Leadership

22.12.14

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

MONDAY

No. 2,313

NIGERIA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL NEWSPAPER

N150

Leadership Newspapers

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Azu Resigns Jan 30, To Become Executive Consultant

By Bode Gbadebo, Abuja

The first managing director and group managing director of LEADERSHIP Group, Mr.

Azubuike Ishiekwene, will step down from the post from

January 30, 2015.

He would, however, remain

with the company as executive consultant after his resignation.

CHIBOK DIARY DAY 252: BBOG Group To Visit Pakistan Embassy Today > Page 2

In a letter to the founder/ chairman, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, in September, Azu said, “It’s ➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 5

Transformation Agenda: The Changing Face Of Nigerian Roads > Pages 25-32

POST ELECTION VIOLENCE in 2015

‘Jonathan, Buhari Must Sign Bond’ 5

Boko Haram attacks gov’s town in Yobe Gombe gov escapes death in Kashere

GOING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS: Travellers waiting to board vehicles at Wazobia Park, Gwagwalada, Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO BY nan

2

chibok diary 252

Monday, December 22 , 2014

DAY

Chibok Tweets

@iamSammwaju "@abdulhabiba12: Its 9Days to Christmas, WHAT WILL CHRISTMAS BE LIKE IN CHIBOK WITHOUT THE #CHIBOKGIRLS??? #BringBackOurGirls" @Miss_ManUtd Like play like play, them never #BringBackOurGirls @Ngugievuti I have no respect for Okupe. He wanted none when he went about insisting Buhari knows about BH and that #BringBackOurGirls is political @sharonayewale We're so close to Xmas, Lord pls help us bring our lost daughters back.

Make our dreams come true #BringBackOurGirls @Ngugievuti I have no respect for Okupe. He wanted none when he went about insisting Buhari knows about BH and that #BringBackOurGirls is political @Karo_Orovboni GEJ should not even be seeking re-election, he should be hiding his head in shame somewhere. He neglected over 200 girls #BringBackOurGirls

Members of #BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) group advocating the release of the abducted Chibok girls during a protest in Abuja. PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO

BBOG To Visit Pakistan Embassy Today

By Chika Mefor, Ejike Ejike,

Abuja The #BringBackOurGirls group will today, pay a condolence visit to the Pakistani embassy in Abuja following the attack by militants from the Pakistani Taliban on an army-run school in Peshawar, where 141 people were killed and 132 of them children.

The group, which spoke through one of its spokesperson, Aisha Yesufu during its normal sit-out, yesterday stated that the visit was aimed at

commiserating with the people of Pakistan on the tragic killings and to show its support and love to them at this trying moment.

“We are going to Pakistan High Commission because of what happened, to commiserate with them and show our love. It is said that injustice to one is injustice to all. Before, when we used to hear about the bombings and killing in other countries, we didn’t know it will come to us. We keep saying it is not our portion. It will not happen to us,” she said.

She called on the citizens of the country to wake up from their slumber as the issue of insurgency has become not just a Northeast issue but that of the nation at large. “ We all abdicate from our responsibility and allow our leaders to do so too. Citizens need to come out and act. We sit down and do nothing and expect change. It has been 251 days that the Chibok girls have been missing and nothing is being done. And yet we sit down doing nothing. We wonder if they are still alive, how they

are and if they are being fed.

We have to take this issue personal. It might be us. There is no guarantee that we are safe,” she said.

Recall that Taliban gunmen stormed Peshawar army school in Pakistan killing 148 people, including 132 children.

Taliban gunmen had broken into the school before opening fire and killing 132 children, and wounding another 121 along with three staff. , in the bloodiest massacre in the country for a number of years.

@_pensioner Akahehe ka Twitter; we have moved from #BringBackOurGirls to #PeshawarAttack; did Boko release those girls btw? @iqmDqnny what happened to saving them girls that went missing in Nigeria what everyone's forgot about them already smh . #BringBackOurGirls Compiled by Ugochukwu Iroka

Members of #BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) Group advocating the release of the abducted Chibok girls during a protest in Abuja.

PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO

3

our stand Monday, December 22, 2014

Candidates Must Speak On The Economy

T

he race for electoral offices has revved up, but those in the race have yet to come clean with Nigerians on the economy and what they intend to do about it. For whichever way the tide goes, the gladiators cannot look the other way on the economy: the issue of fuel subsidy, the devaluation of the national currency, the fall in the price of crude oil at the international market and inevitable fall in revenue, the state of insecurity comprising the insurgency in the north east and incessant cases of kidnapping in the south.

All these are all issues for the candidates, and whoever eventually wins, especially at the level of the presidency, must contend with.

These issues must take the front burner of any political discourse and they must be the underlining factors determining whatever promises, or goals set by the contenders.

In particular, the continual drop in the price of crude oil, especially the Brent that seems to be on a free fall, should be a major source of concern as dwindling revenue means less funds available for undertaking development projects and programmes and schemes in the social sector of the economy, nor would there be money for in-

vesting in the general wellbeing of the people, given that we are a mono-product economy.

As the year draws to a close, the state of the nation is far from pleasant and the reasons are obvious to every discerning mind.

There is massive decay of infrastructure in key sectors like power, petroleum, education, health, and transport among others. However, the most worrisome of all is that, in the petroleum sector, we cannot even take enough care of the sector to ensure good resource governance based on global best practices or, at least, emulate practices obtainable in places like the UAE, Norway and Brazil among others.

These countries have somehow built up their Sovereign Wealth

Editor Sadiq Abdullateef Deputy Editor Kazeem Akintunde Editorial Board Safiya M. Adamu, Chairman Christian Ochiama, Deputy Chairman Standards ’Lara Olugbemi, Assistant Director

Fund to secure the economic future of their nations. They did so by ensuring very low corruption levels in their oil and gas sectors.

The UAE, which exported its first cargo of crude in 1962, has a sovereign wealth fund to the tune of $ 817billion. It is the seventh largest oil producing nation but it has so diversified its economy that oil now contributes only about 30 per cent of its GDP. Brazil, a developing nation like Nigeria, cut its oil imports from 70 per cent to practically nothing. Brazil moved from the status of a debt-ridden nation to become the world’s sixth largest economy and an international net creditor. Its sovereign wealth fund of $5.6billion is actually built from non-commodity sources which it established in 2008 to cushion the economy from future shocks.

In our opinion, Nigeria, with a dwindling sovereign wealth fund hovering at less than $1.5billon, the governance of the oil resource and the management of the revenue from this sector must be brought to the front burner to enable Nigerians chart a decent course for their collective future.

In this wise, the secrecy shrouding the sector must be undone for the people to appreciate what is going on with this all-important resource.

Founder Sam Nda-Isaiah

Group Managing Director Azubuike Ishiekwene Group Executive Directors Michael Okpere Dr Kazeem Durodoye Divisional Directors Iyobosa Uwugiaren Salisu Alhassan Bichi General Managers Aminu Abubakar Sule Abdulmumin Balogun Zipporah D. Tanko

Leadership Holdings

Managing Director Abraham Nda-Isaiah Executive Director Nnamdi Samuel New York Office Mohammed Bello Shehu London Office Dr Bello Salihu Johannesburg Office Abiodun Oguntuase

LEADERSHIP is a national paper symbolically embedded in the nation’s capital.

We shall stand up for good governance. We shall defend the interest of Nigerian people even against their rulers, and we shall raise our pen at all times in defence of what is right. These are the values by which we intend to be assessed.

We shall never, ever for any reason forget the noble reason of our coming into being: For God and country!

4 news extra

Monday, December 22, 2014

Group News Editor: Tony Amokeodo 2015: SERAP Drags PDP, APC To Court Over Spending On Elections

A civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has asked a Federal High Court in Lagos to compel the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to make public their sources of spending on their respective electoral campaigns.

In the suit filed under the Freedom of Information Act 2011, SERAP also wants the court to declare whether by virtue of the provision of section 4(a) of the Act, the Defendants are under an obligation to provide the Plaintiff with the information requested for.

According to SERAP, it filed the suit following the refusal of the PDP national chairman, Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu and APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun to reply Freedom of Information requests dated 18th November, 2014.

The originating summons against the PDP and APC were brought pursuant to section 4(a) of the Freedom of Information Act, and signed by SERAP senior staff attorney, Olukayode Majekodunmi.

The plaintiff is arguing that under the FOI Act, “Nigerians have the right to know about spending by their political parties especially the major parties with a strong possibility to assume government in the future. Citizens should be able to examine financial transactions of parties and be certain that politicians are working for their voters, not their benefactors.”

The plaintiff also argued that both the APC and PDP “cannot take the position that the FOI Act does not apply to them because to do so will seriously undermine citizens’ trust in their political parties and lack of trust will inevitably destroy confidence in the system and decrease citizens’ interest and participation in democratic processes.”

The plaintiff also said, “Without free and fair elections, there can be no democracy. However, elections are only one part of the democratic process, and a fair and effective electoral system must be founded in an adequate democratic infrastructure and is the responsibility of political leaders.”

Earlier in its FOI requests, the plaintiff had expressed “serious concerns about the risks of corruption during electoral campaigns for the February 2015 general elections, especially the role of money in politics and the persistent failure generally to comply with national and international law on political party finance.”

By Olugbenga Soyele, Lagos

Pupils of Great Light Scholars Academy, Masaka, Nasarawa State, celebrating Christmas carol yesterday. PHOTO BY REMI AKUNLEYAN

You Can’t Arrest APC Lawmakers, Omirin Tells Fayose

By Alo abiola, Ado-Ekiti with Agency report

The speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin, has reacted to the alleged directive by Governor Ayodele Fayose urging the Ministry of Justice to write a memo authorising the commissioner of police, Taiwo Lakanu, to arrest the 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers.

The APC lawmakers sat in a plenary last Friday in Ado-Ekiti.

Omirin in a statement by his special adviser on media, Wole Olujobi, said that the APC lawmakers acted within the law to

conduct their sitting in a public building in the state capital.

“The governor or the police cannot arrest us for performing our constitutional duty.

Section 101 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria makes it explicit that the House can regulate its activities, including conducting its sittings in public buildings in the state capital.

“The Supreme Court had also ruled that the House can conduct its sittings in public places in the state capital if conditions exist that endanger members in the conduct of their sittings.

“Governor Fayose has kept armed thugs permanently in the House of Assembly to at-

tack us. We can’t put ourselves in harm’s way, yet we have a responsibility to our constituents to make laws for good governance. This is why we followed the law to sit to consider issues on the ongoing constitutional amendment.”

EKSU Stops APC Legislators From Using Facilities Meanwhile, the management of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, has opposed the bid by the 19 APC lawmakers of the Ekiti State House of Assembly to conduct their plenary in the institution, saying no political meetings would be allowed on the premises.

The opposition lawmakers

had at their plenary presided over by the embattled speaker, Dr Adewale Omirin, at a secret location in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, resolved to hold their sittings and conduct normal legislative business at the Faculty of Science of the university.

This followed a motion by the majority leader, Churchill Adedipe, to reconvene the Assembly at a public place within the state capital, outside the House of Assembly chambers for security reasons.

But in a statement issued by the registrar of EKSU, Mr Emmanuel Ogunyemi, the management of the university said no political meetings would be allowed on the premises.

PDP Will Lose Rivers Because Of Wike – Princewill

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

The governorship candidate of Labour Party in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will lose Rivers State because of the disorganised state of the party caused by its governorship candidate and former minister of state for education, Nyesom Wike.

Princewill also described the choice of Yemi Osinbajo as the running mate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, as a smart move.

He added that President Good-

luck Jonathan would have won easily if the Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi was picked as Buhari’s running mate because he would have put a dent to the anti-corruption posture of the APC presidential candidate.

Princewill, who defected from the PDP and emerged governorship candidate of Labour Party, condemned the humiliating treatment meted out to other PDP aspirants under the influence of Wike.

He said, “Looking at PDP, I decided not to support Nyesom Wike simply because by my opinion, he cannot win. It is just pointless to me that if Wike los-

es and APC wins, we are sitting there and watching it happen.

“If you want to win an election, what Wike is doing is not how to win an election. You don’t alienate 20 plus governorship aspirants in a manner that will do nothing but offend them. If you truly want to win an election with PDP, that is not how to do it.

“Maybe the plan is to drive people from PDP so that the APC will win because I tell you, the only way APC will win is if PDP is disorganised and Wike has done absolutely everything in the book to ensure that PDP is disorganised.

“There is absolutely no reason

why he cannot call everybody to a roundtable and do this thing differently. So if you just look at it with the naked eye, you ask why is he going to this extent to take the ticket? And if you ask yourself that question, maybe the answer you will come up with is that he is not planning to win the election.

So, I don’t know, I can only speculate. But I will not sit back and allow the agenda, which I believe is alive and well to play out; so we will give Rivers people the option. So, if you don’t like PDP and what it is presenting, you don’t have to gravitate to APC; you can have an option.”

NEWS 5

Monday, December 22, 2014

‘Jonathan, Buhari Must Sign Bond’

By George Agba, Chika Otuchikere, Ugochukwu Iroka, Abuja; Hussaini Jirgi, Damaturu; Kareem Haruna, Maiduguri; Achor Abimaje, Jos; Mohammed Ismail, Yola

Former Nigeria’s external affairs minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has written to President Goodluck Jonathan and General Mohammed Buhari (rtd), requesting the two presidential candidates in the forthcoming general elections to meet and sign a memorandum of undertaking that they would control their respective supporters after the elections.

In a letter addressed to the two presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) respectively, Akinyemi recounted how former national security adviser (NSA), the late General Andrew Azazi, had met him on the eve of the 2011 polls to seek his counsel on the state of the nation, but ignored it after all.

He said, “The certainty of violence after the 2015 elections is higher than it was in 2011. If President Jonathan wins, the North would erupt into violence as it did in 2011. If General Buhari wins, the Niger Delta will erupt into violence. I don’t believe that we need rocket science to make this prediction.

“There are states and movements out there, African and non-African, which do not mean well for the Nigerian state, which wish Nigeria to dissolve into a theatre of bloodshed, gore and instability. They will succeed if we continue the politics of making enemies of ourselves and friends of our enemies”.

He recalled that he had warned the late Azazi, who had come to his office in Lagos, of the impending massive scale postelection violence which claimed many lives and property after the said elections.

He added that the conflict-control measures he suggested to Azazi were missing in the wake of the violence because the federal government did not act on his warning.

Akinyemi said, “Shortly after his appointment as NSA, General Andrew Azazi, at his own request, met with me in my office in Lagos to discuss the state of the nation. It was on the eve of the 2011 elections.

“I told the General that I was not worried about the conduct of the elections or about the outcome which I expected President Jonathan to win. What really worried me, I told the General, was the management of the violence that would ensue after the elections.

“I was sure that there would be violence on a massive scale and I made some suggestions to him about how I thought the violence could be contained. My suggestions were not acted upon. The elections occurred, President Jonathan won and all hell broke loose. Missing were the conflict-control measures which I had discussed with General Azazi.”

He warned that the country was back to the same crossroads as in 2011, adding that with “this very notorious prediction

from United States semi-official sources that the world is expecting a cataclysmic meltdown of the Nigerian nation come 2015”, the impending 2015 post-election violence would be more precarious and dangerous than the last time.

Akinyemi noted that even though most Nigerians had expressed resentment at the prediction, there were still some Nigerians who are indifferent to it.

He stated: “The violence of 2015 is going to be horrendous and worse than the one of 2011 for the simple reason that the illegal massive importation of weapons into the country has reached such alarming proportions that I really wonder which is better armed, the militias on one hand or the official armed forces on the other hand.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I am not imputing the illegal importation of arms to any particular zone. Some years ago, some Iranians were arrested for bringing in a shipload of weapons into Lagos harbour. They were tried and jailed and then smuggled out of the country.

“Some months ago, sophisticated weapons were discovered buried in the basement of a Kano house. All these have now fallen below the radar. These are the ones we know about. How many do we not know about?”

Requesting Jonathan and Buhari to meet and sign an undertaking, Akinyemi said, “The first step forward is for the two presidential candidates to meet and sign a memorandum of undertaking that will commit both to a civil and peaceful campaign, devoid of threats; a commitment to preach peaceful elections to their supporters; a commitment to control their supporters after the elections.

Supporters of whoever loses should be entitled to peaceful protests but not to violent protests.”

The former external affairs minister appealed to former Nigerian leaders, religious heads and royal fathers in the country, who he described as Council of Wisemen, to wade into the matter and save the country from chaos.

Akinyemi said these eminent Nigerians are to assist in managing the post-election conflicts by facilitating the pre-election MOU between Jinathan and Buhari.

He listed two former heads of state, General Yakubu Gowon and General Abubakar Abdulsalaam; the Sultan, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II; Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha; Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; Oba of Benin, Omo N’oba Erediauwa; Chief Emeka Anyaoku; CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and Pastor Enoch Adeboye.

Boko Haram attacks gov’s hometown in Yobe Suspected Boko Haram militants yesterday attacked Gaidam local government area of Yobe State.

Details of the attack were sketchy by press time but gunshots persisted in the town, a resident said.

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Azu Resigns Jan 30, To Become Executive Consultant FROM FRONT PAGE

been a great honour and privilege for me to serve in the last four years.

“We’ve been through truly exciting and challenging times, innovating and responding with speed to the disruptions in our operating environment.

“I am honoured to serve under your leadership and to have done so with a committed and dedicated team. I thank everyone.

“When we say LEADERSHIP is the country’s most influential newspaper today, it’s not a slogan. It’s the reality in the most important centres of power in the country today where the day never starts or ends without influencers finding out what LEADERSHIP is saying.

“We have earned a reputation as the platform that speaks truth to power, while looking out for the weak and vulnerable. It’s a humbling legacy.

“I’ll also like to mention, sir, that in a world where convergence is the currency, LEADERSHIP’s digital assets have grown from number 36 in international ranking tables to number five today, retaining the undisputed Gaidam is 185 kilometres from Damaturu, the headquarters of Yobe State, and hometown of Yobe State governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam.

A resident who escaped the attack told our correspondent on phone that the attackers stormed the town around 6:12 pm and unleashed terror the residents “We got prior information since last week that Boko Haram would attack our town but no measure was taken by the security forces in the area. That’s how I escaped into the bush with my two wives and four my sons, but as we speak, there are gunshots going on,” he said Another resident who escaped from Gaidam, MustaphaKyari, said that many people, including women and children, had fled to the nearby bushes and others to Mino village of Niger Republic, Gashua local government area and Garin Gafa, 45 kilometres away from Gaidam local government.

number one position in the north for the last two and a half years.

“I’m grateful for the new position of executive consultant that I have been offered and believe that the company’s brightest years are still in front of it.”

In his response, Nda-Isaiah thanked Azu on behalf of the Board, saying he had shown true professionalism and commitment to his work.

“You’ve done well in the last years and should get a second term,” he said. “But since you don’t want to do that, I think we’ll have to put you on pension! I wish you well.”

Azu first joined LEADERSHIP as a consultant in October 2010 after he resigned from PUNCH as executive director, publications.

He formally joined LEADERSHIP as its first managing director in January 2011.

He is a board member of the Parisbased Global Editor’s Network and a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.

A former chair of the CNN Multichoice judging panel, he is also an editorial board member of the World Policy Journal.

When contacted, the state commissioner of police, Mr. Marcus Danladi, confirmed the attack, but said he was yet to get full details.

“As I as am talking to you now, I cannot tell you the number of casualties and the palaces torched by Boko Haram. What I can tell you is that we have sent our men to join up with the military,” Danladi said.

Gombe gov escapes death in Kashere The Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwanbo narrowly escaped death during an attempted assassination last week, when he visited Kashere town.

According to the publicity secretary of the Gombe Youth Development Forum, Hashiru who spoke to LEADERSHIP on telephone, the governor and his convoy came under attack when he visited the palace of the Kashere traditional ruler ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

6 news extra IYC Faults Death Threat Against Govs, Supporters Of Jonathan The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide yesterday condemned the reported death threats by some radical elements from the Northern part of the country against state governors loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 re-election bid, saying such threat is an affront to democracy and invitation to anarchy.

The IYC, in a statement issued yesterday in Yenagoa and signed by its spokesman, Comrade Eric Omare, said all Nigerians irrespective of his or her place of origin has a right to contest for the presidency of Nigeria and also have the right to support any candidate of their choice without molestation.

According to the IYC “Some radical elements in the northern part of the country are sending open threat messages to pro- Jonathan governors and other supporters. of President Jonathan’s re-election bid in the North threatening to ruthlessly deal with them if they continue with their support for President Jonathan against General Buhari in the 2015 Presidential elections.”

“The IYC condemn in the strongest terms the threats and the desperation of supporters of General Buhari in the North to take over the leadership of Nigeria at all cost in 2015. We state that such open threats especially coming from a ranking member of the National Assembly is highly undemocratic and an invitation to anarchy.”

“All Nigerians irrespective of his or her place of origin has a right to contest for the Presidency of Nigeria and Nigerians have a right to support any candidate of their choice without molestation.”

The IYC recalled that hundreds of Nigerians especially NYSC members were killed and properties worth millions of naira destroyed in the aftermath of the 2011 elections as a result of similar undemocratic disposition of some elements in the north.

Calling on the radical elements to stop forthwith their anti-democratic conducts, the IYC said: “We, of southern Nigeria have not at any time threatened or attacked supporters of General Buhari; hence any threat or attack on supporters of President Jonathan in the north would be visited with proportionate action from us in the south.

“Governors Amaechi, Okorocha and Oshiomole; Timipre Sylva, John Oyegun, Bola Tinubu and other supporters of General Buhari in southern Nigeria are going about their campaigns for General Buhari without any molestation from southerners.”

“Enough is enough for those who promised and are making northern Nigeria ungovernable for President Jonathan. If they want their own country, let them say so as we can no longer accept the ‘Extreme North Must Rule’ mentality of some persons in the extreme northern part of Nigeria.”

By Osa Okhomina, Yenagoa

Monday, December 22, 2014

L-R: Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi; deputy governor, Tele Ikuru; Rivers APC governorship candidate, Mr Dakuku Peterside and his wife, Elima, during praise to God and dedication of the mandate of the APC governorship candidate in Port Harcourt, yesterday. PHOTO BY NAN

2015: Tension Grips Delta PDP Over Okowa’s Running Mate Itsekiri asks Sen Manager to surrender senatorial ticket to Gov Uduaghan

By Sola Adebayo, Warri

Tension has gripped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State over the selection of the running mate to the gubernatorial flagbearer of the party in the 2015 election, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa.

Three ethnic nationalities in Delta South senatorial district of the state- Itsekiri, Ijaw and Isoko are at daggers’ drawn over the nomination of the deputy governorship candidate of the party. Okowa emerged in the primary election held on December 8.

Each of the ethnic nationalities is mounting pressure on Okowa to pick his running mate from the group.

LEADERSHIP learnt that the disagreement by the three ethnic nationalities had prevented Okowa from naming his running mate, two weeks after his emergence.

The seeming crisis was be-

ing fuelled by speculations that Okowa has conceded the slot of his running mate to the Ijaw ethnic nationality. It was learnt that following Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s withdrawal of support for him, Okowa ran to the leaders of the Ijaw ethnic group for backing in pursuance of his aspiration.

Consequently, it was gathered that the Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, Senator James Manager and an ex-militant commander, Chief Government Ekpemukpolo, alias Tompolo, threw their weight behind Okowa on the condition that the Ijaw would be allowed to produce his running mate.

It was gathered that Okowa conceded the position, a development which led to intensive struggle by Clark, Manager and Ekpemukpolo to force their nominees on him.

Clark was pushing for commissioner in the state, Chief Braduce Angozi while Manager was rooting for a top chieftain of PDP in the state, Chief J.T. Government.

Ekpemukpolo was canvassing for his relation and a commissioner

representing the Ijaw ethnic nationality in the state’s oil agency, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Mr. Kingsley Otuaro.

LEADERSHIP further learnt that members of PDP within the Isoko and Itsekiri groups are opposed to the nomination of a Deltan of Ijaw extraction as Okowa’s running mate.

The two groups were of the position that the Ijaw could not produce the deputy governorship slot, having produced the senatorial candidate of the party in Delta south zone in the person of Senator James Manager.

They insisted that the Ijaw cannot produce the deputy governorship and senatorial candidates of the zone.

To this end, the Ijaw and Isoko groups have warned Okowa not to appoint his running mate from the Ijaw nation.

Specifically, the Itsekiri under the aegis of Iwere Political Forum (IPF) had asked Manager to drop his senatorial ambition and pick the offer of deputy governorship since Okowa had conceded the slot to his group.

The IPF in an open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan said, “We humbly demand that since Dr. Okowa has conceded the slot of his deputy to the Ijaw, Senator James Manager should drop his senatorial ambition to serve as deputy to Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa in the 2015 election.

“To this end, the senatorial ticket for Delta south senatorial district should be given to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to take the turn of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality, which has not been represented in the Senate since the advent of the current democratic dispensation in 1999.”

“This will be in tandem with the understanding and power sharing agreement in the zone.

We make bold to say that the Ijaw cannot take the two positions,” the group added in a statement signed by Chief Thomas Ereyitomi and others.

Also, the Isoko Development Union (IDU), has demanded the slot of deputy governor from Okowa. The IDU, under the leadership of Gen. Paul Omu (rtd.) said “The Isoko have not been fairly treated.

Reinstate Maina To Stop Pension Looting, CSOs Tell Jonathan

By Christiana Nwaogu, Abuja

International and local Civil Society Groups (CSO), have advised President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately reinstate the Dr. Abdulrasheed Maina Pension Reform Task Force Team (PRTFT), or risk losing pensioners’ vote, in the forthcoming

2015 presidential election.

A letter, with reference number: LW/P/01/2014, written in partnership with the executive secretary Legislative Watch, and former House of Representative member, Hon Ihuoma Ngozika said since the era of massive looting in the sector has resurfaced, it is only the PRTFT

that can salvage the pension sector from what it described as “fresh and alarming increase in the looting of funds originally earmarked for pension payment.

The Civil Society groups, in the open letter to Mr President made available to the press on Sunday in Abuja decried the delay of President

Jonathan in responding to pensioners’ request earlier made for the reinstatement of Maina led Pension Team to continue with it mandate.

The group, believed that in his ardent commitment to good governance, President Jonathan would have immediately heeded to the pensioners’ request.

News north-central 7

Monday, December 22, 2014

Niger East By-election: Tribunal Adjourns To Rule On Umaru’s Petition

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

The National Assembly Election Tribunal sitting in Minna has adjourned for ruling on the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Barrister David Umaru challenging the declaration of Dr Nuhu Zabgai of the PDP as the winner of the Niger East Senatorial by-election after adoption of addresses by all parties in the case.

David Umaru and his party went to the tribunal challenging the declaration of the PDP candidate as the winner of the by-election conducted in August and September this year.

Announcing the adjournment, chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ibrahim Bako, assured at the weekend, after the adoption of written addresses by the parties in the case, that judgement will be ready soon.

He said that the date for ruling will be communicated to the par-

short news Yuletide: Mark Urges Renewed Prayer For Nigeria President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, has urged Nigerians not to despair over the challenges facing the nation but “to renew faith in God because through prayers and cooperation with each other, we can surmount our problems .”

