Leadership sunday cont

CEOConfidential

Sunday, September 21, 2014

getting ahead

31

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

Five secrets to starting a business DiFFeRenTiATe oR Die

...And making it work

Big names are weak continues From last week

continues From last week

4. Lead by listening To be a good leader you have to be a great listener. Sure, you need to know your own mind, but there is no point in imposing your views on others without some debate and a degree of consensus. No one has a monopoly on good ideas or good advice.

Get out there, listen to people, draw people out and learn from them. As a leader you’ve also got to be extremely good at lavishing praise. Never openly criticise people; never lose your temper, and always be quick to applaud a job well done.

People flourish on praise. Usually they don’t need to be told when they’ve done wrong because most of the time they know it.

5. Be visible A good leader doesn’t get stuck behind a desk. I’ve never worked in an office - I’ve always worked from home - but I am constantly out and about, meeting people. It seems I am travelling all the time but I always have a notebook handy to jot down questions, concerns or good ideas.

If I’m on any of the Virgin airlines I always try hard to meet as many of the cabin crew and passengers as possible, and will

Business icons

usually come away-with a dozen or more good suggestions or ideas. If I didn’t write them down I might remember only a few, but putting them in the infamous notebook means I remember them all. Talk to your staff and customers at every opportunity, listen to what they tell you, good and bad, and act on it.

Some might say, ‘Well, all that’s easy when you have a small business’, but at Virgin we strive to appoint company heads who have the same philosophy. That way we can run a large group of companies in the same way a small business owner runs a family business - keeping it proactive, responsive and friendly.

Oh yes: I still have to answer that first question as to the origin of the Virgin name. Sadly there’s no great sexy story to it as it was thought up on the fly. One night I was chatting with a group of sixteen year old girls over a few drinks about a name for the record store. A bunch of ideas were bounced around, then, as we were all new to business, someone suggested Virgin. It smacked of new and fresh and at the time the word was still slightly risqué’, so, thinking it would be an

attention- grabber, we went with it.

But no matter how good the concept and/or brand name, even the best of them can fail at the first attempt. For example, in the early sixties, another group with a catchy name, the Beatles, were turned away by no fewer than seven record labels before they found one willing to take them on.

So, if you don’t survive, just remember that the majority of new businesses don’t make it and that some of the best \lessons are usually learned from failure.

And like the old song says, ‘Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again’.

While some department stores have emerged intact, it indicates how tough the world is becoming for this kind of store.

Interstate Department Stores also went bankrupt. So the company looked at the books and decided to focus on the only product it made money on: toys.

As long as Interstate was going to focus on toys, it decided to change its name to Toys “R” Us. Today Toys “R” Us does 20 per cent of the retail toy business in the country.

As we wrote earlier, many retail chains are successfully patterning themselves on the Toys “R” Us formula: a narrow focus with in-depth stock. Staples and Blockbuster Video are examples.

In the retail field generally, the big successes are the specialists: • The Limited: Upscale clothing for working women • The Gap: Casual clothing for the young at heart • Benetton: Wool and cotton clothing for young swingers • Victoria’s Secret: Sexy undergarments • Foot Locker: Athletic shoes • Banana Republic: Upmarket casual wear (When a clothing chain with a name like Banana Republic can be successful, you know we live

concluded

concluded

Leadership lessons continues From last week

Sam Walton Founder, Wal-Mart

His tape had information from other places, and he didn’t want to lose it. He gave the tape to the manager, though with a note to Robert Price, the son of Sol Price. In about four days he got the tape back from Robert, untouched.

Walton says he was treated “better than deserved” (Walton 1992).

“Most everything I’ve done I’ve copied from someone else....I probably visited more headquarters offices of more discounters than anybody else-ever. ... I’d ask lots of questions about pricing and distribution, what- ever.

I learned a lot that way,” he wrote. He studied competitors’ prices, displays, merchandising techniques, supply lines, and so on, in order to improve his own stores.

Walton was also a pioneer of the belief that those closest to’ the customers have the most to teach the companyan idea that would not gain currency for many years. Recalls Glass, “He genuinely believed that all of the best ideas came from the bottom up, not from the top down, and particularly that all those people who interfaced with the customer knew more about

the business and more about what we needed to do and more about how to improve it than anyone else.”

Walton encouraged his managers to do the same snooping around. He told them to look for the things the competitors did right and not wrong.

Even the worst store, he reasoned, was doing something right that they were not.

Glass, one of Wal-Mart’s earliest managers, said, “He was able to spot a diamond in the rough. Most of the best ideas came from our competitor’s stores .... continues next week

32 CEOConfidential

housekeeping

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Compiled by Olujide Olusola

Most creative people in business

Scott Howe

CEO, president, Acxiom For letting consumers see their own data In 2011, Scott Howe took over one of the country’s most secretive and voracious data outfits and chose a new path, offering consumers more transparency and control. Its ground-breaking site, AboutTheData, launched last year.

Here’s why: The problem: The more digital our lives become, the more marketing data we create--and that someone else collects. “People are getting increasingly anxious about that information and how it’s used,” says Howe. Not surprisingly, they often distrust companies like Acxiom, which spends billions each year on consumer info that it aggregates and sells to marketers.

The epiphany: Early on as CEO, Howe asked, “What information does the company have about me?” Unable to get a straight answer, he decided it needed a consumer portal-- the industry’s first-that would offer a peek behind the curtain. “In the future, people will manage their data as easily as they service their car,” he says. “This is the first small step.”

The execution: Acxiom, a B-to-B company, struggled with creating a consumer site. AboutTheData had to present profiles clearly and explain the data sources. “Essentially, we wrote the site for my parents, who are in their seventies,” Howe says. He also started a blog about the project, humanizing the oncemysterious company.

The result: Initially, Acxiom’s board feared consumers would see what had been gathered on them and choose to opt out of Acxiom’s data collection. But only 2 per cent of the nearly 630,000 registered users have done so. Meanwhile, 11 per cent corrected their information, benefiting Acxiom and its clients. Traditionally, “our industry has been a one-way communication,” says Howe. “There has to be give-and-take.

Naval Ravikant CEO, Angellist

Max Ventilla Founder, Altschool

For bringing the startup model to schools Looking at schools for his young children, Max ­Ventilla was dismayed: The best of them touted single-digit acceptance rates.

But in the tech world, great products are allinclusive. How he tackled the issue: Make a plan Early in 2013, Ventilla quit his job as an engineering exec at Google, raised $5 million in seed capital, and dove into learning about education. He developed two goals: to grow a network of excellent elementary schools that hearken back to the single-room schoolhouses of long ago, and to use the schools as labs to learn, iterate, and improve on the model.

Open the doors AltSchool launched its first one-room school in San Francisco last September and now has 20 students in grades K–5. Teachers work with a “playlist” of activities that can be mixed and matched based on their students’ needs.

