Leadership sunday

cover story

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Sunday, October 5, 2014

The entrance to the Galaxy Amusement Park in Kaduna. PHOTO BY Isaiah Benjamin

The Thrills That Come With Sallah Preparations The 54th Independence Day celebration in the country heralded in yet another holy seasonal holiday celebration, Sallah. As Muslims nationwide are making frantic arrangements to make the festival period worthwhile, Blessing Ukemena, Abuja, Abubakar Salihi, Kano, ISAIAH BENJAMIN, Kaduna, examine how recreational spots in the north are making preparations to entertain fun-seekers.

We cannot always keep worrying about bombs because it is God that protects

As Nigerians are getting over the excitement of the Independence Day celebrations, which were rounded off last week, they are again basking in another season of Sallah celebrations, and, of course, the usual public holidays that come with it. In line with these activities, various amusement parks and gardens are bracing up to meet the challenges of the season.

With Monday and Tuesday, October 6 and 7, 2014 declared by the federal government as public holiday in commemoration of the Muslim Eid-elKabir celebration, the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, while announcing the holiday, also enjoined citizens to mark the celebration with prayers for peace and unity within the na-

tion, especially in the face of insurgency that is ravaging some parts of the country.

As at Wednesday, the popular Berger Roundabout in Abuja revealed that the FCT Administration was fully preparing for the festivities, with banners and other decorations of Happy Sallah and flash lights around the bus-stop, and decorations of the green-and-white national colour covering the main pillars of the Berger bridge.

LEADERSHIP Sunday spoke with fun-seekers and managers of some of the relaxation centres in the FCT to know what was in store for the season.

Paul Oko is the manager of the famous Wonderland Amusement Park in Abuja, and stated that, “We are welcoming

everyone in the FCT to Wonderland. We want to assure them of maximum safety during these festive periods. We know that some people may be scared because of the security situation in the country, but the truth is that, at Wonderland, the safety of our customers is paramount to us. We have the SSS, the police, the military, in addition with our internal guards on ground. We have not put up the decorations yet, but we are going to do that before the weekend.”

He however said that there were no special programmes or discounted prices for the festivities, stating that the amusement park was usually jampacked with fun-seekers during the weekends, and thus, there was no cause for alarm during the Sallah season. Apart from the entrance fee of N300, every ride in the park has different prices, ranging from N200 to N600, making the park affordable to all classes of the FCT residents.

Residents In Festive Mood, Despite Security Challenges Families who were present at the Amusement Park at the

time of this report relived their excitement about the festivities to LEADERSHIP Sunday.

Charles Kalu was at the Wonderland with his wife and two children. “We cannot always keep worrying about bombs because it is God that protects. Nigeria just concluded the Independence Day celebration, and now, we are looking forward to the Sallah celebrations. We come to Wonderland often like every two weeks; but because of the Sallah holidays, we will come on Monday and spend Tuesday at home before the kids go to school on Wednesday,” he said.

Deborah Ezeudo was at the park with her husband, and she stated that Wonderland happens to be one of the best parks in the FCT that she admired. “This is because they have a lot of interesting facilities. Other parks just have the bouncing castle and little children rides. But here, they have rides that even adults can ride on. I intend to come along with my younger sibling and my friends, maybe on Monday.

There is also enough security ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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Sunday, October 5, 2014

The Thrills That Come With Sallah Preparations ➔ FROM PAGE 13

I am thankful that Nigerian forces are winning the war against the insurgents, and that is why we have the confidence to come out and celebrate

here. So, I am quite confident that nothing bad will happen,” she stated.

A visit to the Millennium Park, also in Abuja, saw that there were some family funseekers who were there for the Independence Day celebrations.

As at 3pm, the park was dotted with families that were out to relax and have fun; most of them did not seem to harbour any fear about their safety. At the entrance were some policemen who searched people’s bags before they entered the park.

When LEADERSHIP Sunday spoke with some of the families, they expressed happiness that the federal capital was yet to record another attack. Sunday Jatua was at the Millennium Park with his family members. “I am thankful that Nigerian forces are winning the war against the insurgents, and that is why we have the confidence to come out and celebrate. We know that these evil people target places where there are crowd, but we cannot stop living our lives because of them. So, I will encourage others to come out on Monday to celebrate the work that this administration is doing,” he stated.

The Maitama Amusement Park also had some fun-seekers present towards the eve of the Independence Day, but the manager of the park was not on seat at the time LEADERSHIP Sunday visited the park.

Mallam Inusa was at the park with his friends, and said, “Where I stay is not far from here, so I’ll be here. And I will also be here on Monday, because this place will be full of people, which will make it more interesting. I can guess that there will be more security personnel here, more than the ones here now. I do not intend to stay at home,” he said, continuing that “Besides, there are the cinemas and the night clubs. So, there is a lot to do this holiday.”

Mariam Hassan was another fun-seeker at the Maitama Amusement Park, and said, “I came here with my sisters and brothers. We come here often; although, we also go to other places to have fun. I am sure that there will be more fun, because I know that there are some shows happening here on Sunday. So, it will be safe and full of fun.”

In Kano, the Sallah holiday preparation as at time of going to press was at its low-ebb.

At the Murtala Muhammad Way, where an amusement park has newly been established,

A scene of one of the amusement parks in Kano. PHOTO BY Abubakar Salihi

named Roxy Amusement Park, there was the air of seasonal excitement though. The park is situated at one of the most secured places in the state, giving the people more reason to be at the fun-centre on Sallah period.

At the main entrance, the security measures were high, as both human and vehicular movements were subjected to heavy screening.

The chief security officer of the park, Captain Muhammad Danlami Garba (rtd), said Roxy security personnel are proactive, hence there was no reason for fun-seekers to the park to feel threatened .

He also confirmed that they have a good working relationship with security operatives who have promised quick response once alerted.

According to him, there are security cameras placed at strategic points, while taking keen interest in every suspicious moves within the park.

The park has new fun machines for their customers installed as well.

But at the governmentowned amusement park in Zoo House, which is located along Zoo Road, Kano, there are no visible and proactive measures put in place to safeguard the lives of fun-seekers.

But a staff who sought for anonymity said police would be placed at the park on the day of Sallah for safety reasons.

In Kaduna, the thrills of the Sallah preparations could be felt in high spirit, as arrangements were in top gear in many of the city’s parks and gardens visited.

This year’s Sallah celebration is not different from past ones

except for the security challenges in the region which call for caution as to where fun-seekers may go.

The Gamji Multipurpose and Amusement Park is one place that is always filled to capacity by fun-seekers, families and friends who come to dine and wine during festivities. It is also a place where children long to go and play around with their peers, albeit under the watchful eyes of their parents and guardians. Generally, it is where teenagers catch up with new friends and have fun.

When LEADERSHIP Sunday visited Gamji park to see its level of preparedness to receive those who will patronise the park at this festive Sallah period, access to the place became difficult due to the absence of the manager that would have given the permission to carry out any assignment of the park.

Of course, one of the reasons for the measure was as a result of the insecurity in the country.

The manager, Ayuba Kwaso, however, when contacted, would not speak on the level of preparedness of the park for the festive period, insisting he had no permission to do so.

He therefore directed LEADERSHIP Sunday to the director of tourism at the state ministry of culture and tourism, who could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.

A peep however into the premises of the park showed that there were no face-lifting jobs going on inside the park.

But as usual, the non-uniformed security personnel at the gate were always on ground to ensure that fun-seekers who

patronised the park paid the mandatory gate fee of N50 to gain entrance. For children and adults who would want to utilise some of the facilities at the park, they would have to pay stipulated fees and be issued with a receipt. Again, those that visited the place would have to either come in with their food or at liberty to buy for themselves things sold within the park.

At the Galaxy Amusement Park, opposite the Government House, the situation was not different. At the time of visit on Thursday, a part of the fence had fallen down as a result of heavy downpour, making the park open and vulnerable. The park also does not have any face-lifting jobs ongoing. The looks were not any different from what it used to be. Meanwhile, when the park manager, Temple Walter, was contacted, he said everything was being put in place to give their customers a worth for their money, just as he said all security arrangements are also in top gear.

On the fallen fence, as at the time of the call, he said it was already being rebuilt. According to him, “Our facilities, such as the train ride, horse ride and merry-go-round, are in good condition for our customers’ use at the cost of N100 for each of them.

“On security measures being put in place; every festive period, the state commissioner of police normally deploys security operatives here, and we have never had any issue too. I am sure this festive period will not be different,” he said.

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sunday interview Sunday, October 5, 2014

2015: No Cause For Alarm Over APC’s Primaries –Senator Ibrahim How well has the seventh senate performed?

The seventh senate is an improvement on the sixth, and a lot of people believe the sixth senate is an improvement on the fifth senate. So, things are getting better.

As we continue with democracy, more and more people are getting to know democracy and also get democratized. Things are getting better generally all over the place.

So, the seventh senate is definitely superior to the rest for obvious reasons. It’s not by anybody’s design or fault, it’s just that we are getting better because we are getting more experienced.

More and more senators, few as they may, who came back improved on the quality of lawmaking in the country to give better governance. Senators, House of Representatives members and state houses of assembly members are there to make good laws for the good governance of Nigeria. There have been some tremendous improvements over the decades, even though there have been situstionsl tendemcies every now and then. The military, however, has allowed democracy to continue unimpeded, but be that as it may, things are getting better and I believe the quality of lawmaking now is by far higher than earlier laws made because many of the laws, which were made earlier, have now been amended. You see all sorts of amendments that show how unsatisfactory Nigerians were on many of the laws that were made earlier. They are being improved upon by continous ammendments. In addition to lawmaking, there is the functions of oversight after budgets are approved. Sometimes, you have two budgets: the annual budget and the supplementary budget within the year. The Senate and House of Representatives committees are expected to oversee the ways and manner projects which have been approved by the two chambers are being implemented to the satisfaction of Nigerians. There is also agreements that have been signed by the government. That is another important function of the Senate. The other bills passed to Mr President for his signature in order to become law is also very important. Oversighting is very important and other miscellaneous activities of the National Assembly.

Ibrahim

Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim (APC, Yobe East) is the chairman, Senate Committee on Housing. He has an enviable record of ruling the state as governor for 10 years. In this interview with JONATHAN NDA- ISAIAH, Ibrahim expresses optimism about the upcoming primaries of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Don’t you think the senate has failed in its oversight functions especially with regards to budget implementation, which has never gone beyond 50%?

That the budget has not been implemented more than 50% before is not a problem of oversight. It has nothing to do with oversight. If a particular ministry gets allocation of N5b and it fails to spend that money within a year, it has nothing

to do with oversight. Oversighting starts after the projects have started and as it’s continuing, you go and inspect to see if it’s okay. you go there to find out if the price is alright and even if there are changes in price, that they must be based on the law. This doesn’t make a budget fail, it’s the inability, incapacity, incompetence of the executive. It is the responsibility of executive to do all the things they said they are going to do with the

amount of money they submitted for approval. Ours was basically to approve with some few changes in most cases in budgetary allocations. So, the failure is on the part of the executive.

You belong to the group former governors who found their ways into the senate. How do you react to the criticisms that trail decisions such as yours? Is this healthy for our democracy?

Why, is it not healthy for democracy? After all, these ex-governors are Nigerians to the best of my knowledge. All of them were born in Nigeria, went to school in Nigeria and worked in so many places before becoming governors, and by the time they became governors, they are still politicians who are

I believe that whether it is the direct voting or the modified voting system, it is good for democracy.

Whichever one we take will not do harm to the party

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16 interview

Sunday, October 5, 2014

2015: No Cause For Alarm Over APC’s Primaries –Sen Ibrahim 15

Politics and governance is all about development. We want the best to take over power and the best to govern us so that we will get the best results possible for our resources

not yet tired and they want to continue to serve their country. So, they moved from local champion to the national level to contribute their quota immensly to the development of the nation rather than their own states. So, in what way is it not healthy? When we have ex- governors, ex-ministers, exdeputy governors and others, who have served in so many ways, the more of them coming to the senate, the richer the senate becomes. Because of their experiences and the fact that they come from different localities, it gives them the wisdom.

We are a huge country with different tribes, sections, states, so, the sum total of those who come is how rich the democratic dispensation and democratic development will go on. In fact, it’s a big advantage. There is nothing unhealthy about it. And from my experiences, these governors and ministers are very experienced people. They don’t have this childish behaviour, upheaval or crisis associated with lawmakers generally. They are very mature people and have served at a higher capacity before coming to the National Assembly.Those, who are running the executive from Mr president down, are usually people from their own calibre and former colleagues, so you discover that the quality is being gradually improved. The more governors we have in the National Assembly, the better so that they will be able to control, or through voting, minimize the effect of younger people, who are very exuberant, agitative.

Through them, better laws are made for the good governance of the country.

Your party, the APC seems to be experiencing internal rift concerning the party’s presidential primaries. While some are calling for direct voting, others are calling for the modified voting system where ward delegates will vote. What is your take on this?

Well, that is what we have in the constitution, and at the end of the day, the party will agree on one of the two systems. I believe that whether it is the direct voting or the modified voting system, it is good for democracy. Whichever one we take will not do harm to the party. Only that one will be more expensive and the other one a little more easy to control than the other but I think that at the end of the day, collectively, the APC will decide on one of the two systems and it

Ibrahim

will still be alright.

We practised both earlier in Nigeria. I remember in the days of the SDP, we had the indirect system from which we choose chief Abiola to become our presidential candidate.

He later went on and won the election. It was not the primaries that became the problem, it was the fight by the conservative forces of Nigeria that denied Chief Abiola the presidency of Nigeria; it has nothing to do with the system that brought him on or the primaries that brought him into the political arena. So, whatever we agree upon, some of us are not involved. Like me, I’m not involved in the idea of which one we should go for or which one is better; it’s a small number of people who have so far debated this and I’m sure they will expand it to bring in more and more people and at the end of the day. Whatever they agree upon will be good for the APC.

What are the chances of APC in the 2015 general elections?

Our chances are very bright.

The only thing is that we should be very careful of what happened in 1993. We should not allow this conservative forces to, as a matter of life and death, make one of them the president, even if they are not the best choice of Nigerians. You see, to the conservative people, governance is a matter of life and death. They can do anything including bringing in the military through a coup and taking over from them.They can do anything, spend any amount of money to make sure that they hold power because they know how sweet it is to hold on. They know how holding power has empowered them with their families over a long period. So, we have to be very careful, particularly, in this our primaries.

Obviously, we have more than one presidential candidate. We

will go through it democratically and introduce internal democracy for the most acceptable person be the presidential candidate. Let us make sure that nothing goes very wrong and at the end of the day, I believe insha Allah, we will win the presidency and for the first time in Nigeria’s history, we are going to have a progressive federal government in Nigeria. All governments in Nigeria whether military or civilian, so far, have been government that have been controlled by conservative forces whether in uniform or agbada, it didn’t make any difference. So, let us for the first time experience, have the feeling that we are being ruled by progressive forces and see what they can do to develop the country. Politics and governance is all about development. We want the best to take over power and the best to govern us so that we will get the best results possible for our resources.

sunday politics

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Marking ‘The Mark’ Ahead Of 2015 The re-election bid of senate president David Mark as Benue South senator in 2015 has been greeted with a lot of issues, as some stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alongside the All Progressives Congress (APC) are bent on marking him out. SOLOMON AYADO takes a look at the issues

It is not as if members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have no issues with the re-election bid of the senate president, Senator David Mark and so have endorsed him as its sole candidate. Both the ruling party and members of the opposition, APC, are confronted with several questions that are in dispute and eagerly begging for cogent answers.

It has been sixteen years that Senator David Mark has stayed in the senate under the mandate of the people of Benue South Senatorial district. Now, he is seemingly desperate to clinch the juicy seat for the fifth time. This is the singular reason why the drums of war are sounding out in the Zone Immediate measures by stakeholders and political gladiators to proffer an amicable end, is rather propelling further crisis.

In 1999, Mark, a retired General of the Nigerian Army won election into the Benue South Senatorial seat when he had returned from self exile. He moved to the red chambers and in 2007, he became the senate president. Today, it is on record that Senator Mark has brought stability in the legislative arm of government of the country.

It is on this basis that the elders and PDP supporters of the Benue South, a week ago, converged in Otukpo, the ancestral home of the Idoma na-

Mark

Gemade

tion and publicly endorsed Mark as sole candidate of the party.

Led by the state chairman of the party, Dr Agbo Emmanuel and deputy governor, Chief Steven Lawani, the party gladiators publicly approved the sole candidature of Senator Mark and applauded his development policies.Members of the National Assembly and state executive council also attended the ceremony.

Agbo said, “Mark has brought development and

Tambuwal : Beyond The Mutawallen Sokoto Title > 20

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pride to the Idoma nation and should be given a fifth chance to achieve the dream of Apa state”. For Chief Lawani, “The endorsement of Senator Mark is the decision of the state government and party supporters should accept it.”

Before now, Governor Gabriel Suswam had announced in Abuja that there was no vacancy on the seat, implying that no one should dare to contest the seat against the senate president.

Strangely, even before the PDP endorsement and public declaration by Governor Suswam in favor of the proposition, tongues were already waging in opposition to the move. Pitiful to say that some active elders of the ruling party are, obviously, against the matter and have been holding secret meetings to dwarf the tall political agenda and tip Chief Mike Onoja to unseat Mark. Their reason is that Mark had overstayed and the seat should be rotated.

Many weeks before the endorsement of Mark, the retired permanent secretary in the federal ministries of Defense, Power and Steel, Chief Onoja, had declared his candid intention to run the race under the platform of the PDP. He had commenced grassroots consultation in order to mobilize and unseat the senate president.

Needless to emphasize also that the opposition, APC, is ever ready to stiffly resist with serious action and to see to the logical defeat of Mark in the National Assembly poll come 2015. The opposition could not halt the endorsement by PDP but they are very busy making underground arrangements to stall Mark’s reelection bid and replace him with another.

Although the senate president has not broken silence even as plans to unseat him are in top gear. Mark as the number three citizen of this country is a veritable tool in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan as it is evident in their glue to run➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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politics

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Marking ‘The Mark’ Ahead Of 2015 ➔ FROM PAGE 17

ning state matters.

There is confusion because of the recent unexpected romance between Governor Gabriel Suswam and the senate president, having observed that their previous rapport was not pretty cordial. It is ironical owing to the perception that the three senators from Benue ranging from Senators David Mark, George Akume and Barnabas Gemade had initially allied political forces against Suswam. But because politics is a game of interest, it is assumed that the varied rifts be resolved before Suswam finally forged his way back.

The crux of the matter is that Akume has disagreed with Suswam over battle for political supremacy. Gemade is obviously at crossroads with the governor because of their clashed ambition to win the ticket of the Benue North Senatorial zone. For Mark, his relationship with Suswam is allegedly likened to that of cat and dog, owing to the governor’s closeness to President Jonathan of which many perceived has posed a serious threat to the senate president.

However, it is humorously sarcastic and quite unimaginable to see Suswam, not just assertively, but irrevocably declaring public support for the reelection of Mark. Suswam’s sudden decision to publicly endorse Mark has kept political watchers pondering what it means, when it is not far fetched that the senate president was recently in Gemade’s village, Korinya in konshisha LGA where he threw his weight behind Senator Gemade’s senatorial aspiration come 2015.

While many people have continued to argue that the events unfolding are mere political arrangement in its entirety, others are vehement that for Mark to succeed a fifth term in the senate on the mandate of zone C is a gross misconduct on his side and total injustice to the people of the Benue South.

They argued that Mark is not the only Idoma son and that he should for now, imbibe the spirit of ‘eat and give’. That he has been baiting the people with the idea of the creation of the proposed Apa state, which, according to them, is far from a mission possible.

In a chat with LEADERSHIP Sunday, Chief Mike Onoja, who is contending the Benue South Senatorial seat against Mark under the PDP, said that only the forthcoming primaries of the ruling party will stop him. He insisted that the zone C senatorial seat must be rotated within the Idoma entity to ensure equity and fairness.

According to him, the people of Benue South Senatorial district have not enjoyed dividends of modern democracy in past sixteen years that Mark had ocFor the PDP the cupied the seat. He stated that his misin the state, sion to run the race is to enhance deits decision to velopmental projects in the areas of fly Mark as its construction of roads and provision of sole candi- portable water to the people.

The PDP chieftain stated that he will date seems a facilitate and bring into existence the settled mattercreation of Apa state, just as he would create abundant employment opportu-

nities and encourage farmers to boost agriculture,, if elected in 2015.

“My vision and mission is to enhance development projects because I have seen the zone C as backward with no water, roads and general infrastructural developments. I will encourage farmers and create employment opportunities for my people.Only PDP primaries can stop my senatorial bid because I think we should have rotation of the senate seat because every local government in Idoma land should have a feel of the senate. Oturkpo has enjoyed it in the past sixteen years and it should rotate to another. This is enshrined in the PDP constitution and there must be equity and fairness,” Onoja stated.

A former president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Daniel Onjeh spoke to LEADERSHIP Sunday shortly after he obtained intent expression form to run for the senate seat of the Benue South under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This former president of West African Students Union (WASU) said the reason he is running the race is to tackle the socio, political and economic challenges faced by the people of the area. He vowed to unseat senate president David Mark.

According to Onjeh, there is need for rotation of the Benue South senate seat to other Idoma entities and that the concept of creation of Apa state, which he said has been employed by political gladiators as a bait to buy over the conscience of the people, should be a rethink.

“Aside the primary task of legislation, the senate seat is a rallying point for the development of a people. I will initiate an entity like Apa Development Company (ADC) to drive the exploration and exploitation of the mineral deposits to boost economic activities in the zone.”

Onjeh stated.

Naturally, it is fondly for people to stick to continuity especially when occupying a position of authority, and at this time when everything revolves around political supremacy. It is evident that the case of Mark is not different. He is determined to seek re-election and win the juicy seat for the fifth time, not minding the serial agitations of the electorates.

Senator Mark, in a statement issued by his chief press secretary, Paul Mumeh in Otukpo, Benue State, said: “I will remain steadfast and committed to the ideals of nationhood in a manner that would give every citizen a sense of belonging .”

Responding to the resolution by the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) Benue South Senatorial district endorsing him as the sole candidate for the 2015 senatorial election, Senator Mark said that as long he lives, he will continue to serve his people “diligently and with the fear of God.” At the moment, it is left to be seen whether Senator Mark will succumb to the demands of some constituents to shelve his ambition to get to the senate for a record fifth time and rotate the seat, but for the PDP in the state, its decision to fly Mark as its sole candidate seems a settled matter.

Jonathan

Mu’azu

Suswam

POLITICS 19

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Adamawa By-election: The Power Play, Intrigues And Issues Next Saturday’s governorship byelection is glaringly becoming a two-horse race between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the major opposition political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite the presence of other candidates. MOHAMMED ISMAIL writes on the defining strategies that may shape the election

Many political parties in the state were caught in a frenzy of conducting party primaries when INEC released the time table for the gubernatorial election which saw 13 political parties fielding candidates to fly their flags in the coming bye election.

The political parties which fielded candidates include PDP, APC, APGA, KOWA, MPPP, SDP, APA, PPN, UDP, PPA, CPP, AA and AD. But despite the presence of many candidates vying for the position, the race is keenly contested between the PDP and the APC. The PDP candidate and acting governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, became a political colossus in his own right having superintended the process that led to the ouster of former Governor Murtala Nyako, a retired general, hence carving a niche for himself as an impregnable political fortress in the political permutations of the state.

Fintiri’s dexterity even became more glaring as he withered the initial obstacle that besets his ambition following his disqualification by Senator Mantu’s screening committee to become the party’s flag bearer in the 2014 bye election, which many political analysts said was no mean feat considering the calibre of people he contested with.