In a statement issued by his chief press secretary, Paul Mumeh, he said the situation at the moment does not call for blame games but unity of purpose and support to authorities to overcome the challenges.

By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah

ties when the judgement is ready.

Counsel to INEC, John Ameh (SAN), speaking on behalf of the parties, thanked the tribunal for its cooperation during the proceedings, adding that the parties are confident that justice will be done in the matter.

Counsel to the petitioners, Chris Osuagwu, said in an interview, that his clients are confident that the tribunal will grant their prayers which include the declaration of the first petitioner, David Umaru as winner with majority of lawful votes.

“The thrust of our petition is that the first petitioner got the highest number of lawful votes cast at the by-election and that he should be declared winner and that the tribunal should declare null and void the declaration of Dr Nuhu Zagbai as winner of the byelection because he did not get the highest number of lawful votes,” he said.

APC Will Win Kogi In 2015 - Chieftain An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Kogi State, Alhaji Yerima Abass Maikarfi, has said that based on the widespread clamour for change in the state, the APC will take over the state in the next general election.

Maikarfi said Kogi State will return to the progressive fold in 2015 because since 1999, PDP administrations have brought untold hardship to the people of the state.

He said in a chat with newsmen that the party under Abubakar Audu will deliver the state to APC in both presidential and legislative elections next year.

“Things would begin to change for us in Kogi State from the next election. I can assure you that with Prince Audu, APC will win all the elections in Kogi State. The people are tired of PDP rule; they want change; they have seen the difference and are ready to embrace change”.

“Audu as a great grassroots mobiliser and actualiser has gone round Kogi State to preach change and the people have accepted APC; they have promised to dislodge the PDP with their votes,” Maikarfi said.

By Edegbe Odemwingie, Abuja

short news Gusau Asks Air Force To Domesticate Technology The minister of defence, Lt.-Gen Aliyu Gusau (rtd) has called on the Nigerian Air Force to domicile its technology for effective performance.

Gusau, speaking through the permanent secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Ismaila Aliyu, made this call at the End of Year Get Together and Award Night of the Nigerian Air Force held on Saturday in Abuja.

He said: “Concerning our quest to enhance operational capability in the 21st Century, no military can afford to stand by and depend on borrowed technology.”

Wife of the vice president, Hajiya Amina Sambo (right), presenting key of the ambulance bus to the Kaduna State Amirat of the Federation of Women Muslims Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Hajiya Saudatu Maiwada in Abuja at the weekend.

Forget Your Grievances, Al-Makura Urges Defeated Aspirants

By Donatus Nadi, Lafia

Nasarawa State governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has urged aspirants who conceded defeat in the just-concluded primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to forget their grievances and close ranks in the overall interest of the state.

Al-Makura, who made the appeal during a conciliatory meeting with aspirants who lost the primaries in the Southern Senatorial Zone in Lafia yesterday, called on them to focus on the

bigger picture of moving the state forward.

He stated that neither himself nor the party had any anointed candidate prior to the primaries and called on them to throw their weight behind those who emerged victorious during the exercise.

As regards the pockets of grievances that followed the party primaries in the state, AlMakura noted that the heightened level of interest in the party stems from its acceptability, which was what encouraged

politicians to vie for elective offices under the umbrella of the party.

Party sources who spoke at the end of the meeting said it was a huge success as the aspirants expressed unreserved commitment to work for the success of the party.

The second and third phases of the conciliatory meetings are expected to continue today and tomorrow in Akwanga and Keffi for Nasarawa North and West senatorial zones respectively.

Niger Expends N270m On Start-up Packs For 100 Unemployed Youths

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

The Niger State governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu has stated that his government has expended N270million on startup packs for 100 unemployed youths trained in Makurdi through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC).

Aliyu, who was represented

by the head of service, Hamidu Khadi Kuta, made this known over the weekend, at the flag-off ceremony of North Central Zonal Outreach of EDC in Minna.

He stated that since 2008 when CBN launched the scheme, the state government collaborated with it to train 1,500 youths in various crafts and trades.

He said that government has

again entered into partnership with the CBN to enrol 850 unemployed youths in the state for skill acquisition training through the EDC. The president of the implementing agency of the scheme, African Community Bridge Foundation, Mrs Oge Nwosu, said so far, 12,000 youths from across African countries had benefitted from the scheme.

FG Advised To Stop Tax Rebate For Oil Companies

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

The chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Dr Bukola Saraki has advised the federal government to stop tax rebate being enjoyed by oil multinationals.

He also asked the government to review waivers earlier granted some individuals and firms operating in the country.

These measures, he said, are

By Bayo Oladeji, necessary to boost the nation’s Abuja economy, given the drop in oil

revenue and what he described as poor budget performance for 2014.

Saraki, who was asked to review the 2014 budget ahead of considerations of the 2015 appropriation bill submitted to the Senate last week, also recommended the immediate stoppage of the swop system whereby Nigeria pays foreign oil refiners with crude oil, saying the country should go for direct importation instead.

He lamented the absence of the political will to take pragmat-

ic decisions on the national economy when the going was good and tasked the federal government to give Nigerians details of how it plans to cope with dwindling oil revenue in the 2015 fiscal year.

He expressed concern that if when the price of oil was over N110 per barrel, the nation could only manage about 20 per cent budget implementation, it would be quite tasking to achieve much given the current scenario surrounding oil price at the international market.

8 NEWS

Monday, December 22, 2014

‘Jonathan, Buhari Must Sign Bond’ attacked his constituency, said many people were not as lucky as he was as they were brutally killed, with many female children abducted by the insurgents.

He disclosed to newsmen that thousands of IDPs from Chibok, Gwoza and Damboa federal constituency, who had earlier escaped to the Cameroon Republic through the mountains, had now been brought to the various camps in Adamawa State, where they are now taking refuge.

The lawmaker lauded the Adamawa State government and the people of the state for accommodating and supporting the teeming IDPs from his constituency.

FROM PAGE 5

during which suspected thugs in the town started throwing dangerous objects at the governor’s vehicle.

“What happened on Thursday was simply a case of assassination attempt on his Excellency, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo. The governor decided to visit the palace of the emir to pay homage, but our convoy was attacked by Kalare thugs near the roundabout right in front of the Police station.

“The vehicle I was travelling in was the one that was first attacked because we were in front of the governor’s car, but they did not spare the governor’s vehicle and threw all sorts of objects at it. They destroyed the side glass where he was seated,” Hashiru said.

The Gombe Youth Forum accused a former governor of sending political thugs, known as “Kalare Boys” to assassinate Dankwambo when he visited Kashere town to visit the federal university there.

The group said it was reacting to a statement by the All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesman, Alh Lai Mohammed, who accused Dankwambo of clamping down on APC members in the state and ordering the destruction of properties of the former governor and also arresting members of his family.

New Video shows Boko Haram shooting civilians at school dormitory A gory video released on the internet by Boko Haram insurgents yesterday revealed how the insurgents gathered hundreds of trapped residents of Bama in a school dormitory and shot them point blank, with one of the sect’s leaders describing the victims as infidels who they could no longer fend for under their new rule.

The video, which lasted for nine-minutes and 42 seconds, showed a large hall with bunker beds containing hundreds of civilians, mostly men, lying down in rows as the insurgents, armed with AK47 rifles, pointed the guns at them and shot down one by one.

This came less than 48 hours after it was reported that the terrorists were assembling aged persons in Gwoza town and shooting them point blank. Bama is the next town to Gwoza when coming to Maiduguri town.

The whole hall was silent except for the sound of rifles that came intermittently, followed by the occasional shout of Allahu Akbar (God is Great) from outside the windows of the long dimly lit hall.

From time to time, a voice or two would draw the attention of the shooters that some of the shot persons were not dead yet, and a shooter would walk over to the identified body and fire his rifle again.

The shooting, which had started before the video recording, showed victims lying about, some still wriggling in their final throes of death. An impatient shooter would dispatch a bullet into a wriggling body if he felt it did not die quickly enough, and then move on.

At a point, a wounded victim in grey clothes who was hiding under the corpses of his fellow dead colleagues, was fished out, and two of the shooters fired at him before he finally slumped on top of other corpses.

Dankwambo

The floor of the dormitory hall was so filled with corpses that the attackers could hardly move freely.

Seven minutes into the video, one short and scraggy looking leader of the terrorists stepped forward to speak.

Even though most of the background voices were Kanuri, the terrorist who did not give his name spoke in Hausa.

“We are indeed very happy that God, the most praised and most exalted, has brought us to the town of Bama. In the past, our brethren in this movement (Boko Haram) had mistakenly assembled and locked up people in the prison, which is wrong because we have it on Islamic authoritative traditions that when prisoners of war are arrested, it is either they are kept or killed.

“Even though the prophet had advised during his time that the prisoners can only be kept and not killed, we felt this is not the right time for us to keep prisoners; that is why we will continue to see that the grounds are crimsoned with the flowing blood of prisoners. And, as you can see here in this video, we have made sure the floor of this hall is turned red with blood, and this is how it is going to be in all future attacks and arrests of infidels.

“From now, killing, slaughtering, destructions and bombing will be our religious duty anywhere we invade. As you can see, and as Islam has prescribed, we don’t live together in the same place with infidels. The covenant we had with God is for the infidels to be six feet down in the earth and we walk the earth or vice versa.

“Another message to our brethren and people all over the world is, don’t be deceived that we are killing innocent people recklessly; be assured that all those we killed are not innocent people - they are infidels. God that created mankind has said in the holy Qu’ran that He created man and among them are believers and among them are infidels. He did not give a third category. So it is either you are a Muslim believer or an infidel. Even the

people of Bama whom we have killed now may call themselves Muslims, but we see them under the category of infidels; that is why we killed them.

“And to our great leader, Abubakar Shekau (sic), we plead with you to be patient with us as you lead us in this holy mission. We will always be loyal to you, and would never go against your instructions.

We remain like a bullet in the rifle to you; anywhere you fire us, that is where we will go.”

10,000 displaced persons from Chibok, Damboa, Gwoza now in Adamawa – Community Leaders About 10,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Chibok, Damboa and Gwoza towns of Borno State are currently taking refuge in various IDP camps in Adamawa state leaders of the areas confirmed.

The displaced persons, who are mainly women and children, have been in the state since their towns were overrun by Boko Haram insurgents early this year.

While highlighting the travails of the displaced persons, two prominent elders from the areas, David B. Kitakwa, and the Peoples Democratic Party chairman of Gwoza local government area of Borno State, Abdulmunini Isah, noted that since their displacement, things have been difficult for them and called on the federal government to help save the situation.

“We left our areas without clothes; some of us have lost their children and relatives and all what we laboured for in life. We have never experienced such travails in our communities, as we are known for peaceful and cordial existence,” they said.

They thanked the lawmaker representing their federal constituency, Hon Peter Biye Gumtha, who was at the Damare IDPs Camp to donate some relief items to them, adding that he has been identifying with them since they were displaced.

The lawmaker, who narrated how he narrowly escaped the insurgents that

Inside Jos IDPs Camp: 47 test positive for hepatitis The programme coordinator of Stehanos Foundation, a Jos-based nongovernmental organization, Mark Lipdo, has said that 47 internal displaced persons have tested positive to hepatitis and are in need of urgent treatment.

Stephanos Foundation’s IDPs camp was opened to displaced families from North East on November 1, 2014, at the Zang Secondary Commercial School, Bukuru, in Jos South local council of Plateau State.

Lipdo, who spoke with LEADERSHIP at the camp in Jos at the weekend, disclosed that the camp’s clinic has been deployed for emergency medical services while critical cases are referred to appropriate hospitals.

Lipdo noted that over 70 individual donations had so far been received while nine churches and nine other organisations had also donated to the IDPs camp.

2015: We won’t allow troublesome politicians to truncate democracy –DSS The Department of State Services (DSS) has declared that the Service would not give room for divisive politicians and terrorists to truncate the coming 2015 general elections.

DSS director-general, Mr Ekpeyong Ita, made this known weekend during the graduation ceremony of Executive Intelligence Management Course 7 of the Institute for Security Studies, where he said that the Service was creating the right and conducive environment for the conduct of the 2015 general elections.

According to the DG, the DSS has trained its personnel and other senior executives of other government agencies and equipped them with requisite knowledge, exposure and expertise to ensure a safe and stable environment in which the political processes can find a full expression.

“I want to commend our graduates for their commitment and dedication to this programme. Your graduation is coming at a time when politicking ahead of 2015 general elections has reached its crescendo,” he said.

Ita said that the DSS, in response to prevailing threats to national security, had engaged in comprehensive measures to combat the security challenges, noting that “no machination by uninformed terror elements, or unscrupulous politicians with divisive tendencies and other criminals elements, shall succeed against the collective will of the people to remain united.”

news north-East, north-west 9 We’ll Sanction Policy Defaulters – NPC Director

Monday, December 22, 2014

Protecting Nigeria’s Territorial Integrity Not Negotiable – Air Chief

By Isaiah Benjamin, Kaduna

As 138 Direct Short Service Course cadets were at the weekend commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, has said that protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria is not negotiable.

He, however, admitted that as “the current security threat con-

fronting our dear country has assumed a worrisome dimension, the government is putting measures in place to restore normalcy in the various troubled zones.

“The restoration of law and order in the troubled zones remain a task that must be done as the territorial integrity of our dear nation is not negotiable.”

He also said that the Air Force needs a larger force to compli-

ment the ground forces, that is, the Army and Nigerian Navy in the defence of Nigeria’s land.

The Air Chief, therefore, charged the newly commissioned officers to key into the current effort to flush out terrorists from Nigeria, saying that as members of the armed forces, they had a crucial role to play in defending the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

He said, “Let me inform you that the security of life and property remains one of the highest priorities of the federal government. Therefore, government has mandated the armed forces to do everything necessary to create a peaceful atmosphere for our citizens to feel safe and to have the freedom to go about their normal businesses wherever they are in the country.”

National Planning Commission (NPC) said it would review the new policy on food and nutrition, and henceforth impose sanction on any stakeholders or agencies that failed to play its part.

NPC director of Economic Growth, Chris Ezielo, who disclosed this in an interview, said the last nutrition policy was poorly implemented because it failed to spell out specific duties and responsibilities of the various agencies and committees.

He said, “ The way forward, like I said, is to review the Nutrition Policy that is coming. Hopefully, it will be presented before the National Executive Council and Federal Executive Council in January to have the buy-in of our political masters. Once you have the buy-in, you have to design a national policy and action plan for the implementation.”

The director said NPC had spelt out duties, the cost implications and responsibilities of all the stakehokders involved in nutrition in the memo being sent to the above mentioned two bodies.

By Midat Joseph, Kaduna

2015: Arewa Raises The Alarm Over Plot To Short-change North L-R: Kaduna State PDP chairman, Hon A.G Haruna; Ezigbo Kaduna Igwe, Engr Syvanus Aneke; Obioha II of Amuri, Igwe Charles Egbo Nwoye; Kaduna State governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero and chairman, Top Galaxy Hotel, Chief Amaechi Onwe, at the commissioning of the hotel in Kaduna, yesterday.

short news Village Head Defends Bauchi APC Guber Candidate

By Kareem Haruna, Maiduguri

By Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto

About 3,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Isa local government of Sokoto State yesterday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Umar Mohammed Wali, the local government caretaker committee chairman, who disclosed this, insisted that the PDP members took the decision to join APC not out of any compulsion but with the conviction that the APC is the expected liberator Nigerians have been longing for.

He further stated that the defectors, who are from the local government of former governor, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, now a chieftain of the PDP in the state, defected to the APC because they had seen that Bafarawa had lost his political grip of the masses and his kinsmen.

According to the chairman, Bafarawa and his political mastery is now past tense as far as they are concerned.

He assured that APC had not only stamped its feet on the land but had equally overcome any

challenges ahead of the forthcoming election.

On his part, the state governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, who was represented by the commissioner for agriculture, Alhaji Arzika Tureta, assured the defectors of equal treatment as justice remains their watchword in the APC. Wamakko further advised other local governments in the state to emulate the defection wave which had just begun from Isa and will subsequently go round the entire state.

Adamawa PDP Chair Assures Of Ribadu’s Victory In 2015

By Mohammed Ismail, Yola

The chairman of the Adamawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Rufai Jingi, has expressed confidence that the party will emerge victorious in all elections during the 2015 general polls.

Jingi who made the disclosure yesterday noted that the candidature of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is the best thing to happen to the state as he said it has gained ac-

ceptability from a wide spectrum of party faithful in the state.

“Ribadu is a unifying factor in the party and, with him as the candidate of the party, the victory of the party is a matter of time. And I can assure you that with the current support he is getting from all and sundry, the party will not only win the guber polls, but will go ahead to win all positions from councillor to the presidential election,” he said.

He noted that the party will

soon embark on campaign tour to all the 21 local government areas of the state to showcase Malam Nuhu Ribadu as it is gubernatorial candidate for 2015 general election.

Jingi said the party had fully set up campaign machineries in place to take their candidate to every nook and cranny of the state, noting that the campaign had enlisted the support of all the party faithful in the state and even beyond.

short news 2015 Poll Will Decide Nigeria’s Continued Existence – Masari

Former speaker, House of Representatives and now an APC governorship candidate, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, has said the 2015 general elections will form an acid test that will determine the continuous existence or otherwise of Nigeria as an entity.

Masari also said that transforming Katsina State is a possibility, and assured that if elected governor of the state, he will ensure that the state is transformed.

By Isaiah Benjamin, Kaduna

,

Village head of Jahun in Bauchi State, Alhaji Aliyu Saidu, yesterday stood in fierce defence of Barrister Mohammed Abubakar, the state’s APC governorship candidate, who was accused of not being a native of the state.

LEADERSHIP learnt that Barrister Abubakar was accused from within the APC of being from Kogi State whose parents came long ago to settle in Bauchi State.

PDP Members Defect To APC In Sokoto

A socio-cultural group, Arewa Youth Integrity Forum, has raised the alarm over plans by a cabal within the All Progressives Congress (APC) to short-change the northern geo-political zone for another years by planting General Muhammadu Buhari who has been considered weak and running out of age to pilot the affairs of the nation.

The group alleged that the calculation is to pave way for Pastor Osibanjo, who is much younger, active and belongs to the cabal, to take over power, thereby making it possible for power to return to the South again for another eight years.

Coordinator of the group, Mallam Hamid Usman, in a media chat in Abuja yesterday frowned at the alleged new plot as a fallout of series of meetings between a former president and some powerful forces in the APC. Usman insisted that it had become very obvious that those who abandoned very energetic young aspirants like Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and LEADERSHIP publisher Sam Nda Isaiah or even a more connected Atiku Abubakar are out to repeat the wicked selection of an ailing governor in 2007 knowing full well that age and health are very important in the discharge of national duties.

By Jerry Emmanson, Abuja

10

stories of the Monday, December 22, 2014

...NEWS WITH A HUMAN FACE

THUGGERY:Thugs Invade Church, Attack Pastor, Members, Steal Offering

By Tope Fayehun, Akure

Scores of thugs reportedly, invaded the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Pillar of Fire, located at L.A. primary school area of Akure , the Ondo state capital, at the weekend during service, flogged the pastor known as Pastor Arije and other church members.

Besides that, the hoodlums who reportedly stormed the church on motorcycles, were also said to have destroyed some other items inside the church which include, plastic chairs, wall clock, window glass and electrical appliances among others after the members had run away for safety.

LEADERSHIP gathered that policemen who came to calm the situation arrested some of the hoodlums but were attacked by the mob who consequently rescued the arrested thugs.

According to the eyewitness account, during the attempt to rescue their colleagues from the hands of the policemen, one of the cops was stabbed on the neck with a broken bottle by one of the hoodlums.

A source, however, told LEADERSHIP that a rival pastor of one of the churches within the area, might have sponsored the attack.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Wole Ogodo, said details of the incident was still sketchy since the incident happened over the weekend.

The PPRO also said the command was still investigating the reason for the action of the hoodlums.

ACCIDENT: Auto Crash Claims 3 In Taraba

By Andrew Ojih, Jalingo

No fewer than three persons yesterday lost their lives in a road accident around Lamkaviri area of Yorro Local Government area of Taraba State.

A starlet Toyota commercial vehicle was said to have had collusion with a tanker which claimed three lives.

The victims of the accident were said to have boarded a commercial vehicle heading to Jalingo, the Taraba State capital when the ugly incident occurred.

LEADERSHIP learnt that corpse of one of the deceased had been taken to Zing local government area of the state for Islamic burial while the remaining two women had been deposited at the state special hospital.

Reacting to the accident, the council chairman of Zing local government, Mr. Kalamu Alhamdu, who visited the scene of the incident, is calling on the general public to visit the state specialist hospital to check for identification.

Efforts to reach the Taraba State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) proved abortive by the time of filing this report.

Suya sellers at Jama’are road in Kiyawa Local Government Area, Jigawa, yesterday, photo by nan

DEFILEMENT: Grandparents Docked Over Rape Of Girl,11

By Muazu Elazeh, , Katsina

A senior Magistrates Court 6 sitting in Katsina, has remanded two grandparents in prison custody for allegedly raping an 11-year- old girl.

The two suspects, Haladu Abdu, 65, and Ashiru Musa, 64, both of Sabuwar Unguwa in Katsina metropolis, allegedly had carnal knowledge of 11- year- old, Yusra Shuaibu.

Prosecuting police officer, Inspector Hashimu Musa, told the court that the father of the victim reported the case at Sabon Gari police station.

Musa informed the court that the two old men criminally conspired and lured little

Yusra Shu’aibu to a shop situated at Sabuwar Unguwa area, where they forcefully had sexual intercourse with her.

According to him, as a result of the forceful act, the young girl sustained various degrees of injury in her private parts.

The prosecuting police officer said the accused are being charged under section 97 and 283 of the Penal Code Law of Nigeria.

No plea was taken due to lack of jurisdiction by the court.

The presiding magistrate, Nafisat L Bagiwa, however, ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to 24th December, 2014.

DEATH: Pastor Flees After 2 Brothers Die During Spiritual Bath ...Police Nab Secretary

BY MATTHEW DIKE, Lagos

The pastor of New Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Ogombo, near Ajah area of Lagos State, is on the run following the death of two brothers who allegedly died during spiritual bath in the church at the weekend.

Lagos State police command has arrested the secretary of the fleeing clergyman identified as Samuel Olusoji.

The two brothers, Ayinde and Abiodun Oniru, and one of their half- brothers, were said to have gone to the church with their father on Thursday to complete an alleged spiritual cleansing with bath.

Their step- brother was said to have refused to continue the exercise as he left

the stream.

Abiodun,23, and Ayinde, 20, respectively, under the watchful eyes of their father, step- mother and Pastor Samuel Olusoji continued bathing.

The spiritual cleansing bath turned sour when Abiodun and Ayinde drowned.

Police detectives attached to Ogombo police station were said to have stormed the church.

LEADERSHIP investigation revealed that immediately the members of the church sighted police patrol vehicle approaching, they took to their heels, including the pastor Olusoji, but luck ran out on the church’s secretary as he was arrested and whisked into the patrol vehicle..

A police inspector attached to the station disclosed that the police had vowed to fish out the fleeing pastor and charge the case to court.

fraud: Court Jails Fraudster For Duping Australian $800,000 Gbenga Soyele, Lagos

Justice Kudirat Jose of a Lagos High Court has sentenced Promise Ntuen Ekemini to one year imprisonment for hijacking the e-mail of a lawful owner of a property in Western Australia valued at $800,000 and attempting to sell the property.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the convict in April, 2014 on a fivecount charge of conspiracy to defraud, attempt to obtain money by false pretences and forgery.

In her verdict over the matter, Justice Jose found Ekemini guilty of all the charges and convicted him accordingly The judge further held that Ekemini’s sentence would run from the day of his arraignment.

The convict had impersonated the owner of a property at No. 143, Sprinaway Parade, Falcon, Western Australia, Brian Roderick Daniel and offering his property to buyers on the internet without his consent.

The Australian police later alerted the EFCC to monitor a controlled delivery of some do cuments related to the transactions to Ekemini while the convict was arrested at the point of collection of the documents. Promise

STORIES OF THE DAY 11

Monday, December 22, 2014

day

Photo News

STEALING: Police Nab Graduate Over Car Theft

By Nnamdi Mbawike, Enugu

The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a suspect identified as Amucha Chike, for allegedly snatching a car.

A release made available to LEADERSHIP in Enugu by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, said the suspect, a graduate of Agric Economics from Abia State University, Uturu, had successfully served his fatherland as a youth corps member before committing the crime.

Amaraizu said the suspect once lived with his Enugu-based surveyor uncle at Abakpa.

The Enugu State Police image maker added that the suspect was arrested by the operatives of the anti-kidnap unit command, adding that he is now regretting his evil act.

Amaraizu disclosed further that the suspect drove the car to Owerri where he kept it in a car dealers shop and later sold it at the rate of N700,000 to a certain buyer from the car stand.

He, however, said that the university graduate was arrested in Benin City in Edo State where he went to enjoy the money realized from the car he sold.

According to him, the suspect said that if he is left off the hook, he will do a thanksgiving and embrace God throughout his life time as he will then use his certificate as a graduate to look for a lawful greener pasture.

“Perhaps the suspect may not have realized the fact that the evil that men do lives with them. Amucha Chike, as he identified himself, hails from Obollo in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State and is about 27 years old.”

L-R: Minister of agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, with former director, Federal Ministry of Agric, Dr Odeyemi Julius, and former coordinating director, NAQS, Dr Mike Nwaneri, during farewell dinner in honour of retired directors and consultants in the ministry of agriculture in Abuja. PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO

Fraud: EFCC Arraigns 3 Over N3m Land Scam

BY Ejike Ejike, Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the trio of Haladu Ibrahim (Mai Anguwa), Sa’idu Balarabe Sulaiman and Baba Sale Sarkin Magina before Justice Tukur Mu’azu of Kaduna State High Court on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining money by false pretences.

The trio were alleged to have conspired to sell two plots of land behind the International Trade Fair Complex, Kaduna, valued at N3 million using forged documents.

According to the spokesperson of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, one of the charges read, “That you Haladu Ibrahim, Saidu Balarabe Sulaiman, Aisha Mo-

hammed and Baba Sale Sarkin Magina, sometime in 2011, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kaduna State, dishonestly used as genuine, a certain document, to wit: Offer of Grant/Regnant of Statutory Right of Occupancy No. KDL/87365 which you knew to be a forged document and that you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 366 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 364 of the same law.”

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges and were admitted to bail in the sum of one million naira each (N1m) and one surety in like sum. The sureties must not be less than level 14 officer in the civil service and they are to deposit their international passports with the court.

KIDNAP: Police On The Trail Of Abducted Woman In Osun

BY JOSHUA DADA, Osogbo

Osun State Police Command is on the trail of five gun-wielding hoodlums, who abducted the wife of the chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Osun State University (Uniosun) chapter, Dr. Oluseye Abiola, even as they are working on intelligence concerning the N50million ransom allegedly being demanded by the hoodlums from the husband.