Keep learning Armed with $28 million in venture-capital funding, AltSchool is now building a network of schools in the Bay Area and around the country. “You want to avoid thinking you know more than you do,” says Ventilla. “But there is a science to education. The ideal approach is not for every teacher to do just whatever comes naturally to them. There should be a rigorous analytical approach.”

For reinventing how startups find investors and--maybe--helping you to get a piece of the action Last fall, Naval Ravikant launched Syndicates, a web platform that helps Silicon Valley influencers collect investor “backers” and funnel the pooled money into promising startups. So far, backers have to be “accredited,” i.e., rich, but when the SEC loosens crowdfunding rules, Syndicates could help retail investors connect with the next Twitter. Meanwhile, the company’s must-read emails remain crucial in bringing startups to the attention of major investors. AngelList is “a way to open up deal flow and share it,” Ravikant says.

Ruth Gaviria and Linda Ong Executive vice president of corporate marketing, Univision communications; president and brand strategist, Truthco For expanding Univision’s vision Last July, Univision issued a press release satirically addressed to ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, with the subject “Número Uno Is the New #1.” For the first time, the 21-year-old Hispanic network had beaten the major broadcast networks in prime-time ratings for the 18-to-34 and 18-to-49 demographics. The rebranding and revitalization of Univision as the “Hispanic heartbeat of America” is largely the work of Linda Ong, who runs Brooklyn-based branding firm TruthCo., and Univision’s Ruth Gaviria.

When Ong was hired by Univision in 2011, she says her first mission was to push the network “to envision themselves outside their traditional competitive set of Spanishlanguage networks, and recognize that they deserved to compete with the Englishlanguage media.” The pair have also helped the brand reach out to second and third-generation Hispanics by introducing some English language content, launching the Uforia digital music imprint, and rebranding the telenovela-and-sports-focused TeleFutura channel as UniMás, with programming that more clearly differentiates it from the parent network. Throughout the process, says Gaviria, “we learned that we had more permission from our consumers for innovation than we thought.”

Anthony Perez Director of Concept Design, Starbucks For constantly rethinking what a coffee shop can be Anthony Perez and his team are working to imbue each Starbucks with a uniquely local--and sustainable--flair. In the past 18 months, he has introduced a LEED– certified Starbucks built from a cargo container, honed the idea into a 500-squarefoot walk-up store covered partially with reclaimed lumber and local art, and developed variations of these shops that can squeeze into spaces where larger Starbucks might not fit. “We need to make sure whatever we do is provocative,” Perez says. “If people walk by and don’t notice it, something is wrong.”

A Girl’s Guide

40

hoW to sing and knoW all the Words

et cetera ...AND OTHER THINGS September 21, 2014

World Celebrities that survived infidelity rumours The Twitterati, P39

Wish List, P34

Atiku calls out Twitter followers

Amina Musa loves perfumes

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et cetera

How I feel about... beIng a makeup artIst ocho adaji I come from a very supportive family and have always been encouraged to chase my dreams.

I didn’t start as a makeup artist.

I am a graduate of business administration from Ahmadu Bello University (A.B.U), Zaria and I am also the CEO and head makeup artist at BEDAZZLED MAKEUP STUDIO and academy which is located in Kaduna.

The career didn’t start overnight.

I guess my knowledge of business administration helped me to kick start this major phase of my life.

Having basic knowledge and a passion for the artistry, I had a quest to build a life out of it. So I further enrolled in a makeup school (House of Tara International) to polish the knowledge and acquire professional skills in 2008.

Today, I have two 2 studios and over 60 trained makeup artists working with me, and with a wide range of clientele, Bedazzled makeup studio and academy continues to empower passion and enhance looks by organising workshops, beauty seminars where I also teach financial empowerment through self development and skill acquisition. I love what I do because it is basically an arm of art. It is always an exciting experience to transform a plain face which is more like my canvas and transform it into something glamorous.

Sometimes it is almost impossible to marry the before and after. I get a high from satisfied customers who go “ooh” and “ah” over their made up faces. I also feel very proud when I see people I have trained excel in what they do. It is like my own way of giving back to the society. The job opens me up to a lot of places and people from different backgrounds.

Some clients can be difficult but in the end, it is all worth it.If I had to choose again, I would pick this career over and over again. I have no regrets whatsoever.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

amIna musa

WIsH H LIst

The Customs officer reveals some of her wishes to Zanswat Bowsan

First class trips around the world.

Experience of a lifetime

Own a Toyota Camry 2014

Own an 8-room mansion on a hill.

Own a shelve full of perfumes

Build and own a school named after me Own an Estate to my name

DILEMMA

ShoULd i TELL hER?

In a light-hearted weekly column, we take a wry look at the problems of modern life I Feel Bad For Slapping My Wife Something that has never happened to me happened this morning. I dated my wife for several years before getting married to her sometime last year. I am temperamental but patient but I have always been able to control my temper when dealing with my wife and I rather walk away or go hang out with friends or have a drink and sleep it off, but today it went beyond limit. I hate insults and my wife is the type that does not make

et cetera group

her point without insults. I was very angry and cautioned her not to speak with me in that manner again but she kept repeating it.

Just this morning it happened again. We were both in the kitchen and we were both about preparing food, apparently she said I shouldn’t do something and I told her that it’s not a big deal if I did it and if I don’t see the wrong in it then I won’t be able to handle the same incident when it happens again.

I am writing this because I feel so bad. Do you think I went beyond lines by slapping her? How do I make up for it?

Jesse from Port-Harcourt

Dear Jesse Sometimes things happen and are beyond our control. Yes, you were wrong for hitting your wife. I do not support violence of any sort. You need to find a way to curb your emotions. Talk to your wife and let her know how you feel about her insults.

Communication is key in any relationship.

If you make her see your point without attacking her, I am sure she will also try to change.

Take care Do 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, September 21, 2014

PEOPLE TRACKER

PERFECT Fiona Tarkur knows just what suits her body type

You can send your pictures to xanbowsan@yahoo.com

FRESH

Farida Angbo doesnt have a single care in the world

CONFIDENT Abimbola Afuwape is ready to conquer the world

LADY IN RED PETITE Ifiok Agbaso loves to have fun

Folake Ajayi looks yummy in red

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36

et cetera

Sunday, September 21, 2014

PEOPLE TRACKER

37

PEOPLE TRACKER

FLAUNTING Oluwatobi Abbas flaunts what she has in this classic dress

TRENDY Irene Nyam is awesomely flawless in red

You can send your pictures to xanbowsan@yahoo.com

et cetera

Sunday, September 21, 2014

EASY GOING

Blessing Maxwell is dark and beautiful

ROYALTY

Ranti Adedeji wears her outfit like a queen

PEARLS

Chibuonu Ezennabuike says more is more with pearls PINK LADY Mimidoo Anyagwa gives a subtle smile

SASSY Ann David is vibrant and full of life

GALLANT

Monday Ajayi in smart casual poses for the camera

SUNSHINE

Ayeesha Butu rocks a bold yellow outfit

DAZZLING STANCE

Nana Barde feels good in her blue jean

ALL BLACK Frank Ande steps out like a boss

COOL Vera Izomon is taking life easy

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et cetera

Sunday, September 21, 2014

iNSiDE Story

World celebrities that survived infidelity rumours

By Blessing Ukemena, abuja

M

aybe celebrities just accept infidelity as a way of life? Or perhaps these couples have a “You get one; I get one” policy; either way, these celebrity couples let cheating slide and even survived infidelity at least for now and are still going on in their marriages.