The APC candidate, Muhammadu Umaru Jubrilla, on the other hand, was a serving senator representing Adamawa Northern Senatorial Zone, who defeated four other aspirants including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s favorite candidate to become the standard bearer of his political party, the APC. But unlike other gubernatorial contests, which can easily easily be predicted due to the clear advantage one of the candidates may have over the others, the scenario in Adamawa is a bit different as the standard bearers of the two major political parties in the race are all Muslims, from the same Sena-

Fintiri

Jubrilla

torial zone and they belong to minority tribes. The acting governor, who hails from Madagali local government of the state is a Marghi by tribe while Senator Jibrilla whose roots could be traced to Maiha local government is Jenyi by tribe.

It is worthy to note that despite their popularity, the two political giants also posses their doses of baggage especially looking at the hurdles they crossed to become the standard bearers of their respective political parties.

On one hand, acting governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri became the major contender of his political party, PDP, following the ouster of Governor Murtala Nyako from the exalted office he was occupying. Fintiri’s role in the saga while as speaker made him to assume a noto-

rious reputation in some quarters as many leveled him an ingrate taking into cognisance Nyako’s role in his emergence as the member representing Madagali in the state assembly.

Despite the fact that his success at removing Nyako has earned himaccolades, especially from the ranks of PDP faithful, who saw him as a messiah of a sort having recaptured the “party’s stolen mandate”, the action has, however, earned him opprobrium and powerful enemies especially from within the ranks of Nyako’s vast network of friends and political allies, who vowed to teach him a bitter political lesson.

Among those who were seemingly offended by the removal of Governor Nyako are some of the chairmen of thelLocal government councils whom the im-

peached governor helped to install as the helmsmen of their local governments, and as such, despite the fact that all of them have renounced their membership of APC and have embraced PDP, which gave them the leverage to vote during the party primaries, their loyalty was still under question as some of them are alleged to be working against the candidature of the acting governor.

It was against this backdrop that the party, during one of its stakeholders meeting gave all local government chairmen and councilors especially those whose loyalty is under suspicion a deadline to re register with the party or be shown the way out in order to cage them from playing double standards and also to secure the ambition of the acting governor in the race. This is more so as suspicion that the LGA chairmen, who are still loyal to ex-governor Murtala Nyako, might work for the (APC) looms large.

It was also learnt that the step was taken to frustrate legal action against Fintiri’s emergence because all the LGA chairmen and councilors were card-carrying members of the All Progressives Congress(APC) during the primary.

Some party members had faulted the participation of the chairmen and the councilors because they were not given “readmission” waiver by the PDP before voting at the primary, which was ignored by the Dimeji Bankole led electoral committee during the party primaries at Lamido Cinema in Yola.

A reliable source said: “The council chairmen and councilors are expected to re-register as PDP members from September 22 but they have up till September 26 to complete the process.

“If they fail to re-register, the councils will stand to be dissolved by the acting governor. This became necessary because they are still believed to be the leaders of APC in their local government areas.

“The party and the acting governor are jittery that the LG chairmen and councilors can sabotage Fintiri.”

Another source said: “The deceit surrounding the September 6 primary has started emerging because the panel from Abuja and a gang of PDP leaders allowed non-party members to vote as delegates to elect Fintiri.

It is worthy to note that despite their popularity, the two political giants also posses their doses of baggage especially looking at the hurdles they crossed to become the standard bearers of their respective political parties

20 POLITICS feature

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Tambuwal : Beyond The Mutawallen Sokoto Title It was a bright day, with lots of prominent dignitaries from far and near who stormed the Seat of the Caliphate to, not only witness, but also, honour the speaker, House of Representatives, Rt (Hon) Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as he was being turbaned the Mutawallen Sokoto.

That the atmosphere was filled with joy as every sphere of the metropolis as well as the individuals wore festive mood was an obvious fact. More so, that, the enthralling voices of praise singers waxed with their oratory composure plus the scintillating pattern at which they fluently sang the speaker’s praises.

For others, the sight of gorgeously bejeweled horses that took positions on both sides of the road leading to the Sultan’s palace gate was another memory they wished lasted forever.

However, for political pundits, the behind-the-scene event was perhaps, worthwhile for the day as it seemed the occasion was not just about the turbaning. The presence of three presidential aspirants of the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) as well as its big shots who all stormed the venue on that fateful day added colour to it.

Adding to the political rhythm of the traditional title given to the speaker was the astonishing fact that despite being a member of the ruling PDP, close to 80 percent of the dignitaries at the venue are from the opposition (APC).

Although, in a sane democracy, such a cross-political alignment is simply considered an enviable platform for creating unity of purpose, however, the Nigerian scenario and most other democracies seem to be the opposite as such hobnobbing with the opposition is adjudged anti-party activity.

Given supportive justification for the presence of three out of the four aspirants vying for the presidential ticket of the APC (former Head of State, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and former vice President, Atiku Abubakar), a reliable source told LEADERSHIP Sunday that two things were involved in their presence.

Said the source: “Why would you expect a good representation from the PDP when it was obvious from the speaker’s latent and manifest disposition that he is only marking time in the party?

More so, that neither the APC nor the PDP knows where his totality of loyalty dwell for now. Nevertheless, I can assure you that, the senate president, David Mark was represented at the occasion. Other members of the PDP household were engaged elsewhere for their

Tambuwal

Sokoto was agog last week with the turbaning of Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal as the Mutawallen of Sokoto. ANKELI EMMANUEL who witnessed the occasion reports that there was more to the event than meets the eye. party’s sake, therefore, could not afford to come”.

Continuing, the source, who pleaded anonymity, said the presence of the three presidential aspirants of the APC was to show respect for the host governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, whose political influence, lately in the northwestern politics, could not be jettisoned by any serious minded politician both in the opposition and ruling party, should such a candidate really mean business to win election come 2015.

On the other side, the source said, there was a pre and post occasion arrangement to organize a frank parley for the APC stalwarts, where critical issues bordering the party might be discussed, hence Tambuwals’ input could make a whole lot of differences.

The source further divulged that the presence of the opposition All Progressives Party, (APC) chieftain at the occasion was to enable them come up with unity of purpose in its bit to scuttle power from the incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan and the People’s Democratic

Party (PDP) in 2015.

And to achieve this, therefore, the source noted that the party hatched its best bet when it analyzed the strength and weaknesses of the ruling PDP and advised that some of the personalities seeking to contest the presidency under the APC platform might be advised to step down their interests when all the chips are down should the party truly want victory.

When asked on who are those to likely step down and for whom?

The source said, “I can authoritatively tell you that plans are on the ground to ensure that the opposition’s party gets it right this time around. And to be able to achieve this, some of the party stalwarts insisted that both General Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso step aside for Speaker Tambuwal to emerge as consensus candidate”.

Be that as it may, another looming conflict of interest seems to be brewing up as another source insisted that doing so might, to a large extent, spell doom for the party, hence, the speaker would

be forced to contend with Sam Nda Isaiah, who happens to come from the north-central geo-political zone.

Going by his own analysis, the APC might be digging its own grave of losing the presidency by refusing to look at the loyalty implication that would subsequently be attached to any attempt at underestimating the north-central sole candidate in the party.

According to him, there is no doubt, a fresh candidate, whose personality could be marketable across the geo-political and religious divide in view of the complexity of the Nigerian political arrangement, is more suitable now than insisting on Tambuwal, Buhari, Atiku or Kwankwaso as the case may be should the APC and Nigerians direly needed to achieve the change it kept yearning for.

Another pundit from Kano, who is also a top player in the APC, but would not want his name in print said, though, there is still divided interest in the political permutation among the political bigwigs of the party (APC) both in the north and in the south, but the best way to overcome such seemingly unnecessary suspicion is to bring forth an individual, who has the potential and ability to actualize the Nigerian dream from any part of the country rather than insisting on the north to produce APC presidential flag-bearer in 2015.

And to be able to achieve this, some of the party stalwarts insisted that both General Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso step aside for Speaker Tambuwal to emerge as consensus candidate

POLITICS 21

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Race For Kogi Senatorial Seats Know No Bounds Ahead Of 2015 Unease and intense political maneuvering are defining the eagerness with which aspirants are scheming to fill Kogi senatorial slots at the upper chambers. SAM EGWU writes The Central Senatorial district race has opened with consultations going on. The All Progressives Congress (APC) is in the race with two candidates.

They are former members of the Senate, Salihu Ohiare and Salihu Ohize . Their supporters say they are the best materials having known the operation of the Senate and are familiar with the terrain; therefore, any of them given the ticket could perform to the admiration of the people.

However, the supporters of Nurudeen Abatemi, who is the current member representing Kogi Central in the Senate puts the hope of the young man to return to the Senate in the next dispensation, very high.

Suleiman Abdul, who spoke on behalf of the supporters in Okene during the presentation of cars, motorcycles, grinding/ sewing machines, generators, poultry materials and clippers by the senator stated that they had not had it good like this before and so deserved a second term. Apart from that, others said his father’s glory is still working for him in the PDP. Another aspirant is Ahmed Ogembe, the current chairman of Okene local government.

Political watchers opine that that he has worked enough to deserve the consideration of the people of the central for the Senate seat. Hon Ahmed Ogembe on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been a strong contender in the struggle for the senatorial seat for quite sometime now. Given the present scenario, some analysts say that Ogembe should concentrate on the present chairmanship seat and use it effectively to win the people’s sympathy for the next dispensation.

The battle ground, political observers say, is mostly in Kogi West Senatorial district where it was gathered that zoning formula must be religiously adhered to. Also, it was learnt that the APC would give PDP a run for its money. Those who have indicated intention on the ticket of PDP are: Smart Adeyemi, the current senator representing the area and Musa Ahmadu, the former SSG to Kogi State government and

former member of the House of representative from Lokoja/Kotokarfe Federal Constituency.

On the platform of the APC, there are two former members of the House of Representative and a serving member of Kogi House of Assembly also interested in the seat. They are: Hon Dino Melaye who represented Kabba/Bunu; Sam Aro, who represented Yagba East and West and Adebola Afolabi representing Yagba West in the State House of Assembly.

The test of power is coming up as the bell from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, tolls for the race, but from what is happening, the obvious would certainly unfold very soon.

According to popular opinion, Smart Adeyemi has the upper hand. Informed Political analysts who know Kogi West Senatorial district have continuously said that with Dino’s declaration of intention to contest the senatorial seat, Smart may have it tough. They argued that Dino was the brain box for Smart’s campaign team as he knew the nitty gritty of the region’s politics.

It is speculated that sinceDino wants the seat, he would know where the currents of the water is high and deep, when the chips are down.

Others, who do not follow that school of thought say, in that game,Senator Adeyemi is very smart and would outsmart all other contestants. They also argued that with the strength of business mogul, Chief Omokere, allegedly behind him, the game will become interesting. It was gathered recently that some contestants allegedly went to beg the iron rod magnate to allow all test their popularity. But for Dino Melaye, his followership, people say, is intimidating. Those who are in support of Dino say his actions in the House of Representatives, when he was there, clearly showed that he will do more when given higher responsibility. Given the reality on ground, they argue that Dino is a good material. Others stated that Dino may not have the needed fund like Sen➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Wada

Adeyemi

Melaye

The test of power is coming up as the bell from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, tolls for the race

22 politics feature

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Race For Kogi Senatorial Seats Know No Bounds Ahead Of 2015 ➔ FROM PAGE 21

ator Adeyemi has, but has huge contacts to tap resources from.

Another aspirant, Sam Aro, has demonstrated that he is prepared for the battle ahead when he declared his intention a couple of days ago. He urged his people to send him this time around to the Senate.

Close observers say Aro has the financial muscles to confront Senator Adeyemi and get to the Senate. They argue that APC is stronger in the West to match PDP, a tough contest and with Sam Aro in the race now, it would be an open contest.

Similarly, the scenario at Egbe during Capt Idris Wada ‘thank you’ visit to the area where the senator was allegedly booed attested to the argument.

Adebola Afolabi may be new in the game and in the House of Representatives but the suprise during his election to the House of Assembly is a clear indication that the grace of his father may work out for him this time again.

Kogi East Senatorial District may have the toughest contest as the race for the plum job gathers momentum. The gladiators so far, have at one time or the other served the nation and carved a niche for themselves, a move that further makes the race more interesting.

The four leading contestants for the Senate are all from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Currently the seat is being occupied by a two time member of the House of Representatives, Hon Attai Aidoko, who won his two time House of Representative seat on the platform of PDP, but later defected to All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP to win the Senate seat. Already, political watchers have tagged Kogi East Senatorial seat as contest of bigwigs. No doubt, as consultation continues, Attai Aidoko, during the ‘thank you’ tour of Capt Idris Wada to Olamaboro recently, told the gathering that “it is continuity 2015”.

Some informed politicians said unless is called to show tangible evidence of his eight years at the House of Representatives and four years in the Senate, otherwise, his godfather is always there to scale him through.

Kogi East is made of nine local governments, namely: Ankpa, Omala, Olamaboro, Idah, Ofu, Ibaji, Dekina, Bassa and Igalamela/Odolu. There could be other people from other political parties, but the people, who are planning to unseat Hon Attai Adoko, are all from

his own party, the PDP. Hon Hajia Halima Alfa, one time governorship aspirant and cordinator of SURE-P in north central zone is a strong contender whom people have said “If the men have failed us, let us try the women.

In the race also is Capt Joe Agada, a new entrant, who has been a campaign coordinator for Jonathan’s re-election in the north central zone.

Joe Agada and Attai Aidoko are both from Olamaboro local government area.

The former Chief of Air Staff, AM Isaac Alfa, one time governorship contestant, and a strong contender in the last Senate race has posited that this time, it cannot escape his grip having learnt the lesson of political maneuvering. He has vowed that nobody would be given automatic ticket, this time around.

Amongst the contestants for the Senate in the senatorial zone in question are Abdul Abubakar alias (Railways).

He has dusted his political credentials for the heavy fight. Attai Aidoko has never tasted defeat in his election and unless, all the grey areas are properly guarded, political analysts have said, Aidoko may swing suprises.

Most people have accused Senator Ahmadu Ali of being the brain behind Attai Aidoko’s success story, and argued that a level playing ground should be created for every contestant this time. Senator Ahmadu Ali remains a factor in Kogi politics.

Alfa (rtd)fought the air battle with flying colours rising to the rank of Air Marshal and Chief of Air Staff, CAS, but has not been able to unravel the mystery in politics. But his supporters who spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday maintained that the best Kogi East can achieve from the Senate is to give Isaac Alfa the opportunity to serve. They argue further that Isaac’s connection at the higher levels would make a ready material for the job.

Some political heavy weights are still consulting and do not want to be mentioned . If former governor of Kogi state, Prince Abubakar Audu decides to show interest on whatever political party, either APC, PDP, APGA, LP or any newly registered party, he is a moving train, people will vote for him, even his closest enemies will vote for him.

This former landlord of Lugard House remains in the heart of so many people in the state, of which LEADERSHIP Sundaygathered bulldozed his

Aro

Usman

way into the heart of the number one citizen of the country, but wished he were in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The ambition being pursued by Hajia Halima Alfa is legendary. She is from Idah Federal constituency where the Kogi political godfather, Senator Ahmadu Ali hails from in the state and she is married to Ankpa the political decider in the state. With her high connection at Aso Rock, all men should begin to pray hard to be able to stop her. It

is gathered that she is very close to the first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and Hajia Halima Idris Wada, the wife of Kogi State governor, who it was learnt wants a change in the candidature of the East Senatorial District Senate race to a woman to key into her women empowerment programme.That formed part of why Hajia Alfa was appointed by Capt Idris Wada as the chairperson of the governing board of College of Education Technical, Kabba.

The gladiators so far have at one time or the other served the nation and carved a niche for themselves, a move that further makes the race more interesting

HERITAGE 23

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Katsina City Gates: Towering Objects Of Aesthetics In Katsina, as in most ancient Hausa settlements, there are walls, which have served as defence mechanisms for the communities during those old era of frequent wars. In this piece, MUAZU ELAZEH reports that years after communities overcame those inter and intra territorial wars, the Katsina city gates that emerged out of those walls have been turned into history and aesthetics.

The gates are more of objects of beauty than article of defence as they have outlived their usefulness in serving as defensive fortifications

Any visitor entering Katsina, depending, of course, on where one is coming from, is sure to pass through either Kofar Kaura, Kofar Kwaya, Kofar Yandaka, Kofar Guga, Kofar Tsauri, Kofar Durbi or Kofar Marusa, the essential seven city gates of ancient Katsina city.

Of course, these seven city gates have come to symbolise, not only the doggedness of the people, but also depicts, clearly, the character of its inhabitants, even as it aptly captures the description of the respective areas that make up the present day Katsina city.

Indeed, the gates remained the only visible relics and reminder of the fortified walls that perhaps guarded the people of Katsina city against external aggression during those proverbial old days.

According to the literature available at the Katsina State History and Culture Bureau, there is a general assumption among historians that the construction of the walls might have started at the same period with the oldest settlements.

It is generally believed that the walls were erected as a means of ensuring a form of defensive fortification for the city.

Many years after, even though the walls have been completely removed and built upon; the gates that undoubtedly emerged from the walls are still visible, although most of them, according to sources, have been trampled upon by the effects of urbanisation.

From almost all corners of the city, there are entry and exit gates and the one for security purpose.

Perhaps then, anyone coming in or even going out must be noted, seen and known by gate keepers known as Sarkin Kofa, since each

Kofar Guga

Kofar Durbi

gate at that time reportedly had a gate keeper appointed by the Sarki.

As earlier mentioned, among these gates is the Kofar Guga. It is situated along the western side of Katsina city and leads to Jibiya, Maradi in neighbouring Niger Republic, Sokoto, among others.

The gate was reportedly named after one Guga, wife of Sarkin Gobir (Bawa Jangwarzo). Historical accounts indicated that, the said Guga visited Katsina and revealed her husband’s war secrets to the then King of Katsina consequent upon which Gobir was defeated in its subsequent wars with Katsina.

There is also the Kofar Kwaya believed to be named after sarkin kwaya, a traditional title holder in the Yandaka district, who is reportedly responsible for collecting all types of food stuffs especially grains, which dues to the emir of Katsina. The Kofar Kwaya is said to be among the first gates constructed in the 15th century.

Of course, there is also the popular Kofar Kaura. It is named after one Kaura Kuren Gumari.

The Kofar Kaura gate leads to Rimi, Kankia and Kano among other cities, and serve as links to eastern and south western towns.

Among these gates is the Kofar Yandaka named after a Habe traditional title for the district head of Yandaka. Historical accounts indicated that Lord Lugard entered Katsina through the Kofar Yandaka in 1903. Situated near Gafai Quarters, the gate takes one out of the city to some villages such as Babbar Rugga, ‘Yan shanya among others.

Unfortunately, it appears to be one of the neglected gates as all the other gates wear new looks, but the Kofar Yandaka gates is left begging for renovation.

Indeed, these gates, constructed long years ago, have continued to serve as the visible historical antecedents and indeed, obvious remains of the much talked about Katsina city walls.

The relevance of these gates cannot, in any way, be over emphasised and, perhaps, it is in appreciation of this that the Katsina

state government, through the Bureau for History and Culture has continued to ensure their regular maintenance through paintings as an object of history. Virtually, all of these gates have been modified.

Although the director of Material Culture at the Katsina State History and Culture Bureau, Alhaji Ibrahim Nababa could not be reached for comment, a staff of the bureau, who does not want his name mentioned told LEADERSHIP Sunday that the bureau has been consistent in ensuring constant maintenance of the gates.

Reports has it that with the exception of Kofar Yandaka, which appears not to have received any face lifts in recent times, virtually all the gates are constantly being maintained.

But all said and done, it can be said without any fear of contradiction that the gates are more of objects of beauty than article of defence as they have outlived their usefulness in serving as defensive fortifications.

24 FEATURE

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Sallah Rams used for fighting competition at Mangoro in Lagos. PHOTO BY ADEBAYO WAHEED

Rams Fighting: A Dying Pastime In the 80s and the 90s, rams-fighting was a favourite sport among Muslims in Lagos State, particularly during the yearly Eid-eI Kabir festival. In this report, Adebayo Waheed takes a look at the sport that is gradually dying due to its wider condemnation by Muslims clerics

I “I don’t see anything wrong with it. It is a form of sport.

What about those who engage in bull fighting? We feed the rams very well so that they will be able to withstand the rigours of the fight

t used to be a big contest around the 80s and 90s in Lagos Island, Lagos State, but with enlightenment by Muslims clerics, it is gradually giving way. It is the sport of ‘rams fighting’.

Lukman (surname withheld) would not forget in a hurry what happened to him few days to the Sallah festival in 1998 when he told his father that he wanted to carry their ram out for grazing.

Though, he actually took the ram for grazing, but along the line, he was tempted to place a few bet on it as other kids with him were spurring him on to take the ram for a fighting competition. He succumbed though, but after a few rounds of fight, the ram’s long horn got broken.

He was, however, oblivious of the damage this had done to the ram not until he took it home and his father discovered what had happened. To this, he quickly admitted his error. This error caused him serious reprimand as he was roundly beaten. The father had no choice but to buy a new ram.

In areas like Isale Eko, Oke Arin, Itafaji, all in Lagos Island, ram fighting used to be a big sport that attracted the attention of both the young and the old. In fact, it became a major competition to the extent that streets engage other streets in ram fighting competition with the winning

ram and its owner going home with as much as several millions of naira.

In a bid to emerge as a winner, several hard drugs such as marijuana and cocaine are included in the menu of the animal to keep them in high mood and powerful.

But the competition, which are held in big cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta and Ijebu-Ode, among others in most cases, ends in chaos and violence all in a bid to win the coveted prize. Based on this, many of the rams that participate in the competition often die before their time .

Many Muslim parents, who participate in the annual religious rite, always warn their wards and children against carrying their rams to such risky competitions.

But Adewale Ojediran sees nothing wrong with the past time as he puts it saying it is simply a form of sport. “I don’t see anything wrong with it. It is a form of sport. What about those who engage in bull fighting? We feed the rams very well so that they will be able to withstand the rigours of the fight.

“We also catch our fun and if you are lucky, you go home with some cash as well, if your ram won”.

He said that he had won several times and that he had also been defeated on a few occasions.

“What I do most of the times is to buy two rams, one for Sallah and the other one for the competition.

When asked if he knew that engaging animals in a fight could be un-Islamic, he said he had heard of such, but according to him, he is not convinced insisting that it is only a form of sport for entertainment.

However, due to the violent nature of this competition, many people are opposed to it, while other see it as un-Islamic especially as the exercise is carried out only during the Sallah season.

Speaking on the issue, Alhaji Sulaimon Olalere from Shaki said apart from the fact it was un-Islamic, it was not reasonable.

He argued that for one to bring out money from his pocket to buy a ram and engage same in a fight, is not sensible.

“It shows that those who are involved in such a past time are senseless. For them to engage rams meant for Ileya festival in a fight is completely satanic. It is also against the religion of Islam.

“If any part of the ram is removed or it sustains any injury, that will affect the purpose it was meant for”, he said.

Also, Salau Musa Adebayo did not only reject the idea, but argued that it was purely un-Islamic.

Salau who hails from Ibadan, said, “I cannot support it because it is contrary to Islamic injunction and will affect the purpose of the festival”.

Muhammed Tajudeen, another respondent said that any ram meant for the festival should not be used for fighting.

Muhammed, who noted that people came from Ibadan and La-

gos to Saki to buy rams for the ram competition, said such people are usually ready and willing to pay any amount for the biggest ram in the market.

