliatives.

Sources at the meeting revealed that there was a near unanimous position by the senators not to oppose the fuel increment.

In fact, most of the senators who commented on the issue were said to have commended the Federal Government for mustering the political will to implement the new policy.

In the House of Representatives, the Ad-hoc Committee set up to dissuade the labour unions from going on strike has expressed optimism that its intervention would yield positive result.

Chairman of the Com-

mittee, Alhassan AdoDoguwa, however said it was not cleqr yet whether or not labour would backtrack from the looming strike.

But, he said, both the committee and the labour leadership have mutually shown willingness to find a common ground to avert the crisis.

The Federal Government has also secured the support of National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, one of the leading associations in the Nigerian aviation industry.

NAAPE insisted that the policy on complete deregulation of the industry was a step in the right direction and so, distanced itself from the ultimatum issued by NLC and TUC to the government on the issue.

President of NAAPE, Mr. Isaac Balami told our correspondent that the deregulation of the downstream sector was long overdue.

Balami, who commended the government for the bold decision, said the subsidy scheme was extremely fraud-prone; stressing that effort to reform the process in the past by government had failed.

He advised the government to use the money that would be saved through the policy for infrastructure that would create jobs for Nigerians.

Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, however said it has commenced mobilisation of members for the strike.

National President of the union, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, in a letter sent to members nationwide and read at the University of Ibadan Chapter by the Chairman, Dr. Deji Omole, said the union is ready for mass resistance to what he called obnoxious and callous policy of fuel price increment.

According to Omole, the policy of subsidy removal was the most

criminal ambush from the Muhammadu Buhariled Federal Government to empower the rich and cripple the poor.

The ASUU boss, who said the common denominator to all Nigerians is poverty, added that the same APC government that failed to pay civil servants for months is now celebrating budget signing with the legalisation of black market.

In the same vein, Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, reiterated its call on Nigerians to protest against the increment, despite judgment of the NCI. CNPP, in a statement issued yesterday, which was jointly signed by its National Chairman, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, also accused both the Federal Government and the labour unions of insincerity in the subsidy matter matter.

2012 in Loko Village in Song Local Government Area.

“According to the First Information Report, the officers of the NDLEA attached to Song Local Government area unit went to Loko village to arrest some notorious drugs dealers following a tip off by an informant.

“It was during the arrest, that the two officers were killed and two others injured,” she said.

Aliyu noted that the testimony of the witnesses showed that the convicts not only resisted lawful arrest, but intentionally killed the officers.

She said it was clear that the convicts and others at large came out with deadly weapons such as machetes, knives, stones among others with the intention to kill.

The judge noted that the convicts refused to realise that the NDLEA officers were a symbol of government and any attack on them was an attack on the sovereignty of the nation.

“The convicts attacked the symbol of authority and if we are to survive as a nation, such act must not be

allowed to go unpunished.

“And having considered the entire request, I sentenced each of you to 20 years imprisonment for the offence of conspiracy to obstruct the officers of NDLEA from discharging their lawful duty.

“Secondly, I also sentence the eight convicts to another 20 years for disrupting officers of NDLEA to carry out their lawful duty and in the process two officers lost their lives while two others were injured,” Aliyu said.

She however, said that the two sentences would run concurrently.

The presiding judge said the judgment was to send a clear message that under no circumstance should any law enforcement officer be attacked or killed because he was discharging his duty as the culprits would never go unpunished.

Commenting on the development, the state’s Commander of NDLEA, Mr. Yakubu Kibo, expressed satisfaction over the judgment, adding that it would serve as a deterrent to others.

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Wednesday, May 18, 2016

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Fuel Hike: Buhari had no other choice, says Osinbajo Rotimi Fadeyi ABUJA

V

ice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday said the new price regime for fuel was introduced by the Federal Government because President Muhammadu Buhari has no other choice.

“If there is one person in Nigeria that believes that petroleum prices should not go up by one Naira, it is President Buhari,” the Vice President said.

A statement issued by

the senior special assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, said Osinbajo spoke at the public presentation of the ‘Anatomy of Corruption in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges & Solutions,’ a collection of essays edited by Yusuf Ali (SAN).

While stressing that the decision was a difficult one, the Vice President noted that a lot of the problems associated with the refineries are corruption related

According to the Vice President, though the President did not want the fuel price to go up, he (Buhari) was left with no other choice. “What can we do if we don’t have foreign currency; we have to import fuel.”

While observing that petroleum products are being imported into the country, he stressed that “if we re-

pair our refineries today, we would still be able to refine 40 per cent of our petroleum; so we still need to import.”

According to the Vice President, the issue of corruption was the reason many states are owing salaries and continue to owe salaries, adding that corruption and its deleterious consequences must be

related directly to what the country is experiencing at this time.

He stated that while there was increase in the proceeds from oil, some countries were putting money aside, adding that a country like Saudi Arabia which saved over $700 billion shore up its currency with its reserves when the currency began to suffer,

Osinbajo lamented that in the case of Nigeria, the reserves have been depleted and it is difficult for the country to do things it is supposed to do as a nation.

According to him, corruption posed an existential threat to the country, adding that it is not just a social evil but an existential threat to the country.

CJN accuses lawyers frustrating anti-corruption fight dooSUUR iWamBe ABUJA

C

hief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, yesterday blamed legal practitioners in the ongoing fight against corruption in the country, stressing that they allow themselves to be used to truncate trials of corrupt individuals.

Speaking at the public presentation of a book authored by Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN) in Abuja yesterday, the CJN described as unfortunate, that many lawyers have abandoned the basic root of the law and chosen to be used as instruments to request for bribes for or on behalf of corrupt elements.

He also accused lawyers of employing frivolous applications and baseless objections to stall corruption trials.

The CJN who wrote the foreword to the book titled, ‘Anatomy of Corruption in Nigeria – Issues, Challenges and Solutions,’ acknowledged that “it is a known fact that like a cancer, corruption has metamorphosed into the fabric of the country and there is an urgent need for a conscious, concerted and coordinated effort to ensure that we do all that is necessary, to rid our dear country of this menace.”

He, however, noted that the nation’s public prosecutors are overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of

the cases, especially financial crimes.

“In the noble legal profession, corruption is occasioned when our legal practitioners trade the years of sweat spent in attaining membership to the Bar, for the shortcut of being used as a conduit to solicit bribes for or on behalf of corrupt elements either within or outside the courts.

“A number of lawyers within the profession no longer uphold the law but in fact devise ways of truncating the conduct of trials and the diligent dispensation of justice, through frivolous applications and baseless objections that owe more to personal, rather than professional considerations.

“Our prosecutors are overwhelmed, seemingly out of their depth in more complex financial crimes and therefore prone to delay. Given these shortcomings and deliberate ills, there is a veritable atmosphere which provides the avenues for corruption to thrive.

“The Nigerian judiciary continues to do its best, given its resources, to be at the forefront of the fight against corruption.

In 2013, the leadership of the judiciary introduced Practice Directions to fasttrack high level corruption cases, among other crimes considered to be existential threat to the rule of law, order and good governance.

L-R: Minister of Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu; Author of the Book Titled: “Anatomy of Corruption in Nigeria”, Yusuf Ali; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congresss, NLC, Comrade Issa Aremu, at the Book presentation in Abuja yesterday.

PHOTO:NAN

I’m pressured to convict Tinubu -CCT boss …promises to do justice in Saraki’s trial

dooSUUR iWamBe ABUJA

C

hairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Danladi Umar, revealed yesterday in the open court that there were attempts to influence the tribunal to rule in a particular way during the trial of a former governor of Lagos State, and national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu, a leader of the then opposition to the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government, was charged before the CCT and discharged in 2011 during the administration of the former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Umar who has faced series of allegations mainly of bias against those standing trial before him on various charges, however swore that he would resist similar pressures if they come in respect of those being tried

at the moment.

While describing as false, insinuations that he was being influenced to ensure the conviction of the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, Umar vowed that he would not allow external forces to influence him in the Saraki’s trial.

He said: “On our part, the insinuation that we are being influenced to see the conviction of the accused is false. During Bola Tinubu ‘s case, we were under influence to convict him but we did what we needed to do based on what was before us.”

He urged the lawyers on both sides of Saraki’s trial to conduct themselves in a manner that would enhance speedy determination of the case.

Umar was reacting to the number of counsels representing Saraki in the trial.

According to him, records of the tribunal showed that there are about 100 coun-

sels standing for the defendant.

He insisted that to ensure orderliness, all the counsels may not be allowed to crossexamine the witness, adding that all the other lawyers could assist the leader of the defense team, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) rather than every other person in the defence team doing the job.

He noted that there have been too many counsels cross-examining the witness. This, he said, made the process untidy.

Umar maintained that there is nothing he has done to distort the records of the court.

Co-member on the tribunal, William Atedze, also debunked a newspaper publication accusing him of not contributing to the decisions and proceedings of the tribunal.

On his part, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, said he made the point that

all Saraki’s counsel should speak through the lead counsel. But Atedze interjected, describing Jacobs’ position as insincere.

But Jacobs noted that every court has a duty to regulate its own court.

Meanwhile at the resumed cross-examination of the prosecution witness, Micheal Wetkas, he admitted before the tribunal that Saraki has no link with the ownership of Ikoku property.

Wetkas who was crossexamined by Saraki’s counsel, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), told the tribunal that investigation did not link Saraki with the ownership of Victory Oil as alleged.

The witness said he did not see document/information or anything that said anything about buying the property for the defendant.

The matter has been adjourned till today for continuation of trial.

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L-R: Managing Director, UPDC Plc, Mr. Hakeem Ogunniran; Chairman, Mr. Larry Ettah and Company Secretary, Mr. Godwin Abimbola Samuel, during the company’s 18th Annual General Meeting, in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

L-R: Sweden Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Svante Kilander; Managing Partner, Integrated Cyber-security Solutions Limited, Mr. Michael Oseji and Advisor and Cyber-Security Made Easy, Sweden, Mr. Andreas Linde, during the 2016 Annual Cyber Security Forum in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

L-R: God Children Great Talent (GCGT) Ambassador, Praise Olorunsuyi; one of the judges, Mr. Wole Oni; member of GCGT Board of Trustees, Regina Jemide and Executive Secretary, GCGT, Bimbo Nwozoro, at the press conference to announce grand finale of the GCGT competition in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI

L-R: Head, Business Relations, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), Mr. Alan Udi; Supervisor, Community Development, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Mrs. Bunmi Lawson; a student of Murtala Mohammed Airport Secondary School, Leonard Idowu-Dawodu; representative of the wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Jumoke Adeyemi; Business Relations Adviser, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), Monday Arichoke and Co-ordinator, Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON), Sir Emeka Nwokedi, at the 14th edition of the NNPC/SNEPCo music competition held at the MUSON Centre in Lagos, recently.

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FG approves 6 air carriers for 2016 hajj

F

ederal Government has approved six air carriers to transport intending pilgrims for the 2016 hajj operation, a statement

said in Abuja yesterday.

The statement, issued by Alhaji Uba Mana, Head of Media of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria,

NAHCON, said the carriers included a Saudidesignated airline.

It listed the carriers as Med-view Airlines Limited, Max Air Lim-

Tribunal reserves judgment in Kogi governorship election

P

arties

involved

the court to nullify the

in the Kogi State

election

election

Yahaya

of

“The

ADC

petition

lacks merit and there

their

grounds that he did poll

is no standard ground

petition before the Gov-

the highest majority of

for which the petition

ernorship Election Pe-

votes during the elec-

should be given victo-

tition Tribunal for the

tion.

ry,” Daudu said.

yesterday

closed

state, sitting in Abuja.

on

tion.

the

tussle

Bello,

Governor

He also told the tri-

Chairman of the tri-

At the resumed hear-

bunal that the election

bunal, Justice Halima

ing yesterday, Counsel to

of the governor was de-

Muhammad,

the African Democratic

void of the principle of

judgment after all the

Congress, ADC, one of

the Electoral Act hence,

parties had filed their

the parties in the matter,

should be nullified.

final written addresses.

reserved

Maduabuchi,

Counsel to the gover-

told the tribunal that he

nor, Mr. Babatunde Dau-

judgment

had filed the party’s final

du, prayed the tribunal

be communicated to all

written address.

to discountenance and

parties in the matter.

Mr.

Oba

Maduabuchi

prayed

dismiss the ADC peti-

Muhammad said the date

would

ited, Dornier Aviation Nigeria AEP Limited, Top Brass, AZMAN Air Services and Fly-Nas Air (Saudi Arabia designated carrier).

It added that government had approved two companies to airfreight pilgrims’ excess cargo during the exercise.

According to the statement, the companies are NAHCO Aviance and Medview International Travels and Cargo.

It said NAHCON called on the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation to accord the appointed carriers all the necessary logistic and consular

support.

“This will enable them have smooth plan and execution of their assignment through prompt issuance of necessary visa for their officials as well as officers of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority,” the statement added.

FIRS, NICON Insurance resolve tax issues

F

ederal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has resolved with NICON Insurance Limited, NICON Luxury and other companies which responded positively to the enforcement drive by the agency last week.

The agency had unsealed the offices of various companies on Friday after they responded on issues relating to tax irregularities following the directive of the

Federal Government to make up for the short fall in revenue as a result of the fall in the price of crude oil on the international market.

NICON Insurance has equally proposed to the FIRS on innovative ways of using insurance products to generate revenue for the Federal Government which is a co-owner of NICON Insurance.

Meanwhile, NICON Insurance is coming out

with a roadmap in order to re-strategise and reposition itself in the Nigerian insurance industry.

The company will convene a conference of its management staff from around the country to unveil the roadmap in order to chart a new course for the company and make it relevant in the face of the current social and economic situation in the country.

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Wednesday, May 18, 2016

7

Senate throws out anti-social media bill geOrge Oji

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L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Amb. Danjuma Sheni; Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and Head, Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), Mr. Mohammed Dikwa, at the PICA meeting in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO:NAN

Metuh sought clarification from ONSA on N400m payment —Witness Doosuur Iwambe Abuja

The second defence witness in the ongoing trial of the embattled National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh, yesterday told Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja that Metuh requested to know from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, where the N400 million paid to him for the political campaign of PDP came from.

The witness, Colet Odenigbo, a former US Naval Officer and a consultant to the office of the PDP spokesman, said he accompanied Metuh to honour the invitation to meet with a panel of the ONSA, where it was agreed to pay him N400 million to fund the

party’s campaign activities for the 2015 general elections.

Led in evidence by Metuh’s counsel, Emeka Etiaba (SAN), Odenigbo told the court that Metuh in the meeting “asked the ONSA meeting of the source of the payment for the funding of PDP’s campaign activities. He was not told, rather, they said they will get back to him, which they never did until he (Metuh) was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”

The witness, a resource management consultant, further told the court that the PDP spokesman told the ONSA panel that he would refund the money if he (Metuh) finds out the source of the money is not from the campaign fund of the party.

He told the court under cross examination by the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, that he rendered consultancy services to Metuh, in his capacity as the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, pointing also that he had never had any dealing with ONSA, except the day he accompanied Metuh to the meeting where issues of payment was discussed.

Also under cross examination by counsel to Destra Investment Limited (second defendant), Tochukwu Onwubufor (SAN), Odenigbo said he was not aware if Metuh refunded the money, though he said he would if the source was not from the party of President Goodluck Jonathan, the party’s then leader.

According to the witness,

“The action of the first defendant demonstrated a honest intention,” adding that Metuh said he had no intention to defraud anybody.

After concluding with the cross examination of the witness, Emeka Etiaba, representing Metuh asked the court for an adjournment on the ground of his client’s illhealth.

His application was not opposed by any party in the matter, and the trial judge, Abang, consequently adjourned till today for continuation of trial.

Metuh and his company, Destra Nigeria Limited, are being prosecuted by the antigraft agency for allegedly receiving the sum of N400 million from ONSA to fund the 2015 presidential election of PDP.

he bill seeking to criminalise frivolous petitions in the media, otherwise known as ‘The Frivolous Petitions (Prohibition) Bill 2015’ was yesterday rejected and thrown out by the Senate.

This development followed public outcry and condemnations that trailed the legislation since November last year when it was first introduced on the floor of the Senate.

Sponsored by the Deputy Leader of the Senate, Bala Ibn Na’ Allah (APC, Kebbi South), the bill was rejected by all the major stakeholders who participated at the public hearing on the bill, which was conducted by the Senate committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters in March.

Chairman of the committee, David Umaru, while reporting the outcome of the public hearing in senate plenary yesterday, stated that there was preponderance of opinion rejecting the bill during the public hearing, thus prompting his committee to recommend that the bill be withdrawn.

He stated that majority of the stakeholders at the public hearing vehemently opposed passage of the Bill into law, as it was perceived as a step that will take the country back, especially now that the world has become a global village.

The chairman said in democracy, any law that is perceived to obviate or has the capacity to unduly abridge the fundamental rights of the citizens to privacy and free speech, should be jettisoned.

Flight cancellations: NCAA reads riot act to airlines Olusegun KOiKi

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igerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has warned indigenous airline operators to immediately desist from increased flight cancellations, which has become a norm among the carriers in recent time.

The regulatory authority also warned airlines from selling tickets to air travellers when there are perceived or real hitches concerning sourcing of aviation fuel.

The NCAA said several reports from the Consumer Pro-

tection Officers, CPOs, and aggrieved passengers had flooded its offices from across the nation’s airports.

It maintained that any unjustifiable or avoidable flight cancellation would be viewed with utmost seriousness and where culpability was established, very stiff sanctions would be applied against such carrier.

The NCAA however said it was aware of the prevailing challenges as regards aviation fuel, but insisted airlines should follow strictly the requirements Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, Nig.CARs, in carrying out

their operations.

A statement by the General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, declared that the current circumstances should not open a window for outright impunity and a flurry of cancellations, which has consequently rendered air travel in the country a nightmare.

The NCAA warned all airline operators in the country to adhere strictly to the Standard and Recommended Practices, SARPs, while dealing with passengers, stressing that many of the passengers had parted with their hard-earned cash in return for comfort and

value while commuting to their destinations.

It urged operators to always give sufficient notice to all intending passengers prior to any operational cancellation, noting that where there is a delay in the service, passengers must be duly informed and light refreshment provided.

Adurogboye reiterated that all airlines should henceforth guard against frequent flight cancellations that would jeopardise the conditions of carriage agreed with the passengers, stressing that NCAA has therefore intensified monitoring at all the na-

tion’s airports to ensure compliance.

It would be recalled that Nigerian passengers have in the past one month cried out over endless complaints about flight delays, while airlines lamented high charges, which they alleged depleted their operational funds.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the uncertainty about flight time has affected business engagements and eroded confidence in domestic flight operation because flight scheduled for 10a.m might not take off till 2p.m, putting air travellers at the mercy of airlines.

He added that the bill seems to oppress persons with grievances and could give information that could be helpful to security agencies, anti-crime agencies in the fight against terrorism and corruption.

Senator Umoru submitted further that while working on the bill, the committee discovered that as laudable, commendable and innovative as the bill might seem, its passage into law cannot be supported because it affects the anti-corruption war, which is one of the major focal points of the present administration.

He urged that other laws, particularly on libel and defamation should be strengthened by government instead of pursuing the instant bill.

Speaking after the presentation of the report, lawmaker representing Kaduna central, Senator Shehu Sani said to protect the democracy of Nigeria and basic rights of Nigerians, the bill should be withdrawn.

He said Facebook, twitter and other social media platforms were essential for the growth of democracy in Nigeria, adding that they are ways for Nigerians to reach their leaders without administrative hindrances and financial consequences.

Similarly, the Senate Minority Leader, Godwill Akpabio, called for withdrawal of the bill as recommended by the committee.

He explained that though the intent of the Bill was to bring sanity to the state as supported by the judiciary and the police, the principles of democracy require that majority view prevail, as it is against the bill by majority of Nigerians calling for its stoppage and must be stopped.

Accordingly, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, ruled that since there are statutes in the Constitution which has taken care of the relief in the bill, there was no need to duplicate existing laws.

He said the rejection of the bill has shown that it is not all bills that come to the Senate that must be passed into law.

He however pointed out that the Senate cannot be intimidated from working to ensure that the right process is followed in passing or rejecting a bill.

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FG constitutes panel to investigate crisis at Ido-Ekiti hospital Marcus FatunMole ABUJA

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ederal Government yesterday inaugurated a nine-man administrative panel of inquiry to look into the crisis rocking the Federal Teaching Hospital, IdoEkiti, FETHI. It would be recalled that workers in the hospital had blamed the chief medical director of the hospital, Dr.

Lawrence Ayodele, for the death of doctors of the hospital who were among six medical practitioners that died along Abuja-Kaduna highway recently. They had alleged that Ayodele was responsible for serial deaths in the facility, and that he uses the deceased’s blood to pursue his ambition of securing a second term in office.

The workers have since embarked on strike.

Setting up the commit-

We’ll continue to execute people-oriented projects —Ambode Francis suberu

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agos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday said his administration would continue to give priority to the execution and completion of projects needed to make life meaningful for residents of the state.

Governor Ambode who was represented by members of the state executive council at the commissioning of several local and state government projects in different locations in commemoration of his first year in office, said he intends to keep to his promise with residents that he would run an open government of inclusion that would not leave anyone behind.

At Ifako-Ijaye Local Government Area of the state, the governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Tourism and Culture, Mr. Folorunsho Folarin Coker, commissioned Oluwasijibomi and Folorunsho streets and Iju Primary Health Care Center, Lonlo, saying that the era of spending tax payers’ money on white elephant projects are gone in the state.

He said the state has experienced improved physical and urban development, proper land administration and illumination of its highways and streets.

The governor appealed to monarchs and communities leaders to address the menace of cultism, miscreants and hoodlums and promote peace and clean environment at all times.

In Alimosho Local Government Area, the governor commissioned the Mosan Okunola Mini Waterworks after over 20 years of being moribund.

Represented by the group

managing director of Lagos State Water Corporation, Engr. Muminu Badmus, Governor Ambode said the state now has 33 mini waterworks and five major waterworks.

Badmus said the administration of Governor Ambode is on a steady journey to achieve the daily production of 540 million gallons of water to meet the demand of about 22 million population of the state, adding that presently, the state is producing 210 million gallons of water per day.

In Oshodi Isolo Local Government Area, the governor commissioned the popular Brown street, Okota road in Isolo and a police post in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area of the state.

Brown street had been in dilapidated state for years until the Lagos State government awarded the contract to Messrs. Lubrik Construction Company Limited in October, 2015 to rehabilitate and upgrad it.

The road, with a length of 690 metres has the economic importance of improving the standard of living in the area, enhance property values, abate flooding in the area, improve traffic flow and ensure shorter travel time for road users.

tee, Minister of Health, Prof.

Isaac Adewole, said the panel was necessitated by the continued agitation and disruption of medical services by workers of the hospital for more than two weeks despite several appeal by well-meaning Nigerians, including the governor of the state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

The inauguration, contained in a statement made available to National Mirror by the director of media and public relations in the ministry, Mrs. Boade Akinola,

said the minister charged members “who were carefully drafted from relevant professional groups in the health sector and Ministry of Health to deliver on the following terms of reference: to determine the immediate and remote causes of the crisis; engage with all relevant stakeholders on how best to resolve the crisis; make recommendations to the Federal Ministry of Health; and carry out any other assignments that will promote lasting peace at the hospital.”

Also speaking at the occasion, Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, urged the committee to be committed to finding lasting solution to the crisis which he described as a “disturbing trend” which must not be allowed Members of the committee include Prof. Olurotimi Fakeye, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology (chairman); Dr. Andrew Noah (head, Teaching Hospital, Federal Ministry of Health) – secretary; Prof. Victor Adetiloye (CMD, Obafemi

L-R: Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga; Governor Ibikunle Amosun; outgoing Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Governor’s Office, Alhaji Nurudeen Oyedele and Head of Service, Elder Sola Adeyemi, during a session in honour of Oyedele who is retiring from the Ogun State Civil Service in Abeokuta, yesterday.

Ambode, Ganduje brainstorm on mega city management Francis suberu

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agos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, and his Kano State counterpart, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, yesterday met in Lagos to share thoughts on how best to manage the two populous states which had since attained mega city status.

The two governors at a meeting that was held at the Lagos House, Ikeja, agreed that states in the country

must begin to explore their comparative advantages to achieve the vision of accelerating Nigeria’s economic growth.

Governor Ambode said no state could survive on its own, hence leaders in such states must seek to discover possible areas of partnership that would not only enhance the economy but also create jobs for the people.

Ambode also said Lagos and Kano share many similarities considering their mega city status; thus,

both cities stand to benefit from each other to tackle the challenges confronting them and enhance their economic productivity.

“If Lagos is to claim that she knows everything, then Lagos wouldn’t be where it is now. So, what you are bringing to the table we would also want to share and learn from you; we know there are common issues like environmental sanitation, security, education and then more importantly, how we can take comparative advantage in

Mayhem in Lagos as hoodlums set 40 vehicles ablaze Francis suberu

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o fewer than 40 vehicles have been burnt in a clash between Yoruba and Igbo traders in the Mushin area of Lagos as the army and police moved in to quell the violence.

It was also gathered that no fewer than 15 people were injured in the fracas that left

Awolowo University Teaching Hospital); Prof/ Sani Gako (president, MDCAN); and Mr. Biobebelemoye Josiah (national chairman, JOHESU).

Others are Alhaji Abdul Rafiu Adeniji (president, National Association Midwives and Nurses); Dr. Kayode Akinlade (representing the community); Mrs. Laura Elayo (director, Legal, Federal Ministry of Health); and Mrs. Chika Azuike (acting registrar, Nigeria Medical Council).

Odushina, by Oloje; Dramola Street, Olapeju, Oshoro, Akinwunmi and Ladipo Market deserted.

It was gathered that residents in the affected areas fled to avoid being caught in the mayhem, just as police and men of OP-MESSA cordoned off the entire area with an Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC. A police source said he counted 40 vehicles burnt

and several others with broken screens. People have taken refuge in their houses as shops were hurriedly shut by their owners who fled to safety.

Witnesses said trouble started when one Agunleri, who is the secretary of one of the market unions allegedly stormed an area where Yoruba traders were selling and began to upturn the wares in the guise that Governor

Akinwunmi Ambode was coming to the area for a function and that there was need for the place to be cleaned up.

Angered by the brazen act of oppression, one of the Yoruba traders, a male, was said to have challenged him on why he was upturning their wares.

The Omo Ibo as he was referred to allegedly stabbed the Yoruba man in the process thereby igniting the crisis.

the area of agriculture.

“We pride ourselves as the largest consumer of agro products in the country. We intend also to reactivate some of our furniture factory and be able to do locally-made furniture. All we need do is to get the expertise to turn the hides and skin to become the best leather in the world and that would create employment for the people of Kano and Lagos alike,” Governor Ambode said.

In the area of commerce, Governor Ambode said that the state government is working hard to bring back the Kano pyramid, assuring that Lagos provides a ready market for agro products as it is the largest consumer of agricultural products in Nigeria.

Earlier, Governor Ganduje had said he was in Lagos to learn from the strides of Governor Ambode, especially in the area of crime fighting and improvement of infrastructural development.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

9

Lagos to explore partnership with Microsoft on security, justice FrAncis suberu

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L-R: Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi; his wife, Florence; wife of Osun State Governor, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola; wife of Ekiti State Governor, Mrs Feyisetan Fayose and representative of the United Nations Population Fund, Mr Osaretin Adonri, at a meeting on Female Genital Mutilation, organised by Access to Basic Medical Care Foundation and International Development Partners, in Ibadan yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

Labour gives Ekiti govt ultimatum over salary deduction Abiodun nejo ADO EKITI

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rganised labour in Ekiti State has given 24 hours ultimatum to the state government to pay workers the amount deducted from their December 2015 salary or face industrial action.

The labour movement, under the auspices of Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and Joint Negotiating Council, JNC, expressed regret over the delay in the payment despite agreement reached with the government at

the stakeholders’ meeting of May 9.

A statement by NLC chairman, Comrade Ade Adesanmi; his TUC counterpart, Comrade Odunayo Adesoye; and NJC Secretary, Comrade Oladele Blessing, said workers in the state took the decision at their meeting of May 16 in Ado-Ekiti.

The statement reads: “It must be noted that the state government has collected state allocation for the period of December 2015, January, February and March 2016 with internally generated revenue and yet government is running away from its

responsibility on payment of workers’ monthly gross salary, which is far from our expectation from a worker-friendly governor.

“In view of this, we are constrained to request the payment of the 2015 December workers’ deduction within 24 hours to avoid industrial unrest in Ekiti State.”

This was as the state government yesterday dismissed the rumour being peddled that the Special Adviser on Political Matters to the Governor, Alhaji Ademola Bello, had been relieved of his position.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Idowu Adelusi, in a statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday said the news of alleged sack which had gone viral on social media “is a blatant lie orchestrated by those who insist on destabilising the Fayose administration.

“Alhaji Bello is at his duty post and at the pleasure of Mr Governor. It is these same elements who few weeks back flied the fake news that the Secretary to Ekiti State Government, Dr Modupe Alade, had resigned whereas the woman had gone on two weeks leave.”

Osun Assembly wants sacked 204 lecturers reinstated bolAdAle bAmigbolA OSOGBO

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sun State House of Assembly yesterday recommended the reinstatement of some sacked teaching and non-teaching staff of the state-owned tertiary institutions.

Chairman of the House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, in a statement issued in Osogbo, quoted the Speaker, Najeem Salaam, as disclosing this during the presentation of the report of the house adhoc committee investigating the disengagement of some teaching

and non-teaching staff of the institutions at the plenary.

About 204 academic and non-academic staff of Osun State Polytechnic Iree; Osun State College of Technology, EsaOke; Osun State Colleges of Education, Ilesa and Ila-Orangun were disengaged by management of the institutions.

As a result of petition written by the affected staff, the Assembly subsequently set up adhoc committees to investigate the circumstance surrounding the actions, the report of which were presented to the house and adopted following a motion by the Leader

of house, Timothy Owoeye and seconded by the Chief Whip, Folorunsho Bamisayemi.

The statement further stated that Salaam informed members of the House that the reports have been deliberated upon at the executive session and justice has been done to them, adding that the Assembly would follow it to the letter to ensure that the recommendations of the house were implemented.

He said: “I want to say that in the report, people have been reinstated and the committees confirmed where necessary, the decision of the councils.

“In the course of the investigations, the committees went through all the records of those involved and the reasons for their reinstatement or otherwise have been stated by the committees in the report.

“So, for the lecturers and other affected staffers, there is nothing to fear because justice has eventually prevailed on their matter.”

According to him, the Assembly during the course of the investigation took into consideration the extent to which it could go as an arm of government, saying the matter had not gone beyond its power.

overnor Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday said Lagos State government would explore areas of cooperation with Microsoft International, especially in improving security in the state and reforming the justice sector so as to boost service delivery to the people.

Ambode, who spoke when the President of Microsoft International, Mr. Jean-Philippe Courtois paid him a courtesy visit at Lagos House, Ikeja, said his administration would take full advantage of the existing cooperation between the state government and Microsoft and utilise technology to engender more efficient and prompt service delivery to Lagosians.

He said the visit by the Microsoft boss and his team was significant, adding that it had gone a long way to show that Nigeria was still a good location for business enterprise with Lagos at the heart of it.

“Like we said, we need to scale up this relationship and I know that your coming personally is a pointer in that direction. I want to give our commitment to you that whatever it is that we can

do together, we would do it, and we would improve on it and also make sure that we deliver it on time so that more people can get our services in a better way and we can become more efficient and make the city a more livable city; and its only technology that can drive that,” the governor stated.

Earlier, Courtois said he was in Lagos to improve on the existing relationship with the state government as well as open up other areas for stronger cooperation in the future in several sectors.

He listed areas including citizens’ engagement, efficiency and transparency across the Ministries Departments and Agencies, tax collection, judicial as well as security reforms.

“I know that you are someone very eager to get the best equipment for police and the people in charge of basically safety, this is one area I would like us to share some best practices we have across the world including the U.S, Brazil, where we are doing all the work to ensure that people coming for the 2016 Olympics do not worry about security. And I think there is a lot we can share with a very large city like Lagos and hopefully help you achieve some of your goals,” he maintained.

Two brothers kill community leader in Ondo ojo oyewAmide AKURE

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en from Ondo State police command have nabbed two siblings for allegedly killing a community leader, Chief Joseph Omosuyi, in the state.

The two suspects, Sunday Akinye and Gbenga Akinye, were said to have committed the crime on Sunday at Ilu-Titun, Okitipupa Local Government Area.

An eyewitness said one of the suspects hit the deceased on the chest during an argument that ensued at a family meeting.