Bill and Hillary Clinton Today, with all the press around Hillary’s candidacy and Bill’s new vegan diet, it seems as if the Monica Lewinsky scandal never happened. These two have been together since October 11, 1975 and are so far happy with their only child Chelsea Clinton who married investment banker Marc Mezvinsky in July 31, 2010 and they are currently expecting their first child.

Scott Disick and Kourtney Kardashian DJ Disick claims that rumours about his affairs were just that—rumours. But, this poses many questions in the light of his playboy ways. However, it is safe to say he is lucky Kourtney decided to stay with him because it would seem that he really does not have a career without her. They are currently expecting their third child.

David and Victoria Beckham Several stories have surfaced about soccer star Beckham having affairs, including one with a high end “escort.” The couple have taken great pains to keep these stories out of the media which begs the question: if the affairs aren’t real, why does it matter if the stories surface?

Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union Wade isn’t a man afraid of responsibilities! Err… something like that. He proposed to actress Gabrielle Union while still involved with another woman, who he has a child with. Union and Wade married in 2014.

Snoop Dogg and Shante Taylor Snoop Dogg is so aware of his

What they said...

World Celebrities that survived infidelity

difficulties with monogamy that he voluntarily filed for divorce in 2004. He eventually decided to stay with his wife for the sake of their family.

The two have been together since 1997. The couple have three children together: sons Cordé, and Cordell and daughter Cori.

Pink and Carey Hart The musical duo was apart for nearly a year when Hart decided to have a fling. Pink has said that to get Hart back, she made a photo album full of memorabilia from their relationship, plus their unsigned divorce papers with a note that read, “The rest is up to you… it is clear that they are still in love because they are expecting their second child together.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, The superstar acting couple, who have made famously slow progress toward the altar, finally tied the knot. There were infidelity rumours but none have been able to break up the famous couple but to prevent further occurrence she and Brad had a pre-nupt

“I have to say, I have very mixed feelings about the Brangelina nuptials. I know they were engaged and seemed to actually intend to follow through and get married someday. But at the same time, I feel slightly surprised that they did it."

Martin Ukwueze, Movie Director

that contains an INFIDELITY CLAUSE. It states that if Brad leaves her for another woman, Angelina gets primary custody of the kids. It also states that in the event of a divorce, they each take the millions they brought into the marriage.

Speaking with a Nollywood movie director, Martin Ukwueze, “I have to say, I have very mixed feelings about the Brangelina nuptials. I know they were engaged and seemed to actually intend to follow through and get married someday. But at the same time, I feel slightly surprised that they did it.

They seemed destined to not get married, and to be stable and happy and super-into parenting for so long that there is something interesting about the idea that even they have succumbed to matrimony.”

Amina Isha is a makeup artist who is very observant in marriage trends, “I also think you raise an important point in noting the relationship between marriage branding

Conservatives tend to talk about the decline of marriage rates in two ways. One strain of thought suggests that marriage is something that people just are not very interested in anymore."

Amina Isha, Makeup Artist

and celebrity. Conservatives tend to talk about the decline of marriage rates in two ways. One strain of thought suggests that marriage is something that people just are not very interested in anymore, in which case celebrities can make marriage seem very inspirational”, she said, Patricia Itadike is an upcoming actress in the FCT and she shared her opinion on celebrity marriages, “I think the state of unions today is really intriguing … Brangelina, along with Jayonce? (Beyon-Z? The Carters?), is one of the celebrity news that occupies way more real estate in my emotions than is perhaps wise … Recently, I had a long dream about going on tour with Beyonce in which a recurring element was that she was secretly on the rocks with Jay Z, and this part of the dream was a nightmare. Marriage — especially with the recent tour — has become a big part of the Bey-Jay brand.

““I think the state of unions today is really intriguing … Brangelina, along with Jayonce? (Beyon-Z? The Carters?), is one of the celebrity news that occupies way more real estate in my emotions than is perhaps wise" Patricia Itadike, Actress

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

Madu Adigwe is of the opinion that the children should always come first, “What struck me in the coverage I was reading was that Pitt said it meant a lot to the kids. Yes, which I think is something we hear a lot when famous people who make normal decisions about marriage and family. Women change their names so their kids won’t be confused. Brangelina get married so their kids feel their relationship is valid, etc.

The power of kids, who are supposed to be the future in some sort of nebulous way, to pull us towards convention is considerable.”

Alex Daniels is a fashion designer in the FCT and had this to say, “One would think that being famous also comes along with being a cheat to your spouse but it totally disagree. It is really a thing about personal decision. Look at Beyonce and Jay Z, nothing dirty has been heard so far.

Although it is hard to have a cool head with all that fame,” he stated.

“One would think that being famous also comes along with being a cheat to your spouse but it totally disagree. It is really a thing about personal decision. Look at Beyonce and Jay Z, nothing dirty has been heard so far."

Alex Daniels, Fashion Designer

et cetera

Sunday, September 21, 2014

39

THE TWITTERATI CATCH UP WITH WHAT CELEBS HAVE BEEN TWEETING ABOUT

@gogo_majin

Currently writing an article that’s taking me all the way back and making me listen all over again to one of my favourite singers.

September 14 Over talented

@Aitadi

Seems the building collapse is rubbing TB Joshua the wrong way, he is certainly having a hard time with it.

September 16 BH...he says

@iam_wizkid1 Some people don’t understand how blessed they truly are. Be thankful for what you have rather than focusing on what you don’t have.

September 16 Are humans ever satisfied? @SirTimmyPhotog So that’s how these NNPC people lock offices down today sha...no work today.

But street beckons, so off to the hustle.

September 16 God help us. @elnathan Muslim Jihadists killing in God’s name.

Christian leaders implicated in massive arms deals. What is it about people who speak in God’s name?

September 16 It’s called lip service @Elshederico Either jumping out of a 3rd floor window in a drug raid in India or smuggling $9m into South Africa. My people are in action every day. Smh. September 16 In action for all the wrong reasons. @Mohdada The world is full of nice people...if you can’t find one, be one!

September 16 Yes indeed

@atiku

Ive seen a few followers tweeting #bringbackatiku- this is very insensitive and wrong. Please stop this hashtag immediately.