Mrs Olufunmilayo Abiona was abducted by five fierce-looking hoodlums on Friday evening while driving home in an unregistered Lexus ES 330, ash coloured salon car after she closed from her shop located at the junction leading to the university along Ibokun road, Oke-Baale, Osogbo.

Mrs Abiona’s abductors have already placed a ransom of N50 million on her when the kidnappers contacted her husband late Saturday evening.

Mrs Abona’s kidnap incident came 24 days after the abduction of Mr Kunle Falode, a top career officer in Atakumosa East local government area, who was kidnapped in Osogbo, on Wednesday, November 26 and regained freedom on Saturday, 29th November, when he was dumped around Abiola Avenue in Ilesa.

An eye witness account revealed that Funmilayo engaged the hoodlums in hot altercation when she was double crossed before she was overpowered and dragged into their red coloured carand drove her away leaving her two children in the car.

The state Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Marafa, who confirmed the incident through the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs. Folasade Odoro (DSP), said it was true that the hoodlums were demanding for money from the husband ,adding that the command was gathering intelligence report on the ransom being demanded by the hoodlums.

L-R: Abia State governor, Theodore Orji, his wife, Mercy; Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd); Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin and his wife, during the funeral service for late Rear Admiral Azubuike Isaac Ajuonu at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Avo, na Ipupe in Umuahia South LGA, Abia State. PHOTO BY BENEDICT UWALAKA

L-R: Bruno Tin Land, minister of Science and Technology Dr Abdu Bulama, director, Human Resources Management, Mr Musa Shaba, the leader of Monsanto (in Poland) Alistair Hide, delegation and Natalia Voruz, during a courtesy visit to the ministry. photo by Office Of The Minister.

R-L: Vice president, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Akinwumi Kolapo; FCMB manager, Garba Mohammed; coordinator, Alliance for Clean Cook stoves Ewa Eleri; executive marketing manager Zagos Services, Idowu Olugbami, and head of admininistration, NEMA, Abuja, Operation Office, Mrs Opara Chinwe, during the presentation of 250 clean cook stoves to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with support from FCMB in Abuja. PHOTO:BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

12 news Lagos Lagos Speaker Returns To School The speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly has registered to study Law at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), saying he wants to be a public commentator.

He disclosed this weekend during the media interaction with the Lagos State House of Assembly correspondents.

When asked his next ambition, Ikuforiji said, “I have so many things to do academically, in fact, I have registered in UNILAG to study Law because I want to be part of public commentators." While thanking God for His assistance in the last 10 years as the speaker of the House, Ikuforiji said he was happy for what God has done through him.

The speaker emphasised that he was not tired to work for the state, saying the success of the House would be paramount in his heart.

Sharing his experience with newsmen, he said leadership must hold unto God and have the interest of others at heart.

He also debunked the story of returning to the House as speaker, saying it is time to move on after a decade.

By Taiwo Ogunmola-Omilani, Lagos

Monday, December 22, 2014

FRSC Partners NIMASA On Traffic Gridlocks In Apapa Port

BY Ejike Ejike, Lagos

In the continuing efforts of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to ensure safer road environment and obstructionfree movement of people and goods, especially within the Apapa port, the corps marshal and chief executive, Boboye Oyeyemi over the weekend paid advocacy visit to the

headquarters of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Lagos.

The corps marshal who was received by the director general of NIMASA, Dr Patrick Akpobolokemi in company of his management team, expressed dismay over the perennial traffic gridlocks being experienced within the Apapa Port area of

Lagos, and called for joint efforts to address the menace.

According to a statement signed by the media aide to the corps marshal, Sani Abdullahi, Oyeyemi said road safety is an all encompassing affair that requires the collaborative effort of relevant stakeholders to deal with. He therefore, called on NIMASA to partner with the FRSC in the collective efforts

to bring normalcy to the area in order to ensure smooth and obstruction-free movement of people and goods.

“We know that NIMASA is responsible for marine related activities, but it is also a fact that all those that operate on the sea must ultimately come out to use the road in continuation of their transactions and movement to the desired destinations.”

Ebola: Lagos Urges Precautionary Measures During Yuletide Determined to ensure that Lagos remains free of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the state government has called on the residents to be mindful of what they do, eat and drink during the yuletide celebrations.

The state commissioner for health, Dr. Jide Idris who said this at the weekend stressed that since the season is noted for wining, dining and visiting of relations and friends particularly those coming from other countries, it becomes imperative to be on the alert.

He urged residents to observe good personal and environmental hygiene and follow advice given by the state government on the prevention of the Ebola Virus Disease.

Idris said , “Presently, there is no active case of Ebola in the country but Ebola is still a threat as its presence in neigbouring West Africa countries puts the nation at risk, this is why we need to be on the alert and observe a high degree of personal and environmental hygiene especially during this season of celebrations to prevent the disease from resurfacing in the country again.”

The commissioner counseled the residents to take basic precautionary measures.

Against the disease by washing their hands with soap and water frequently, particularly after touching sick people; avoiding direct contact with body fluids like saliva, vomit, stool, semen, vaginal fluids and urine of suspected persons and avoid eating fruits half eaten by animals.

By George Okojie, Lagos

L-R: General manager, Sales and Distribution, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Mr Ken Esenwah; winner, best indirect channel partner for year 2014 and managing director, Yfree Solution, Mr Victor Inyang; managing director, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Mr Michiel Buitelaar and chief marketing officer, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Mrs Alero Ladipo, during the presentation of prizes to reward the best partners of the company for the year 2014 in Lagos, at the weekend. PHOTO BY GBENGA OLAJOBI.

Buhari/Osinbajo Will Turn Around Nigeria – Ikuforiji

By Taiwo Ogunmola-Omilani and George Okojie, Lagos

The speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji has described the choice of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) as the running mate to General Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 election as the much-needed tonic that will turn around the moribund condition of Nigeria.

This was contained in a press state-

ment signed by the speaker’s chief press secretary, Mr. Rotimi Adebayo over the weekend.

According to him, "it is indeed a thing of great joy to me that our former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and indeed an internationally acclaimed legal luminary and scholar in the person of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo emerged the running mate to the presidential flag bearer of the our party.

“For us here at the Lagos State House of Assembly, the choice of the highly cerebral, humane, and highly industrious

Osinbajo as General Buhari’s deputy promises to be the much-needed tonic for the long-awaited turn around that Nigeria desperately needs for her restoration,” he added.

Meanwhile, Prophet Marcus Oluwatosin Tibetan of the Celestial Church of God has predicted that the All Progressives Congress (APC)flag bearer, General Mohammadu Buhari will win the polls.

The cleric who revealed this while briefing newsmen to herald his book launch in Lagos said the election will be a defining moment for the country.

Osinbajo's Choice As Buhari's Running Mate Perfect – Gbajabiamila

BY GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos

The leader of the opposition in the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has hailed the All Progressives Congress (APC) for choosing Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) as running mate to its presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari.

Gbajabiamila who disclosed this

in a statement made available to journalists said he has known Professor Osinbajo for the past 40 years as a man of integrity.

According to him , “Integrity of APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is unassailable and it has been proven overtime. To now add excellence to the bottom of the ticket in the person of Osinbajo leaves Nigerians with a clear choice

and perhaps with no choice when both tickets of the PDP and APC are stacked against each other.

“The choice of Osinbajo is indeed a political masterstroke, from perhaps the best political strategist in modern day Nigeria and of our time, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. I have known Professor Osinbajo for over 40 years right from my secondary school days when he was my senior in col-

lege to my university days when he was one of my law lecturers."

He added that Osinbajo comes across always as a gentleman and academician par excellence.

Gbajabiamila said, "I want to specially commend our national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who with uncommon poise exhibited and showed leadership, dexterity and political deftness."

Monday, December 22, 2014

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Monday, December 22, 2014

NEWS/BUSINESS 15

Monday, December 22, 2014

business

5%

Growth in Nigeria is expected to decline by 5 per cent in the year 2015

Skye Bank Takes Ownership Of Mainstreet Bank

by Bukola Idowu, Lagos

Skye Bank, last week, took full control of Mainstreet Bank Limited after a completion meeting where the Asset Management Corporate of Nigeria (AMCON) divested its interest and transferred full ownership of the bridge bank to Skye Bank, having successfully paid 100 per cent of the acquisition value and received regulatory clearance as the new owner.

The AMCON, at a hand over ceremony held at its Head Office in Lagos, formally handed over ownership and commended Skye Bank for emerging the preferred bidder out of over 29 bidders in the highly competitive and transparent process that took over a year to complete.

Skye Bank was lauded by the AMCON chief executive, Mustapha Chike-Obi, for “its tenacity and doggedness in pursuing the acquisition with all sense of seriousness and

professionalism.”

He also praised the out-going board and executive committee members of Mainstreet Bank for “their dedication and service to Nigeria in steering and piloting the affairs from what it used to be to profitability.”

Between October 3-31, Skye Bank paid both the initial 20 per cent mandatory deposit and completed the 80 per cent balance well ahead of the November 3 deadline for the 100 per cent acquisition of the

bank Meanwhile, the group managing director and chief executive officer of Skye Bank, Mr Timothy Oguntayo, in company of the integration team, while addressing the executive members and management team of Mainstreet Bank at the bank’s headquarters after the handover by the AMCON in Marina, assured the staff and customers of good times ahead even as he solicited the co-operation of all in ensuring a seamless transition process.

BUSINESS QUOTE There are are three ways to make a living in this business: Be first, be smarter, or cheat.

John Tuld, Character in margin Call (feature film, 2011)

We Restructured For Sector Dominance – NAHCO Aviance

by NSE ANTHONY -UKO, Abuja

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (Nahco Aviance) has cleared the air on the reasons why it undertook its recent restructuring.

The company said, in a statement in Lagos, that the exercise was carried out in order to reposition the company for a more dominant role in the Nigerian aviation industry.

The manager, Corporate Communications & Branding of the Company, Mr Tayo Ajakaye, in the statement, pointed out that although the number of staff asked to go was really small compared to the huge working population of the L-R: Senior vice president, commercial, Arik Air, Sivaswarmy Ramachandran; chief technology officer, Slim Trader, Martin company, the workers’ Pagel; deputy managing director, Arik Air, Captain Ado Sanusi; managing director, Arik Explorer, Kencho Omojafor and chief unions in the sector were software architect, Slim Trader, Chris Teizel at the launch of Arik Air Explorer held at the Arik Air corporate headquarters, Ikeja. carried along during the in Lagos. PHOTO BY BENEDICT UWALAKA

Liberia, Nigeria Ratify Oil Production Deal

By Chika Izuora, Lagos

The legislature in Liberia has given its nod to a production sharing arrangement with a Nigerian oil firm operating in that country.

The Liberian Senate at the weekend concurred with its House of Representatives on the bill to ratify the production sharing contract (PSC) between the Republic of Liberia, the Liberty Petroleum Corporation of Liberia, the Pillar Oil Limited of Nigeria,

and the New Millennium Oil & Gas for Liberia’s offshore Oil Block LB16.

According to the secretary of the Senate, J. Nanborlor F. Singbeh, who briefed the legislative press at the weekend, the awarding of the contract was recommended by an American company, Ernst & Young, involved in the vetting of companies that participated in the bid round earlier this year.

The Liberian President, Ellen JohnsonSirleaf, earlier wrote to the Senate,

requesting the Senators to delay the closure of their session for this year’s constituency break so that she could submit a detailed negotiation report on the exploration of oil blocks. In her communication to the legislature, Sirleaf noted that “for the past two months, the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) has been concluding negotiations with certain international oil companies for the exploration of the final oil blocks that were initiated under the 2002 Petroleum Law.

“We are nearing completion of the process but need more time in order to make full submission to you. I, therefore, request your consideration of a delay in the closure of your Honorable body. “ Liberia Daily Observer reported that the Senate, together with the House of Representatives, accepted the president’s request, and the Joint Energy Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, together with the NOCAL and other stakeholders of the oil sector, held closed

entire process.

He said that about 11 managerial staff were affected in the process and recalled that between September 12 and 14, a retreat was held by the senior management of the company, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) on the board’s decision to reposition Nahco Aviance for emerging opportunities in the sector.

It was at the retreat that it was agreed that the company was top heavy and that there was the need to trim down the managerial staff for the company in order to respond positively to strategic investments being made in the company by its shareholders.

door conferences at the Capitol Building.

However, a former head of the NOCAL, who is currently running for the senatorial seat of the Montserrado County, Mr Christopher Neyor, threatened to ask the Supreme Court of Liberia to place an injunction on the sale and ratification of any oil blocks in the midst of the fight against the Ebola outbreak.

Follow these reports on leadership.ng/business

16 NEWS/BUSINESS

Monday, December 22, 2014

Nigeria’s GDP To Slump 5% In 2015 – IMF

By ABIODUN OLUWAROTIMI, New York

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), yesterday, predicted that Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to decline by five per cent in the year 2015, saying that the magnitude of the adverse oil price shock (projected at about 25 per cent for 2015) would sharply reduce fiscal revenues and limit fiscal

spending.

However, a top official of the IMF, Mr Gene Leon, added that the overall impact on the non-oil sector GDP would be relatively muted because of limited direct channels from the oil sector.

Furthermore, Leon noted that the sector was expected to remain the main driver of growth over the medium-term.

He added that the depreciation of the

exchange rate was expected to increase inflation, reflecting pass-through effects of higher domestic prices for imports. He, however, maintained that the effect was likely to be contained in part, owing to lower food prices from increased local production of staple food crops.

“Nigeria remains vulnerable to oil price volatility and global financial developments.

The measures already

taken by the authorities demonstrate their commitment to macroeconomic stability.

“However, fiscal and external buffers are low and there is less policy space for maneuvering, compared to the onset of the 2008-09 financial crisis – the Excess Crude Account (ECA) in 2008 was $21 billion compared to $3 billion now – while gross international reserves was $52 billion,” he said.

There is Power Poverty In Nigeria – NUEE

BY Taiwo OgunmolaOmilani, Lagos

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has said there is power poverty in the country, noting that the world standard stipulates that one million people must have 1,000 mega watts (mw).

The general-secretary of the union, Mr Joe Ajaero, said this in an interaction with newsmen in Lagos.

According to him, there is power poverty in the country because the world acclaimed standard is that wherever we have one million people; there must be 1,000mw.

“If we have 160 million Nigerians and we are battling with 4,000, it is power poverty.

Privatisation in the power sector has never succeeded anywhere in the world. It is the state that funds the power sector.

“The population of Nigeria requires about 160, 000mw of electricity for constant power supply,” he added.

He maintained that the money to build power stations, and transmission networks, is provided by the state because the private sector does not have the resources required. He

said further that the American Government generated 250,000mw and it mandated municipals and private sectors to generate more to move forward.

The NUEE scribe said that the government should have retained its 4,000mw generated while encouraging the private sector to generate more.

Ajaero, who doubles as the deputy president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, said that Nigerians would continue to protest as long as the electricity supply is poor and the billing high.

“The power situation cannot not improve by just saying, ‘let there be light,’ it comes with financing and commitment. If the people do not have electricity and you are charging them high, there is bound to be a protest,” Ajaero said.

He added that before the privatisation of the power sector, there should have been over one million prepaid meters for Nigerians.

“Nigerians will start to speak after a year of privatisation without appreciable improvement,” he said.

He said that some of the union members had not received their terminal entitlements after a series of biometric verifications.

Ondo Signs MoU With Malaysia To Boost Rice Production

BY Tope Fayehun, Akure

As part of efforts to boost rice production, the Ondo state government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) to begin mechanised production of rice.

The mechanisation would see to the cultivation of 500 hectares of rice in the state by January, next year.

The state’s Wealth Creation Agency (WECA) chairperson, Bolanle Olufunmiloye, made this known at the weekend, in Akure, while reviewing the activities

of the agency in the past one year.

Olufunmiloye said that the state government partnership with the MARDI is geared towards creating employment for young graduates who are planning to engage in agriculture, and as well boost the internal revenue of the state. She revealed that the agency would be leveraging from part of the N2 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) commercial agricultural credit available to the state in financing the project.

“We have N2 billion fund by the CBN. This fund is for the production of food crops, honey and other agricultural products.

Monday, December 22, 2014

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18 CAPITAL MARKET/BUSINESS

Monday, December 22, 2014

Privatisation: ‘Listing Of Companies Will Deepen Capital Market’ Stories By OLUSHOLA BELLO, Lagos

Stakeholders have said that the on-going privatisation of federal government enterprises would deepen operations of the capital market as well as broaden participation of investors in the market.

The Privatisation and Commercialisation Act 1999 gave birth to the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) with the mandate to implement the privatisation and reforms policy of the federal government.

Through the programme, some of the companies that were privatised and listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) include the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN), Benue Cement Plc and Ashaka Cement.

Others are oil marketing companies such as Oando, Forte Oil and Conoil. Under the agro-allied sector is Okomu Oil Palm while under the food product, there is the National Salt of Nigeria, Northern Nigeria Flour Mill and Union Dicon Salt among others.

According to the directorgeneral (DG) of the BPE, Mr Benjamin Dikki, privatisation has deepened the operations of the capital market and broadened investors’ participation. He said that it has increased listing of companies on the NSE and raised the market capitalisation by over 500 per cent in phase one alone, saying that it has also made the capital market one of the fastest growing in the world. According to him, privatisation has made the capital market key in terms of economic performance and management.

Meanwhile, stockbrokers have called for a review of national privatisation laws to enable more Nigerians benefit from the assets being privatised and ensure speedy listing of the companies. The president, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Emeka Madubuike, called

for the listing of more companies on the NSE, especially governmentprivatised agencies, to improve the depth of the capital market.

The managing director of APT Securities and Funds Limited, Garba Kurfi, blamed the federal government for the sustained shortcomings in the nation’s privatisation laws.

“Most of us support the privatisation policy of opening the nation’s investment space but with the provision that evolved, companies must be listed after a certain period.

“Honestly, government short comings has compelled us to support the National Assembly (NASS) current moves to make laws that will compel such companies to be listed at the NSE. The federal government incentives’ approach to the issue since the beginning of privatisation in 1999 has failed,” Kurfi said.

Accessing the privatised companies listed on the NSE, he said that the companies are performing impressively.

Citing an example of Forte Oil, he said the company has been restructured and doing well after its privatisation.

“The federal government, through the regulators, must consciously overhaul the laws moderating businesses, especially businesses that are the bye products of the privatisation programme, to be listed on the exchange,” Kurfi said.

Recently, during his courtesy visit to the NSE, the BPE DG disclosed that the federal government recognises the role of the capital market in providing long term funding that will drive investments, in the transport sector, that will result from the reforms initiatives in the sector.

“Soon the roads, railways, inland waterways and the ports harbour bills will be presented to the Federal Executive council (FEC) for approval and transmission to the NASS for enactment,” Dikki said.

BUSINESS/insurance 19

Monday, December 22, 2014

FBN Insurance Urges Individuals, Corporate Organisations To Embrace Insurance Stories By Chika Izuora,

Lagos

The management of the FBN Insurance Limited has counselled that insurance is only key instrument to reposition individuals and businesses in the event of any unfortunate eventuality.

The company said that insurance should be embraced by high networth individuals, the political class, schools,

religious organisations, professional bodies, etc, to sustain themselves when the unexpected occur.

Speaking on the benefits of insurance, the company’s managing director, Valentine Ojumah, said that the FBN Insurance’s strategy is hinged on deepening its footprints in the retail insurance space and expansion into the non-life insurance segment.

He said that the company is particularly concerned

about what happens after death and the continuity of the living standards of a family when the bread winner is gone, especially as the death of the bread winner has brought about a total decline in the living standards of the dependants in many homes.

According to him, “We are carving a niche in the retail insurance market through the provision of best-in-class, innovative

and solution-driven products that create value for all stakeholders.”

He emphasised that despite the many challenges brimming in the macro environment and the unique demands of doing business in today’s evolving economy, “we will continue to stay true to our aspiration as bastions of stability delivering gold service standards and fit-for-purpose offerings that will address every

Nigerian’s insurance needs.”

He further said that the organisation’s existing products, which include group and individual policies, are designed to accommodate differing consumer needs, stressing that these products are in consonance with the company’s commitment to deepen market penetration by providing low cost insurance products through multiple distribution

channels that would benefit the mass market in Nigeria.

Ojumah maintained that the company “conducts regular extensive market research that guides our business strategy and policy direction. This provides distilled insights from macroeconomic and industry trends, helps estimate the size of emerging opportunities and understands customer buying patterns and motivations.

FG Challenges Insurance Industry On Training The federal government has said that investment in training and skills development will boost the capacity of the insurance sector to create jobs for 100,000 people in the next three years and more than 300,000 people in the next decade.

The coordinating minister of the economy and minister of finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who gave this charge while delivering a keynote address at the 2014 insurance summit with the theme ‘Transforming the Nigerian Insurance Sector – A three Year Agenda’ said that investment in training and skills development for the sector would prepare young men and women for careers in the insurance sector.

She noted that despite the various policies put in place by the regulator to deepen insurance, the industry has only been able to create about 30,000 jobs which she said was not good enough. The minister noted that the insurance industry is the engine for job creation in the country and that government’s target is to grow the number of direct employment to 100,000 in three years from its present 10,000.

“Unleashing the latent energies of the insurance industry to create more jobs and boost economic development is one of our strategic responses to close the gap created by the economic challenges we are confronting at the moment,” said OkonjoIweala.

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Monday, December 22, 2014

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22 money market/BUSINESS

Monday, December 22, 2014

money MARKET REPORTS

Customers Get 48 Hours To Utilise Forex

Following its earlier directive that banks maintain a net open position at the close of each business day, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has extended the restrictions to banks’ customers buying foreign exchange.

The apex bank, in its latest circular, directed that foreign exchange bought by bank customers must be utilised within 48 hours (two days) after which unutilised funds must be returned to the CBN for repurchase.

The central bank, last week, temporarily reviewed downwards the net open position of banks from one per cent to zero per cent.

The move had spiked a sharp decline in the value of the naira at the interbank market as the local currency traded as low as N190 to the dollar on Thursday when the circular was issued. However, the value of the naira had picked up on Friday last week as the local currency sold at N179.99 to the dollar.

Oil Price: Fitch Forecasts Negative Outlook On Nigerian Banks Stories By Bukola Idowu, Lagos

Profitability will also be affected by slower business growth and higher loan impairment charges

An international rating agency, Fitch, has issued a negative outlook on Nigerian banks based on the oil price shock and the resulting policy moves by the country’s regulatory authorities.

Fitch, in its 2015 outlook report, reflects the challenging and volatile operating environment due to low oil prices which it says may rise to $83 per barrel in 2015 and its impact on business and economy in Nigeria.

According to the agency, recent policy actions by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to devalue the naira, raise interest rates and increase cash reserve requirements (CRR) is also expected to impact the banks’ profitability, asset quality and capital ratios, which it says will deteriorate in 2015.

It also forecasts that liquidity will “remain tight in 2015, considering funding pressure.

New limits on foreign currency borrowing and net open positions are likely to reduce the United States (US) dollar debt issuance.”

The CBN had, last week, temporarily reviewed banks’ net open position downwards to zero per cent from one per cent. The 2015 outlook report noted that “six Nigerian banks – First Bank of Nigeria, United Bank for Africa, Diamond Bank, Union Bank, Fidelity Bank and

First City Monument Bank – have International Depository Receipts (IDRs) driven by the probability of state support.

“The ability of the authorities to support domestic banks is limited by Nigeria’s sovereign rating (‘BB-’/Stable). The willingness to support remains strong and has been clearly demonstrated in the past. The stable outlook on these banks’ IDRs reflects the stable outlook on the Nigerian sovereign,” said the report.

Fitch noted further that these banks’ IDRs would only be impacted by a multi-notch downgrade of the sovereign rating which is unlikely in the near term. Three Nigerian banks – Zenith Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank and Access Bank – have IDRs driven by their intrinsic creditworthiness as defined by their viability ratings (VR). As for other Nigerian banks rated by Fitch, their low VRs (generally in the ‘b’ range) already factor in the tough operating environment in Nigeria. As such, the macro implications of the current low oil prices and policy moves are unlikely to materially impact the VRs and indirectly their IDRs in the near term.

Nevertheless, all banks’ VRs remain sensitive to fast erosion in capital ratios and asset quality. Given the current support rating floors, most banks’ IDRs would not be impacted by a downgrade of their VRs. Banks are generally well positioned for the rate

rise as they can re-price loans and benefit from higher yields on treasury bills to offset the increase in the cost of funding.

The report noted that the positive impact on the net interest margin (NIM) and core earnings will be limited due to the simultaneous hike in the CRR. “Profitability will also be affected by slower business growth and higher loan impairment charges. Other profitability constraints remain, such as the revised rules on banking charges and higher regulatory levies enforced in 2013. We are forecasting the sector’s non performing loans (NPLs) to rise above the CBN’s informal cap of five per cent but below 10 per cent by end-2015.

“This reflects high loan concentrations as well as emerging risks, particularly in the oil and gas and power sectors. These factors add more pressure on capital than previously anticipated. We are, therefore, further revising our forecasts and expect a 300500 basis points decline in regulatory total capital ratios in 2015.

“This also factors in the shift to Basel II and the CBN’s revised regulatory capital computation rules. Tier 1 capital ratios are very likely to fall below 15 per cent which is low in the Nigerian context.

Any banks with even lower ratios could be vulnerable to a downgrade of its VR.”

Sterling Plans N31bn Multi-currency Debt Issue In 2015 Sterling Bank has revealed plans to raise a N31

billion (about $200 million) multi currency debt next year as a measure to shore up its capital.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos, last week, the bank’s managing director and chief executive, Yemi Adeola, noted that the bank will commence the process of raising the multi-currency debt in the first quarter of 2015.

Adeola, who noted that the bank’s capital is currently at N65 billion, said, “our desire is to cross the year with about N100 billion in capital and we are at the tail end of finalising that; we believe we will make it happen as we go into the new year.”

“We have started the process of concluding the multi currency subordinated debt of N31 billion which is about $200 million. All these is to strengthen our capital base as a financial institution and to enable us do more than we have done in the past eight years.”

Aside this, the bank’s chief executive said the bank has successfully completed equity issuance by way of rights issues to existing shareholders with net proceeds of N12.1 billion and “we are in the process of concluding the private placement of N20 billion to further support our capital position.”

DMO Records Low Bond Demand On FOREX Pressures

The Debt Management Office (DMO), last week, recorded a low demand for federal government bonds (FGN Bonds) on foreign exchange pressures, as it raised N54 billion from the local debt market at its final monthly auction for the year.

The DMO sold three debt instruments, 13.05 per cent FGN August 2016, 14.20 per cent FGN March 2024 and 12.1493 per cent FGN July 20, all of which were reopening.

Compared to previous bond issuances, total demand for December dropped to N94 billion, about 10 per cent below the November bond auction demand.

The office had offered N10 billion, N30 billion and N25 billion for the 13.05 per cent FGN August 2016, 14.20 per cent FGN March 2024 and 12.1493 per cent FGN July 20, but had received N24.79 billion, N29.12 billion and N39.69 billion subscriptions respectively. The bonds were issued at marginal rates of 15.49, 15.2 and 15.49 per cents respectively.

Traders noted that this was due in part to the concerns surrounding the pressures on the naira demand triggered by falling oil prices.