According to the source, the deceased, who was a retired vice-principal, slumped and was quickly rushed to the hospital but gave up the ghost on the way.

The incident was said to have almost caused cri-

sis in the community as youths reportedly gathered to avenge the death of the 62-year-old man.

The timely intervention of security agents in the area, however, prevented the youths from taking the law into their hands.

Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, confirmed the incident, saying the command had commenced investigation into the matter.

Joseph disclosed that the two suspects had been kept in the police custody.

He said: “I don’t know the extent of their involvement. But at present, those are the two suspects we have in our custody over the incident. We are still investigating.”

The police spokesman also said the matter had been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department, Akure.

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South East

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Panic withdrawal hits commercial banks in Imo Chris Njoku Owerri

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ollowing planned nationwide strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its affiliate unions over hike in fuel prices, residents of Owerri, the Imo State capital, besieged commercial banks for massive withdrawals in advanced preparation for the proposed strike.

National Mirror correspondent who went round the city observed huge turn-

out of bank customers with long queues at ATMs while various banking halls were filled with customers.

Also, prices of foodstuff in various markets in the metropolis skyrocketed as buyers were seen rushing different consumables. For instance, a paint plastic measure of gari which used to sell at N400 now costs N800, while nine cups of the same product goes for N400 as against N200.

At Ekeukwu market, Owerri, a cup of dry pepper now costs N200 as against

N100; while a bag of rice which sold for N11,000 now sells between N16,000 and N20,000.

According to a civil ser-

vant, Mrs. Harriett Afor, “we are using the little money we have to stockpile food because we don’t know how long the strike

will last; moreover, we were told to stockpile foodstuff at home.”

She stated that the hike in fuel price would affect

everything in the system, including transport fares and appealed to the Federal Government to dialogue with labour in order to resolve their differences amicably.

Stakeholders threaten to recall senator over clash with Umahi AliuNA GodwiN AbAkAliki

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takeholders of Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State yesterday threatened to recall the senator representing the senatorial zone in the National Assembly, Chief Sunny Ogbuorji, over his alleged clash with Governor David Umahi.

It was gathered that Senator Ogbuorji had a disagreement or clash of interest with the governor over who should contest the South East vice chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, congress that took place recently in Enugu.

The stakeholders numbering over 3,000 who carried placards during a peaceful protest at the Government House, Abakaliki, with various inscriptions such as “Sonni Ogbuorji, you are a confusionist,’’ “Sonni Ogbuorji, you have failed PDP in Ebonyi State,’’ and “Ebonyi South Senatorial zone is recalling you, Sunny Ogbuorji,’’ among others, disowned the senator.

In a communiqué signed by the stakeholders of the area during the protest, the state’s Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Dennis Ekumankama, said: “We condemn in strong terms the inglorious attitude, antagonism and disloyalty exhibited by our representatives at the National Assembly led by Senator Sonni Ogbuorji during the South East congress of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party at Michael Okpara Square, Enugu State on May 14, 2016.

“We disassociate ourselves and Edda clan from the inexcusable display of undemocratic tendencies and unwarranted show of shame by the said senator and his group.

“We congratulate His Excellency, Engr. Chief David Nweze Umahi, for his political sagacity and foresightedness that have won the state the position of national vice chairman, South East zone of the PDP in the person of Chief Austin Umahi.”

All effort to get the reaction of Senator Ogbuorji at the time of filing this report failed as he phone was busying with calls.

L-R: Former representative of Abia Central Senatorial District, Sen. Nkechi Nwaogu; representative of the wife of the President, Mrs Ummul-Kulsum Buratai; APC National Women Leader, Dr Ramatu Aliyu; APC South-East Zonal Women Leader, Mrs Sally Chinebu and APC Women Leader for Enugu State, Ngozi Nwankwo, during APC SouthEast Women Summit in Enugu, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

1,435 contractors jostle for N3bn school projects in Enugu

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o fewer than 1,435 contractors are jostling for the construction and renovation of 388 classroom blocks under the Universal Basic Education Commission. UBEC, intervention projects in Enugu State.

Traders protest multiple levies, taxes in Anambra

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raders in Awada in Obosi, near Onitsha in Anambra State, yesterday protested the multiple taxation and levies imposed on them by the state and local governments.

The protesters who carried placards, claimed that they were forced to pay same taxes and levies to revenue officials of the state government and Idemili North Local Government Area.

A trader, Mr. Kelechukwu Duru, told News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that they were paying levies for stalls/business premises, sanitation, minor industry, etc.

“The revenue officials collect monies even above government’s stipulated amounts.

“We are forced to pay as much as N24,000, N18,000 and N12,000 for sanitation, store and minor industries respectively, as against the flat N2,500 paid in the past.

“We are not saying we will not pay levies and taxes but we are being over-charged.

“They are asking us to pay based on what they see in our

shops. This is not correct,” Duru, the president of Live and Let Live Store Traders Association, said.

While appealing for the intervention of the state government, Duru called for a flat and single rate for every levy and tax to be imposed on them.

Secretary of the association, Mrs. Chioma Osuchukwu, said the small money the female traders started businesses with had gone into taxes and levies.

Osuchuwku urged the wife of the governor, Ebelecuhukwu Obiano, to plead with her husband to look into the activities of the revenue agents.

NAN reports that some of the placards carried by the protesters read: Anambra State governor, please check if what revenue contractors and agents are collecting from us is what you approved;” “Willie is working, revenue agents and contractors are destroying APGA government;” and Governor Willie Obiano, will you allow revenue contractors and agents to milk us dry?”

Acting chairman, Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board, ENSUBEB, Mrs. Rose Chiama, made this known in Enugu yesterday during the opening of tenders for the contracts.

Chiama who is also the permanent secretary of the board, said the projects were under the 2011 fourth quarter and 2013 second quarter UBEC/ENSUBEB intervention projects in the state.

She said the projects worth N3 billion would cover the construction of 24 five-classroom blocks, 112 squatting toilets and renovation of 252 classroom blocks.

She continued: “The state governor has graciously approved the erection of new

blocks, renovation of old and dilapidated structures and building of four-unit toilets to enhance learning.

“This is to ensure that every child of school age receives full access to quality basic education under the right and conducive environment.”

Chiama said the board would ensure a transparent bid process in order to leave a lasting impact in the sector.

Speaking at the event, special adviser on budget monitoring and due process to the governor, Mr. Sylvanus Onoyima, said the state government’s philosophy is strict adherence to due process.

Onoyima said the current administration has high regards for the Procurement Act

and would follow laid down procurement procedures.

He said the open bid process has given credence to the transparency policy of the state government in doing business.

“So many projects had been awarded in the past and contractors ended up shortchanging the state government and residents of the state.

“This has made our children to be sitting on the ground to learn.”

Onoyima said ENSUBEB, going by the open bid process, has followed the procurement procedure, adding that all projects under the scheme would meet required specifications.

We’ll stop herdsmen’s menace with legislation- Anambra Speaker rAymoNd NNorukA AwkA

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peaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Mrs. Rita Maduagwu, yesterday assured that the state legislature would use laws to stop the menace of herdsmen in the state.

Maduagwu spoke when a group under the aegis of League of Anambra Professionals paid her a courtesy call at the state House of Assembly Complex in Awka, the state capital.

She said the state is able to be live above board because of elegant legislation and synergy between the legislature and the executive in the state.

She enjoined the people of the state not to panic about the

activities of the herdsmen because the state government is on top of the situation.

She said the state governor has procured a helicopter with the sole purpose of monitoring the activities of herdsmen in the state.

The Speaker added: “Anambra State is on top of the security situation in the state.

“When other states owe their workers, Anambra State is paying workers’ salaries promptly.

“We will ensure that the security and welfare of our people become the primary purpose of government through legislation.”

She thanked members of the League of Anambra Professionals for their concern for

good governance and security of the people of the state.

Speaking, president of the group, Mr. Willy Nzewi, urged the House to resist any attempt to legitimise the purported grazing bill.

He noted that animal husbandry is a great business, adding that those in the business should possess land for their business the right way.

He recommended the establishment of ranches at strategic locations in the country for grazing instead of the free range system.

Nzewi said the group was in the state to create awareness against the ugly activities of some herdsmen in some parts of the country through the House of Assembly.

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Wednesday, May 18, 2016

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NAFDAC smashes fake beverage syndicate in Rivers DENNIS NAKU PORT HARCOURT

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ational Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, said it has smashed a criminal gang inside the Mile Three Market that specialised in production of different brands of fake alcoholic beverages.

The agency said the drinks, which were produced in five lock-up shops on the first floor of the market, were done in crude and very unhygienic manner.

It said gallons of liquid substances suspected to be ethanol and colourants were found all over the stores.

The NAFDAC coor-

dinator in Rivers State, Mrs. Mercy Ndukwe, who disclosed this, said ethanol was mixed with colourants and used to fill used bottles of different brands of fast-selling foreign and locally-made alcoholic beverages such as Chelsea dry gin, Lords dry gin, Seaman’s aromatic schnapps, Gordon’s dry gin, Hennessy and sold to

unsuspecting members of the public.

She, however, said the leadership of the market claimed to be unaware of the illicit activities of the sellers, adding that investigations were ongoing to track the culprits.

Meanwhile, chairman of mile three market association, Elder Nwachukwu Kanu, condemned the

activities of the counterfeiters and pledged their cooperation with NAFDAC in fishing out bad eggs in their midst.

The five stores were sealed and hundreds of empty bottles of alcoholic drinks, labels, corks, packaging materials/cartons, over 50 bottles of filled fake Chelsea dry gin and

few other finished products were taken to NAFDAC office at Federal Secretariat, Port Harcourt.

Other items evacuated to NAFDAC office included 15 gallons filled with liquid substances suspected to be ethanol, 10 empty drums, plastic basins, pallets, colourants, glues, and generating set.

Two fake soldiers arrested in Edo ONAzENA AbbEy BENIN

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he authority of the Nigerian Army, 4 Mechanised Brigade in Benin City, Edo State has arrested two persons for allegedly parading themselves as soldiers.

The army public image maker, Captain Jonah Unuakhalu, who gave the names of the suspects as Lucky Francis and Ibrahim Oseni while parading them before newsmen, stated that one of the suspects arrested a civilian for allegedly failing to clear a debt of N15,000.

According to the army public relations officer, the suspect told his alleged debtor that he was an army personnel and thereafter showed him fake army identity card but the long arm of the law caught up with him when one of his victims alerted officers of the military barrack who immediately swung into action and arrested him on May 4.

“Luckily Francis was arrested around S and T barrack, Ugbowo. He, on his own, arrested a person. The person had a way of complaining at the barrack and he (Francis) was arrested. It was found out that he (suspect) was an impersonator,” Unuakhalu added.

In his confessional statement, the suspect admitted he had been using the military uniform he bought in a market with which he instilled fear in the minds of his victims before extorting them.

The fake soldier, who claimed to hail from Sabongida-Ora, Owan West Local Government Area, said: “I was arrested at S

and T barracks. I bought the shirt and brought the trousers from Lagos. The man I arrested owed me N15,000. I therefore took him to S and T. “I took him there so he would be afraid. That was the first time I wore the uniform. The man I arrested told me that he wanted to eat some food.

“He told me to wait for him and gave me his car key and phone. He later came with some soldiers who arrested me. The ID card was printed out at a café at Ring Road with the rank of a private.”

The second suspect, Oseni, was said to be driving with his alleged accomplice, one Yusuf Haruna, from Kano to Warri in military uniform which he claimed belonged to brother, before he was arrested in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.

Unuakhalu said, “Ibrahim was arrested at the mechanic village in Auchi on May 11. He was dressed in military uniform, woodland camouflage and black singlet.

“We are doing our own preliminary investigation; we want to know how they got the uniform. After our own investigation, definitely they will be handed over to the police.

“Most times, you see people like these outside and think they are military personnel, (but) they are not. So, one needs to be extra vigilant and careful in dealing with people.

“Once you feel you don’t trust the person, at least lay a complaint at the nearest formation or unit, so that people like these can be apprehended and taken away from the society.”

Bayelsa youths celebrating in remembrance of the late Ijaw Leader, Isaac Boro in Yenagoa yesterday.

PHOTO:NAN

INEC working for APC – Wike DENNIS NAKU PORT HARCOURT

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ivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday said he has lost confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, describing the electoral body as too inconsistent.

This is as he said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had emerged stronger from the recent challenges because all leaders of the party were working to keep the party united.

The governor during a broadcast on Channels Television from Port Harcourt on Tuesday alleged that INEC was working to promote the interest of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.

He said stakeholders of PDP had resolved their

differences by placing the survival of the party above other considerations.

He said the National Convention of the party will hold on May 21 as scheduled because shifting the convention would be dangerous as there would be no national working committee, NWC, after the date.

He said the right processes have been followed and congresses held at different levels leading to the National Convention.

On the alleged court order stopping the National Convention, Wike said as the chairman of the National Convention Planning Committee, he has not been served any such order, adding that the said suit was filed on the premise of impersonation, hence the National

Chairman had written to the court informing it of the fraud.

The governor said in Rivers, APC had used INEC to generate tension by attempting to manipulate the electoral process in eight local government areas where INEC had already cancelled elections during the March 19, 2015 rerun elections.

He said it was unfortunate that INEC set a committee to review already cancelled elections, which would lead to avoidable crisis.

The governor recalled that APC after the March 19 rerun elections issued statements calling for the cancellation of the elections, but pointed out that the same APC made a uturn by approaching the election tribunal to declare her candidates win-

ners. He regretted that INEC tacitly supported APC by refusing to file defence for the declared results at the election tribunals.

He said the rerun elections in Rivers proved that money alone could not win elections as the ruling party had access to loads of money which made no impact.

Commenting on former President Goodluck Jonathan, Wike said the former president was no longer in active politics as he plays advisory role.

He said with the situation on ground in Edo State, PDP will win the state.

While maintaining that PDP was in the process of being rebuilt, the governor said the party can no longer have one mega financier.

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TWednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Police arrest 5 persons for raping 16-year-old girl abdulGafar oladimeji KANO

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L-R: Guest Speaker, Prof Ahmed El-Tayeb; Chairman of occasion, Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad-Abubakar (III); Chairman, Planning Committee, Shaykh Sharif Ibrahim-Saleh and Fct Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Bello, at the International Lecture on Islam in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

Kogi stakeholders caution bank on ‘frivolous’ loans M embers of the local chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Kogi State have cautioned management of Zenith Bank against granting loans to Governor Yahaya Bello without prerequisite approvals.

The members, under the auspices of Concerned All Progressives Congress Stakeholders, urged the bank to pull the brakes before releasing further facilities to the administration of Bello, who it alleged has been drawing a N400 million overdraft from an Abuja branch of the bank.

Spokesman of the group, Chief Dare Mayegun, alleged in a statement yesterday that

the governor had not improved the socio-economic life of the Confluence State since he took the mantle of leadership few months back.

The statement alleged that the bank has concluded arrangement to release a N10 billion loan, which the governor allegedly applied for without following due process.

The statement reads: “The Zenith Bank management should apply caution in granting loans to Governor Yahaya Bello, who has applied for a N10 billion facility.

“It will amount to a violation of the financial regulation if a financial institution is granting loans to a governor in an official capacity with-

out a proof that such request enjoys the backing of the state House of Assembly and members of the state executive council.

“As at today, the House of Assembly is not in session and the executive has not been constituted.

The governor operates with a handful of special advisers who lack constitutional powers to endorse such requests.

“Section 192 of the Constitution states clearly how a state government can approach a financial institution for loans. The House of Assembly and members of the exco must have endorsed the application.

“The Constitution is very clear on matters like this. Governing a state is not a one-man show.

So, what authority is the governor using to seek loans? Besides, why are such facilities not routed through the bank’s branch in Lokoja, the state capital? Why is the N10 billion being sought from an Abuja branch?

“We have it on good authority that the governor has been taking N400 million overdraft to pay his own security vote.

Why should a governor who wants to serve the people borrow money to pay himself ?”

The stakeholders urged the governor to be prudent in the management of state funds, warning that plunging the state into debt will not only hinder growth, but mortgage the future of the upcoming generations.

Reps approve petroleum varsity bill G eorGe o para ABUJA

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ouse of Representatives yesterday considered and adopted a report on a bill to establish the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta State.

The bill, which was sponsored by Evelyn Omavowan Oboro (PDP, Delta) during the 7th Assembly, was commit-

ted to the committee of whole for consideration last month.

Part of provision of the bill was to free the indigenes from the present state of monolithic dependence on importation of refined oil products and that the university shall be a training institution for the development of the middle and high-level manpower for the oil and gas sector.

The university, which

is to be domiciled in the federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, is also to encourage the advancement of learning and to embrace all persons without distinction to race, creed, sex or political affiliation.

The university is also to serve as an agent and a catalyst through postgraduate training, research and innovation for the effective and economic utilisation, exploitation and conser-

vation of the country’s petroleum resources.

Furthermore, the university is mandated to identify the technological problems and needs of the petroleum industry and find solutions to them within the context of overall national development.

The sponsor of the bill said with its successful passage, all that the Senate needed to do was to concur on the proposed law.

ano State police command has revealed that five persons have been arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl at Hotoro quarters in Kano.

The suspects were said to have abducted the victim and conveyed her to an undisclosed residence, where they took turns to have carnal knowledge of her.

The suspected rapists whose names are Husaini Aliyu, Usman, Hassan Adamu, Yusuf Ibrahim, Farouq Mohammed, are undergoing interrogation in police custody.

The victim of gang

rape, who suffered severe trauma, has lost her senses owing to the incident, National Mirror reports.

Federation of Women Lawyers, Kano State chapter denounced the ungodly act meted out on the victim.

Chairperson of the group, Husaina Ibrahim, said the umbrella body of women lawyers delved into the matter to ensure justice is served.

She said the group will pressurise the police to conduct thorough investigation into the matter, adding that the body would ensure the alleged culprits are arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.

Minerals exploration: Fayemi seeks greater role for states ubonG ukponG ABUJA

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olid Minerals Development minister, Kayode Fayemi, yesterday said there was urgent need for a new law to enable states of the federation participate in solid minerals exploration.

The minister was a guest at the House of Representatives Sectoral debate, where he spoke on strategies for diversification of the country’s economy.

He said a review of some obsolete laws would address issues of illegal mining and the environmental effects in the country.

Fayemi pointed out that obsolete laws remained part of the challenges confronting the development of the sector but must be repealed.

He said if the country would really make a head way to aid mining, then the states and host communities must become more active than they are now.

“They don’t have to be spectators, they should be central actors in the process and it will also help the federal government monitor closely what is being done and reduce the level of illegal activities taking place if states are involved,” he said.

Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Leo Ogor (PDP-Delta), had observed the need for immediate review of extant

laws that empowered the Federal Government to control solid mineral resources in the country.

Ogor, who said the review of the current laws would promote the involvement of state governments in solid mineral exploration, added that it would also encourage diversification of the country’s economy.

“Things have to be done differently. States and federal laws have become a major challenge so I think the first point we need to lay foundation on is how we can amend or find other means of removing these laws,” he said.

Referring to section 44 (3) of the 1999 constitution that placed all mineral resources in the hands of the federal government, he said “If you look at the situation today in the country, it is one where people come hand-in-hand with the tiers of government sharing money on monthly basis.

“We have abandoned the whole agricultural sector, cocoa and palm oil production; instead we come together and share oil money. Now look at the situation we find ourselves.

“I believe the starting point is to make sure that the provision of section 44 (3) of the constitution is totally deleted from the constitution because automatically it places the whole responsibility on the shoulder of the ministry,” he stated.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Politics

Corruption will not die early, we must kill it - Durojaiye Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye is a former Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, a lawyer and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. In this interview with ROBERT AWOKUSE, he speaks on the activities of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in the last one year, urging Nigerians to give the President more time to fulfil the promised change.

Excerpts:

ering these things and pointing them out and being tenacious and wise not to accept some makeshift suggestions that “okay approve now and make supplementary proposals later”. As to what time it took, a great British writer, H G Wells, once said “in a perfect job, time is no ingredient”. Ask the artists and sculptors how long it takes them to complete those works or arts you see and admire.

The pains and the sweat they go through to carve out a human face from a piece of wood or stone! Anything good and creative takes a long time to do. And even this budget is not exceptional. There have been budgets passed in March and April before.

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resident Muhammadu Buhariled APC government will be one year in office in about two weeks time . What is your assessment of the Buhari administration in this one year and why is the change promised becoming what can be best described as hardship on Nigerians, looking at the strait economic situation and what is the way forward?

In answering your question, let me start with my old teacher, Dr Tai Solarin’s statement, published in the Daily Times of January 1, 1964 as his New Year greeting to all Nigerians. The statement has been reproduced in Dare Babarinsa’s recent publication on the 1st Century of Nigeria. I quote: “May your road be rough. I’m not cursing you; I’m wishing you what I wish myself every year. I therefore repeat, may you have a hard time this year….. Our successes,” he continued, “are conditioned by the amount of risks we are ready to take.”

Dr. Tai Solarin, the great patriot, pointed to a significant psychological feature of human life. The Bible had earlier identified the same philosophy that the seed you sow does not grow until it first decays. It dies first before it springs out life.

The hues and cries of Change should be expected like when you change the gear of your car; you hear some noise; or when you snatch the feeding bottle from a baby, the baby cries.

In the same way, corruption has been like a feeding bottle to many Nigerian public servants, politicians and business men. That is exactly what Nigeria is passing through right now. The hardship we are experiencing should be expected by any prudent person. It will be foolish to expect that the Change we expect will be smooth and noiseless. Let’s endure it.

What went on during the previous 16 years of PDP government, the current awful exposures which seem more awful than Maria Monk’s exposures are no longer secret. To fix that or to put things right, certainly there must be some hardship or suffering by all, including those who did not partake in the abuse of office. To expect that we will just have a smooth ride of change is illusionary. It will be foolish for anybody to think that a magician will just come and say “Nigeria change to better. Corruption I decree you disappear and it will be so”. No, we have to sweat for it. We have to harden our laws. We have to be more vigilant.

Corruption will not die easily. We must

Durojaiye kill it.

So I’m happy that the Legislature has now approved death penalty for kidnappers. But it should not be kidnappers alone. We need it for a few more offenders. Confiscation and restoration should not be sufficient for those who stole the nation’s resources in the past. Maximum

Since the Law doeS not aLLow retroSpective effectS on

offenderS, harSher LawS ShouLd now be enacted incLuding death penaLty for

new/future offenderS after

due proSecution.

JungLe behaviour deServeS JungLe LawS

terms of imprisonment allowed in existing laws should be applied. Since the Law does not allow retrospective effects on offenders, harsher laws should now be enacted including death penalty for new/future offenders after due prosecution. Jungle behavior deserves jungle laws!

If you notice the amount of suffering Nigerians are going through because of the wickedness and lack of consideration of those who are in position, it is not a thing we should handle with kid gloves.

The ‘Budget of Change’ has just been passed having suffered a long delay following accusation by the executive on the national assembly that the lawmakers padded it. As a legal practitioner, is the budget entirely the responsibility of the executive or the legislature is also powered to influence it?

It is a joint venture, responsibility between the Executive and the Legislature.

The budget is a piece of legislation. The executive doesn’t make laws; it is the National Assembly that does that. It is the Executive which holds the purse of the nation that plans or that is entrusted with the day to day activities of the government. It is the Executive that will say this so much we need to carry out our duties. As a part of check and balances to ensure their power is not absolute and is not corrupted, then the Constitution empowers the Legislature as a watchdog, to examine critically what the Executive have put together. The awful experience of the just passed budget is that instead of the Legislature being the watchdog on the Executive, it was the Executive that was pointing to holes in the draft Bill. That is sad. I was in the legislature before, I never heard of padding.

Padding is criminal intent. It’s wrong to have padded the budget. But we must commend Mr. President for the courage and the vigilance of his team for discov-

But the lawmakers’ argument was that they had to include some constituency projects because they are the closest to the people and they know what the people need.

That is true, but they ought to put it within strict and reasonable bounds and not at the expense of collective national priorities. I cannot because Ijebu North needs an extension of the rail road or new Federal roads in Ogun East Senatorial District what is meant to go to a bigger section of the whole country should be sacrificed so that my own little constituency, which is just one among the 109 senatorial districts in the country should be given attention compared to, for instance the rail project from LagosCalabar which spans about nine states!

The Lagos-Calabar proposed rail road will cover a good section of the country with beneficial ripple effects on the whole country in terms of communication, transportation. It will, for example save lives, time, accidents, even the problem of cattle rustling. In other countries cattle are transported by trains not on the roads. So also petroleum products and heavy luggages are conveyed on rails, not on roads. Things will be better for all of the whole country including individual constituencies.

The PDP south-west recently accused the APC of destroying its accomplishment and legacies it built for 16 years. But the APC in its defence said the PDP’s legacies were worth destroying because it is characterized by corruption and bad governance. What is your take on the APC defence?

It is a shame for the PDP! What legacies are they talking about? Is it the type of legacy that still earned us a bad remark last week in London by the British Prime Minister, David Cameron who mistakenly classified us as one of the “fantastically corrupt countries?” We have graduated from that. Thanks to President Buhari’s administration, one year of purposeful, staple-cleansing efforts. Already we are no longer in that category of most corrupt countries. The PDP left for us, legacy of chaos, of absolute abuse of power and corrupt practices. I hope the judiciary with due cooperation from defense counsels will put on speedy tempo so that all these cases of corrupt people that are already charged can be completed without unnecessary delays.

But from all indications as some political watchers have said that the monies that have been recovered so far have not been used for anything by the APC government. Is this true?

So are they accusing the APC of swallowing or squandering the monies? Is CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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PDP left for us, legacy of chaos, absolute abuse of power - Durojaiye is me they find anything wrong with, they should deal with me, in as much as they are sure of the facts. Whoever the accusing finger points to should bear it.

There should be no sacred cows in this exercise.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

that what they are saying? Let them prove it . I don’t believe that. You see, people are fond of being armchair critics.

They believe they know it all and can do it better. Some of them criticizing cannot perform ‘jack’. If you put them in position they will fail woefully; but nobody will make a mistake of putting them in any position again.

Many have criticized the President’s frequent trips across the world some of which are said not to be of economic benefit, and moreover the President said he is poised to cutting down cost of governance, yet he travels with large entourage. What is your view on this and have the trips been economically effective?

I believe it is of economic benefit. At least this China trip, you could see for yourself from the reports we have received and I have no doubt that it’s not window dressing; it will be implemented.

Even the face lifting for the country, the better image of the country is already achieved in this first year of Buhari administration. Ask people what type of president they would like to have if it is the one who travels out to negotiate and improve your image and bring good things for his country that will birth good development or the one that would be busy at home with his bottles! I would have offered to stand by a man who is militant and vigilant.

The world knows that some changes are beginning to take place, even the Archbishop of Canterbury testified to it when Mr. Cameron flippantly branded Nigeria as “fantastically corrupt” before the Queen. That is a plus for us from a man of God. And you see that is some better image for Nigeria and it means a lot more for the psyche of an average Nigerian both at home and overseas, especially those in diaspora. People won’t look at them as “that is another thief about to cross the street”.

On the frequent overseas trips by the President I think I believe it’s for the good of the country. As to the size of his entourage, I don’t know about that. But as a head of state, just as a traditional ruler at the lower level, an Oba, Emir or Obi of a kingdom does not go out alone.

There must be chiefs with him. Invariably if the President is going to sign a contract on rail, you think he will leave the Transport Minister behind? If solid minerals are part of what he’s going to talk about, the Minister and Perm Sec in charge will be there, or something that will involve finance so you expect Mr. President just because of cutting cost should not involve them? What about security and diplomats? Even the representative of the country he is visiting must be there. These are the things that tend to enlarge the number of the entourage.

But I agree that it shouldn’t be unduly large. I believe, President Buhari is a prudent, frugal and a no nonsense man.

Many have been pushing for the recommendations of the 2014 confab which is believed to give the country true federalism. But President Buhari appears not to be interested in signing it into law. Don’t you think signing the recommendations will do the country greater benefits?

I have always joined in the advocacy for true Federalism. But what is in issue here is not just about signing. If a man is so careful about signing the budget, I won’t be surprised about his caution in signing off the recommendations. I will advise him to find time and study the contents of the recommendations. I wouldn’t agree he signs it for the sake of it. He should find time or get some well informed aides to study it. There may be some wisdom in it, somethings that will be of benefits to this administration and for the future of the country. He should

The Senate has just recommended death penalty for kidnappers. What is your position on this?

I support it. I have already answered this question. The government and the private sector should assist in more job creating ventures. Things that will create jobs should be done like encouraging made in Nigeria goods so there will be less idle hands that the devil can adopt as its workshop.

Durojaiye try to sift them and earmark some for possibility of implementation. I believe some good things will be in those recommendations. He shouldn’t jettison all.

The Senate, despite calls on cutting down cost of governance following the dwindling economy, has just purchased new SUVs which gulped about 3.6 billion naira and consequently has been criticized by many Nigerians who believe the Senators are inconsiderate. Having been in the Senate yourself, what is your take on this?

Having been there before, even in our days, we were criticized and yet it was Peugeot 505, people criticized us for. So, I’m not surprised that people are criticizing the present Senate. In those days 1999 SUVs were not very common, but definitely the national assembly leadership should look at the mood of the nation in whatever they do. This is no time to create enmity for themselves, not at the time that they are being accused of padding the budget that they want to live in luxury when a lot of things are not smooth sailing. They should look at the mood of the nation and discipline ourselves. Some of them are accomplished people on their own who can afford SUV and have even been using it before coming to the Senate. They can retain what they have. It is not a must that everyone should use SUVs. We need to cut our coats according to the size of our cloths.

We should also patronize made-in-Nigeria products.

One other thing that many fumed at was the fact that while the government advocates patronage of locally made goods, the Senate failed in this regard by patronizing foreign manufacturers while we have automobile companies like Innoson. Don’t you think the Senate should have patronized the local companies?

That is the challenge we have. But to the credit of former President Oluse-

gun Obasanjo in his administration, he insisted on patronizing made in Nigeria goods. And I’m sure this government will not depart from that type of wholesome policy patronizing made in Nigeria products. I think the Peugeot Assembly is being revived in Kaduna. There is another big automobile factory in the South East.

We should encourage made in Nigeria products – textiles, food items like Ofada Rice, things that are proudly Nigerian and it is then that we will have a rebirth that the Change we are talking about will be more meaningful. The manufacturers also should make sure they improve their quality and not spout out inferior things. The Nigeria Standard Organization should also be well equipped to do a good job.

The Buhari-led APC government has in many quarters been criticized on its anti-corruption crusade which is said to be lopsided, witch-hunting those in the camp of the opposition, PDP. What is your take on this claim and is it politically motivated as being said?

One of those feeling the heat of the anti-corruption crusade is Senator Bukola Saraki who is an APC leader. So, it is contradiction to have said it is politically motivated. For me it is a house cleaning exercise. There is a proverb in Yoruba which says “when you strike at a muddy soil, there will be splashes and whoever is smashed by it or tainted by it should just take it with a shrug and clean it up”.

And as Fred Chukwu Nwapa, Nigeria’s first Minister of Commerce and Industry once said, “You cannot be in a tilting boat without being tilted”. So there is no way we can fight corruption without doing some in-fighting too, some of our people will have to be hit by it and will have to take it as a shrug because we cannot pretend to be angels in our own party and view all others as devils. We are not hypocrites. We should give the President a little time more to pursue his programme. It will cut across. If it

corruption has been like a feeding bottle to many nigerian public servants, politicians and business men. that is exactly what nigeria is passing through right now. the hardship we are experiencing should be expected by any prudent person.

What is the way forward for the spate of Fulani herdsmen killing innocent Nigerians and who are believed to have been infiltrated by Boko-Haram?

I won’t be surprised if Boko-Haram resurface from another angle. The government has taken a stern measure by charging the Police and the Army to clampdown vigorously and rigorously on anyone carrying guns. The Fulani we knew when we were young only carried their ‘sonda’ ,the long stick put across their shoulders, friendly and disciplined people. Those were the cattle rearers we knew and they were everywhere and would take their cattle to feed not on crops but grasses or wastes. We used to greet them as they passed with their cattle. But recent attacks are abusive, unruly, and nobody in his senses can support that kind of action of Fulani herdsmen carrying guns. That shouldn’t be. I support the radical solution that Hon. Audu Ogbe has suggested to put up ranches. Fortunately the grassland of the country is the north and it’s the bigger part of the country. Those ranches should be built there and water dam built and once the trains begin to move anyone who wants to buy cows should order them and pay for them to be carried through the train.