September 15 Very insensitive

@TyengGANG

Are you LOYAL? Before you ask for loyalty...

September 14 These people ain’t loyal

@saratu

This is the problem we have, this unwillingness to address the problems at the root.

September 14 Ostriches we are

September 15 There’s too much talk. @magbedu Once you learn to be happy alone, you won’t tolerate anyone who can’t make you just as happy.

September 16 Inner happiness @Jaff8 I don’t know the key to success, but I know the key to failure, which is lack of determination. Never give up.

September 16 Keep on, keeping on @MotBello Awesome new week! Refuse to pursue comfort at the expense of purpose.

September 14 Word!

@Chukie_lynxxx Man U making us proud right now! @ImohUmoren Hopefully this is the start of new If you have to ask the price, then you beginnings! can’t afford it.

September 14 September 16 @Audu Fanatic That doesn’t apply joo Thanks for the brilliant ideas you have sent @tundeleye @ChiomaChuka in.

I swear Nigeria Be slow to speak and fast What is the relationship has so many brilliant to hear. Be slow to tweet between water and electricity, minds.

God bless this opinions and be fast to especially since we’re not generation! research first exploring other forms of September 15 September 16 generation?

God bless you too Self Control!

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et cetera

Sunday, September 21, 2014

LIFE101

A GIRL’S GUIDE

How to Sing and know all tHe wordS

One of life’s mysteries is how some people hear a song for the first time and by the end of the first phrase can be singing along as if they had known it all their life. But with practice, you can too.

Keep up to date with who is who. Know who is number one, as the popular songs are the one you are the most likely to have to join in with. Listen to the radio, have it on while you have your breakfast, coffee or are driving. Get acquainted with what is “in”.

Always have a repertoire of songs you DO know and which will come on the radio at some point in the day. Likewise

refresh seasonal songs as appropriate.

If you are tone deafknow it. Don’t sing, don’t hum, and don’t try. You must have other gifts. It is recommended that you include whistling, crooning and everything other than talking on the list if don’ts.

There is a lot to be said for being a mute backing singer. If you don’t know the words, hum them.

Meanwhile, learn the words. The internet makes this easy for everyone.

Super Flirt

Legs give away Loads about our true intentions

Music is a great scene setter, seducer and room warmer. But you have to know what music is appropriate when. Make sure that you have a wide

repertoire of CDs- classical through pop-at your wellmanicured fingertips.

Know just what to reach for in any given situation.

To stop yourself from having a crisis when you can’t find the right tune for the moment, have a list of moods pinned to the lid of your CD player and fill in your favourites.

couple deep breaths of air. Imagine that the air is really heavy as you breathe it in.

Let the breath fall below your belly button, into your diaphragm. Exhale and repeat several times.

Get a light pillow-feather and practice keeping it in the air, sort of like you’re juggling a feather with your air stream. Gradually blow the feather really high up, and try keeping it there.

Don’t let your chest collapse as you keep the feather in the air. Try to keep the air stream coming from your diaphragm.

Practice opening your throat opening. Relax and open the jaw like a fish might out of water. Start flexing your facial muscles a little bit in between.

Try the following breathing exercise before you warm up:

The greaTesT gifT is love A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognise them.

She said, “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat.”

“Is the man of the house home?” they asked.

“No”, she said. “He’s out.”

“Then we cannot come in”, they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.

“Go tell them I am home and invite them in!” The woman went out and invited the men in. “We do not go into a house together,” they replied.

“Why is that?” she wanted to know. One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, “He is Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!!”, he said.

“Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”

His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”

Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love?

Our home will then be filled with love!”

“Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife.

“Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, “Which one of you is Love?

Please come in and be our guest.” Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?”

The old men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!”

Culled from The Girl’s Guide to Almost Everything

Begin by inhaling a

TighTly crossed

Knees TogeTher

Knees crossing

The tighter the cross, the more defensive the mood. This is the classic “protect-the-genitals” position. Mostly done by young girls who are forced to be nice to men they perceive to be creepy.

Knees together, legs side-by-side, feet flat in the floor is the school prefect mode. The tidy, well-groomed, meticulous and not to be thrown around person.

- legs crossed at the knees, top leg slightly kicking up and down is scheming, thoughtful, ambitious and are not to be taken lightly

All TogeTher

Knees and toes together while heels are apart screams shy and nervous. Coax then out of their shell slowly.

CEOConfidential

Sunday, September 21, 2014

bottom lines N2,644,000,000,000 56% Percentage drop in profit after tax as reported by Mansard Insurance Plc in its half-year 2014 results.

Estimated amount energy firms owe banks as at end-December 2013 according to the Central Bank of Nigeria

IEI-Anchor Pension grows shareholders’ fund to N1.24bn IN SHORT Electricity, gas record 20.57 per cent slump in NBS Q2 data According to the newly released Q2 GDP report by the National Bureau of Statistics, the electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply sector recorded the slowest growth “as electricity output slowed during the quarter.”

The contribution of the sector shrunk by 20.57 per cent going by 2010 constant basic prices.

The category covers the provision of electric power, natural gas, steam and the likes through the permanent infrastructure of lines, mains and pipes. It includes the operation of electric and gas utilities, which generate, control and distribute electric power or gas. Also included is the provision of steam and airconditioning supply.

Q2 2014 electricity output worth N111.69bn (at current prices) fell 10.56 per cent from the corresponding quarter (Q2) of 2013, which stood at N124.89bn. Quarter-onquarter, output fell by 8.84 per cent from the first quarter of 2014.

September data from the ministry of power show that while 3,620.86 megawatts were generated, 3,552.34 megawatts were sent out.

Electricity generation this year have averaged between 3,500 and 2,500 megawatts. To date, the highest peak generated, which was back in December 2012, stood at 4,517.6 megawatts.

COMPANY

SECRETS

Rahul Bajaj, chairman, Baja Auto Ltd.

Chairman, IEI-Anchor Pension Managers, Silas Jonathan Zwingina

The managing director of IEI-Anchor Pension Managers, Solomon Okoli, has assured shareholders that the company has overcome its teething problems and is now positioned for sustainable growth and profitability.

Consequently, Okoli told the shareholders at the company’s first annual general meeting in Abuja recently that at the moment, the company had extended operations to 30 states of the federation, servicing over 75,000 customers and managing a couple of states’ staff pension.

Already, shareholders of the company have voted to increase the company’s share capital from N2.222bn to N3bn in a move to accommodate increasing strategic partners’ interests that could help expand the business further.

The company, within eight years, grew shareholders’ funds more than eight folds from N150m in 2005 to N1.240bn in 2013, stressing that expansion efforts so far have repositioned the company for better performance even as the half-year results have shown.

The chief executive said the long-term plan of the company is to be among first tier PFAs in Nigeria with the threshold of a minimum

BOOSTING SAlES

of N100bn of assets under management, explaining that the cost of expansion had eaten into the company’s revenue and consequently, profit, and was confident of the company’s outlook.