INTERVIEW /BUSINESS 23

Monday, December 22, 2014 What informed the theme of the alignment of the entertainment industry with the capital market?

The theme of this conference was borne out of a number of factors. One, there is the belief that the entertainment industry has not really benefited from the capital market.

The coverage and spread of Nollywood and, the Nigerian music industry, without any doubt, goes beyond the shores of Nigeria.

The popularity and brand visibility of Nigerian actors and musicians within Africa appear to be unparalleled with any other countries within the continent.

Hence, if the needed capital that can run a life line in that system can be accessed, the entertainment industry can be a major export earning source to the nation.

Given that the capital market has a series of financial instruments that are available for the entertainment industry to optimise for both practitioners in their personal capacities and also their companies, we believe that this conference would provide the opportunities for these engagements.

Besides, we are of the view that the industry has the potential to do more than it is contributing to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) at the moment if it is well funded.

What were the critical issues raised by the speakers and discussants?

The most critical issues raised by the discussants and speakers are the lack of regulatory structure in the entertainment industry; lack of knowledge on the part of capital market operators; the entertainment industry being dominated by individuals and not corporate organisations; lack of data and poor record keeping by the practitioners in the entertainment industry; general misunderstanding of the role of the capital market as bank financing was regularly confused with the role of capital market; and piracy in the entertainment industry Were there issues that reoccurred in each presentation?

Lack of structure, data and capital market operators’ limited knowledge of the entertainment industry and the need to curb piracy.

How would you advise the operators in the entertainment industry to access the market, i.e. what are the options?

Special funds should be created for the entertainment industry.

The fund should be sold to the

interview

Entertainment Industry Can Contribute More To GDP – Okumugba

The president of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr Albert Okumugba, fielded questions from journalists on how the entertainment industry can benefit from the Nigerian capital market at the CIS conference.

FRIDAY ATUFE was there for LEADERSHIP.

Okumugba

investing public by the capital market. The funds should capture the characteristics of each area of the entertainment industry being funded.

As a frontline stockbroker to what extent can you say the operators in the entertainment industry are qualified to access fund from the capital market?

There are still structural issues to be sorted out; secondly, the operators need also to be transparent in the dealings.

They need to start to employ professionals in keeping of the financial records. They should incorporate companies for their businesses and start separating their businesses from themselves.

Is the market ready to absorb them against the background of some complaints of the operators’ lack of structure?

Yes, they can be treated on

individual basis based on track record and recognition. In fact, immediately there is one success story of access to funds through capital market others will follow and the capital market will then dictate the structures they want.

In your own opinion what are the challenges affecting the entertainment industry in Nigeria?

There are several challenges: lack of access to funds, piracy, lack of data and high operational cost Is it true that the rebasing of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) brought into fore the contribution of this industry to the economy for the first time?

We have always known this but the rebasing put monetary value to it even though the figure may not be correct as we do not have the data to generate the accurate figure.

What should the investors look for before they invest in the entertainment industry?

This is difficult to say knowing how the industry works. It is not all their works that turn out successful but as in all investments, the character or track record of the promoters should guide an investor.

Other things that could be looked at are the size and structure of the market of the products, the level of development of the industry in terms of maturity, level of competition amongst players, average cost of doing business, industry average revenue/ returns and the market share of the artiste being considered as the venue of investment.

You tend to create special identity for the Fellows of the Institute this year.

What should we expect subsequently?

Investiture of Fellows of the Institute, celebrating distinguished members of the stockbroking profession, going forward would be an occasion of excellence.

What would you like to put in place for more exciting conference in 2015?

We would work at the reconfiguration of the conference fees to attract more participating members in the next annual conference.

We also intend to do a comprehensive post mortem of the conference with a view to learning from the areas where few challenges were met in order to have a better conference in 2015.

Furthermore, there is likely to be an improvement in the awareness of the conference as well as the time interval between when the conference is announced and the time of the conference.

The institute is becoming more visible under your administration. What is the secret?

The secret for the visibility of the institute is anchored on dynamic and virile leadership now experienced in the institute and the enhanced network of relationship by the leadership of the council of the institute.

What is your message to the investors as we approach the end of the last quarter?

Investors should take position at the demand territory of the market to harness benefits upon the rebound of the market. There is always opportunity to make money either when the market is up or down.

There is always opportunity to make money either when the market is up or down

24

Monday, December 22, 2014

25

Monday, December 22, 2014

Transformation Agenda: The Changing Face of Nigerian Roads

with Iyobosa Uwugiaren, Abuja

motorable when compared to about 15% at the inception of this administration.

Based on these figures therefore, it shows that since 2011, there have been significant improvements in the construction; rehabilitation, expansion and maintenance of federal highways nationwide, leading to reduction of accidents on our roads, improved travel times between origin and destination, and reduced maintenance costs of vehicles.

The road traveling public can testify to these improvements.

SURE-P FUNDING With additional funding from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment

Programme (SURE-P), the Federal Ministry of Works have made tremendous improvements in the dualisation of AbujaAbaji-Lokoja Highway, Kano-Maiduguri Highway, reconstruction of Onitsha-EnuguPort Harcourt Expressway, Benin-OreShagamu Expressway and Lagos-ShagamuIbadan Expressway.

The SURE-P proceeds have also been applied in the construction of the new Loko-Oweto Bridge across River Benue linking Nasarawa and Benue States, and the Second Niger Bridge in Onitsha/Asaba linking Anambra and Delta States.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

The Jonathan’s Administration: Four Impactful Years In Road Sector

T

he good times on our highways are here again after many decades. Today, the roads are getting better across Nigeria. Travel times have been reduced drastically following massive rehabilitation of federal roads, which form the key network of roads in the country. A frontline transport company, ABC Transport Company recently shared these dividends with its customers when in newspaper advertorials, the company stated there was reason to reduce transport fares nationwide because the roads were getting better.

The Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria, LUBON, have also said “thank you” to the Federal Government over the improved condition of roads, which they noted, has revived the transport sector. According to them, many of their members have bounced back to full business because the roads are good again, and vehicle maintenance costs have been drastically reduced. These and many more are testimonies of the reality in the road sector under President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR. In just three years, the Federal Government of Nigeria changed for good the deplorable conditions of the nation’s major highways, which made worrisome headlines in the past.

Before we got to where we are today, the Federal Ministry of Works under the leadership of Arc. Mike Onolememen (CON) as Minister took several courageous initiatives to reposition the ministry for effective highway management.

For starters, he plotted and implemented an aggressive reorganization that saw the previous two highway departments broken into twelve departments. Six of the departments of Highway Construction and Rehabilitation are now domiciled in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country for closer and more effective supervision and management of projects.

The Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Road Sector Development Team (RSDT) were upgraded to fullfledged departments, while the Materials, Geotechnics & Quality Control department was also created to check excesses of dubious contractors using substandard supplies in road construction.

In furtherance of the re-organization in the Ministry, Six Zonal Ministerial Independent Monitoring Teams, with membership drawn from the private sector were constituted and mandated to visit project sites periodically for inspection and render independent quarterly reports to government. In this way; the Ministry’s Engineers, consultants and contractors were held accountable in ways that was hitherto unknown.

A Road Sector Reform Committee, made up of Experts and Registered Engineers in Nigeria was also established to chart a road map for a new road sector that is hinged on self-sustenance.

The committee recommended two Draft Bills for the setting up of National Road Fund and Federal Road Authority.

The Federal Executive Council has

approved the two Bills for enactment into law by the National Assembly.

Another radical change initiated by this administration was a new template for Interim Certificates that only allows for payment of permanent works. This meant that Contractors could no longer be paid for non-permanent and unprotected works such as ‘earth works’ and ‘stonebase’ without Binder Course, which in the past, was at the heart of corruption at the Federal Ministry of Works, through unmerited augmentation that led to fleecing of the nation’s scarce resources by many contractors working for the Ministry.

To improve on intervention time for road maintenance, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), commenced daily surveillance of all federal roads for prompt attention.

The newly introduced use of bitumen emulsion in place of cutback bitumen on all road projects in line with the Kyoto Protocol on Reduction of Greenhouse Emission has been effective in road development under the President Jonathan’s administration. This policy has also freed kerosene for domestic use. The ministry introduced the use of Modified Asphalt, to increase the longevity of road pavement.

Thus far, the above programmes of the Works ministry have helped the President Jonathan Administration’s intervention in improving federal roads from about 4,500km of fair roads in 2011 to about 25,000km by December 2013, out of the 35,000km of federal highways across the country. This implies that about 70% of the federal road network is now

FMW INTERVENTIONS ON MAJOR CORRIDORS By the end of 2013, each geo-political zone in Nigeria witnessed enhanced construction activities, covering a total corridor of 6,500km. From Lagos to Ibadan, Benin to Ore, Kano to Maiduguri, Gombe to Yola, Kano to Katsina, Sokoto to Makera, Abakaliki to Ikom, and from Enugu to Port Harcourt, among others, the entire country was turned into a huge construction site as the transformation of the road sector reached a ‘cruising’ level.

Despite the daunting challenges in the sector, the Federal Government in less than four years, have completed sixty-two (62) road projects nationwide.

Vast stretches of highways that were once referred to as ‘death traps’ have become vital links across regional economic hubs - boosting trade and national integration.

There have been continued growths in commerce as well as reduction in road

traffic accidents and fatalities, these past three years.

CHALLENGES Despite the successes recorded, there have been challenges with road infrastructure development in Nigeria, chief among, which

is the twin issue of funding constraints and road abuse. To mitigate these challenges, a paradigm shift is being implemented in the road sector, leveraging on Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and aggressive Right of Way (ROW) enforcement programmes.

The ministry’s flagship PPP projects are as follows; 1. The Second Niger Bridge linking Onitsha and Asaba in Anambra/Delta States, being undertaken by the Julius Berger-NSIA Consortium.

2. The Oshodi-Apakun-Murtala Mohammed International Airport Road in Lagos State being undertaken

by CHEC Consortium.

3. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway by TIB Consortium, and 4. Obajana/Kabba Road being undertaken by Dangote Industries Limited.

Many more are in the pipeline.

With numerous new policies aimed at efficient service delivery evident at the Federal Ministry of Works, Nigerians from all works have continued to commend the speed and dexterity of the Federal Government

whose proof of commitment to its promises is evident in its works.

Continued on pages 25 – 32

In just three years, the Federal Government of Nigeria changed for good the deplorable conditions of the nation’s major highways, which made worrisome headlines in the past

26

Monday, December 22, 2014

THE JONATHAN ADMINISTRATION: FOUR IMPACTFUL YEARS IN THE ROAD SECTOR The Federal Ministry of Works has made significant strides in road development since the inception of the Administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, in 2011.

By May 29, 2011, Nigerian roads were described as “death traps” and many roads were abandoned, while a number of on-going projects were moving at snail speed.

During the swearing-in of the ministers by July, 2011, Mr. President minced no words, when he said “The state of Nigerian roads is unacceptable. You must hit the ground running to change the picture”.

To reverse this ugly trend, the Federal Ministry of Works embarked on aggressive reorganization to reposition the Ministry for effective highway project management.

The existing two highway departments were restructured into twelve departments, viz:

NC Highways Const. & Rehab. Dept.

Materials, Geotechnics & Quality Control Department

NE Highways Const. & Rehab. Dept.

Road Sector Development Team (RSDT)

Public-Privite Partnership Department

Highway Road Design Department

Highway Bridge Design Department

DIRECTORATE OF HIGHWAYS

Highways Planning and Development Department

• • • • • •

works. This means that Contractors could no longer be paid for non-permanent and unprotected work which was at the heart of corruption in FMW. To improve on intervention time for road maintenance, FERMA commenced daily surveillance of all federal roads.

The Ministry commenced the use of bitumen emulsion in place of cut-back bitumen on all road projects by January 2013, in line with the Kyoto Protocol on reduction of greenhouse emission. This policy also freed kerosene for domestic use.

Use of Modified Asphalt that increased the longevity of road pavement was also introduced.

The Ministry has made momentous improvements on the rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion of the Federal Road Network.

98No. projects across the country have been awarded for the period under review.

Thus far, we have completed 62 road projects and have recorded impressive progress on many more.

PROJECTS IMPLEMENTATION The prioritization of projects with a view to completing works on major road corridors for socioeconomic integration and empowerment of our citizenry, has led to the desired results in the following corridors: • Shagamu-Ore-Benin-Asaba-Onitsha-Enugu • Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja-Ikom-Mfum • Lagos-Ibadan-Ilorin • Warri-Benin-Auchi-Okene-Lokoja-Abaji-Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano • Katsina-Kano-Wudil-Damaturu-Maiduguri • Otukpa-Otukpo-Lafia-Jos-Bauchi-Kari-Potiskum • Otukpa-Ayangba-Ajaokuta-Lokoja • Mokwa-Bida-Lambatta • Akure-Ilesha-Ibadan, and • Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Birnin-Yauri-Kontagora-Makera, among others.

NW Highways Const. & Rehab. Dept.

OUTCOMES OF GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION • Travel times between origins and destinations on most of the arterial routes have greatly improved.

• Maintenance costs of vehicles and fuel consumption have been reduced as a result of improved driving surfaces.

• Critical stakeholders in the road sector have publicly acknowledged the breath of fresh air in road transportation in our country.

• Some of the transport companies, such as ABC Transport Company have slashed their transport fares because, as they put it “The Roads Are Getting Better”.

SE Highways Const. & Rehab. Dept.

SS Highways Const. & Rehab. Dept.

IMPROVED TRAVEL TIMES IN SOME ROAD CORRIDORS Corridor Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja Expressway Onitsha-Owerri Expressway Benin-Ore-Shagamu-Lagos Expressway Gombe-Numan-Yola Expressway Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja-Mfum Highway Lagos-Ibadan-Ilorin Highway Otukpa-Ayangba-Ajaokuta-Lokoja Rd Jebba-Lafiaji-Mokwa Road

SW Highways Const. & Rehab. Dept.

The Six (6) Departments of Highway Construction & Rehabilitation became domiciled in each of the six geo-political zones of the country for closer and more effective supervision and management of highway projects.

The reorganization of the Ministry has brought about the revival of many underperforming projects like the Dualisation of Abuja – Lokoja Highway and the Kano – Maiduguri Highway, which earlier had design challenges.

The President Jonathan Administration’s intervention in the road sector has improved federal roads from about 4,500km of fair roads in 2011 to about 25,000km by December 2013, out of the 35,000km of federal highways.

Over 70% of our road network is now motorable when compared to about 16% at the inception of this administration.

This was made possible through the implementation of innovative programmes by the ministry.

Also the Engineering Services Department was restructured to three departments, viz:

Before 4 hours 3 hours 9 hours 6 hours 8 hours 6 hours 4 hours 2 hours

Now 2 hours 1 hour 4 hours 3 hours 3 hours 3.5 hours 1.5 hours 45 mins.

ONGOING PROJECTS Currently, the Federal Ministry of Works has a total of 184 on-going highway projects amounting to a portfolio of N1.767 trillion.

The summary of the projects on zonal basis is as shown below: •

S/N 1 2 3 4 5 6

ZONE North Central North East North West South East South South South West TOTAL

NUMBER OF PROJECTS 29 26 20 45 33 31 184

LENGTH (KM) 1,201.81 1,219.65 1,040.22 1,251.40 739.57 1,072.63 6,525.28

PROJECT COST (Nbn) 294 318 188 357 245 365 1,767

ZONAL PROJECT COST (bn) North Central

North East

North West

South East

South South

South West

N365bn (SW)

PROGRAMMES • Six (6) Zonal Ministerial Independent Monitoring Teams, with membership drawn from the private sector, were set up to monitor on-going highway construction and rehabilitation works and renders independent quarterly reports.

• The Ministry in October 2011 constituted a Road Sector Reform Committee, made up of Experts and Registered Engineers in Nigeria to chart a road map for the reform of the road sector in Nigeria • The 2No. Draft Bills (National Road Fund and Federal Road Authority) by the Committee were recently approved by the FEC. • New template for Interim Certificates was introduced that only allows for payment of permanent

www.works.gov.ng

N294bn (NC) N318bn (NE)

N245bn (SS) N357bn (SE)

N188bn (NW)

27

Monday, December 22, 2014

Ground breakinG ceremony for the Second niGer bridGe by PreSident GoodLuck ebeLe Jonathan, Gcfr SURE-P Intervention The SURE-P has ensured additional funding of selected projects in the road sector resulting in enhanced service delivery in the sector.

Some key projects with SURE-P part-funding are: • Dualisation of Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja Highway • Kano-Maiduguri Highway • Reconstruction of Onitsha-Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway • Rehabilitation of Benin-Ore-Shagamu Expressway • Reconstruction and Expansion of Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan Expressway.

• Construction of the Loko-Oweto Bridge over River Benue, • Construction of Second Niger Bridge in Onitsha/Asaba.

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Projects Under the PPP, the Ministry has four flagship projects, viz: • The Second Niger Bridge linking Onitsha and Asaba in Anambra/Delta States, being undertaken by the Julius Berger-NSIA Consortium.

• The Oshodi–Apakun–Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road in Lagos State, being undertaken by CHEC Consortium.

• Lagos-Ibadan Expressway by TIB Consortium.

• Obajana - Kabba road in Kogi State, being undertaken by Dangote Industries Ltd.

Road Sector Development Team (RSDT) • Collaborates with Multi-Lateral Agencies such as World Bank and African Development Bank.

• Supports Civil Works, Institutional Strengthening, Capacity Building and Road Safety • Facilitates Nigeria-Cameroon Highways Transport Facilitation Project.

FERMA - Road Maintenance • The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) is directly responsible for the maintenance of the federal road network.

• In these past three years, a total of 22,500km of road corridors and 80 bridges of different lengths were maintained by FERMA. • In addition, 7,179 Youths including Women were mobilized, trained and engaged by FERMA for road maintenance under the SURE-P within the period under review for aggressive maintenance of federal roads in the country.

Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation • This Office provides technical supports to the Federal Ministry of Environment, Ecological Fund Office, Nigerian Communication Satellite Agency, Nigerian Geological Agency, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) among others, in mapping, surveying, and delineation of environmental and ecological-related matters to ensure appropriateness of decisions to aid infrastructure development in the country.

•

The Surveyor-General’s Office updated street maps of some major towns including Abuja and deployed its modern equipment in enhancing satellite images for effective planning, preventive and reactive measures on spatial-related matters.

•

Established sixteen of the Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) all over the country streaming data to the Nigeria Network Server through the Surveyor-General’s Office and other Agencies.

Deployment of Zero Order Controls, which enable Nigeria to tie its Survey Controls to other Nations through International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS).

Acquisition of Satellite Imagery and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for the entire country through partnership with Info-Terra Company; this has enabled OSGOF produce 1:25,000 maps faster and more accurately.

Reviewed the Survey Co-ordination Act of 1962 and its subsequent Amendments have been concluded for further consideration for enactment into law.

• • •

Design of Second Niger Bridge, Delta and Anambra States

Design of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos www.works.gov.ng

28

Monday, December 22, 2014

Federal Ministry of Works Projects

AbujA–AbAji–LokojA roAd, gwAgwALAdA Axis (bEForE)

AbujA–AbAji–LokojA roAd duALizAtion gwAgwALAdA Axis (OngOing)

sitE oF Loko–owEto bridgE in nAsArAwA And bEnuE stAtEs ACross riVEr bEnuE (bEForE)

Loko–owEto bridgE in nAsArAwA And bEnuE stAtEs ACross riVEr bEnuE (ongoing)

onitshA hEAd bridgE (AFtEr)

onitshA hEAd bridgE (bEForE)

VoM–MAnChok roAd in PLAtEAu stAtE (bEForE)

VoM–MAnChok roAd in PLAtEAu stAtE (AFtEr)

www.works.gov.ng

29

Monday, December 22, 2014

Federal Ministry of Works Projects

abuJa–abaJi–loKoJa road dualiZatioN completed SectioN (giri JuNctioN)

iKom–mfum road, croSS river State

ibadaN - iloriN road (ibadaN–oyo SectioN)

ogoJa JuNctioN–iKom road, croSS river State

abuJa–abaJi-loKoJa road (completed SectioN)

gombe bypaSS road iN gombe State

KaNo–maiduguri road dualiZatioN (completed SectioN)

Kaura Namoda–Jibiya road iN Zamfara State

www.works.gov.ng

30

Monday, December 22, 2014

Federal Ministry of Works Projects

ApApA oShodi roAd, lAgoS StAte

third mAiNlANd Bridge iN lAgoS StAte

Utor Bridge with ApproAch roAd iN deltA StAte

lANgtANg–lAliN–tUNKUS–SheNdAm roAd iN plAteAU StAte

iJeBU igBo–SeKoNA roAd iN ogUN StAte completed SectioNS

BeNiN –ore–ShAgAmU expreSSwAY

UBA–mBAlA roAd iN BorNo StAte

pedeStriAN Bridge BY wUYe JUNctioN, ABUJA

www.works.gov.ng

31

Monday, December 22, 2014

COMPLETED ROAD PROJECTS

BY FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS BETWEEN 2011-2014 S/N

PROJECT TITLE

1

RECONSTRUCTION OF VOM-MANCHOK ROAD IN PLATEAU STATE

2

CONSTRUCTION OF LANGTANG-LALIN-TUNKUS-SHENDAM ROAD IN PLATEAU STATE

3

REHABILITATION OF OTUKPA-AYANGBA-AJAOKUTA-OKENE ROAD IN KOGI STATE

4

REHABILITATION OF JEBBA BRIDGE IN KWARA STATE

5

REHABILITATION OF OTURKPO-OWETO ROAD IN BENUE STATE

6

REHABILITATION OF WUKARI-TAKUM ROAD IN TARABA STATE

7

EMERGENCY REINSTATEMENT OF COLLAPSED SECTION OF WUKARI MUTUM BIYU ROAD IN TARABA STATE.

8

REHABILITATION OF NINGI-YADAGUMGUME-FUSKAR MATA ROAD (PHASE II) IN BAUCHI STATE

9

RECONSTRUCTION OF GOMBE-NUMAN-YOLA ROAD (YOLA-NUMAN SECTION) IN ADAMAWA STATE

10

REHABILITATION OF GOMBE-NUMAN-YOLA ROAD SECTION II: NUMAN -GOMBE IN ADAMAWA/GOMBE STATES

11

REHABILITATION OF YANA-SHIRA-AZARE ROAD IN BAUCHI STATE

12

EMERGENCY REINSTATEMENT OF COLLAPSED SECTION OF GOMBE POTISKUM ROAD,(KM 12) IN GOMBE STATE

13

REHABILITATION OF UBA-ASKIRA-MBALALA ROAD IN BORNO STATE

14

CONSTRUCTION OF GOMBE-BYE PASS IN GOMBE STATE

15

REHABILITATION OF BAUCHI - DASS - TAFAWA BALEWA ROAD IN BAUCHI STATE

16

REHABILITATION OF HADEJIA-NGURU ROAD, PHASE I:CH0+000 - CH 40+000 (HADEJIA-KIRIKASAMA), ROUTE 70(128) IN JIGAWA STATE

17

REHAB. OF FUNTUA-GUSAU-ROAD ROUTE 85, SECT.II GUSAU-TALATA MAFARA ROAD IN ZAMFARA STATE IN ZAMFARA STATE

18

REHABILITATION OF MARARABA-PAMBEGUWA-SAMINAKA-JOS ROAD SECTION I: MARARABA-PAMBEGUA IN KADUNA STATE

19

REHABILITATION OF MAINCHI-ANKA-DAKI TAKWAS ROAD IN ZAMFARA STATE

20

REHABILITATION OF ACCESS ROAD TO KADUNA REFINERY IN KADUNA STATE

21

REHABILITATION OF KATSINA-DAURA IN KATSINA STATE

22

REINSTATEMENT OF WASHOUTS AT KM 6+750(LHS) ON ONITSHA BOUND CARRIAGEWAY AND TWO OTHERS ON ENUGU BOUND CARRIAGEWAY (KM 30+400 AND 35+325-RHS) ALONG ONITSHA-ENUGU DUAL CARRIAGEWAY IN ANAMBRA AND ENUGU STATES.