The samething we in the south supply to the north should go through the train.

We don’t want any further problems. So the thought that some people think it’s ‘fire for fire’ should not be the solution as it’s beginning to instigate militants in the south-south. I appeal to them to be calm and see what the government will do and the government should also act fast. By the time the government deals with some of the rustlers, others will sit tight. It is discipline that we need. We lack discipline as a people.

Some believe and even the opposition PDP often stress that the APC’s promises are propaganda following many of its promises intended to be accomplished in one year yet to be actualized. What is your take on this claim?

In another two years let’s hear what they will say. Give us a little more time.

You see people think President Buhari is a magician or a prophet but he’s neither.

He’s a human being too. He cannot work solo and achieve solo. It is we people who must cooperate and comply. When his administration introduced the WAI culture the other time Nigeria benefitted from it. People cried but the benefits still linger till today. We now learn that it’s part of our national psyche and behavior that we queue. In one of his interviews he said he’s now a democrat; everything he does is governed by law.

The wheel of law grinds rather slowly.

That is the difference between a civilian leader and a military man who rules by decree. But now he cannot rule without going through the legislature. Look at the budget, he cannot sign a budget that is not articulate or clean on the face of it and he is careful about it. He has to follow the due process if not he will be termed a dictator. APC promises will be fulfilled “in-sha-Allah!”.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

15

Buhari must stop globe- trotting - Fasehun AYO ESAN

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he National Chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN and founder of the Pan-Yoruba Group, Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, Dr Fredrick Fasehun has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to stay more at home and do the jobs for which Nigerians voted for him just as he said that the OPC is against the proposed Grazing Reserves for Fulani herdsmen in various states of Nigeria especially in the South West.

Fasehun who was speaking with journalists in Lagos at a press briefing Tuesday said

Fayemi addresses UK Parliament Thursday

… as OPC opposes grazing reserves Buhari’s apparent addiction to globe-trotting has become a bad habit that Nigerians want him to shed.

According to him, “Nigerians want their President to remain at home and do the job he was voted for –attend to the problem of Nigerians. These include, tackling the problems of inflation, food crisis, escalating school fees, lack of security at night and day, insurgency, the Chibok girls and kidnapping”.

“Since being sworn in on May 29, 2015, President Buhari has flown to: Niger Republic, Chad, Germany, South Africa, USA, Cameroon, Benin Republic, France, Ghana, India, Su-

dan, Iran, Malta, UAE, Kenya and Ethiopia. This was followed by visits to the United Kingdom, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Equatorial Guinea, China and the United Kingdom.

“And some of the journeys have become so negative that they are already drawing insults from the hosts”, Fasehun said.

On the incessant attack on local farmers by the Fulani herdsmen, Fasehun condemned the killing and said the government’s proposals for creating grazing reserves is not acceptable to the OPC and the South West people.

“That Fulani herdsmen car-

rying AK47 rifles will openly brandish their weapons in the midst of innocent Nigerians sends a signal of the superiority of a class of people not authorised to bear weapons. So will any suggestion of special grazing reserves being created for Fulani herdsmen; it will amount to promoting inequity and ethnic chauvinism.

“We say no to this evil suggestion. By the way, is creating grazing lands in every state a synonym for annexation of our Fatherland? Categorically, OPC disagrees with the creation of grazing reserves in the SouthWest. Ranches should be created in areas that occupationally and

Lagos Assembly to introduce Lobby Law

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he Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, will tomorrow address the United Kingdom Parliamentarians in Westminster, London on Nigeria’s diversification agenda.

This is sequel to an invitation from the All Party Parliamentary Group, APPG on Nigeria to the Minister to address the Parliament on the topic: “Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Sector: Alternative Investment Opportunities”.

According to the letter of invitation signed by the APPG Chair, Kate Osamor MP, the meeting would afford Dr Fayemi the opportunity to discuss investment opportunities in the Nigerian minerals sector with the parliamentarians, policy makers and business executives.

The letter states that the event which would be chaired by Chi Onwurah MP, Vice Chair of the APPG, “would bring together British Parliamentarians, Diaspora Stakeholders, policy-makers, business representatives, diplomats, civil society representatives, media, academics and other experts in the sector” “It would be a great pleasure to welcome you to the Houses of Parliament to share your views on politics to transform Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, the value of the sector for Nigeria as the country seeks to diversify away from oil, and on opportunities for investment.

“The APPG on Nigeria is an independent and impartial crossparty group of British parliamentarians, which seeks to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the UK and Nigeria, raise the profile of Nigeria in the British parliament and support development and democracy”, the letter added.

traditionally breed cattle with owners going to purchase grass and feeds for their animals in other zones. Don’t disturb the hornet’s nest”, Fasehun said.

On President Buhari’s anti-corruption war , Fasehun said the war is tainted towards members of the opposition, as according to him, “everyone knows that corruption in Nigeria defies partisanship; yet the impression one gets is that APC is a safe haven for corrupt politicians. Everyone in APC is being sheltered from prosecution despite extant investigations indicting APC chieftains, some of whom are in the President’s cabinet”.

“Meanwhile, Mr. President is playing cowboy, riding his anti-corruption horse against one part of the field, showing interest in roping and silencing members of the opposition. But every democracy needs a strong opposition”, Fasehun said.

ROBERT AWOKUSE

S L-R: Chairman of Lagos PDP, Hon. Moshood Adegoke Salvador; Barrister Shina Martins; Lagos State PDP Secretary , Prince Muiz Shodipe and State Publicity Secretary, Mr Taofeek Gani during the swearing-in of the new Lagos PDP executive in Lagos .

EDO 2016: Deputy gov assures delegates on good governance ONAZENA ABBEY

BENIN

D

eputy Governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu has reaffirmed his commitment to deliver on good governance when elected as Governor on September 10, 2016.

He stated this during his meet the party delegates tour of all the Local Government Areas of Edo State.

According to him “ Having had the privileged of been elected twice into the House of Representatives and twice as Deputy Governor of the state, none of my co-aspirants parade such credentials and in terms of experience and understanding of the issues of development of the State”.

He maintained that as Governor he will encourage huge investment in agriculture through multi faceted approach of both domestic and foreign investment components in other to create wealth and employment for our people.

Odubu equally promised that industrialization particularly through small and medium scale businesses will receive a boost in other to drive the economy of the state towards self sustainability and job creation .

According to him, rural communities will receive attention in terms of social infrastructures such as roads, schools , hospitals and drugs , pipeborne water and electrification in other to improve rural

economy and reduce rural urban drift.

Odubu stated that given the level of development that has taken place in Edo State under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole , only a deputy who has painstakingly participated in the conceptualization, planning and execution of development projects can hit the ground running upon assumption of office.

He urged delegates to vote for him at the APC primaries scheduled to hold on June 18, 2016 adding that, as members of the party executives they will receive adequate attention through appointments and job execution subject however to the observance of due processes.

peaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has disclosed of the intention of the House to introduce a Lobby Law, aimed at legalising lobbying to influence government policies.

Obasa stated this at the awards night organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI to reward corporate organisations which have excelled in different sectors of the economy in the country.

According to the Lagos Assembly Speaker, the legislature is essential to providing conducive environment for business to thrive because “without reasonable and enduring law with human face coupled with policy regulations subjected to the approval of the parliament, there cannot be an enabling and viable investment climate”.

Obasa further said there is the need for corporate investors to collaborate with the parliament, which is saddled with the task of providing the laws for creating conducive environment for investors to operate.

“To make things easy, the Lagos State House of Assembly is also contemplating introducing a Lobby Law where investors can engage professional lobbyists and engage in the profession of lobbyism to influence government policies,” he said.

Mail Mirror

16

Politics

From The Senate with

George OJI

A

t a public hearing last week at the National Assembly put together by the senate to seek ways of finding lasting solutions to the problems of killings, rape and destruction of farmlands by alleged Fulani herdsmen across the country, the herdsmen and Federal Government could not find a meeting ground to nip the problem in the bud.

While the Federal Government proposed the establishment of grazing reserves across the country as part of series of solutions to address the problem, the herdsmen under the aegis of Meiyetti Allah opposed the proposal, insisting that grazing routes should be sustained.

The public hearing, which was organized jointly by the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Rural Development and National Security and Intelligence on, “The incessant violent clashes between herdsmen and farming communities,” was a fall out of an earlier resolution by the senate.

The position of Government on the matter, which was made public at the hearing by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, was that the creation of ranches as against grazing reserves across the country would be the surest way of solving the perennial conflicts between host communities and the roving herdsmen, which had led to wanton destruction of lives and properties in affected communities across the country in recent time.

Lokpobiri, said already, not less than nine states across the federation had given 5.000 hectares of land each to the Federal Government for the establishment of the ranches.

He said the ranches when created by Government across the country, would put to an end, the incessant clashes between the modern day herdsmen and farming communities.

The Minister stated that though the country has about 415 grazing reserves for the herdsmen to feed their cattle, which are located mainly in the northern parts of the country, he regretted that the reserves have remained grassless due to problem of desertification.

Further justifying Government’s position on grazing reserves, Heineken explained that the practice remains the modern way of rearing cattle and achieving the best of productivity in animal husbandry.

He stated that Nigeria with just 19million cows and a population of 160 million people would measure up with Brazil which has 220 million cows with similar human population with Nigeria.

He disclosed that through ranches, Brazil, United States of America, Saudi Arabia, are making the best of productivity in animal husbandry.

Other stakeholders at the event, particularly other ethnic nationalities in the country like the Tivs, Idoma, Ohaneze, South - South etc, shared Government’s position on the matter.

But the National Legal Adviser of the Meiyetti Allah, Tukur Bello, who represented the views of the group at the public hearing while opposing the position of Government submitted that the ranches being planned by the Federal Government was nothing new because, such have been personally established by some of the herdsmen in some parts of the country.

It was the position of the group that creating grazing reserve routes across the country for the herdsmen in addition to the establishment of a Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in the country in line with what is obtainable in Kenya, Tanzania; Ethiopia, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, Chad, Cameroon and Central Africa Republic remains the lasting solution to the incessant clashes between the herdsmen and farmers ECOWAS Parliament: Search for enhanced powers dominate maiden session The Economic Community of West Africa States, ECOWAS parliament, commenced its first 2016 ordinary session in Abuja on Monday with the issue of how to enhance the powers of the regional body dominating the agenda of the plenary. Incidentally, the session is the first to be presided over by the new Speaker of the parliament, Rt. Hon. Moustapha Cissi Lo, a Senegalese, who succeeded Nigerians Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who bowed out at the beginning of this year.

The search for enhanced powers for the regional parliament has been a source of serious concerns to members of the parliament over the years. The ECOWAS Parliament remains the only regional parliament that lacks legislative powers amongst all the regional powers in the world, from the European Union Parliament to the East African Assembly.

During his handover ceremonies last year, Ekweremadu stated that the only regret he had as he bowed out of office

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Grazing: Herdsmen disagree as FG proposes reserves of the 4th parliament constituted an ad-hoc committee, headed by the First Deputy Speaker of the parliament and Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Suleiman Lasun Yussuf.

The committee, according to Lo has already met with the President of the ECOWAS Commission in the contest of efforts to reopen discussions on the process of securing enhanced powers for the parliament. The Deputy Speaker is expected to brief the session on the outcome of his committee’s parley with the ECOWAS Commission President.

The rest other agenda for the parliament in the next four years, according to the Speaker are to ensure the participation and representation of the entire populace in the decision-making process of the Community; promote peace, security, democracy, good governance and human rights, as well as promote relations with Community Institutions, national parliaments, inter-parliamentary institutions, Pan- African Parliament, other regional parliaments and partner organizations.

Even in the speech he delivered at the opening first session of the parliament on Monday, Nigeria’s President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, kind of set agenda for the parliament as he urged them to do more to ensure the enhancement of full parliamentary powers for the parliament.

Saraki after four years was his inability to restore full legislative authority to the 115- member ECOWAS Parliament.

Ekweremadu noted then that, “Today, the ECOWAS Parliament regrettably remains the only regional parliament anywhere in the world without legislative powers,” stressing that, “this should be a big embarrassment and reproach to us as a sub-region.”

Ekweremadu however, described the adoption of the Supplementary Act on the Enhancement of the Powers of the ECOWAS Parliament by the Community Decision Making body, the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government as the greatest achievement of the Third Legislature of the Community Parliament, which he headed.

The ECOWAS Parliament comprises of members of various National Assemblies of countries of the 115 –member of the West African states.

Nigerian accounts for 35 of the 115 parliament, while the rest other 14 countries contribute five to seven members each.

At the first session of the ECOWAS Parliament on Monday, the new Speaker Lo, made it clear that among the four strategic agenda for the parliament in the next four years, the issue of strengthening the institutional role and powers of the ECOWAS parliament would be key. As part of efforts to drive the project more aggressively during his tenure, the Speaker last February during the inauguration

Saraki charged the lawmakers that if the aim of the subregion to achieve full integration is to be realized, then, they must all put hands on deck to ensure the enhancement of full powers for the parliament.

The Senate President said that even though the ECOWAS parliament is evolving in the right direction, it was his fervent hope that members of the sub-region will begin to invest in it, more responsibility and opportunity as a sure path to creating the right structure for closer integration of the sub-region.

While maintaining that, “The ECOWAS sub-region has come a long way in pursuit of integration and development,” Saraki stated that, “what is clear today is that we need to do more. Other regional bodies including those who we inspired have moved faster towards integration than we have.”

The Senate President was very vehement that, “We must as a necessity, give the parliament greater authorization and capacity to duly legislate on common areas and provide oversight on certain issues of common interest and interdependency.

According to him, “For as long as we are unable to, or fail to remit to this parliament more powers, the dreams for greater integration will remain a myth. This singular reason may be responsible for the lack of adequate cohesion in the fight against terrorism, cross border crimes and the implementation of agreed trade agreements and protocols.”

He said, “With greater oversight and authorization, it is possible that we would see greater inroads made in the areas of the enforcement of ECOWAS regional trade agreements and instruments especially the Common External Tariff Order.”

Court nullifies PDP South West Congress WALE IGBINTADE

J

ustice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday nullified the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP South-west congress held at the weekend.

Justice Ibrahim Buba held that the zonal congress was held in disobedience of a court order stopping it.

Justice Buba had Wednesday, restrained the PDP and its national chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff from conducting any election into the party’s South- west Zonal Executive Committee.

The judge made the order following an application by the incumbent Zonal Secretary, Chief ‘Pegba Otemolu, who sued the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC, PDP, Sheriff and PDP National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo The plaintiff, through his lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede, in a motion on notice, sought an order nullifying the congress held last Saturday in Akure for being held in violation of a court order.

Oluyede said the defendants were served with the order and originating processes and were therefore award of the court action yet went ahead with the congress.

Ruling, Justice Buba nullified the congress, holding that it was conducted in disobedience of the court’s order.

Justice Buba held that “Judges must defend their courts.

Let’s rise and defend our integrity. Parties cannot jump the

gun and do their own thing in their own way. That will result in social disequilibrium.

“Once a party is aware of a suit, the party must maintain status quo. Parties are to obey an order, whether rightly or wrongly made, until it is set aside’’ The court stated that the activities of the party stand nullified because the respondents refused to show why the order was not obeyed.

Justice Buba gave the ruling despite protests by PDP’s lawyer, Dr Yemi Oke, who argued that his clients were not duly served.

Oke referred to a letter in which Sheriff denied authorising any lawyer to file a suit on his behalf or represent him.

He said: “This is a very desperate and sad situation imposed on us by certain desperate politicians whose antecedents are known. We surprisingly heard that this court, on 11th of May, procured an order by fraud and gross mischief.

“The motion was dated May 4 and filed on May 5. The second and third defendants (PDP and Sherriff) were never served and never appointed any counsel to stand in for them. This is a ruling procured by fraud.”

Oke referred to a letter by Sherriff in which he denied related suit on the party’s election into national offices. An order was also purportedly made on the suit.

In their notice of appeal, PDP and Sherriff said Justice Buba erred in law by assuming jurisdiction over a subjectmatter he had no jurisdiction over because it is an intraparty dispute.

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Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Women and food security in Nigeria bilkiS bakare

T

he United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 805 million people of the world’s 7.3 billion people, representing ratio 1 in 9, suffer from chronic undernourishment in 2012-2014. Almost all the hungry people, 791 million, live in developing countries, representing 13.5 percent, or one in eight of the population of developing counties.

Aside hunger and malnutrition, food insecurity equally results in a wide range of other problems like health, environmental degradation, and high rate of crime, etc.

With most of her people engaged in activities outside the agricultural sector, Nigeria is in danger of being engulfed in food crisis.

To improve agriculture and food security is a herculean task for most African nations.

Hence, their people easily become victims of food-related problems.

The reasons for this lingering food crisis range from industrialization to crave for higher standard of living and mass ruralurban migration. Other key causative factors are non-availability of urban infrastructures and credit facilities for farmers as well as lack of empowerment for women farmers.

The springing up of more industries to cater for the growing population of whitecollar job seekers affects provision of food for the people. The lands hitherto used for agriculture are being sold to give way for these industries. And often, these lands con-

tain trees - usually felled- needed to boost the oxygenation of the environment as well as production of both food and cash crops.

Commonly tagged dirty and not a money-spinning occupation, farming becomes an abhorrence for most young people. This is because it does not bring immediate financial returns on investment compared to other jobs such as banking and working in oil servicing firms. There is mass migration of young school leavers from the rural communities to the cities, leaving behind old and tired hands to engage in farming.

And in most cases, lower farm yields result, which in turn affects supply of food.

But by far the most important reason for food insecurity is the lack of incentives to women to engage in commercial agriculture. Women play a significant role in agriculture, the world over. About 70 percent of the agricultural workers, 80 percent of food producers, and 10 percent of those who process basic foodstuffs are women and they also undertake 60 to 90 percent of the rural marketing; thus making up more than twothirds of the workforce in agricultural production. In West Africa, up to 80 percent of the labour force in all trades is female. Yet, the role of women in these activities, so important economically, has remained obscure for long because women seldom played any major roles in decision making processes of most polities.

Women farmers face a lot of challenges, these include and not limited to lack of access to land and funding; limited access to

women play a

sIgnIfIcant role In agrIculture, the world over new practices and technological advancements in farming; and less market opportunities, among others. In many regions of Africa, women have limited access to land compared to their male counterparts, and therefore, cannot practise large scale agriculture.

Furthermore, women tend to face greater challenges when it comes to securing credit. They are generally less experienced with the ins and outs of borrowing from an institution, and without assistance and support they find it difficult to access much needed funding. To practise large scale farming, there is need for access to modern technological advancements. The women folk do not have access to these as companies marketing these farm implements often target those that engage in large scale farming - who are often men.

In addition, lack of market research and information limit women farmers to market opportunities. Women are confined to local markets, where prices are generally lower than in urban markets. Furthermore, women farmers are in need of transport and logistics, whose lack affects their ability to sell

Ogun State: Investors’ destination of choice Soyombo opeyemi

F

ollowing the First Ogun State Investors’ Forum in 2012, over 40 major industries berthed in the state.

After the 2014 edition, greater number of companies was established in Ogun.

These are multi-billion naira investments that have created hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the state. In 2014 alone, Ogun attracted investments worth N690 billion. As far as the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is concerned, Ogun is now the industrial hub of Nigeria by virtue of the massive inflow of investments into the state in the last five years.

What are the conditions that make the state so attractive to business in the last five years? First and foremost is the vision of Governor Ibikunle Amosun. The vision of the governor to move the state from the backwoods of civilization to the 21st century has resulted in doing things differently in the state. To cite one example in parenthesis, the introduction of e-payment or cashless system suddenly raised the Internally Generated Revenue of the Ministry of Commerce from about N45 million per annum under the previous government to N550 million per annum, representing 1,122 percent increase within a space of one year of the Amosun administration!

Of course, it is no longer news that the current government inherited a state defined by insecurity. So the first step taken by the Amosun administration was to

It Is no longer news that the current government InherIted a state defIned

by InsecurIty

contain the menace because no sensible investor will bring their investments to an insecure environment. The next was to further create an environment conducive to investments by removing all identified bottlenecks that drive away investors as well as build infrastructure that will foster business development. It is apt at this juncture to quote the assessment of the World Bank.

In its biennial report, ‘Doing Business in Nigeria 2014’, the global financial institution reports that “Ogun, one of the lowest ranked overall performers in both 2008 and 2010, is one of the top reforming states in 2014”. It rates Ogun, out of 35 states and FCT, as one of the five states “that made the biggest strides towards the national frontier of good practices.”

Accounting for this phenomena stride, the 2014 Report reads: “Thanks to a concerted effort across federal and state authorities, and in collaboration with the private sector, Ogun improved on three of the four Doing Business indicators benchmarked. The construction permitting system was radically overhauled, with the state government authorities decentralising the approval system and a new committee monitoring delays. Building permit applications and payments can now be made simultaneously in district offices. Private professionals issue

environmental-impact assessments in accordance with the conditions and templates set out in a framework agreement...”

To begin a business in Ogun State, according to World Bank, “entrepreneurs no longer need to travel to Ibadan or Lagos, thanks to the Federal Inland Revenue Service’s new stamp duty office in Abeokuta. In addition, the state Ministry of Commerce and Industry abolished the requirement for a physical inspection of the business premises - today, a proof of company address, such as a utility bill, is sufficient. A business premises permit is issued on the spot upon payment of the fee. Finally, Ogun’s Bureau of Lands digitalised property records with the aim of enabling electronic title searches and making property registration more efficient.”

In spite of the successes recorded so far, the Ogun State government is not resting on its oars. “Since that 2014 Report,” said Governor Ibikunle Amosun at the opening ceremony of the Third Ogun State Investors’ Forum in Abeokuta recently, “we have expanded the Bureau of Urban and Physical Planning into a full-fledged ministry and have adopted reforms that fast track the process for obtaining development permits from six weeks to two and land clearance permits to one week. We have also established zonal offices in each of the local government areas so that we can bring government services closer to the people. These partnerships will

17

more of their farm produce in time.

As daunting as these challenges are and to stem the tide of food insecurity in Nigeria, the various governments have to evolve several programmes that emphasise empowering and investing in women, specifically those in rural areas. This will significantly increase productivity while reducing hunger and malnutrition.

Through the provision of land, seedlings and fertilizers by government at all levels, the productivities of women farmers would be enhanced.

In the same vein, financial institutions should make loan facilities accessible to female farmers by relaxing the criteria for accessing loans. The aforementioned will rub off on women being recognized by modern farm implements producers and marketers, which will invariably lead to higher yields. Also, access to funds will enable the women farmers to be able to procure vehicles which will assist in logistics and prompt delivery of farm outputs to various markets both in the rural and the urban areas.

In all, to ensure food security in the country, government at all levels as well as corporate and financial establishments should commit large chunk of resources towards motivating women farmers and for the promotion and advancement of this crucial sector of the economy.

Bakare is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja -Lagos.

ensure speedy processing of our land documents (such as Certificate of Occupancy, Governor’s consent and registration of titles).”

The governor added that “To make it easier for investors to take full advantage of the vast opportunities in Ogun State, we are further expanding the services offered by the One-Stop-Shop that was launched in 2012. The One -Stop-Shop will enable potential and existing investors to go to only one office in order to process Urban and Physical Planning permits; to access the Bureau of Lands to conduct transactions such as land title searches, to purchase land and obtain certificates of occupancy/ Governor’s consent; to access the Internal Revenue Service; to acquire land for agriculture; and finally to access the Legal Advisory Desk - all under one roof.”

There is no doubt that Ogun State, under the current government, is taking giant leaps economically into the 21st century. It is indeed the “emerging economic power house” in the country. What is expected of us as citizens of the state is to continue to co-operate with the government.

Soyombo, a media practitioner, sent this piece from Abeokuta via densityshow@yahoo.com

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.

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Editorial

Wednesday May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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

Naira stability and a nation’s economic woes

S

till wallowing under scorching economic downturn; and with the prices of basic food items and other necessities now on the rafters, having leaped by 200 percent above what they were two months ago, according to reports, news of naira’s stability against the dollar on the parallel market; and that falling output has driven oil prices to a new high this year is quite intriguing.

The naira, a recent report said, stood at N321 to the dollar on the parallel market against the N322 to a dollar that prevailed earlier; while it (naira) was steady around the official peg of N197 at the interbank market.

The apprehension that the naira would fall against the dollar whenever President Muhammadu Buhari signed the 2016 Appropriation Bill to law was equally dismissed by the calculation that oil prices’ recovery would strengthen the local currency. The crude oil market recovered from a low of $25 per barrel in mid- January to $40 per barrel late April 2016 as a result of production disruptions in Iraq and Nigeria; and a decline in non-OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’) members’ output, mainly United States’ shale oil, it was reported.

Besides, the World Bank, about the last week of April, raised its 2016 forecast for crude oil prices to $41 per barrel from $37 per bar-

rel in what was described as its latest Commodity Markets Outlook, stressing that oversupply in markets was expected to recede.

But contradicting the strong appeal of the above narrative were reports about the same period that a significant reversal of gains was recorded in the nation’s foreign reserves which now stood at $27.1 billion, reflecting a decline by $730 million or about 2.6 percent last April against the $27.9 billion recorded in March.

In March, the nation’s foreign reserve recorded a marginal growth of roughly 0.14 percent, the first growth ever recorded in recent months. But the gain was eroded the following month – April 2016. This was in spite of the flattering report about exchange rate near-stability at between N320 and N330 to the dollar in the parallel market; and between N197 and N199 to the dollar administratively maintained as the official rate in the interbank market.

The $27.1 billion foreign reserves recorded in April was said to be less than six months import cover. Indeed, Nigeria’s foreign reserve was said to have declined by a total of $1.9 billion or 6.4 percent since the beginning of this year, notwithstanding drastic foreign exchange management measures undertaken by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to reduce demand, contain speculative

Any nAtion thAt relies heAvily on imports is

retrogression-bound purchases and rein in exchange rate volatility at the autonomous foreign exchange market.

Whether such recent policies as FG’s currency swap deal with China, one of the country’s major business partners; and special provision and sale of foreign exchange to petroleum products marketers would yield better results than were derived from other foreign exchange management measures so far taken by the CBN is yet non-determinable.

But one point that should be taken seriously by the government, since it gravely undermines every attempt by the authorities to officially curtail the lavish demand for foreign exchange, remains Nigeria’s excessive and economically imprudent importation profile.

China and petroleum products import bills have been reported as representing the largest quarters that mount pressure on the nation’s foreign reserves. Even if Nigeria’s currency swap deal with China works out, it may only reduce pressure on foreign reserves from China’s angle. But foreign exchange squandered routinely on imported petroleum products and other frivolities

that can be produce locally will still sustain intense pressure on the nation’s hard currency demand wise.

Towards the end of last month (April), President of the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. Frank Jacobs, was quoted as saying Nigeria spends N165 billion annually to import fruit juice, whereas Nigerian farmers lose 60 percent of the fruits they produce as a result of lack of processing facilities, limited demand and logistics challenges like handling and transporting the fruits to the urban centres. It was not clear whether the trend remains the same with CBN’s elimination of over 41 items from its list of products eligible for foreign exchange allocation. Like organised labour rightly observed during the last workers’ day celebration, the Nigerian government should take time and imagine what would happen to the foreign exchange market and the pressure on the naira if the importation of refined petroleum products alone were to be halted and such products were refined locally.

Any nation that relies heavily on imports is retrogression-bound, since with imports, the nation creates jobs and grows the economies of exporting countries; and dims the prospects of development as well as the good life for citizens at home.

ON THIS DAY May 18, 1996

May 18, 2010

A major rebellion occurred in several prisons in Brazil. The violence began after 40 Sao Paulo police officers were killed by gang violence. Subsequently, police officers sought to find the gang members behind the criminal acts. In the process, violence erupted, leading to clashes between law enforcement officials and criminals, involving the deaths of over 150 people. It was the worst violence recorded in Brazilian history.

Two bombs exploded in the Charsadda District of Pakistan resulting in the deaths of 98 people, with 140 others injured. The explosions occurred while cadets were getting into buses for a ten-day leave after a training course. It was the deadliest attack in Pakistan since the death of al-Qaeda founder, Osama bin Laden. Speculations had it that it was a retaliatory attack on Pakistan over her supposed link with Bin Laden’s death.

May 18, 2014 An explosion at an underground coal mine in southwestern Turkey killed 301 miners. But some politicians claimed that the number dead were more than 340. The mine, operated by coal producer, Soma Komur Isletmeleri A. S., suffered an explosion, the cause of which was still under investigation. The fire occurred at the mine’s shift change; and 787 workers were underground at the time of the explosion.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Health & Wellbeing Preventing unsafe abortion 20

Lack of family planning blamed for high abortion rate – Ibeabuchi 22

Steven Johnson Syndrome not ‘new deadly disease’

... Health Minister debunks rumour as man begins race to sensitise Nigerians Franka Osakwe and Marcus FatuOnMOle (ABUJA)

T

he Minister of Health, Prof.

Isaac Adewole, has denied the news making waves in some national newspaper about an outbreak of a ‘new deadly disease’ known as Steven Johnson Syndrome, alleged to have killed a medical doctor in the country.

According to a copy of the press briefing on Steven Johnson Syndrome, a rare adverse drug reaction, held last Friday at the radio house Abuja, Prof.

Adewole, had mentioned clearly that Steven Johnson Syndrome is not a new disease and that it was first discovered in 1922.

In the release titled ‘setting the record straight’, made available to National Mirror, the Director Media and Public Relations, Mrs. Boade Akinola wondered where the report about the so called ‘new deadly disease’ came from saying the minister had merely alerted the public that adverse drug reactions could occur following drugs that are prescribed by medical experts and warned member of the public against self-medication.

Mrs Akinola further said the minister had, at the press conference, informed that the late brother of the marathon runner Fadesola, Dr Adeyosola Adedayo, had died in 2012 due to an adverse drug reaction to medications he took after sustaining a needle stick injury while managing a patient that is living with HIV infections. He was managed for Stephen Johnson Syndrome at Lagos University Teaching Hospital Idi-Araba and died after few days due to severity of the disease.

The deceased doctor’s brother, Fadesola Adedayo, last Friday began a 17-day race to Lagos State from Abuja to sensitize people in the country on the rare disease, saying though he had lost his brother, he would inform people in the country on the need to be cautious of drugs consumption, by ensuring they only take medications recommended for them by medical practitioners.

He would stop at 17 locations and run 17 kilometers per day. The Federal government has also provided police convoy and officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission to accom-

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole

pany him all through the period. He is also to be covered by all governmentowned media stations in the country.

Speaking at the flag-off of the journey in Abuja last weekend, Fadesola said he was compelled by the love he had for his country, and would never be happy to see another person die of what killed his brother or of any other preventable death in the country.

Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole captured the experience thus at the event: “An unusual event occurred in 2012. Dr Adeyosola Adedayo, medical doctor went for community services in Lagos. In the course of this, he sustained heuristic injury while managing a patient. That patient happened to be living with HIV. What to do normally as doctor is to assume that that person can also acquire infection, if we fail to take certain steps “Therefore, Dr Adeyosola Adedayo was placed on some medications, and we call this post-exposure prophylaxis, exposure because he has been exposed

to someone, or the body fluid of someone infected with HIV; prophylaxis because we wanted to prevent him from acquiring infection. That is why we call it post-exposure.

“Sometimes, we talk about pre-exposure, in which case we have started building you, in case you come with a contact. Unfortunately, a simple measure designed to prevent this young man from acquiring HIV infection turned out to be a disaster. He developed an uncommon reaction, because that disease is not common. He developed severe reaction that ultimately led to his death. This is a common hazard.

“You can imagine a situation in our country, people take drug without prescription. People wake up and say “my colleague had this problem few weeks ago, this is the medication she used, I am going to use it.” And, you can imagine potentials that we all face as Nigerians when we take medications that are not prescribed. Even the ones that

are prescribed can cause problem, how much more those ones that are not prescribed?,” he added.

A Senior Consultant Physician/ Dermatologist at the National Hospital, Abuja, Olanrewaju Falodun, said Stephens Johnson Syndrome is an immune complex mediated hypersensitivity reaction that typically involves the skin and mucous membranes. He said the disease was first described in 1922 by Albert Stevens and Frank Johnson, and is caused by adverse drug reactions.

The condition usually begins with fever, sore throat, and fatigue, which is commonly misdiagnosed and therefore treated with antibiotics. Ulcers and other lesions begin to appear in the mucous membranes, almost always in the mouth and lips but also in the genital and anal regions. Those in the mouth are usually extremely painful and reduce the patient’s ability to eat or drink.