“Our expansion may not be profitable immediately, but as we scale up over time, we will get through this and we are already seeing this in 2014. We are already seeing a lot of improvements.

“We are seeing some of the locations that we opened last year being more profitable now.

We are expanding our customer base, and the contribution level is beginning to yield and adding to the bottom line,” Okoli said.

According to him, part of the expansion strategies is to raise the company’s share capital to N3bn to be positioned for possible acquisition moves.

“People outside are beginning to see the opportunities out there and they are getting interested in what we are doing and want to come in to be part of us. If we do not increase our share capital, cannot accommodate such people to be part of the company. So, we want to have the flexibility and use the capital to expand the business,” he said of the company’s new share capital.

Silas Jonathan Zwingina, chairman of the company, said despite decline in revenue in 2013, a modest profit after tax of N12.8m was recorded; however, lower than the N54m in 2012, assuring that the company was on track for third consecutive year of profitability.

Asset under management, he disclosed rose by 30.27 per cent in 2012 to N26.2bn from 2011 records and also 23.22 per cent in 2013 to N32.3bn.

The company’s customer base also increased to 63,574 in 2013 from 53,161 in 2012 and 45,136 in 2011.

“We continue to deliver above industry average return on investment for our account holders and providing a good environment for our employees to advance their careers. We are committed to profitable growth without losing sight of our responsibility to our customers,” Zwingina said.

Convenience stores give you gas

Did you know that convenience stores make little profit on their gas? We lie to beat them up because of the price swings, but they make very little money on their gas. So you could say – in a way- that they give you gas. The convenient store profit model is based on getting customers into the store.

Do you think the bring it out and say thank you for buying our expensive gas? No, of course not. They want/need you to come in to the store to collect your free candy and hopefully buy an ice cold slushie, which, by the way, is likely to be one of the largest profit center in the store.

While your customers are filling up with what you think is your core product, is there something else you should be selling them back in your store?

Look at your products and services.do you have one of those got-to-have product lines that carry a high pass-through cost with little room for making your own profit? What could you offer in your store that levels the playing field?

Developing indigenous technologies As the pace of change in the international marketplace accelerates, local CEOs continue to study the big picture while they focus on their core business. they know that the major foreign companies that have invested in the emerging markets over the past decade have had difficulty competing locally because the cost of foreign inputs – particularly labour cost – are often more than twice

what local producers pay. The local producers, however, are beginning to lose ground to foreign manufacturers at the top end of their markets; and as the growing middle classes of three countries acquire more discretionary income, this is a trend local manufacturers are anxious to reverse.

Current;, the foreign competitors’’ ability to meet customer needs is much faster, and their product range

41

is much larger. At Baja Auto, it used to take about six years to develop and introduce a new product. We have reduced this to three and half to four years. Nevertheless, at present, Suzuki or Honda can do it in approximately two years. Lack of technology and quality are the things that keep Bajaj Auto from becoming a Honda, or any other domestic manufacturer from becoming a world-class producer.

42 CEOConfidential

Sunday, September 21, 2014

hub N611, 767,000,000

Compiled by Olujide Olusola

Amount the three tiers of government had to share from accruals into the Federation Account and earnings from the Value Added Tax in the month of August, 2014.

L-R: Chief financial officer, UAC, Mr Abdul Bello; senior executive, Kansai Colourant of South Africa, Ms Cindy Brown; executive director, Corporate Services, UAC, Mr Joe Dada and managing director, Portland Paints and Products Nigeria Plc, Mr Femi Oguntade, during the launch of Sandtex Portland Paints in Lagos recently.

PHOTO: GBENGA OLAJOBI

L-R: National coordinator, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr Boniface Okezie; managing director, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Olanrewaju Jaiyeola and chairman of the Board, Dr Oba Otudeko, at the fifth annual general meeting of the company in Lagos recently. PHOTO: GBENGA OLAJOBI

Umair Khan @Koomba303 If you don’t reciprocate the appreciation someone gives to you, it’s only a matter of time before that appreciation goes away. #Live2Love Bobby Umar @raehanbobby You can hold on to the past, but mostly for nostalgia, connection and learning for the future.

Noble Crawford @noblecrawford Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.”

fav

Tony O. Elumelu, CON @TonyOElumelu @unicorn091 Every youth deserves the right to gainful employment but jobs will be matched with skills.

tweets

2%

Percentage growth recorded by Beta Glass of Nigeria plc. in its half year net income as increasing costs continued to pressure profits.

L-R: Group head, E-business, Unity Bank, Mr Benedict Anyalenkeya; vice chairman, Committee of E-Banking Industry Heads (CEBIH), Mr Dele Adeyinka; chairman, Mr Tunde Kuponiyi; financial secretary, Mrs Juliet Nwanguma, and treasurer, Mrs Simisola Osinuga, during a press conference on CBN new directives on ATM charges, held in Lagos recently.

PHOTO: BENEDICT UWALAKA

L-R: Adviser, Giocah Ventures, Mr Anayochukwu Michael; managing director, Samtos Communications Limited, Mr Samuel Ogunna; managing director, Vik Global Communications, Mr Ikenna Eleodimuo and operations director, Giocah Ventures, Sir Ikechukwu Ezeonyeka, during the launch of Alcatel Smartphones in Lagos recently. PHOTO: BENEDICT UWALAKA

The Hurlingham Club, United Kingdom Bordering the Thames in Fulham and sporting facilities within an elegant and set in 42 acres of magnificent grounds, congenial ambience. The social calendar The Hurlingham Club is a green oasis at Hurlingham features a number of of tradition and international renown. uncompromisingly luxurious occasions. In Recognised throughout the world as addition, the diverse range of indoor one of Britain’s greatest private activities also plays a significant members’ clubs, it retains role in the camaraderie felt within its quintessentially English the Club’s membership. Members works must be proposed and seconded traditions and heritage, while providing modern facilities and by two current full members of services for its members. The Club the club. There is currently a twenty continually looks at ways in which it year waiting list for membership, but can improve, for both current and future children of current members are given generations, the first-class social and preference when vacancies do arise.

net

CEOConfidential

Sunday, September 21, 2014

$500,000,000

Total amount HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA) will pay to resolve accusations of misconduct in its handling of mortgage securities sold to taxpayers before the financial crisis.

5,000

43

6.5%

Approximate number of employees of capital market operators that will Projected economic growth rate of the nations’s become new entrants to Nigeria’s bourgeoning labour market as the economy occasioned by the Ebola virus disease and Boko Haram terror attacks.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) insists on their recapitalisation.

YOUR FYI FOR INFORMATION

L-R: Director general, NAFDAC, Dr Paul B. Orhii; group deputy managing director, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Engr Abdullahi Sule; DGM, Human Resources/ Administration, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Mr Murtalb Zubair, during Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc donation of four Operational Pick-up vans to NAFDAC to facilitate its Enforcement operations recently.