23

REHABILITATION OF OKIJA-OGUTA-IMO STATE BORDER (19KM) ROUTE 406 (F. 228) IN ANAMBRA STATE

24

REHABILITATION OF ABA-OWERRI INIMO/ABIA STATES

25

DUALIZATION OF ONITSHA-OWERRI ROAD AND ONITSHA EASTERN BYPASS SECTION I IN ANAMBRA AND IMO STATES

26

REHABILITATION OF OBIOZARA-UBURU-ISHIAGU-ENUGU-P/H ROAD (PHASE I) IN EBONYI STATE

27

EXTENSION OF THE SERVICE LANES FROM KM 0+000 (RIVER NIGER BRIDGE HEAD, ONITSHA) TO KM1+000 AND REHABILITATION OF SLIP ROADS AT UPPER IWEKA INTERCHANGE IN ONITSHA, ANAMBRA STATE

28

EMERGENCY REINSTATEMENT OF WASHOUT/GULLY EROSION AT KM 127+000 (AUCHI), ALONG OKENE -BENIN ROAD, ROUTE 50(A2) AND KM 14+000 ALONG AUCHI-AGENEGBODE ROAD, IN EDO STATE

29

CONSTRUCTION OF 2NO. BRIDGES ALONG AUCHI POLYTECHNIC-EKPERI-AGENEBODE ROAD IN EDO STATE

30

REHABILITATION AND ASPHALT OVERLAY OF THE BENIN-SHAGAMU ROAD (BENIN-OFOSU SECTION) EXPRESSWAY IN EDO STATE

31

DUALISATION OF ACCESS ROAD TO ONNE PORT IN RIVERS STATE

32

REHABILITATION OF ACCESS ROAD TO FEDERAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UROMI IN EDO STATE

33

REHABILITATION OF ACCESS ROAD TO WARRI REFINERY IN DELTA STATE

34

CONSTRUCTION OF UTOR BRIDGE WITH APPROACH ROAD ALONG ASABA-EBU-AHIA-UROMI ROAD IN DELTA/ EDO STATES

35

REHABILITATION OF KABBA-OMUO-IFAKI-ADO EKITI-ARAMOKOO-ITAWURE- EFON ALAAYE-ERINMO-OSHIGBO ROAD SECTION I: OMUO-IFAKI IN EKITI STATE

36

REHABILITATION/CONSTRUCTION OF IJEBU IGBO-AJEGUNLE-ARAROMI-IFE-SEKONA ROAD, SECTION II IN OGUN STATE

37

REHABILITATION OF OLD OYO-OGBOMOSHO ROAD IN OYO STATE

38

REHABILITATION OF ACCESS ROAD TO EJIGBO NNPC DEPOTS IN LAGOS STATE

39

REPAIRS OF THIRD MAINLAND BRIDGE PHASE II, ADDITIONAL WORKS FOR THE REPAIRS OF 8 NO EXPANSION JOINTS IN LAGOS STATE

40

REHABILITATION OF APAPA-OSHODI EXPRESSWAY SECTION I KM.7+000(BEACHLAND JUNCTION) TO KM.12+600RHS IN LAGOS STATE

41

REHABILITATION OF OTTA-OWODE ROAD IN OGUN STATE

42

REHABILITATION OF IPELE-ISHUA ROAD IN ONDO STATE

43

THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGE AT LAFENWA IN OGUN STATE

44

DUALISATION OF IBADAN-ILORIN RD (ROUTE NO. 2) SECTION I: IBADAN-OYO ROAD IN OYO STATE

45

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF JEBBA - LAFIAGI ROAD IN NIGER STATE

46

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF TAKAI - ALBASU - GAYA ROAD IN KANO STATE

47

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF NAFADA - GOMBEABBA ROAD IN GOMBE STATE

48

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF HONG - MUBI ROAD IN ADAMAWA STATE

49

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF KURFI - CHIRANCHI ROAD IN KATSINA STATE

50

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF OKPALA - IGWURITA ROAD IN IMO STATE

51

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF ADO - ILUMOBA - AGBADO - IKARE ROAD SECTION A IN EKITI STATE

52

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF DINGAYA - GALAMBI - RUNGO ROAD IN JIGAWA STATE

53

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF RUMUKURSHI - CHOKOCHO ROAD IN RIVERS STATE

54

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF AKURE - OWO ROAD IN ONDO STATE

55

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF ADO - ILUMOBA - AGBADO - IKARE ROAD SECTION B IN EKITI STATE

56

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF LAFIAGI - MOKWA ROAD IN NIGER STATE

57

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF EAST WEST - ODI ROAD IN BAYELSA STATE

58

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF LAFIA - DOMA ROAD IN NASSARAWA STATE

59

REHABILITATION OF ENUGU - ABAKALIKI ROAD IN ENUGU/EBONYI STATES

60

REHABILITATION OF OGOJA JUNCTION - IKOM ROAD IN CROSS RIVER STATE

61

RECONSTRUCTION OF ABAKALIKI - OGOJA JUNCTION ROAD IN EBONYI/CROSS RIVER STATES

62

REHABILITATION IKOM-MFUM ROAD IN CROSS RIVER STATE

www.works.gov.ng

32

Monday, December 22, 2014

Federal Ministry of Works Projects

zaria–gUsaU–sOkOtO–birnin kEbbi rOad (FUntUa–gUsaU sECtiOn) in katsina statE

Onitsha–OwErri ExprEssway

ObiOzara-UbUrU-ishiagU rOad in EnUgU and EbOnyi statEs

rECOnstrUCtiOn and ExpansiOn OF LagOs ibadan rOad (OngOing)

nsUkka–ObOLLO aFOr–nkaLagU rOad in EnUgU and EbOnyi statEs (OngOing)

LOkOJa - bEnin dUaLizatiOn in kOgi and EdO statEs (OngOing )

As we progress with the Transformation of the Road Sector, I wish to assure fellow citizens that the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will leave no stone unturned in its avowed commitment to bequeath better and safer world-class roads to Nigerians.

dingaya–gaLanbi–rUngO rOad, sOkOtO statE

Signed: Arc Mike OnOleMeMen, cOn Honourable Minister of Works www.works.gov.ng

Monday, December 22, 2014

Yuletide: Prices Of Clothes, Foodstuff Soar In Uyo Ahead of the Christmas celebrations prices of major food items have increased in markets in Akwa Ibom State.

A survey by our correspondent in Uyo the state capital revealed that prices of some of the items had gone up by over 30 per cent when compared with the same period last year.

Items mostly affected by the price increase were rice, tomatoes, pepper, onions and livestock.

LEADERSHIP check revealed that cost of livestock, chicken and fish had gone up by at least 30 per cent compared to their prices the same time last year.

The investigations also showed that fresh tomatoes, cooking oil, beans and yam tubers were also affected by the price increase.

By Bernard Tolani Dada Uyo

news south-South south-East 33

Amaechi Lambasts PDP, Wike For Desecrating Akpor Kingdom

By Anayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt

Rivers State governor and chairman of Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum (NGF), Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has called on the people of Akpor Kingdom of the state to vote out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, in the 2015 elections for allegedly desecrating

the kingdom.

Amaechi made the call during the weekend when he paid a courtesy call on the traditional ruler of Akpor Kingdom, Eze Orlu Oriebe and at the foundation stone laying of the proposed Akpor Traditional Centre at Ozuoba in Obio/Akpor local government area of the state.

The governor said the unholy collaboration between support-

ers of PDP and Wike, to perpetrate the molestation of the traditional stool of Akpor Kingdom currently under the kingship of Oriebe with thugs and police, at the time when Mbu Joseph Mbu was commissioner of police in the state, was illegal and an act of disrespect to the traditional stools and elders of Ikwerre land.

He said, “The All Progressives

Congress (APC) and my government will no longer hear and tolerate that you are molested by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They only succeeded in molesting you during the time when Mbu Joseph Mbu was Commissioner of Police. But, now, it is time for the people of Akpor kingdom to allow the Riverine people of the state produce the next governor in 2015.

short news Embrace Ihedioha, Owerri Zone Tells Aspirants

PDP Chieftain Drags Agip, FG To Court Over N500m Oil Theft Surveillance Contract

Following the series of protests that have trailed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primaries in Imo State and the desire by the party to reclaim the state in 2015, Owerri zone has called on all the aggrieved aspirants to come together and support the winner of the primary, chief Emeka Ihedioha.

The zone has condemned efforts by some individuals to engender hostility within the party, stressing that the party members ought to have learnt from previous experience.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Hon. Nyenye Kuro Mathias has dragged the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NOAC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation to the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, River State over the refusal of the multinational company to honour agreement on crude oil theft L-R: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, his wife, surveillance contract valued at Martha and wife of the state party chairman, Mrs Vivian Ekpo, at the 9,999 Christmas Carol service in Uyo. N500million.

Hon. Nyenye Kuro Mathias, in suit, numbered FHC/PH/ CS/293/2014, accused the Agip of reneging on a contractual agreeBy Anayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt suring that the PDP wins the Presi- I can tell you that a lot of you here ment entered into on the 24th of dency, as well as the House of Assem- knew that some of the processes that May, 2014 between him and top One of the 16 aggrieved governor- bly and National Assembly elections were used to arrive at this decision management staff of the compaship aspirants on the platform of the in the state during the 2015 gener- (PDP governorship primary) were ny.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in al elections. deceitful, by any standard, but the

By Osa Okhomina, Yenagoa Rivers State, Bekinbo Dagogo-Jack, He said although the December results are there and the party has has expressed his resolve to work for 8, 2014 governorship primaries of taken a decision. So, any aspirant is the emergence of the party’s gover- the PDP, which saw the emergence confronted with a choice. norship candidate, Chief Ezebunwo of Wike, the immediate past minis“The choice I and my people behind Nyesom Wike as the next governor ter of state for education as the par- me have picked is that we will remain of the state in 2015. ty’s standard bearer, had defects, the in the PDP. We will work for the PDP Dagogo-Jack, who stated this dur- decision of the leadership of the par- to be victorious in the next election ing an interactive session with jourat all levels; governorship, House of Poor leadership is the bane of Ni- nalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, ty remains supreme.

Assembly, Federal House of RepreThe governorship aspirant said, “I geria’s development both in in- said he has also resolved to channel sentatives, Senate and on top of all, cannot discuss about the future; the frastructural provision and im- his energy and resources towards enthe Presidency. future knows how to discuss itself.

By Stanley Uzoaru, provement on the welfare of the Owerri citizenry.

This assertion was made by the Bishop of Awka Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor who said that this is due to By Bernard Tolani Dada, Uyo al Stadium brought together ment to mark the celebration gether gospel artistes, preachlack of vision and selfishness on gospel artistes, preachers, res- of the birth of Jesus Christ ev- ers, residents of the state and the part of the leaders.

Akwa Ibom State and indeed idents of the state and visitors ery Christmas. visitors alike, in a unique comIn his homily yesterday at St. lovers of Christ all over the alike, in a unique commemoraSpeaking at the event Gover- memoration of the birth of Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, world witnessed weekend’s tion of the birth of Christ and nor Godswill Akpabio enjoined Christ and the yuletide seaAwka, Anambra State praised Christmas Carol Night held at the yuletide season in an eve- the people to use the occasion son in an evening of worship, former governor Peter Obi the newly built International ning of worship, praise, exhor- to pray not only for an end to praise, exhortation and unity on his investiture of the Papal Stadium in Uyo, the state cap- tation and unity. the current security challeng- ,’’ Akpabio stated. award as Kights of St. Sylvester, ital.

Akpabio, said that he was The epoch making event es plaguing the country but and described as unprecedented The event which saw 9,999 which has comfortably set- also for the eradication of the inspired by the desire to gathachievements his administration choristers gathered in unanim- tled in the Guinness Book of dreaded Ebola virus ravaging er people from every church, recorded in the state. ity to render songs and praises World Records is a yearly event parts of Africa. hamlet and village, in and

By Okechukwu Obeta, Awka to God at the Uyo Internation- organised by the state govern“This year’s event bring to- around the state.

2015: I’ve Resolved To Work For Wike – Dagogo-Jack

Leadership, Bane Of Nigeria’s Development – Bishop Ezeokafor

A/Ibom Holds 9,999 Carol Night

34 THE NATION’S CAPITAL

Monday, December 22, 2014

NGO Organises Dialogue Football Competition

BY VICTOR OKEKE

A non-governmental organisation (NGO) under the auspices of Ufuk Dialogue Foundation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has hosted the 2nd Annual International Dialogue Football Cup. President of the organisation, Mr. Oguzhan Dirican said the main aim of the event was to bring together different nations to the FCT, through their Embassies in a friendly competition that would foster communication and dialogue between them.

The event took place at the Nigerian Turkish Nile University Abuja, on Saturday, 29th of November 2014, paid hot to the Ambassadors to Mali, Palestine Burkina Faso, as well as distinguished embassy staff from Indonesia, France, Lebanon, Pakistan and India, who watched and cheered for their favorite team.

Dirican said, “The cup which is the second in a series is a dialogue competition meant to foster unity between member countries. Over sixteen countries were here to compete for this trophy from France, Lebanon, Germany, Pakistan to Burkina Faso, and also Turkish and Nigerian too.

“We are having fun here and showing peace.

There are mainly two objectives this cup, which are understanding and living together, and we are showing this through football, which unites all people. There is a kind of small unity here in Abuja,” Dirican explained.

One of the participants from Mali, Ibrahim Dikko said that for him the cup competition was a wonderful innovation, “Football brings unity, because when you are playing it, whether you are winning or losing. I think the dialogue is working, we have so many countries here and all of us are speaking the language of football.”

According the spokesperson of the group, Savas Tuylu said the group aims at bring different part of the world into one. “As you can see now, we have over sixteen embassies engaging in dialogue and peace. The competition is a non-violent cup which engages participants in the peace building process.

“We want to give countries the platform to find the peace that seem elusive to the world.

Ufuk Dialogue Foundation- the name is Turkish translated horizon in English, with the aim to create mutual understanding and co-existence.

Also we are fostering peace and dialogue in different ways and this cup competition is just one,” Tuylu said.

Mr Ishaq Ibrahim who played for Team Nigeria said that, “Unity is absolutely essential even when most countries are incapable of trusting each other. If humanity is to ever resolve the major problems in the world today, countries and their respective governments must start ‘working together towards their collective good.

“This kind of cohesive psychological global unity and cooperation must exist for any real change to become possible. Currently, countries are all psychologically pulling in different directions, according to their own self-centred interests. They need to all be heading in the same direction – aligned towards their common good which is what I think this dialogue cup is achieving,” he added.

The event witnessed representatives of over 16 embassies in the FCT competing in the international dialogue football cup and the trophy was won by Mali after defeating the Nigerian team in the finals, which ended 2-0.

L-R: President, UFUK Dialogue Foundation in Nigeria, Mr. Oguzhan Dirican and representative of head of Malian Mission to Nigeria, Mr Mahamane Amadou Maiga, with the trophy after UFUK football competition.

Yuletide: FRSC Cautions Motorists Against Reckless Driving

By Igho Oyoyo

The Unit Commander of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Kuje area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Charles Umoh, has called on motorists in the area and entire FCT to avoid reckless driving during the Christmas celebration.

Umoh made the call while speaking with journalists in Kuje during a sensitisation campaign on fake driver’s license and reckless driving, organised for taxi and motorcycle riders in the area.

According to Umoh, accidents do not just

happen, that they are caused by road users as a result of their negligence and recklessness most times.

“Speeding and arrogance of some drivers cause about 40 per cent of road crashes. Majority of the drivers are eager to go and discharge passengers and return for another trip; so, they drive recklessly. Their attitude and actions have cost the lives of many Nigerians,” he said.

He urged the taxi drivers and motorcycle riders in the area to always obey traffic rules before, during and after the Christmas period, calling for partnership between the Kuje Transport Union and the FRSC in Kuje in order to

reduce road accidents.

The unit commander said the FRSC would work toward zero crashes during and after the Christmas period, as the Road Marshals would be vigilant during the festival.

The Chairman of Kuje Road Transport Union, Alhaji Idris Ndaman, while responding, commended the FRSC for organizing the campaign and promised to cooperate with the command at all times.

Ndaman called on the agency and other relevant organisations to mount more road signs at identified flash points in order to caution drivers.

Gwagwalada Prosecutes 700 Sanitation Violators In 2014

By Chika Mefor

About 700 sanitation violators have been prosecuted by the Gwagwalada area council environmental protection mobile court in 2014.

This was disclosed by the head of the environmental services department of the council Mallam Tijjani Ado addressing journalists on the activities of the department this year.

Ado said out of the total numbers served with the abatement notice, 320

have so far complied.

“People have started complying, because they have reasoned with themselves that it is better to comply with the rules and regulation, than to spend money and time in the mobile court,” he said.

Ado said the aim of the mobile court has greatly been achieved, as people have adjusted and complied with the sanitation rules, because they know within themselves that all the rules were made to help keep the council

clean.

The Gwagwalada head of environmental service further warned residents against dumping refuse by the road side, that the exercise of the mobile court is a continues process in the council.

“Dumping of refuses along the road or drainages is an offense and should be stopped in the council. Apart from the fact that it makes the environment dirty, it blocks the drainages and causes flood,” he said.

Yuletide: Commercial Drivers Lament Of Low Patronage

By Chika Mefor

As Christmas approaches, motor parks around Zuba and its envions have complained of low patronage as people are yet to travel to their various places for the Christmas celebration.

Sunday Okwor, an attendant in the park stated that unlike last year, many people were not travelling attributing it to the bad economy in the country.

Okwor who said that the transport fare to Anambra from Abuja ranges from

N3800 to N5000, to Enugu, N3000 to N4000 and to Lagos is N6000 to N7000, added that they were hoping that the park will experience more patronage after Christmas.

“People are really not traveling this year. Last year, within this time, we have loaded up to 6 buses but now it is different. We hope that things will change after Christmas and that people we start coming out,” he said.

Another park attendant who gave his name as Oche said the transport fare

were not that high compared to last year adding that the fare have to correspond with the number of passengers they get.

Passengers who spoke to LEADERSHIP complained about the outrageous rate they were asked to pay for the luggage they were travelling with.

“How will I pay for my transport fare and also pay for my loads too? The prices they call are too much. One would even have to pay more for loads than the transport fare,” Ikenna Uzo said.

OPINION 35

Monday, December 22, 2014

APC Should Make Atiku BOT Chairman

By Segun Akintobi

Following the successful conclusion of the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against all odds, and the emergence of Major- General Buhari as the candidate of the APC, the stage is now set for the mother of all contests in 2015. The contest is between the APC which is the agent of change on behalf of the Nigerian people and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that has brought the nation and our people very low for a long time.

The APC deserve commendation for assisting the party’s flag bearer, General Buhari in selecting a worthy and qualified presidential running mate in the person of the erudite and accomplished legal luminary, Professor Yinka Osinbajo. It is hoped that the party and the presidential candidate would join hands to put in place a formidable presidential campaign organization made up of experienced persons who will give the PDP the contest it deserves and overwhelm the latter to put the APC in power at the center in 2015.

Now, in addition to the above, the party needs to have an experienced and committed politician as chairman of its Board of Trustees. In view of his former position as vice president of the

Atiku

Federal Republic of Nigeria and his national and international clout and exposure, Atiku Abubakar will bring a lot of benefits to the APC if he occupies this position.

Second, Atiku needs to make input into the presidential campaign that will ensure General Buhari and the APC take power in 2015. This is a road the vice president had travelled in the past with resounding success.

His regular input into campaign activities cannot be overemphasised. Atiku is a strategist, a

Atiku needs to make input into the presidential campaign that will ensure General Buhari and the APC take power in 2015

mobiliser and grassroots politician whose presence at campaign rallies of the party would make a huge difference.

Third, in his usual way, Atiku and his team made an invaluable contribution to the consolidation of the party in many parts of the country by giving many state branches a sense of belonging through generous financial contribution for building and running the party.

Making the former vice president the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees will go a long way to consolidate the structure of the party as a national party ready to take power.

Similarly, with the Turaki as chairman, BOT, the party would have finally put in place the formidable team needed to rout the progressively undemocratic and fatigued ruling PDP and give the Nigerian people the much- awaited change of leadership come the 2015 elections.

It is hoped that the national leadership of the party will reflect urgently on this issue and ensure that this loyal and committed statesman is put in the position where the party can maximise the utilisation of his many good qualities.

– Akintobi, an APC member wrote from Ikeja, Lagos

Nigeria And Money Politics byAbdulmumini Shehu Sani

PDP, APC, PDM, APGA are birds of the same feather whose members were once in the PDP. The blood running in their veins are that of PDP; they are the children who were nurtured by the PDP who don’t know anything about being upright, just and fair.

The craze for money in Nigerian politics is not new in the anals of our history.

It’s a tradition that has its root dated back to the first republic where the use of gratification started to manifest. Presently, the norm has been associated with a category of politicians who day in day out struggle to snatch the peoples mandate through kickbacks and bribes. The norm is also associated to the breeds that could be found everywhere in the present day ruling party.

A synoptic overview is enough to buttress the above assertion: one would wonder what brought about this behaviour? Is it because the country is so poor?

Or is it that the wealth of

the nation is unevenly distributed? In this, various factors both within and without could be lumped into this category. The ruling party in one way or the other has been vehemently accused of this behaviour, a behaviour which is seen as a retardation of the quality of our so called leaders.

One would wonder how even the opposition were found guilty of this abnormal behaviour? In any developed society, the opposition in politics is seen and respected for their status of check and balances. Oppositions are watchdogs, whistles blowers and representatives of the poeple. They are also seen as sub-groups, or parties that stand to ensure rule of law and stability of democracy in its real definition.

In Nigeria, especially in my state, Katsina, a lay man cannot distinguish from the ruling party and the opposition, because all are in this dangerous terrain, a terrain which is causing fear and uncertainty in the electorate about the future management of the state’s

hard earned funds.

Corruption which is a brain child of money politics is found in the fabrics of both the ruling party and the opposition in my own state.

Another painful scenario appears as most of the opposition (APC, PDM) expected to be checking the shoddy activities of the ruling party have become mundane or unprofessional doctors who stand with their eyes wide open lamenting the rise in the temperature forgetting to attack the malarial parasite in the blood stream.

Money have been used everywhere like a spree in primary elections conducted by the mega parties – PDP and APC from the local, state and at the national level.

One may wonder, since both the ruling and the opposition parties resolved to use money as a weapon to woo the support of the electorate, how can the common man have a sigh of relief? Where would the masses of this country go to look for a real democratic practice? Where would a common man look for a

messiah? Indeed no where!

Since the political fabrics have been polluted with corruption and use of money as the last resort How can Katsina State be saved from the hands of unscrupulous power mongers? The opposition, viz APC, PDM and APGA have concerned themselves with money politics instead of posing a threat to the ruling party.

They are money bags politicians who are bent on using their money to rule the masses by hooks and crooks.

In concrete terms which among the PDP, APC, APGA and PDM should be allowed to rule as they continu to induce the common man by buying his rights? None of them, the PDP, APC, APGA and PDM is qualified to represent the masses.

In fact this trend would not augur well with the current situation in the country, a situation which is anxiously looking for a saviour who will sail the ship of the nation to a destiny where people will enjoy the manna of life in peace.

– Sani writes from Katsina

Guest Columnist

By sunday onyemaechi eze

Understanding The Power Of Information

I

nformation is knowledge and knowledge is derived from study, experience, or instruction.

It is the knowledge of specific events or situations that have been gathered or received by communication; intelligence or news.

This definition includes anything from stone tablets, to oral histories, to film, to electronic files and when you think of information this way; you can easily become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material out there from which to choose.

According to The Internet Edge: Social, Legal, and Technological Challenges for a Networked World, “the dilemma of the information age are: being overwhelmed by useless information and the difficulty in efficiently finding the specific information we seek.”

The society does not only find it difficult in efficiently accessing information it seeks or overwhelmed by useless information but the ample information at its disposal is only what the sources deliberately wants the society to know.

Many true and undeniable facts about our society are deliberately thwarted or completely hidden from the public glare through personal and interpersonal communication.

The mass media enhanced by information technology have uniquely enhanced and defined the way and manner information is disseminated throughout the world. The world has today become a global village as a result of the quantum of information one could access at the comfort of one’s home via the internet. The media should ensure fairness, objectivity, neutrality and timely dissemination of information. Needless to say that dependability and consistency in the reportage of issues is the hallmark of journalism. That was why people boldly say, I hear it on the news. However, the mass media has now become a kidnapper who holds the society hostage and forces it to swallow hook-line and sinker only such information it wishes to churn out.

The way and manner we treat other people, issues and events is a product of our understanding and assessment of information about them which is at our disposal. Information defines one’s perception of one’s self-esteem and that of others. It shapes and strengthens economic, political, religious, historical and environmental issues in the society. Information is power and well-articulated-healthy information in the affairs of men is a catalyst to huge societal advancement.

However, it is always catastrophic when wrong information is churned out about individuals or groups to achieve a premeditated course.

Consequently, the opinions of those who get to access this information are conditioned in the direction or the intent (good or bad) of the source of such information. Societies, many families and businesses have suffered stupefying blows owing to wrong information strewn about them. There is a wide gulf between the North and the South today because of the quantum of correct or wrong information at the disposal of both divides about how one had undo the other. The world and the people living in it thrive around information churned out through personal and interpersonal communications. Thus, without information, the world would have been dumb – a silent grave yard. Information should be uniting and uplifting the society but in the event it fails to: let the world remain a grave yard with wrong information.

Our political environment is electrifying, frenzied and littered with various forms of information and misinformation about political parties and individuals who have thrown their hats into the political ring in the forthcoming elections.

Therefore, the ability of one to sieve the chaff from the wheat in one’s decision making process determines the impact of information one has at his disposal.

36

Monday, December 22, 2014

politics today Monday, December 22, 2014

B

REPORTS ANALYSES REVIEWS INTERVIEWS

arely two weeks after the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) concluded its gubernatorial primaries across the states, its candidate in Imo State and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, is facing fresh opposition over his proclaimed emergence at the party primaries.

The PDP gubernatorial electoral committee headed by Hon Terngu Tsegba announced Emeka Iheidioha winner of the primary, having polled 346 votes to defeat 27 other contestants in a keenly contested election. The result announced by the electoral committee chairman indicates that Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Ararume former candidate of the party in Ihedioha the 2007 election, came second with 336 votes.

But the victory of Hon Ihedioha at the just concluded primaries appears to be short lived as the runner up to the election, Ararume has continued to lay claim to the victory thus describing Ihedioha’s declaration as controversial. This recent development has raised MBACHU GODWIN NNANNA writes that the claim of Senator Ifeanyi confusion and political tension Ararume as the winner of the just concluded PDP governorship primary in in the state chapter of PDP. Ararume, a former senator, had Imo State instead of the declared winner, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, is giving the been denied the party’s ticket in party cause for worry.

2007 even though he won the secretariat, threatened to deal results his committee announced, any plan to work against the party primary in the state.

Ararume, in a well drafted with the party if the injustice was while dismissing Ararume’s claim or dump it for the opposition All as frivolous and unfounded. He Progressives Congress (APC). petition to the National Working not reversed .

Addressing the angry protesters added that the primary election It appears that the move by Committee (NWC) and Electoral Appeal Panel committee, has who were made up of people from was free and fair as there was Ihedioha to appeal to some of challenged the Hon Terngu the 27 local government areas, no hitch in the exercise. He also his contestants at the primary Tsegba-led electoral committee Imo State PDP secretary, Sir maintained that the election did not achieve its desired result on the grounds that he George Egu, assured them that was conducted in a peaceful effect as most of them are still won the primary with the original their message will be channelled atmosphere devoid of violence. aggrieved at the outcome of the result. He asked the appeal panel to the relevant authority for But Ihedioha’s victory has primary. Our check indicates and the NWC of the party to reject proper action. continued to ruffle feathers as that Senator Ifeanyi Ararume the result that was announced Equally, the Imo PDP Elders Ararume’s campaign has vowed had distanced himself from any and submitted by the electoral Forum, while protesting the not to let the chance slip off their understanding as he is said to committee and declare him declaration of Ihedioha as hands this time around, even as be committed in pursuing his the winner and gubernatorial candidate of the party, stated in it continues to express belief that ticket to its logical conclusion. It candidate of the party in the state. a letter addressed to the national it was robbed of victory by some is not certain that Ararume will He claimed that the votes chairman, Adamu Muazu, “ The certain forces. embrace the candidature of Hon cast by the accredited delegates National Working Committee There is palpable fear within Emeka Ihedioha who he perceives were wrongly computed, placing must do the right thing by the PDP and camp of the deputy as not capable of winning the Ihedioha ahead with a thin margin upholding Senator Ararume’s speaker that the confusion state for the party. Again, the of 10 votes. This, according to well deserved victory. The total generated by the controversy will feeling and sentiment within the him, was the result of manipulated number of votes obtained by the affect the chances of the party in Ararume camp is that he should counting. aspirants as announced by the the general election if something be compensated for being denied Ararume also stated in his committee far exceeds the total urgent is not done by the party’s the 2007 ticket and the party petition that the result was number of votes cast. This means hierarchy to nip it in the bud and should see this as a strategy to fraught with irregularities and that there is an excess of 21 to swiftly move to heal some reverse itself. demanded that Ihedioha be votes. Total number of accredited political wound.

As the controversy over who dropped as the party’s candidate. delegates 1,064, total number Apprehensive of the danger won the Imo PDP gubernatorial In a protest rally in support votes cast 1,017, total number of ahead, the deputy speaker has ticket continues to unfold, of Senator Ararume at the PDP void votes 11 and total number of quickly extended the olive political analysts are keen to state secretariat on Egbu Road, valid votes 1006”. branch to all the aspirants who know if the PDP will recant itself However, the electoral contested with him, urging on a result they earlier announced Owerri, protesters urged the party’s leadership to correct what committee chairman, Hon Tsegba, them to rally around him for and accepted, following the facts they described as injustice done to in defence of the victory of Emeka the success of the party in next presented by Senator Ararume the former senator who they said Ihedioha and his subsequent year’s election. Ihedioha was said or if it will maintain the statues actually won the primaries. The emergence as the governorship to have commenced visitation of quo. This will unfold in the weeks group, who shut down the state’s candidate, said he stands by the aggrieved aspirants to stave off ahead.