According to him, the implication for engaging rams in fighting is enormous.

Speaking on the religious implication, Alhaji Tijani Teslim Adekunle said those involved in such act would be punished on the day of judgment.

He said Allah would ask the two rams to take revenge from each other after.

He said God would now bounce back on those who engaged the rams in a fight and give them the punishment for engaging the animals in such act.

Quoting from the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, he said Allah would cause the animals to inflict pains on such people while in their graves.

Series of public enlightenments by many Islamic clerics have seen to a decline in this sport as it is gradually fading out.

In most of the areas, where such sports normally take place, many people are no longer engaging in it, while the few, who still indulge in it are not putting much energy as it was done in the past.

Ismaila Aweda gave reasons why such could be happening.

“To get a big ram goes for as much as N80, 000 to N100, 000 now. I can’t imagine spending such an amount of money on a ram and allow it to die while fighting.

We have also been told that it is against the principle of Islam. So why engage in somethings that will also put you in trouble with your creator? We are seeking for his favours over us and not his displeasures,” Aweda stated.

ceoConfidential #132, October 5, 2014

IF YOU’LL BE...

dilip Shanghvi, founder, Sun pharmaceutical induStrieS group >26

>29 HOW I DID IT

ryan on building a team of ‘a’ playerS >30 SUCCESS NUGGETS

remembering emembering robin obin williamS and hiS wiSdom on SucceSS >47 UPDATES

trade iS africa’S africa’ launchpad to SuStainable economic growth

• Keith Schilling Chairman, Schillings

Schilling’S purSuit for global privacy protection

26 CEOConfidential

Sunday, October 5, 2014

in brief ESSENTIALS

10 Questions for...

FOR ENTREPRENEURS

vivian olohimai CEO, VIBOYA Chikens Nig Ltd

Create a unique business culture “Advertising is about norms and values, aspirations and prejudices. It is about culture” Anil Ambani, 1959Indian businessman awarded Entrepreneur of the Decade by the Bombay Management Association MTV Youth Icon of the Year in 2003.

Invest emotion to the products and services you offer. Create a culture of words and pictures and an identity that customers and partners can tap into.

The world loves a quirky business, one that is founded on fun but with a serious business heart.

Look at how Google advertises job opportunities: Top 10 reasons to work at Google – number 3: “Appreciation is the best motivation, so we’ve created a fun and inspiring workspace you’ll be glad to be a part of, including on-site doctor and dentist; massage and yoga; professional development opportunities; on-site day care; shore-line running trails; and plenty of snacks to get you through the day.”

When you create a unique culture you foster the involvement for all your stakeholders.

Break constraints “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra” Jimmy Johnson, 1943American football coach and broadcaster, author of Turning the Thing Around: My Life in Football.

Your business may make money from methods and practices that maximise economies of scale to produce products in a tried-and-tested manner – your suppliers aim to do the same. When you want to try something different they often seem disinterested and unwilling to help.

Try not to be constained by existing practices. Push to get exactly what you want and the products you require to start your business and satisfy the market demand you know exists.

Compromise may mean the death of your innovation, so find a way to get exactly what you want.

IF YOU’LL BE...

Dilip Shanghvi founder, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Group Have an in-depth knowledge of your field AHe started his business 30 years ago which is now India’s most valuable drug company.

Shanghvi’s depth and breadth of knowledge about the end to end of the pharmaceutical business from R&D to manufacturing to marketing and finance is unparalleled.

See beyond your immediate environment He has an uncommon Ability of Spotting Opportunities and seizing them. He often sees opportunities where others don’t see them, and before others if they do see them.

It was in 1984, which the second year of Sun Pharma that the Waxman and Hatch Act came in to existence. Shanghvi set his sights on this lucrative North American generic market right from the moment that the Country had paved the way for speedy market access to generic versions of the off-patent drugs.

Think differently. Think out-of-the-box Shanghvi’s ability to think differently and outof-the-box helped him choose, design strategies that are distinctly different from others and choose a road less travelled and even not travelled.

– By Olujide Olusola

TIMELESS TRUTHS How to design an office “To maximise the amount of contact among employees, you really ought to put the most valuable staff members in the centre of the room, where the highest number of people can be within their orbit. Or, even better, put all places where people tend to congregate – the public areas – in the centre, so they can draw from many disparate parts of the company as possible. Is it any wonder that creative firms often prefer loft-style buildings, which have usable centres.”

Malcolm Gladwell, author, The Tipping Point.

2. Which TV or movie character would you like to go into business with?

Jackie Chan. I love all his movies because they are unique and real to me.

3. If you were to start your own political party, what would be the platform?

To teach people to be self-dependent; and not to look up to the government for their daily needs.

4. Whom would you trade places with?

Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole. He laid a very solid foundation when he was the NLC leader, and that is still speaking for him today.

5.It’s 8 p.m. and you are travelling alone on business. What do you do all night?

Perfect my plans, then rest afterwards.

6. If you could time-travel, where would you be.

I would be the Senate president Nigerians would love.

7. What have you learnt about yourself as you serve in that organisation?

I have learnt that I’m honest in all my dealings, and do not ill-treat anyone.

8. What have you sacrificed for success?

Discouragers, haters and pleasures.

9. What do you consider your favourite achievement?

Lay down a good example for others to follow.

10. What is your motto?

Christ in me, the hope of all glory.

Interview by Daniel Udechukwu

group

ceoConfidential ASST. EDITOR Daniel Udechukwu CORRESPONDENT Salome Anyasodo REPORTER Olusola Olujide GRAPHICS Matthew Akhabue

1. What business do you not want to start but wish someone else would?

A company that offers a door-to-door delivery of chicken at the snap of one’s finger (like DHL) to any part of the world.

ACTING EDITOR Auwal Sa'id Mu'azu

FOUNDER Sam Nda-Isaiah CHAIRMAN Hajiya Ireti Kingibe GRP MANAGING DIRECTOR Azubuike Ishiekwene GRP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Michael Okpere, Dr. Kazeem Durodoye

A number of the articles here are sourced from diverse sources.

Feedback & enquiries ceoconfidential@leadership.ng

CEOConfidential

Sunday, October 5, 2014

27

popular with CEOs Compiled by Salome Anyasodo

The Recommender What are the business quotes for this week that make sense or are just humourous?

A Brief Guide Don’t know what you want to see, hear, smell taste and feel? Don’t worry we did it for you.

SEE October 1st

MD/CEO of Diamond Bank, Alex Otti bagged OFR Award

CEO, The Guardian, Mrs Maiden Alex-Ibru was also conferred with the OFR Award

Encouraging dignity of labour According to the Oxford dictionary, Honour is defined as person or thing that brings esteem. As often said, honour is given to whom due. An individual has to do something remarkable, especially for the benefit of the society at large to be honoured.

In Nigeria, the annual national honours are a set of orders and decorations conferred upon Nigerians and friends of Nigeria.

This year’s event saw 305 Nigerians and foreigners honoured.

The Nigerian National Honours were instituted by the National Honours Act No. 5 of 1964, during the Nigerian First Republic, to honour Nigerians who have rendered service to the

President Jonathan

benefit of the nation. The Nigerian National Honours, in descending order of importance, are: Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR); Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON); Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR); Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON); Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR); Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON); Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR); Member of the Order of the Niger (MON); The GCFR and GCON are customarily respectively bestowed on former

occupants of the Office of the President of Nigeria and Vice President of Nigeria including former military heads of state of Nigeria and Chiefs of General Staff. The GCON is also customarily bestowed on the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the president of the Nigerian Senate during their first year in office, while the CON is customarily bestowed on Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

It is however not out of place to emphasis and encourage citizens not to be weary in well being as no good work goes unrewarded. The only way the National Honours can remain relevant, respectable, dignified and credible is to award them on merit.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) “I want to specially recognise Usuah, Dauda and Michael, whose cases had proven wrong to those taking into criminalities because of poverty. The honest Nigerian spirit in Mr Usuah led him to go hunting for the owner of the eighteen million naira and he delivered it to him, intact. This is how it should be.”

A friendship founded on business is a good deal better than a business founded on friendship. john. d. rockerfeller, Industrialist Although gold is precious, when it gets in your eyes it obscures your vision.

Hsi Tang chih Tsang,

Monk

Over one’s skis

a few brows when it pops up in office conversation.

In London or Sydney. Skiing metaphors, unlike military or sportsbased expressions, are pretty rare in business-speak. Across the piste, meaning roughly end-to-end, is one example that has caught on with bosses, though humbler functionaries who perhaps don’t spend their winters in Vail tend to misunderstand, rendering it across the piece or, ludicrously, across the beast.

hear Group executive director, Oando Oil, Femi Adeyemo; and CEO, Century Group, Ken Etete, at the 2014 Nigeria Indigenous Oil Summit Themed ‘Building Capacity and Highlighting the Local Industry’, the event seeks to improve financial prospects influence policies and industry direction.

The summit holds at the Oriental Hotel Lagos on November, 25 through 26, 2014.

taste Tapas Great things do not just happen by impulse but are a succession of small things linked together. vincent van gogh,

Tapas like Iberian pork in cognac-Dijon sauce have created quite a buzz and the place is packed most nights. You’ll find a similarly arty vibe at central Forn de Sant Joan where chefs put interesting twists on tapas, flowers in tempura stuffed with pumpkin and manchego.

FEEL

Artist

Michelangelo’s statue of ‘David’, Florence, Italy

David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created between 1501 and 1504, by Italian artist Michelangelo.

It is a 5.17-metre marble statue of a standing male nude.

BIZ Lingo As used typically, scathingly, by senior executives of subordinates, being too far (out) over one’s skis means getting ahead of oneself, being presumptuous or premature or trying to operate beyond one’s competence.

A hapless underling can be dismissed as “a naïve, over-his-skis manager.”

This corporate Americanism seems to have escaped its origins since Barack Obama remarked of Joe Biden in 2009 that he “has got a little out over his skis”, but it can still furrow

The 152 minutes film which features David Bailie, Nick Rhys, Kunle Afolayan amongst others is about Nigeria on the verge of independence from British colonial rule, with herculean task to solve the crime before the British flag is lowered and the Nigerian flag raised on Independence Day, October 1.

In business affairs, it is the manner in which even small matters are transacted that often decides man for or against you. samuel smiles,

Author

SMELL Miss Giordani by Oriflame

Miss Giordani is the new fragrance, by Oriflame, belonging to one of the oldest perfume lines of this house—the elegant line of Giordani. Announced as a glamorous, stylish and ultra feminine fragrance, it encompasses the passion and subtle sophistication of the Italian lifestyle.

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CEOConfidential

Sunday,October 5, 2014

The ceoConfidential interview Schilling’s pursuit for global privacy protection The ardent lawyer, risk manager and cyber security business crooner shares his expertise in an interview with Tim Hulse

SCHILLING IN SHORT Keith Schilling, 58, is chairman and senior partner at Schillings, a legal firm specialising in reputation management and privacy protection.

He has acted for many celebrities in high-profile cases involving tabloid newspapers, with his use of injunctions and so-called super injunctions gaining him the nickname of ‘The Silencer’. In 2004 he successfully represented Naomi Campbell in a case against the Daily Mirror that is now regarded as the basis for the modern law of privacy in England. Recently, Schillings became one of the first law firms to embrace the new ‘alternative business structure’ model introduced in the legal profession, allowing lawyers and non-lawyers to share management of a business. The company has now restructured itself as a multidisciplinary legal, risk management and cyber security business.

How is business?

Business is brilliant.

Whenever someone has a good idea, people always say afterwards, “Oh, it was obvious.” And that is the feedback we have been getting on our new reputation consultancy offering. But funnily enough, no matter how obvious it is, we’re the only people doing it. With revenue up by a third on last year and more clients than ever before, it’s clear that our new offer is meeting a real demand when it comes to protecting privacy and reputations.

When did you first get the idea for it?

As far back as 1999 we wanted to move the business towards a more consulting basis. We were primarily doing litigation in those days. Getting clients out of problems at the last minute was fine, but we thought there was a whole new world out there where we could point out to clients the banana skins before they actually skidded over them. Then about ten years ago, we decided we needed to be doing a lot more work for corporates and entrepreneurs, not just the celebrity market.

Nowadays every aspect of business people’s lives is

being dissected and looked at very carefully.

In 2010 we got a company in to do a cyber-security check. And we thought, actually these cyber security experts are great and what they do is complementary to what we were doing. So we bought the company and integrated it. And that was the genesis for having the alternative business structure, because we wanted these professionals around the boardroom table. Then we recruited a fantastic risk management expert to cement our offer.

So clients are no longer restricted to ringing us up two hours before a problem arises. Sometimes we are in there two years before a problem has arisen and we were assisting them in a whole range of ways.

It is a big cultural shift for us from being litigators to saying to clients, let us not let it go that far, because one’s options are much more limited than they were five years ago. Super injunctions are now greatly restricted, so we need to get in earlier to be effective.

So how would you help a worried CEO? We would do a survey of them and their immediate family and work out how exposed they are in the

Sunday, October 5, 2014

CEOConfidential

45

SCHILLING ON GOOd Idea

Whenever someone has a good idea, people always say afterwards, “Oh, it was obvious”

media. We have found most of the information the press is getting is coming from new media - not necessarily the CEO, but his wife or his children or his employees. So, for instance, are there photographs of them on social media that they are not aware of? We would also interview all the key personnel at the company, including the chief of technology, the head of communications, the general counsel, find out what their concerns are, work out what the risk is of these things happening, look at what can be done about them and then start implementing some policies to make sure they do not happen or if they do happen, everyone is ready and can deal with them.

When you initially did an ethical hack of your own company, what did you learn?

We found a number of weaknesses in the system. It surprised us, because the legal profession pretty much has all the confidential information that anyone would want to get hold of.

Why hack one company when you can hack a law firm and get access to hundreds of companies’ sensitive details? We were particularly at risk because we lived through the phone hacking issues.

We warned our clients in 2004 that hacking was taking place - we had intel about it, although we did not have evidence. Now it is the same with cyberhacking, particularly with clients who are prominent individuals or successful businesses. They are very much at risk.

Do you think that is actually happening?

Oh, absolutely. Individuals or organisations looking to dig dirt on a competitor or wanting some inside track on competitor business

dealings may employ a private investigator, who in turn may employ somebody else. Someone down the line might well be desperate for the fee and the easiest way for them to get the information is to hack.

How easy is it for someone in the UK who does not have much money to protect their reputation and privacy?

Well, it’s not easy. There are certain things you can do. You can be careful in your choice of friends, careful in your choice of activity, careful in your choice of whether you use social media or not. But if you’re libelled, it’s quite difficult for you to get legal representation to do something about it - there is no legal aid.

So the law favours the rich, who are able to hire people like you?

That is true, but I think that is always how things have been. Someone who is well funded has to go out there and establish the new law and then gradually it trickles down and other people benefit from it.

You recently took a sabbatical to work on a novel. What’s it about?

It is not a Grishamesque courtroom thriller, it is completely away from anything to do with my professional life. I have to say that to reassure clients!

It is quite a dark, socially transgressive novel. I am enjoying writing it but I have got a long way to go.

It is a complete contrast to my day job.

Are you ever surprised any more in your job?

Not really, no. I started work in a law firm in 1972, so I have had 42 years of surprises. I am pretty immune to surprises now.

Culled from: businessinsider.com

CEOConfidential

Sunday, October 5, 2014

initiatives

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Lere Baale, lerebaale@gmail.com

Leadership Inspiration for Excellence – (LIFE) series

Leadership competency as the greatest driver of Africa’s development (II) The war destabilised the region of West Africa with many lives lost both citizens and peace keepers; and scattered Liberian refugees across West Africa for about 20 years. The war also spread to Sierra Leone because of the urge to control its diamond as a financing tool. Many citizens were brutally murdered and many others who survived were left limbless. Ivory Coast, which was the model of political and economic stability and it once housed the headquarters of the African Development Bank, had its serenity shattered after the 1999 coup of General Guei.

The world’s number one producer of Cocoa experienced a bitter civil war between 2000 and 2003. The last presidential election stand-off between Laurent Gbagbo and Allasan Quattara almost took Ivory Coast back to the precipice.

Togo, Gabon and Guinea all had despots who ruled for over 30 years with Togo and Gabon having the sons succeeding their fathers.

Equatorial Guinea with its oil wealth has less than a million people. Yet the oil wealth has not improved the lot of the populace but only the family and cronies of President Teodore Obiang Nguema Mbasago who has spent over thirty years in power. African Union boasts of a good number of sit tight leaders.

Little wonder the African Peer Review Mechanism cannot add much value to Africa .

The wars between North and South Sudan which ended with the Comprehensive Pease Agreement of 2005 led to the independence of the South in July 2011 after more than a million deaths in one of Africa ’s longest wars. As I write now, another civil war is on between leaders of

HOW I DID IT

Ryan on building a team of ‘A’ players

‘The story of Nigeria is a pathetic one. Once baptised the giant of Africa, a country with rich human and natural resources has been brought to the brink due to years of bad leadership’ South Sudan in their quest for power. Western Sudan has also seen enough carnage since 2002 where the government backs Janjaweed have been attacking the people of Darfur creating the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The International Criminal Court on charges of Genocide wants Omar El Bashir. Sudan was the first international headquarters of al Qaeda, which has seen the distribution of terrorism around Africa and the world. Somalia’s case is seemingly hopeless, that country is the number one failed state in the world. After years of misrule by former leaders they have gone for twenty years without a functional government with tribal

warlords, pirates and lately the Islamic extremist al shabash making the country lawless. About a million Somalis are now at the risk of death because of famine in the horn of Africa. Chad and Niger house the poorest regions of the world. The 2008 post election violence in Kenya left over a thousand people dead, closely replicated by the 2011 post election violence in Nigeria, which killed over two hundred people. The story of Nigeria is a pathetic one.

Once baptised the giant of Africa, a country with rich human and natural resources has been brought to the brink due to years of bad leadership. The mother of all carnages took place in Rwanda as the 1994

Rwandan genocide left an estimated one million people dead in 100 days.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch in the landlocked Swaziland only parades virgins on a yearly basis to choose a new wife from annually. He is mostly abroad and spends little or no time in his country.

The northern part of Africa, which seemed to be better off economically, was in the firm grip of despots. Revolutions in that part have left thousands dead, scattered the economies and disrupted tourism, which was their mainstay. Libya’s Gaddafi gave the west an excuse to seek to recolonise that country.

CONtiNues Next week

CONtiNues FrOm last week

Kevin Ryan, founder/CEO, Gilt Groupe

“Do not hire Him” I do not think there is a science to recruiting, but I do some things differently. The hiring process typically has three elements: the resume, the interview and the reference check. Most managers overvalue the resume and the interview and undervalue the reference check. Reference matter most. It would be a great experiment to not interview people at all-to hire simply on the basis of the reference check-and see what happened. I am pretty sure that most companies would make better hires if they did that.

Resumes are good for establishing basic qualifications for the job, but not for much else. The primary problem with interviews is that it is impossible to avoid being influenced by people who are well-spoken, present well or are

attractive. All sort of studies show how much appearance drives our perceptions of people. The resume and interview also do not alert you to the biggest potential problems. When someone does not succeed in a job, it is generally not for lack of the technical skills-it is because of intangibles that do not come up with an interview. Is he attentive to detail? Does she work well with others? How does he treat his colleagues? References are really the only way to learn these things. The essential traits I look for are success and passion.

The truth is that successful people are rarely let go: They are hired by former bosses in other companies.

The presumption is that reference checks are not worth much because people are scared to say anything negative.

That is a valid concern because there

have been lawsuits. One can talk about the strengths and weaknesses but lay emphasis where necessary.

On the other hand, people talk about certain rules of the thumb in talent management. One is that the great people in any company are usually underpaid. That is generally true and you should skew your compensation system with performance pay to better rewards them. Another is that A-level people generally hire other A-level people, but B-level people hire C-level people. I think that it is true too, but for a reason other than the usual one. B players hire C players not because they feel threatened by more-talented people but because most people do not want to work for a mediocre boss.

Of all the duties facing a CEO, obsessing over talent provides the biggest return.

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Sunday, October 5, 2014

situation reports Compiled by Olujide Olusola

Brand Beginnings Hewlett-Packard Company: ‘Invent’

H

ewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, United States.

It provides hardware, software and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and large enterprises, including customers in the government, health and education sectors.

The company was founded in a one-car garage in Palo Alto by William “Bill” Redington Hewlett and Dave Packard. HP is the world’s leading PC manufacturer and has been since 2007, fending off a challenge by Chinese manufacturer Lenovo, according to Gartner. It specialises in developing and manufacturing computing, data storage, and networking hardware, designing software and delivering services. Major product lines include personal computing devices, enterprise and industry standard servers, related storage devices, networking products, software and a diverse range of printers and other imaging products.

Founding and early growth The company was founded on January 1, 1939, by William R. Hewlett and David Packard, two recent electrical-engineering graduates of Stanford University. It was the first of many technology companies to benefit from the ideas and support of engineering professor Frederick Terman, who pioneered the strong relationship between Stanford and what eventually emerged as Silicon Valley. The company established its reputation as a maker of sophisticated instrumentation. Its first customer was Walt Disney Productions, which purchased eight audio oscillators to use in the making of its full-length animated film Fantasia (1940). During World War II the company developed products for military applications that were important enough to merit Packard a draft exemption, while Hewlett served in the Army Signal Corps. Throughout the war the company worked with the Naval Research Laboratory to build counter-radar technology and advanced artillery shell fuses.

Management IDEAS

Post-war growth After the war, Packard became responsible for the company’s business, while Hewlett led its research and development efforts. Following a postwar slump in defense contracts, in 1947 Hewlett-Packard returned to the revenue levels of the war years and grew continuously thereafter through a strategy of product diversification. One of its most popular early products was a highspeed frequency counter that it introduced in 1951. It was used in the rapidly growing market of FM radio and television broadcast stations for precisely setting signal frequencies according to Federal Communications Commission regulations.

Military sales during the Korean War also boosted company revenues.

In 1964 Hewlett-Packard instrumentation gained international recognition in a technological publicity stunt. Company engineers flew around the world with its cesium beam HP 5060A instrument to synchronize the globe’s atomic clocks to within one-millionth of a second. Four years later the company introduced the first desktop calculator. In 1972, using advanced integrated-circuit technology, Hewlett-Packard unveiled the first pocket-sized calculator. Selling at one-sixth the price of the original desktop unit, the pocket calculator eventually forced the obsolescence of the venerable slide rule.

Although the company never developed weapons systems, it depended heavily throughout its history on military spending, because its instrumentation has been used to develop and test military products, particularly as weapons systems have become more dependent on electronic and semiconductor technologies.

Management approach Early in the company’s history, the two founders endorsed formal management procedures, and Hewlett-Packard was one of the first corporations to use the “management by objective” approach.

They also created an informal workplace, encouraging the use of first names among employees, even for themselves. Packard and Hewlett were also known for “management by walking around,” visiting as many departments as possible without appointments or scheduled meetings and talking with line workers as often as with managers in order to understand how the company was operating. Hewlett-Packard became one of the first businesses in the United States to endorse the idea that employees, customers, and the community have as valid an interest in company performance as do shareholders. As a result, it consistently ranked among the best places to work for women and minorities. It also became one of the leading contributors to charitable organisations, donating as much as 4.4 per cent of its pre-tax profits.

The five forces of competition

The four Ps, the seven Ss – management thought is often packaged in this mnemonic, slightly gaudy way. There is a whiff of Barnum & Bailey, cheap gimmickry designed to catch the crowd’s attention.