PHOTO: BENEDICT UWALAKA

Pure land

In Japan the indigenous religion of Shinto was traditionally based on the worship of nature and the souls of dead ancestors. Kami (local spirits) were guardians of awe-inspiring natural features: mountains, rivers, waterfalls, trees, distinctive rocks, and so on. Apart from subservience to the emperor, Shinto has few doctrines, restrictions, or taboos, focusing instead on a distinction between pure and impure. These are not contrasting concepts, like good and evil, or truth and falsehood, for the impure can become pure. After 538 CE, when Mahayan Buddhism arrived in Japan, elements of the old religion combined easily with the new. For Japanese Buddhist the world that humans live in is one of six states of being (the second highest). In your next life, you may come back as a hungry spirit in gaki, the second-lowest realm; an animal (third lowest); a human; or a god (highest level).

The judgement takes forty-nine days. By the time of the Shijuku Nichi Hoyu memorial service, which takes place at the end of this period, your fate has been decided. Of you have sunk a level or two, and become, say, a monkey, doing the right thing is now surely more important than ever.

DoING Business Leadership and status with Latvians L-R: Managing director, Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC), Dr (Mrs) Lucy Newman; GMD/CEO, Access Bank Plc, Mr Herbert Wigwe; president, Chartered Institute of Bankers Nigeria(CIBN), Otunba (Mrs) Debola Osibogun and acting registrar, CIBN, Seye Awojobi, during the 2nd Annual Seminar on Promoting Gender Economic Inclusion, sponsored by Access Bank Plc in Lagos recently.

HOW THEY

BLEW IT

Zhou Zhengyi

Power Politics continueS FROM LAST WEEK

His trouble started, though, when demolition men banged on the doors of some old apartment buildings in the prime west Beijing Road area of Shanghai. The 2,159 residents had little alternative but to move out, but they did not go quietly.

Residents claimed they had received inadequate compensation (as little as £10,000 each in a city where properties cost a small fortune) and had suffered violet intimidation. Lawyer Zheng Enchong agreed to act for them and on 28 May 2003, at the Jingan District People’s court in Shanghai, the case opened.

The lawsuit was from sic=x homeowners

representing 2,159 original residents. The plaintiffs claimed that the Jingan District Property Development Bureau, under the instruction of the district government, improperly allowed a company controlled by Zhou to redevelop the 43,000 square metre properties without paying a land lease with an estimated value of $36.3m. The case did not go well. Eight days after bringing the action, the lawyer was arrested, charged with ‘disclosing sate secrets’ and sentenced to three years in jail. As for the case, it was dismissed. But the residents were not having it. Outraged, they took their grievances to party leaders in Beijing.

CONTINUES NEXT WEEK

Similar to Estonians, Latvians are individualistic. Everybody wants to be not so much a leader, but a manager in his or her own right.

However, there is a tendency to respect firm, confident, knowledgeable leadership.

Latvians also always want to be on the side that is winning. They are sometimes reluctant to show initiative.

Intellectuals and artists (literature, music, and visual art) are acclaimed. However, image is also important (as in dress, evidence of financial security or well-being, or having a car, especially an imported one).

Managers address staff in a cool, measured manner, reacting against the former rhetorical style of the Russians. They emphasise the use of Latvian as the language of local business and mix optimism with realism.

44 CEOConfidential

entrepreneur 35% Number of hotels Global hospitality giant, Starwood Group is set to add to Nigeria’s hospitality industry by 2017.

SMALL BUSINESS How to decide if entrepreneurship is right for you continues from last WEEK

Just ask Ina Garten, who bought a specialty-foods store called The Barefoot Contessa in East Hampton, New York, in 1978 and has since branched out into cookbooks, television and a line of products.

Garten tells aspiring entrepreneurs that you have to “be willing to jump off the cliff and figure out how to fly on the way down.” Even with enough passion to launch a thousand ventures, you could find any number of circumstances hastening your failure: a location that turns out to be less than ideal, a problem with city or state zoning boards or a kink in the supply chain that can’t easily be ironed out.

There’s no guarantee of success, or even a steady paycheck. If you’re risk-averse, entrepreneurship probably isn’t the right path for you.

3. Am I good at making decisions?

No one else is going to make them for you when you own your own business. Consider how you might handle these early decisions: Do I work from home or do I lease office space? Do I hire employees? Do I pursue high-end clients or sell to the masses? Do I incorporate? Do I advertise? Do I borrow money from friends or family? Do I use my entire savings? Keep in mind that the decision-making process only gets more complicated as time goes on, once you have employees or clients depending on you. The choices you make can lead to success or downfall, so you must feel confident in your ability to make the right call. continues Next WEEK

His STORY

Sunday, September 21, 2014

5,000

Number of jobs at risk as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) insists on their recapitalisation, according to reports by BusinessDay.

Chukwuwezam Obanor Helping university hopefuls over final hurdle Nigerian tech start-up Prepclass was launched just over a year ago and has already created a buzz. Founded by two young entrepreneurs, Chukwuwezam Obanor and Ogunlana Olumide, Prepclass provides a database of study content to help prepare prospective university students for their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exams.

The platform already has 1,900 registered users and over 600 paid customers. A three-month subscriptionbased model gives students full access to all content on the platform for a fee of around US$6.

Within just a few months of launching, Prepclass was identified as one of Fast Company’s top 10 most innovative companies in Africa for 2014, and Obanor – aged just 22 – has recently been named as one of the 12 finalists for the Anzisha Prize, a pan-African competition that recognises entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 22.

Obanor and Olumide were both students at the MIT Global Startup Labs programme in 2012 and attended a talk by Ayodeji Adewunmi, co-founder of Nigeria’s and Ghana’s job search engine Jobberman, who spoke about some of the possible opportunities in the educational system.

“My partner and I discussed this at length and eventually decided it was definitely a potential opportunity that we want to explore,” Obanor reflects.

After high school, students in Nigeria write their Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), and are then required to write the national JAMB exam if they want to apply for university. Obanor and his partner noticed a need to assist students with this exam preparation.

“The educational environment in Nigeria is dismal, but not without hope,” he explains.

“Unfortunately, every year the failure statistics of students who write national exams seems to get worse. Also, considering the burgeoning population of school-aged Nigerians, fewer people are likely to gain admission into university in the coming years.”

This was the inspiration for starting Prepclass – to allow students easy access to all the relevant educational content needed to prepare them for the JAMB exams. Not only are study materials and past exam questions and answers available, but the online portal also provides an algorithm to determine a student’s strengths and weakness as they practise for exams.

At the moment, Prepclass generates about $2,000 in revenue a month. In addition to charging users a fee to access premium material, Obanor said they are also launching a tuition service that connects parents of students to experienced, and vetted, home tutors.

Obanor says he has always thought like an entrepreneur, even while working under managers at Ericsson, Google and Rocket Internet. “I always tried to challenge the status quo if I thought my effort could improve things.”