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Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Preventing unsafe abortion

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nsafe abortion occurs when a pregnancy is terminated either by persons lacking the necessary skills or in an environment that does not conform to minimal medical standards, or both.

The persons, skills and medical standards considered safe in the provision of induced abortions are different for medical abortion (which is performed with drugs alone), and surgical abortion (which is performed with a manual or electric aspirator). Skills and medical standards required for safe abortion also vary depending upon the duration of the pregnancy and evolving scientific and technical advances.

Women, including adolescents, with unwanted pregnancies often resort to unsafe abortion when they cannot access safe abortion. Barriers to accessing safe abortion include: • restrictive laws; • poor availability of services; • high cost; • stigma; • conscientious objection of health-care providers; and • unnecessary requirements such as: • mandatory waiting periods.

• mandatory counselling.

• provision of misleading information • third-party authorization • medically unnecessary tests.

Scope of the problem Based on estimates for 2008, there are approximately 22 million unsafe abortions annually, resulting in 47 000 deaths, and more than 5 million complications3 such as: • incomplete abortion (failure to remove or expel all of the pregnancy tissue from the uterus) • haemorrhage (heavy bleeding) • infection • uterine perforation (caused when the uterus is pierced by a sharp object) • damage to the genital tract and internal organs by inserting dangerous objects such as sticks, knitting needles, or broken glass into the vagina or anus.

In developed regions, it is estimated that 30 women die for every 100 000 unsafe abortions. That number rises to 220 deaths per 100 000 unsafe abortions in developing regions and 520 deaths per 100 000 unsafe abortions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mortality from unsafe abortion disproportionately affects women in Africa.

While the continent accounts for 29% of all unsafe abortions, it sees 62% of unsafe abortion-related deaths.

Who is at risk?

Any woman with an unwanted pregnancy who cannot access safe abortion is at risk of unsafe abortion. Poor women are more likely to have an unsafe abortion than more affluent women. Deaths and injuries are higher when unsafe abortion is performed later in pregnancy.

The rate of unsafe abortions is higher where access to effective contraception and safe abortion is limited or unavail-

Key facts

• Between 2010-–2014: • On average, 56 million induced (safe and unsafe) abortions occurred worldwide each year.

• There were 35 induced abortions per 1000 women aged between 15–44 years.

• 25% of all pregnancies ended in an induced abortion.

• The rate of abortions was higher in developing regions than in developed regions.

• Around 22 million unsafe abortions are estimated to take place worldwide each year, almost all in developing countries.

• In 2008, there were an estimated 47 000 deaths due to unsafe abortion1. Africa is disproportionately affected, with nearly two-thirds of all abortion-related deaths.

• Around 5 million women are admitted to hospital as a result of unsafe abortion every year in developing countries. While more than 3 million women who have complications following unsafe abortion do not receive care.

• The annual cost of treating major complications from unsafe abortion is estimated at $680 million2.

• When induced abortion is performed by appropriately trained persons using correct techniques it is a safe procedure.

• Almost every abortion death and disability could be prevented through sexuality education, use of effective contraception, provision of safe, legal induced abortion, and timely care for complications. able.

Complications of unsafe abortion requiring emergency care The major life-threatening complications resulting from unsafe abortion are haemorrhage, infection, and injury to the genital tract and internal organs.

Signs and symptoms An accurate initial assessment is essential to ensure appropriate treatment

and prompt referral for complications of unsafe abortion. The critical signs and symptoms of complications that require immediate attention include: • abnormal vaginal bleeding • abdominal pain • infection • shock (collapse of the circulatory system).

Complications of unsafe abortion can

be difficult to diagnose. For example, a woman with an extra-uterine or ectopic pregnancy (abnormal development of a fertilized egg outside of the uterus) may have symptoms similar to those of incomplete abortion. It is essential, therefore, for health-care personnel to be prepared to make referrals and arrange transport to a facility where a definitive diagnosis can be made and appropriate care can be delivered quickly.

Treatment and care Complications and arising from unsafe abortions and their treatments include: • Haemorrhage: timely treatment of heavy blood loss is critical, as delays can be fatal.

• Infection: treatment with antibiotics along with evacuation of any remaining pregnancy tissue from the uterus as soon as possible.

• Injury to the genital tract and/ or internal organs: if this is suspected, early referral to an appropriate level of health care is essential.

Access to treatment for abortion complications Health-care providers are obligated to provide life-saving medical care to any woman who suffers abortion-related complications, including treatment of complications from unsafe abortion, regardless of the legal grounds for abortion.

However, in some cases, treatment of abortion complications is administered only on the condition that the woman provides information about the person(s) who performed the illegal abortion.

The practice of extracting confessions from women seeking emergency medical care as a result of illegal abortion puts women’s lives at risk. The legal requirement for doctors and other health-care personnel to report cases of women who have undergone abortion, delays care and increases the risks to women’s health and lives. UN human rights standards call on countries to provide immediate and unconditional treatment to anyone seeking emergency medical care4 .

Prevention and control Unsafe abortion can be prevented through: • good sexual education; • prevention of unintended pregnancy through use of effective contraception, including emergency contraception; and • provision of safe, legal abortion.

In addition, deaths and disability from unsafe abortion can be reduced through the timely provision of emergency treatment of complications.

Economic impact In addition to the deaths and disabilities caused by unsafe abortion, there are major social and financial costs to women, families, communities, and health systems. In 2006, it was estimated that $680 million was spent treating serious consequences of unsafe abortion 2.

An additional $370 million would be required to fully meet the unmet need for treatment of complications from unsafe abortion2 Courtesy: WHO

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

21

WHO develops new rapid diagnostic tests for TB Marcus FatunMOle (ABUJA)

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he World Health Organization, WHO, has developed new rapid diagnostic test kits to strengthen the global fight against tuberculosis.

The first kit aims to speed up detection and improve treatment outcomes for multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) through use of a “novel rapid diagnostic test” having shorter and cheaper treatment regimen.

The other – rapid diagnostic test for identifying second-line drug resistance, which is “the most reliable way to rule out resistance to second-line drugs is a newly recommended diagnostic test for use in national TB reference laboratories. The novel diagnostic test – called MTBDRsl – is a DNA-based test that identifies genetic mutations in MDR-TB strains, making them resistant to fluoroquinolones and injectable

second-line TB drugs.”

WHO noted in a recent release on its website that the first tool has a shorter treatment with better outcomes. According to the agency, with less than US$ 1000 per patient, the new treatment regimen could be completed between nine and 12 months. Not only is it less expensive than current regimens, it is also expected to improve outcomes and potentially decrease deaths due to better adherence to treatment and reduced loss to followup, WHO said.

The agency argued that the conventional treatment regimens take between 18 and 24 months to complete and yield low cure rates – just 50 percent on average globally.

“This is largely because patients find it very hard to keep taking second-line drugs, which can be quite toxic, for prolonged periods of time. They, therefore, often interrupt treatment or are lost to follow-up in health services.

Consuming fortified food will prevent malnutrition – Health Minister Franka Osakwe

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he Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has advocated for the consumption of fortified foods as a means of preventing malnutrition in the country.

The minster, disclosed this at the National Consultative Summit on food fortification organised by Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), in collaboration with National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration Control (NAFDAC) and United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), held recently in Ikeja, Lagos.

Adewole emphasized the fact that malnutrition contributes to more than one-third of all childhood deaths. He said, “It is a condition that develops when the body does not get the right amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ functions.”

The honourable Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac

Adewole, who was represented by the Director of Food and Drugs Services, Federal Ministry of Health Mrs Abisola Akinbisehin, said the present administration is aiming at developing a national policy on food fortification that would serve as a model for the rational addition of essential vitamins and minerals to staple food and for effective compliance to mandatory food fortification regulations by the Industry.

Prof. Adewole acknowledged some of the remarkable success Nigeria had attained in addressing micronutrients deficiency problems with the support of international organizations and development partners such as GAIN, UNICEF and Micronutrient Initiative (MI).

In her remarks, Mrs Yetunde Oni, the acting Director- General, NAFDAC, described food fortification as the act of enhancing the quality of readily available and more affordable foods nutritionally.

L-R: The UNICEF Nutrition Manager – Dr Pragya Mathema, Represetative for the Executive Director National Primary Health Care Development Agency and Director for Community Health Services Dr Emmanuel Odu, Representative of the Honourable Minister Federal Ministry of Health – Director Pharm. Services -Pharm. Abisola Akinbisehin during a Food fortification Summit held in Lagos recently

Health workers sack Perm. Sec. from office Marcus FatunMOle (ABUJA)

T

he Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Amina Shamaki has been sacked from her office by workers in the ministry, National Mirror can report.

Sources at the ministry disclosed that Mrs Shamaki now operates from home, where files are brought to her from the ministry as workers have banned her from her office, located at the new Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja.

... now works from home

The Permanent Secretary is under fire over allegation of high-handedness; collusion with directors who are due for retirement in the ministry to remain in office, and championing litigation for such objective in court; overbearing among others.

Leader of the workers, Hassan Habba, told our correspondent yesterday that her absence in office “is for her own safety,” adding that “work has been going on smoothly in the ministry” with the absence of the Permanent Secretary.

The workers had shut down the ministry fortnight ago and stormed the office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation, HoS, to demand Shamaki’s deployment.

The placard-carrying workers thronged the HoS in hundreds and chanted various protest songs which drew attention of passers-by and staff of the premises.

“Bring experience, knowledgeable, competent Permanent Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Health, because this is a

five-star ministry. We have three sensitive offices in the Federal Ministry of Health – the office of the Minister, Minister of State and Permanent Secretary.

But, to our dismay, whether it happened in error, the Permanent Secretary is a medical doctor, the Minister is a medical doctor, the Minister of State is a medical doctor, we have problem. You must give us somebody who will serve as an arbiter between these two people. We need an experienced person to lead that ministry.

Lack of foreign exchange threatens drug production - Pharmacists Franka Osakwe

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harmacists under the aegis of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) have warned of a looming scarcity of essential drugs, that will endanger the health of the citizens, if the current lack of foreign exchange persists.

The group’s National Chairman, Dr. Albert, Alkali Kelong, who warned about the situation, urged the Federal Government to prevent the imminent doom, by providing adequate foreign exchange to bonafide pharmacists to procure critical raw materials necessary for drug production while also providing an intervention fund for the sector.

Speaking during a press briefing to herald the upcoming 35th edition of the association’s national con-

ference, scheduled for 29th May to June 3rd, Kelong, said the situation, if not urgently addressed, would lead to increase in price of drugs, low drug circulation as well as unemployment.

He said the conference which holds at Nike Lake Resort Enugu, would be an avenue to address some of these issues and the challenges affecting the phar-

macy profession.

The ACPN also urged the federal government to constitute the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) council, and to appoint a pharmacists as NAFDAC Director General DG, to enable them carry out their duties effectively.

“Recent happening in the field of pharmaceutical practice in Nigeria indi-

cates that the two agencies need to do more. These can be measured by the numerous illegal pharmaceutical premises and patent medicine stores scattered all over the 36 states and FCT Abuja, and the unprecedented increase in the number of fake and substandard pharmaceutical products all over the country”, the group said.

Saraki’s wife seeks improved safety of IDPs Marcus FatunMOle (ABUJA)

W

ife of Senate President, Mrs Toyin Saraki, has stressed the need for improved safety of internally displaced persons, IDPs, in the country.

Mrs Saraki who made the call at a forum organized by Center for Strategic and In-

ternational Studies, CSIS (Africa Programme) in Washington, USA, on the fundamental rights of displaced women and girls in Nigeria, expressed worry over violence against IDPs in the country.

A statement made available to National Mirror by her non-governmental organization, Wellbeing Foundation Africa, quoted her as calling for urgent need for government in

the country and international organizations to work together and reduce gender-based violence in the camps.

She explained that there needs to be a register of all missing persons nationally, while providing health integrated certifiable identities to displaced persons, to aid restoration of their constitutional human and citizenship rights.

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Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Lack of family planning blamed for high abortion rate – Ibeabuchi H

ow will you access Nigeria’s reproductive and maternal health situation?

Nigeria’s population is estimated at about 170 million. When we consider the gender distribution of this population, we note that women comprise about 50% of the total. In addition, we also note that the adolescent segment of the population is currently estimated at over 23 million and the youth population is estimated to be about 23.8 million. Another population segment of concern is the proportion of the females; age 15-19 years (which cuts across Adolescent and Youths) because of their contribution to high Fertility. This segment constitutes about 11.0 percent and this proportion is expected to be above 30 percent in 2025. Based on the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), 23 percent of our teenage girls (age 15-19) are already mothers or pregnant with their first child and half of our women are already married by age 18, while 61% are married by age 20. Sexual and reproductive behavioural pattern shows that women and men in Nigeria tend to initiate sexual activity before marriage and with a median age at first marriage being 18.1 years, for women, and 27.2 years, for men (2013 NDHS Report).

When we consider Nigeria’s fertility rate, we note that currently, women in Nigeria have an average of 5.5 children. Fertility also varies with the mother’s education and economic status. Women who have more than secondary education have an average of 3.1 children, while women with no education have 6.9 children. Studies have shown the strong linkage between high fertility, high risk births, poor access to modern family planning/child birth spacing methods and high maternal mortality ratio. The reported contraceptives prevalence rate (CPR) for Nigeria is 10% (2013 NDHS Report). This means that in spite of the obvious challenges of high fertility, only few Nigerian women are using modern family planning methods for spacing or limiting pregnancies. This is one of the reasons behind the reported high maternal mortality of 576 deaths per 100,000 live births in the 2013 NDHS Report..

The enormity of the currently high maternal mortality and morbidity in Nigeria is staggering. The social and economic costs due to the complications and deaths to the family and the nation are enormous and should be resolved as a national priority. Over the past decade, substantial efforts have been made. The right policies are already in place.

The Federal Government is implementing a National Midwifery Services Scheme and the Community MCH Services through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Some states of the federation are committed to free antenatal care and delivery. However, budget lines and funding dedicated to maternal health at the federal, state and local governments are grossly inadequate to achieve the maternal health vision. Therefore, actual investments to cover maternal health care as a comprehensive and integrated package at each level of government have remained a mirage.

What factors contribute to poor maternal health care delivery?

Maternal Health programme implementation in Nigeria faces numerous challenges such as: inadequate budgetary provisions for maternal health services at the Federal, State and LGA levels, limited coverage of maternal health services particularly in the rural areas, inadequate skilled personnel and illequipped facilities to cater for obstetric needs of the communities, Where facilities are available, they may not be accessible (too far, too expensive or of poor quality), Ignorance, poverty and other socio-cultural barriers may limit the demand for or uptake of services. The above factors are fundamental and

The 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) reveals that there is a large unmet need for family planning in Nigeria and this is one of the reasons for the country’s high maternal death situation.

A family planning expert with Nigeria Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), Mrs Charity Ibeawuchi, in this interview with Franka Osakwe, explains the benefits of FP. Excerpts.

Ibeabuchi germane when we address the challenging maternal and reproductive health problems in Nigeria. Maternal and reproductive health indices for Nigeria tell a story of a country that is at the crossroads, over what it needs to do versus what needs to be done.

Does Family Planning have a role to play in this?

Family planning is an informed decision by an individual or a couple on how many children to have and when to have them through adequately spaced pregnancies using modern family planning methods, in order to enhance the health of the mother and the well-being of the family. Family planning plays a major role in improving maternal, newborn and child health. Family planning alone reduces maternal deaths by more than 33%. Successful family planning programmes contribute significantly to national development.

Political commitment backed by adequate and sustained funding of family planning programmes by the government at all levels will create the necessary enabling environment that will result in decrease in maternal deaths, increased productivity and poverty reduction.

What are the benefits of Family Planning?

Family planning is one of the most effective ways to prevent maternal, infant and child mortality. It reduces maternal mortality by reducing the number of unintended pregnancies, the number of abortions and the proportion of high risk births. When family planning needs of women are met, Nigeria can prevent more than a third of her total maternal deaths per year, saving 140,000 to 150,000 lives per year (National FP Blueprint 2014). Family planning helps women avoid unwanted pregnancies. The more couples practice family planning, the fewer women die from pregnancy-related causes. Women who are not pregnant do not die from pregnancy-related causes. Family planning helps couples plan the size of their family and avoid high-risk pregnancies. Women who become pregnant when very young or very old are at a higher risk of a pregnancy-related death. Women who become pregnant soon after their last birth or who have many children also have an increased danger of maternal death. Fewer deaths will occur among preg-

nant women if more couples practice family planning.

Family planning helps to avoid the proven challenges that women face in pregnancy and child birth when they are too young and too old in age and or when pregnancies are too close and too many. When a woman becomes pregnant before age 18 she is more likely than an older woman to develop hypertension, anaemia and prolonged or obstructed labour and to die as a result of pregnancy. For pregnancies among women in their 40s, the risk of death can be as much as seven times higher than among women in their 20s. Also when pregnancy occurs less than six months from the last birth, a woman is more than twice as likely to die in childbirth than a woman who becomes pregnant between 18 to 23 months later. And having five or more pregnancies significantly increase the risk of dying of pregnancy-related causes. Nigeria has the second largest number of maternal deaths in the world with an estimated 576 deaths/100,000 live births. One of the reasons is low use of modern contraceptives; only 10% of married women using a modern method of family planning and 16% have an unmet need for family planning. Meeting this unmet need for family planning would result in fewer unintended pregnancies and fewer maternal deaths per year.

Some people say FP is the western world’s strategy to reduce our population growth, what do you have to say about this?

This opinion and misinformation is part of the challenges family planning programme has had to deal with. Misinformation, fears and misconception are the major barriers to large-scale use of modern family planning methods in Nigeria and in Africa largely. Family planning has been with us right from the olden days. Most communities in Nigeria before the advent of the colonial era had used different traditional methods of family planning and they call those methods by different local names. So family planning is indigenous to us. There are also the natural methods. Even these traditional methods and the natural methods are still being used today. The modern methods are scientifically tested and proven to be very effective.

So people have very wide choices and are free to use any method they like. Access to family planning methods are therefore based on in-

formed choice and must be voluntary. Family planning is not an agenda to curb population growth. The benefits to mothers, children, families, communities and nation are so immense that we should encourage all families to adopt it. Wise men and women space their families.

What are the economic implications of Nigeria’s fast growing population?

Nigeria’s population is growing at a rapid rate of 3.2% per annum. Based on the National Population and Census Report of 2006, the country is projected to grow to a population of 250 million people by the Year 2025.

Nigeria has a very large pool of young people who are massively dependent on the very few adults that are economically employed and productive. This is not good enough. For the country to enjoy the dividends that should accrue from its large population pool, there must be sustainable strategies and functional mechanisms to enhance productive engagement of its teaming population, particularly the youths and women. In addition, Nigeria must learn from the developed countries and the Asian Tigers that have adopted effective family planning programmes, empowered their women and mainstreamed gender in their economic and effectively engaged their youth in sustainable development agenda.

The health and wellbeing of the women, children and youth is the wealth of every nation.

What approach can government use to promote increase in the uptake of FP? The national family planning (FP) programme focuses on the right of individuals and couples to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and to access the information and means to do so. It is based on the principle of voluntarism and informed choices. Government should develop such programmes that will enable people to choose voluntarily whether to use FP services or a specific FP method.

They should be well informed on the wide variety of choices, including benefits, health risks and side effects of a particular method.

The quality of FP services and care must be of the highest standard. Access helps determine whether the individual makes contact with the trained provider, while quality of care affects the client’s decision to accept a method and the motivation to continue using it.

Following the ICPD (1994), Family planning has been considered under the broader array of reproductive health rights. In this regard, it is the broader responsibility of the key stakeholders to have a situation where all women of reproductive age are able to exercise choice over the size and timing of their families, where no woman dies giving birth, and where all newborns survive and thrive.

This is essentially what FP is doing. FP reduces maternal mortality by more than 33% .Finally, Nigeria must make increased and sustained investments in health, including FP, education, job creation and raising the age of marriage in order to attain a demographic bonus, and ultimately a demographic dividend. Health systems as a whole need to be strengthened, with primary health care expanded. Sexual and reproductive health care and family planning information and services need to be improved, and a wide variety of family planning methods made universally accessible to improve maternal and child health and reduce unintended pregnancies.

The private sector must also be encouraged to invest in the implementation of the FP roadmap for Nigeria to fully attain her development goals.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

23

Arts Lounge

26 As internet revolution becomes real and grows exponentially in Nigeria, how can originators of creative pieces ensure that their rights are not violated?

Stakeholders ruminate on bottlenecks and solutions.

AMAA 2016: Nigeria, Ghana, S’Africa in contention

Talent that can’t yield money is useless —Kemka 25

Curbing online piracy of Nigerian works

Ngozi EmEdolibE

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resently, world Internet users would have exceeded 2.8 billion, going by a survey made available by a world’s leading Internet data bank, www.internetworldstat.com. This is expected to engender a digital revolution the world may not have witnessed or anticipated. While the technology companies are getting set for this eventuality with gizmos that avail data in real time and on the move, it becomes pertinent that the real owners of the data (content in this context) evolve ways of protecting the works they have put on the Internet. Bulk of these content providers, who range from book authors, to musicians to film producers, visual artists and photographers, according to stakeholders will face a very stiff challenge in this regards, as the new frontiers begin this exponential outburst.

A book publisher, Ben Osagie, of Heritage Books told Arts Lounge that the new dawn will offer a lot of advantages for book authors and publishers, because the platform for distribution would have limitless borders, but that the industry should also brace for intellectual rights violations that would come with it.

“While the platform for distribution will be limitless the new challenge would definitely be how to protect the rights of the content owners. I foresee e-books leaving this paper format behind and assuming the digital format, which would be downloaded as e-books or e-magazines. Perhaps as we move on, the platform for collection of royalties due to the author would improve, but what would happen in the event that someone pays to download the material and uses it for things other than what the materials were initially authorized for?”

The music industry is not left alone in this impending fear. As CDs are fast giving way to downloadable music, the industry would

Cybercafe also be confronted with the challenge of fashioning a fool-proof way of protecting their works in the face of this emerging music market driven by the Internet. This concern has left stakeholders in the music industry with no option but to fashion ways of staying afloat as this new storm begins.

Obviously, Nigerian artistes need Intellectual Property experts now more than before.

According an Intellectual Property lawyer, Edwin Umeajah, every artiste who wants to go into any dealings should first consult intellectual property lawyers who would explain the limits of his rights within the framework of the agreement he is entering into with any portal. This is necessary, considering the loose nature of the internet.

“It is neither here nor there for now. Enabling laws to enforce that are yet to be firmly rooted in the country, owing to some issues.

When it takes a trans-continental posture, it becomes more difficult to enforce even. In Nigeria the case between Ayo Bankole a musician and the Ecobank is one of the most popular in this regard. The musician’s composition was used for the phone answering service of the bank, and he threatened to go to court, making the bank to go into agreement with him on the limits of their usage about his works. Every artiste in this age needs to cultivate the culture of getting lawyers to draft his

It Is true that we are lIvIng In a world that Is becomIng borderless, as a result of

technology, whIch leaves so many burdens In the area of protectIng one’s rIghts

agreement when he wants to enter into any dealings. For book authors, the same thing applies, because the digital age makes their works more accessible to readers many readers in far-flung vicinities”.

But the various collecting societies, still advise content owners in the digital age that the best option is to enlist with a collecting society, which would do all negotiations on their behalf. In Nigeria, the Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON, which has been championing the cause of the rights of most musical artistries told Arts Lounge that while the issue of copyrights infringement cannot be completely eliminated, artistes or content providers can do themselves a lot more good by finding a way of enlisting with only the authorised collecting society existing in the country.

“Yes, it is true that we are living in a world that is becoming borderless, as a result of technology, which leaves so much burden in the area of protecting one’s rights, I have to note

here that achieving a fool-proof way of protecting the rights of artiste is not absolute, but the artiste can do himself so much good by registering with a collecting society. Once the authorised society has the mandate of the artiste, bulk of the violations would be minimised especially at the corporate or commercial levels”, says Tony Okoroji, the chief executive officer of COSON. The African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation, ARIPO, working to protect the rights of African artistes also believes that enlistment in copyright protection society remains a veritable tool in the quest to protect one’s rights now.

While it has been established that it may be difficult erasing infringements on rights in the digital age, what options are there left for artistes whose contents have been violated?

Mike Umeajah, Intellectual Property lawyer says the best option remain seeking redress in court.

“Like I said before when it is estab-

lished, the artiste should seek redress in court, because it is only a court of law that has the power to enforce it. Copyright infringement cases in Nigeria usually do not go beyond the appeal court, which goes to show the kind of seriousness they attach to it. Once it is decided at that level, the victim gets full compensation”.

However, Jochen Schaefer, a German lawyer with the World Federation of the Sporting Goods and Industry, WFSGI, offers a new vista in an edition of the World Intellectual Property Organisation WIPO, bulletin.

According to him, ‘Trademark law, like other areas of intellectual property (IP) law, is governed by principles of territoriality. In the online environment, however, where it is relatively easy to maintain an anonymous identity, using “offshore” Internet service providers (ISPs) or servers, for example, infringers can dodge legal action initiated by courts or administrative bodies in the countries in which they have a virtual presence and in which they generate profits. The difficulties associated with successfully pursuing online IP infringers using a conventional legal approach are further compounded by a lack of uniformity in the legal landscape. While there is a degree of harmonisation of the laws and regulations governing IP rights and their enforcement, these are not unified. Varying laws and practices in different jurisdictions make it difficult to navigate the legal landscape, fuelling legal uncertainty about outcomes. Against this backdrop, some commentators have cast the law as a lame duck limping behind dynamic new commercial and technological developments in the real world. Claiming damages from infringers in the borderless digital environment can prove extremely difficult.

While the courts and competent administrative authorities play a key role in stopping illegal use of brands online, the importance for right holders to secure the underlying facts and accompanying evidence cannot be overstated. If a company is to win its day in court, it is critical that emphasis be placed on gathering this information prior to and during litigation and particularly for interim relief proceedings.”

With enabling laws in this regard still loosely enforced in Nigeria, this ought to constitute a new focal point for stakeholders in the art industry, if the ‘art must pay’.

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Arts Lounge

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

VOICES

The danger of a single story But

Chimamanda adiChie

Because

I

’m a storyteller. And I would like to tell you a few personal stories about what I like to call “the danger of the single story.” I grew up on a university campus in eastern Nigeria. My mother says that I started reading at the age of two, although I think four is probably close to the truth. So I was an early reader, and what I read were British and American children’s books.

I was also an early writer, and when I began to write, at about the age of seven, stories in pencil with crayon illustrations that my poor mother was obligated to read, I wrote exactly the kinds of stories I was reading: All my characters were white and blue-eyed, they played in the snow, they ate apples, and they talked a lot about the weather, how lovely it was that the sun had come out.

Now, this is despite the fact that I lived in Nigeria. I had never been outside Nigeria. We didn’t have snow, we ate mangoes, and we never talked about the weather, because there was no need to.

My characters also drank a lot of ginger beer, because the characters in the British books I read drank ginger beer. Never mind that I had no idea what ginger beer was.

And for many years afterwards, I would have a desperate desire to taste ginger beer. But that is another story.

What this demonstrates, I think, is how impressionable and vulnerable we are in the face of a story, particularly as children. Because all I had read were books in which characters were foreign, I had become convinced that books by their very nature had to have foreigners in them and had to be about things with which I could not personally identify.

Now, things changed when I discovered African books.There weren’t many of them available, and they weren’t quite as easy to find as the foreign books.

But because of writers like Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye, I went through a mental shift in my perception of literature. I realized that people like me, girls with skin the color of chocolate, whose kinky hair could not form ponytails, could also exist in literature. I started to write about things I recognized.

Now, I loved those American and British books I read.

They stirred my imagination. They opened up new worlds for me. But the unintended consequence was that I did not know that people like me could exist in literature. So what the discovery of African writers did for me was this: It saved me from having a single story of what books are.

I come from a conventional, middle-class Nigerian family.

My father was a professor. My mother was an administrator.

And so we had, as was the norm, live-in domestic help, who would often come from nearby rural villages. So, the year I turned eight, we got a new house boy. His name was Fide.

The only thing my mother told us about him was that his family was very poor. My mother sent yams and rice, and our old clothes, to his family. And when I didn’t finish my dinner, my mother would say, “Finish your food! Don’t you know? People like Fide’s family have nothing.” So I felt enor-

MEMORABLE READS

of writers like

chinua acheBe and

camara laye, i went through a mental shift in my perception of literature

Chimamanda Adichie mous pity for Fide’s family.

Then one Saturday, we went to his village to visit, and his mother showed us a beautifully patterned basket made of dyed raffia that his brother had made. I was startled. It had not occurred to me that anybody in his family could actually make something. All I had heard about them was how poor they were, so that it had become impossible for me to see them as anything else but poor. Their poverty was my single story of them.

Years later, I thought about this when I left Nigeria to go to university in the United States. My American roommate was shocked by me. She asked where I had learned to speak English so well, and was confused when I said that Nigeria happened to have English as its official language. She asked if she could listen to what she called my “tribal music,” and was consequently very disappointed when I produced my tape of Mariah Carey. She assumed that I did not know how to use a stove.What struck me was this: She had felt sorry for me even before she saw me. Her default position toward me, as an African, was a kind of patronizing, well-meaning pity.

My roommate had a single story of Africa:a single story of catastrophe. In this single story, there was no possibility of Af-

How often do you read?

I try because I realise it is important to exercise not just physically but mentally. I always have books around here, I try to read something every week apart from newspapers and things I read up on the web, I am one of the people that still love the hard covers. I don’t just stick with management, I read about fortune, fame.

How did you get introduced to reading?

I love it, it is something they made us do in school a lot; and just on my own I would be found sitting down. I was so used to books that going to the toilet I would take my novel because I didn’t want to stop reading. I grew with that hunger for reading, I don’t do it as much as I want to because I don’t usually have

Martha Yough TV personality

ricans being similar to her in any way, no possibility of feelings more complex than pity, no possibility of a connection as human equals.

I must say that before I went to the U.S., I didn’t consciously identify as African. But in the U.S., whenever Africa came up, people turned to me. Never mind that I knew nothing about places like Namibia. But I did come to embrace this new identity, and in many ways I think of myself now as African. Although I still get quite irritable when Africa is referred to as a country, the most recent example being my otherwise wonderful flight from Lagos two days ago, in which there was an announcement on the Virgin flight about the charity work in “India, Africa and other countries.”

So, after I had spent some years in the U.S. as an African, I began to understand my roommate’s response to me. If I had not grown up in Nigeria, and if all I knew about Africa were from popular images,I too would think that Africa was a place of beautiful landscapes, beautiful animals, and incomprehensible people, fighting senseless wars, dying of poverty and AIDS, unable to speak for themselves and waiting to be saved by a kind, white foreigner. I would see Africans in the same way that I, as a child, had seen Fide’s family.

all that time but I made up my mind, I know I have to read.

Who is your best author?

For now it’s Napoleon Hill What is your best book?

‘Think and Grow Rich’. My goodness! It’s a mind-blower and it’s a classic What is your annual budget on books?

I really have not put a figure to it. I could just go on an escapade and start buying. I once had a suitcase of books I painfully parted with for some reasons but I am rebuild rebuilding my library again. What books do for me it’s like I am in a world I can’t experience right now, I learn right away from the experiences of the author so I am literally living through what he or she has lived, eating up everything he or she has eaten.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Arts Lounge

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

25

ARTISTE UNCENSORED

Talent that can’t yield money is useless —Kemka He is the kind you will call a rare artiste. Aside being a music producer and keyboardist, he takes time to discover the hidden traits that make certain individuals great. Meet Daniel Kemka.

Ogah Ocheche

F

or Daniel Kemka, a new day, is an unpredictable row of events. He is not one who can rightly pinpoint when he would wake up, pray and head off to his office at Ago Palace area of Isolo in Lagos. His hands are in so many pies that he does not even know what he would be getting involved in next. But all these are administered through his company, which is called Platinum Seed.

“Platinum Seed”, he says, “is a concern that is involved in so many artistic pursuits, depending on how one looks at it. It is a human development enterprise, a music production outfit, and a publishing venture all rolled into one.”

In the past five years that the company was formally set up, it has produced artistes like Miriam and Tim Prisca with the assistance of an in-house sound engineer called Paul Runz. The story of Daniel’s journey is typical of most ventures, driven by passion and little capital.

“The beginning was so tough, and at times I really felt like quitting, but I kept trudging on, because I really like what I am doing. I have always told people I mentor that in whatever they want to pursue as a career; one of the underling success tips is getting to love what they do more than anything

Kemka at a coaching event. else. That would help anyone through the rough edges of life, which is inevitable. For me, I had nothing but the talent, drive, and the passion for what I wanted to become.”