Today’s most successful management thinkers are certainly in the entertainment business, complete with public appearance, book signings and, if they touch the right button, large cheques.

Don’t get the wrong idea about the five forces, however. The phrase and the ideas it represents come from the most serious, rigorous management thinker of them all, and one who is not tempted by

the spirit of vaudeville – Michael Porter. The five forces are 1. Competitive rivalry between existing players 2. The bargaining power of suppliers 3. The bargaining power of customers 4. Threat of new entrants 5. Threat of substitutes You make something more cheaply than anyone else and become the lowest cost producer. Or you make something special that allows you to charge more for it than anyone else. Competition is subtle and mangers are prone to simplicity.

success nuggets

Remembering Robin Williams and his wisdom on success

Robin Williams

Robin Williams was always generous in sharing what he had learned from his struggles and successes. The sad news of Robin Williams’ untimely passing has filled media outlets for days. Much of the coverage has celebrated his talent, his humanity and his boundless energy as an actor and comedian. He was always generous in sharing what he had learned from his struggles and successes, and his experiences resonated far beyond just those who watched his movies. As we continue to remember Williams.

Here are some of his advices:

if you do everything else wrong” It’s through failure that success is bred. You can fail 1,000 times but by making slight changes, the 1,001th attempt might be what brings success.

“No matter what people tell you, words and opinions can change the world” Words and opinions are the basis for every successful idea.

Many define success by leaving a legacy, which is another way of saying changing the world.

“You have this idea that you’d better keep working, otherwise people will forget.

And that was dangerous” Williams was talking about acting, but it applies to any type of work, passion or hobby.

Keeping at something you believe in, even when it’s tough, is the secret to success.

“You’re only given one little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it” There’s a fine line between genius and madness, and using that madness wisely is what builds success. Ignoring what makes you unique, no matter how mad it seems, could hold you back from succeeding.

“What’s right is what’s left

“Comedy is acting out optimism” Many successful entrepreneurs say that keeping a sense of humour is a big part of what makes them successful.

Laughter is truly medicine and enjoying what you do and where you are makes you successful no matter what.

“Reality: What a concept!”

There’s a place for dreamers and a place for realists, but a great business needs both. Getting a reality check doesn’t mean you’re a party pooper; it can actually revive a business or keep you off the wrong path.

Reality is crucial, but only in the right quantity.

CEOConfidential

Sunday, October 5, 2014

getting ahead

31

Secrets They Won’t Teach You At Business School Richard Branson, one of world’s most-respected entrepreneurs

People power (2) ...the real engine of any business

DiFFeRenTiATe oR Die

continues From last week

A publisher’s dream

Virgin Active, our health club chain, is a good example.

Matthew Bucknall and Frank Reed came to me with the idea of a family-friendly health and fitness club in 1999. They had set up and sold a chain in the United Kingdom in the 1990s and wanted to do it again with the Virgin brand on the door.

We liked the idea and the management team, so we backed the rollout in the UK, and within two years were offered the opportunity (by Nelson Mandela himself!) to rescue a chain in South Africa. The Active team jumped at the chance and haven’t looked back since.

We now have more than one hundred clubs in South Africa and another hundred and sixty in the UK, Australia, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Business icons

Trust is a key facet of any business, but how you deal with being let down once can also contribute to success. Are you willing to give people a second chance?

When I was running Virgin Records, a member of the talentscouting team was stealing and selling boxes of records to local second hand shops. Tipped off, I called him on it. He admitted everything. Rather than fire him, I gave him a severe warning and a second chance. Everyone messes up sometimes, I told him, and I said I expected him to learn from his mistake and get back to doing what he did best - finding artists. He went on to discover Culture Club. one of our biggestselling artists of the 1980s.

We all slip up at some stage in our careers. I did. When I was

just a teenager, I fell foul of British customs as I was trying to sneak duty-free records out of the UK. I escaped a criminal record by paying a fine and was given a second chance. I think this has made me much more accepting and forgiving of other people’s mistakes.

So many companies compare themselves to family units that the word ‘family’ appears to be sorely overused in modern business. However, I really believe that Virgin’s family spirit has kept it flourishing for over forty years.

When the business was smaller, we had legendary parties at my house near Oxford. We set up a fairground with tents full of entertainment for the staff and their families. As we grew, the party turned into two parties and, pretty soon, they were twoweek parties with 80,000 people just to make sure everyone was invited. By the end they had become three-week parties, and at that point the neighbours cried, ‘Enough!’ (and my hands cried ‘enough’) and we had to stop.

But we had established the culture - one built around people. People are the lifeblood of any company and, whether the neighbours like it or not, they need to be looked after and celebrated again and again! concluded

Unless you’re an automobile buff, you’ve probably never heard of a monthly magazine called Hemmings Motor News. But this may be the ultimate specialist success in publishing, where expertise in a given field is the Holy Grail.

Hemmings sells 265,000 copies a month. It grosses $20 million a year. A typical issue runs 800 pages and is crammed with 20,000 advertisements, offering everything from a wheel bearing set for a Model T Ford (yours for $55) to a 1932 Rolls-Royce Henley roadster (a steal at $650,000).

The bulk of the magazine consists of small black-andwhite classified ads, prepaid by check or credit card. The editorial content is miniscule.

The sales department is miniscule.

Terry Ehrich, the owner of one of publishing’s great cash cows, says the magazine has ridden the popularity of car collecting and car restoring.

“I’m just a mediocre jockey on a helluva horse,” he says.

A horse that happens to be a helluva specialist idea.

Leadership lessons continues From last week

Sam Walton Founder, Wal-Mart

Much of the credit for Wal-Mart’s success has been attributed to Walton’s ability to motivate people.

He believed that if the employees were motivated and treated well, they would pass that on to the customers and keep them coming back. He said in his memoir, “In the whole Wal-Mart scheme of things, the most important contact ever made is between the associate in the store and the customer” (Walton 1992).

Because of Walton’s views on this, Wal-Mart uses a total-quality concept in managing executives and employees. The approach is unconventional in the retailing industry and has extraordinarily improved performance. Wal-Mart department heads are able to review financial figures such as costs, freight charges, and profit margins, which are typically not seen by their counterparts in other retail organisations. Walton also

ensured that his vision was known by just about every Wal-Mart associate throughout the company.

Walton got some of his ideas about employee motivation from visiting the Far East. After being inspired by Korean workers, Walton introduced a Wal-Mart cheer that employees chant, which begins, “Give me a W,” includes a “squiggly” where they wiggle their bodies, and ends, “What’s that spell? Wal-Mart!

Who’s number one? continues next week

32 CEOConfidential

housekeeping

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Compiled by Olujide Olusola

Most creative people in business

Jen Mccabe

Head of hardware, Vegas Tech Fund

Fleury Rose Nail artist For elevating the art of finger painting The Brooklyn-based fingernail decorator’s intricate designs--inspired by everything from Chanel to manga to Twin Peaks--helped spark the recent obsession with over-the-top polish creations. Now Fleury Rose is courted by celebrities, fashion editors, beauty-product companies, and runway designers, while trendsetters such as Nicki Minaj and Martha Stewart are getting in on the craze. Nail art has gotten so popular that manicure supplies have now officially surpassed lipstick sales.

How did you get into this unusual line of work?

Before doing nails, I studied fine art: illustration, comics, painting, sculpture. I knew I wanted to do something creative, but I wasn’t sure what. I found a community of girls on Tumblr who were doing cool nail stuff. I just love doing tiny, detailed little paintings. It never dawned on me that I could make a career out of it.

When did it turn into a career?

Social media was definitely a big part of it. Also just living in New York, you never know who will see your work. For instance, [fashion writer] Madison Stephens was a client and was interning at Teen Vogue. She would always come in and get these really cool, fashion-inspired nails. We’d do all the prints from the new Givenchy collection, or whatever. Her boss would see Madison’s nails, and they ended up doing a really big story on me.

You’ve done work for Carly Rae Jepsen, Emma Watson, and Florence Welch, among others.

Who’s your favourite celebrity client so far?

It’s very hard to decide, but I think my favourite was Whoopi Goldberg. Whoopi got black nails with a big golden dragon that went all the way across, inspired by one of her tattoos. I got to go to her home and meet her daughter and granddaughters, and did all of their nails.

How do you keep yourself inspired?

Right now, I’m painting my leather jacket. I’m always personalizing my clothing. Over the summer, I also did

Camille ­Gibson VP of marketing, General Mills

For showing what families really look like The advertising industry has always trailed behind societal norms, but Cheerios caught up in a big way last May with the debut of its “Just Checking” ad. In it, a little girl asks her mother if it’s true that Cheerios are good for your heart; a beat later, her father wakes up from a nap in the other room, covered in Cheerios.

But the big reveal isn’t the cereal spilling all over him-it’s the fact that he’s African-American and his wife is not. The response from some corners was both hostile and ­immediate.

Camille ­Gibson made the decision to turn off comments on the ad’s YouTube page, telling USA Today, “We are a family brand, and not all of the comments were family-friendly,” but she and her team stood by the ad. “There are many kinds of families,” she said, “and Cheerios celebrates them all.” Reflecting on it today, Gibson says that “while we did have a little bit of controversy, on the whole it was very, very positive”--not to mention a boon for the brand, increasing its online exposure by 77%, according to content-marketing firm Kontera. While ­Gibson won’t ­comment on future plans, she did bring back the “Just Checking” ­family for a second spot, which aired during the Super Bowl. “It’s an event where a lot of family members sit down together,” she says. “It was a great place for our brand to be.”

For making sure that what happens in Vegas doesn’t just stay in Vegas My job is to find companies that i think are ground-breaking, that are obsessed with a beautiful product experience. Can a group of tech investors turn downtown Las Vegas into a hub for innovative digital businesses? That’s the goal of Zappos founder Tony Hsieh’s Vegas Tech Fund. Jen McCabe oversees the company’s hardware-investments division, which seeks to turn promising ideas into physical products. So far, she has funded such startups as Skycatch, which uses drones for agriculture and construction, and littleBits, which makes colourful, Lego-like circuit boards. She’s currently turning a 15,000-squarefoot building in downtown Vegas into a lab for hands-on development of prototypes. “My job is to find companies that I think are ground-breaking, that are obsessed with a beautiful product experience, that know their customers, and that are providing a solution that is cost effective and wonderfully designed,” she says.

Charmian Gooch Director, Global Witness

a tour poster for the band Black Flag. In addition to nail stuff, I do a lot of other projects as well. It’s what keeps your style fresh and true to what makes you an artist.

For shining a light on corporate secrecy “When people say something is really crazy or ­naive, that’s when you know you’re onto something,” says Charmian Gooch of her latest campaign to end corporate secrecy laws. These are the tangle of rules--common in states such as Delaware and in countries around the world--that Gooch says enable drug dealers, ­mafia groups, and ­dictators to use anonymous shell companies to launder money. Corporate secrecy is a problem that’s more entrenched and less sexy than the crusades that made Gooch famous: a 1998 exposé that showed, for the first time, how the d­ iamond industry had been underwriting a civil war in Angola, and her effort to end ­illegal logging. But Gooch’s 80-person team of campaigners, lawyers, researchers, and investigative journalists is already attracting high-profile attention to the cause. Last year, Michigan Democrat Carl Levin introduced a transparency bill to the U.S. Senate, and in March, Gooch was awarded the $1 million TED Prize. She pledged to use the money to create an online registry that will include ownership information on companies around the world. The plan is ambitious. Gooch says that’s the point.

Wish List, P34

The Twitterati, P39

et cetera Aisha Yesufu speaks on education

Hadassah Tanko loves Chanel bag

...AND OTHER THINGS October 5, 2014

The Wave of Compromised selfies A Girl’s Guide

hoW To impress The pareNTs

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et cetera

How I feel about... beIng a HaIr stylIst

ralph fache My name is Ralph Fache and I am a hair stylist. My career started out of necessity and deep curiosity. I studied Accounting at the University of Jos, but wish it was Theatre Arts or something. I went through school and looking back now, I wish I had followed my instincts.

Hair styling is not only an art but it is also a skill that involves a lot of creativity, just like every other handwork.

It can be acquired, but for me, I believe I had it in me all along; I just needed the right circumstances to push me. I started by watching people and with my photographic memory I would go and practise on friends and sisters.

I also went further to study the art and it has been smooth sailing. I run my own salon known as “Ralph’s Salon” where I have workers and apprentices. My everyday life starts off sometimes quiet with a few customers strolling in; other days it is a mad house, literally. I can be on my feet from morning til evening. Some clients can be quite temperamental, but it has taught me self control. I give them what they want. I also offer consultancy. I give hair advice because our faces are peculiar to each person and as such, not all hair styles are flattering. I never allow myself to get comfortable with where I am, I always read up on hair styles and treatment. I have also taken part in major fashion shows in Nigeria and I am working on a hair seminar called “Hairmistry” where all lovers of hair will converge for an educative and entertaining period.

I love what I do. I have no regrets. It has been rewarding.

Sunday, October 4, 2014

HadassaH Tanko

WIsH H lIst

The Banker reveals some of her wishes to Zanswat Bowsan

Chanel classic rigid handle bag. It is very classy

own a Mercedes Benz G-Wagon

own a Michael kors Wristwatch.

Time is priceless

Jimmy Choo Flash Perfume.

Visible and handy makeup items.

Fifth avenue jewellery collections mostly made of swarovski stones

DILEMMA

My husband Is MarrIed To anoTher WoMan

In a light-hearted weekly column, we take a wry look at the problems of modern life I have been married to one man for the past three years. We have a girl child together and I am pregnant with our second child. While we were on holiday last month, I just went through his Facebook page and found out that there was a strange woman among his personal pictures. I concluded she was just a mistress and decided to scare her a little without my husband knowing. I took her number from his phone and called her,

et cetera group

but after confronting her, she said, “What are you doing with my husband?” I almost fainted. Husband? She further told me that she has a son with him and demanded to know who I was; I quietly hung up. I confronted my husband and he was mad at me; so bad that we didn’t speak to each other for two weeks. Then, he came apologizing that he had to secretly marry the girl last year because of the boy she had for him. He wants my forgiveness but I just cannot still believe it. What do I do now?

Caroline, from Lagos.

Dear Caroline, I am so sorry for your pain. You are really in a sticky situation. Most women cannot resist the urge to probe once they get suspicious. However, you must remember that if you go searching, you will find something. If he is sincerely sorry and you say you forgive him, I suggest you undergo marriage counselling and work on getting your marriage back on track. Goodluck! you have a dilemma that you want help with? Write to blessing. ukemena@leadership.ng

CONTENT Zanswat Bowsan, Blessing Ukemena, Chalya Dul DESIGN Matthew Akhabue ACTING EDITOR Auwal Sa'id Mu'azu FOUNDER Sam Nda-Isaiah CHAIRMAN Hajiya Ireti kingibe GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR Azubuike Ishiekwene GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Michael Okpere, Dr kazeem Durodoye FEEDBACk AND MAIlS Etcetera is published as an insert in LEADERSHIP Sunday.

Please do send your pictures, stories, mails and enquiries to osezua.gloria@leadership.ng

et cetera

Sunday, October 4, 2014

PEOPLE TRACKER

TASTEFUL Love Odeh’s choice of colour and fabric is classy

You can send your pictures to xanbowsan@yahoo.com

SUAVE Modupe Owotutu looks great in blue

IMPRESSIVE Chat Jatau is proud of her heritage

HOT Margaret Onah is calm and relaxed

WITTY Henrietta Mustapha does things her own way

SASSY Jaqueline Assenga knows she’s got what it takes

PRETTY Maryam Yaroson is confident in her eye-catching outfit

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36

et cetera

Sunday, October 5, 2014

PEOPLE TRACKER

37

PEOPLE TRACKER

GOLDEN Aisha Ahmed is living her life like its golden

DIVA Hamsatu Aliyu Umar is a strong, independent woman

You can send your pictures to xanbowsan@yahoo.com

et cetera

Sunday, October 5, 2014

GLAMOROUS Dita Bin looks glamorous in fuschia

EASY GOING

Blessing Maxwell is dark and beautiful

PINK LADY Mimidoo Anyagwa gives a subtle look

EBONY Hauwa Kadzama’s dark skin is beautiful

DAZZLING Rebecca Peter is daring and bold

LADY IN PINK Yilchit Barde is bold with her choice of outfits

BEAUTIFUL Mima Pam shows her super model side

CUTE Rignan Barde knows how to keep heads turning

EXQUISITE Elizabeth Washpam shows off her dress sense

HOT Ann Enebe is taking no prisoners in this outfit

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et cetera

Sunday, October 5, 2014

iNSiDE

The Wave of Compromised Selfies

By Blessing Ukemena, abuja

T

he recent wave of nude selfies flooding the internet is just worrisome to say the least. Leaked photos hacked from celebrities just keep popping up. Celebrities such as Emma Watson, Jenifer Lawrence, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna and Amber Heard are still believed to be easily accessible on social media sites.

Two topless images of Rihanna appeared online via 4chan and Reddit on Sunday while Heard has been one hardest-hit celebrities, with more than 50 nude snaps of her surfacing.

According to TMZ, one featured a message believed to be for her fiancé Johnny Depp.

Despite stringent policies about removing abusive content, the images have remained in the public sphere - and were believed to be easily accessible on Twitter.

Cameron Diaz was not one of the victims of this exposure but she expressed her opinion, “Whoever has done it, they will be caught and made examples of. This can happen to anyone. If these guys can do it to this group of people then everyone’s vulnerable to it. I think that people really need to look at how they would feel if it happened to them, “she said.

Many are of the opinion that the trend is unacceptable but however entrenched in human nature.

Family consultant, Emily Davis agrees, and says that sexting can be a positive method of expressing sexuality in relationships -- as long as a quick discussion of ground rules is established first. “The things driving it are basic human nature. It is not an exclusive phenomenon of the Millennial generation.

Base human traits are the motivation. And in the context of a relationship, it feels safe”, she said.

Fashion Designer in the FCTMr. Dennis Akpalara”I

What they said...

The Wave of Compromised Selfies

think a lot of people feel that there’s so much trust in a relationship, they don’t feel like it’s necessarily taking a risk, just being flirtatious.

When we see celebrities doing it, we’re even more apt to snap those revealing shots -- again following a “fundamentally human phenomena that predated all this modern technology. Some of the trend is spread by social modelling and a desire to fit in with the group,” he said.

Indeed, there’s a fine line between suggestive and exhibitionist photos, suggested Mrs Funmi Ayodele, who is an events manger, “A selfie is one thing, a sexy photo is another, but a completely nude selfie is indicating something else,” she

”I think a lot of people feel that there’s so much trust in a relationship, they don’t feel like it’s necessarily taking a risk, just being flirtatious."

Dennis Akpalara, Fashion Designer

said. In her opinion it seems the technology may well enable social connection and selfworth, but in some cases it may also end up alienating people from each other.

“An unintentionally preventing us from more authentic communication and more multi-dimensional ways of being who we are. Greenwood said.

But why take sexy photos on your camera? For the same reason to have sex at all: Because it’s fun. As long as people have been inventing new technologies, people have been finding ways to use those technologies to enhance their own sexual pleasures.

Peter Tamuno is a an IT Consultant and expressed

"As long as people have been inventing new technologies, people have been finding ways to use those technologies to enhance their own sexual pleasures."

his opinion about taking new selfies, “this technology thing has its good sides its bad sides.

Some do it with not thought on the consequences and just because the y comfortable with it. But so are most things you do for fun or comfort: Sleeping in a bed instead of on the floor, using a toilet instead of squatting outside, listening to music and watching TV, cooking recipes instead of subsisting off nothing but rice and beans, hanging out with friends instead of staring at a wall during your downtime.

We’ begin a protest if someone suggested we forsake all right to basic privacy of digital technology to stream music,” he said Maimuna Bala is a student,

"Some do it with not thought on the consequences and just because the y comfortable with it. But so are most things you do for fun or comfort."

Peter Tamuno, IT Expert

Funmi Ayodele, Events Manager

We want to know what you think about our inside story above. You can have your say by emailing xanbowsan@yahoo.com

“It’s not just fun that you’re asking people to give up when you demand they stop taking private naked photos with their smartphones. You’re asking them, in many cases, to give up a form of playful fun that is improving their relationship.

A nude photo sent to a partner who is away on business can help remind them that the home fires are burning, keeping the relationship strong during an absence. I do it but always delete immediately,” she stated. The trend seems to show that the internet is now a potential threat to people’s privacy. Because the act is so rooted in human nature, though, experts believe the trend will continue.

“It’s not just fun that you’re asking people to give up when you demand they stop taking private naked photos with their smartphones. You’re asking them, in many cases, to give up a form of playful fun that is improving their relationship."

Maimuna Bala, Student

et cetera

Sunday, October 5, 2014

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THE TWITTERATI CATCH UP WITH WHAT CELEBS HAVE BEEN TWEETING ABOUT

@swat_dyno1

Being humble is much more important that being wise. God doesn’t need a proud mouth that speaks much but a kind heart that listens a lot.

September 30 We tend to talk too much

@2faceidibia

Election no be war #votenotfight September 30 Tell them o!

@gbagyichild

So a 5 year old told me that he was me on twitter- I was confused.

September 30 Shouldn’t he be reading story books?

@Aishayesufu

As a #ChibokGirl I yearned to put an end to the state of poverty in my family and I knew I needed education for that to happen.

September 27 It is vital

Which would that be?

God. @blossomnnodim September 30 @Chude Do right and fear no one. Let’s not get fanatical Societeles evolve their September 30 systems of reward. @jaffmagaj Be bold and do right Simplistic definitions of I do not rust people who @tosinadeda don’t love themselves and what is ‘ethical’ forget the The only time you do not yet tell me “I love you”. many shades of grey.

September 29 need a medical check September 30 In English, please! up from time to time is fi Someone’s hurt you are immortal, this is @SheriphSkills not about having faith in @moeOdele Orobos never win here Sometimes courage and God. friendships come from the September 30 September 30 The weight speaks differently most unexpected places.

Let’s not get fanatical September 29 @djjimmyjatt @jaffmagaj Pleasantly so So what do you consider as I do not rust people who a good song? @4eyedmonk don’t love themselves September 28 A lot of what many nonand yet tell me “I love Nigerians know are some of Play one and I’ll tell you you”. the things we expose them to September 30 on our TLs. Sell our beautiful @KauraKaura1 Someone’s hurt Both Politicians and Journalists are @moeOdele constitutionally bound @ElShederico Sometimes courage and The killings in Southern to be faithful, loyal and friendships come from honest; not only to the Kaduna and parts of the most unexpected citizens but to Nigeria as Plateau State; is there places. a nation. any sort of action by September 29 October 2 the government to find Pleasantly so Comes with the territory out what is happening and stop it? @4eyedmonk September 30 A lot of what many non@weirdmcofficial Do they care?

Nigerians know are some Father, please guide my of the things we expose steps and decisions. them to on our TLs. Sell stories too.

October 2 our beautiful stories too. September 30 Amen to that September 30 And we have beautiful ones @blossomnnodim Do right and fear no one.

September 30 Be bold and do right

@Ebuka @akaebube Hasn’t been my favourite Ikorodu Expressway and month. Goodbye September. Oshodi-Apapa Expressway September 30 are 2 major highways in It wasn’t that bad.

Lagos. They are Federal @tosinadeda roads. What does Fashola The only time you do not @OfficialWaje do with N40billion need a medical check Been a busy day but monthly? up from time to time is fi thankful! Found a me I October 2 you are immortal, this is thought didn’t exist.