He had interned at Ericsson for six months while studying for his degree in electrical engineering at the University of Lagos, and soon after was one of only two Nigerians selected for the Google Africa internship, where he gained an understanding of corporate culture.

Obanor then worked for a year at Rocket Internet’s Jumia, a leading online retailer in Nigeria, as a senior online marketing specialist.

“My stay at Jumia was a tremendous catalyst for growth for me,” he said. “It was challenging, exciting and very fast-paced because it was a start-up with huge targets and a lot of money. So I learnt a lot and I had a great manager who kept giving me more and more responsibilities,” he told howwemadeafrica.com.

Jerry Akinluyi, Manager, Jeak’s kennel and securities, Lagos How did you get to where you are today?

I started in 2009, during my second year at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife at the age of 17. And today, it is one of the fastest growing dog breeders and dog security outlets in Nigeria.

What have you learnt over the years?

I have learnt to improve myself in the area of inter-personal relationship because I have met quite a number of big clients within and outside the country.

What were the challenges you faced?

In this part of the world, people don’t appreciate pets and dogs generally. It is a great challenge to convince customers on the kind of dog to purchase because a lot of dogs here in Nigeria are mongrel hence, they get it at a cheaper rate.

The other challenge is finance.

How did you overcome the challenges?

My parents were encouraging and supportive. So it was easier for me to get along at the infant stage.

What are your future projections for your business?

We are projecting that in the next three years, we would have a strong dog security outlet.

How do you intend to achieving these projections?

With strong determination and hard work, I will achieve it.

Any advice for younger entreptrneurs?

Young entrepreneurs should believe in their dreams and pursue them despite challenges.

Contact Akinluyi 09033309314

46 CEOConfidential

tipoffs Compiled by Salome Anyasodo

SECRETS OF LONGETIVITY

Jewellery to die for?

One of the substances commonly found in jewellery cleaner is cyanideyes, the potent poison that can affect you via fumes or skin contact.

These small toxic exposures add up, compromising our well-being over the long term, weakening us, and launching us into premature old age.

Luckily, easy non-toxic replacements can be found right at home. To clean gold, use toothpaste or baking soda and a soft cloth. For silver, line a glass bowl with aluminium foil and fill with three cups of hot water; add two tablespoons of cream of tartar (available in the spice or baking section of the supermarket) and allow it to dissolve. Soak silver jewellery in the solution for one hour, then rinse with plain water.

BOOKMARK

Let’s Close a Deal

Christine Clifford, Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2013

In Let’s Close a Deal, Christine Clifford takes readers through the steps that lead to closing deals. Each step of the process is documented with examples from Clifford’s career, life, or successful people she knows. The general steps are 1) defining, preparing, and presenting the deal; 2) what to do when the deal does not close; and 3) what to do after a deal closes. Every step in the process is more than an effort to close a single deal; the overarching objective is to act with integrity in order to build relationships that will lead to future deals, referrals, and testimonials.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

$80,000,000,000 Estimated amount Nigeria’s federal government targets to raise her volume of trade with about 14 Asian counties

94%

Estimated percentage of federally collected revenue from oil companies as petroleum profit tax (PPT), company income tax (CIT) and value added tax (VAT) accounted for N2.5 trillion of the total money.

Tips on ignoring employee morale without cost feedback channel. These anonymous engagement surveys cut through the fear and give leaders the valuable, direct feedback they need to know when problems arise.

A recently released guide gives a solid overview of what surveys should include.

1. Anonymity Keeping surveys anonymous will enable employees to have the freedom they need to be completely honest. Having a portal to receive bad news is necessary to make organisation improvements.

2. Short, simple surveys take less time to complete This makes them less burdensome to complete resulting in higher response rates.

According to entrepreneur, investor, author and Philanthropist David Nilssen, most entrepreneurs start their company trying to serve the best steak in town, offer the best massage or build the best product they can.

That is where their heart and passion is. But then, they quickly realise that they have to recruit complementary talent to help turn that dream into reality.

Not only do they have to learn how to motivate, inspire and retain their best employees, but they are also juggling accounting, marketing, sales, product development, etc. In this environment, focusing on culture -- ensuring high levels of employee satisfaction and engagement -typically falls by the wayside.

But ignoring the cultivation of employee morale is one of the costliest mistakes an entrepreneur can make. Research reveals that: Letting employee engagement slide

CAPITALISM

can result in 20 per cent less revenue growth than competitors with motivated employees.

Disengaged employees are nearly 87 per cent more likely to find a different place to work.

One can expect to spend 21.4 per cent of an employee’s annual pay on replacing him or her.

There is also the collateral damage inflicted when unhappy workers taint all the other good apples in the barrel.

The solution is an improved information flow between employees and managers to stay on top of these issues before dissatisfaction spirals out of control. While the “opendoor” policy is the generally accepted approach for this, the truth is few employees will be completely honest and forthcoming to someone who controls their livelihood.

Searching for a better solution, It was found that anonymous employee surveys work best to improve the

3. Feedback sharing.

No one likes to air their dirty laundry, but sharing all survey results with the team signals that one is listening to employees and receptive to all types of feedbacks.

4. Feedback action One of the most notable pieces of research I have seen is that one in three employees will become disengaged if survey feedback is not acted upon. If there are plans to conduct an employee survey, be ready to act on whatever feedback is shared.

5. Regular survey cadence.

A one-time survey gives a quick read on culture. Repeating that survey over time lets one see how the feedback is trending and if the morale is improving or declining.

Greater maBest of luck as you strive for employee satisfaction.

Greater macroeconomic stability has not made the world econmomy more stable

What they tell you Until the 1970’s, inflation was the economy’s public enemy number one. Many countries suffered from disastrous hyperinflation experiences. Even when it did not reach a hyperinflationary magnitude, the economic instability that comes from high and fluctuating inflation discouraged investment and thus growth. Fortunately, the dragon of inflation has been slain since the 1990’s, thanks to much tougher attitudes towards government budget deficits and the

increasing introduction of politically independent central banks that are free to focus single-mindedly on inflation control. Given that economic stability is necessary for long-term investment and thus growth, the taming of the beast called inflation has laid the basis for greater long-term prosperity.

controlling price volatility during the last three decades have ignored the extraordinary instability shown by economies around the world during that time. There have been a huge number of financial crisis, destroying the lives of many through many indebtedness, bankruptcy and unemployment. An excessive focus on inflation has distracted our attention What they do not tell you away from issues of full employment Inflation may have been tamed, and economic growth. Employment but the world economy has become has been made more unstable in the considerable shakier. The enthusiastic name of ‘labour market flexibility’, proclamations of our success in destabilising many people’s lives.