According to him, his involvement in music, which started as a chorister in a church helped in shaping who he is today.

“I first got involved in Trinity Choir, which is a large organisation that was formed in our church in those days, before breaking out for Magui, another group of choristers. It was there that I learnt to play keyboard and a little bit of the saxophone. After series of trainings, I got out to form Platinum Seed, which has been on for 5 years now. Platinum Seed Productions is into rap, gospel and dancehall.”

Getting ready for this job, Daniel says, has not only depended on talent alone but education. “I have a degree in Business Management, which is also important to what I am doing.

Everything is all about managing a business. Talent is business, and I always tell people that any talent that cannot yield money is useless. I say so because that is the primary reason God gives people talent. You must be able to use it to feed well; you must be able to use that talent to uplift humanity too. One thing people worry about when they encounter me is the ability to multitask myself and they usually ask me how I manage to do so. It is actually a part of the training I have received

Money is iMportant. i have not ruled out that

i Must Make Money froM this because that is what

i do. but what i charge depends on instances.

Kemka and Frank Edwards

MIDWEEK JUMP

Poetry from African languages

M

Poetry in African language

odern Poetry in Translation is publishing a focus on translations of poetry from African languages this summer.

MPT only publish translations of poetry (and not original English-language poetry) and the translations must be previously unpublished.

MPT welcome works from any age, but have a preference for contemporary works.

You are welcome to send submissions of up to six poems. You must be able to obtain rights for the reproduction of these translations both in MPT and online on their site. They pay a fee to contributors.

Kemka over the years.”

How does he select potential talents he works with? “My job started in the church but it is expanding beyond the church.” he declares. “Most times, I get invited to the church to come and give talks and train the choir and all that. That forms a major platform for people that return to me for development in terms of their musical skills or in terms of human capital development. They usually meet me there and for the so many that have benefitted, it started from there”.

Daniel Kemka does not have a ceiling on what to collect as fees. He says what he hopes to earn from any undertaking depends on certain factors. “Money is important. I have not ruled out that I must make money from this because that is what I do. But what I charge depends on some instances. I get as much as N500,000 to talk and train people. But I have also gotten N20,000 to do the same thing. It all depends on the circumstances. I have also done some free of charge, because in life you must draw lines to define such variables.”

Daniel Kemka’s latest project is a book titled, ‘Decode Invisible Elements; Invent Visible Evidence’. “This book is a guide to success in creative ventures. It will help people unlock their greatest potentials. Sometimes, people do not even know their potentials, the book will help them discover and unlock them.”

A season of Bangla drama

S

ubmissions are now open for A Season of Bangla Drama organised by Tower Hamlets Council which will take place in November.

Now in its 14th year, the drama festival is firmly established in the cultural calendar, and provides a major platform for writers to showcase their talent and celebrates novel perspectives of contemporary British Bengali life.

The deadline for submission is Wednesday 25 May. The council will be looking for originality and innovation and priority will be given to organisations based in Tower Hamlets. The festival will run every weekend from November 3 to 27 on

A season of Bangla drama stages across the borough. The main programme of performances will be supplemented by a fringe programme of talks, walks and exhibitions.

26

Arts Lounge

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FAR AND NEAR

AMAA 2016: Nigeria, Ghana, S’Africa in contention Ngozi EmEdolibE

A

head of the June 11, 2006 date for the grand finale of the 2016 Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA, the nominees in the 28 categories of the annual pan-African reward system for motion picture practitioners were announced Sunday May 15, 2016 by Mr. Shaibu Husseini, the President of the Jury.

At a media event which took place at the Protea Hotel, GRA Ikeja, Lagos Mr. Husseini who also doubles as the Chairman of the College of Screeners reiterated in his address that AMAA is a jury-based award and not a voting awards where nominees embark on voting campaigns to win any of the categories.

The Jury however announced nominations into 26 categories as the Board of Jurors is yet to conclude work on the remaining two.

Films from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Burkina Faso are in hot chase for the AMAA glory in the acting departments and Best Director’s Category with such films as Fifty, Dry, The Cursed One, Eye of the Storm, Ayanda, La Pagne, Tell me Sweet Something and Behind Closed Doors.

“We are very happy about the quality of works that came into the competition this year and it gladdens our heart that every year the objectives of the awards are being achieved with film makers in Africa and beyond upping their game,” added Mr. Husseini.

The Board of Jurors of AMAA which has members which include academics, film makers, critics and Film Festival curators from Nigeria, Germany, United States, Zimbabwe, Jamaica and Burkina Faso will decide on which film and individual talents that will emerge eventual winners at a glamorous Awards Night.

Beyond Blood

President of AMAA, Jury announcing the nominations

The nomination list

1. EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM 1. Encounter – Nigeria 2. Le Chemin – Cote De Voire 3. Blood Taxi - Nigeria 4. Meet The Parents – Nigeria/Canada 5. Nourah The Holy Light – Burkina Faso 6. Ireti – Nigeria 7. Life of a Nigerian Couple – Nigeria 2. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION 1. The Pencil – Burkina Faso 2. The Peculiar Life of a Spider – Ghana 3. Funsie Fast Fingers – Nigeria 4. Lazare Sie Pale – Burkina Faso 3. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY 1, My Fathers Funeral – Cameroon 2. Nollywood – Nigeria/Jordan 3. Tchindas- Cape Verde 4. The Fruitless Tree – Niger 5. Runs ‘I too Seek The Horizon’ – Nigeria/UK 6. Camera/Woman – Morocco 4. OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE 1. Brotherhood Eye – Mali 2. Bala Bala Sese – Uganda 3. Missing God – Nigeria 4. Cursed Treasure – Ghana

5. Wako – Uganda 6. Daggers of Life (Agbe Fe Akumehewo) - Ghana 5. MICHAELANYIAM OSIGWE AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD: 1. Lambadina – Ethiopia/USA 2. Skinned – Liberia/USA 3. LAPD African Cop – USA/Nigeria 4. Boxing Day – USA/Nigeria 5. MONA – Nigeria/UK 6. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT 1. Lines - USA 2. Raptors - USA 3. Across The Track - USA 4. Reset -USA 7. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY 1. Agents of Change- USA 2.Can You Dig This- USA 3. America’s Blues - USA 4. Spirits of Rebellion - USA 8. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA FEATURE 1. America Is Still the Place - USA 2. Ben & Ara - USA 3. Luv Don’t Live Here - USA 9. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN 1. The Cursed One - Ghana 2. Soldiers Story - Nigeria 3. Ayanda- South Africa 4. Missing God - Nigeria 5. Out of Luck- Nigeria 10. AMAA 2016 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME

DESIGN 1. Eye of the storm 2. Oshimiri 3. The Cursed One 4. Ayanda 5. Soldiers Story 11. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP 1. Oshimiri 2. The Cursed One 3. Missing God 4. Soldiers Story 12. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK 1. O-Town - Nigeria 2. Tell Me Sweet Something – South Africa 3. The Cursed One - Ghana 4. Hear me Move – South Africa 5. Le Pagne- Niger 13. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECT 1. Hear me Move - South Africa 2. Oshimiri - Nigeria 3. Stupid Movie – Nigeria 4. House Arrest – Uganda 5. Soldiers Story – Nigeria 14. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND 1. Eye of the Storm- Burkina Faso 2. Fifty - Nigeria 3. The Cursed One - Ghana 4. Behind Closed Doors - Morocco 5. Falling - Nigeria 6. Rebecca- Ghana

Nigeria, Cote D’ivoire sign MoU on domestic tourism JoEl AJAyi

I

n the furtherance of its effort to grow, and develop domestic tourism across the African region, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) have signed Memorandum of Understanding with Cote d’Ivoire Tourism Board on Tourism The director general of NTDC, Mrs Sally Mbanefo, made this known during Cote D’Ivoire Economic Forum held recently in Lagos State According to her, our country needs to improve its production capacity and must invest in labour intensive sectors like tourism, agriculture and manufacturing.

She said: “It is the only way to

create jobs for the small and medium scale entrepreneurs, youth & women.

“We have also been holding talks with Ghana tourism board as well as the South African tourism board. Two years ago we signed an MOU with the Gambia Tourism board soon as we signed the MOU, the first batch of my staff were approved for training & best practice exchange.

“We will not stop until we achieve a West African Tourism Brand, so that when a tourist begins his trip in one African country they can conclude it in Nigeria to get a holistic approach to tourism in West African.

Mbanefo added: “Nigeria want to encourage other African countries that have best practices for co-

coa production, textile and fashion industries to collaborate with Nigeria to create jobs for youth. If our manufacturing and Agriculture industries are reawakened tourism would have contributed to job creation through such synergies with Cote D’Ivoire and other African countries where we can emulate their industry best practices.”

“Corporation has been collaborating with Cote D’Ivoire Tourism Board for the past three years. They have been coming to the Corporation for collaboration between the two countries, the MOU signed today will unite us together and help to achieve the ECOWAS Tourism Brand Regional Alliance which NTDC has been working on with other African countries.” She disclosed.

Sally Mbanefo

In her remarks, the Ambassador of the republic of Cote D’Ivoire to Nigeria, Mrs Toures expressed appreciation to all the participants for honouring her invitation,

She assured that Cote D’Ivoire will co-operate and partner with Nigeria in many areas such as Tourism, textiles, telecommunication, power, health and education.

Business

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Forex restrictions: Tin Can Customs records N9bn revenue shortfall30

We ‘ll use resources from private equity, pension funds to boost real sector –Enelamah 28

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Appraising 2016 power sector budget from service delivery perspectives

FG proposes 9% internet tax, as group kicks IsaIah ErhIawarIEn

T

he Alliance for Affordable Internet, A4AI, has raised alarm over plans by the Federal Government through the National Assembly to enact a new tax law that will make users of internet in the country to pay tax on information and other activities carried out on the global communication highway.

A4AI, a coalition of stakeholders concerned about the growth of affordable internet access in Nigeria in document made available to the media said that there is a Bill before the National Assembly on Communication Service Tax. National Coordinator of coalition, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, who signed the document said that the goal of the CST Bill was to improve revenue generation as stated in it.

While urging the government to seek other means revenue generation, he said that increased access to the Internet has significant and well-known positive socio-economic benefits for the individual user, their community, their business, and the country as a whole.

Ndukwe, who is a former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission said that the coalition is opposed to passage of the CST Bill, and that “if the tax must be introduced the government must consider a lower tax rate that enables it to achieve fiscal

revenue targets without undermining broadband affordability and access.”

Specifically, he said that the CST tax was proposed to be a nine percent charge for the use of the communication service, where communication service refers to voice, SMS, MMS, data, and pay per view TV. The Alliance said that mobile operators paid approximately $850 million in taxes and regulatory fees to the government in 2014 and $760 million in 2013.

The document tindicated that “the taxes and regulatory fees currently applicable to mobile phone operators fall under several categories, including duties on imported

equipment, regulatory fees, taxes on profits, environmental taxes.”

It stated further that those taxes that are more relevant to the consumer include taxes on handsets, SIM cards, and services, and that “it is this latter set of taxes that we are of utmost concern as they have the most direct impact on the affordability of Internet access for Nigerians.”

The Alliance said that currently a VAT of five percent applies to devices and communication services purchased by the consumer adding that handsets (12 percent) and SIM cards (20 percent and 35 percent special levy) attract additional custom import duties and levies.

Ndukwe hinted that A4AI had continued its engagement with government and other stakeholders in the ICT space in the pursuit of advancing internet affordability and access in Nigeria.

He noted that a study conducted

by A4AI confirmed that one of the main reasons the rate of Internet adoption and use is rather slow in Nigeria is the high cost of data subscription.

The A4AI’s 2015/16 Affordability Report showed that in Nigeria the average income in 2014 was US$2970, GNI per capita, according to World Bank, 40 percent of the population actually earned less than half that amount.

33

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Dana Air

L-R: Mr. Kola Ayeye, Executive Director, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), explaining a point to Mr. Rahul Savara, Group Managing Director, Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group when the latter paid a business visit to AMCON in Lagos yesterday. With them are Mr. Deji Opeola, Head Strategy, AMCON (2nd left) and Mr. Sumit Jain, Chief Financial Officer, Agrobusiness, TGI Group.

PenCom boss to clarify N5.3trn pension fund utilisation ZaKa KhaLIQ

W

27

ith over N5.3 trillion pension fund waiting to be tapped for investment, the Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, is set to explain how the fund could be utilized for economic growth and diversification of the nation’s economy at the National Lecture Series of the Catholic Brothers United (CBU) scheduled to hold in Lagos.

There have been series of complaints from government and Nigerians that the pension industry is refusing to lend the fund for infrastructural development.

The theme of the lecture, ‘The Use of Pension Funds as a Catalyst for Economic Diversification’ is considered apt as the country grapples with the challenges of acute infrastructure deficit needed to propel economic growth.

This lecture, which is in its 17th year, aims at providing a national discourse on how the country can leverage on funds like the Pension Funds to accelerate economic development and growth.

In accepting to speak at the forum which holds next month in Lagos, the Director General said: “It is noteworthy that the Catholic Brothers United (CBU) has sustained the practice of community development activities that have been uplifting the Church and the entire community. The Annual Lecture is one of such programmes that is worthy of commendation”.

Anohu-Amazu, said that the proposed topic of the lecture ‘The Use of Pensions Funds as a Catalyst for Economic Diversification’, aligned with the renewed efforts of the commission aimed at ensuring pension funds are channeled towards economic development through viable and safe investments.

Commenting on the initiative, President of CBU, Emmanuel Uwukhor, said financing infrastructure projects using pensions funds has been a major topical issue that has generated much controversies given the experience with the previous pension scheme.

Uwukhor said that it had become imperative to use the CBU platform to further clarify issues around such discussion as huge members of the Catholic community are subscribers to the Contributory Pensions Scheme (CPS) while others in the informal sector are itching to join the scheme.

“What we want to achieve is to sensitise the teeming Catholic faith and also the general public on the need to understand the benefits of the CPS and how the initiative will lead to fruitful retirement.

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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

28

Executive Discourse

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

We ‘ll use resources from private equity, Nigeria’s economic under-performance over the years has been linked to the country’s inability to explore its non-oil sector’s opportunities, especially those in the real sector, for national advantage. In this interview with journalists, the Minister for Industry, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah, speaks on a number of burning economic issues, especially on how to improve the real sector’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP. SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE, was there and captures the excerpts of the interview:

A

s the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, how can you address the nagging challenges in the real sector of the nation’s economy as well as strategies to ensure that the sector contributes more to the Gross Domestic Products, GDP? In the last few months since I was sworn in as Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, I have been able to engage various stakeholders, seeking first to learn and understand as much as possible while leveraging my experience, gained over the last three decades, mostly from the private sector. I have held and attended several meetings with local and foreign entrepreneurs, business executives and industry groups. Those few months had afforded us the opportunity to articulate our vision for the Ministry. I will start by listing the four pillars of our vision in the sector. First, we plan to create an enabling environment for the industry, trade and investments Enelamah to thrive in the country. I am fully persuaded to say that this is our number one vision and it is very critical to industrial growth. We are also going to imple- in the country. Our intention is to ensure of the real sector while ensuring global ment the Nigeria Industrial Revolution that Nigerians and indeed, the internacompetiveness. I want to tell us, that in Plans, NIRP, to ensure the rapid growth tional community regard our ministry the weeks and months ahead, we will be of the sector. At the same time, we will as an enabler. We intend to see Nigeria unveiling a number of economic initiachampion the course of the Micro, Small break free from its over-dependence on tives that will guarantee ease of doing and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, as a oil and gas into massive industrializabusiness in the country while withstandway of creating more jobs and achieving tion bolstered by research, development ing global competitiveness. I tell you that inclusive growths in the country. We must and innovation of indigenous manufacthese concrete initiatives are capable of proactively, mark the word, ‘proactively’; turing as well as creating environment dismantle all obstacles that may stand on attract long term local and foreign invest- for investments. I want the Ministry to the way of doing business in this country. ments to help our economy to grow at be known as the ‘Ministry of Enabling In our estimation, we discovered that the the desired rate. This administration has Environment’. When we say an enabling most singular enabling environment for emphasized the importance of diversify- environment, we mean one, in which it doing businesses, whether in industrialing the economy, supporting sectors that is progressively easier to do business. We ization, entrepreneurship, manufacturhave potential for growth and creating mean an environment, where policies are ing or other enterprises, infrastructure is massive employments. In line with this predictable and consistent. We also mean the main key. I am therefore delighted to commitment, we had sought and received an environment, where government will mention that works are going on within Credit from the World Bank to help Ni- act as a partner to businesses and not the government circle to dedicate special geria support Micro, Small and Medium as a competitor or an adverse regulator. funds to tackle some infrastructural defiEnterprises, MSMEs, operating in dif- We also mean one in which, there will cits we have in this country. This is apart ferent high potential sectors throughout be micro-economic stability. By the way, from the fact that the 2016 budget prothe country. This support is being imple- we are not saying that these visions are poses huge spending on infrastructural mented under the Federal Ministry of very easy to achieve, but they are our projects, three times as much as the 2015 Industry, Trade and Investment, FMIT&I, visions, which we have to be able to adbudget. This is in the midst of the preand operationalized in the Growth and dress some of the poor performances vailing economic challenges currently Employment, GEM, project. The Project objective is to increase firm growth and hen We say an enabling environment We employment in participating firms in the country. mean one in Which it is progressively easier to

W

Sir, can you explain in details, the four pillars of your vision and how you intend to achieve all these wonderful dreams, considering the prevailing economic situation in the country, caused by the dwindling oil revenue?

Let me try to expand these visions, beginning with the first pillar, which is creating enabling environment for businesses to thrive. We are working assiduously to position the ministry as an enabler and facilitator of businesses and investments

,

,

do business. We mean an environment, Where policies are predictable and consistent. We also mean an environment, Where government Will act as a partner to businesses and not as a competitor or an adverse regulator. We also mean one in Which, there Will be microeconomic stability

facing this nation. I must also add here also, that infrastructure does not only mean hard ones like transport network, reliable power supply, good roads or rail, but it also entails soft infrastructure like transparent government regulations, policy consistency, the rule of law and also the culture of efficient collaborations and synergy among various agencies of the government. Also connected to this idea of enabler, is developing a culture in our ministry, of responsive and supportive services to our stakeholders, industry operators as well as our target audience. The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments will foster an attitude of responsiveness to our entrepreneurs, the MSMEs, businesses and investors because these are the group of people that we want interface with on daily basis. But in doing this, we will constantly ask the questions on ‘how we can help’ because as Ministry, we will be ever-ready to assist in this regard and to make things easier, we are developing more channels of communication and we will welcome all feedbacks on our policies and programmes.

Also, in the next months and weeks ahead, we will be holding different meetings with some industry players, entrepreneurs and stakeholders to tap into the opportunities of engagements provided by internets. In this regard, we have created social media accounts in internet, face book and at the same time, we are revamping the Ministry’s website. All of these efforts are geared towards confirming that our Ministry is ready to play its roles, aimed at improving the real sector of the economy.

Let me also go to the second plank of our vision, which is implementing the

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Executive Discourse

pension funds to boost real sector –Enelamah

nation’s industrial revolution plans. Regarding our industrial sector, there is no doubt that Nigeria is overdue to move away from being primarily an importer or exporter of products to an industrialized economy. Currently, the manufacturing sector contributes only a tenth of our Gross Domestic Products, GDP, which is much lower than it does in other emerging economies of the world. Our industrial development is hinged on the industrial revolution plans, which was launched by the previous administration in 2014. It is now, the time to transform the important document from being a mere plan to effective action. We will implement the industrial revolution plan in the light of the current realities, taking into considerations, the lessons learnt in the last two years since it was unveiled in the country. We are equally focusing, identifying and supporting those areas, where Nigeria has comparative advantages. We have seen successes in our backward integration policy in the cement industry and I should also inform you that sugar is currently trying to replicate that success. Also, in the automotive as well as textiles and garment industries, we have continued discussions with stakeholders and industry players on how to ensure a better policy that would create profit and prosperity. The third plank of our vision, as I mentioned, is to champion the course of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises as a means of creating jobs while achieving inclusive growths.

MSMEs, as we all know, are the unsung heroes of our economy. They are currently contributing half of the nation’s GDP and they have the potential to contribute more to the GDP, if given the right incentives and consistent policy. Working through agencies like the Small and Medium Enterprises Development of Nigeria, SMEDAN, the Industrial Training Fund, ITF, the Bank of Industry, BOI and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, the Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON, the Nigerian Export Processing Council among other government agencies and in collaboration with other ministries and agencies of the government, we will be holding our initiatives and programmes focusing on the SMEs with financing, infrastructure, technical supports as well as training as key areas, where we can intervene. Also with the federal government’s N500 billion social protection programmes funds, contained in the 2016 budget, we will aim to train over two million traders, farmers and artisans through the fund to be managed by the Bank of Industry. My Ministry and the BOI had been invited to play a major role in the social protection fund.

The fourth plank of the vision is to attract proactively, long term capital in local and foreign investments. One of our plans is how to increase foreign direct investments into the country, especially for the purpose of closing our infrastructural gaps. These hard times we found ourselves, call for deployment of effective policies and strategies, targeted at unlocking capitals wherever they may be and we are well aware that these capitals are so much available in various forms.

We are equally focusing, identifying and supporting those areas, Where nigeria has comparative advantages. We have seen successes in our backWard integration policy in the cement

industry and i should also inform you that sugar is currently trying to replicate that success. also,

in the automotive as Well as textiles and garment industries, We have continued discussions With

stakeholders and industry players on hoW to ensure a better policy that Would create profit and prosperity They are in private equity- and in pension funds. Our approach to attracting investments would be created by the public as well as the private sector. Partnering with the private sector is the most sustainable approach and better technical approach to financing.

There is no doubt that you have well-articulated visions and missions for the all-important sector, but it not how articulated those policy may be, but how well they are implemented.

So, how are you going to transform these visions into concrete actions?

As a Ministry, ‘we will say what we mean and we will mean what we say’. I must confess here, that the journey ahead may not be an easy one and there will be no short cut to any approach. I tell you that we are as much committed as possible to achieve and sustain the economic base for sustainable revenue while creating the right policy and environment for businesses to thrive. This vision will never be

Enelamah

in doubt; however, some of these policies I outlined will require legislative backings.

Already, we have started looking at our policies and asking for interventions from the National Assembly. I must say that the National Assembly has started looking towards this direction. They have promised to assist the government in some of these business-related laws in the months ahead. Clearly, all the ministries of the government are interdependent, which means that the only way we can succeed is through synergy and collaboration, working very closely with other ministries and agencies of the government to achieve our purpose. We must ensure that all the stakeholders are carried along in this journey and as I am working to achieve these goals, I welcome feedbacks and criticisms from the stakeholders. I promise that we will listen to our stakeholders, we will learn from them and we will welcome good advices.

Our Ministry is strategically positioned to play a critical role in the nation’s economic growth; especially at a time like this,

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when as a country we are determined to diversify our economy away from oil in a sustainable manner. The statutory duties of the Ministry are expansive ones, covering everything from business registration to intellectual property protection, product quality and standards. Others include consumer protection, MSME supports and promotion of investments and exports as well as the industry. We are a nation of traders and entrepreneurs and around the world; Nigerians are renowned for their entrepreneurial energy. According to the 2014 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report, 52.7 percent of Nigeria’s youth populations are entrepreneurs, owning new or established businesses. And the most recent Global Entrepreneur Indicator, GEI, survey found that 100 percent of Nigerian respondents signified strong optimism about the country’s economic future, as well as enthusiasm about starting new businesses based on that optimism. A survey by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, and the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, in 2010 found that there were 17.28 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, in the country, collectively accounting for almost half of Nigeria’s GDP; as many as four times what the capital-intensive oil and gas industry contributes to GDP. In other words, if you want to get an accurate sense of what the future of Nigeria looks like, you would be better-off looking at where the energies and intellect of our people are being deployed, not its oil reserves.

Since your assumption of duties as Minister, what have you been doing to reach out to stakeholders as well as operators to be able to sanitize them on your mission and vision for the sector?

Since my swearing-in as the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, my team and I have been engaging various stakeholders, seeking first to learn and understand as much as possible while leveraging my experience, gained over the last three decades, mostly from the private sector. We had held and attended several meetings with local and foreign entrepreneurs, business executives, industry groups and Trade Missions. We have met and discussed with fellow members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC. I have met with the Chief Executives of all the Parastatals under the supervision of our Ministry. I have accompanied the President on some of his foreign trips, engaging in discussions around business and investments in the country. One of my first official outings as Minister was to represent Nigeria at the World Trade Organization, WTO, Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya and discussed Nigeria’s place in the global multilateral trading system.

On one of our recent trips, to the United Arab Emirates, I was privileged to sign, on behalf of Nigeria, an important bilateral agreement on Trade Promotion and Protection. In the last few months as Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, I have come to appreciate a number of things, which can be used to frame the conversation about Nigeria’s present and future, from an economic point of view.

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Business News

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Forex restrictions: Tin Can Customs records N9bn revenue shortfall FranCIs EZEM

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trong indications emerged that the foreign exchange restrictions placed on some items of import by the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN is currently taking its toll on revenue generated by the Nigeria Customs Service as the Tin Can Island command of the service records a N9 billion revenue shortfall between January and April 2016.

The apex bank had as part of measures to stem the free fall of the naira against other international currencies such as the dollar placed restrictions on a total of 41 items of import, which has drastically reduced the volume of goods imported into the country by more than 50 per cent and by extension the revenue generated by the service.

The revenue figures released by the Tin Can Island command of the service, which is the second highest revenue collecting command after Apapa, shows a total of N73.1billion was collected for the period covering

January-April, 2016.

This represents a shortfall of N8.8billion when compared to the. N81.9billion collected in the comparative period of 2015.

Details of the revenue profile of the command under the review period show that a total of N24.9billion and N16.7billion was collected in the months of January and February 2016 respectively as against the N20.9billion and N19.2billion collected in the months of January and February 2015 respectively.

Similarly, a total of N17.2billion was collected in the month of March 2016 while N14.3billion was collected in the month of April 2016 as against the N21.5billion collected in January of last year while N20.3billion was collected in the month of April, 2015.

A seven-year revenue profile covering January=April shows that a total of N51.5billion was collected in the 2010 while N58.5billion was collected in the first five months of 2011 as against the N68.1 billion collected

Airtel reviews data tariff to boost customer value IsaIah ErhIawarIEn

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irtel Nigeria has announced a review of its data tariff plans in a strategic move to offer more value to customers.

Under the new data plans, customers can now enjoy up to 30MB with just N100, and 7GB at just N3,500 for a 30 day period. Customers can activate the new tariff plan by dialling *141# With the review, telecoms consumers will be further empowered to connect to their dreams as well as fulfil their professional and personal endeavours at an amazingly discounted rate.

Speaking on the revised data plans, Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Ahmed Mokhles, said the data offering is designed specifically to cater to the needs as well as empower the different segments of mobile Internet consumers.

According to him, Airtel Nigeria has a key objective of delivering innovative, bespoke and quality data offerings to telecoms consumers in line with its commitment to empowering more Nigerians to succeed professionally and personally.

The new data plans come in six variants. Customers who subscribe to the N100 Daily Plan will now get 30MB instantly, unlike the previous plan, which offers of 20MB,

while those on the Easy Plan of N500 will now enjoy 750MB valid for 14 days rather than the previous data value of 250MB. The telco said that the megabyte offer on other bundle plans such as the Android bundle plans have also been increased accordingly as customers will now get 7GB of Data Bundle for N3,500; 1.5GB for N1,000; 3GB for N2,000 and N2,500 for 5GB, respectively.

in the comparative period of 2012.

Other details show that N69.5billion was collected in 2013, which increased significantly to peak at N86.4billion in 2014,

which remains the highest revenue collection for five months in the last seven years.

Things however started taking a turn for the worse when

L-R: Head, Corporate Services Division, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) Bola Adeeko; , Director General, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Peter Idabor; Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Oscar N. Onyema, OON; Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, OFR; Special Adviser, Technical, Ministry of Environment, Hadisa Elayo; Executive Director, Capital Market, NSE, Haruna Jalo-Waziri and Director, Pollution Control, Ministry of Environment, Kasimu Bayero, at the Closing Gong Ceremony at the Exchange yesterday.

IATA predicts drop in global airlines’ profits OlusEgun KOIKI

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xpectations by airlines of further gains in profitability in the year ahead have eased markedly in recent surveys, as yields have come under strong downward pressure and expectations of future cost reductions have diminished.

These findings are contained in the latest quarterly survey of airline Chief Financing Officers, CFOs, and heads of cargo points to further year-on-year gains in profitability during Q1 2016, following a record year in 2015.

Recent survey results were consistent with the strong start to the year for passenger volumes, and are in keeping with the mixed start of the year for air cargo.

Long-run expectations for growth remain positive for both passenger and cargo businesses, although expectations of the latter have moderated since the start of 2015 as structural headwinds – notably the ongoing weakness of global trade growth – have risen to the fore.

More than two-thirds of respondents reported a decrease in operating costs in Q1 2016, consis-

Novartis splits drugs business

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ovartis is splitting its pharmaceuticals division into two business units, one focused on cancer and the second on other drugs, while switching out its current pharma head in the second high-profile management reshuffle this year.

David Epstein, the American head of Novartis Pharmaceuticals and a 27-year veteran with the group, will leave the company to “explore new challenges from the U.S.”, Novartis said.

Epstein’s re-location to the United States implies he is not in the running to replace Andrew Witty as chief executive of British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline next year, as some have speculated. GSK has said it expects to choose a new CEO towards the end of the 2016.

Novartis’ reorganization of its main drugs unit, which accounts for about two-thirds of its $49 billion in annual sales, shows

the command’s revenue plunged by over N4billion in 2015 to peak at N81.9billion between January and April 2015 and further declined to N73.1billion under the review period of 2016.

the growing importance of oncology to the company, after it bought GSK’s marketed cancer drugs for $16 billion last year.

It comes as Novartis struggles with the patent expiration of blood cancer drug Glivec and slowerthan-expected revenue from its new heart failure medicine, Entresto.

Epstein is the second highranking Novartis official to exit within months. Ex-Hospira chief Michael Ball replaced Jeff George at the company’s struggling Alcon eye care business in January as its sales declined again.

“Novartis expects this change to help drive our growth and innovation strategy, with an increased focus and improved execution,” the company said in a statement.

“The new structure reflects the importance of oncology to Novartis following the successful integration of the oncology assets acquired from GlaxoSmithKline.”

Industry analysts said the division should improve the transparency of the component parts of the drugmaker’s business and could help convince investors of the value of Novartis’ large oncology operations.

Cancer drugs tend to enjoy high profit margins and the therapy area is highly valued by investors at present, thanks to recent advances in fighting the disease and the premium prices commanded by cancer treatments.

“A split makes sense because oncology now has critical mass, following the GSK deal, and oncology is in many ways becoming a differentiated business from the rest of pharmaceuticals,” said Mick Cooper, an analyst at equity research firm Trinity Delta.

Epstein, who took over the pharmaceuticals division in 2010, will be replaced by two people.

(Source – Reuters.com)

tent with wider developments in the crude oil market.

Lower input costs and increased competition are putting downward pressure on passenger yields, while ongoing increases in freight capacity are expected to continue to weigh heavily on freight yields over the year ahead.

Airline employment activity was reported to have increased in Q1 2016, and the survey results are consistent with airlines expecting to add more staff to meet higher demand levels over the next 12 months.

2015 was a record year of profitability for the airline industry and the survey of airline CFOs and cargo heads points to further year-on-year gains in profitability during Q1 2016.

Almost 52 per cent of respondents expected profitability in Q1 2016 to have increased relative to the same period in 2015.

That said, the picture from the survey was not as uniformly positive as it was this time last year; just under 39 per cent of respondents expected a deterioration in year-on-year profitability in Q1 – the highest proportion since early 2014 before the latest drop in oil prices.

On a weighted-average basis, the score for profitability over the previous three months has fallen to 56.5 from a peak of 79.3 in January 2015.

The survey results are consistent with the strong start of the year for the passenger market.

Almost 62 per cent of respondents saw an increase in traffic in year-on-year terms in Q1 2016, with less than 10 per cent reporting a fall.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Business News

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National Assembly, experts advocate venture capital option for economy Johnson okanlawon

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or the economic growth of a federation like Nigeria to be successful and sustainable, federating unit’s governments must be seen as caterers for the oasis that must converge for the national economy to prosper.

Chief Executive Officer, Alfe City Company Limited, Mr Soji Adeleye, has said.