Is that a rhetorical question? not about having faith in September 29

40

et cetera

Sunday, October 5, 2014

LIFE101

A GIRL’S GUIDE

HOW TO IMPRESS THE PARENTS

Charm is essential You might actually be blessed with lovely in-laws, but even the loveliest will initially question whether you are good enough for their precious baby. Most will subject you to trial by fire to prove your worth.

On a first meeting with the prospective in-laws, never attempt to cook-unless of course you are a famous celebrity chef.

Choose (with the guidance of your beloved) a favourite restaurant; that is if they don’t insist on meeting you at their house. Try not to go anywhere too flashy.

That will make you look irresponsible with money.

Although, that may not be a standard rule as individuals

Super Flirt

are different, it may be wise to pick a place that is neither too expensive nor too low class either.

Dress to impress-but not terrify First impressions matter.

Even if corsets and bondage are the height of fashion, save them for another occasion. The hooker look may instantly get the parents wondering what profession you are into. A “high-fashion” label may win over the trend-conscious sister, the matron/school teacher with a string of pearls and hair up in a bun may win the mother. But don’t dress for them. You have to be yourself (albeit toned down). Instead of

vampy nails, go clean, and consider giving your Wonder-bra a day off.

Do your homework Know some current affairs, be up to date on all soap operas, and scan national newspapers for a week before so you have general knowledge of world events. Likewise, learn all the dramas of your beloved’s family dynasty: divorces, births, deaths and marriages, as well as family feuds.

On the day Keep your cell phone OFF or simply put it on silent. It would be simply awful for your in-laws to be talking and your phone begins to ring loudly.

Things Are noT AlwAys As They AppeAr

Do not drink to excess.

You will be nervous so it could go to your head dangerously fast. Be responsible but not a kill-joy Be prepared As with a job interview, know answers for the following frequently asked questions: How did you meet?

Do you like children?

Want any? Have any?

Are you planning on getting married?

Are you a gold digger?

Have you got a criminal record?

Culled from The Girl’s Guide to Almost Everything

There was once a man who was ship-wrecked and stranded on an island. Every day he prayed asking God to send someone to rescue him, but to his disappointment, no one ever came.

Months passed and this man learned how to survive on the island. During this time, he accumulated things from the island and stored them in a hut that he constructed. One day after hunting for food and returning back to his hut, much to his dismay he saw that his hut was on fire along with everything else he owned!

All of his possessions were going up in smoke! The only thing he had left were the clothes on his back. Initially he was in shock, and then he was consumed with anger and rage!

In his fury he threw a fist into the air and began cursing God and yelling, “God, how could you let this happen to me? I’ve been praying everyday for months about being rescued and no one has come, and now everything that I have is on fire! How could you do to this to me! Why did you let this happen?”

Later the man was on his hands and knees weeping heavily when he happened to look up and catch sight of a ship coming in his direction. The man was rescued and as they were heading back to civilization the man asked the captain, “How were you able to find me?”

The captain responded, “We were voyaging across the ocean when we noticed on the horizon a column of smoke going up. We decided to go check it out and when we did, that’s when we found you!”

In life we are going to be confronted with challenges, problems, and disasters. But keep in mind that what the devil has meant for bad, God can transform into your good! What is a catastrophe can sometimes be a blessing in disguise. “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Psalms 34:17-19. never give up the struggle in life.

How to act wHen you go on a date

Value yourself

- Make sure that when you’re stepping out of your house, you are well packaged. Don’t act rich if you’re not, just be yourself behave s though you are worthy of the person’s affection.

Track her down

Calling up to see how she is doing will put you light years ahead of your competition. it shows you are interested.

aVoid an argumenT

- if she’s behaving funny and brewing an argument, bring up a light-hearted subject. Make her laugh.

capTure The momenT

never let your jittery self mess up a great date. relax, breathe and take control of the situation. she won’t bite.

CEOConfidential

Sunday, October 5, 2014

bottom lines 608,333 $500,000,000 Number of depositors in 234 liquidated financial institutions who were paid about N9.5bn by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation as at August 31, 2014.

IN SHORT

Royal Exchange Plc during the 2013 financial year recorded gross premium income of N9.08bn as against N7.61bn in the 2012 financial year, being a 19 per cent growth.

This is as the Company furthered on its growth trajectory, expanding into new markets and maintaining a stronghold on its existing business in the year under review.

Investment and other incomes grew by 190 per cent to N2.5bn as against N862.1m in the previous year.

Kenneth Ezenwani Odogwu, chairman of the company who disclosed this during the 45th annual general meeting of Royal Exchange plc held in Lagos, said despite the harsh operating in environment in 2013, the company achieved profit before tax of N828.2mi an increase of 18 per cent from N703.1m in 2012. This is as profit after tax rose by 41 per cent to close N806.3m.

Following the result, shareholders got a dividend of 5 kobo per share as against 4 kobo the previous year, amounting to N80.5m.

Details of the financials show a total assets growth of N22 per cent, moving from N16.63bn in 2012 to N20.27bn in 2013.

Though management expenses rose to N2.53bn in 2013 as against N1.98bn in 2012, Odogwu attributed the rise to branch expansion; retail business development and investments in e-business and information technology.

COMPANY

SECRETS

Cornelius Herkströter, former chairman of the Board of Directors of Royal Dutch Shell

Worth of credit approved by the World Bank for Nigeria to increase access to finance by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Anchor Insurance premium up by 6 per cent, pursues 5-year growth plan

Royal Exchange records N9.08bn gross premium, pays 5k dividend

Managing director/CEO, Anchor Insurance Premium, Mr Adeduro Mayowa

Anchor Insurance Company Limited has secured the approval of its 2013 financial accounts from the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), showing a 6 per cent growth in written premium, and closing at N2bn.

This performance, the firm said, would form the baseline, as it pursues it five-year growth trajectory that places it among the top 10 insurance companies in the country.

Kehinde Olaniyi, head, corporate communications, revealed that the growth was mainly as result of increasing marketing network via the various agency outlet spreads across the country with key emphasis on providing insurance services that meet the global needs of customers.

The company incurred net claim expenses of over N236m while the underwriting result at the end of the year amounted to N814m, compared with N1.154bn earned during the

previous year.

Its investment income was N145m in 2013, as against of N117m in 2012, an increase of 24 per cent.

The company improved operational efficiency in 2013, by a drop of 34 per cent in operational cost from N1.2bn in 2012, to N0.75bn in 2013, while its shareholders fund grew from N3.9bn to N4.1bn in the year 2013, thus showing 6.4 per cent growth in shareholders fund.

Adeduro Mayowa, managing director/CEO, said that in the last five years, the company had grown above the industry’s average, paid claims promptly in excess of N1bn, meet regulatory requirement as at when due, grew its branch network from five to 21 with spread in the major geopolitical zones of Nigeria, and had consistently declared profit and paid dividends to its shareholders in the last four years.

The company is repositioning to play big in the insurance market within the next five years, Adeduro revealed, stating that, a new strategic plan put in place by the management was recently approved by the board of directors, as “the five years strategic plan will seek to build a unique identity for Anchor Insurance Company Limited.”

Relevant to this is the recent acquisition of Aviation Treaty with capacity up to $500m.

The plan also envisaged to shore up the company’s current capital base and erect its own befitting corporate head office in Lagos.

“The objectives of this strategic plan also focuses on ranking the company among the first 10 leading insurance company in Nigeria in terms of net asset; premium income; and profitability before tax by the year 2018; establish a strong presence in the micro-insurance market; gain above 3 per cent market share in 2018; strengthen the quality of our human capital, generate competitive returns on investment; deliver superior and quality service to all our customers,” he further said.

BoostiNG Sales Retail stores put up a good front

There is something exciting about setting up a new store – with street traffic, display windows, shelve and racks holding just the right combination of merchandise.

Even the crowded back room has a certain charm.

Though an increasingly smaller percentage of sales occur in a brick-and-mortar store environment these days, it still provides a great visual model for you to examine your own selling scenarios. Consider these ideas: 1. Merchandise: what do you sell? It takes a very special store that can sell at both ends of a product continuum. What is your niche/ 2. Location, location, location: It’s shocking how many businesspeople do not clearly elect their locations. They would not dream of opening a store in some of the areas they try to sell in. what is your target market?

3. Storefront/curb appeal: How does the business look as people walk up to it? First impressions mean a great deal.

What is your image?

4. Sales Clerk: How will you help your customers find the right size? What is your sales process?

Go shopping and find out what is in store for you.

Royal Dutch Shell: Rewriting the contracts In the case of this big, complex corporation, the ‘mistakes’ were deeply embedded in the organisation and not easy to identify or repair with quick fixes. One way of describing the change process at shell is to start with top management’s role in the group’s key relationships, or ‘contracts’. Three of these contracts were the source of Shell’s difficulties. It was by deconstructing and revising them that the south-for transformation was achieved.

1. The old investor contract As might be expected with such an economic powerhouse, Shell has been an old favourite of institutional investors.

However, in the early nineties, oil analyst began complaining that while our profits were growing year by year, the group’s investment base was growing even faster. Result: shareholder returns on net assets were well below those of our competitors. Analysts

41

insisted that we present them with a plan to reverse this trend. They also instated on a new plan for replacing dwindling oil reserves. While Shell’s replacement ration was effective, it was not the best in the industry.

However, although these same issues had been raised and keenly debated by our Committee of managing directors, the main body of the organisation had refused to see that a crisis was imminent.

42 CEOConfidential

Sunday, October 5, 2014

hub Compiled by Olujide Olusola

200

Number of transformers procured by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to boost electricity distribution in the South Western states of Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti.

N912, 000,000 Amount each university in Nigeria received as interventions fund for the year 2014 from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.

L-R: Head, Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, Diamond Bank Plc, Chima Nnadozie; deputy director, Enterprise Development Centre, Nneka Okekearu; head, Retail Financial Services, Diamond Bank Plc, Aisha Ahmad, and segment head, Micro Enterprises, Adaeze Ume, at the Diamond Woman Enterprise Seminar, held in Ibadan. PHOTO: GBENGA OLAJOBI

L-R: Guest speaker/ former deputy governor of CBN, Mr Ernest Ebi; president/ chairman of council, Institute of Directors Nigeria (IOD), Mrs Eniola Fadayomi; 1st vice president, IOD, Mr Yemi Akeju, and DG/CEO, IOD, Mr Victor Banjo, during the 2014 fellows evening of the IOD in Lagos.

PHOTO: GBENGA OLAJOBI

L-R: President, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr Rotimi Oladele; Kenyan Ambassador to Spain, Amb Bramwel Kisaya; head, Corporate Affairs, Government of Kenya, Mr Arik Karani, and general manager, Corporate Communication, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Hon Yakubu Dati, at the World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) at Madrid, Spain.

L-R: President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Engineer Solomon Nyagba, regional operations director, North, Wole Abu, and vice president, Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Gen India Garba (rtd), during the Airtel special programme at the 9th Abuja International Trade Fair recently.

PHOTO: ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

Dele Momodu @DeleMomodu I love my country, it is not a lie; our youths will never risk such demonstrations; even NANS is wiser to associate with governments!

Richard Branson @richardbranson Get rid of unnecessary hierarchy & formality, you’ll have a lot more fun & get a lot more done.

J #BringBackOurGirls @omojuwa Bobby Umar How can you move tweets from saying someone @raehanbobby “Internationally does not have a job acclaimed barrister to asking how much s/ marries actor” -- love this he gets from a job he is not headline, especially when you get supposed to have? it. #leadership

fav

Kee Private Members Club, Hong Kong bustle of Hong Kong. It’s made up of Kee Private Members Club is a place distinctively opulent rooms tailored for for people who search for definitive art and wine appreciation, fine dining, experiences. It is a home from home, an office, a social hub, and a meeting place for business meetings and mingling with like-minded people. Its intimate like minds and new opportunities. and relaxed setting makes it a Kee members hail from all convenient spot for members to walks of life, from business indulge in during the day and professionals, to artists; night. and every visit should bring works Whether it’s from bringing you the enriching encounters and old most innovative and finest cuisines acquaintances. to bespoke corporate or cultural The club is an exclusive private events, we aim to continuously provide members club which offers a cosy and our members a luxurious and diverse homely atmosphere for their members lifestyle. to get away from the hustle and

net

Sunday, October 5, 2014

N77, 870,000,000 Worth of crude oil and other petroleum products lost

by Nigeria in 2013 according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

10,000

Approximate number of imported 50kg parboiled rice have been seized by anti-smuggling officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) attached to the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Lagos.

CEOConfidential

5%

43

Percentage approved by the Customs for base oil, a major raw material used in the production of lubricants.

YOUR FYI FOR INFORMATION

L-R: Corporate communications officer, P&G Nigeria, Ridwan Sorunke; external relations manager, P&G Nigeria, Olanlege Abdul-Fatah; dean, Faculty of Technology, University of Ibadan, Prof Emmanuel Atoo Ajav, and manufacturing director, P&G Nigeria, Tomasz Szpyt, at the donation of baby care manufacturing equipment to the Faculty of Technology, University of Ibadan

by P&G Nigeria, at the Institution premises in Ibadan.

PHOTO: BENEDICT UWALAKA

A final misunderstanding

Gestures for good-bye are not universal. In Greece, to avoid confusion with the offensive moutza, you wave good-bye by extending your arm, palm upward, and then moving your fingers back and forward – the exact same gesture as the American or English ‘come here.’

Confusingly, this gesture is widespread in Italy too.

In other parts of Europe and Latin America, the classic goodbye wave of the United Kingdom and the United States – flat palm outward, side to side – doesn’t mean goodbye, it means no. in these places the goodbye gestures consists of an arm outstretched, palm down, hand waving and down from the wrist.

Group wave

In countries as different as France and Saudi it’s important, when saying good-bye to a group, to do so to every individual present, ideally with a handshake. The cherry American ‘group wave’ is not a world standard.

DoING Business Leadership and status with Kazakhs L-R: Representative of Saving One Million Lives Initiative, Seyi Ibidapo; chief commercial officer, Airtel Nigeria, Maurice Newa; director, Grameen Foundation, David Hutchful, and regional project manager, Mhealth Mobile for Development, GSMA, Victor Ohuruogu, at the launch of Mobile Midwife and Dial-a-Doctor Services in Lagos.

PHOTO: BENEDICT UWALAKA

HOW THEY

BLEW IT

Zhou Zhengyi

Power Politics continueS FROM LAST WEEK

There were also shady goings-on at Zhou’s Shanghai Land business, involving him and his glamorous wife Sandy Mo (also known as Mao Yuping or Mo Yuk-ping). She was arrested and charged for defrauding five banks of $11.5m using bogus letters of credit.

Although she denied the charges, she got a three-year prison sentence.

Yet while Western readers may think Zhou’s three-year detention is punishment enough, the length of his sentence was met with incredulity from sections of Chinese society.

In a country where the death sentence is

routinely meted out in corruption cases, Zhou got off very lightly indeed, leading to talk of a plea bargain – and of friends in high places.

According to Amnesty International, China carried out more executions than the rest of the world put together in 2008. Even on percentage terms, it rates higher than the United States, itself not averse to the practice.

Since January 1, 2007, China has required the Supreme Court to review all death sentences, although the exact number of people executed is classified as a state secret.

CONTINUES NEXT WEEK

The Kazakh leadership model is autocratic and hierarchical and applies to the home and family, business circles and the political sphere. The influence of Islam is less pervasive than in neighbouring Central Asian countries and is balanced by the pragmatism of the government, especially where the connections with foreigners (usually in the oil industry) are concerned. Kazakh leadership is characterised by national, as well as tribal, confidence and energy. Kazakh managers address their staff in a vigorous, expressive style, using the richness of the Kazakh language, with its great literary and poetic tradition. Elements of paternalism are common in the managerial style, encouraging style, encouraging obedience and compliance.

44 CEOConfidential

entrepreneur 6.2% Percentage fall of the unemployment rate in the UK over the three months to the end of July, its lowest level since 2008, official figures show.

SMALL BUSINESS Is entrepreneurship for you?

In business, there are no guarantees. There is simply no way to eliminate all the risks associated with starting a small business – but you can improve your chances of success with good planning, preparation, and insight. Start by evaluating your strengths and weaknesses as a potential owner and manager of a small business.

Carefully consider each of the following questions.

Are you a self-starter? It will be entirely up to you to develop projects, organize your time, and follow through on details.

How well do you get along with different personalities? Business owners need to develop working relationships with a variety of people including customers, vendors, staff, bankers, and professionals such as lawyers, accountants or consultants. Can you deal with a demanding client, an unreliable vendor, or a cranky receptionist if your business interests demand it?

How good are you at making decisions? Small business owners are required to make decisions constantly -- often quickly, independently, and under pressure.

Do you have the physical and emotional stamina to run a business? Business ownership can be exciting, but it’s also a lot of work. Can you face six or seven 12hour work days every week?

How well do you plan and organise? continues Next WEEK

His STORY

Sunday, October 5, 2014

80

Number of female drivers operator of Lagos mass transit buses, LAGBUS Asset Management, has said it short-listed in the recent recruitment exercise and are undergoing training along with 998 captains.

Modupe Macaulay Splitting the tab Modupe Macaulay, founder of CapitalSquare, has brought huge relief to entrepreneurs in Lagos State by providing office spaces that are very formidable and yet affordable to them.

In her interview with How We Made It In Africa, she explains what informed her setting up the organisation, “Lagos is a difficult place to do business. There’s the high cost of rent and poor infrastructure – unreliable electricity and unreliable internet connectivity are some of the major issues affecting modern businesses in Lagos today. And, with that, there are still a lot of people going into entrepreneurship because of the high rate of unemployment. There is clearly the need for an easier and more affordable way to do business.”

Being inspired by the concept a few years earlier when she discovered that one of her heroes, Maria Popova, a writer living in New York and founder of the blog Brain Pickings, had used a co-working space, she thought it would be a great idea to replicate same here in Nigeria.

According to her, “It just seemed like an amazing idea to me; the ability to share a workspace with people doing interesting and not necessarily related things.

There would be so many opportunities to learn, to work together, to come up with new ideas, to start great things… At that point, it was the community aspect that caught my attention, and I thought it would be great to have something like that in Lagos. So I wrote it down as something I’d like to do someday and forgot about it.”

As fate would have it, when Macaulay returned to Lagos after finishing her master’s in the UK in September 2012, she struggled to find a job, and by 2013 she was still unemployed. At that time she was looking to start a business with a friend and needed an affordable and professional place from which to work, which was also hard to come by. Macaulay saw the potential for a shared working space in Lagos, and so the idea for CapitalSquare was born.

Today, CapitalSquare has four membership levels that address the needs of those who have a day job and need another place to work part-time or on weekends, to those who need to use the space full-time. The fees range from US$87-$202 a month and include unlimited high speed internet, uninterrupted power supply and extras like printing, meeting rooms, mail handling, virtual phone numbers, office supplies and tea and coffee.

There is also a $7 full day pass, and a virtual

membership option where members don’t physically use the space but can make use of a business address, virtual phone number and mail handling.

According to Macaulay, sharing office infrastructure is not only cheaper for entrepreneurs, but also means they spend less time paying electricity and other administrative bills, and more time on developing their businesses.

“Another huge plus, which really appeals to me, is the free networking opportunity that the entrepreneur gets from working alongside other entrepreneurs,” she continued. “Co-working spaces are a breeding ground for innovation, simply because they are full of people with ideas, who are crazy enough to try to make them happen.”

Macaulay was able to get most of the startup capital for CapitalSquare from her family after much time studying the market and running the numbers. She said, “You have to prove that your idea will work because nobody, not even family, wants to put their hard-earned money into something that isn’t worth it.”

The young and energetic entrepreneur added that the best part of being an entrepreneur is having control over her life, despite the fact that all hours are office hours for the self-employed. However, Macaulay noted that the negative side is not having a regular, guilt-free paycheck. “I say ‘guilt-free’ because it’s hard not to feel guilty when you’re paying yourself and the business is having a bad month. And yes, you do have to pay yourself (even if it’s something small), especially if you don’t have a day job,” she explains.

Tijani Oluwatosin, president/CEO, Ai Qing Nigeria Limited How did you get to where you are today?

I am into business consulting, business plan writing. I have been in this business for about four years now. I got here by remaining focused.

What have you learnt over the years?

I’ve learnt to be honest in any business dealings. Never spend your profit in any business dealings until the deal is completed.

What were the challenges you faced?

My first challenge was with the Corporate

Affairs Commission because it took four months just to confirm the company’s name. The second was finance. It’s almost every start-up’s problem.

How did you overcome the challenges?

I have learnt not to quit.

What are your future projections for your business?

I want my company to generate a revenue of $600bn over the next 20 to 30 years. I want to grow with my company and not grow in my company.

How do you intend to achieving these

projections?

The plans have already been mapped out.

We would start some from the scratch, and others would be acquired. For financing, we are using bootstrapping, loans, investments from investors and IPO’s to keep the business growing.

Any advice for younger entreptrneurs?

Start-up as early as you can. Be focused, and keep believing.

Contact Oluwatosin on 08130601474

46 CEOConfidential

tipoffs Compiled by Salome Anyasodo

SECRETS OF LONGETIVITY

Toss out that can opener

Eating fresh food is a given in almost every medical tradition. In today’s industrialised world, however, it is more important than ever, not just for the health benefits of locally grown produce but because of the dangers presented by the alternative.

A substance used to line food cans, bisphenol A, is classed as an endocrine disruptor, a compound that can act like a hormone when it enters the human system. Scientists have found that exposure to such chemicals can contribute to prostate cancer, cystic ovaries, breast cancer and endometriosis. To give your body the best chance for its maximum stint on the planet, boot canned foods out of the pantry.

BOOKMARK

Your Brain at Work David Rock, Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers, 2009

The modern workforce is made up of increasing numbers of knowledge professionals: people employed to solve problems, make decisions, and be creative. These people can benefit greatly by understanding the brain’s workings and the techniques that enhance its efficiency.

In Your Brain at Work, David Rock explains why the brain can feel overburdened, why certain situations hinder focus, how insight can be gained more easily, and how to maximise mental assets. Using the examples of two professionals who go about their daily tasks, Rock sets up scenarios where cerebral limitations result in poor performance.

Sunday,October 5, 2014

2,500,000,000 Estimated number of people who lack access to improved sanitation worldwide, according to World Bank

20%

Estimated percentage E-commerce has potential to contribute to Nigeria’s GDP, according to Nicola Martin, Co-CEO, Jumia Nigeria

Avoid these 4 hazards when organising a conference wants the audience to be, one can begin identifying the right speakers.

One thing to note, just because a speaker comes from a great brand, does not mean they are good speakers.

Make sure one talks with all speakers to find out their style. Do they make a room laugh or are their presentations technical and serious?

In the fast-paced world of technology, startups are always searching for ways to separate themselves from competitors. One of those ways is to connect with communities of influencers and customers by inviting them to speak at or attend a conference created by the company itself. Some of the world’s hottest tech companies, from Box to Salesforce to Oracle hold these, and smaller, lesser-known companies are getting into the act too.

If one is thinking about creating his/ her own conference to unite people around ones brand and product, there is a lot of work ahead. There are also quite a few pitfalls one needs to avoid.

Here are some of the biggest: 1. Failure to do research (Especially when budgeting) Give yourself enough time to fully research all objectives when planning the event, because one will probably

need a backup plan for various portions of it. Give yourself at least a month of time if you are planning a multi-day event. The research should include these questions: What are the goals of the event?

Which is the best city to hold it in?

Who is the target audience?

How many people are intended to attend? Are there similar events happening around the same time?

What is the budget?

How much can one overspend (without getting fired)?

Last minute changes can occur. One has to be ready ahead of time for them, so one will not be as stressed out if they happen.