PDP Imo Primary: Not Yet Uhuru For Ihedioha

It is not certain that Ararume will embrace the candidature of Hon Emeka Ihedioha who he perceives as not capable of winning the state for the party

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38 POLITICS TODAY Abia Guber: Youths Caution PDP Over Ikpeazu’s Tax Record

Monday, December 22, 2014

by mbachu Godwin Nnanna, Abuja

As controversy continues to trail the just concluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries in Abia State, the PDP Youth Vanguard (PDPYV), Abia State chapter, has cautioned the leadership of the party over the nomination of Okezie Ikpeazu as the party’s flag bearer in the state.

In a press sttament signed by its state coordinator, Mr Nicholas Ahamaefule, and made available to LEADERSHIP, the group drew the attention of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on the alleged inaccurate tax records of the party’s standard bearer.

The group claimed that the nomination of Ikpeazu as the party’s candidate without a verifiable and valid tax record is capable of robbing the party victory in the court if it went ahead to field him in next year’s gubernatorial election.

“We therefore urge the party’s leadership to verify the tax record of its Abia State gubernatorial candidate with the view of averting any legal tussle after the election”.

Ikeazu who emerged the Abia State gubernatorial candidate in an election described as free and fair is said to be enmeshed in a fresh controversy over his tax records.

My Running Mate Will Emerge This Week - el-Rufai

BY MIDAT JOSEPH, Kaduna

The governorship flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, Malam Nasir ElRufai, yesterday hinted that he will announce his running mate this week ahead of the 2015 February general election.

He said this was in compliance with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s directives.

El-Rufai, who was addressing APC candidates in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, said, “The process of choosing running mate is ongoing and with direct involvement of all members of our party and stakeholders. We are not looking for a running mate like PDP spare tyre, we are looking for a deputy that can take serious responsibility of governance and based on our experience, we need a sound running mate. The issue of a running mate is a serious and rigorous exercise towards rebuilding our state for peace and cogent development.”

Insisting that deputy governors are supposed to be engine rooms of development, El-Rufai continued, “Everything about governance must be redefined and taken serious, and so, our party is taking this matter serious and we are working hard.

Jonathan

el-Rufai

Maku

Party Primaries: Jonathan Begs Aggrieved Aspirants To Remain In PDP ... As PDP rakes N21.28bn at president’s campaign fundraiser

By George Agba, Abuja

President Goodluck Jonathan has implored aspirants who lost out in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries to not to dump the party.

This is coming just as the party realised over N21.28bn for President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 presidential election campaign.

Jonathan, who spoke at a PDP fundraising dinner held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Saturday night, assured the aggrieved party aspirants that the leadership of the party was working to resolve all outstanding issues from the congresses and primaries in the interest of democracy.

He said, “we all appreciate that throughout the congresses where primary elections were conducted there have been some outstanding

issues. The party is working to resolve these issues; definitely, in such situations, all may not be resolved to the satisfaction of everybody.

“But my plea to party members is to remain committed to the party; stay with the party. I know other parties are wooing some of you to contest elections on their platforms but if you believe in democracy then you will contribute to strengthen it.

The only way you can strengthen democracy is for you to stay in your party”.

The president, who further asked them to be patient, said that if there were issues they felt bitter about, the best option for them to stay together and correct them, even as he noted that staying together to settle those issues was the only way democracy can grow.

“If out of anger or frustration, you leave the party because you didn’t get what you wanted, then you are not contributing to the growth of democracy”, he pleaded.

At the fundraising dinner,

business moguls, multinational firms, interest groups and individuals donated over N21.28b to support Jonathan’s 2015 presidential election campaign.

The fundraiser chairman, Mr. Tunde Ayeni, opened the floor for donation when he announced a donation of N2bn, explaining that half of the amount was donated by him and his partner, while the other N1bn was contributed by their unnamed friends.

Members of the oil and gas sector donated N5bn, while those in real estate and building sector donated N4bn.

Other sectors donated as follows: Transport and Aviation, N1bn; Food and Agriculture, N500m; Power, N500m; Construction, N310m; Road Construction, N250m; National Automative Association, N450m; and Shelter Development Limited, N250m.

Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda, who spoke on behalf of the PDP governors forum said each of the 21 PDP governors donated

N50m, totaling N1.05bn.

Chairman of the fundraiser committee, Prof. Jerry Gana, also announced that his friends and associates in the power sector were donating N5bn.

SIFAX Group announced N100m donation, while PDP stakeholders in Rivers State supported Jonathan’s bid with N50m.

Representative of the Chief Fund Raiser and Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, Mr. Joseph Makanju, told the gathering that Dangote left the country without mandating him to make a donation but added that his principal would personally see the national chairman of the PDP, Adamu Mu’azu, for his donation.

Some other individuals and granita tigons also made donations at the event.

Speaking at the event, President Jonathan thanked the donors and assured them that the funds would not be wasted or misused.

Earlier, Gana acknowledged the fact that the 2015 general elections

‘Why I Rejected Nasarawa PDP Guber Primary Results’

BY MILLIE IBE, Abuja

Former minister of information, Mr Labaran Maku, has rejected the result of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primary in Nasarawa State.

In a press statement signed by the director of Publicity, Yusuf Zakari Ukpo-Edegomade, made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Abuja, Maku Campaign Organisation said that having reviewed the PDP gubernatorial primary election

held on 8th December, 2014 in Nasarawa, headquarters of Nasarawa local government of Nasarawa State, it has decided to reject the said primary in totality.

It said that its rejection of the results is based on the following grounds: “The attention of the Nasarawa State PDP Gubernatorial Primary Election Panel led by Distinguished Senator Adolphus Wabara was drawn to the issue of the delegates list that was changed in the following local

government areas: Keana, Obi, Lafia, Akwanga and Nasarawa Eggon.

“The entire process of the election was full of frustration due to sudden change of venue without prior notice.

“That the delegates were not accredited, as a result, the actual number of delegates was not certain.

“The election panel chairman announced a total of 1100 voters’ cards to be used for the elections as against the total of 601 delegates for the

gubernatorial primary thereby giving room for manipulation of the electoral process.

“That most of the delegates were intimidated to vote for a particular aspirant against their wish.”

Based on the above reasons, the Maku Campaign Organisation appealed to the PDP gubernatorial appeal panel, Nasarawa State, to address the alleged anomalies in the interest of the party and the success of the 2015 general election in Nasarawa State.

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Monday, December 22, 2014

Ministers of God in Nation Building ...

REV. CHRIS CHRISTIAN: A Quintessential Rare-Role Model

XMAS EDITION:

second Coming of Christ, preparing saints for Rapture and declaring the immortalization of mortals, having signs, wonders and diverse demonstrations of God's power attesting of the willingness of God to deliver and to save to the uttermost. The Church is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria.

Called and anointed by God, Rev. Chris is an Apostle Prophet, an avid Teacher and Preacher of God's Word. He is a prolific writer of over seventy

T

hose who respect position and value wealth may not rank him among men, but his motivational faith-building, teaching's have continued to endear him to many, that is why Rev. Chris Christian's name will always be mentioned among men of honour in Nigeria. A trainer of men whose goal is to build an army of victorious believers who will assist in the redemption of weary souls, the General Overseer, the Locust Army Ministries International is unique for his exemplary servant - Leadership approach to ministration.

Rev. Chris Christian is a middle-aged preacher born to the family of Mr. Reuben and Phoebe Ezeama. He hails from Anambra State, Nigeria where he also attended both primary and secondary respectively. Because of his quest for knowledge, Chris Christian proceeded to the University of Jos where he obtained a Bachelors degree in physics.

On the completion of his national youth service and a little teaching experience, a devout Christian from his adolescent years, “Brother Chris� as he was fondly called then continued in his die-hard service to God and man with freelance preaching, intercession, counseling and deliverance sessions until God gave him the clear purpose and pattern of his ministry. The Locust Army took off in Kano state, Nigeria in one room with about a hundred people, in the year 1996. Since the establishment of the church by God through His servant, The Locust Army Ministries has experienced wide demographic spread across all the major cities in Nigeria and Africa. In over seventeen years of its existence, The Locust Army Ministries has being uniquely distinguished by the nature of the mandate given to Rev. Chris Christian.

TLAM is a ministry devoted to the visionary labour of raising an altar for the

books which centers on apocalyptic revelations, eschatology, ordinances, leadership and intelligence; most of which are best sellers, and an acclaimed Publisher; he also a recipient of several awards.

Rev. Chris Christian is a man of indisputable values of which vision, integrity and kingly dispositions are dominant and by the consecration of his assignment he is a Eunuch with an oath of poverty of not owning anything to his name. Recently, he was given an award by African development magazine as Africa's most inspiring pastor of the year, 2014 at Accra, Ghana.

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Monday, December 22, 2014

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Monday, December 22, 2014

XMAS EDITION:

5 Most Active Pension Administrators

ARM PENSION MANAGERS:

Mr. Sadiq Mohammed CEO, ARM Pension Managers

M

ost people testify to his professional competence, career achievement and his ability to succeed where many have failed. But what has made his name a signature of success is certainly more than these. His uprightness, his desire to always uphold global standard, his ability to lead by example and his patriotic spirit are other factors that have made him a successful pension manager, a caring family man and a pension administrator of note.

in Nigeria ...

Pension Administrator With A Niche In A Competitive Market.

Sadiq Mohammed is the managing director of ARM Pension Managers (PFA) Limited (ARM Pensions). Prior to his appointment as Deputy Managing Director ARM Pensions in January 2011, he held several positions within the Group including being the Chief Operating Officer of the ARM Group. He had worked for 3 years as a tax and business advisory consultant with Arthur Andersen Nigeria before joining ARM Investment Managers (ARM) in October 1996. He is a Fellow of the Global Association of Risk Professional (GARP) having earned GARP's Financial Risk Manager (FRM) charter in 2003, and is also an Industrial Chemistry graduate of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi. In 2006, Sadiq completed a dual part-time International Wealth Management Executive MBA (IWEMBA) at Carnegie-Mellon University & University of Geneva. He is also an AMP Alumni of the Harvard Business School. Sadiq currently serves on the Boards of ARM, Airline Services & Logistics Plc (ASL), Lekki Concession Company (LCC), Four Points by Sheraton Lagos and The Moorhouse Ikoyi Lagos, amongst other companies.

Arm Pension Managers (PFA) Ltd, one of the first seven Pension Fund Administrators to be licensed in 2005, is a subsidiary company of Asset & Resource Management Company (ARM). ARM is an industry-leading asset management firm with a strong track record of protecting and growing investments for private investors and institutions for over two decades.

We are noted industry-wide for our extensive and expertise in the management and administration of pension funds. We have a presence in all 36 states of the Federation as well as the FCT. We currently have above 500,000 RSAs and manage assets worth over N380 billion, making us one of the largest Pension

Fund Administrator (PFA) based on funds under management.

Our paid up and authorized share capital are N1.19bn and N1.2bn respectively while our shareholders fund is currently over N3.3 billion.

Other shareholders in ARM Pension Managers are: - African Reinsurance Corporation a Pan-African reinsurance company owned by the African Development Bank (ADB), the Inter national Finance Corporation (IFC), 40 member states of the African Union and a number of insurance and reinsurance companies from across the African continent.

- Helios Investment Partners an Africa-focused private investment firm. Helios operates a family of funds and their related co-investment entities.

Limited partners in Helios' funds include several leading global investment funds, corporate entities, family offices, high net worth individuals and development finance institutions.

- Other individual shareholders.

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Monday, December 22, 2014

GOMBE STATE GOVERNMENT

INVITATION

His Excellency,

Alh. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, OON, PhD (Talban Gombe) The Executive Governor, Gombe State

The Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Finance, Gombe State Mal. Hassan Muhammadu (Baraden Bojude) hereby solicits the esteemed presence of all our partners, friends and well wishers to the official flag-off ceremony of the N750 Million Trade Intervention Fund, and N600 Million Agric Development Revovling Fund to be performed by His Excellency, Alh. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, OON, PhD (Talban Gombe), the Executive Governor, Gombe State, on Tuesday, 23rd December, 2014 at the Pantami Stadium, Gombe by 9.00 a.m prompt.

Signed:

AlH. HASSAN MuHAMMADu Hon. Commissioner of Finance, Gombe State

Monday, December 22, 2014

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Monday, December 22, 2014

news south-west 45

Monday, December 22, 2014

Eschew Sin, Adeboye Tells Nigerians The general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has advised Nigerians including those in positions of authority to distance themselves from sin to maintain perfect relationship with their Creator.

Pastor Adeboye gave the advice during the annual Christmas Carol Service organised by the Oyo State government at the Agodi Resorts and Conferences, Ibadan at the weekend.

The general overseer described Jesus Christ as the harbinger of good news to the world, stressing that His birth had brought freedom to those in bondage and salvation to the sinners.

In his sermon entitled “For unto us a Child is Born,” Adeboye said that the birth of Christ was meant to liberate the world.

He also used the occasion to bless the state and the people from all walks of life who attended the service.

In his own remarks, Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi described Christmas as tenderness for the past, courage for the present and hope for the future.

By Adebayo Waheed, Abuja

Clark’s Wife Not PDP Ogun Central Candidate - Group A group, Concerned PDP Stakeholders in Ogun Central, has faulted the claim of the wife of Ijaw leader, Edwin Clark, Dr Abisola Sodipo-Clark, that she is the senatorial candidate for Ogun Central, saying the primary for Ogun Central is yet to be conducted.

This was contained in a statement signed by the group’s chairman, Adewale Sogbetun in Abeokuta at the weekend.

It stated that the PDP Senatorial primary for Ogun Central has been postponed twice and no new date has been fixed.

The group urged the people of the senatorial district to be wary of the antics of “unpopular and desperate politicians who want to impose themselves on the people at all costs”.

It also condemned the media reports that Mrs Sodipo-Clark has won the primary election which never held.

The statement reads in part, “The good people of Ogun Central will recall that the PDP state party chairman, Engr.

Bayo Dayo, addressed a press conference on December 7, 2014, where he announced the postponement of the primary till December 9, 2014.”

By Gbenga Adeboye, Abeokuta

Nigerians Should Vote Out Bad Leaders In 2015 – Swedish Ambassador

By Adebayo Waheed, Ibadan

The Swedish ambassador to Ghana and Nigeria, Mr Svante Kilander has called on Nigerians to use the opportunity provided by the 2015 general elections to vote bad leaders out of office.

Delivering the 50th anniversary lecture of the Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan entitled “Breakthrough of Democracy in Sweden: A Perspective”, he said that elections provide people with the opportunity to replace public officers who failed to work for the people.

According to him, democracy will

thrive when those elected work for their people and meet the yearnings of the citizens.

Kilander further stated that democracy will thrive once there are democratic institutions in place manned by trusted people who meet the needs of the people.

Using Sweden as an example, Kilander said people usually wait for an election to vote out those who did not meet their expectations.

“Elections provide a platform to deepen democratic ethics and ethos by allowing people to re-arrange and replace public office holders who failed to meet their expectations,” he

added.

He stressed the need for those occupying public offices to work for their people.

He congratulated Nigeria for successfully containing the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease in the country, saying the federal government and the medical teams did a great job to deliver the country from the spread through wellcoordinated response teams.

In his welcome address, the head, Sociology Department, University of Ibadan, Prof Samuel Ayodele Jegede said the world needs knowledge from sociology to provide cross-cultural understanding of issues.

L-R: Registrar, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Dr Modupe Ajayi; the chancellor, Alhaji Isa Mustapha; Alhaji Bashari Aminu; founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN); Kaduna State governor Ramalan Yero; FUTA pro-chancellor, Dr Mohammed Shata and the vice chancellor, Prof Adebiyi Daramola, shortly after the conferment of honorary doctorate degrees on Babalola and Bashari at the convocation ceremonies of FUTA in Akure, at the weekend.

We’ll Transform Nigerian Varsities By 2018 – Jonathan

By Tope Fayehun, Akure

President Goodluck Jonathan has promised to completely transform Nigerian universities by the year 2018, saying the federal government has begun to inject funds into the sector to make the transformation a reality.

He stated this at the Combined 25th and 26th Convocation Ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), at the weekend.

The president, who was represented at the occasion by Prof Azikwe Nwelu re-

vealed that the government had approved and disbursed N200billion special intervention funds for capital projects to the universities, noting that FUTA was one of the benefitting universities.

He also said that “the government had released a sum of N30billion to all federal varsities to clear all the arrears of the earned allowance dues to the various categories of staff.”

“The revitalisation of our universities is in line with the present administration’s transformation agenda and we expect the universities to be totally transformed by

the year 2018 when we must have injected a total sum of N1.2trillion for infrastructural development and capacity building”.

He challenged the academia on “the need for more relevant and impactful research towards solving our immediate technological, economic, social and health needs”, and called on them to research into societal and national challenges and provide competent advice that will guide government in making well-informed policies and decisions that will make life easier and more meaningful for the citizens.

How Mimiko Plans To Rig Ondo Election For Jonathan APC The All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo State Chapter, has said that the constant boasting of Ondo State governor Olusegun Mimiko, that he will win the state for President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general elections will fail.

The party, however, said that the good people of Ondo State will neither vote for Jonathan nor the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) again in the coming election.

A statement issued in Akure at the weekend, by the party’s state publicity secretary, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, alleged that a plan has been perfected in Abuja by Mimiko and other stalwarts of the PDP on how to rig the coming elections.

He said, “We have reasoned in all ways as to what could have given Mr Governor the confidence to keep making this promise, even when he already knew that the good people of Ondo State will neither vote for President Jonathan nor the Peoples Democratic Party again. It has, therefore, come to our notice that Govenor Mimiko has no other plan than to rig the forthcoming general elections in totality.”

By Tope Fayehun, Akure

2015: INEC Rejects Folarin As Oyo PDP Gov Candidate

By Adebayo Waheed, Ibadan

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the Oyo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Teslim Folarin, in the 2015 election.

The INEC had written to the National chairman of the party, Adamu Mu’azu to be guided by the order of the court on the election.

In the letter addressed to the

national chairman of the party, signed by the commission’s secretary, Augusta C. Ogakwu, a copy of which was obtained by our reporter, INEC confirmed the receipt of the court order restraining it from accepting the party’s candidates from Oyo State.

The letter said the Federal High Court, Abuja had restrained the commission from accepting, recognising or treating as nominated, candidates of the PDP who did not

emerge in accordance with the order of the court, urging the party to be guided accordingly.

The party had gone ahead to conduct the primary elections in the state, using only statutory delegates when the controversies trailing the ad hoc ward delegates congress held on two different occasions could not be resolved.

The decision to use the statutory delegates was also against a court order by E. S. Chukwu of the Fed-

eral High Court, Abuja, which directed that a specific list of delegates obtained at the second ad hoc ward delegates congress be used for the purpose of the primary elections.

With the use of only the statutory delegates of about 200, over 1,000 ad hoc delegates from the 351 wards in the 33 local government areas of the state at three delegates per ward were disenfranchised.

46 news NATIONAL FG Assures On Jobs For Families

BY Bayo Oladeji, Abuja Of Immigration emergence of Prof. Yemi OsinRecruitment Stampede The bajo as running mate to the pres-

Monday, December 22, 2014

God Gave APC Osinbajo – Timi Frank

The minister of interior, Comrade Abba Moro, has said that the ministry’s commitment to presidential directive to offer automatic jobs to at least three family members of applicants who lost their lives during the March 15, botched immigration recruitment stampede is total as it must be implemented.

Comrade Moro who stated this while fielding questions from Interior Ministry’s Correspondents on his ministry’s achievement, at the weekend, said, the delay is because, the directive has to be situated.

“Don’t forget that experience has shown that immediately Mr. President made that pronouncement, a lot of persons started claiming that they were victims of the exercise.

And so, we are inundated with list of persons who have claimed that they were wounded or their loved ones died in the process. He added.’

The Minister stated that all border routes in- and – out of Nigeria will be closed if the need arises, also disclosed that the Nigeria Immigration Service [NIS] under his saddled has deployed more over 2000 members it newly created innovation; the Special Armed Elite Border Patrol Corps, given birth to as a matter of the nation’s astringencies to porous and vulnerable boundary areas .

By Christiana Nwaogu, Abuja

LP Crisis: NLC, TUC Threaten To Sue Nwanyanwu The two major trade unions in the country, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) who claim to be the original owners of the Labour Party (LP) has warned its earswhile national chairman, Dan Nwayanwu to return the certificate of registration of the party in his possession or face legal action.

The trade union gave the mandate of retrieving all properties belonging to the party from Nwayanwu to a newly constituted caretaker committee led by Comrade Salisu Mohammed.

The caretaker committee is expected to lead the labour party into next year’s election. Speaking to journalists yesterday in Abuja, Mohammed said the trade unions originally registered the party and only handed over the certificate of registration to Nwanyanwu in 2004 after he was elected as national chairman.

He said, “The mandate given to us, apart from repositioning the party, also includes retrieving the certificate of registration of the party and taking inventory of the party’s property and recovering same from our party erstwhile national chairman, Barr Dan Nwanyanwu.

By Michael Oche, Abuja

idential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Mohammadu Buhari for next year’s general elections has been described as an act of God. Buhari presented Prof. Yemi Osinbajo last week after a prolonged search by the leadership of the party for a vice presidential candidate.

Addressing journalists in Abuja at the weekend, deputy national publicity secretary of APC, Timi

Frank, disclosed that Osibanjo was chosen by God for the party He said, “I don’t know who is complaining about the choice of our vice presidential candidate.

But I believe that the choice of our vice presidential candidate was chosen by God because the time of change is now. When people ask why we take time in choosing our vice president, I want to say that the delay was because we wanted to give the best candidate to Nigerians; it was because we wanted to follow a proper democratic process and never wanted an imposed vice presidential candidate or one

that will be handpicked by any individual.

“So, we consulted widely even outside the party. We consulted with people and Osinbajo emerged.

You know that it was not just Osinbajo being considered. There were other persons and at the end of the day, we all unanimously agreed to settle for Osinbajo because this is the time we need change. This is the time we need men of integrity and experience and the time to balance political situation.”

According to him, the issue of having political structure is immaterial but the personality involved.

He went down memory lane to buttress his point.

“When Jonathan became the president of Nigeria, he had no structures. When Yar’adua became the president, he had no structures.

Osinbajo today may not have structures. It is even better and because of his Christian background, he has a structure whether you like it or not.

Redeem is one of the biggest Churches you can think if and has one of the largest followers in Nigeria today. That alone is a structure.

It must not be a political structure, but he has alone can sell him.

short news Reps Candidate Dispels Rumour of Stepping Down The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate that will contest for Agaie/Lapai federal constituency in the 2015 House of Representatives election, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulkadir Mahmud has dispelled rumour that he has stepped down from the race.

In a press stateL-R: Director-general, Department of State Service (DSS), Mr Ekpenyong Ita; former Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Saad Ibrahim ment made availand representative of Ooni of Ife, Oba Kole Ojutalayo during the graduation ceremony of the executive intelligence management able to newsmen course in Abuja, at the weekend. PHOTO BY REMI AKUNLEYAN in Abuja yesterday, Mahmud stated that he still intends to represent his people in the House of Representatives if given the

By Kuni Tyess, Abuja Dikko, spoke during the weekend in the increase of enrolment. mandate.

He revealed that between 2010 in Abuja at the 2014 end of year According to The executive secretary of Univer- service awards organised by the and 2014, the Federal Government him, the people sal Basic Education Commission Universal Basic Education Com- has granted States over N139 bilof his constituency (UBEC) Dr Suleiman Dikko has re- mission Staff Association, where lion for the development and rehad nominated iterated the commitment of federal merit award was conferred on him habilitation of infrastructure, him unopposed at government towards ensuring that and some other staff of the com- learning resources and capacity the last primary every Nigerian child has access to mission. development in Basic Education. election that was basic education.

Dikko, said the Federal Governheld by the APC He equally tasked the staff of the He disclosed that even though ment would continue to sustain chapter of Niger commission to continue to work to- basic education was under the juris- Girl-child and Boy-child education state. wards the actualisation of the glob- diction of the States and Local Gov- initiatives in 2015 aimed addressal objective of Education For All ernments, the Federal Government ing the challenges of boys and girls

By Reuben Buhari, (EFA) in Nigeria. is progressively supporting States out of school.

Abuja

FG Committed To Education For All – UBEC Boss

Governments Must Tackle Poverty, Street Begging – Kwankwaso By abubakar salihi, Kano

Kano State Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has said that poverty and begging can only be eliminated in developing countries if governments and the private sector evolve realistic strategies to reposition their people to become more active players in economic development.

The governor made the assertion while addressing the inaugural session of the international conference on “Development of Social Enterprise and Social Business for Eradication of Extreme Poverty and Street Begging” on the permanent campus of the International Islamic University, Kumira, Chittagong, Bangladesh over the weekend.

Kwankwaso stated that governments ought to make education their utmost priority and adopt holistic approach to tackle problems in the sector. In addition, he stated that governments must put in place enduring public infrastructure and map out strategies to mitigate unemployment, improve employability and self reliance.

For instance, he said, in Kano,

his administration has resolved to drive a knowledge-based economy by adopting a free education policy at all levels, even as sundry empowerment programmes were initiated for women and youths through the newly 24 institutes created by the government in order to mitigate poverty and eradicate street begging, which has been banned by a law passed by the state legislature.

health

47

Monday, December 22, 2014

13m

There are no fewer than 13 million displaced persons in Africa with over four million refugees.

5.4m

At least, 5.4 million people in Niger State will benefit from this year’s distribution of the long lasting insecticide treated nets by the Society for Family Health.

F E AT U R E S N E W S T I P S I N T E R V I E W

Top 6

RISK FACTORS IN DIABETES MELLITUS

Obesity: It has led to a dramatic rise in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes among children and adolescent.

➊

➋

Poor dietary habits: High in-

take of foods high in saturated fats and low in dietary fibre increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

➌

Aging:

Insulin resistance increases with aging giving rise to incidence and prevalence of Type 2 diabetes among the elderly

L-R: Akimi of Lugbe, HRH Saliu Gode; senior prevention officer SURE-P and officer National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Mrs Kadahaene Eyo; supervisory counsellor for health AMAC, Hon Josephine Nnodin, during SURE-P and NACA nationwide free medical outreach in Abuja.

➍

Physical Inactivity:

increased physical inactivity can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

As National HIV Counselling And Testing ➎ Campaign Commences

Heredity:

Winifred Ogbebo writes on the current HIV counselling and testing being conducted nationwide to enable Nigerians know their status

Top 3 Headline ➊ How Diets Help In Management Of Diabetes Mellitus

➋ Health Workers Vow To Continue Strike As Meeting With FG Deadlocked

➌ Simple Hygiene Can Reduce Diseases, Infant/ Maternal Mortality

By Up To 25%

Not only does Nigeria have the second highest burden of HIV in Africa, after South Africa, it also has about 30 percent of the global burden of maternal to child transmission of HIV. Prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS (PMTCT) coverage was at 27 percent in 2013 which is still well below the desired target of 80 percent and as a result, an estimated 60,000 children are born annually with HIV infection.