Adeleye, who spoke on the forthcoming 1st Nigeria’s Venture Capital Summit holding in June, said state governments must necessarily pursue economic policies that are conducive for private sector investment.

According to him, universities and colleges of technology environments must essentially be supported to breed entrepreneurs that could rely on venture capital to translate their inventions and creativity into economic power.

On why has Nigeria been missing from the Venture Capital space over the years, he said there are limited private equity activities in the financial sector of the country primarily geared towards established entities that are seek-

ing foreign investment.

“To a considerable degree Nigeria’s absence from the global venture capital space is directly a consequence of the instability of the economy. For instance the unpredictable nature of our foreign exchange regime means that dealing with serious international investors is a considerable.”

He explained that the United States of America is the predominant exponent of venture capitalism in the world.

“As matter of fact, it is impossible to imagine the American economy without venture capital. Most of the global brands like Google, Intel, Microsoft and lately Uber all owe their emergence to venture capital. It is that initial fund that turns an idea, a dream to products and services that we all now recognise.

“According to the US National Venture Capital Association, 11% of private sector jobs in the USA come from Venture-backed companies and venture-backed revenue accounts for 21 per cent of US $18 Trillion GDP (2015),” he added.

On the expected benefits of the

LASPEC boss alerts retirees on pension fraudsters

Zaka khalIQ

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he Director-General, Lagos State Pension Commission, LASPEC, Mrs Folasade Onanuga, has alerted retirees to beware of pension fraudsters who deceive retirees into believing that there are balances to be paid to them and make demands on them.

Onanuga, who gave the hint at the 26th Retirement Benefit Bond Presentation in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, added that some retirees have fallen victim of these fraudsters in the past, calling on retirees to ignore any call mandating them to pay certain amount before they could access their pension entitlement.

She urged pensioners to make judicious use of their pension benefits to establish themselves in business they are competent in, saying, retirees must carefully take decisions on how the funds will be utilised.

She reiterated the fact that in the not too distant future, all retirees will receive their entitlements.

At the event, a total sum of N1, 080 billion were paid through bond certificates to 260 retirees from the Mainstream, Local Government, SUBEB, TEPO and Parastatals of Lagos State Government, under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

This sum, was for the entitlements of the benefiting retirees for the month of April, 2016.

Speaking on this development, Onanuga, said the fact that the current administration in the state commenced and has been able to maintain the trend of paying terminal entitlements of retired employees monthly since it started in August, 2015, is highly commendable.

This payment, she said, has brought the number of retirees paid between August 2015 to April, 2016 to 3,069. The total accrued right paid by the State Government from the aforementioned month to date, according to her, is N13. 701 billion.

Venture capital/summit to Nigeria, he said it will open up a new avenue for turning ideas to products.

“The Venture Capital ecosystem will create jobs, know-how that at the moment does not exist because it will be a new beginning for a lot of people and lot entities.

“On the whole, the summit itself would be unique in setting and result as the event would mark the onset of an advocacy that promis-

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with the initiators and other stakeholders for the success of the summit and subsequently perform its legislative responsibility to ensure a successful entrenchment of venture capitalism culture in the country.

Similarly, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Commerce, Hon Sylvester Ogbaga said the committee considered the summit’s objectives as very laudable.

L-R: Chairman, Nigerian Insurers Association, Mr Godwin Wiggle; Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Mohammed Kari; founding father, West African Insurance Companies Association, WAICA, Prof. Joe Irukwu; representative of Finance Minister, Mrs. Patience Oniha, and immediate past President, WAICA,Mr Ivan Avereyireh at the association’s 38th Annual General Meeting and Education Conference held in Lagos recently.

UBA appoints new directors to enhance operations Johnson okanlawon

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nited Bank for Africa yesterday announced the appointment of Ayo Ladi, Oliver Alawuba, Ibrahim Puri, Uche Ike and Chuks Nweke as the bank directors, subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. A statement by the bank indicated that they all bring considerable experience to the board

JSE launches EDP to boost black stock broking businesses

he JSE will be providing financial assistance to emerging black stock broking firms to support them in the sustainable growth of their businesses and recently launched an Enterprise Development programme to drive this growth and demonstrate its commitment to the transformation of South Africa’s Capital Markets.

Through the programme, the JSE will pay cash disbursements to black brokers on a quarterly basis which must be used to grow their businesses. The disbursements will equal to 33% of the equity trading and membership fees the brokers paid to the JSE

es to transform the entrepreneurial landscape of Nigeria forever,” he said.

In the Senate endorsement of the summit, Chairman Senate Committee on Trade and Investment said, Senator Fatimat Raji Rasaki, commended the initiators of the programme and urged stakeholders across the country to participate in it.

This is even as he expressed the committee’s commitment to work

during that quarter, based on the JSE’s financial performance.

The JSE has been engaging with The Black Broker Forum (BBF) for some time on how to raise awareness of the challenges facing black brokers and what can be done to develop these firms further and believe that this Enterprise Development programme shows a tangible commitment to supporting the sustainable growth of black stock brokers in the country.

The JSE has defined black brokers as those who would qualify under the Financial Sector Code (or any successor Code).

(Source – Proshareng.com)

and, as a sign of the depth of internal talent and the group’s commitment to fostering promotion of its own human capital.

Ayo Liadi has over 20 years’ banking experience, having worked in Tier 1 banks in Nigeria and in West Africa, before joining the bank in January 2014 as the Director for Lagos and West Bank, overseeing over 200 branches of the bank.

He is a Chartered Accountant and graduate of Business Management from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he received the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Academic Performance.

Oliver Alawuba, currently the CEO Africa, Anglophone, joined the the bank in 1997. A member of the Association of Bank Directors in Nigeria and also a Catholic Knight, he had previously supervised the bank’s public sector and personal banking businesses. Oliver has over 25 years of banking experience.

Currently, the Directorate Head of the North Bank, Ibrahim Puri, is a graduate of Banking and Finance. He joined the bank in 2006 and has contributed immensely to the growth of the bank in both the private and public sectors. Ibrahim has over 25 years of banking experience.

Uche Ike the Group Chief Risk Officer, is a Chartered Accountant, with an MBA from the University of Benin.

He has been with the Group since 2006 and has served in a number of prominent roles, first as Group Head of Operations in South and South East Banks and then for a period of five years, as General Manager at the bank’s New York branch. Uche has over 27 years of banking experience.

Also, Chuks Nweke, currently the Head of Operations and Information Technology, is an accounting graduate of the University of Nigeria at Nsukka (best graduating student) and holds an MBA from the same university.

He is also a qualified Chartered Accountant. He has over 25 years of banking experience.

Congratulating the newly appointed directors, the Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu said the “appointments will greatly assist in the plans we have to transform the UBA Group into a truly customer led bank and the foremost financial institution in Africa.

“These are exciting times for UBA. And with this leadership, I have no doubt that the bank will continue on its strong growth trajectory”, Elumelu enthused.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Commerce & Industry

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Counting costs of tax holidays, other fiscal incentives to Nigeria’s economy Tax incentives are supposed to be beneficial to most economies since governments grant them to companies in order to attract investments and by implication provide jobs and infrastructure for overall benefits of the economies. Ironically, findings indicated the beneficiaries of the fiscal measures in the Nigerian economy have largely abused them to national disadvantage. ABOLAJI ADEBAYO, in this analysis, reflects on the fiscal incentives’ havocs to the nations’ economy.

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ax incentives, bane of Nigerian socio-economic development Nigeria, the Africa’s most populous country and the continent’s highest economy based on its last GDP, has lost out about $3.3 billion as a result of an extraordinary ten-year tax holiday granted some of the world’s biggest oil and gas companies.

The tax break, granted in 1990, when Nigeria was still under military rule, kicked in 1999, lasted ten years, and its impacts are still being felt. The $3.3 billion is the equivalent of twice the Nigerian healthcare budget for 2015, in a country where almost 15 out of one hundred children die before their fifth birthday.

According to IMF figures, Nigeria is losing 0.5 per cent of its GDP in corporate income tax incentives given to companies with Pioneer status alone; this would amount to around $2.6 billion a year.

Based on government figures, Nigeria is further losing around $327 million a year on import duty exemptions. This $2.9 billion loss, that is losses from both CIT and import duties, is equivalent to N577 billion when calculated by May 2015 exchange rates; which is more than double the 2014 Federal Government budget allocation to health and more than the budget allocation to education.

This massive tax break was a triple whammy. First came as five-year tax holiday granted to most international energy investors in Nigeria; second, an extension for a further five years exceptionally allowed for this particular deal, and third, tax allowances that would have been used during the tax holiday were rolled over and exempted the companies from tax for a further two years.

The Policy advocacy and Campaigns Manager, ActionAid Nigeria, Tunde Aremu, said despite the inherent benefits of the tax incentives, most corporate entities that enjoyed the incentives were not sincere as they have persistently abuse the aid at the expense of many Nigerian citizens.

Aremu noted that the country loses significant volumes of financial resources, which could have been used to finance critical development projects, due to illicit outflows.

He said corporate income tax holidays were a particularly ineffective way of promoting investment as they attracted mainly ‘footloose’ firms that were not tied to a specific location and continuously changed their identity for the purpose of benefitting from tax holidays available only to firsttime investors.

“In 2011 alone a handful of companies lined their pockets with nearly as much in tax concessions from the Federal Government as the latter is spending on the 113 million people who live on Nigeria’s farms.

Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun

Aremu

BASED ON GOVERNMENT FIGURES, NIGERIA IS FURTHER LOSING AROUND $327 MILLION A YEAR ON IMPORT DUTY EXEMPTIONS. THIS $2.9 BILLION LOSS, THAT IS LOSSES FROM BOTH CIT AND IMPORT DUTIES, IS EQUIVALENT TO N577 BILLION WHEN CALCULATED BY MAY 2015 EXCHANGE RATES; WHICH IS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE 2014 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET ALLOCATION TO HEALTH AND MORE THAN THE BUDGET ALLOCATION TO EDUCATION “While the main reason behind granting tax relief to corporations is the idea that it will promote investments that attract capital and contribute to job creation, there is no evidence that this truly has happened with most incentives given in the country.

“International institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, now increasingly warn against excessive tax incentives. Even the OECD warns that tax incentives that lower government revenues cannot compensate for or be an alternative for a poor investment climate.

“Apart from the sheer value of the lost revenues from tax incentives, decisions to grant them are often shrouded in secrecy, and not based on a thorough public costbenefit analysis. Corporate tax incentives are frequently unaccounted for in the national budget and are non-transparent, reducing public accountability,” he said.

The Project Director, Trust Africa, Donald Ideh, noted that a fair tax system through tax justice would raise money to pay for public services like schools, hospitals and roads.

According to him, public services could help realise citizens’ rights, such as children and youth’s right to free quality public

education, reduction in women’s unpaid care work, or safe cities for women.

He noted that adoption and implementation of a sound income redistribution policy would reduce inequality and raise funds for development through the tax system.

Ideh pointed out further taxes remained the most stable and reliable source of domestic revenue available to countries, adding that with tax revenue, governments can pay for essential public services such as health, education, infrastructure, security and a functioning legal system.

He disclosed that without adequate domestic resources, the country would dependent on external financing such as expensive loans or conditional development aid, and as a result, such country would either not be in control of how that money is spent or increasingly unable to repay interest on loans, creating spirals of dependency.

“Therefore, raising domestic revenue through tax is crucial. However, many governments are giving away their taxing rights in the form of corporate tax incentives to multinational companies, and others, in order to attract investment in their countries. This is causing large losses in national budgets and a damaging and competitive race to the bottom between neighbouring countries,” he said.

Since most countries in West Africa have a weak investment climate due partly to political and macroeconomic instabilities, governments appear to regard corporate tax incentives as necessary to attract capital inflow.

Revenue losses from the granting of these incentives are sometimes by arguing that the capital inflows and jobs created will ultimately deliver a larger return on investment. As a result, governments in the region have in the past two decades promoted their countries as investment destinations and offered an assortment of corporate tax incentives to most foreign companies.

However, experts argued that the problems with their use include not only loss of tax revenue, but also that they can give undue advantage to already established big firms and multinationals at the expense of smaller and domestic industries, and can promote corruption (notably by enabling special treatment to be given to specific companies.

They also identified lack of transparency as a key problem with corporate tax incentives, saying that they are often unaccounted for in the national budget and not made public, reducing the accountability of governments to their citizens.

This is even as they lamented that negative impacts of corporate tax incentives were rarely debated in public while parliamentary approval, which was normally required by law for granting corporate tax incentives, was always by passed.

Based on its advantages, the National President of Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria, RiMIDAN, Mr. Tunji Owoeye, said the tax incentives could not be totally terminated at a time the nation is in seriously need of more foreign investments.

He said the government only needs to put close monitoring on those companies given tax incentive and severely punish those that default the agreement.

“Clearly, governments do need to provide a tax environment that is attractive to investors, alongside other policies. The key is to strike a balance between attracting foreign investment through providing a competitive tax environment and managing to collect sufficient taxes.

Granting corporate tax incentives in the pursuit of foreign investment should not be seen as an alternative to promoting public investment in education, health, infrastructure or good governance, which is essential for creating a good business environment.

Strengthening environmental and labour standards and creating stability, predictability and transparency are superior approaches for attracting foreign investment and serve citizens, policymakers and investors.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

EnergyWeek Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Shell intensifies work on pipeline rehabilitation 36

Non-OPEC oil supplies to drop in 2016 –Report 35

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Counting costs of tax holidays, other fiscal incentives to Nigeria’s economy 32

Appraising 2016 power sector budget from service delivery perspectives

Egbin power plant

The President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration may not have recorded much achievement in terms of power supply nationwide since May 2015 when it was inaugurated. In this analysis, CHIDI UGWU appraises how proposed power sector programmes enunciated in the 2016 budget could impact positively on the sector.

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here are indications that the nation’s power sector is in serious crisis in the past few months.

First, generation has dropped below 3,000 megawatts, mw, which showed 9,800 below the country’s 12,800mw estimated daily demand. Second, transmission has suffered, mainly because of leakages. Third, distribution has also as a result of several challenges such as limited power, poor facilities and vandalism.

Consequently, many parts of the nation have been thrown into darkness. Investigations showed that many individuals, households and organisations have resorted to generating their independent electricity at higher cost. This has also caused the prices of many goods and services to rise tremendously as producers shift the burden to consumers. In fact, it has also caused locally produced goods and services to be uncompetitive in the international market.

Expectedly, the Federal Government has unveiled plans in the 2016 budget to tackle key challenges in the sector. The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, who gave this indication while highlighting the major thrusts of the budget last week explained that approved projects would be properly funded.

He noted that this is a marked departure from the past when budgetary disbursements were made months after the budget is

signed by the President.

Udoma remarked that the budget is anchored on six pillars of economic reforms, infrastructure, social development, governance and security, environment as well as states/regional development. He disclosed that the key objectives of the budget are ensuring a stable macroeconomic environment for real sector development; investments in critical infrastructure, science, technology and innovations that will enhance productiv-

Some of the projectS Scheduled for execution include, the conStruction of 215mw gaS plant at the coSt of n5.5 billion; conStruction of 2x60mVa connection of gurara to the national grid at the coSt of n1.2 billion and the conStruction of coal to power deVelopment in enugu, benue, gombe and Kogi at n235.7 million

ity and lower costs of doing business.

Others are; creating a significant number of jobs to reduce unemployment and underemployment especially among the youth; protecting the poor and vulnerable by special intervention programmes and building an economy that is less vulnerable to oil price shocks by vigorously pursuing economic diversification.

Specifically referring to the power sector, Udoma noted that concession the Dadinkowa, Gurara (phase I) and Oyan dams with capacity to contribute a total of 82.5MW to the National Grid. He said that the government would optimise the 7,000MW installed power capacity and ensure associated infrastructure to fuel, transmit and distribute this capacity is operational and effective.

He disclosed that the government would complete the privatisation of NIPP plants and improve the management and performance of TCN. Udoma said that it would ensure tariff includes all costs of transmission, generation and gas at the new price as well as Discos costs required to operate, maintain and upgrade distribution networks. The minister added that the government would also resolve all issues on gas pricing, tariff and payment assurance, conclude roadmap on gas development.

Some of the projects scheduled for execuCONTINUED ON PAGE 34

34

Energy Week

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Appraising 2016 power sector budget from service delivery perspectives CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 tion include, the construction of 215mw gas plant at the cost of N5.5 billion; construction of 2X60MVA connection of Gurara to the national grid at the cost of N1.2 billion and the construction of coal to power development in Enugu, Benue, Gombe and Kogi at N235.7 million.

Others are, the completion of ongoing construction of ITC/TDN and installation of injection and distribution substations at N303.9 million; completion of small scale renewable energy power plants development at N305.3 million; generation of 700mw from Zungeru hydro power project at N1.1 billion; completion of rural electrification scheme in 23 communities in Ondo N324.2 million as well as the completion of ongoing electrification project in Kano state at N250.7million.

In any case, stakeholders are not excited about the budget provisions at least for a reason. Previous budgets had over the years made similar provisions without much positive impact. One of them is the President, Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria, ECAN, Chijioke James who recalled that over time huge sums have always been budgeted for the development of the power sector, but the result achieved is not always commensurate with the amount put into projects.

James said for serious impact to be made by the government of Muhammadu Buhari, there is need for sincerity of purpose, stressing that handlers of all power projects must endeavour to shun corruption. He advised that more efforts should be put in the development of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectricity are three emerging renewable sources of energy that have become the way to go in modern world.

“Renewable energy is generally energy that is collected from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. Many developed countries of world are adopting the power generation method. And I think federal government should consider seriously development of renewable, it is a new trend that has become the way forward, it is cleaner and better,” he said.

Meanwhile, consumers said they cannot keep silent anymore. They have in the past few months demonstrated against many electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs. For instance, residents of Chika and Aleyita located along the Airport Road, Abuja, took to the streets to protest what they described as exploitation by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC). The residents, who came out in large numbers, said they were out to register their frustrations and grievances over poor power supply in the communities and the charging of outrageous bills by AEDC. One of the protesters, Mr. Obinna Nwasoro, said the residents decided to stage the peaceful protest to express their dissatisfaction with the company. Nwasoro said that AEDC had subjected the residents to untold hardship due to poor supply of electricity and indiscriminate increment of bills. He said that Chika community in particular, had been on load shedding for more than two years due to the lack of transformer, adding

Osibodu

Udoma Udo Udoma that the billing did not reflect the situation.

Nwasoro said that in the last two months, power supply in the area had been “five days off, three days on”, adding that individual houses were being billed between N10, 000 and N15, 000 monthly” he said.

Also, some residents of Ojota, Lagos, recently staged a peaceful protest over what they described as the epileptic power supply in the area. The protesters were seen moving from street to street in the area, carrying placards. Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: “No light no pay; three weeks in total darkness, we will not pay; all Ojota residents should stop paying NEPA bill,’’ among others.

There was also a warning that residents of Kano State may soon be plunged into darkness as the state power supply from the national grid has dipped to less than 30megawatts (Mw), which may eventually affect the socio-economic activities in the commercial city to the verge of collapse. The Managing Director, Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) Alhaji Jamil Gawuna, said the prevailing worsening state of electricity supply to the state now threatens the operations of the company.

He lamented that since the beginning of May, the states under the operational zone of his company have being receiving 30 Mw, against a total requirement of about 500Mw. According to him, the 30Mw been allocated to the state includes a standby order given to the company to allocate 30 per cent of total allocations to the area to neighboring Niger Republic. What this implies is that when the allocation to Niger Republic is deducted, the consumers in states under it are left with al-

most zero allocation, he lamented.

He said: “On behalf of the management of the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), I wish to draw the attention of the Federal Government, and electricity consumers in Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa to the issue threatening electricity supply in the zone. This is issue is worrisome state of electricity supply which the zone has being experiencing since the beginning of this month.

For the past one month now supply to the area has reduced to about 30 per cent.”

“This dismal allocation includes the 30 per cent standby order which we have for the neighboring Niger Republic. Also we have experienced 12 shut downs in the past one month in the zone, and this is compounding other difficulties that we are experiencing to remain in operation,” he added.

Other distribution companies have also make excuses trying to exonerate themselves from the worsening power supply. AEDC explained that the recent drop in electricity supply to customers in its franchise area in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger states, is as a result of low load allocated to the company. The spokesman, Ahmed Shekarau, disclosed in a statement that the drop in the energy allocated to it by the System Operator (SO) in recent times, follows the recent huge drop in national generation.

The Managing Director, Benin Electricity Distribution Plc Mrs. Funke Osibodu, has said with a drop in the daily allocation to about 129 megawatts of electricity out of the 1,175 national power generation, there is little the Disco could do to ensure stable power supply to its customers in Edo, Delta, Ondo

The Federal GovernmenT acknowledGed The deTerioraTinG elecTriciTy when iT apoloGised To

niGerians For The hardship, which The poor power siTuaTion in The counTry has imposed on Them in The lasT Few monThs, blaminG The prevailinG siTuaTion on Gas Failure, saboTaGe and vandalism oF power inFrasTrucTure

and Ekiti states.

According to her, the drop in the nation’s national output from the previous 3,000 megawatts to 1, 175 megawatts was attributed to the vandalism of power facilities, especially through the puncturing of the gas pipeline in the Niger Delta.

Osibodu explained that Nigeria needed to generate over 8,500 megawatts of electricity to have a relatively stable power supply, adding that for her company to satisfy its consumers, it would need not less than 1,400 megawatts of electricity.

The Federal Government acknowledged the deteriorating electricity when it apologised to Nigerians for the hardship, which the poor power situation in the country has imposed on them in the last few months, blaming the prevailing situation on gas failure, sabotage and vandalism of power infrastructure. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who made the plea said all efforts were being made to rectify the situation and ensure a gradual improvement in the power situation. ”There will be a decent improvement in the power situation from this weekend, thanks to on-going remedial efforts that will double the current power supply to 4,000MW. Getting back to the 5,074MW alltime high that was reached earlier will take a few more weeks,” he said.

Mohammed said the routine maintenance by the Nigeria Gas Company had affected the supply of gas to power stations, forcing down power supply from an all-time high of 5,074 MW to about 4,000MW and that a combination of unsavoury incidents further crashed the power supply to about half that figure. He added:”The vandalisation of the Forcados export pipelines forced oil companies to shut down, making it impossible for them to produce gas” he said.

However, there is a need for Nigerians to protect gas and other facilities put in place to enhance power generation, transmission and distribution in order to guarantee adequate and stable supply of power in the nation.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Energy Week

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

35

Non-OPEC oil supplies to drop in 2016 – Report UDEME AKPAN

O

il supplies from non-members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, would drop in 2016.

The cartel disclosed in its latest report that for 2016, non-OPEC oil supply was adjusted lower to average 56.40 mb/d, contracting by 0.74 mb/d.

It maintained that the estimate for OPEC NGLs and non-conventional oils in 2015 has been revised down by 20 tb/d based on direct communication to show a rise of 0.13 mb/d to average 6.13 mb/d.

The cartel reported that growth in 2016 had also been adjusted lower to 0.16 mb/d to average 6.29 mb/d, saying that in April, OPEC crude oil production rose 188 tb/d to average 32.44 mb/d, according to secondary sources.

The organisation said that oil futures surged more than 8%, with ICE Brent up $3.55 to average $43.34/b, while Nymex WTI rose $3.16 to $41.12/b.

It stated that world economic growth is forecast at 3.1per cent in 2016, after estimated growth of 2.9per cent last year, both unchanged from the previous month.

The cartel said that in the emerging economies, India and China continue to expand this year at a considerable level of 7.5per cent and 6.5per cent, respectively, with China having been revised up by 0.2 pp after a better-than-expected 1Q16.

It maintained that Brazil and Russia, however, are forecast to remain in recession this year, contracting by 3.4per cent and 1.1per cent respectively, with Brazil having been revised down by 0.5 pp.

The organisation said that world oil demand in 2015 grew by around 1.54 mb/d, unchanged from last month’s report.

Oil vessel

It said that total oil consumption averaged 92.98 mb/d. In 2016, world oil demand is projected to rise by 1.20 mb/d to reach 94.18 mb/d, unchanged from last month’s projections, despite upward revisions to Other Asia, which were counterbalanced by downward revisions to Latin America and China.

Also, Baker Hughes noted that the international rig count for April 2016 was 946, down 39 from the 985 counted in March 2016, and down 256 from the 1,202 counted in April 2015.

It stated that the international offshore rig count for April 2016 was 220, up 9 from the 211 counted in March 2016, and down 80 from the 300 counted in April 2015.

The organisation said that the average U.S. rig count for April 2016 was 437, down 41 from the 478 counted in March 2016, and down 539 from the 976 counted in April 2015.

It maintained that the average Canadian rig count for April 2016 was 41, down 47 from the 88

counted in March 2016, and down 49 from the 90 counted in April 2015.

“The worldwide rig count for April 2016 was 1,424, down 127 from the 1,551 counted in March 2016, and down 844 from the 2,268 counted in April 2015.

The Baker Hughes Rotary Rig Counts are counts of the number of drilling rigs actively exploring for or developing oil or natural gas in the U.S., Canada and international markets.”

“Baker Hughes has issued the rotary rig counts as a service to the petroleum industry since 1944, when Hughes Tool Company began weekly counts of the U.S. and Canadian drilling activity. Baker Hughes initiated the monthly international rig count in 1975. The North American rig count is scheduled to be released at noon Central time on the last working day of each week. The international rig count is scheduled to be released on the fifth working day of the month at 5:00 a.m. Central time,” it added.

Delta, Ondo, Ekiti customers to get new billing format in June – BEDC

I

n a bid to provide better billing information, Benin Electricity Distribution Company, (BEDC) has completed the migration of its customers to a new billing system.

The company disclosed this in a statement made available to National Mirror at the week-

end.

BEDC stated that the new billing format had commenced for customers in Edo “effective March 2016,” for all Maximum Demand (MD) customers and all other categories of customers.

L-R: Non-Executive Director, Total Nigeria Plc, Mr. Rufai Sirajo; In-coming Managing Director, Mr. Jean Philippe Torres; Out-going Managing Director, Alexis Vovk and Executive Director, Strategy, Prince Jeff Nnamani, during a Send forth celebration in honour of Mr. Vovk in Lagos… at the weekend

The company clarified: “In order to provide better billing information to customers, BEDC has commenced migration to a new billing system named Electricity Billing Management System (EBMS). Effective March 2016, the new billing format commenced for all Maximu Demand (MD) customers and all other categories of customer in Edo. Customers in Delta, Ondo and Ekiti will be moved to the new billing format effective April 2016,” the company said.

Sensitising the customers on the new billing system, the BEDC said reading of customers’ meter is expected to be done monthly or at least once in three months. But whenever a reading is not done in any month, an adjustment will be used with the subsequent reading, the company said.

Also, where a customer’s meter is found to be obsolete or incorrect, the meter reading will be suspended and direct/estimated billing will be utilised prior to the replacement of the meter. Such suspension will be notified to the customer via a letter.

“All customers under estimated billing will have their estimation done based on NERC approved cluster billing average methodology.

Commodity

Units

Price

Change

% Change

Time(ET)

Crude Oil (WTI)

USD/bbl.

44.42

+0.98

+2.26%

2:10 PM

Crude Oil (Brent)

USD/bbl.

45.28

+1.65

+3.78%

2:10 PM

TOCOM Crude Oil

JPY/kl

29,630.00

+1,080.00

+3.78%

2:08 PM

NYMEX Natural Gas

USD/MMBtu

2.15

+0.05

+2.48%

2:10 PM

Source: Bloomberg as at May 10, 2016

Where bypass is noticed during meter reading and/or billing period, the read information may be suspended and customer billed appropriately on Direct/Estimated using NERC cluster billing methodology,” the statement said.

The programmes of the company including its billing system had earlier received accolades from customers including civil society activist, Reverend Olu Martins.

Martins had at forum, explained to residents of communities in Egor area of Benin, Edo state, that the reason why they are experiencing power outages arising from inadequate supply, was that BEDC is facing challenges due to inability of Generating Companies (GenCos) to generate more electricity for domestic and industrial needs.

Martins, who made the assertion during a town hall meeting held in Ugbowo, said there was a great challenge of power in Nigeria with less than 5,000 megawatts to a population of 170 million, stressing that the current energy output of 1,500 was a reflection of the perennial energy crisis that was yet to be addressed.

He explained that the power sector had been starved with investment since 1984 whereas the country has increased in population and infrastructure.

36

Energy Week

NERC, SON to fix poor power facilities

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he Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC and Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON appear set to wage war against the importation of low quality electrical products into the nation.

The acting NERC Chairman, Dr Anthony Akah, who led a delegation to SON headquarters said, “We are intensifying efforts to educate electricity consumers on efficient management of their consumption to reduce the burden of electricity bills.”

Akah said that the Commission would need collaboration with relevant agencies of government like the SON in ensuring that electricity consumers achieve more efficient management of their consumption and thus increase access to electricity.

He said that the Commission recently stepped up stakeholders’ engagements especially with organisations, whose core functions runs symbiotically with NERC’s plan to achieve efficient energy consumption.

So far, NERC has established collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA); National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA); Rural Electrification Agency (REA); Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) among others.

It would be recalled that the Commission recently hosted a delegation of Group 4, Course 37 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS) when a proposal to host annual energy conference was suggested.

Akah said it was about pulling resources together to drive demand side management in the sector. He said that the visit to SON was to wrap up an earlier understanding with the agency amongst which include monitoring and labelling of electrical products, both exported and imported into the country using SON’s expertise and network.

Labeling of electrical apparatus would assist relevant government agencies and consumers in identifying most energy efficient appliances which importation or manufacturing should be allowed or patronised.

Akah said, “As the power sector regulator, we seek your expertise so that we can pull resources together and drive energy efficiency. Issue of labelling is dear to our heart.

We have a Local Content Panel to help us drive more local content in the Nigerian Electricity supply Industry (NESI), conserve foreign exchange and increase employment.

“We are convinced at the Commission that collaborative effort with strategic government agencies like SON would optimise the country’s limited resources to achieve the objective of efficient use of energy,” he added.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Shell intensifies work on pipeline rehabilitation

R

oyal Dutch Shell does not know when its Nigerian Forcados oil terminal will reopen as the repairs to an underwater pipeline damaged by a blast are not straightforward; its country head was quoted as saying on Sunday.

According to Reuters, Shell shut the 250,000 barrel a day terminal in February after an attack on an underwater pipeline claimed by a militant group, part of a wave of attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta in the past three months.

Osagie Okunbor, the head of Shell’s operations in Nigeria, or country chair, told the Punch newspaper it was to early too say when the terminal would reopen due to the ongoing repairs.

“The work is a delicate exercise that requires temporary wrapping of the damaged section of the line with a special material prior to safe evacuation of the residual crude oil currently trapped in the line,” he said.

“The damaged pipeline is in 4-6 meters of water depth in open seas and it requires damming the water to hold the sea back so that repairs can be safely done,” he was quoted as saying.

Okunbor said Shell had needed to deploy experts from within Nigeria and abroad to do the work.

He said Shell was committed to long-term investment in Nigeria despite a series of pipeline attacks or explosions which have reduced the country’s oil production to 1.65 mil-

lion barrels per day from 2.2 million in February.

A Shell spokesman confirmed the newspaper interview took place.

Last week, militants calling themselves the Niger Delta Avengers claimed an attack on a Chevron Platform in the Delta. The group also took credit for the attack on the Shell pipeline.

The group has warned oil firms to leave the region within two weeks and says it is fighting for the independence of the Delta. It had earlier said it wanted a greater share of oil revenues and an end to oil pollution.

The attacks have driven Nigerian oil output close to a 22year low and if the violence escalates into an insurgency, it could cripple output in a coun-

Okunbor

try facing an economic crisis.

Crude sales from the Delta account for about 70 percent of national income in Africa’s biggest economy but residents, some of whom sympathise with the militants, have long complained of poverty and neglect.

Petrol subsidy removal: FG’s decision in national interest – Ohaeri

T

he Federal Government has been accused of introducing the much desired fuel subsidy reform in a wrong way.

The Executive Director of Spaces for Change, Ms. Victoria Ohaeri said that the nation has bade farewell to subsidy on petrol, also known as premium motor spirit, ending years of extortionately-high subsidy bills.

She said subsidy was burdensome, especially as the nation spent N2.19 trillion ($13.6 billion) on fuel subsidy in 2011 alone .

Ohaeri said this sum is 900 per cent more than the N245 billion budgeted for subsidy the same year, and nearly ten times the annual budget for education in 2011 which was then N120b.

People queuing for fuel

She said in 2013 and 2014, subsidy costs stayed high at N1.43T, adding that of May 2016, petrol subsidy claims resumed, snailing into billions of Naira after declining oil prices at the international market ushered in a brief period of over-recovery.