2. Not knowing the audience or speakers Two of the biggest battles when planning an event are getting the right speakers and attracting the right audience. When one knows who one

3. Getting hashtags and Wi-Fi right These may sound pretty basic but they are utterly vital to the success of the event. For the hashtag, go shorter with the event name. It will make it easier for folks to share and help really keep track of what people are saying. As far as Wi-Fi goes, what one needs is the strongest signal available.

Almost everyone is on their phone or computer during a conference, scanning through emails to make sure there is no crisis happening while they are out of the office. Therefore, make sure one asks the venue for the best Wi-Fi they can offer.

4. Avoid saving last-minute logistics to the last minute This can include a variety of important details such as: What will make the conference enjoyable for attendees--i.e. have charging stations and unlimited coffee.

Put together a post event follow-up.

Prepare the framework and message to be delivered after the show to save time. Create a detailed plan that includes pre, during and post event actions for the company. Share with teams like sales, management so they know what they need to so.

Do not avoid this: Have fun! Events can be very stressful with a lot of moving parts, from missing speaker presentations, to last minute additions, shipment issues or catering fails.

CAPITALISM Capital has a nationality What they tell you The real hero of globalisation has been the transnational corporation.

Transnational corporations, as their name implies, are corporations that have gone beyond their original national boundaries. They may be still headquartered in the country where they were founded, but much of their production and research facilities are outside their home country, employing people, including many top decision-makers, from across the world. In this age of such nation-less capital, nationalistic

policies towards foreign capital are at best ineffective and at worst counterproductive. If a country’s government discriminates against them, transnational corporations will not invest in that country.

The intention may be to help the national economy by promoting national firms, but such policies actually harm it by preventing the most efficient firms from establishing themselves in the country.

What they do not tell you

Despite the increasing companies ‘transnationalisation of capital, most transnational companies in fact remain national companies with international operations, rather than genuinely nation-less companies.

They conduct the bulk of their core activities, such as high-end research and strategising, at home. Most of their top decision-makers are home-country nationals. When they have to shut down factories or cut jobs, they usually do it last at home for various political and more importantly, economic reasons.

CEOConfidential

Sunday, October 5, 2014

updates Compiled by Dan Udechukwu

690,000

2017

Number of Tacoma pickup trucks in the US Toyota is recalling because of a potential vulnerability in the vehicles’ suspension systems.

ECoNoMy

Trade is Africa’s launchpad to sustainable economic growth

$2.1bn

Worth of deal South Africa’s governmentowned transport utility, Transnet, entered with global mining firm, BHP Billiton to supply trains.

47

Year the French government says it will reduce its budget deficit to below the EU threshold of 3% of GDP.

China’s dumping activities force closure of Kenyan battery company

Eveready East Africa has stopped production at his dry cell manufacturing plant in Nakuru, Kenya as fortunes continue dipping due to massive revenue drop from exports and resilience of low-cost imports.

The company now intends to import batteries from its sister company, Energizer Egypt as it seeks to reduce price of its products.

“Distribution of dry cell batteries is our core business as it contributes 60 percent of our annual turnover,” said managing director of the company, Jackson Mutua.

energy

$500m

Africa’s economic growth is impressive, with trade agreements such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) positive for the continent’s continued progress, but if this growth will be sustainable, emphasis needs to be placed on intra-Africa trade.

According to managing director of DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa, Charles Brewer, while progress is slowly being made, insufficient trade agreements exist in order to encourage and drive intra-Africa trade. This he said has made doing business with regions outside of Africa, such as the United States or China, very popular.

“The DHL Global Connectedness Index revealed that Africa is the world’s least connected continent, when considering the ease of moving people, trade, information and finance. All African countries should therefore be focused on developing connectedness on the continent and building trade relationships,” said Brewer.

He noted that DHL was focused on making logistics more accessible and connecting Africa.

This he said was why the company has expanded its retail footprint on the continent, to over 3300 outlets in less than three years.

Mind Over Matter

Break the code to discover the missing letter.

Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris to sell stake in Mobinil

Egyptian Billionaire, Naguib Sawiris, informed CBC recently of his plans to relinquish his stake in the country’s mobile phone operator Mobinil, after citing poor internal management by the company’s French majority stakeholder, France Telecom Management.

Worth of money a new “Very big company tends to be like public sector companies” state-owned ethylene Sawiris said while analysing the management of Mobinil. factory in Egypt is said Sawiris founded the company in 1998 with France telecom owning 94 per cent interest in the company. Sawiris controlled to save the country from Orascom Telecom holds a 5 per cent stake while the remaining 1 yearly imports of the per cent was left to free float. product.

Agriculture

China’s top auto dealer and a listed member of Fortune 500 Company, Geely holding Group has indicated an interest in penetrating the Tanzanian automobile market with the overall intention of deepening its African footprint.

Microsoft announces the next version of its core operating system, called Windows 10, which will reintroduce the Start Menu.

HUB-WORDS

New Africa-wide programme to boost seed sector

A novel plan for the development of a vibrant, market oriented and pluralistic seed sector in Africa has been launched recently in Nairobi, Kenya, to provide smallholder farmers access to quality seed.

In a statement released by the Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC), access to quality seed is identified as a great challenge for smallholder farmers across Africa.

According to the FAC statement, this affects their agricultural productivity, income and resilience. The stakeholders note that addressing this challenge is a complex task and cannot be done at national levels alone, it will use an Integrated Seed Sector Development (ISSD) approach to address the challenges.

MAritiMe

Maersk raises $1.25bn worth of proceeds in bond offering

Maersk, a Danish shipping conglomerate, has successfully raised $1.25bn as proceeds in two bond offerings. The net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, as stated by the company.

This is the first ever US Dollar bond offering for the shipping line, which was underwritten by Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Citigroup, JP Morgan and Royal Bank of Scotland.

The bonds were priced at $750m for four-year bond, which will be due in September 2019, and another $500m for 10-year bond due in September 2024.

How many words can you make from the letters in the wheel? Each word must contain the hub letter N. Can you find a 9-letter word and at least 25 other words of four letters or more avoiding proper nouns?

LASt tWO Week’S SOLUtIOnS SYMBO-LOGICAL

HUB-WORDS 9-letter word - PARACHUTE Some other words of five letters or more containing the hub letter H: chart, cheap, cheat, chert, chute, earth, hater, heart, parch, patch, peach, perch, ratch, reach, retch, teach, theca, preach, chapeau, chapter, chateau, trachea.

48 CEOConfidential

updates Compiled by Dan Udechukwu

Sunday, October 5, 2014

50

20%

Number of new firms and investments worth $10bn Ogun State has attracted since the inception of the Ibikunle Amosun administration, according to commissioner for commerce and industry, Bimbo Ashiru.

Percentage potential of e-commerce on Nigeria’s GDP, according to co-CEO, Jumia Nigeria, Nicola Martin.

Manufacturing

Chinese consortium to build 1,000MW coal power plant in Nigeria

Chinese consortium HTG-Pacific Energy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian government for the exploitation and mining of the Ezinmo Coal Bricks in the country’s coal-rich eastern state of Enugu. Nigerian authorities say the MoU will be followed by a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) that would authorise the investors to build a 1000 megawatts coal power generating plant.

Nigeria, richly endowed with vast natural resources, is exploring diverse means of power generation to solve country’s gross power supply deficits.

The country last year privatised its state-owned hydropower and gas-fired power plants, to leverage on the business expertise of private investors to boost the productiveness of the plants. Nigeria has also opened its arms to investors interested in exploring other forms of energy generation, with recent deals for a 50 megawatt solar station struck.

The coal deal with HTG-Pacific is seen as a means of utilizing the abundant coal reserves which the Nigerian government says is capable of generating up to 30 percent of the country’s energy needs environmental-friendly clean technology.

Maritime

Nigeria’s shipping business gets a boost It was a dream come true for the first batch of students who benefitted from the Nigeria Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) and industry stakeholders who have been anticipating changes in the nation’s maritime sector as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) at the weekend in Lagos received the first set of NSDP cadets who graduated from Arab Maritime University, Egypt.

$1.3bn Worth of Kaztec Engineering’s local fabrication contract, awarded by Sinopecowned Addax Petroleum, Nigerian First Bank is eager to fund.

$150m

Value of moneyJoseph Agro Industries Limited (JAI) has agreed to invest in rice production in Anambra

Nigeria’s cocoa production is expected to more than double within three years after farmers were supplied with better-yielding seeds, minister of agriculture and natural resources Akinwunmi Ayo Adesina said.

Shareholders of Conoil plc last week lauded the company’s declaration of N4 dividend, translating to N2.78bn cash payment for its 2013 financial year, despite the harsh operating environment witnessed by the downstream petroleum sector, during the period.

The 22 graduates, nine of whom studied Marine Engineering while the remaining 13 studied Nautical Science, were the first set of NSDP cadets to have completed both the academic studies and sea-time training and received their Certificates of Competency as required by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

investing

Investment Corp of Dubai eyes more business with Dangote

Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) is exploring further investment opportunities with African conglomerate Dangote Group, the chief executive of the emirate’s fund said on Wednesday.

ICD, which hold stakes in many of Dubai’s top companies including Emirates airline and Emaar Properties, bought a 1.4 per cent stake in Dangote Cement last month for $300m.

“We have been looking at Africa for a long time. We are looking to do more business with Mr Dangote and we have some things that we are exploring at the moment together,” Mohammed alShaibani told an Africa-focussed investment event in Dubai.

Shaibani was speaking alongside Aliko Dangote, head of the Dangote Group and Africa’s richest man.

Agriculture

Opportunity for investors in growing tea demand

Tea consumption in Nigeria has been growing by 5 per cent annually since 2008/2009. Annual per capita consumption of tea was 23 grams in 2009, according to Wikipedia. With a teabag weighing about 2 grams, this is about 12 teabags consumed by each person on average or per capita. In 2014, per capital consumption of tea is estimated at 29.3 grams, which is approximately about 15 teabags.

This increase per person may seem insignificant until calculated for the entire population in the country in that year. Annual per capita consumption of tea in 2009 was 23 grams, with a population of 160 million, this amount to 3.68 million kg. Per capita consumption of tea rose to 28 grams in 2013, with a population of 165 million, this amount to total tea consumption of 4.62 million kg last year.

Finance

Banks say CBN regulations stalling lending

Nigerian banks’ ability to create risk assets is being squeezed by the central bank (CBN) regulations on capital requirements even as analysts agree that securitisation of bank loans to free up capital is essential for the financial services sector to grow.

A balance must be struck between fiscal and monetary policies against the current obsession with fighting inflation, said Stephen Onasanya, group managing director and chief executive officer, First Bank of Nigeria.

“The introduction of Basel II means that every N1 of loan you create, you have to provide capital to cover it. There are now only 45-55 percent of deposits available for lending,” Onasanya said.

EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Conference

show

Conference

Dental Africa Exhibition and Conference Eko Exhibition Centre, Lagos, Nigeria; October 7-9, 2014

Medic West Africa Lagos, Nigeria; October 15-17, 2014

Conmach Nigeria The Landmark Events Centre Lagos, Nigeria; October 16-19, 2014

The Dental Africa Exhibition and Conference is a three-day event being held from the above date and venue.

This event promises to showcase products like latest products and technological process developments for dental medicine and dental technology in the medical and pharmaceutical industry.

Participants and stakeholders in the industry are advised to take full advantage of the forum.

Medic West Africa is the biggest medical show in the West Africa region and is now ready to grow in size with the global recognition that Arab Health’s brand will bring. Providing the gateway to the rest of Africa - This is a strategic must for companies entering the West African healthcare market Medic West Africa provides the perfect platform for new entrants to the market, as well as a unique showcase to network with potential dealers and distributors and meet potential agents.

The four-day event will showcase products like Access Equipment & Platforms, Asphalt & Bitumen, Cold Planners, Pavers, Plants, Spreaders, Stabilizers, Tankers, Architects & Consultants, Buses, Building Materials, Contractors, Cement Manufactures & Supplies, Concrete Products & Precast, Construction Equipment New & Used, Backhoe loader, Compactor, Excavators, and other products.

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Sunday, October 5, 2014

business

CBN Headquarters

N213bn CBN Facility: Repositioning The Electricity Market For Sustainable Growth In this report, JULIET ALOHAN takes a look at the recently announced bailout fund for the electricity market and the need to prevent further accumulation of debts. This is with a view to ensuring stable power supply for Nigerians at reasonable cost.

The top government functionaries disclosed that the facility was tailored to address the three key challenges facing the power sector

Following the succesful completion of the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), the electricity industry was left in financial deficit incurred from the long years of inefficient government management of the sector.

Since the debt could not be passed on to the new private owners, who have been under pressure from electricity consumers nationwide, to improve the various networks they took over, finding an alternative measure to address the debt challenge became imperative.

It was against this background that an inter-agency committee, headed by the minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani AlisonMadueke, was set up to find an effective and workable solution to the issue.

The N213 billion bailout initiative After series of brainstorming and deliberations on how to find lasting solutions to power supply challenges and ensuring efficient gas supply

for power generation, the inter-agency initiative of the federal government announced a N213 billion facility to help offset the legacy gas debts and address the persistent revenue shortfall in the sector.

The bailout fund was announced by the petroleum minister at a joint press conference which had in attendance the minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele and the chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr Sam Amadi.

The top government functionaries disclosed that the facility was tailored to address the three key challenges facing the power sector. These were identified as inadequate gas supply for power generation, misalignment between electricity tariff and the true cost of running electricity business and the inability of power generation companies to reliably produce the electricity that

is needed with reduced volumes of gas.

Madueke explained that having just acquired PHCN, most of the successor generation companies (Genco’s) could hardly afford the reduced income due to the shortfall in revenues.

“The newly privatised companies have borne the brunt of these issues and consequent revenue shortfalls since handover last November. This is hampering the much needed investment in the sector and has slowed down efforts to improve electricity supply.

“This scenario, which existed for several years has now given way to recent reforms by the Goodluck Jonathan administration and, as a country, we can now address these issues with much more confidence that Nigerians will reap the dividends of increased electricity supply,” the minister stated.

Scope Of Intervention Outlining the scope of the intervention that the N213 billion facility was designed

to address, Madueke said the fund would be used to settle the legacy gas debts which stands at N36 billion.

It will also be used for the execution of agreed metering programmes and procurement of transformers by distribution companies as well as for the execution of maintenance programmes and procurement of equipment by generation companies.

The intervention fund which, according to the minister will be provided by the CBN in collaboration with deposit money banks, will be managed by a dedicated fund manager and beneficiary companies will repay loans obtained from the fund with a first-line charge on their revenues over a 10year period.

“There will be a moratorium on repayment of the credit facility from the banks by Distribution companies (Discos) until electricity supply across the country improves. This will ensure that the cost of electricity for ordinary consumers continues

to be at affordable levels,” she pointed out.

On the modalities for the operation of the intervention fund, the minister explained that Discos, Gencos and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) would give commitments to deploy the funds to address specific challenges as preconditions for accessing the fund.

They are also required to meet commitment to rapidly expand their networks with a view to ensuring that more Nigerians, especially those in rural areas have access to electricity.

Given the scope of the initiative, the minister expressed optimism that the new measures introduced by the inter-agency committee would reset the economics of the electric power sector, boost investor confidence and lead to a rapid increase in electricity supply.

It is envisaged that the measure will result in stabilising output of power at ➔ CONTINUEd ON PAGE

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50 BUSINESS

Sunday, October 5, 2014

N213bn CBN Facility: Repositioning The Electricity Market For Sustainable Growth ➔ CONTINUEd from PAGE

49

5,000 megawatts (MW) before year end, a target which is further expected to be surpassed in early 2015.

They are giving us a 10-year period instead of five and this further reduces the rate of tariff; it further reduces the amount that consumers will be paying. It is just like getting loan and paying back in 10 years

Bailout repayment Many Nigerians may not know that technically, electricity consumers in the country are to repay the N213 billion facility through payment of their electricity tariffs.

Explaining this point, chairman of NERC, Dr Sam Amadi, stated that the repayment period was spread over 10 years to allow for piece-meal repayment and prevent a sharp increase in tariff.

“Without this fund, consumers ought to pay for any shortfall in pricing, so essentially, the shortfall is a function of the price not being cost reflective.

“What we would have done is to put it back into the MultiYear Tariff Order (MYTO) formula and probably work out the tariff increase that will cover it over five years but the CBN fund gives opportunity for Discos and Gencos to have this money on time and for it to be repaid over 10 years.

“They are giving us a 10-year period instead of five and this further reduces the rate of tariff; it further reduces the amount that consumers will be paying. It is just like getting loan and paying back in 10 years.

“They are giving us 10 years facility that covers the shortfall and what it does is that it gives Discos and Gencos money at hand now that they will be collecting in piece-meal over ten years period and gives them opportunity to use the money for quick investments that will produce quick returns in terms of service improvements and, of course, it reduces incidence of repayment on consumers,” he said.

Speaking further, Amadi added, “Don’t forget that every cost in the industry is ultimately repaid by the consumers and so, it has reduced the incident of burden of repayment by stretching it over a long period of time, perhaps with some moratorium on repayment, and that could result in freezing tariff increase as the case may be.”

Operators’ eligibility to access the Fund The NERC chairman, who emphasised that the CBN fund would be deployed only to meet established shortfalls in the market, stressed that the commission would undertake a proactive review of operators’ eligibility to benefit from the fund.

He pointed out that operators, whose expenditure in its operations do not match up inprudence with relevance to its obligations in the market, would not benefit from the fund.

The determination of an appropriate expenditure is a test of prudency and relevance to the operations of the company.

Amadi said, “NERC will not reward Discos that misappropriated their money to settle their directors or other things by making them benefit from the intervention fund because it is to be used to address the gap that arose not because of their own funding but because of shortages that arose out of lack of cost reflectivity.”

He explained, however, that shortfalls occasioned by Aggregate Technical Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses as well as shortage in gas supply and power, have to be dealt with.

According to him, “NERC will review the shortfall and see that the Discos get what they ought to get because what we are looking for is a real gap. We won’t indemnify the Discos failure to collect revenue once we establish historic losses level for collection.

He maintained that like every other business, the Gencos and Discos are experiencing external shock which is why government is putting measures in place to get them out from the shocks.

Amadi however, noted that contrary to allusions that operators in the market are operating at severe losses, the market still remains profitable and viable especially within the framework of regulated profit and cost.

“There is no doubt that the Nigerian electricity market is profitable, the companies are profitable as long as you understand the concept of profit in a regulated sense. In this market, return on investment is regulated as well as the costs but the shortfalls will be closed as efficiency improves,” he explained.

Way forward Meanwhile, as a way towards towards ensuring sustainable gas supply to power plants and guiding against re-accumulation of debt, an industry analyst and former senior technical assistant to former Energy minister, Dan Kunle, advised that indigenous companies operating in the nation’s oil and gas sector be given necessary support to rapidly build capacity in the area of gas mining and supply.

He explained that having freed the industry of the previous deficit, it was imperative to prevent the accumulation of another debt. “When you free the industry of the deficit, how do you now grow the graph without new deficit being accumulated again?” Kunle asked.

In this regard, he said that the federal government should grant incentive to indigenous oil companies for them to accelerate their development. “They should give them incentives such as tax holiday and import duty waiv-

Jonathan

er for all the equipment they are going to bring. They should free them from the various taxes that add up so much cost at the end of the day, because whatever they want to do have bill of quantity so you can minimise the foul play and fraudulent tendencies that may go with such blanket waivers,” he said.

He advised that the companies should be given two pricing mechanisms, one price to power sector, which should be priced as an economic good and another price to the commercial arena from where they can recoup their investments.

He explained that if the electricity generating segment is properly defined, issues of inadequate gas supply to power plants would be a thing of the past.

He said: “The market is scientific, you know how many volume of gas that a 100 megawatt power plant needs per day, you know where it will come from.

That is why you have the market operator, the gas aggregator and the bulk trader to resolve issues like this.

“Once you set the framework and the rules, they will abide by it. They know, for instance, that 20 per cent of what they produce goes through a particular pipeline to a particular power plant.

Once they fulfil that obligation, they know they have the remaining 80 per cent to sell at commercial price,” he explained.

He further emphasised the need for government not to depend on increase of gas price as the single solution to ensure adequate supply of gas to power plants, noting that other alternatives should be considered as it is impossible to develop the local economy using a commercial gas price.

Okonjo-Iweala

Emefiele

business

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Sunday, October 5, 2014

news

Queue at automatic teller machines (ATM) in Ikorodu, Lagos. Photo By nan.

Zinox Injects N18bn Into TD For Expansion

By Chima Akwaja, Lagos

Zinox Technologies Group Limited has injected N18 billion fresh capital into Technology Distribution (TD), sub-Saharan Africa’s top IT distributor and its newly established subsidiary, TD Mobile to help the company expand and become the number one IT and mobile phone distributor in the continent by the end of 2016.

Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman of Zinox Group, speaking at the formal unveiling of TD Mobile in Lagos last week, an occasion graced by musicians and chief executives of banks, telecoms and global mobile phone and IT industry operators said, TD would battle to overthrow the number one IT distributor based in South Africa by expanding across the continent, open new offices within and outside

Nigeria and overeach its competitors in yearly turnovers.

As part of the expansion plans, TD Mobile will, in November, launch a power bank that will back up devices onthe-go, introduce its online serial number confirmation that will authenticate all mobile devices from its stable, and go live with a 24hours contact centre for customer support.

Ekeh said TD Mobile would open offices in Owerri, Port Harcourt and Abuja with a showroom of about 1000sqm in the federal capital on November 2 this year.

“Although it is not easy to operate in this environment, but we are not chasing after money rather the passion to get it right. TD has bright Nigerians that will keep taking the brand and bring out the best in it. In other words, TD is a brand in the making and it will still be in the offing,” he

added.

Earlier in her address of welcome, Mrs Gozy Ijogwu, managing director of TD Mobile said they had assembled a team of young vibrant Nigerians ready to take over the market. “The excitement in TD Mobile goes beyond history as it touches on economics and both the science and art of business.

“The worldwide smartphone market reached a milestone this year with a billion units sold and an aggressive 40 per cent growth from 2012 numbers and a healthy projection next year. With dwindling growth rates across most sectors worldwide, those of us in the ICT sector should charge our glasses in readiness to celebrate.

“The sheer volume of strong growth demonstrates strong enduser demand of smart devices as a tool that brings a solid computing experience to the hands of many.”

APR Unveils e-Registrar Solution

By OLUSHOLA BELLO, Lagos

Africa Prudential Registrar Plc has unveiled its e-Registrar Solution (eRS) to enable capital market stakeholders access a convenient and faster electronic share registration anytime, anywhere via a secure portal.

The eRS is a marked departure from convention share registration practices. It is a giant leap ahead and marks a generational shift and the beginning of technology advancement in the industry. The eRS is a selection of innovative share registration portals, including SharePortal designed for shareholders; ClientHall for Client Companies; BrokerOnline for Stockbroking firms; and RightOnline for processing of Right Issues. Each of the portals boast of unique time and cost-saving features.

Unveiling the product, the managing director/CEO of APR, Mr Peter Ashade explained that the registrar played a very important role in the capital market over the world as a custodian.

“The role of registrars in build-

ing a stronger and more vibrant capital market has made APR to constantly engage in research and development as a tool to strengthening and improving the market.

“Among other things we are engaging in APR is to ensure that we offer innovative services, experience to investors and other market stakeholders,” he said.

He noted that the e-Registrar eliminates the need of investors visiting registrar offices for enquires and other request since it can be done on-line.