Also, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria is considered to be generalized, posing a serious threat to development in Nigeria, through the reduction in life expectancy, destabilization of the local and national economy, and increased burden

on the health and welfare of the populace.

The director-general, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Prof John Idoko, said HIV counselling and testing (HCT) remained an essential entry point to HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support.

However, he noted that the coverage of HCT nationally was low with just 4.07 million people having accessed the services as at the end of 2013, adding, “This inadequate coverage is existing against the backdrop of a significant proportion (77.2 percent) of Nigerians willing to test (know their status).

Similarly, as at December 2013, only 41 percent of those eligible for ART had access to treatment.”

According to Idoko, the core mandate of the agency is to coordinate the entire national response to the disease and provide oversight for all HIV/AIDS activities in the country.

“The agency is also expected to provide policy direction and technical assistance in addition to facilitating capacity building and the mobilization of resources with which to contain the epidemic,” he further stated.

Funding of the national response remains a challenge. Recently, the Network of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (NEPWHAN) took to the streets in protest the dwindling funding, as, according to them, the current domestic and external funding is not commensurate with the scale and complexity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria.

“On the backdrop of the global financial constraints, the total funding for HIV treatment, care

and support has also fallen by 28 percent in 2010 to $132,870,029 from $185,911,643 in 2008,” said NACA DG. He spoke of over-dependence on donor support with only 25.18 percent of the total HIV/AIDS funding coming from the public sector as at 2012.

Similarly, Idoko revealed there was limited state government ownership and commitment to the response with less than 0.3 percent of the total government funding for HIV in Nigeria coming from the state governments.

“The consequences arising from the highlighted financial challenges are challenges that affect service coverage, service delivery, procurement, logistics as well as monitoring and evaluation,” he pointed out.

He said these were exemplified in the under-serving of communities in terms of treatment sites and

A strong family history of autoimmune disorder predisposes one to Type 1 diabetes.

Race: Type 2 diabetes is more common in certain ethnic populations, such as Native Americans.

➏

➐

Gestational Diabetes:

Children born to mothers who have gestational diabetes tend to develop obesity which can cause diabetes.

48

48 HEALTH/NEWS

Monday, December 22, 2014

As National HIV Counselling And Testing Campaign Commences 47

laboratory equipment for patient monitoring, inadequate human resources, persistent stock-out of HIV/AIDS commodities such as test kits as well as other supportive structures.

Last year, President Goodluck Jonathan launched the President’s Comprehensive Response Plan for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (PCRP), as a tool designed to respond to the system and service delivery challenges facing the HIV/AIDS response in Nigeria.

The estimated investment of the PCRP was $1.7 billion (N262.7 billion) to be spread over a two year period. Proportionately, 96 percent of the funds is for the acceleration of the implementation of HIV prevention, treatment and care services. The remaining 4 percent is to strengthen systems and improve coordination of the national HIV response.

The president said the plan was developed out of concern

by all HIV/AIDS stakeholders in the community that the country was not on track in actualizing the 2011 United Nations Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS commitment which amongst others, sought to intensify global efforts to eliminate HIV and AIDS and take specific steps to achieve ambitious goals by 2015.

The goal of the PCRP is to accelerate the implementation of key interventions over a two year period (2014 and 2015) in order to bridge existing service gaps, address key financial, health systems and coordinating challenges and promote greater responsibility for the HIV response at federal and state levels.

The PCRP aims to avail 80 million men and women aged 15 years and older with knowledge of their HIV status; enroll an additional 600,000 eligible adults and children on ART; provide ART for 244,000 HIV pregnant wom-

en for PMTCT, provide access to combination prevention services for MARPS and 4 million young persons and activate 2,000 new PMTCT and ART service delivery points across the country.

The PCRP funding this year was provided through the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P). This programme was designed to ensure that the federal government’s part of the subsidy savings is applied on critical infrastructure projects and social safety net programmes that would directly ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians and mitigate the impact of subsidy removal.

However, the N8 billion SUREP HIV/AIDS funding for 2014, stakeholders say, is far below the approximately N140 billion that was proposed in the PCRP. The SURE-P HIV/AIDS fund is targeted at providing ART and prophylactic treatment for opportunistic infections to 50,000 eligi-

ble adults and children, preventing mother to child transmission of HIV among 15,000 pregnant women living with HIV, and availing 5 million men and women aged 15 years and older with knowledge of their HIV status.

Currently, the funding is leveraging on the existing systems and structures with active scale up of demand creation activities for HIV services in eight states (Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Kano, Niger, Oyo, Plateau and Taraba) that are part of the 12+1 states contributing to 60 percent of the HIV burden in the country.

In these eight states as well as the remaining states of the federation, HCT campaigns are being conducted, access to PMTCT services supported with state management teams (SMTs) to strengthen partnership, deepen state level ownership, leadership, resourcing, accountability and implementation of their state specific plan.

lets) each week and plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids (e.g. rapeseed oil, soybean oil, nuts and some green leafy vegetables).

The dietician explained that the amount of carbohydrate in the body affects blood glucose levels more than the source of the carbohydrate. “A consistent carbohydrate intake spaced throughout the day helps to maintain appropriate blood glucose levels and maximize the effectiveness of drug therapy. Eating too much carbohydrate at one time can raise blood glucose too high, stressing the already-compromised insulin producing cells. Eating too little carbohydrate can lead to abnormally low blood glucose (hypoglycaemia). Low-carbohydrate diets (less than 130 grams of carbohydrate per day) are not recommended,” she said.

Sources people with diabetes should derive carbohydrate from high fibre foods such as beans, green leafy vegetables, le-

gumes, produce with skin like apple orange, and other whole fruits, whole grains (e.g. whole wheat bread, corn on the cob, oat bran. etc.) that have more moderate effects on blood glucose than do highly processed starchy foods.

Sugar recommendations for people with diabetes are similar to those for the general population, which suggests choosing foods and beverages with little or no added sugar.

An important thing to bear in mind when choosing carbohydrate source is the rate of glucose absorption. Diabetics benefit from limiting foods that produce too great a rise, or too sudden a fall, in blood glucose. To aid their choices, the use of glycemic index, a method of classifying foods according to their potential to raise blood glucose is a handy tool.

Some studies have shown that selecting foods with a low glycemic index is a practical way to improve glucose control.

How Diets Help In Management Of Diabetes Mellitus Medical experts say that healthy eating is a cornerstone of healthy living especially in diabetes.

VICTOR OKEKE writes on this

20 percent of total calories for diabetes with normal kidney function should be adequate in quality and quantity to maintain synthesis of body protein

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), diabetes is a group of metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia (high level of glucose in the blood) resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both.

In Africa, Nigeria has the highest number of people with diabetes. According to WHO, Nigeria has the highest mortality rate from the disease. Approximately 1,218,000 people are affected and an estimated 3.85 million people have impaired glucose tolerance says International Diabetes Federation (IDF). According to Diabetes Association of Nigeria an estimate of 6 million people have full blown diabetes mellitus. The WHO/IDF report of 2011 alerted that diabetes mellitus will continue to be a major threat to public health beyond the year 2030.

According to Nutrition expert and registered Dietitian, Eneregbu Akunna Isobel, dietary management of diabetes involves being conscious of what we eat so as not to trigger the risk factors in diabetes.

“Protein intakes range from 15 to 20 percent of total calories for diabetics with normal kidney function and should be adequate in quality and quantity to maintain synthesis of body protein. Higher protein intakes are discouraged because they are detrimental to kidney function (may lead to diabetic nephropathy). Sources include lean meat, low fat milk, egg white, fish, legumes and more,” she said.

Eneregbu said that “People with diabetes have a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, and their guidelines for dietary fat are similar to those for others with high risks. Saturated fat (such as those found in butter, margarine, whole milk, fatty meat etc.) intake should be limited to less than 7 percent of calories, trans fat (found in deep fried foods, pastries etc.) intake should be minimized, and cholesterol intake should be limited to less than 200 mg daily.”

However, a larger percent of dietary should be derived from mono and polyunsaturated fats. These have a protective role against cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, almost all the diabetes association advise the consumption of two to three servings of fish (preferably oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna, shrimps etc. not the commercially fried fish fi-

We have facilities but women and children don’t want to access them because they will see somebody that will recognize them and eventually spread the news

49

Monday, December 22, 2014

SCHOOLS, EDUCATION, & FAITH PLATFORM

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF

SPECIALISED CLASSIFIEDS PAGES SAINT MARY’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL OLD STUDENT ASSOCIATION, IWO

GREENFIELD CANCER PATIENTS CARE AND LIFE SAVING FOUNDATION

Kpekpe Transport Of Pessu Market Association

The General Public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, for Registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act,1of 1990.

The General Public is hereby notified 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,1of 1990.

The General Public is hereby notified that the above named Association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, No 1 of 1990

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Pastor Daro Sunday 2. Mr. Obiwusi Babatunde 3. Engr. Mutiu Popoola 4. Pharmacist Adebayo Femi 5. Dr. Adiatu Ismaila 6. Dr. Olanrewaju Ogunmodede 7. Chief Mrs. Bola Adebisi

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Dr. Fatima Uba-Agbamu - Chairman 2. Mr. Elvis Agbamu 3. Mrs. Felicia Aibangbe 4. Mr. Sanusi Uba 5. Mr. Usman Uba

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. To promote love, unity, progress and social well-being of its members.

2. To provide free educational aid to the students of the school.

3. To undertake activities deemed fit and proper for the promotion of the aims and objectives of the association.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR – GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET.PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: THE ESQUIRE PRATICE (LEGAL PRATITIONERS & PUBLIC)

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. To cater for patients and person living with cancer.

2. To source for funds to assist the treatment of patients and persons living with cancer ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR – GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET.PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. PATRICK UCHE OKAFOR 08061354198

IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING UP. ADVERTISEMENT OF NOTICE OF A GENERAL MEETING OF MEMBERS OF AXINOVA POLYMERS LIMITED PURSUANT TO SECTION 459 OF CAMA. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a meeting of the Members of Axinova Polymers Limited (“The Company”) shall hold on Monday, 12th day of January, 2015 at 81a Younis Bashorun Street, Off Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos at 9am.

The Agenda for the meeting is as follows:1. Chairman’s Opening Remarks.

2. Adoption of Agenda.

3. Waiver in connection with short Notice 4. Passing of Resolution for Members Voluntary Winding Up of the Company.

5. Appointment of liquidator to effect the Winding Up of the Company.

6. Closing.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD

PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 2004 (CAMA) AND IN THE MATTER OF THE AXINOVA POLYOLEFINS LIMITED IN MEMBERS’ VOLUNTARY WINDING UP. ADVERTISEMENT OF NOTICE OF A MEETING OF MEMBERS OF AXINOVA POLYOLEFINS LIMITED PURSUANT TO SECTION 459 OF CAMA. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a meeting of the Members of Axinova Polyolefins Limited (“The Company”) shall hold on Monday, 12th day of January, 2015 at 81a Younis Bashorun Street, Off Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos at 9am.

The Agenda for the meeting is as follows:7. Chairman’s Opening Remarks.

8. Adoption of Agenda.

9. Waiver in connection with short Notice 10. Passing of Resolution for Members Voluntary Winding Up of the Company.

11. Appointment of liquidator to effect the Winding Up of the Company 12. Closing.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD SIGNED BY Company Secretary.

Any objection to this Application should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication SIGNED: J. E. AKINBOLA

JAMA’ATUL NASIRUL YATAMAH 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, No 1 of 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Akinniran Tolulope Olusegun 2. Akinniran Oluwatoyin Olayinka 3. Oduseso Tope Olayinka 4. Lawrence Olayinka Abimbola 5. Idowu Omotunde Olasunkanmi 6. Tobun Oladipo Kayode

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Alhaji (Engr) Muhammadu Lamidi Yusuf 2. Alhaji (Dr) Muhammad Burimah Lawal 3. Alhaji (Dr) Abubakar Saddiqu Rajab 4. Alhaji Bello Tijjani Saddique.

The Aim and Objectives are: 1. To help the less privileged persons in the society.

The Aim and Objectives are: 1. To render humanitarian services Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

SIGNED BY Company Secretary.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1.TO OWN AND MANAGE BOAT TRANSPORT, 2.TO OBEY FEDERAL,STATE AND LOCAL LAWS. 3.To promote the socio cultural intellectual and recreational interest of its members.

OLUFEMI AKINNIRAN FOUNDATION

PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 2004 (CAMA) AND IN THE MATTER OF THE AXINOVA POLYMERS LIMITED

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MARTINS ADEKUNLE STANLEY 2. MR GODDY JALLA 3. MR AMAYE ADANORITSEWO GODWIN 4. EDOMI AKOMA IGBAYE 5. MRS MERCY OLOWU, 6. MR ALADETAN CHRISTOPHER MOYE 7. EBIETO EMMANUEL

Any objection to this Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Sam T. Ani 08065475774

TOUCHLIFE FAMILY HEALTH FOUNDATION

SOCIAL MARSHAL LIBERTY CLUB IBADAN OYO STATE

The general public is hereby notified that the above named CHURCH has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named CLUB has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

The Trustees are: 1. Brother Anthony C. Onuh (KSM) 2. Brother Anthony O. Emeribe (KSM) 3. Brother Andrew E. Okon (KSM) 4. Brother Michael A. Ogunu (KSM) 5. Brother Enoma Alex Bazuaye-Ekwuyasi (KSM) 6. Lady Pat Ngozi Nwachukwu (LSM) 7. Lady Helen Osanakpo (LSM)

The Trustees are: 1. Ikechukwu Onuoha 2. Okwudiri Nwaga 3. Okwuchukwu Nweke 4. Chukwuma Okoye 5. Chukwuma Nwaokpo 6. Chukwudi Okeke 7. Okwunna Igbokwe 8. Emmanuel Ezebue 9. Chika Ejike 10. Livinus Ezike

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE 1. To promote the health of the Nigerian Community.

2. To engage in free medical mission across the country.

3. To support the health needs of indigent families.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C) P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: Hon. Justice Andrew E. Okon(Rtd) KSM Supreme Advocate.

- Chairman - Secretary

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE 1. To foster peace and love among members of the club.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C) P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

VICTORIOUS FRIENDS CLUB OF NIGERIA

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property.

Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE

Whereas the person / persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property. Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE

The general public is hereby notified that the above named CLUB has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for the Registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No.1 of 1990.

DECEASED NAME AND ADDRESS APPLICANTS FOR GRANT AMB. TIMOTHY ANAELE MGBOKWERE Remi MGBOKWERE, PEARL DELA TOME

VENEGAS N. MODUPE AGETUA AND Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja CHIKE A. MGBOKWERE

Plot. 1279, River Street, Maitama, Abuja WHO DIED ON THE 13th April, 2012 The widow, son and daughter of the

said deceased

DATED AT ABUJA THIS 19th DAY OF DECEMBER, 2014 SIGNED BARR. HAFSAT SADIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

For booking or inquiry call

> HENRY UBIMAGO 08068640944

> augustine 08032325988

DECEASED NAME AND ADDRESS APPLICANTS FOR GRANT PETER ENYI UGBEYI MRS. PAULINA UGBEYI guardian to

EMMANUEL UGBEYI and JOSEPH UGBEYI Julius Berger

Behind Parapet Hotel Karimo, Abuja WHO DIED ON THE 11th September, 2012

The widow and sons of the said deceased

DATED AT ABUJA THIS 19th DAY OF DECEMBER, 2014

SIGNED BARR. HAFSAT SADIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

> GLORIA OKwUM 08038722368

> ABIGAIL SAMBO 08064382438

NAME OF TRUSTEES: 1) Basil Ogbuefi 2) Friday Ani 3) Chijioke Osita 4) Azuka Okafor 5) Udoka Nwoye 6) Emos Atuegbu 7) Paul Obinwanne 8) Victor Eze 9) Ikechukwu Okoye 10) Matthew Chikezie AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To care for d welfare of members Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

> GLORIA RAPHAEL 08061356519

> GLORIA ODIO 08034285851

> GRACE OJO 08035054444

50

Monday, December 22, 2014

PEARL HEARTZ INT’L DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

WOMEN WITHOUT WALL INITIATIVE

This is to notify the general public that the above named Association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part ‘C’ of Companies and Allied Matters Act. of 1990.

This is to notify the general public that the above named INITIATIVE has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Amendment of Constitution and Re-Appointment/Newly Appointed Trustees under Part ‘C’ of Companies and Allied Matters Act. of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Justina Michael Bassey - President 2. Iniobong Inyang Nyong 3. Esther Francis Ekpenyong 4. Itoro Ibanga 5. Idorenyin Anthony Udom 6. Mmenyene Aloysius Paulicarp 7. Enobong Umoren - Secretary

THE TRUSTEES ARE: Re-Appointed 1. Dr. Iko Ibanga 2. Senator Patricia Akwashiki 3. Prof. Nenfort Gomwalk 4. Lady Elizerbeth Soremekun 5. Pastor (Mrs) Esther Ibanga

AIMS/OBJECTIVES: 1. To assist the less privileged through donation of educational and health materials.

Newly Appointed 1. Prof. Muslih Yahya 2. Hajia Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman 3. Hajia Bilkisu Yusuf

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this Publication.

AIMS/OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME

Signed: Justina Michael Bassey (President)

Any objection to this Amendment should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this Publication.

LEGAL NOTICE IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property.

Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME AND ADDRESS APPLICANTS FOR GRANT LAMI HIRSE FWANGSHAK MICHAEL HIRSE and FCDA SAMAILA SUSAN G.

180 Zone C, Apo Resettlement, Abuja WHO DIED ON THE 11TH May, 2014

The brother and sister and daughter of

the said deceased

DATED AT ABUJA THIS 19th DAY OF DECEMBER, 2014 SIGNED BARR. HAFSAT SADIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

Signed: Secretary

THE NIGERIAN ACADEMY OF EDUCATION RC NO:7949

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

(REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEES) The general public is hereby informed that the Nigerian Academy of Education,propose to appoint the underlisted persons as trustees in place of the deceased incorporation trustees.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property.

Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME AND ADDRESS APPLICANTS FOR GRANT WILFRED NWAFOR KATE NWAFOR guardian to

CHIOMA NWAFOR Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Abuja.

Julius Berger Semion Staff Quarters,

Old Karimo

Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the parson(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of Administration of the personal property.

Notice is hereby given that the said letters of Administration be granted to such person (s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT’’ the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME AND ADDRESS APPLICANTS FOR GRANT LADI JUDITH EGWU SAMUEL EGWU guardian to

MERCY EGWU Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Abuja Mitson Pharmaceutical Ltd,

Area 10, Abuja WHO DIED ON THE 28th April, 2014

The widow and daughter of the said deceased DATED AT ABUJA THIS 19th DAY OF DECEMBER, 2014

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Prof. Emeritus Obioha Nwana Prof. Emeritus Nicholas A. Nwagwu Prof. Peter Lassa Prof. Emeritus A. Yoloye Prof. Joseph Aghanta Prof. Emeritus Otonti Nduka Prof. U.M.O Ivowi(President)

Any objection to the registration of any or all of the above persons as trustees,should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral,Corporate Affairs Commission,Plot 420 Tigris Cresent off Aguiyi Ironsi street Maitama Abuja within 28 days of this publications.

WHO DIED ON THE 7th September, 2014

The widow and daughter of the said deceased DATED AT ABUJA THIS 19th DAY OF DECEMBER, 2014 SIGNED BARR. HAFSAT SADIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

SIGNED BARR. HAFSAT SADIQ FOR: PROBATE REGISTRAR

LOSSOF loss OF ofDOCUMENTS DOCUMENT document LOSS This is to inform the general public of the loss of ORIGINAL OFFER OF TERMS OF GRANT/ CONVEYANCE APPROVAL in respect of plot numbers EA14 – EA25, measuring about 50 hectares within Jikoko Layout, belonging to Savannah Quarry Ltd. All efforts to trace the missing documents proved abortive. If found, please return to the nearest Police station.

LOSSOF loss of OFDOCUMENTS DOCUMENT document LOSS

Signed: Barr. G.E Egharevba (For SOLICITORS)

LOSSOF loss of OFDOCUMENTS document DOCUMENT LOSS

This is to notify the general public of the loss of right of occupancy in respect of plot No. 236 FHA Phase1 Lugbe Abuja belonging to Mohammed D. Abubakar of plot 5A Lephalela Street, Off Ganges Street Maitama Abuja. All efforts made to trace the said document proved abortive. If found, please return to the nearest police station.

AGIS and the general public should hereby take note.

LOSSOF loss of OFDOCUMENTS document DOCUMENT LOSS This is to notify the general public of the loss of original copy of right of occupancy (R of O) in respect of Plot No. 507, Jahi Zone B08, Abuja FCT with file No. FCT/ABU/KN3562 belonging to Dr. Adedotun Tajudeen Popoola. All efforts made to trace the said document proved abortive. If found, please return to the nearest police station. AGIS and the general public should hereby take note.

MARK

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss ABE OLUWATOYIN FOLAKE, now wish to be known and addressed as MARK OLUWATOYIN FOLAKE. All former documents remain valid. The General public should please take note

ANAGWU

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS CHIGBUE OBIAGELI AZUKA NKECHI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ANAGWU OBIAGELI AZUKA NKECHI. All former documents remain valid. The General public should please take note

loss LOSS of OF document DOCUMENT CHANGE OF NAME ONAJITE: I, formerly known and addressed as MRS ONAJITE JULIET BERIE GBRIKA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ONAJITE JULIET BERIE OYOVWIKIGHO. All former documents remain valid. The General public should please take note.

DIVINE: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS DIVINE EFETOBORE GBRIKA, now wish to be known and addressed as MISS DIVINE EFETOBORE OYOVWIKIGHO. All former documents remain valid. The General public should please take note.

FAVOUR: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS FAVOUR OGHENERUME GBRIKA, now wish to be known and addressed as MISS FAVOUR OGHENERUME OYOVWIKIGHO. All former documents remain valid. The General public should please take note.

CHARITY

I, formerly known and addressed as CHARITY FRANCIS IGBOYI, now wish to be known and addressed as CHARITY EDEH. All former documents remain valid.

The General public should please take note

AKINDELE

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS EKEIFO DONAJEHALE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS AKINDELE DONAJEHALE. All former documents remain valid.

The General public should please take note

BOSEDE

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS BOSEDE MODUPE DESI, now wish to be known and addressed as BOSEDE MODUPE LAWAL. All former documents remain valid. The General public should please take note

KOKO

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS KOKO ANIETE AKPAKPAN, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS KOKO ANIETE JABARI JATTO. All former documents remain valid. The General public should please take note.

Vincent

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Odigbo Mercy Chika now wish to be know and addressed as Mrs Vincent Mercy Chika. All documents remain valid. University of Abuja and general public take note.

ABIGAIL

I, formerly known and addressed as ABIGAIL WILLIAM GBANDE, now wish to be known and addressed as ABIGAIL WANDOO GBANDE. All former documents remain valid.

The General public should please take note

CHRISTIANA

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS CHRISTIANA ESEBONU EBEI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS CHRISTIANA SOLOMON NWAOGU. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

BLESSING

I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Blessing Elizabeth Asibor now wish to be know and addressed as Mrs BLESSING ELIZABETH MUMUNI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

ZAKARI

I, formerly known and addressed as ABDULRAZAK ZAKARI AKUKI, now wish to be known and addressed as ZAKARI YAKUBU. All former documents remain valid.

The General public should please take note.

OLUWASEESIN

I, formerly known and addressed as OGUNSEESIN OLUWASEUN AYODELE, now wish to be known and addressed as OLUWASEESIN OLUWASEUN AYODELE. All former documents remain valid. The General public should please take note.

Gladys

I formerly known as Mrs Gladys Danjuma, now wish to be known as Mrs Gladys Maleka.

All former documents remain valid.

The Nigerian Police Force and the general public to please note.

STELLA

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS STELLA OLUWAWEMIMO AYO, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS STELLA OLUWAWEMIMO SANUSI. All former documents remain valid. The General public should please take note.

USMAN

2X2 SPACE FOR SALE

1X1 SPACE FOR SALE

JANE

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS JANE FAVOUR UZOMAH, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS JANE KELECHI EFE UKPE. All former documents remain valid.

The General public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS SHUAIBU ONYIOHINOYI SEFI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS USMAN ONYIOHINOYI SEFI. All former documents remain valid. The General public should please take note

MNENA

I, formerly known and addressed as MNENA KYELEVE, now wish to be known and addressed as MNENA DENGA. All former documents remain valid. The General public should please take note.

This is to notify the general public of the loss of original offer of statutory right of occupancy with plot No. 129, Cadastral Zone C00 of Institution and Research, old file No. MISC 18322 and new File No. 82928 bearing the name of International Islamic Charitable Organisation. All efforts made to trace the said document proved abortive. If found, please return to the nearest police station. AGIS and the general public should hereby take note.

51

Monday, December 22, 2014

world

news ➊

➍

➌ ➏ ➎

➐

➋

➎ S/Leone To Withdraw Somalia Troops Over Ebola

Sierra Leone is withdrawing its troops from Somalia after the African Union blocked the West African country from rotating its soldiers over fears for the Ebola virus.

Sierra Leone sent 850 troops to Somalia for a 12-month deployment to fight the al-Qaeda-linked rebel group, al-Shabab, in Somalia in 2013.

Tunisians are going to the polls to freely elect their president for the first time in the country’s history, rounding off an at times bumpy four-year transition from dictatorship.

The runoff on Sunday pits

88-year-old Beji Caid Essebsi, leader of the Nidaa Tounes party, against incumbent Moncef Marzouki, who held the post through an alliance with the moderate Islamist movement Ennahda.

Kurdish forces in Iraq have taken more ground from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group and are moving closer to the northern city of Mosul.

The Peshmerga, a term used by

Kurds to refer to Kurdish fighters, delivered aid to Yazidi refugees on Mount Sinjar on Saturday and expanded a major offensive against ISIL in northwestern Iraq after breaking a months-old siege.

➊ Sony Hack: US ➋ Egypt Reopens Rafah Mulls Putting N/Korea Crossing On Gaza Border Back On Terror List Egypt has opened the Rafah President Barack Obama has said the US is considering putting North Korea back on its list of terrorism sponsors after the hacking of Sony Pictures.

A decision would be taken after a review, he said, calling the attack an act of cyber-vandalism, not of war.

North Korea denies the attack over The Interview, which depicts the fictional killing of its leader Kim Jong-Un.

border crossing for incoming passengers from the Gaza Strip for the first time in almost two months, Palestinian and Egyptian officials said.

Rafah is the only major crossing between Gaza, home to 1.8 million Palestinians, and the outside world that does not border Israel, which blockades the strip and allows sporadic passage mainly on humanitarian grounds.

➏ Tunisians Vote In

Landmark Elections

‘Stop killer cops now’,‘Hands up, dont shoot’and similar slogans are chanted by the crowd as they prepare to march down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Capitol Building

➌ Mother Charged In ➍ Roadside Bomb Australia Child Deaths Kills Afghan An Australian woman has been charged with the murders of seven of her children and her niece, whose bodies were found inside her home, police have said.

Mersane Warria, 37, was charged yesterday with eight counts of murder in a bedside hearing at a hospital in the northern city of Cairns where she is recovering from stab wounds, Queensland state police said.