The director said with this heavy burden of subsidy payments finally lifted off its shoulders, officials heave a sigh of relief.

She said that doubts, however, linger whether the Nigerian government has done the right thing.

Ohaeri noted that without mincing words, the Buhari-led Federal Government (FG) could have handled the May 11, 2016 fuel subsidy removal (FSR) quite differently.

She disclosed that the same faulty steps of 2012 were repeated, but this time, with greater

proportions of insensitivity and dishonesty.

Ohaeri said the 2012 subsidy removal policy was by far, better managed: it was preceded by consultations and meaningful engagement with a broad spectrum of stakeholders.

She said in addition, there was a social protection plan in place in the form of wage increases.

This was later supported with the institution of a safety net programme (Subsidy Reinvestment Empower ment-Pro g ramme (SURE-P) which specifically targeted women and the youth.

The director said that despite all of these laudable steps, a wave of resistance against the reforms swept across the country.

She said that the trademark of suddenness heralding the reform of energy subsidies appears to have been elevated to state policy.

The director said that what probably differentiates the 2012 and the 2016 all-of-a-sudden announcements of subsidy cuts is the pattern of public indignation and responses to them.

She said that in 2012, public opprobrium was widespread, intense, freely expressed, without inhibitions or fear of repression.

Ohaeri maintained that in 2016, public outrage was for the most part, repressed, and two main reasons account for this.

She disclosed that citizens now live in fright of the state, fearing indiscriminate arrests and selective prosecution by se-

curity agencies, which have now become the norm in the country.

The director said that vocal critics of the government have been hounded by state security operatives, and detained for long periods, pending indeterminately floating investigations, while court orders for their release have been repeatedly flouted.

She said that thanks to the growing shifts in public opinion, the middle class, including the civil society, are seemingly unflustered by the dramatic changes in fuel price.

The director said that it is, therefore, not surprising to see many Nigerians shudder at the approach adopted for removing petrol subsidy in 2016.

“The Presidency had on several occasions, denied the existence of subsidy on petroleum products. This stance later changed to outright support for fuel subsidy, with numerous executive assurances to preserve the policy in the interest of millions of poor Nigerians.”

“On May 11, without an announcement, without warning, without any prior meaningful engagement, and without safety nets for the rising number of people living in poverty, the government brusquely removed fuel subsidy on May 11, 2016, pushing up fuel prices from N86.50 to N145,” she added.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

37

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

From The Civil Service Power supply worsens as electricity drops Chidi UgwU AbujA

T

he power situation in the country has worsened as the management of the System Operation/ Market Operation of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, yesterday declared that electricity generation into the National Grid has dropped to 1400MW as at yesterday.

The Assistant General Manager (Public Affairs), Mr. Clement Ezeolisah, in statement raised the alarm noting that the downward trend of electricity generation was due to constraints in the thermal power stations which had prevented the generators from producing at optimal levels.

He however assured that all stakeholders were working assiduously to achieve improvements in the power supply deliverables.

In the past few months, operators in the electricity value chain – generation, transmission and distribution

companies - have been trading blames over the current power crisis, with each blaming the other for the very poor power supply situation witnessed in the last few weeks.

Since the year began, there have been three systems collapse, two complete and one partial, even as there was no word of explanation or admonishment from the Ministry of Power or the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC. Unlike now, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, had then exonerated itself, saying, “we cannot transmit what has not been generated, the generation companies, GENCOs, blame the weak transmission grid for its inability to carry the quantity generated, while the distribution companies, DISCOs, admit they have had to load-shed due to poor allocations.”

Specifically, a top management staff at Egbin Power Plant, Nigeria’s biggest GENCO, who spoke in confidence, noted that what happened

L-R: Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi; representatives of the President/ Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen Abdulrahman Dambazzau; Minister of state for Health, Prof Osagie Ehinaire and Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter Governmental Affairs, Sen Tijjani Kaura, during the commissioning of the newly acquired operational vehicles for FRSC, in Abuja. was “ground zero transmission and not generation”.

According to him, “what was experienced last week was not a problem from our (GENCO) end but rather from the transmission company, TCN, as we had generated over 3, 766.7megawatt as at March 30.”

But a TCN source, who also pleaded anonymity, said: “The system collapse recorded on March 30, can be attributed to generation companies and not the transmission as widely speculated.

“Since the first quarter of this year, we have recorded a total of three systems collapse

NAZG raises alarm over trafficking of wildlife Joel AJAyi AbujA

T

he Nigerian Association of Zoological Gardens (NAZG) has raised alarm over growing rate of trafficking of wild animals from Nigeria, describing it as a big threat to tourism development in the country.

The president of NAZG, Dr. Olajumoke Morenikeji, said wildlife had a lot of potentials to boost the country’s economy, adding that it was so unfortunate that wildlife were being allowed to go into extinction in the country.

Dr. Morenikeji, who was speaking in an interview with

…charges FG on collapsed zoos

National Mirror in Abuja at the just concluded national summit on tourism and culture called on the federal and state governments to save collapsed zoos across the country to improve tourism sector.

She ascribed the Jos case where a lion escaped from zoo to the dilapidated state of zoological garden in the country.

She added that a situation where zoo-land were being taken for residential building did portend danger to both human and wildlife.

According g to her, “We want government to recognise the zoo, because zoos are very important, they of-

Polio: Canada approves fresh $19.9m for immunisation in P.38 Nigeria

fer education and they tell about our environment and animals, and children get to learn a lot.

“What children see stick better in their brain than what they read, so the only place they can see wild animals is when they visit zoo. I have the privilege to visit so many zoos in the world, I was able to see tiger in Germany and Australia.

“Zoo is the most visited place on earth; government must do something about zoos because they actually generate a lot of monies as they are patronised heavily.

“Zoo helps us to ensure ani-

mals do not go into extinction.

It is unfortunate, we are neglecting that part of tourism, and the only way to have our indigenous wildlife is to have zoo for people to pay to watch the animals they don’t have in their country. So, when we keep them well, we will continue to generate more money through foreigners, because people will come to see what we have.

“Also, the zoo will help us in research; let me tell you today, the only place you can do meaningful research with wildlife is the zoo. We cannot begin to pursue wild animals in the bush, but in the zoo, there is what we call face to

Continued on Page 39>>

EFCC urged to tackle in-house corruption P.39

– two complete and one partial. This is a grand improvement compared to previous years when we could have

over 20 systems collapse. For this development alone, we could say there is a great improvement from our end.”

FG inaugurates committee on culture, tourism Joel AJAyi

AbujA

M

inister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has inaugurated the implementation committee on the outcome of the recent National Summit on Culture and Tourism with a pledge to demonstrate the needed political will to put culture and tourism in the mainstream of the economy.

He said that going through the summit papers and other presentations has revealed that the intention had always been there, but that lack of political will remained the stumbling block.

Alhaji Mohammed said:

“I have come here to once again demonstrate that I have the political will to drive this project and that I will continue to monitor the progress.”

The minister assured that the recommendations of the summit, which were the outcome of ideas garnered from the experiences, knowledge and painstaking researches of many people, will not be left to gather dust on the shelf.

“Many of these recommendations have always been there but they just gather dust because people think summits are just for fanfare, but summits, workshops and conferences are actually the bedrock of any organisation.

“Remember we said that Continued on Page 38>>

2016 budget targets the vulnerable –Onu P.38

38

Civil Service

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Polio: Canada approves fresh $19.9m for immunisation in Nigeria MaRcus FatunMOle AbujA

A

midst growing fears that international donors may begin to suspend aids to Nigerian health systems, following widespread arguments that the country is capable of funding its health programmes, the government of Canada has approved new $19.9 million towards the eradication of polio scourge in Nigeria.

Announcement of the grant was made by the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, Marie-Claude Bibeau, on the margins of Women Deliver’s 4th Global Conference cur-

rently holding in Copenhagen, Denmark.

A statement made available to National Mirror by World Health Organisation, WHO, Nigerian office, yesterday said the grant would be implemented during the period of 2016/17 and 2020 by WHO. WHO noted that the fund was expected to sustain polio eradication gains through strengthened routine immunisation in the country.

“The project will help immunise approximately 6.6 million girls and 6.9 million boys against polio in 11 high risk Nigerian states. It will also train approximately 154,000 vaccinators and help protect

up to 250,000 children from vaccine preventable diseases,” the statement said.

The release further stated that “as recently as 2012, Nigeria was the global epicentre in the world as Nigerian poliovirus frequently spread internationally, causing outbreaks as far away as Indonesia. However, in September 2015, the World Health Organisation removed Nigeria from the list of endemic countries and for over 22 months now, there has been no reported case of polio.

However, on-going immunisation activities are essential to forestall any re-emergence of the virus.

“The funding by the Canadian government is therefore expected to contribute towards the consolidation of the polio eradication gains and strengthening of the routine immunisation (RI) system,” it stressed.

WHO Country Representative, Dr. Rui Vaz, was quoted in the release as saying the funding would facilitate an

increase in routine immunisation coverage, and assist in achieving national targets.

Vaz was quoted further as saying the grant would “undoubtedly” curtail infant mortality rates, as according to him, statistics showed that 40 per cent deaths in children under-five in the country were caused by vaccine preventable diseases.

“Dr. Vaz further praised the concerted effort by the government and partners, supported by some from the

international development community such as the Government of Canada, which have enabled Nigeria to be polio-free for over 22 months.

“With this new wave of support, WHO will continue to support the government of Nigeria to build on the successes of the polio eradication initiative towards certification, strengthening RI and assisting with polio legacy transition planning in the years to come,” the statement concluded.

Okorocha wants military training for corps members ...seeks arms restriction for unauthorised persons JOel aJayi AbujA

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overnor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has called for full military training for corps members to serve the nation on the platform of the National Youth Service Corps.

The governor also solicited for massive disarming of unauthorised persons in possession of firearms as a way of curtailing the spate of violent attacks on innocent citizens in the country.

Okorocha made the calls when he played host to the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Sulieman Kazaure, at the Government House, Owerri.

He noted that it was unfair for some persons to carry arms illegally while others did not bear arms as, according to him, that gave room for molestation of those not carrying arms.

“Our country is going through a very difficult moment with harassment by men of the underworld, who have

organised themselves into a criminal society to humiliate people, and to kill and maim,” he said.

This, he noted, was a reason why Corps members did not feel free to serve in some parts of the country. The governor, however, said terrorism and other criminal activities should not affect the resolve of Nigerians to remain united.

He said his suggested military training for Corps members would prepare them for self-defence, especially in the face of activities of groups that posed threats to security.

Okorocha urged Corps members not to refuse posting to any part of the country, adding that they should see their service as a sacrifice towards nation building.

Speaking earlier, the NYSC Director-General BrigadierGeneral, Suleman Kazaure, commended the Imo State Government for providing a new orientation camp within a short period.

He said when completed, it would be one of the best in the country.

Officers of the Nigerian Prisons Service parading during the pulling-out of the out-going Controller-General of Prisons, Mr Peter Ekpendu in Abuja yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

Group faults attacks on CMD, Ido-Ekiti hospital MaRcus FatunMOle and JOel aJayi AbujA

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quality health advocacy group, Health Development Advocacy Initiative, HDAI, has appealed to protesting workers at the Federal Medical Hospital, Ido Ekiti, Ekiti State, to sheathe their sword.

The workers are aggrieved over the loss of some of their

2016 budget targets the vulnerable –Onu Regina OtOkpa

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he Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has said that the 2016 budget has many programmes targeted at the vulnerable in society.

Speaking during a meeting with Save Nigeria-Buhari Ambassadors in Abuja, he said this would help bring about the much needed change in the country. The minister noted that the present administration would fulfill its campaign promises by creating jobs, growing the

economy and ensuring that there was adequate security and rule of law.

According to him, it was the collective interest of all to diversify the economy to enhance the creation of jobs and to grow the economy.

“We want all Nigerians who want to work to have work to do. It would help us to create wealth, achieve selfreliance and also help to fight crime. Everybody in Nigeria is conscious that there is rule of law, there is no longer any room for impunity and arrogance of power. “In the past, there was high level of impunity in the way government

was run, there was so much arrogance of power, and they do anything they like because they felt they were above the law.”

Onu maintained that people elected to offices should hold it to the collective will of the people and appreciate the contribution of the Save Nigeria-Buhari Ambassadors during the last presidential election.

Earlier, the national coordinator of the group, Comrade Jazeel Ibriahim, commended the recent order by the federal government for the recruitment of ten thousand policemen and women.

colleagues to recent accident which claimed the lives of six doctors and their driver along Abuja-Kaduna highway.

Consequently, they are demanding the sack of Chief Medical Director, CMD, of the hospital, Dr. Lawrence Ayodele, whom they accused of being responsible for the doctors death, among other tragedies that had claimed lives of workers at the hospital.

The workers claimed the CMD, spiritually, uses the blood of the workers to pursue his agenda of being reappointed for a second term to

head the facility.

They have since embarked on strike. In its message, made available to National Mirror on Monday, HDAI called on stakeholders not to use the doctors’ death to pursue personal gains.

HDAI said in the statement signed by its secretary, Ambassador Ken Kulibali, that the lives lost should not be exploited for scheming for personal gains.

His words: “An academic and scientific environment like the teaching hospital is

not a place for blackmail in order to gain sympathy, rather where facts and scientific inquisition form basis of drawing conclusions on sensitive issues.

“Conspiracy theories have no place in medical environment, rather if these elements have facts, they should have presented such at the appropriate quarters and focus on their life-saving work as enshrined in the Hippocratic oath all doctor take that qualifies them to handle human life.”

FG inaugurates committee on culture, tourism CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

we are not going to leave the summit at the level of communique, hence I have set up a small team, which will actually give us recommendations as to how to implement the outcome of the summit,” he remarked.

The minister commended members of the committee for their diligence and patriotism and said even before their inauguration, they had hit the ground running.

Responding, the chairman of the committee, Dr. Paul Adalikwu, assured that they would strive to ensure that the recommendations of the summit would boost government’s resolve to harness the potentials of culture and tourism for wealth generation and job creation.

According to him, “we will give our best to make sure that the recommendations we make will not only serve to bolster the promises made by this administration to create

employment opportunities for men, women and youths in the country but also to reposition the sector as a contributor to the GDP of this country and a contributor to the foreign exchange earnings of Nigeria.”

Other members of the committee are: Ms Bolanle Austen-Peter; Chief Tomi Akingbogun; Prof. Sunny Ododo; Mallam Abdulhamid Sheriff; Mr. Bertram Azuwuike and Mr. Nkanta George Ufot, who will serve as secretary.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Civil Service 39

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

EFCC urged to tackle in-house corruption AdeolA Tukuru AbujA

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he Joint Action Coalition of Civil Societies in Nigeria has called on the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, to come out clear and tell Nigerians his decision over the in-house corruption within the EFCC as Nigerians are not ready to condone any act of corruption.

The national co-ordinator of the coalition, Comrade Ikpa Isaac, in a press conference in Abuja tasked Magu to explain to Nigerians why his tenure under the leadership of the anti corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari is still allowing corruption within the EFCC. The group lauded the president whose leadership style has brought hope for the hopeless, urging him to act fast on the report as the anti corruption war might be bastardised by the actions of corrupt officials within the anti-

graft agencies in the country.

“We are witnessing high profile prosecution of our treasury looters that our nation can never come out of corruption. In observing this war, our attention has been drawn towards the in-house corruption orchestrated by some staff of the anti-graft agencies especially the EFCC which must be tackled if the war must succeed.

“For example, the Pension Transitional Arrangement Department (PTDA), Director General, Mrs. Nellie Mayshak ,was sacked over stealing of 50 million on monthly while in office.

“The EFCC desk officer posted to PTAD, Mr. Habibu Aliyu, was also petitioned over by the staff of PTAD for collecting N5 million monthly to cover the mess for the period between 2010 till he was sacked.

“Our worries now is that the same Habibu Aliyu who was involved in this corrupt practices as the desk officer of PTAD has not been properly investigated,” he said.

L-R: Director General, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Mrs Roli Bode-George, NDLEA Chairman, Col. Muhammad Abdallah (rtd) and US Consul-General, in Nigeria, Mr John Bray at the handing over of some pickup trucks and transport vans to NDLEA by US Government, in Lagos yesterday.

PHOTO:NAN

Move to unmask real owners of oil firms excites NEITI Chidi ugwu

AbujA

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he Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, has described as commendable the commitment of the Federal Government to full disclosure of beneficial owners of companies doing business in Nigeria’s extractive industry.

According to the agency’s Director of Communications, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, the pronouncement by President Muhammadu Buhari at the anti-corruption summit in London recently was in line

with the position of NEITI as contained in its maiden policy brief on beneficial ownership disclosure released in Abuja, a few days to the London summit.

Orji in a statement noted that NEITI had identified the presence of anonymous companies as a threat to Nigeria’s economy and national security and urged federal government to champion policies and laws mandating public disclosure of the real owners of companies operating in all sectors in Nigeria, especially those in the extractive sector.

“NEITI as the Agency responsible for the implementation of the Extractive Indus-

NAZG raises alarm over trafficking of wildlife CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

face encounter with such animals.

“On the entertainment side, it’s a major part of tourism, so, a country which neglects the zoos is not doing well. I want the government to recognise the zoo and do something about collapsed zoos.

“The last time a lion escaped in Jos, and it was killed is not good; the reason was that there was no funds to maintain the zoo. A country

that doesn’t have interest in wildlife is not a good, buoyant and healthy country, because if we allow wildlife slip into oblivion gradually as they go into extinction we also will go into extinction, because it’s an ecosystem and must be balanced.”

While commending the Lagos State government for putting zoo in Epe, Dr. Morenikeji challenged other state governments to emulate Lagos State by investing in the development of wildlife and tourism at large.

tries Transparency Initiative in Nigeria is quite encouraged by the speech delivered

by President Buhari in London committing Nigeria to implementation of Beneficial Ownership Disclosure.

“The Presidential commitment will no doubt strengthen the on-going reforms in the oil, gas and mining industry.

In Mr. President’s words, “we welcome the new 2016 EITI Standard, in particular, the requirements on beneficial ownership and the sale of the government’s share of production”.

President Buhari had at

the summit declared that “Nigeria will establish a transparent central register of foreign companies bidding on public contracts and buying property. We welcome the proposal by developed countries to work together to improve the access of developing countries to beneficial ownership information for use in public contracting.”

Orji stated that apart from its immense benefits to the economy and national security, NEITI had argued that Beneficial Ownership Disclosure had practical implication for increasing government

revenues, reducing the incidences of corruption, money laundering and cutting off funding from drug lords and terrorists.

“Even when not always illegal or misused, secret companies are hardly in the interests of developing countries, anonymous companies are used to deny countries of valuable revenues through tax avoidance, and sometimes outright tax evasion. Then, the shroud of secrecy around them is used not only to mask possible corrupt relationships with government officials but also to obscure probable links

to money laundering, drug trafficking,’’ NEITI policy brief added.

NEITI also applauded a similar pronouncement by the President on Open Contracting Data Standard that allows disclosure of data and documents at all stages of the contracting process.

According to the agency, the principles of Open Contracting Data Standard were consistent with the position of the global EITI standard on contract transparency which all member countries including Nigeria were encouraged to embrace.

FG strengthen ties with private sector on youth empowerment Joel AJAyi AbujA

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inister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has disclosed that a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, which will guide a new partnership agreement between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Innoson Group of Companies on special training for Nigerian youths is underway.

Dalung made the announcement at the Government House, Awka, Anambra State, during a courtesy visit to the Governor of the State, Mr. Willie Obiano.

At the end of a one day inspection visit to the Innoson Company to see for himself the type of training facili-

ties available for prospective youths that the government might want to train and empower to make them self-reliant and potential employers of labour.

The minister maintained that that was part of federal government’s resolve to partner with the private sector in finding solution to the serious challenge of youth unemployment facing our dear nation and reiterated his charge to corporate bodies, investors and people of means to join hands with the government at all levels to invest in youths.

The minister who praised the chairman and Chief Executive of Innoson Group, Innocent Chukuma for his indomitable Nigerian can-do spirit and his leading role in promoting and facilitating made in

Nigeria goods through the use of local technology also commended the company for striving towards achieving a truly Made-in-Nigerian car through its different brands of cars, mini-buses, jeeps and luxurious buses.

Also, the minister visited the plastic and automobile factories of company where some erstwhile Niger Delta militants were undergoing training in different fields ranging from mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, plumbing, welding to IT programmes.

Dalung commended the students for taking the path of acquiring technical training in place of oil-pipeline vandalization and other allied acts of economic sabotage.

The minister identified failure to accord the youth their rightful place as the cause of the problems of the past.

He said they should forget about the past and look eagerly to a bright future as the present “government of change” was poised to turn things around in the overall interest of Nigerian youths.

He rounded off his visit to Anambra with an inspection visit to the state NYSC orientation camp.

While speaking, Dalung urged corps members to avail themselves of the good opportunity offered by the scheme to make new friends, adapt to their hosts’ ways of life, learn entrepreneurial skills and be agents of change, unity, peace and progress.

40

Capital Market

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Market capitalisation down N56bn, as Conoil leads gainers Johnson okanlawon

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rading in equities closed on a negative note on the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday, as some investors took profit from the gains recorded previously.

The All Share Index depreciated 0.61 per cent to close at 26,655.48 points, as against the increase of 1.43 per cent recorded the preceding day to close at 26,818.77 points.

Market capitalization shed N56 billion to close at N9.172 trillion, in contrast to the rise of N130 billion recorded the preceding day to close at N9.228

trillion.

The depreciation recorded in the share prices of Forte Oil, Guaranty Trust Bank, Unilever, Zenith Bank and FBN Holdings were mainly responsible for the loss recorded in the index.

The total value of stocks traded was N2.66billion, up 26.20 per cent from N2.11billion recorded the preceding day.

The total volume of stocks traded was 396.03million in 5,513 deals, while the three most actively traded stocks were UBA, Access Bank and Transcorp.

Conoil Plc led the gainers’ table with N1.99 or 9.47 per cent to close at N23.00 per share, followed by Neimeth Plc with five kobo or five per cent to close at N1.05 per share.

Union Dicon Salt Plc appreciated 66 kobo or five per cent to close at N13,86 per share, while Cutix Plc was up seven kobo or 4.43 per cent to close at N1.65 per share.

Sterling Bank Plc rose six kobo or 3.59 per cent to close at N1.73 per share, while ETI Plc added 38 kobo or 2.61 per cent to close at N14.94 per share.

Conversely, Vitafoam Plc shed 47 kobo or 9.59 per cent to close at N4.43 per share, while Diamond Bank Plc depreciated 19 kobo or 9.45 per cent to close at N1.82 per share.

Transcorp Plc lost 12 kobo or 9.38 per cent to close at N1.16 per share, while Forte Oil Plc declined N19.68 or 8.75 per cent to close at N205.32 per share.

FCMB Plc fell 11 kobo or 8.59 per cent to close at N1.17 per share, while Livestock Plc was down five kobo or five per cent to close at 95 kobo per share.

Source: NSE

Market indicators All-Share Index 25,646.56 points Market capitalisation 8.82trn

UPDC declares N3.7bn earnings, targets retail business Johnson okanlawon

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he UACN Property Development Company, UPDC, yesterday said it is recalibrating development towards the retail segment and has put in place strategies to enable it take advantage of emerging opportunities in the segment.

The company posted revenue of N3.74 billion as against 2014 revenue of N10.08billion, while loss before taxation was N1.80 billion against N2.04 billion in 2014.

Speaking at the company’s Annual General Meeting, the Chairman, Mr Larry Ettah, said that despite the slow-down in the luxury segment, the Nigerian real estate market remained attractive as there were significant un-

tapped potentials in the residential category.

He explained that there were still numerous opportunities in the retail, commercial and industrial segments of the market in the near term, noting that the challenges being faced by the market in terms of issues with titles, high cost of funding, inadequate mortgage financing and poor infrastructure are expected to persist in the medium term and would continue to prevent effective demand in the low/medium residential market segments.

Commenting on the operating environment, the real estate expert noted that as in almost all of Africa’s markets, demand for high-quality retail, office and industrial

real-estate in the country continued to outstrip supply.

He said that the Nigerian real estate market had continued to record significant growth in the last decade in response to demand for residential & commercial properties.

Ettah explained that growth in the commercial segment had been driven by new investments in high growth sectors like retail, hospitality/ tourism and telecommunications, while the spike in demand for residential housing is linked to population growth & rising income levels (emergence of middle class).

He also disclosed that the company continued its ongoing developments in 2015 and commenced some new ones, noting that the Board also has taken a decision to impair UP-

DC’s equity in the hotel business (N2.08billion), which had a major adverse impact on the PBT for the company.

The UPDC boss said that a further impairment of N473million was passed on the group result based on a market valuation of the hotel asset in June 2015.

On the company’s plan for the future, the Chairman said: “Our strategy for 2016 and beyond includes deleveraging the business through equity capital injection by way of Rights Issue, sell down of surplus stake in the REIT and disposal of low-performing assets, as well as leveraging on partnerships and alliances that are in sync with the company’s long term goals.”

Shares in Asia mixed on investors’ concern for low oil prices, US’ CPI

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sian shares were mixed yesterday with markets focused on upcoming consumer price data in the US and rising instability in Nigeria and Venezuela as low oil prices hit.

The S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.54 per cent, while the Nikkei 225 gained 0.77 per cent.

The Shanghai Composite Index however eased 0.37 per cent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was last up 0.02 per cent.

The yuan rose marginally against the US dollar after the People’s Bank of China set the fixing stronger first time in three days at 6.5200 compared with 6.5343 previously.

Investors await Tuesday’s release of the Consumer Price Index, CPI, for April for further indications on

the timing of the Federal Reserve’s first interest rate hike in 2016.

Analysts are predicting a mild increase of 0.3 per cent in April CPI, in response to a 0.1 per cent gain in March.

The Core CPI Index, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, is expected to tick up by 0.2 per cent.

Since raising interest rates for the first time in seven years in December, the Fed has been hesitant to tighten its money policy cycle even further amid sluggish inflation.

Investors also kept a close eye on instability in Nigeria and Venezuela.

Reuters reported that Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA will honor all debt commitments this year while acknowledging the need for new debt restructur-

ing in the coming months.

Venezuela, which derives 95 per cent of its total exports from oil, has seen its deficits soar amid crashing oil prices over the last two years.

In Nigeria, meanwhile, Exxon Mobil Corporation halted exports from the nation’s largest crude stream in the wake of a wave of attacks by an insurgent militant group on oil pipelines in the Southern region of the country.

Combined with other closures by Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron Corporation, Nigerian production has tumbled to 1.65 million barrels per day, its lowest level in more than a decade.

Overnight, US stocks rose sharply on Monday rallying from their third straight week of declines last Friday, as oil futures hit 6-month highs and

billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s company Berkshire Hathaway Inc provided a boost to the major indices by declaring a major stake in Apple Inc.

FGN Bonds Description

12.77

MPR

12

Crude oil price

$42.41

Exchange

Rates (N)

WAUA

270

USD

197.00

EURO

214

CFA

0.32

YEN

1.64

SWISS FRANC

202

POUNDS STERLING

293

SDR

273

Price

Yield

Price

Yield

15.10 27-APR-2017

1.08

105.02

10.05

105.17

9.91

16.00 29-JUN-2019

3.25

114.57

10.57

114.87

10.47

15.54 13-FEB-2020

3.88

112.93

11.31

113.23

11.22

16.39 27-JAN-2022

5.83

120.16

11.53

120.46

11.47

14.20 14-MAR-2024

7.96

109.78

12.24

110.08

12.18

12.50 22-JAN-2026

9.82

100.55

12.39

100.85

12.34

Rate (%) Inflation

Offer

Bid

Closing Market Prices of March 29, 2016

Treasury Bills Maturity Date

Bid

Offer

30-Jun-16

7.89

8.06

22-Sep-16

8.29

8.64

16-Mar-17

9.31

10.23

NIBOR Tenor

Rate (%)

O/N

12.8333

1M

10.4872

3M

12.2247

6M

13.6227 CBN Clearing Rates of January 7, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

41

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

World News I have never met London Mayor Sadiq Khan and he doesn’t know what I am all about. His statement to me was very rude.

–US REPUBLICAN PARTY’S FRONT RUNNER, DONALD TRUMP

Sanders’ threat for Democratic Convention AfolAbi GAmbAri

WITH AGENCY REPORT

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any Democrats expressed fear yesterday that the same ugly scene that occurred in Las Vegas last weekend could replicate itself in the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia if Bernie Sanders does not rein in his supporters,.

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California said “I do” when asked if Sanders should drop out of the race after voting concludes on June 7, giving Hillary Clinton a chance to pivot to the general election ahead of the July convention.

“I think it would be most regretful if there becomes a schism,” Feinstein said.

“That’s what Donald Trump should want: a schism in our party. It’s the responsibility particularly of Senator Sanders to

US Democratic Party presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders see that that doesn’t happen.”

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said yesterday that he had a long conversation with Sanders to lay out what happened in Nevada.

“He said that he condemns that. I’m confident he does,” Reid said, adding, “This is a test of leadership.”

Reid declined to comment when asked if he was worried

WORLD BULLETIN that Sanders’ backers could upend the national convention this summer.

Sanders officials said that the Democratic Party should embrace the senator’s supporters, not repel them.

But new audio obtained

by CNN shows a senior Sanders aide on the eve of the Nevada convention encouraging the senator’s supporters try to take over the convention, change party rules and continue the revolution that Sanders has long campaigned on.

“You should not leave,” Joan Kato, the national delegates director, told Sanders supporters in a meeting last week at the Rumor Boutique Hotel.

“I’m going to repeat that, unless you are told by someone from the campaign ... that you can leave, you should not leave,” Kato added.

Nairobi protest crushed ‘gruesomely’

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leading rights group has accused Kenyan Police of using what it calls gruesome violence to break up an opposition protest in the capital on Monday.

“Protesters were beaten up even after being subdued,” the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said.

Kenya’s Police Chief, Joseph Boinnet, said officers intervened to curb lawlessness, but an internal inquiry would be held to look into the allegations against them.

“I condemn the lawlessness visited on the public by rioters yesterday and an internal inquiry is under way to deter-

mine whether any police officer broke any law while quelling the riots,” Boinnet explained.

The opposition called the protest to demand electoral reforms.

Meanwhile, church leaders have appealed for calm, saying next year’s general election should not lead to death and destruction.

“We must hold elections in a peaceful and harmonious manner without breaking this country,” Bishop Alfred Rotich of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops said.

A group of 15 opposition supporters pleaded guilty in court yesterday to taking part in the

illegal protest in Nairobi, the capital.

They denied the more serious charge of being armed and breaching the peace.

However, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said the protesters were subjected to serious bodily harm.

“When police disobey the law with such corrosive impunity, they lose legitimacy as law enforcers and alienate themselves from the very public they are mandated to serve,” the group said in a statement.

The protest was called

by main opposition leader Raila Odinga to demand that the electoral commission be dissolved, and that a new one be appointed.

Odinga accuses the current commission of being biased, and fears that the elections will not be free and fair.

A protester being cornered by security agents in Nairobi on Monday

9/11 families free to sue S/Arabia

I

n a rebuke to the White House, the American Senate yesterday approved a bill to allow victims and families of the 9/11 attacks to sue Saudi

Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Arabia for its alleged involvement in the terrorist strikes.

The bill, which the White House opposes, House Speaker Paul Ryan expressed concerns about, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was slow to embrace, had stalled for months.

It now heads to the House.

But in the end, the bill’s authors-John Cornyn of Texas, the second ranking Senate Republican, and Chuck Schumer of New York, the third-ranking Senate Democrat-were able to pass the

bill on a voice vote, a rare feat in the divided chamber, especially for a controversial issue.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest however renewed the threat that President Barack Obama would veto the bill.

“Yes, as I think I’ve mentioned before it’s given the concerns we’ve expressed it’s difficult to imagine the President signing this legislation and that continues to be true,” Earnest said.

The White House and State Department said the bill could have dramatic ramifications for the United States and citizens living abroad to

retaliatory lawsuits.

“This legislation would change long standing international law regarding sovereign immunity and the President of the United States and continues to harbor serious concerns that this legislation would make the United States vulnerable in other court systems around the world,” Earnest added.

Formally known as the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, the bill would prevent Saudi Arabia and other countries alleged to have terrorist ties from invoking their sovereign immunity in federal court.