Ashade added that the event marks the emergence of the longawaited paradigm shift in shares registration business with the introduction of eRS for Virtual Service Delivery to the industry stakeholders Currently, APR Plc manages 47 client-registers, made up of over 3 million shareholders. With over 40 years of share registration experience in the Nigerian capital market, APR got listed on Nigerian Stock Exchange in January 2013, as the first and only registrar firm listed on the exchange.

Wema Facilitates $150m Foreign Trade Finance

By Bukola Idowu, Lagos

Wema Bank Plc said it has attracted over $150 million lines of credit and structured finance for foreign trade into the country from various institutions.

The managing director and chief executive of the bank, Segun Oloketuyi while speaking at a forum in Lagos on trade and structured finance for stakeholders tagged: “Supporting Businesses Through Renewed Trade Focus”, said the bank has facilitated over $100 million in lines of credit and $50 million in structured finance lines for foreign trade.

He explained that as part of the ongoing positive transformation at Wema bank, the bank was well poised to support businesses in the areas of trade and structured finance.

According to him, the trade forum was part of efforts at sensitizing stakeholders on developments within the sector as well as bring various parties – stakeholders and regulators together to discuss issues, challenges and chart a way

forward for future development and policy formulation.

On her own part, the deputy director, Trade and Exchange department of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Onyinye Ahuchogu, commended Wema bank for the strides it has made in the past four years.

She also spoke of the CBN’s partnership with other relevant institutions in making the international trade process simple and effective in Nigeria. One of the initiatives that came into being as a result of this partnership is the electronic form M. The deputy comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Services, Aber Benjamin, at the forum, spoke on the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) scheme, which was introduced by the Nigerian Customs Service in 2013 to fast-track the clearance of cargo and reduce costs at the nation’s ports. He also went ahead to introduce the new webbased trade portal of the Nigeria Customs Services to handle a customer’s end-to-end trade needs.

Custom Seizes 82 Vehicles, Goods Worth N322m

BY Samson Echenim, Lagos

Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have impounded vehicles and other goods with a duty paid value of N322 million between July and September in the eastern zone of the country.

According to a statement from the service, the bulk of the items

were seized on the Benin/Agbor axis while others were seized in Owerri, Calabar and Enugu.

The Customs Area Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C, Mr Victor Dimka, said that 26 suspected smugglers were also arrested within the period.

Dimka said that the seized items included 82 imported vehi-

cles and 576 bags of rice.

Others are 18 used tyres, 458 two stroke engine generators and 2,060 gallons of vegetable oil with DPV of N150.92 million.

He said that while 20 persons were arrested in connection with the smuggled vehicles, six others were apprehended in connection with the other goods.

He said, “Today’s customs is equipped with world class communication gadgets and are well motivated.

“They are not only fully equipped but are well trained that smugglers cannot penetrate anywhere in Nigeria without being caught.”

Dimka said the Customs Ser-

vice in the zone were also able to achieve the feat because of the synergy it had with other security agencies.

“It does not take anything to pay Customs duty. We are taking time to warn people again that if you are buying a vehicle, ensure you verify that the vehicle passed the customs.

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zonal watch

NIGER STATE KWARA STATE KOGI STATE BENUE STATE NASARAWA STATE PLATEAU STATE FCT ABUJA

Niger NDE Trains Unemployed

Ensure Standard In Accounting, Aliyu Tells ANAN

BY ABu nmOdu, Minna

The Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu has called on the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) to locate its training centres nearer to its members and sanitize the accounting profession from being infiltrated by less educated people.

Aliyu, who received the leadership of the association led by its President, Alhaji Shakirudeen Labode at the Government House in Minna also decried the withdrawal of accreditation of accounting as a course at the state owned IBB University, Lapai.

He said that the state owned Uni-

BY ABu nmOdu, Minna

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Niger State has commenced the training of 100 participants under the Advanced National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (A-NOAS), even as the directorate has taken skills acquisition trainings to the grassroots.

The NDE coordinator in the state, Engineer Abdullahi Babaminim Mohammed who disclosed this in Minna said the scheme which is under the vocational skills development programme is a follow up training for graduated trainees of the Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B-NOAS).

He said the main objective of A-NOAS training is to ensure that

versity is to establish an outreach centre in Suleja and the area could be made available for the association for training its members instead of going long distance for refresher courses.

Aliyu disclosed that the move was to bring the university closer to the community and make educational facility at the tertiary level available to more qualified students in the state.

He therefore urged ANAN to take advantage of the proposed outreach center to bring its programmes closer to members as most accountants seeking refresher programmes travel long distances, thereby exposing them to road hazards.

LG Boss Lauds Gov Ahmed On Monarchs’ Grading

l-R: Chairman, luBCOn Group of Companies, Alh. Jani ibrahim, Col.Theophilus Bamigboye (rtd) and the emir of ilorin, Alh. ibrahim suluGambari during the investiture of Bamigboye as chartered president Rotary Club, ilorin, GRA.

BY ABdullAhi Olesin, Ilorin

PHOtO by AbdullAHi Olesin

Agitations As Benue Set To Create HeadS 12 Additional Local Govts FROM THe ZONe

The Kwara State governor has been praised for upgrading 70 traditional stools across the state.

graduated trainees of B-NOAS acquire more professional training in their chosen skills so as to become experts in their fields.

According to him, the trades available are fashion design, welding, catering, ICT and electrical installation.

Mohammed said that it is expected that at the end of the three months training, participants would be able to compete favourably with other players in the business.

Similarly, the Community Based Training Scheme (CBTS) which is ongoing in Batati village in Lavun local government area of the state is witnessing steady progress as the 50 trainees are seen displaying their skills during practical sessions.

BY solomon aYado, Makurdi

The Benue state governor, Gabriel suswam has disclosed plans by his administration to create additional 12 local government areas in the state to enhance rapid development of the agrarian state. lEadERsHIP sUndaY reports that Benue is currently having 23 local governments across the three senatorial zones and the people have been agitating for the creation of new councils to foster effective development of the

grassroots.

But already, there are mixed reactions and concerns from some political stakeholders who are clamoring for the creation of the councils in their areas. The war is between the Tiv and Idoma politicians who are battling to influence the governor’s decision.

However, suswam who spoke in Vandeikya local government area at the official flag-off of the “Gabriel suswam Free medical mission’ (Gsmm) for aged people stated that a seven-man committee on the creation

of new councils would be constituted. according to him “my administration has adopted policies that reach the people. The rural dwellers are our power source, that is why I have electrified and constructed rural roads to improve their standard of living.

“In politics you don’t expect everybody to be on the same page with you, so I accept your endorsement of my 2015 senatorial ambition. I am going to create 12 additional local governments in the stat,” he stated.

The chairman of Ekiti local government area of Kwara state, Hon. Akintoba Fatigun has commended the state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed for upgrading 70 traditional rulers in the state.

Fatigun in a statement said “I strongly commend Governor Ahmed for this timely and thoughtful initiative, a landmark development that will continually be remembered as a giant stride in the history of Kwara State”.

Akintoba who specially congratulated the Obas of Eruku, Obbo-Aiyegunle, Obbo-Ile of Ekiti local government who were upgraded into the second class; Obas of Koro, Isare Opin who were upgraded into the third class and the Obas of Epe-Opin, Aare-Opin upgraded into the fourth class also tasked the Obas to continue to maintain peace in their domain.

“I congratulate all the Obas upgraded in Ekiti local government among others across Kwara State; this promotion is significant and well deserved honour. However, it is a heightened call to service to humanity through the various communities led by the kings. I task the Obas to ensure that as the stool has been upgraded, let their effort towards maintenance of peace and development of the community be incessantly unfailing” he said.

While calling for more support for the leadership of Senator Bukola Saraki and Governor Ahmed, Akintoba also congratulated other Obas who have been upgraded across the state and prayed their reign will be prolonged and peace will reign in their various communities.

36,000 Women Die Annually In Nigeria From Child Birth Complications The Benue State government has announced plans to create additional 12 local government areas in the state.

BY ABdullAhi Olesin, Ilorin

A lecturer at the University of Ilorin, Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, Dr Joseph Fayeye has said that more than 36,000 women died annually in the country due to pregnancy and Child birth relat-

ed complications.

Fayeye who made the disclosure while delivering a lecture titled “Rotary International in the Promotion of world Peace and Developing Nations of Africa and Asia” at the investiture and fund raising ceremony of Colonel Theoph-

ilus Bamigboye (Rtd) as the Kwara state Charter President of Rotary International Club, GRA, Ilorin noted that the life line risk of a woman dying during child birth in Nigeria is one in 18 compared to one in 4, 800 in the United states.

According to him to address

the health challenges, Rotary club in close cooperation with local government and traditional rulers has rehabilitated 10 maternity wards in Kano and Kaduna and provide a solid health advisory system for pregnant women in the surrounding regions in the country.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

zonal watch (North-Central) 53

news behind the news

Mohammed Ahmed

Ilorin And Its Many Cannabis Smoking Joints

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

The rate at which miscreants are freely smoke cannabis in public places in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, is alarming.

The miscreants, who seemed to have formed associations of cannabis smokers, now smoke the banned weed in virtually every parts of Ilorin metropolis without fear of being apprehended by security operatives. Their usual joints are motor parks, Okada parks, abandoned buildings and vehicles, schools, deserted areas and refuse dumps.

Though, the community leaders are not comfortable with this unfortunate situation that Ilorin has found itself, but they appeared helpless because of allegations that any reports on the activities of the miscreants to security agents are often leaked to the miscreants who in turn unleash mayhem on such informant.

For instance, some miscreants along Oja-Oba/Ita-Kure/Ita-Amodu road recently accosted a senior journalist who lives in the area and gave him a stern warning to desist from reporting them to the security agents; otherwise, he would be dealt with.

The miscreants do not only indulge in free smoking of cannabis, they also in the process harass passers-by, residents and shop owners in the area.

Some of the popular areas where cannabis are sold and smoked in Ilorin are along railway tracks at Post Office, Idi-Ape, Baboko Community Secondary School and a joint at Baboko, named tarmac, among others.

The hoodlums also take advantage of political gatherings to

smoke hemp endlessly without minding the presence of security operatives.

Presently in Ilorin, hardly could one move around in a community without perceiving cannabis smoke or noticing smokers’ joints.

LEADERSHIP Sunday’s investigations showed that virtually in every community in the metropolis, residents are fully aware of locations where hoodlums converged to smoke on daily basis. Though findings revealed that the residents abhor the smoking of cannabis, they are however helpless about the situation.

Ironically, more than a few primary and secondary schools’ students have now taken to smoking the substance, especially after school hours, before proceeding to their various homes. As observed, the students join their colleagues in the neighbourhood to indulge in the act in toilets or abandoned classrooms.

As a result of increase in the number of drug users in the state capital, analysts are of the view that it has strongly given rise to crime rate and criminalities in the state.

It was gathered that those apprehended by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after being prosecuted in the court and jailed still return to drugs even after rehabilitation. The situation unfortunately proves that the victims are not being adequately rehabilitated while in detention.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday, a resident of Baboko, who declined having his name in print, said he knew about ‘Tarmac’ where hoodlums gather to smoke hemp right from his childhood, but to his dismay nothing had been done

about the place, either by government or security agents.

He stated that the number of smokers at the joint in recent years had continued to increase in an alarming rate.

“They come from different places to smoke hemp at Baboko ‘Tarmac’, especially at night when it will be very difficult to identify them. And in any case, you dare not go near them, except you want to go and join them in smoking.

“Also, there are lots of them as well who usually come to Baboko Community Secondary School to smoke, and unfortunately, it has tarnished the image of Baboko in public glare, because once you say you are from Baboko, people tend to see you as a yabbo,” he lamented.

Also, an Octogenarian from Baboko community, identified simply as Alhaji Ayinde, regretted that the community is now dominated by hoodlums and criminals, who particularly come to the area at night to perpetrate their illicit acts.

Ayinde said due to the situation in the community, many people are now moving out of the area to seek accommodation in safer environment for their families.

Disappointingly, the situation negates what the ancient city stands for; the city is known as the home of peace, tranquility, knowledge and central to the spreading of Islam in the country.

Expressing his displeasure on the situation, a cleric in Isale-Koto, Alfa Musa Oniyangi, lamented that the situation did not speak well of the city because of arrays of highly respected clergymen from the city.

Oniyangi said the increase in hemp smokers’ joints has continued to corrupt the young ones who now imbibe the bad habit as well.

News Behind The News

Reps Member Distributes N10m Empowerment Items To Constituents

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

They come from different places to smoke hemp at Baboko ‘Tarmac’, especially at night when it will be very difficult to identify them. And in any case, you dare not go near them, except you want to go and join them in smoking

Political officeholders in the country have been urged to ensure royal fathers in the country are held in high regards and accorded due respect.

The Chairman, House of Representatives’ committee on Media, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, stated this during the empowerment programme, sponsored and financed by him in Kosubosu, Baruten local government area of Kwara State, where five top royal fathers in his constituency were presented with a car each.

According to Mohammed, the royal fathers are the custodians of our socio-cultural heritages and are comfortably positioned as potent tools that could be used in getting the nation back on the right track.

“Royal fathers deserve utmost respect and their interests should ordinarily be uppermost in the mind of political and elective officeholders. Though, they are not having clearly spelt out constitutional roles, their roles in maintaining peace and order in the various communities can not be over emphasized.

“They are closer to the people, they feel the people’s pulse directly and they know their yearnings, problems and aspirations. Indeed, at a time like this, we need their help greatly in addressing major socio-political and security challenges currently bedeviling the country,” he stated.

The federal lawmaker, who represents Baruten/Kaiama federal constituency in the House of Representatives, also advised the youths in the country to promote African socio-cultural heritages as it could help greatly in solving major socio-political and security challenges currently facing the nation.

54 zonal watch (North-Central)

Sunday, October 5, 2014

project report

Potter and pots at Dada pottery. PHOTO BY ABDULLAHI OLESIN

Ilorin: Women Potters Seek Govt’s Support To Expand Industry

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

Dada pottery is located at the Dada area, Okelele in Ibagun ward of Ilorin East local government area of Kwara State.

The pottery occupies about an acre of land and it is the largest concentration of potters in the state.

The potters, mainly women, numbering about 100 organised themselves in a group and chose Alhaja Raliat Saka as their leader. The pottery factory which is regarded as a pride of Ilorin is located in a low income area.

A fascinating scenery, however, awaits a patent visitor who tours the manufacturing and storage sections of the pottery. Huge heaps of clay, different types, sizes and colours of massed finished pots and those still smouldering on fire were all over the local industrial estate creating a beautiful scenario.

During an interactive session with our correspondent, some of the potters said they have been able to use proceeds from their activities in the pottery industry for the upkeep of their children, sending them to schools up to the higher institution level. Some of them also said they have built houses while others have bought vehicles from the trade. Many of them also said they have diversified into other businesses with the money they made from pottery.

According to them, people from Abuja, Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State, Lagos and Kaduna states and other towns in South-west Nigeria come to buy their pots which prices range from N3,000 to N7,000 depending on their sizes. They, however, added that there are smaller pots which sell for lower prices.

The leader of the pottery, Alhaja Saka, while explaining its origin and practices, said, “Dada is the name of the community. It is only in this place that pottery is done in Ilorin. If you found it elsewhere, they must have come here to learn it. This place is synonymous with pottery in Ilorin, it is hereditary. All our children partake in this trade. When they return from school, they join us in the trade. We are more than 100 women as only women have been partaking in it.

“Our raw material is clay sand.

We get if from wherever septic tank or well is being sunk. It is the clay we get from the extraction that we use. After excavation the clay, we would put it inside water then remove it and sun-dry. We then grind it and apply water. It now becomes solid paste and we start moulding it. After this, we put the moulded but soft pots on fire and later put them in the sun. After then, we decorate them. It takes about nine days to produce a good set of posts”.

She stated that owing to the cumbersome production pro-

cess and lack of technology to aid it, many young people find pottery unattractive and that the trade requires about N100,000 as start-up capital.

According to Alhaja Saka, if well developed, the trade would provide lucrative jobs for many unemployed youths and while the Dada pottery industrial estate would become an appealing tourist attraction in the state.

She however identified insufficient sun during the rainy season, unavailability of modern technology, finance and lack of encouragement from government as some of the challenges potters at the pottery face.

“We need government assistance and urgently too. We require alternative technology to dry the clay. We also need ovens as used in bakeries. After getting the materials, we would mould it, gather it and put sawdust and set it on fire. We spend money on wood and sawdust. If we can be given ovens, we will appreciate it.

“We also need financial assistance from government so that we can expand the business.

We have written letters for assistance to some government bodies for financial assistance so that the trade will be more appealing to the younger ones.

But it has been a tale of empty promises all along. Nothing tangible has come out of the calls for aid. They have been assisting other vocational workers that

are even fewer than us and not as productive. We do not mind even if they can only give us revolving loan.

“Another challenge is that it takes a long time to recoup our investment in the trade. This is another reason we need money. Government brings visitors from Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and other places to showcase our trade as one of the tourist sites and vocations in the state, but they abandon us afterwards,” she lamented.

The Kwara State Governor, Alh. AbdulFatah Ahmed, said his administration is committed to the growth and development of artisans and all residents of the state.

He stated that it was for such reasons that the state government established the International Vocational Centre at Ajase-Ipo to train and develop businesses in the state.

He noted that many artisans, farmers, small and medium enterprises and actors in other sectors of the economy have benefitted from the scheme.

According to him, belonging to a cooperative society is essential to fully tap the benefits of the scheme.

He urged the potters at the Dada pottery to form or belong to a cooperative society so that they can access loan facilities, advisory and business growth, enhancing services of the scheme.

If well developed, the trade would provide lucrative jobs for many unemployed youths and while the Dada pottery industrial estate would become an appealing tourist attraction in the state

feature 55

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Chief Imam of Izala Mosque Zaria Road Funtua, Katsina State, Imam Sa’adu Muhammad (in turban) sitting with another scholar conducting prayers at the Abdullahi (Tata) sponsored mass wedding in Funtua recently.

Day Philanthropist Sponsored Mass Wedding In Katsina Recently, a Katsina politician, Umaru Abdullahi Tsauri, aka, Tata sponsored the wedding of 600 couples drawn from 11 council areas of Funtua Senatorial district in the state. In this piece, MUAZU ELAZEH writes on the aura of the mass wedding in what has come to be known among the locals as the biggest wedding of the era.

In an event expectedly applauded by many, about 600 couples from 11 local government areas of Katsina South Senatorial zone were successfully joined in matrimony

Call it the biggest wedding of the time and you may not be wrong because there has never been any like it in terms of the number of persons involved. Indeed, this is the most appropriate way of describing the recent mass wedding in Funtua area council of Katsina State involving not fewer than five hundred couples.

Precisely, Friday 26 September will remained ever fresh in the memories of Malama Saratu Suleiman as she was joined in marriage with her heartthrob in a mass wedding sponsored by a renown Katsina philanthropist, Umar Abdullahi Tsauri (Tata).

Mrs Suleiman, after the sudden and indeed, abrupt end of her first marriage five years ago, had been waiting anxiously to remarry. She had the opportunity placed on her lap and so, she vehemently grabbed it.

In an event expectedly applauded by many, about 600 couples from 11 local government areas of Katsina South Senatorial zone were successfully joined in matrimony.

The marriage took place inside the popular Zaria Road Jumu’at mosque in Funtua and was led by the chairman of Jamaatul Izalatil Bidiah Waikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) in Katsina State, Sheik Yakubu Musa Hassan along with scores of other Muslim clerics and com-

munity leaders, who, obviously, graced the occasion, as a demonstration of their supports to the noble cause for which the wedding symbolises.

Quite interesting was the fact that the marriage was witnessed, as should be expected by hundreds of Muslim faithful.

Expectedly, Tata, the man, who paid the bride price and purchased all the necessary wedding equipments, served as the bride’s representative while each groom was represented by his parents.

It was gathered that of these six hundred couples, all for whom the sum of N20, 000 was paid to each as bride price, 550 were Muslims while 50 were Christians.

Indeed, a breakdown of the couples showed that Matazu and Musawa local government areas have 25 couples each, Kankara , 40, Faskari, 40, Kafur, 60, Danja 27, Sabuwa, 26 and Dandume local government area have 31 couples.

Others were Bakori, 70, while Malumfashi and Funtua local government areas have 100 and 106 respectively.

Interestingly, each of the brides was given a complete house furniture, a refrigerator, two bags of rice, two bags of maize, two cartons each of macaroni and spaghetti, two gallons of vegetable oil including N50, 000 cash assistance to help them begin a small

scale business and be on their way to self reliance.

In a thought-provoking ‘sermon’ the philanthropist, who insisted that his gesture was informed by the need to reduce the number of unmarried couples and importantly, contribute to ensuring an enduring marriage, charged the couples to be devoted to the ideals of married life.

“We appeal to you to be patient, respect each other, trust in each other and take each other into confidence, show love, care and respect for each other and above all, ensure strict adherence to the teachings of Hadith and the Holy Quran for peaceful marriage”, he admonished the couples.

Understandably, a visibly elated Tata, who was obviously overwhelmed by show of support and good will of the hundreds of people that witnessed the mass wedding, described the occasion as historic and called on wealthy individuals to offer similar assistance to reduce number of unmarried women in the state.

“We have a large number of widows in our houses, we need to provide assistance to those who wish to marry and no amount of help is too small; so we all have roles to play”, he emphasized while assuring that a similar mass wedding programme would soon hold in Katsina and Funtua for other beneficiaries.

The Philanthropist further explained that the gesture was aimed at cushioning the hardship faced by parents in marrying off their children as well as assisting youths from less privileged families who were in need of marriage partners.

He said a committee set up for

the exercise toured the rural settlements and obtained applications and examined the couples’ suitability as required by law and traditions.

Indeed, the mass wedding will for long remain ever green in the memories of not only the bride, their grooms and their respective families but the entire residents of Funtua zone as it opened up a challenge which proves that it can be done after all, by all, who are willing and not only the government, as erroneously believed in some quarters.

Prior to the event of Friday September 26 which took place at the historically relevant city of Funtua in Funtua local government area of Katsina state, Tata had equally sponsored mass wedding at the ancient city of Daura, sometimes in June 2014.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday shortly after the nuptial knots were tied, scores of the couples narrate tales of joy describing both the event and the man behind it as unforgettable.

“You asked to know how I feel and my simple answer is that I feel fulfilled. I have been waiting for a day like this for long and its manifestation at a time like this is, indeed, memorable” so said 32 year old Mansur Hassan, one of the newly wedded couples.

Hassan insisted that he had made several futile attempts to marry in the past, but such attempts fizzled out because of his inability to provide materials known as ‘Kayan Lefe’, the basic requirements for wedding noting “but today, all that, including the bride price, have been paid for me”.

Alhaji Tijjani Maidawa-Bakori is the chairman of ‘Naka Sai Naka’, an NGO established

by Tata for supporting peoples of Katsina State. He described Abdullahi Tata as a distinct philanthropist that assist people in every sector of life.

Maidawa-Bakori enjoined wealthy individuals and groups to emulate Abdullahi Tata on uplifting people’s well being adding that he had supported over 15, 000 people with business grants, skills training, farming inputs, vehicles and others items.

Reflectively, mass weddings, which arguably was popularised by the Kano State government under the current leadership of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, was usually handled by the government.

It would be recalled that the Kano State government, in practical demonstration of its resolve to address or, at least, reduce the number of divorced ladies, popularly known as zaurawa, initiated the now famous mass wedding.

Of course, the state government has successfully conducted such for hundreds of ladies most of whom are reportedly living happily ever.