Civilians In Kunar

At least seven people including children were killed when a roadside bomb struck a vehicle in eastern Afghanistan, officials said, the latest civilian casualties which soared to a record high this year.

The explosion occurred when the pickup truck was driving from Asadabad, the capital of Kunar province close to the border with Pakistan.

➐ Kurdish Fighters

Move On ISIL’s Mosul Hub

52 Business/WORLD NEWS

Monday, December 22, 2014

Ebola Crisis: Vote Count Under Way In Liberia Election

A crowd followed former football star George Weah as he campaigned

Votes are being counted in Liberia’s senate election held on Saturday despite a deadly Ebola outbreak.

Turnout in the poll - which had been planned for October was low as many people decided to stay away.

Those who came to polling stations had their temperature taken, were told to stand a metre (3ft) apart and wash their hands before and after voting.

Ebola has killed more than 7,373 people in West Africa with 3,346 deaths in Liberia, the UN says.

Among the 139 candidates vying for 15 seats were former football star George Weah and Robert Sirleaf, the son of Liberia’s president.

The election was held just days after neighbouring Sierra Leone clamped down on public gatherings.

It has banned Sunday trading,

restricted travel between districts and prohibited public celebrations over Christmas and the New Year.

One of Sierra Leone’s top doctors, Victor Willoughby, died from Ebola on Thursday, just hours after the arrival of experimental drug ZMab which could have been used to treat him.

Healthcare workers are among those most at risk of catching Ebola which is spread by bodily fluids and requires close contact with victims.

In November, Liberia’s election commission chairman, Jerome Korkoya, urged candidates and supporters to follow public health regulations in the run-up to the senate elections.

“For instance, the transportation of large groups of electorates by candidates clustered in vehicles and the congregation of huge number of people will be regulated,” he said in a statement.

—Al Jazeera

Sony Hack Not An Act Of War- Obama

Obama

US President Barack Obama moved to prevent US anger at North Korea from spiraling out of control on Sunday by saying the massive hacking of Sony Pictures was not an act of war but instead was cyber-vandalism.

Washington’s long-standing dispute with North Korea, which for years has centered on its nuclear weapons program, has entered new territory with the accusation that Pyongyang carried out an assault on a major Hollywood entertainment company.

Obama and his advisers are weighing a range of options on how to punish North Korea for the attack after the FBI concluded on Friday that Pyongyang was responsible. North Korea has denied it was to blame.

The hack attack and subsequent threats of violence

against theaters showing the film prompted Sony to withdraw a comedy, “The Interview,” prepared for release to movie theaters during the holiday season. The movie depicts the fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Obama and free speech advocates criticized the studio’s decision, but Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton defended it.

“No, I don’t think it was an act of war,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union with Candy Crowley” show, which was taped on Friday and aired on Sunday. “I think it was an act of cyber vandalism that was very costly, very expensive.

We take it very seriously. We will respond proportionately.”

Obama said one option was to return North Korea to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, from which Pyongyang was removed six years ago.

At a time when so much information is digitized, “both state and non-state actors are going to have the capacity to disrupt our lives in all sorts of ways,” he said.

“We have to do a much better job of guarding against that. We have to treat it like we would treat, you know, the incidence of crime, you know, in our countries.”

Republican Senator John McCain disagreed with Obama, telling CNN the attack was the manifestation of a new kind of warfare.

—BBC

Companies Face ‘Bloodbath’ In Russia The chief executive of Renault Nissan, Carlos Ghosn, has said that manufacturers in Russia are facing a “bloodbath” because of the plunge in the value of the rouble.

The currency has been dropping steadily for several months, but suffered very sharp falls earlier this week.

The two firms have stopped taking orders for some new models and raised prices on others.

Several rival manufacturers have taken similar steps.

However, Mr Ghosn said he was confident the situation would stabilise, eventually.

“We didn’t do it [suspend orders] overall, just on some models we said, ‘Sorry, until we see where this situation is going we don’t take orders,’” he told reporters in Tokyo.

“When the rouble sinks it’s a bloodbath for everybody. It’s red ink, people are losing money, all car manufacturers are losing money,” he added.

The French-Japanese RenaultNissan alliance is a major player in Russia’s car industry.

Not only does it sell vehicles under its own brands, it also controls the domestic manufacturer Avtovaz, better known as the maker

of Lada cars.

Mr Ghosn said the group had suspended taking orders for some models, this included cars made in Russia, but also those which used large quantities of imported parts.

Orders already placed would be honoured, he said.

Other manufacturers have been taking similar steps in response to the decline of the rouble, which has halved in value against the dollar this year.

General Motors, Audi and Jaguar Land Rover also suspended deliveries to Russian dealers earlier this week.

A policeman placing a flower at a memorial erected for the slain policemen in New York.

MURDER: Obama Condemns Murder Of New York Policemen US President Barack Obama has condemned the killing of two New York police officers shot by a man who then turned his gun on himself.

“I unconditionally condemn today’s murder of two police officers in New York City,” Obama, who is on Christmas holiday in Hawaii, said on Sunday.

“Officers who serve and protect our communities risk their own safety for ours every single day and they deserve our respect and gratitude every single day.”

The officers - Rafael Ramos, 40, and Wenjian Liu, 32 - were ambushed and fatally shot in their

marked police patrol car by a 28-year-old man named Ismaaiyl Brinsley, said William Bratton, the commissioner for the New York Police Department.

Reports said Brisnley was apparently seeking revenge for the death of an unarmed black man during an arrest attempt.

Brinsley had posted “very vicious, anti-police messages” on social media before the attack, the first in which NYPD officers had been killed by gunfire since 2011.

Eric Holder, the US attorney general, promised the support of the Justice Department throughout the investigation.

HIV: Tests Confirm Cambodia Mass Infection A third round of tests has confirmed that at least 90 villagers in a small rural community in northwest Cambodia have contracted HIV in an unexplained and panicinducing mass infection.

Dr Didier Fontenille, director of the Pasteur Institute in Cambodia, said that samples sent from Roka commune in Battambang province, where the unusually high number of infections were first detected this month, have tested positive for the virus.

“It has been confirmed three times by different techniques.

Around 90 [people] have tested positive,” Fontenille said.

More samples taken from resi-

dents in the area will be tested on Saturday, he said.

On Saturday afternoon, members of a parliamentary commission on public health attempted to address the concerns of the villagers in the northwest of the country.

Commission chairwoman Ke Sovannroth told the assembled villagers that they must not lose hope and the government was working to help them with access to HIV testing and anti-retroviral treatment.

Veat Vorn, 53, whose 11-yearold son was diagnosed with HIV earlier this month, was among the crowd.

—Al Jazeera

TURNOVER: Blackberry Misses Expectations As Sales Stall Troubled smartphone maker Blackberry has reported a largerthan-expected drop in revenue during the third quarter.

Revenue fell to $793m (£507m) from $1.19bn a year earlier, missing analyst expectations.

Chief executive John Chen said the revenue figure was “not satisfying”.

However, he added that he thought Blackberry might be able to stabilise and grow its revenues by 2016, but that he could not promise profitability.

Blackberry reported a net loss

of $148m for the quarter, significantly less than the $4.4bn loss it reported a year earlier.

Shares in the company fell over 6% in the wake of the earnings release, before recovering later in the day.

On Wednesday, the Canadian company launched a new phone called Classic, which was intended to appeal to business clients who like the fact that the smartphone maker was best known for its physical, rather than virtual, keyboards.

—Reuters

53

Monday, December 22, 2014

PERSONALITY PROFILE

Yusuf Agabi: The Visionary Leader Nasarawa Needs

By EKELE PETER AGBO

Nasarawa State, which was created on October 1, 1996 by the Abacha administration with a view to bringing development closer to the people, has been yearning for sustainable development in virtually all sectors of the economy since inception.

Successive governments in the state have not been able to turn around the fortunes of Nasarawa State for the better. It is unfortunate that a state so rich in solid minerals is chained down by the shackles of underdevelopment and poverty.

However, the people now have yet another opportunity to change the story of Nasarawa State from lamentation to tears of joy, by electing the right candidate to govern them; a selfless and visionary leader who will wipe away their tears and change the story of Nasarawa forever. Nasarawa needs someone who has the wealth of experience required to turn around the fortunes of the state. And if you ask me, there is no better person with such qualifications than Dr. Yusuf Mohammed Agabi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Nasarawa State.

Dr. Agabi is eminently qualified to govern Nasarawa State in all ramifications. He has served his people in various capacities, both public and private. And now that he is retired from paid public service, he has a lot to offer his people. Nasarawa is a young state yearning for selfless leader who is really committed to its progress and development. Dr. Agabi is offering himself to the people to be used as a divine pencil to rewrite the history of Nasarawa State. He is willing and ready to make that selfsacrifice which is required to develop Nasarawa State. He was born and bred in Nasarawa State and understands the yearnings and aspirations of his people.

Dr. Yusuf Mohammed Agabi was born on May 27, 1957 in Agyaragu village in present Nasarawa State to the family of Late Baba Mohammed Agabi. He had his primary education at RCM Primary School, Agyaragu.

From there, he attended St. Augustine Teachers’ College where he obtained his Grade II Certificate in 1977. And from there, he proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where he obtained Diploma in Accounting and B.Sc (Accountancy) in 1984. He later bagged an MBA in Management and Finance from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa in 2000.

At a young age of 24, Dr. Agabi served his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) between 1984 and 1985 at the Jos Steel Rolling Mill.

We will work hard to build hospitals and provide quality healthcare for our people. He had a brief stint at Plateau State Ministry of Finance, before he joined a chattered accounting firm, JC Dariye and Co, as Audit Manager in 1986. From there, he left for Benue Cement Company (BCC), Gboko in 1989, where he rose to the position of Chief Management Accountant

yusuf Agabi

in 1997. Between 1997 and 2000, he returned to JC Dariye and Co as Senior Partner.

Dr. Agabi had a brief stint at Abuja Investment and Property Development Company Limited as Financial Controller, between 2000 and 2003, before he transferred his services to the Federal Civil Service in the pool of the Accountant General of the Federation as Deputy Director in 2001. He later rose to the position of a Director before his voluntary retirement in December 2013.

As a public servant with impeccable records, Dr. Agabi has numerous awards and certificates. While at the Benue Cement Company, Gboko, he won the Outstanding Staff of the Accounts Division award, Certificate of Achievement by the World Solutions, Virginia, USA among others. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria; Member, Nigeria Institute of Taxation; Member, Institute of Management Consultant, as well as Council Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

He is also a Council Member, Institute

of Nigeria Stock Brokers.

Dr. Agabi has promised to bring his wealth of experience to bear on the governance of Nasarawa State.

What is more, he is someone with the right connections to attract both local and foreign investments to the state. He has equally promised that solid mineral development will be one of the priority areas of his administration. In the area of health, he said he would give succour to the people in the rural areas who have been terribly neglected over the years, by building cottage hospitals and providing quality healthcare for them.

In terms of agriculture, Dr. Agabi has promised to introduce mechanised farming. Since the people of Nasarawa State are predominantly farmers, they need to develop beyond subsistence farming and embrace mechanised farming which will spin wealth into their pockets. He also promised to provide farmers in the state with all the necessary farm inputs. The issue of potable water in Nasarawa State which is very appalling will be solved

by Agabi’s administration.

Recongnising the fact that peace is paramount to the development and progress of any society, Dr. Yusuf Agabi has mapped out plan on how to tackle the issue of insecurity in Nasarawa State, with a view to ensuring that investors come into the state to invest. He believes that you can never get it right as a government with insecurity all around you. He is confident that the insecurity in Nasarawa is surmountable. According to him, it is an issue that can be fixed in a day. And the only way to do that is to field a candidate that is credible and acceptable to the people.

“I will never promise what I cannot do. I have always been a man of my words, my people can testify to that. I’m not one of those that will promise 10-point agenda or 11-point agenda. Those areas I have outlined in my development plan, if well implemented, will make Nasarawa State the envy of other states in Nigeria. At the end of my tenure, let the people be the judge on whether I am a man of my words or not,” Agabi said.

54

Monday, December 22, 2014

AYC 2015: Flying Eagles, Golden Eaglets Get Group Opponents

BY TAOFEEK LAWAL, Abuja

The Flying Eagles of Nigeria will face a still competition against the hosts, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Congo in Group A at next year’s Africa Youth Championship which holds from March 8 to 22. The six times champions finished in third place last year in Algeria.

The AYC has eight teams in

two groups who battle for the top three slots which decide qualification to the FIFA World Youth Championship, New Zealand 2015. Group B has Ghana, Mali, Zambia and South Africa. The Flying Eagles ended the year 2014 with a thrilling 10-0 win over NNL side, Highlanders last week.

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets who will be playing in Group A will face

Niger, Guinea and Zambia. Group B has current holders, Ivory Coast pitted against South Africa, Mali and Cameroon.

Tournament will be held in Niger from February 15 to March.

The top three teams qualify for Chile 2015. The Eaglets are the current world champions and have excelled four times coincidentally on Asia soil.

NCS wins 2nd Edition Of Customs CG National Volleyball Championship

By ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

The Nigeria Customs has emerged Champions of the 2nd Edition of the Comptroller-General of Customs National Volleyball Championship played at the Murtala Mohammed Square Volleyball court, Kaduna over the weekend.

The Customs won both male and female categories of the Championship in a week-long event when the male team defeated their Nigeria Immigration Service counterparts in the male final 3-0 while

the female category was won by the Customs after finishing top of the league series base of the female category.

The Customs ladies won all their four matches in the league series that was rapped up with a 3-1 final win against the Nigeria Immigration Service.

On their route to success, the Customs male team came out top of their group A by winning their group match to qualify for the semifinal while the ladies Customs beat Water Resources Kaduna by

3-0, while Gombe suffered with the same margin of defeat and Plateau and Immigration were handed 3-1 defeat each.

The Nigeria Immigration Service came second in both male and female categories while Niger state came third and Gombe came fourth in the male category.

The ladies from Plateau State finished third, Kaduna Water Resources ends as 4th and Gombe finished fifth among the five female team that participated in the female category.

L-R: Deputy governor, operations, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Suleiman Barau, presenting a trophy to the branch controller, CBN Lagos, Mr, James Omebere, at the 34th edition of CBN governor’s competition in Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna at the Weekend. Photo Gbenga Abiola.

FIFA World Club Cup: Nigerian Striker Makes History Little-known Nigeria striker Sanni Issa on Saturday made history with his Auckland City of New Zealand teammates as they became the first team from the Oceania to go as far as winning a medal at the FIFA Club world Cup. Auckland City won the bronze medal via penalty shoot outs having first played 1-1 draw with the Concaf champions Cruz Azul.

The 10-year-old Auckland City has starred in five other Club World Cups; but with very little impact at the flagship event.

However this went well this term as Tim Payne, Darren White, James Pritchett and Issa all converted their kicks

Sanni (centre) on duty for Auckland City FC.

Lobi FC Lose Player To Car Crash Nigerian Glo Premier League side Lobi Stars have received devastating news in that striker Sarki Audu was killed in a car crash on Saturday.

Audu was en-route to Bauchi from his home in Yobe with his wife and daughter when the accident occurred.

Lobi Stars club official Ganiyu Adeleke confirmed the sad news to the SuperSport website.

“We received the unfortunate news this morning of the death of Seriki Audu. He was driving from Yobe State, his base, with his family, wife and daughter.

“But he died from the accident while his wife is at present at the in-

for Auckland, while John Irving missed target after crashing his shot off the cross bar.

But Cruz Azul striker Formica made things worse for his team as he blasted his shot high over the bar, before Auckland goalkeeper Jacob Spoonley saved from Valadez, to hand the Kiwi side the win.

The victory thus caps a truly remarkable ten day period for the Auckland City team who have now beaten the Moroccan champions, African champions and CONCACAF champions in the space of ten days.

Already there are suggestions that Issa should be given a lookin by the national team handlers in the coming days.

tensive care unit of a hospital where she was taken to and the daughter suffered a fracture.

“It is a very sad news at this time for Lobi Stars because Seriki was one of our top strikers, and had a life full of promise in the future ahead of him,” said Adeleke.

Iorfa, Lobi Stars FC Boss

Chelsea Can Win Treble – Hargreaves Former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves has compared Chelsea’s current team to the Manchester United side which won the treble in 1999.

“When I look at the Chelsea team it reminds me of how we were back in 1999,” Hargreaves told The Mirror.

“Our team was perfect. We had great skill, great athleticism, great physical strength.

And we were ruthless, in a good way. Looking at Mourinho’s side I see the same qualities.”

Chelsea are still in three cup competitions and have the lead in the Premier League, despite being level on points with

Manchester City ahead of their game on Monday.

PSG, Liverpool, and Watford all have to be overcome, but Hargreaves thinks that they have the qualities, and the manager, to pull it off.

“Jose doesn’t let players get away with anything,” he said.

“But they respect and admire him for that.”

Before they think about progressing in the cups, Chelsea take on Stoke City on Monday in the Premier League, and will undoubtedly be aiming to regain a three-point lead at the top of the table.

Hargreaves

Follow these reports on leadership.ng/sports

sports 55

Monday, December 22, 2014

Wenger Ready To Splash The Cash Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists that he is willing to spend, as the January transfer window becomes visible behind the looming fixture against Liverpool on Sunday.

But Wenger insisted that his reluctance to spend big in recent years was fiscal prudence, and not him just being miserly.

“There is a huge difference between the perception that peo-

ple have of me and the reality: I’m not scared to spend money,” the Frenchman said. “If you go out with me one night, you will understand that.

“What I don’t like is to spend money that I don’t have. Now I have money so no problem spending it at all. What I fought against was spending money that would have put the future of the club in danger.”

Wenger spent some considerable cash, over £30 million, on Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona, and the Chilean has so far justified the idea of big expenditure on big players.

Injuries have been piling up, giving further weight to fans who are urging Wenger to spend in January. The Gunners have six players on the treatment table for the trip to Anfield, and three more facing late fitness.

Bojan

Bojan Snr Attacks Guardiola The father of Stoke City forward Bojan Krkic has criticized Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola for not giving the forward enough of a chance at Barcelona.

“Guardiola didn’t give him continuity,” Bojan Snr told The Mail.

“He would score one or two goals in La Liga and then not play for weeks, it is very curious.”

Bojan was once the next big thing to come out of Barca’s famour La Masia academy, but disappointment followed him on his loan visits to Roma, AC Milan, and Ajax.

Krkic has now settled into his new team, Stoke City, and the 24-yaer-old is showing the kind

of form that once had great things expected of him. His father thinks the same would have happened in Catalonia, if he got the opportunities to prove himself.

“I 2010 he kept Ibrahimovic on the bench. Bojan played and scored at Sevilla and Tenerife, they were decisive goals.

And then at the end of the season they signed David Villa,” complained his Yugoslavian father. “It became very difficult. He wasn’t welcomed in by everyone.

“At Stoke, he is playing like an animal. He loves Mark Hughes and his training sessions are creative. He chases everything, he works for the team.”

Falcao Needs More Time – Carrick Michael Carrick expects Radamel Falcao to go from strength to strength following his goal against Aston Villa on Saturday. The striker scored his second goal for his new club on his second start, and his team-mate hopes the Colombian will kick on after overcoming niggling injury concerns The Colombian striker’s time at Manchester United has so far been undermined by injury issues since his loan move from Monaco.

But making his first start on Saturday since early October, Falcao netted for the second time in a United shirt to earn a 1-1 Premier League draw at Villa Park.

And Carrick believes his im-

Falcao

pressive header could prove to be the catalyst for a rich vein of form.

“He’s scored so many goals over the years and you always feel that when he gets that chance he will score,” Carrick told MUTV. “He’s scored a terrific header again and I’m pleased for him.

“After being out for a bit, that’s him back and hopefully he can go on a bit of a streak for us and we, as a team, can return to winning ways and get on a roll again.

“Things are going okay, although we hoped for more [against Villa], but we didn’t lose and hopefully we can carry that on over Christmas and be stronger for it when we come out on the other side in January.”

Wenger

Liverpool Plan Torres Shock Return Liverpool are seriously considering a January move for Fernando Torres.

However, they could face competition from Atletico Madrid, the club where the Spaniard started his career.

Torres is currently on a two-year loan from Chelsea to AC Milan, but it has been widely reported in Italy that the Serie A side want to end the deal due to the strik-

er’s lack of form and goals. He has scored just once in 10 games.

Given the injury problems Diego Costa has suffered Jose Mourinho might consider taking Torres back to add depth to his squad. But that would seem unlikely.

Liverpool, who seem to be giving up on the gamble that saw them sign Mario Balotelli for £16million from Milan last summer, need to bolster their strike

force.

And Torres, who was outstanding for the Reds (65 goals in 102 Premier League games) before being sold to Chelsea for £50million in 2010 could fit the bill.

Liverpool may take the 30-yearold on loan with a view to a permanent move.

Meanwhile, Balotelli could be moved on loan to Napoli in Janaury.

Allardyce Revels West Ham’s Form West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is determined to “enjoy the moment”, with his side flying high in the Premier League after their 2-0 win over Leicester on Saturday.

Goals from Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing either side of the break secured all three points for the Hammers and left them fourth in the league standings.

The east London club have not experienced such heights since the 1985/86 season when they ended up finishing in third place, and Allardyce is keen to revel in the occasion.

The 60-year-old insists that consistency is the key to maintaining their league position, and his play-

ers’ resolve is set to be firmly tested during the next two fixtures, against Chelsea and Arsenal.

“It’s not often a team are breaking the barriers everybody else doesn’t expect them to break,” said Allardyce.

“You should enjoy the moment and continue to enjoy the moment for as long as it lasts. Hopefully it will last for a good while yet.

“We’ve sustained our position between sixth and fourth in recent weeks. We’ve a considerable amount of games now. The end of January will tell us what we can possibly achieve.

“It’s about the consistency of winning and that is what we’ve

Allardyce

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Guest Candidate Buhari: Columnist Matters Arising

T

Buhari has inched close to gaining the reins of federal--and ultimate--political power in Nigeria: what will be the fate of those “officergentlemen”, his thencolleagues, who ousted him from power in the early hours of Tuesday, August 27, 1985

By Akeem Soboyede

he next in the series of presidential polls in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic is scheduled for February 14, 2015. On that day, Nigerians will literally (the day also being Valentine’s Day) show their utmost love for either incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, running on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), or retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari, who recently emerged as the presidential flagbearer of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

Given his antecedents, Buhari needs a lot more love from Nigerians in the coming polls, much more than he has received in the past. In 2003, during his first outing under the auspices of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Buhari lost by millions of votes to his opponent, the-then incumbent President Olusegun Obasanjo, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Buhari followed the same track in the 2007 elections, losing to the now-deceased Musa Yar-Adua, who also ran on the platform of the PDP, to Buhari’s ANPP. The same unsavoury history repeated itself for Buhari in 2011; despite changing parties and contesting under the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) that year, Buhari watched as his opponent, incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan coasted home to victory, in an election otherwise marred by a very ugly aftermath.

As it was in the run-up to his previous contests, the ghosts of Buhari’s past have now begun to surface, only days after the man himself became the presidential candidate of a major political party in Nigeria for an unprecedented fourth time.

Looming large is the “spectre” of Buhari’s alleged lack of capacity to forgive. A brief primer: in 1976, during

Obasanjo’s first turn as military Head of State, Buhari served as Federal Commissioner (Minister) of Petroleum and Natural Resources. His tenure served up the eternal controversy of the $2.8 billion that allegedly got missing from the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). A major conveyer of that still-recurring allegation was the late Afro-beat maestro, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

Buhari subsequently became Head of State after the military overthrew the Shehu Shagari government in late 1983. In 1984, the Buhari government slapped Fela with a currency trafficking charge and a 10-year jail sentence, which he served until released by the Ibrahim Babangida regime which had also sacked and succeeded the Buhari junta Perhaps the man with the best testament to incurring Buhari’s wrath, especially when the latter has the means to unleash such vengeance, was the late Umaru Dikko. The garrulousness and steadfastness of this senior official of the ousted Shehu Shagari government in defending same in the world media, from “far-off” Britain where he had sought refuge after the Buhari putsch, earned his name an eternal association with the words “Diplomatic Crate”. Much thanks to the very undiplomatic and vengeful efforts of a rampaging Buhariled junta.

Scary as this past reputation for inflexibility and vengefulness, it pales in comparison to the “elephant in the room” thought that actually finds space in the minds of many Nigerians when, within the past 12 years or so, Buhari has inched close to gaining the reins of federal--and ultimate---political power in Nigeria: what will be the fate of those “officer-gentlemen”, his then-colleagues, who ousted him from power in the early hours of Tuesday, August 27, 1985?

The leader of that putsch, Ibrahim Babangida, who would go on to rule Nigeria for eight tumultuous years, is now well in his 70s and, like Buhari, is an “old” man. Many of the names in Nigeria’s political and military firmament that became known for and profited financially through that putsch of 1985, like the Joshua Dogonyaros, David Marks, Tunde Ogbehas, Raji Rasakis, Lawan Gwadabes, AbdulKareem Adisas and Abubakar Umars, among others, are either dead, discredited or have since repudiated the man they used to swear they would follow into battle “blindfolded”--Babangida. Still, it appears many believe the Nigerian polity will host a “Buhari versus Babangida (Round Two)” should Buhari ever make it back into the ultimate corridors of Nigerian power.

Buhari himself has not frontally come out to dispel such notions of an anticipated “armageddon of vengeance”.

In recent (and not-so-recent) interviews, he has waxed vaguely about “forgiving” Babangida but not “forgetting” how the latter chased him out of power and had him detained for more than three (3) years after that. He has also huffed, in response to questioning about those who fret about his anticipated presidency, that such people would do well to consider the option of going into exile.

Such expressions, while not doing anything to launder Buhari’s image as a destructivelyvengeful man, also speak to something vital that should be found in any statesman, or one who aspires to be “King”: circumspection, or at least the appearance thereof. The late Nelson Mandela had that virtue in abundance, which was why he was the perfect man to assuage the fears of the minority Boers in South Africa, who feared the ascension of black rule in that country would lead to their elimination. That trust was not

misplaced in the Madiba, and the country has profited handsomely ever since.

Let’s make this clear: millions of Nigerians, possibly including this writer, will not give the proverbial “damn” should Babangida and his minions get the rough treatment from Buhari after the latter someday assumes the Nigerian presidency (and Babangida and his henchmen somehow found the idea of “exile” distasteful after Buhari’s electoral triumph!) Far too many Nigerians think Maradona will deserve whatever he gets in that regard, not necessarily because he ousted Buhari, but with his own record in office, capped with the utterly-avoidable debacle of June 12.

But then, which incipient leader, like Buhari in this case, wants to start off or pre-occupy himself during his “reign” with how to put the ghosts of the past in their “rightful place” or teach people “a lesson”, instead of exerting all such efforts on charting a future path of peace, progress and prosperity for the millions that put him in office?

The latter is the President Muhammadu Buhari Nigeria needs, from February 14, 2015.

— Soboyede is a US-trained journalist and lawyer.

GHANA MUST GO No emperor will govern Rivers — Amaechi

Except the emperor appointed by him?

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