Brexit ‘will please Russia, ISIS’ British Prime Minister, David Cameron, who repeatedly threatened to leave the European Union if he did not get what he wanted, now says a British exit from the EU would please Russian President Vladimir Putin and even the terrorist group ISIS. British voters will go to the polls June 23 to decide whether to stay in the 28-nation European Union or look in from the outside and try to negotiate a separate trade deal with a bloc to which it once belonged..

Cameron claimed in London yesterday that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Putin would be happy if Britain voted to leave the EU. “It is worth asking the question, who would be happy if we left?” Cameron said

Baghdad bombing kills scores Explosions ripped through three Baghdad neighborhoods on yesterday, killing at least 46 people.

ISIS claimed responsibility for one of the attacks.

The deadliest incident occurred in Baghdad’s Sadr City, where a car bomb exploded, killing at least 24 people and wounding 71 others, according to security officials.

A bomb squad deactivated another bomb in a booby-trapped car in the same area, according to local reports.

Two more explosions occurred in the al-Shaab neighborhood in northern Baghdad, killing at least 19 and wounding 44 as the Interior Ministry said a female suicide bomber may have been responsible for one of the blasts.

Parliament axes heckling MPs A brawl broke out in the South African parliament yesterday as security officers were ordered to forcibly remove opposition MPs. It is the second brawl in parliament this month.

Security guards were ordered by the speaker to eject the people who were being disruptive.

Guards surrounded the EFF MPs who were dressed in their trademark red boiler suits.

Objects, including bottles of water and a hard hat, were thrown as the guards tried to wrestle the MPs out of the chamber.

Several punches were thrown as the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were expelled after trying to stop President Jacob Zuma speaking.

In March a court ruled that Zuma violated the constitution by failing to pay back public money used on his mansion.

North

42

Wednesday, May 18, December 2016 Sunday, 17, 2010

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Man kills parents, two sisters in Yobe INUSA

NDAHI

DAMATURU

A

28-year-old man, Adamu Mai Bisco, yesterday killed his parents and two sisters in Potiskum, Yobe State, the state’s police command disclosed in Damaturu.

The four victims, according to police authority, were killed by the suspect who allegedly slit their throats with a shovel in the early hours of yesterday.

Yobe State Police Public Relation Officer, Toyin Gbadegesin, disclosed that the four victims were murdered in cold blood with a shovel.

Gbadegensin, however, attributed the action of the suspect to the influence of hard drugs.

Eyewitnesses in the neighbourhood also told National Mirror yesterday during a telephone interview that the slain parents had threatened

to report the suspect to security agents, alleging that he was a member of Boko Haram.

“I gathered that the parents said they would report him to security as a Boko Haram. He did not take that threat lightly and so decided to

kill them (parents) while they were all asleep,” said Mallam Isa Yakubu.

In his text message sent to our correspondent on the alleged murder, Gbadegensin said the offence falls under section 221 of the penal code law.

He said: “The offence committed by Adamu Mai Bisco, 28 years old of Bataiya area of Potiskum, Yobe State is culpable homicide, and contravenes the provisions of the penal code law, section 221.

“Apparently under

the influence of hard drugs of marijuana and Tramol capsules, the suspect, without any provocation as the victims were fast asleep, picked up a shovel, attacked and killed his father, mother and two sisters. The incident took place at about

Al-Makura donates N500m hostels to Nasarawa poly IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA

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overnor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has donated about N500m worth of hostel facilities to the Nasarawa State Polytechnic, Lafia.

Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Silas Gyar, disclosed this when members of the Nasarawa State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, embarked on an assessment tour of the institution.

According to him, “the state government

is spending more than N500m in developing both the male and female hostels of the polytechnic which is a major intervention that is coming to the institution.

Said he: “The hostels are coming in with customised beds, side drawers and ward robes.

These state-of-the-art hostels by the government are being delivered to us at no cost to us; it is a major intervention.”

He explained that the polytechnic which was established on borrowed facilities from the Catholic church now boasts of facilities created by it

and is now set to move to its permanent site.

The polytechnic rector who took the NUJ members round the institution, said that all projects embarked upon by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, in the polytechnic, which include the directorate of academics, science laboratory and lecture theatre complexes are almost completed to pave way for its movement to the permanent site.

He also explained that the delay in the accreditation of some courses in the institution was due to the absent of a science

programme and that the institution is leaving no stone unturned to see to the creation of the programme in no distance future.

Gyar was however optimistic that apart from the absence of a science programme, the polytechnic is ever ready to be accredited by relevant bodies.

Chairman of the state chapter of NUJ, Daniel Yakubu, commended the rector for his doggedness towards the unprecedented transformation of the institution during his short stay and urged him to keep up the tempo.

COCIN president faults el-Rufai’s religious bill JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

P

resident of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, COCIN, Dr. Dachollom Datiri, yesterday said the Regulation of Religious Preaching bill by the Kaduna State government is totally unacceptable and that COCIN rejects it totally.

Speaking at the 90th general council of COCIN yesterday, he said the constitution of Nigerian does not discriminate against CHANGE OF NAME

AILEME: Formerly known and addressed as AILEME M JEFFERY now wish to be known and addressed as AILEME JEFFREY OHIREN All former documents remain valid. General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

HANNAH: Formerly known and addressed as HANNAH EFFIONG EDET now wish to be known and addressed as HANNAH OKON ETIM. All former documents remain valid. General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known & addressed as Oyetade, Oluwatomilola Motunrayo now wish to be known and addressed as Ayoko, Oluwatomilola Motunrayo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

any religion, and that the move by the Kaduna State government to restrict or regulate preaching is clearly a breach of the fundamental human rights of Christians.

He however commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts at tackling insecurity and corruption in the country.

He said: “While the scourge of Boko Haram has slightly abated, brutal attacks by Fulani herdsmen have claimed hundreds of innocent lives in several parts of the country, causing a national outcry. PresiCHANGE OF NAME

SHADIAT: Formerly known and addressed as SHADIAT OLABISI IBRAHEEM now wish to be known and addressed as HALIMAH OLABISI ADEBAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

JOYCE: Formerly known and addressed as JOYCE K. ADOVI. now wish to be known and addressed as KPORMEGO ADOVI JOYCE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

AKINGBO:formely known and addressed as MISS AKINGBO FOLASHADE ABIODUN now wish to be known and addressed as MRS AKINYUGHA FOLASHADE ABIODUN . All former documents remain valid.

General public take note

xxx

dent Buhari’s response is commendable as long as it goes beyond just political statement.

“We commend President Buhari’s efforts in fighting corruption; it must be stressed that fighting corruption must be seen as a collective responsibility of all Nigerians; the truth is that only true disciples have capacity to successfully fight it “As a church, we must be deliberate in stamping out all forms of corruption among us.”

On the proposed national grazing reserve, CHANGE OF NAME

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he said Nigerian lawmakers must appreciate the weight of trust and responsibility bestowed on them by the electorate.

“They must see themselves as those who ought to work for equity and defend the common people against those who would oppress and take advantage of others.”

The idea of grazing reserves is barbaric, he said.

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nated,” he said.

Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, who spoke at the occasion appealed to the church to partner with the state government in order to fight the ills of society and continue to promote the rights and dignity of all mankind.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Gyang, advised citizens of the state to embrace farming.

He praised Governor Lalong for his efforts towards restoring peace in the state.

CHANGE OF NAME

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1.00am on Tuesday.

“Upon receipt of a distress call, police moved in and arrested the suspect, recovered the exhibit and the suspect is still being interrogated.

“Interim investigation reports also revealed that the suspect is a drug addict; as he confessed to have consumed illicit drugs. The bodies of the victims were evacuated to the hospital for medical examination. The suspect is to be charged to court.”

Red Cross pays N47,000 fine for Gombe prison inmates WILLIAMS ATTAH GOMBE

S

ix inmates in the Nigerian Prison yard, Gombe, have regained freedom following the payment of their respective fines by the Nigeria Red Cross Society, Gombe State chapter.

Following this development, the inmates who were serving various sentences have regained freedom. The society also gave each of them N500 as transport fare to their respective homes.

Speaking during the release of the inmates, the Assistant Controller of Prisons in charge of the Prison, Mohammed Abubakar Abba, expressed appreciation over the gesture and described it as a great relief to the yard.

He charged the freed inmates to subscribe themselves to trades that would make them self-employed and responsible members of the society as well as avoid anything that would return them to prison.

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I formerly known and addressed as Ezekiel Oluwajide David, Now wish to be known and addressed as Ojedeji Ezekiel Oluwajide David. All former documents remain valid. General public take note LOSS OF DOCUMENT

This is to notify the general public of loss of documents belonging to Mr. Okoro Clement Reg. as 68/68/1622 & 47/47/1398 in respect of Land situated at Plot 525 Independence Layout Enugu got lost. All effort to trace it proved abortive. If found please contact Ministry of Land, Enugu.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Heartland sends SOS to LMC

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43

Sport

Italian men and Russian women don’t shave before a race – Eddie Ottoz

47

House of Reps wades into NFF crisis

GeorGe opara AbujA

T Sanusi

Banned Players: NFF writes Plateau FA T

he Nigeria Football Federation has written to remind the Plateau State Football Association that the ban placed on some football players and officials following a couple of scandalous results in the 2013 Play-Off matches of the Nigeria Nationwide League, in Bauchi Centre, is still in force.

In results that attracted global alarm and condemnation, Plateau United Feeders, Akurba United FC of Lafia, Police Machine FC of Yola and Bubayero FC of Gombe were involved in unimaginable score lines of 76-0 and 89-0, and the Nigeria Football Federation set up a panel that recommended that players, team officials and match officials involved in the shameful events be banned for life from the game.

The letter signed by NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, yesterday instructed the Plateau State Football Association to ensure that the ban is enforced in its domain. The

reminder became necessary in view of the move by NPFL side, Plateau United FC on Monday to appoint Victor Wikadson as new Head Coach.

From Plateau United Feeders, 18 players and seven team officials were axed. Fifteen players and three team officials of Akurba United were banned, alongside 18 players and five team officials of Police Machine FC and 16 players and three team officials of Bubayero FC of Gombe.

The NFF listed the banned players and match officials of Plateau United Feeders FC as: Kenneth Ilo, Jacob Bulus, Emmanuel Mathew, Ezekiel Damiri, Paul Danjuma, Mathew Luka, Tenton Yamen, Katura Christopher, Kika James, John David, Ugochukwu Kingsley, Safiyanu Idris, Daform Pam, Alexanda Longs, Joseph Dokatri, Laila Ibrahim, Sani Mohammed and Solomon Effom as well as Victor Wikadson (Chief Coach), Sani Mohammed (Assistant

Coach), John Babo (Assistant Coach), Shuaibu Usman (Welfare Officer ), Garba Mohammed (Masseur), Babawo Sambo (Curator) and Danladi Bala (Team Manager).

Banned personnel of Akurba FC of Lafia includes; Bahira Usman, Bala Dio, Musa Ahmad, Abba Musa, Usman Babaji, Abdullahi Arikiya, Arijide Said Timothy, Sabo Ahmed, Kasimu Yunusa, Alkama Husseini, Shehu Abubakar, Almakura Danladi, Yahaya Adamu, James Mathias, Abubakar Labaran, Osas Onuegbu (Chief Coach), Musa Abdullahi (Assistant Coach) and Tanko Usman (Secretary).

Those affected in the Police Machine team are; Samuel Dairremi, Linison John, Enema Samson, Lazarus Ahmed, Bala Rabiu, Emmanuel Gringory, Gabriel Emmanuel, Abubakar Mustapha, Johnson Mike, Dahiru Mohammed, Bashir Yahaya, John Salisu, Baffa Abubakar, Ibrahim Hamman, Danjuma Friday, Samaila Adamu, Ahmed

Kabiru, Harrison Smarth, Tukur Ali (Chief Coach), Gambo Yakubu (Technical Adviser), John Felix (Deputy Technical Adviser), Bigman Emmanuel (Training Officer) and Danladi Musa.

From Bubayero FC of Gombe are: Sudais Mohammed, Isah Mohammed, Williams Bulus, Mubarak Dauda, Abdulwahab Salisu, Ibrahim Jalo Famous, Abdulrahman Abubakar, Stanley Wirba, Musa Adamu, Abdullahi Abubakar, Musa Ibrahim, Waziri Aliyu, Abdulganiyu Samaila, Ephraim Alizo, Johnny Mark, Umar Yahaya and Bala Yayari (Chief Coach), Usman Abubakar (Assistant Coach) and Umar Bappah (Team Manager).

Also banned at the time were match officials Olu Okeneye, M. O. Bakare (match commissioners), Mohammed Mohammed, Umar Garba (referees), S. Chiroma, A. Shina, Sani Abdul, Hassan Pegt (assistant referees), H. Murtala and M. Salahuddin (reserve referee).

he House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Sports to invite all stakeholders in the football family for a meeting in order to reach a harmonious conclusion on the lingering crisis rocking the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).

The committee, which is to report back to the House within two weeks, will particularly summon the Minister of Sports, Head of Legal Department of the Sports Ministry; and NFF officials.

The resolution to wade into the crisis followed the adoption of a motion sponsored under Matter of Urgent Public Importance by Hon. Prestige Ossy (PDP, Abia) at plenary yesterday.

The lawmaker noted that the football body is currently facing serious leadership tussle between two factional groups led by Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa arising from the September 30, 2014 NFF presidential election at which Pinnick was declared the winner.

He recalled that Pinnick had been the NFF President until April 8, 2016 when a Federal High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State nullified his election and consequently declared Giwa as the winner, a development that has thrown the football house into chaos.

Pinnick

44

Wednesday, May 18, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME

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This is to certified that Lateef Jamiu Alao is the same one person as Lateef Jamiu Oluwasegun, that henceforth wish to be called,known and addressed as Lateef Jamiu Oluwasegun and my correct date of birth is 28th February,1983 instead of 24th May,1985.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

45

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

COMPANY’S UPGRADE This is to inform the general public that due to the company’s upgrade Tunbum Fayemi Enterprises situated at No 30, Bode Williams Amadiya B/stop Abule Egba, Lagos State with the registration number (RC 1319597) has seized to be known and addressed Tunbum Fayemi Enterprises, henceforth wish to be known and addressed as TUNBUM FAYEMI GLOBAL & COMPANY LIMITED. All former documents remain valid. Financial Institutions, to whom it may concern and general public take note.

Signed Management

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ONICHA UKWUANI FOUNDATION

This is to inform the General Public that the above named Foundation 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. MONDAY ONYEME - CHAIRMAN. 2. HON. KINGSLEY EGUGBO - SECRETARY. 3.OSAKWE CHRISTOPHER IFEANYICHUKWU THE AIMS and OBJECTIVES ARE 1. Advancement of social development.

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46

Sports

Jagielka warns of Everton’s mass exodus

E

verton’s underwhelming Premier League campaign, which ended in manager Roberto Martinez being sacked, last week, could have ramifications for next season with a number of players set to leave the club in the summer, defender Phil Jagielka has said.

Martinez paid the price for failing to get the best out of a talented young squad, and England international Jagielka said anyone hired to replace him would struggle to keep hold of the team’s best players.

“There is going to be a lot of change in the playing squad,” the 33-year-old centre back said.

“I am not sure the squad is going to be big enough for the start of next season with the people who are leaving.”

Veteran goalkeeper Tim Howard has retired after a 10-year stint at Everton, while striker Romelu Lukaku and centre back John Stones are likely to be targeted by bigger clubs.

In addition, the likes of Leon Osman, Tony Hibbert, Steven Pienaar and Darron Gibson are all out of contract in the summer.

“I am not sure exactly what will go on but there could be double figures leaving, which is a lot,” Jagielka concluded.

Jagielka

Thursday, March 5, 2015 Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Swansea to decide my future –Ayew

S

wansea City top scorer Andre Ayew has cast doubt over his future at the club but says he wants to remain in the Premier League.

The Ghana international, who scored 12 Premier League goals in his first season at the Welsh club, said that whether he stayed was in the hands of Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins.

Ayew, 26, has been linked by the media with possible moves to Sunderland or West Ham United.

“I think you should ask the chairman. If I have to stay, fine.

If I have to leave, I have to leave.

What is important for me is that I keep doing my work, and in football the truth of today is not

the truth of tomorrow,” Ayew said.

“I’ve enjoyed the Premier League; I think it’s the best league in the world; the intensity, the determination from

A

frican Super middleweight boxing champion, Mojeed Okedara says the decision of his company, Mojifrican Global Events Management to accept promotion of the forthcoming Alaafin of Oyo boxing championship slated for October this year was to give a befitting 78th birthday gift to the foremost Royal Father who has dedicated his life to the promotion of boxing in the country.

According to the United States of America based boxer , the nine day tournament tagged “Alaafin of Oyo United Boxing Championship” will not only help promote the sports and give opportunity to Nigerian boxers to fight for honours but will help in upholding the tradition, culture and unity of

Nigeria.

“We are organizing the championship in celebration of a Royal Father who has dedicated all his life in promoting boxing and he has even promised to enter the ring that day and face a yet to be named opponent whom he intends to beat, to enable him cut a memorable birthday cake.

“Boxers will be coming from different states including Oyo, Edo. Delta, Osun . Kwara, Ogun, Lagos, Ekiti and Ondo state will be aiming to win some of the belts and trophies lined up for the championship.

“We will also be presenting veteran awards to about 25 individuals, 35 special distinguished boxing awards, medals to 15 special guests of honour as well as belts, trophies and other awards to those who have contributed in one way or the other to develop the pugilist game in the country.

every team. Every game is difficult.”

He added: “I hope to stay in the Premier League if I leave, but I’m here at the moment at Swansea.”

Ondo wins Lagos Artistic Gymnastic tourney IfeanyI eduzor

O

ndo State was adjudged winner of the 2nd edition of Lagos State Invitational Artistic Gymnastic Championship which was concluded at the indoor Sports Hall of Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Rowe Park, Yaba.

The State’s representatives won 14 gold, 8 silver and 11 bronze medals. The host state, Lagos came second with 10 gold, 11 silver and 10

Our pact with Alaafin boxing contest–Okedara IfeanyI eduzor

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Okedara He stated that the weighing and medical test for boxers will be conducted on Friday October 7th 2016 with the opening ceremony commencing on October 8th 2016 while the finals comes up on Saturday, October 15.

bronze medals while the third position went to Ekiti State, which won 4 gold and 2 silver medals.

Oyo State was fourth with 1 gold, 7 silver and 6 bronze medals, while Ogun State was fifth with 1 gold and three silver medals.

In his speech at the finals, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Sports/ Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission, Deji Tinubu applauded the performance of the young gymnasts, describing them as the future stars of the nation.

He said the plan of the Sports Commission is to organize regular competitions in all sport associations, adding that efforts will also be made to recognize exemplary talents among the athletes, noting that in line with Governor Ambode’ vision for sports in Lagos, all hands will be on deck to develop sports from the grassroots.

Tinubu appealed to corporate organizations to collaborate with the state government in its efforts to develop sports just as he assured Gymnastic association of the Commission’s support.

Chairperson of the association Mrs. Adebamike Oloko commended all the participants for demonstrating good skills which she said will prepare them for future challenges in the sports.

She noted that the tournament was one of the ways the association wanted to test –run some of its modern facilities, adding that the next edition will be enlarged to accommodate more states of the Federation.

Ayew joined the Swans on a free transfer from French side Olympique Marseille in the close season, signing a fouryear contract.

ITTF Nigeria Open serves off today

T

he much-anticipated 2016 ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open will serve off today at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

Preliminary matches for unseeded players will kick start the championship as over 55 players will be aiming for the 16 slots in the main draw of the competition in the men’s singles.

In the women’s singles, 38 players will jostle for the eight slots available in the main draw of the competition.

Already, virtually most of the foreign players have arrived for the championship with some of them slugging it out in the preliminary while all eyes will be on 2014 ITTF star player, Aruna Quadri who will be targeting his first World Tour title in front of his home fans.

Over 120 players from 16 countries are taking part in the $46,000 prize money five-day championship, which is the biggest prize money in the ITTF Challenge Series in the world.

Meanwhile, President, Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy lauded has lauded NTTF for their initiative in adding glamour to the competition every year.

“I am happy with what I am seeing and I hope we can sustain this tournament as it has become a pride to the continent with so many players across the world looking forward to be part of the competition,” he said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Wednesday , May4,18, 2016 Thursday September 2014

SWAN Election: Sirawoo Inaugurates Campaign Organisation

NPFL Match Day 18 Fixtures El Kanemi v Rangers Giwa Fc v Enyimba Ifeanyi Uba v MFM Ikorodu Utd v Warri Wolves Nasarawa Utd v Lobi Stars Niger Tornadoes v Kano Pillars Rivers Utd v Akwa Utd Shooting Stars v Abia Warriors Sunshine Stars v Wikki Tourists

Action recorded in Match Day 5 between Heartland of Owerri and Lobi Stars of Makurdi.

P

Heartland sends SOS to LMC

I

n what must be the first public revolt against the grueling conditions in which players in the Nigeria Professional Football League play , Heartland FC have called for a postponement of their Friday’s game against Enugu Rangers.

The Naze Millionaires sent an S.O.S message to the League Management Company as they cringed against playing three matches in six days.

Clubs in the NPFL travel across the country by road at least every three days, leaving them with squads that are fatigued from those trips.

Heartland held Kano Pillars to a goalless draw in Kano on Sunday and traveled 919 kilometres by road to Owerri all through Monday.

They are expected to host Plateau United at the Dan Anyiam Stadium on today’s afternoon before traveling to Enugu for the Oriental Derby

against Rangers International on Friday night at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.

Meanwhile, Rangers were expected to travel 1, 145km to Maiduguri to face El Kanemi today’s afternoon before making the return journey to host Heartland. .Solomon Onu, media officer of Heartland said that players are not happy about the double standards quoting captain Chinedu Efugh as being distraught after the announcement was

F

ormer Super Eagles handler, Adegboye Onigbinde, has commended organisers of the annual Bishop Mike Okonkwo football championship, describing it as what Nigeria needs to discover talents at the grassroots.

Speaking ahead of the championship, he stated that he was impressed

50 kids for Adeola Scrabble tourney

T

he next generation of scrabble champions will emerge at the maiden edition of the Rabiu Adeola Under-12 Scrabble Championships holding tomorrow at the Lagos Country Club Ikeja.

The competition which is aimed at discovering and nurturing young talents in the game of scrabble will see 50 kids from over 12 schools in Lagos and Ogun states in a battle of word power.

Chrisland Schools, Mind Builders School, Trinity College, Karis Schools, Dansol School, Grange Schools, Olive Success Academy, Coastland, Berkeley Science Magnet School and others will slug it out at the one day event.

Organisers of the competition, 27 July Ltd are optimistic that the tournament will not only discover players for the future but also give kids the opportunity to showcase their talent.

Sponsor of the tournament, Bimbo Adeola said the competition is in memory of his late father who passed on three years ago just as he

made at training yesterday.

“The management of Heartland FC has appealed against the proposed Friday night game since it gives undue advantage to Rangers International,” Onu’s statement read.

Despite the late protest by Heartland, the Oriental Derby will go ahead in Enugu on Friday night as it has been scheduled for a live broadcast on cable television.

Onigbinde applauds Bishop Okonkwo tourney IfeanyI eduzor

announced that it will be an annual event.

“The competition is being put together to honour my father who was very passionate about words and by extension the sport. It’s also our own way to give back to the society and also discover new talents for the country.

“It will also give the kids the opportunity to enhance their spelling skills and word power, provide an ample way for students to expand their repertoire”, he stated.

According to him, World scrabble champion, Nigeria’s Wellington Jighere will deliver a brief motivational speech to the kids on how to be the best.

Prizes to be won includes trophies for the best overall player and most promising player plus medals for the 1st to 3rd place finishers. All the participants will however smile home with certificates, dictionaries and other gift items.

with what the competition has achieved since its maiden edition even as he commended Bishop Mike Okonkwo for sustaining the tournament for the past 14 years.

The championship kicked off last Saturday at the playing pitch of the National Institute for Sports, Lagos with 64 teams while the finals will be coming up in September at the Yaba College of Technology play ground to commemorate the 71st birthday of Bishop Mike Okonkwo, the presiding Bishop of “The Redeemed Evangelical Mission” (TREM). “ I want to commend Bishop Mike Okonkwo for sustaining the competition for the past 14 years and I want other religious leaders to emulate him”, concluded the former CAF and FIFA instructor.

Meanwhile, as the championship enters day three today, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the game, Deacon Malachi Ndubuzor has assured all the participating teams that there will be a level playing ground for all of them.

He told National Mirror that the tournament which has witnessed a lot of innovation since its maiden edition 14 years ago will as usual ensure good officiat-

47

ing to enable the players’ exhibit their talent.

In some of the matches played, Mighty Stars defeated Starlet Fc 4-1 while Stallion Athletico overwhelmed Sparror Fc 4-0 just as Rehoboth beat Hephzibah 2-0.

Also Rechabite lost 4-0 to Royale Sporting while Ypen Fc and Diamond Fc ended their game 1-1.

Action continues today with El- Shaddai Fc meeting Ascenders Fc in the first match of the day while Sheffield Fc will lock horns with Star Based Fc. In the other matches to be played today, Badia All Stars will be up against Young Star Fc just as Islander United will square up against Samijason Fc in the final match of the day.

Okonkwo

residential candidate for the forthcoming Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), national elections, Honour Sirawoo, has inaugurated his campaign committee with a promise to reposition the association for greater service to the country.

The committee code-named “Restoration Campaign Organisation” is headed by Alloy Chukwuemeka Inaugurating the committee at the Toprank Hotel, Utako, Abuja yesterday, Sirawoo thanked members of the organisation for accepting to serve, describing them as part of the journey towards restoring the dignity of the association.

“Our vision, is very clear we must restore this association to its rightful position and make it revered by stakeholders, we must play our role in the development of sports in our country; I trust that with your capacity we will win, for our journey to commence.”

Sirawoo, who is presently the Vice President, South South of SWAN tasked the organization to reach out to members and friends of the association across the six geo-political zones of the country with a view to securing their support.

Responding, the Director General of the campaign organisation, Alloy Chukwuemeka praised him for the choice of members of his campaign team that cut across the six geo-political zones of the country, stressing that such consideration was a clear testimony of the unity and benefits the association will reap from his leadership.

Taekwondo coaching course ends in Lagos IfeanyI eduzor

O

ver 120 taekwondo instructors, referees and coaches attended a four-day international master’s instructors and two-day international Hammdang referees course held at the main bowl of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Participants includes former board member of the Nigerian Taekwondo Federation and immediate past chairman of the Lagos State Taekwondo Assocaition, Tayo Popoola, Chairman of the Lagos State Taekwondo Association Jimmy Ogunowo, Emmanuel Peters (First Nigerian to win an Olympic medal), Uzoma Onwucheka (President Nigerian Taekwondo Black Belt College, Seun Ajomale, Dimeji Ogunowo, Ferguson Oluigbo and Yemi Adeyemi among others.

Chairman of the Lagos State Taekwondo Association, Jimmy Ogunowo, said the programme is aimed at developing Taekwondo from the grassroots level, and that was why the Lagos State Taekwondo Association cashed in on the just concluded Hammdang Taekwondo championship held in Calabar, the Cross River State capital to invite the first United Kingdom based Taekwondo 9th Dan Black Belt holder, Grandmaster Tony Hohra, an all round martial Artist who started his Taekwondo trade in 1978 and became a world class professional instructor in 1982 to come and lecture the participants.

Speaking at the end of the programme, Tayo Popoola said the time has come for Lagos State to reclaim her number one position in Nigeria taekwondo which informs the programme of action embarked on by the state as could be seen with the just concluded Inter national Masters/International Referees course.

Ashiru

WORLD RECORD

Largest hairy family Vol. 06 No. 1372 Wednesday, May 18, 2016

N150

Victor “Larry” Gomez, Gabriel “Danny” Ramos Gomez, Luisa Lilia De Lira Aceves and Jesus Manuel Fajardo Aceves (all Mexico) are four of a family of 19 that suffer from Congenital Generalized Hypertrichosis.

“Fantastically corrupt”: Who is the thief?

I

t’s on days like this that I miss the magnetic personality of Fela Anikulapo Kuti. I can see him now, pounding the piano with tunes that will colour the “unforced error” dribbling out of the mouth of the British Prime Minister, David Cameron. I can hear the music tumbling out of the stereo and filling the breezy evening air.

“Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense”.

It’s on weeks like these that make me long for the days of my youth in the blissful countryside of Ado Ekiti. We didn’t have much, but we had hope. My father preached hard work.

He taught me that my future lies in my hands and sweat. I believe the Holy book even backs that up. It says, reap where you sow.

I wonder if Cameron sometimes

O

klahoma City Thunder centre Steven Adams has apologised for referring to the Golden State Warriors’ players as “quick little monkeys”.

The New Zealander made the comment in a post-match interview after Thunder’s victory over the Warriors in game one of the

Guest Columnist

Babafemi

Ojudu

takes the time to read that Holy book since it’s written in his own language.

If he does, I wonder what he thinks about the banks under his sphere of control which reap the bloodied loots ferried into their vaults from impoverished nations that are “fantastically corrupt”.

It is seasons like this that fills me with the bile that threatened to drown us in my days as an active journalist.

We would pound the streets trying to expose the rot in the country. As young me, our one dream was to make our country better. It was a frustrating endeavor because the closer your nose gets to the stench, the wider your eyes open and you realize that the thieves of Nigeria have a safe harbour in Britain and other developed nations. You can write all you care and expose the high and mighty. The British embassy is busy stamping their passports with visas so they can go spend the looted funds in London.

And, you wonder – who is the thief ?

Any day Cameron takes a stroll from his hallowed 10 Downing Street residence, down the pricey streets of London, he knows most of those mansions are owned by men and women who have bled their countries dry.

Some of them are Nigerians. Anyone who cares knows their names. Some of them are even in the Panama Papers that Cameron is very familiar with.

I wonder If Cameron sometImes takes the

tIme to read that holy book sInCe It’s wrItten In hIs own language You wonder what Cameron does about the thieves strolling his streets?

Does he care about the impoverished people in the lands where the funds were stolen or does he care about the property tax flowing into British coffers? Why hasn’t Britain joined other European Union states in imposing sanctions against British overseas territories and crown dependencies that continue to act as tax havens for the wealthy?

I can hear Fela again, shouting – “authority steal pass armed robbery”.

Go to the museums in London and you’ll see artifacts stolen from Nigerian cities. The museums make millions of pounds annually from tourists eager to see these amazing works of our forefathers. What does Nigeria get from these exhibits? Nothing. Would Britain do the honourable thing and return the artifacts to where they rightly belong?

Or, would it be business as usual with uppity rhetoric tumbling down from the bloodstained mountains?

Is Nigeria corrupt as a nation? Yes. Are we as a nation trying to correct

the ills of our recent past? Even a man lost in the space knows the answer is a resounding yes.

We have in President Muhammadu Buhari a leader who has had opportunities to be one of the world’s silent billionaires but resisted the temptation. We have a leader who wakes up every morning thinking of how to get the looted funds overseas back into Nigeria so we can develop our country. We have a man who goes to bed at night wondering if any child went to bed hungry because of the mismanagement of past leaders. We have a patriot traversing the globe in search of a way to move his country into the league of advanced nations.

Now you know what they mean when they say talk is cheap. It’s cheaper when you hold a glass of wine in one hand and force errors out of your ministerial mouth, all to impress her majesty.

I serve at the pleasure of a president who is not afraid to ruffle feathers. But, I was exceptionally proud of his stance on Cameron’s error. “I am not going to demand an apology from anyone, what I will demand is the return of our assets,” the president had said.

The ball is firmly in the court of Saint Cameron? What does the Prime Minister do? Does he take up President Buhari’s challenge and help return the stolen wealth back to Nigeria where they belong?

And, that makes me wonder – who really is the thief ? Is it the man or woman who steals from his country and flees overseas with his loot? Or, is it the country that stashes that money in the bank, shelters the looter and provides him safe haven?

Now, if you can answer that, you would have stumbled on something truly fantastic.

Senator Ojudu is Special Adviser (Political Matters) to President Muhammadu Buhari

Sport Extra

NBA: Adams apologises for ‘little monkeys’ remark NBA Western Conference Finals.

“It was just a poor choice of words,” said Adams, 22, who scored 16 points in Monday’s win.

“I wasn’t thinking straight. I didn’t know it was going to upset anyone.”

The Thunder had been down by as many as 14 points but came back to stun the Warriors in the first game of the best-of-seven series.

The Warriors set the NBA record for most wins in a regular season with 73 and have the league’s

most valuable player in Steph Curry, who scored 26 points against the Thunder.

Adams, who moved to the United States to attend the University of Pittsburgh in 2012, blamed differences in dialect for his comments.

Adams

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