56 FEATURE

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Youths And The Craze For Social Media Although most people would argue that social media platforms have contributed positively to the development of Nigerian youths, Ruth Choji writes that the abuse of social media and the consequences are issues many shying away from addressing

U

I know we also get to see some bad things, but you can decide what you want to get from the social media

sing social media Websites is among the most common activity of today’s children and adolescents.

Vivian Ogochukwu, 17, a final year student of Federal Government Girls College said “I cannot live without my Blackberry phone. I use it to chat with my friends. I now have over three hundred from all over the world on facebook. I know what is happening in their lives and they also keep in touch with me.

We share memorable pictures.

My father is even my friend on facebook.” Asked if it has changed her behaviour and lifestyle, the teenager said, “No, I can only say that it has exposed me to things I didn’t know existed, people, their culture and traditions. It has also given me the opportunity to relate with my friends. We spend hours in the night chatting with each other. I also use the phone for my assignments. So it is good”.

Another ‘addicted’ facebook user is Daniel Pam, an undergraduate in one of the federal universities.

He said, “I don’t think there is anybody in this jet age that doesn’t use the internet. It has helped us in different ways. It has also made life easy. We can now know what is happening in any part of the world using it. I use it to chat with my girlfriend without stressing myself to visit her personally. I know we also get to see some bad things, but you can decide what you want to get from the social media. I will rather have the social media than anything else, it keeps the world united.”

But Paul Adebayo, a pastor and psychologist differs. Speaking on the benefits of social network on the youths, the father of three said “as much as I am happy that its coming has reduced the stress of running home to watch the news, keeping in touch with friends at the press of a pin and so on, I also think the social media is not good for our children. Some children have been initiated into evil cults, pornography, bad gang, some have learned to do evil things from the internet like making bombs at the speed of a dial. Teenagers now sextet each other, some go as far as exposing their bodies through the social media to their friends and so on. The social media has

not helped our youths at all.

Children no longer give time to the homework because they could get answer at the touch on the iPhone.

They have lost value for parental love and guidance because they are always on the net or phones, chatting with their friends or reading rubbish that changes their perception about other people.

There is also the loss of dignity and degradation of human life.

Have you noticed how the youth react when there is an accident, instead of reaching out to help the victims, they will be busy taking pictures or recording the disaster and then upload the images on YouTube, facebook or other online fora. Social media has allowed them to take their life online with some learning the art of criminality.

Because nobody monitors what they do online, they tend to go the extra mile and visit sites that are not healthy and dangerous for the mind. I have seen cases where a child started getting visits form a strange friend in the night, the parent will hear him talking to somebody and when they go to the room, they won’t see anybody.

When they ask him, he will point out to an imaginary person until they sought deliverance because we couldn’t handle the problem.

Another girl got the image of the head of an evil creature when she requested for a picture of one of her online boyfriends. She started having nightmares until they brought her to us. Some of these young people pretend on the social media and do all manner of things while with parent, they pretend as if they are still innocent. Older men who are perverts also target such young people for their perversion.

Youths who are addicted to the social media are at some risk of being exposed to ills like bullying, sexual experimentation, cyberbullying, lack of privacy, they can also indulge in “sexting.” And always suffer from lack of sleep, there is also the risks of improper use of technology, lack of privacy, sharing too much information, or posting false information about themselves or others. The social media has its merits and demerits because it can mobilise people to read the words, preach the word and understand it. The demerits could be the false appearance of intimacy and community

A lady chatting on phone.

without enabling the substance of embodied friendship. Whether we like it or not, if we want to build a stable generation, we need to relate with each other physically. The society is decaying because of our own reluctance to share space and meals together, and to enter into environments and social situations that require our physical presence”.

A mother of two who seems happy with the advent of social media is Mrs Helen Terhemgbe and she said “everything in life has its advantage and disadvantages. It all depends on you- the end user. I am a teacher and social media has really helped me in my career. It has made me to be up to date on latest teaching techniques and also taught me how to teach very well and easy. I also used the media to learn how teachers do their things in other parts of the world. If a child is abusing the social media, then we should blame the parents because they are not watching their children well. My daughter knows the computer and these iPhones more than me, yet I make sure that I monitor how she uses it. If we can use the social media well, it could be an effective weapon in promoting the human and right.

We all know how the social media has been helpful in disseminating information, we get to hear the latest news on social media with pictures instead of relying on rumours or half-truths like it used to be. The only way we can stop the abuse of the social media is when a regulatory agencies is created to monitor them. For me as a teacher, I believe the social media has made it possible for children and adults alike to remain connected with friends and family, sharing pictures and life experiences, exchanging ideas, given them opportunities to interact with people from all over the world where they learn different cultures a part of their education.

Garba Bello, a medical practitioner and father of five boys also believes that “It is important that parents evaluate the sites their child visit once in a while. We must also tell them the dangers involved

in visiting some of these sites.

Besides, I don’t encourage parents to buy smart phones for children under 18 years because you cannot always be there to know what they do. Social media is a distraction to and can lead to psychological and health issues; anxiety, depression, and other psychological. You need to talk to your kids. Research has found that people who are socially insecure are more likely to get addicted to social networking site. If you notice, you will see that, children who are hooked on the social media have increased levels of violence, extremism in everything they do and exhibit less collaboration and empathy. Reports have shown that, women with breast cancer who feel secure on social media tend to have stronger stimulated TNF-alpha responses, a compound that is produced by immune-system cells that can cause tumour regression and increase recovery but continuous addiction to the screen could raise your risk of cancer. When young people spend too much time on social media sites, they begin to show symptoms of depression, changing sleep and eating habits, mood swings, or becoming socially isolated from other people and even loved ones.

Parents can control this addiction by ensuring that, the young people spend time more offline than online, they set aside family time for all to participate, encourage them to bring their friends personally into the house rather than talking to them on social media only, ensure that young persons’ engage in more exercises and restriction to social media usage. I believe that the social media is a major distraction to young persons and you can notice this from their grades in schools. As a Muslim, I also believe that as much as we are encouraged to allow our children mingle with others, there is the need for parents to ensure that the young person does not use his or her account on social network for sexting, pornography and forbidden matters, as this is sin.

e-train Sunday, October 5, 2014

sunday e-train 57

I Want To Change The Face Of Gospel Music – Eni Okosun Eni Okosun is a gospel and inspirational artiste.

Recently, he released his ‘Wave Your Flag’ video, precisely on October 1, 2014. In this interview with SAMUEL ABULUDE, the musician speaks on his music and the source of his inspiration May we know who is Enny Okosun?

Enny Okosun is coined from my middle name, Eniolorunyan, which means ‘The chosen one’.

I am a structural engineer and hold a Master’s degree from the University of Lagos (UNILAG). I have been a lover of music since my youthful age and started musical career in the church. I decided to go into the gospel and not secular music because I want to reach out to the lost souls and change lives.

What have you been up to lately?

I have been promoting both audio and video songs since last year. I just came back from my Dubai trip to see how I could shoot my next video. I am currently working with a renowned popular gospel artiste Psalm Ebube on my first collaboration to add to my credit. The collaboration would be shot hopefully in Dubai very soon.

What led you into chosing music as a career?

On that note, I will not but mention our daddy, the late Pa Sunny Okosun. Though I did not have the chance to meet him before his death, but he contributed tremendously in the spiritual aspect of my life. I grew up listening to his music and looking at his fighting spirit when he sang, and I therefore decided to take after his footsteps. Not only in the gospel part of it, but also in his crave for preaching peace in Nigeria and Africa in general.

As a gospel artiste, I do my music for the love I have for God because He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him

Whose music has influenced you really?

Ooops! Lots of good music; such as the late Pa Sunny Okosun, 2face Idibia, Bob Marley, Yinka Ayefele, Psalm Ebube, Mike Abdul, all gospel songs… Bros, I cannot mention it all!

Are you into gospel or secular music?

I am into gospel/inspirational songs. The reason is that I want

to change lives positively and change our orientation towards life. We all know that one with God is majority, and in Christ, we will find peace. Secular instrumental is good, but sometimes the lyrics don’t impact lives positively. So, we need to be careful of what we hear because faith comes by hearing.

What inspired ‘Wave Your Flag’ song?

Actually, there was another ‘Wave Your Flag’ song that was sang during the last World Cup in South Africa. After I listened to the song, I was inspired and I decided to do a piece of song that would enable Omo Naija to wave our Nigeria’s green-whitegreen flag.

What’s the difference between your own and the popular ‘Wave Your Flag’ song used during the World Cup?

So many differences. First, the instrumental is not the same.

Also, in my own, I preached peace and patriotism, which means believing in our own strength as Nigerians. However, the other one was preaching freedom.

Are you leveraging on the song, or you just want to cash in on its relevance?

Truly, I want to leverage on the song or even surpass it with a margin in its popularity. And that’s why I need people like Okosun you ( the media) to support me as ‘Over Again’, ‘E Se o’, ‘Work by promoting our own.

For Your Pay’, ‘Halleluyah My FaAs a young musician, how have ther’ etc… you been able to overcome the challenges?

It is not easy surviving, but with God, I believe in possibilities. The Bible makes it clear that ‘Money answereth all things’. In terms of funding, I work very hard to earn it so as to sustain it, since I have not been signed on any record label.

What’s your relationship with Sunny Okosun or other veterans in the course of your work?

The year I planned to meet with Sunny Okosun was the year I heard he died. I met with Kunle Ajayi, Sammie Okposo, Mojisola Adeniji, Psalm Ebube, to mention but a few. Though I have been deeply involved in engineering, What other songs do you have? which has really taken my time I have about 16 great songs, such out with meeting people.

What is your thought on the music industry and how you intend to breakthrough?

No competition here o! The music industry in Nigeria is doing great, and in the gospel aspect, I believe we are coming up gradually. I don’t want to use the word ‘breakthrough’ because I am only doing my music to touch lives and do the will of Jesus. As a gospel artiste, I do my music for the love I have for God because He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.

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Sunday, October 5, 2014

Tell us about yourself and what gave you the urge to really consider this catholic talent hunt.

Ebbah: For me, it was a wonderful experience because like I tell people, it is the first time it ever happened in a catholic church in Nigeria, to be precise. We have had other talent shows before and have had other churches coming up with young talent. This is the first time it is coming up in a catholic church, so I needed to be a part of it because I had always wanted it to happen that way.

What about you?

Emmanuel: As of ‘Maximum Praise’, the passion of music has been in me right from time.

When I heard of it that it is organized and sponsored by a catholic church, I was challenged and took the advantage. It is coming out for the first time. It is something done more outside the church in shows and some Pentecostal churches, but this time around, the Catholic church is trying to help youths to know and realise their talents. When I heard it I said it was okay, even if it was for nothing. I wanted to be among the first people that will venture into it, so, I took the challenge and thank God, I was among the first six. I was happy about it and I pray it continues.

How has the talent hunt itself inspired all of you?

It has made me to believe more in myself as an individual. A lot of times, you hear people tell you that you are not good in one thing or another. They may even ask you to forget it. But for the judges to tell you that you are good, and these are people, who are known; they are professionals in the industry. I think that it is inspiring. This will really make you to look into yourself and find out the things that they saw that youmay not have seen yet. You can bring it to the forefront because for someone to tell you that you are good, I mean, they saw ahead to a large extent, but I think that’s how it’s been.

What kind of song do you sing, is it gospel or simply inspirational?

You must not neccesarily have to call Jesus in a song to make the song a good one. That is the idea

I will say inspirational because during the hunt, I remember one of those things that haunted me was whether I will really be able to do it the catholic way. This is due the people officiating it were mostly catholic elders. I had never been to any music school before; I also have never had music tutors to teach me. All I have is my guitar and the person who taught me guitar. We were just learning in a street way. This experience of music is not really professional. Inside me, if you ask me what

Ebah Thomas and Emmanuel Simon

‘Your Lifestyle Shouldn’t Contradict Your Songs’ Ebah Thomas and Emmanuel Simon are the two winners of Maximum Praise Talent Hunt, organised by the Catholic Church in Abuja.

In this interview with RAHAMAN AIMAN, the duo speak about their dreams and other issues I play, it is more of secular but then, the hunt challenged me. I remember on stage the judges said, ‘Welldone, you are doing like a professional. I was entertained. I felt like a professional entertaining my OGAS on seat, so then, I picked the challenge, I can be vast, but I do more of inspirational songs, songs that speak sense, show sense and make sense.

I am a deep person and I do anything that has to do with soul, if you can link it to soul you will find me doing it. And also coming from the background of the competition, we love to inspire people from all walks of life. We are not strictly churchy to the core and that is what I like about it too. You can do any song, so long as it is moral, and does not talk about nudity, obscenity, nor does it bring such into the picture .So long as it is inspiring and can impact on someone positively for people to listen and be inspired. You must not neccesarily have to call Jesus in a song to make the song a good one. That is the idea. I think that was the reason we said we had to do it because this is our own and this is how we know it is going to be.

Is the first edition?

Yes

How does it feel to be among the

top six?

It is very inspiring, very very satisfying. I remember after the hunt, I went home and some people began to call me superstar, comparing me with some Nigerian musicians that are at the top. I told them I want to meet up to that rank because inside me, I knew I have not grown to the level of the picture in people’s mind, so, I want to meet that rank, that level in their mind about me. The challenge now is that any time I am alone, I want to do something better than what I have done before. So that is one of those things I have gained from it.

What are you guys now working on after the project?

Now we have a label from the event, the ‘Galaxy Creative Network’. It is run by the same organisers. We are trying to get singles out in the market and push them to see how far they can go and also try to build up songs for an album. So basically, we are trying to see how we can write good songs not just any songs and build our selves musically. With instruments, it is more professional. If you don’t just know how to sing, you should know how to play

an instrument. To help accompany and help you know combinations and emotions that you can evoke through your music and how you want your audience to feel when you are performing. Basically, we had to take voice lessons. Personally on my own, we got somebody, though I’m on break. I still intend to continue because we have just started. There is so much room to grow, so we can’t just come and sit down and say because they say you are in the best six, you now want to relax and say, ‘I have arrived’. Honestly, you have not even started.

As a matter of fact, you have not scratched the surface. It is a long way ahead there but because of the kind of people we know we have as sponsors and those that are working with us, we feel inspired that we will try the best of our ability.

There is also something of concern especially where artistes are not abiding by the teachings of their calling. Do you think you can do better?

I would say because of the nature of the label we are working with, which is a churchy kind of thing, I know that for every song we try to bring in or decide to bring up, it is going to be screened and if they are not comfortable with the lyrics, of course, they are going to change it.The same also goes into the production of the videos; if it doesn’t speak well, it is not going into the market.

I don’t have issue with that.

Ours is just do the songs, bring the songs and submit them for inspection and censorship. If they go through, then they will be provided for in the market and, to a large extent, we try to stay principled, so that your life style doesn’t contradict the songs that you produce in the market. We hope that we don’t get to that level.

How do you see the Nigerian music industry interms of competitio since you are just coming into it.

So far, I think when I was growing as a kid, I knew gospel music was not just simply for the market level but for how much people want to listen to you, maybe later on in years time, the person that sang that very particular song will be recognised in one or two ways simply because the song has been there, but later on in this age, I discovered that the market matters. The people must like your song. Nigerians whether circular or gospel song, want something like a national anthem. So, they are expecting you to give them; they are looking up to you every day through music industry. So it means the preparation is important. Keep giving them, feed them or else they will look for another one.

sunday e-train 59

e-train foreign Sunday, October 5, 2014

Latest Movies Bang Bang

A review of Bang Bang. Director Siddharth Anand’s remake of Hollywood’s Knight and Day is a wonderful assortment of action sequences woven into a tacky plot that asks you to suspend disbelief at every turn. In theaters by October 2, 2014 Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif Director: Siddharth Anand Language: Hindi Genre: Romance

Haider This is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, Haider is a young man who returns home to Kashmir on receiving news of his father’s disappearance. Not only does he learn that security forces have detained his father for harbouring militants, but that his mother is in a relationship with his very own uncle. Intense drama follows between mother and son as both struggle to come to terms with news of his father’s death.

Soon, Haider learns that his uncle is responsible for the gruesome murder. What follows is his journey to avenge his father’s death. In theaters

by October 2, 2014 Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor Director: Vishal Bhardwaj Production: VB Pictures

Gone Girl This film unearths the secrets at the heart of a modern marriage. On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne reports that his beautiful wife, Amy, has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick’s portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. In theaters by October 1, 2014 Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Emily Ratajkowskin Tyler Perry Director: David Fincher Screenplay: Gillian Flynn Producers: Leslie Dixon, Reese Witherspoon, Bruna Papandrea

Dracula Untold

Explores the origin of Dracula, weaving vampire mythology with the true history of Prince Vlad the Impaler, depicting Dracula as a flawed hero in a tragic love story set in a dark age of magic and war. In theaters by October 10, 2014 Starring: Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper, Sarah Gadon, Samantha Barks Director: Gary Shore Duration: 92 minutes

Zoe Saldana Confirms She’s Having Twins

Zoe Saldana has finally made it official. She confirmed earlier tonight that she’s having twins. The gorgeous mom-to-be, 36, and her equally-as-hot artist husband Marco Perego, 36, didn’t make a big announcement. Instead, Saldana did it in the cutest way ever when we talked about her Halloween plans at the opening of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Hollywood Costume exhibit in L.A. When I asked if she’d be dressing up for Halloween this year, Saldana looked down, rubbed her belly a little bit and said, “I might. I might need three costumes. I might have to make some adjustments, but it

would be nice.”

Saldana did joke that she may go as a bride!

“It would be a shotgun wedding,” she laughed.

Saldana has always talked about her desire to start a family.

“I’m Latin—we start young, honey!” Saldana admitted on the Lifetime series The Conversation With Amanda de Cadenet in April 2012.

“At 22 you’re like, ‘I just wanna hold something!’ You want a little critter.”

Saldana said she hopes to have at least “two or three” kids. “Or four or five! I don’t care. They’re just so delicious,” she said.

Mila Kunis Gives Birth To Babygirl With Ashton Kutcher Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are officially parents. The engaged couple and former That ‘70s Show co-stars have welcomed a baby-girl.

According to TMZ, which was first to report the news, their daughter arrived Tuesday night at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre. The two were most recently spotted walking their dog on an afternoon hike near their home in Los Angeles on September 27, with very pregnant Kunis holding

hands with her husband-to-be.

And earlier this month, Kutcher revealed on Twitter that he was anxiously awaiting the arrival of his little girl, saying, “Nervous is excited’s victim sister.”

In the days and weeks leading up to the birth, Kunis had been spending some extra one-on-one time with her fiancé.

From late-night dinner dates to afternoon trips at the dog park, the couple truly savored the final weeks of pregnancy.

Charlie Sheen: Investigated For Pulling Knife On Dentist Charlie’s lawyer, Marty Singer, calls the allegations “completely fabricated”. He adds, “No bodyguard made the absurd statement to the dentist. Charlie had a bad reaction to the noxious gas put in his mouth and nose.”

Charlie Sheen clearly doesn’t like going to the dentist, because he’s under investigation for assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly going nuts in a dental chair in a rock cocaine-fuelled rage ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Charlie was at an L.A. den-

tal office last Thursday for an abscess. He sat in the chair as the dental technician placed a mask over his face to administer nitrous oxide, when she says Charlie went insane ... flailing his arms and striking her.

Latest Music Don’t Panic (Remix) Chris Brown

Release date: October 2 French Montana’s new single, “Don’t Panic”, is finally starting to pick up some momentum.

A couple of days ago, we heard YG tackled the DJ Mustard-produced banger, and now today, we have a new set of rhymes, courtesy of Chris Brown.

Premiered by Funk Flex moments ago, Breezy leaves his vocals at home and delivers some impressive bars that show off his always-improving rap skills. It’s just one of many new freestyles that Breezy has released lately, including his take on Schoolboy Q’s “Studio”, iLoveMakonnen’s “Tuesday”, & Snootie Wild’s “Made Me”. Hopefully he continues to feed us with more freestyles, because these are dope.

Take a listen to the latest remix, and let us know how it compares to other versions?

Quotable Lyrics: Strapped up, pistol with the bandana’s Extended clip, gotta hide it from the damn cameras Man I’m only smoking Cali Kush When I’m on the plane I got your bitch rollin up the blunts I call it high standards.

Scolla – Play It Cool, Feat. Skewby Release date: October 2 It’s been a minute since we last heard from Detroit’s own Scolla, but today, he’s back with Skewby to “Play It Cool” in this brand new release.

The track was apparently thrown together in celebration of Scolla’s new OG Cool (Red October Edition) beanie getting released as well as the new Fall season that’s upon us. Produced by Mind Lab Music & iRocksays, the track serves as a follow up to “Foxy Brown”, which dropped back in June. No word yet as for where this will end up, but its presumably just a freebie for the fans.

Quotable Lyrics: I swear that I woke up this morning without a care in the world Just a dollar on my mind Sleeping beauty on my side and a ladder to the sky Headband for the head strong, gives me piece of mind Mama said don’t drink N drive, so I roll my tree and ride out.

Rapsody – Godzilla Release date: October 2 Rapsody continues to hit us with new leaks off her upcoming EP Beauty And The Beast. Last week, she released some “drama” for the fans, and now today, she’s back with another one titled “Godzilla”.

Getting back to her usual formula, Rapsody links back up with 9th Wonder once again and delivers some beastly rhymes that show off her lyrical talent per usual. It serves as the latest leak off Beauty And The Beast, which will be available October 7th on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and Spotify.

Until then, stream this new leak and share your thoughts below.

Quotable Lyrics: These days only God is iller, you couldn’t shine with glitter Even if Shyne was with ya Thought you was a Bad Boy until you met Godzilla

60 kiddies

Sunday, October 5, 2014

MAze

kiddies kingdom

By Chika mefor

08156719304 (SMS only)

The Frog Prince (2) ➔

FROM LAST WEEK

‘Open the door, my princess dear, Open the door to thy true love here!

And mind the words that thou and I said By the fountain cool, in the greenwood shade.’

Then the princess ran to the door and opened it, and there she saw the frog, whom she had quite forgotten. At this sight, she was sadly frightened, and shutting the door as fast as she could came back to her seat.

The king, her father, seeing that something had frightened her, asked her what was the matter.

‘There is a nasty frog,’ she said, “at the door, that lifted my ball for me out of the spring this morning. I told him that he should live with me here, thinking that he could never get out of the spring; but there he is at the door, and he wants to come in”.

While she was speaking the frog knocked again at the door, and said: ‘Open the door, my princess dear, Open the door to thy true love here!

And mind the words that thou and I said By the fountain cool, in the greenwood shade.’

Then the king said to the young princess, “As you have given your word you must keep it; so go and let him in”.

She did so, and the frog hopped into the room, and then straight on - tap, tap -

Puzzle

plash, plash - from the bottom of the room to the top, till he came up close to the table where the princess sat.

“Pray lift me upon chair”, he said to the princess, “and let me sit next to you”.

As soon as she had done this, the frog said, “Put your plate nearer to me, that I may eat out of it”.

This she did, and when he had eaten as much as he could, he said, “Now I am tired; carry me upstairs, and put me into your bed”. And the princess, though very unwilling, took him up in her hand, and

put him upon the pillow of her own bed, where he slept all night long.

As soon as it was light, the frog jumped up, hopped downstairs, and went out of the house.

‘Now, then,’ thought the princess, “At last, he is gone, and I shall be troubled with him no more”.

But she was mistaken; for when night came again, she heard the same tapping at the door; and the frog came once more, and said: ➔

hAPPY BIrThdAY

T0 BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

SPOT The dIffereNce

Israel Tisan Buki clocked 3 years on September 14, 2014. Kiddies Kingdom wishes her long life and God’s blessings.