CEOConfidential

Sunday, September 21, 2014

updates Compiled by Dan Udechukwu

1.5%

36%

Percentage fall in the annual rate of UK inflation as the cost of petrol, food and non-alcoholic drinks decline.

ecoNomy

Africa is growing but locals remain hungry

$11bn

Worth of agreement Mali’s presidency has announced it has signed with China to finance majorly two cross-country railway projects intended to link the land-locked country to the coast.

$65m Africa may have the fastest growing middle class in the world, but the continent also has the highest percentage of undernourished people globally, The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2014 by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations revealed.

According to the new report, 23.8 per cent of people in sub-Saharan Africa are undernourished, with one in four people chronically hungry. The greatest challenge before the sub-region is reversing this trend and making its impressive economic growth translate into a better life for its people.

Reducing hunger and malnutrition shows that progress at the global level has continued but that food insecurity remains a challenge yet to be conquered.

According to the report, latest estimates show that, since 1990, the prevalence of undernourishment has fallen from 18.7 to 11.3 per cent as at 2013 for the world as a whole, 23.4 to 13.5 per cent for the developing regions, and 24.4 to 23.8 per cent for sub-Saharan Africa.

Food availability remains a major element of food insecurity in the poorer regions of the world, notably sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Southern Asia, where progress has been relatively limited.

Amount JSE-listed education and recruitment firm, ADvTECH, said it had acquired Centurus Colleges.

From banking sector reforms to new bilateral deals, the past month has seen the deployment of strategic and persistent moves to revitalise its economy. To further this cause, it has dived into new deals with Russia, after failing to secure funds from Asian giant China.

Finding information on nearby clinics or hospitals is almost impossible if you are in an unfamiliar environment or country.

SYMBO-LOGICAL Work out the value of each shape using simple arithmetic functions: (+) Plus (-) Minus (---) Division (x) Multiplication.Each shape has a different value and is a whole number.

No shape has a value less than 1.

47

Percentage growth Africa’s leading online retailer, Jumia sees in Egypt in the next few years

Prudential buys Kenyan insurer, targets Nigeria U.K.’s biggest insurer by market value, Prudential Plc has agreed to buy Kenyan life insurer Shield Assurance Co. and it has set its sights on Nigeria, the continent’s largest economy with a population of 170 million.

The purchase of Shield Assurance is Prudential’s second acquisition in Africa and Prudential will be investing 1.5 billion Kenyan shillings ($16.9 million) in Shield Assurance over the next 12 months.

It is hoped the investment will create 4,000 jobs by 2020, the London-based company said in a statement today. The company said it also intends to open an East Africa unit in Nairobi.

Prudential Chief Executive Officer TidjaneThiam is looking to replicate the company’s development in Asia by expanding in Africa to help accelerate the insurer’s next stage of growth.

EnErgy

Kenya scaling up power generation with geothermal energy

Kenya’s power output is expected to get a further boost with the addition of a further 70MW to the national grid, as part of the 280MW target placed by Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen).

“We added today (Tuesday) at 9am an additional 70MW from Olkaria. This will displace diesel power plants and the fuel cost component in electricity bills will come down,” Business Daily quoted KenGen managing director Albert Mugo, as saying.

transportation

Angolan Airlines partners Lufthansa to boost country-to-country flights

State owned TAAG Angola Airlines has partnered Lufthansa in a bid to increase flights between Germany’s Frankfurt and Angola’s Luanda.

“Lufthansa would add one more flight a week with an Airbus A340300, which represents a 50 per cent increase in capacity on flights between the two cities(Frankfurt and Luanda) ,”said chairman of Lufthansa Karl Ulrich Garnadt.

“We want to strengthen this partnership so we can offer our customers an increasing number of destinations,” Garnadt added.

TAGG Angola Airlines, based in Luanda, operates domestic services within Angola, as well as medium-haul services in Africa and longhaul services to Germany Brazil,Cuba,China and Portugal.

tEchnology

Seacom to boost internet services in Uganda

Celebrations are in order for Uganda’s six million internet users as fibre optic company Seacom, has received an approval from the Uganda Communications Commission to operate in the country.

The license allows the company to operate as a network vendor, providing connectivity services to service providers like telecom companies and other related companies. Following the approval, Seacom has set up a point of presence (PoP) at the Airtel House in Kampala where it can physically connect devices to the internet and offer potential users a feel of the user experience.

HUB-WORDS

How many words can you make from the letters in the wheel? Each word must contain the hub letter H. Can you find a 9-letter word and at least 15

LASt Week’S SOLUtIOnS SYMBO-LOGICAL

HUB-WORDS

9-letter word - CELEBRITY Some other words of five letters or more containing the hub letter E: beery, belie, beret, beryl, betel, birle, biter, creel, elect, elite, erect, eyrie, leery, liter (litre), lycee, rebel, relic, retie, terce (tierce), tiler, tribe, trice, celery, eerily, recite, relict, tercel (tiercel), treble, erectly,liberty, reticle, celerity.

48 CEOConfidential

updates Compiled by Dan Udechukwu

Sunday, September 21, 2014

2,200

Number of pregnant women and nursing mothers in Olose community in Ifo local government area of Ogun State that had benefitted from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, on maternal and child health programme.

MANuFACTurING

Nigerian aluminium industry choked by imports, high energy/labour costs

$40bn Worth of bilateral trade volumes Nigeria has agreed to double with Asia within the next to two years.

Nigeria’s aluminium sector is beset by a number of problems, prominent among it are influx of cheap and substandard finished aluminium products, poor raw materials quality, high cost of energy as well as rising cost of labour in the industry.

Other key issues that threaten the industry are lack of government incentives to players in the sector; desire to reduce quality to compete with cheap and sub-standard products from China, and high taxes, according to informed industry sources.

Most operators, who spoke with Real Sector Watch, lament rising energy cost, which has prompted some of them to close down operations in the past and is still threatening to cause fresh shut-downs.

The situation has equally led to high lay-offs, they say.

They add that the new electricity managers have been unable to ramp up power supply not only across the country but also to industrial zones.

“We had to close down operations in December 2012, because production was and still is uneconomic owing to high energy cost,” said Robin Neville, managing director, First Aluminium plc, in an interview.

EnErgy

Total resumes bid to sell $2bn worth Nigerian oil field

French Oil Giant Total SA has put up its offshore Usan deepwater oil field located in the Nigeria Oil Prospecting Lease (OML) 138 for sale, in a deal that could be worth about $2.5bn, according to Reuters news agency.

The renewed push to sell the oil field comes two years after a deal

$194m

Value of money Anglo– Dutch multinational company Unilever is set to invest in Nigeria across its Nigerian production lines

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.

Ahead of the transitional electricity market bound to start very soon, the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET) has appointed Stanbic IBTC Bank its payment agent in an arrangement seen as an important strategy to instill confidence and transparency in the Nigeria’s electricity market and to attract more investors.

$57,320,000

Worth of bond Ebonyi State is planning to raise to refinance its bank debt and complete some development projects.

with China state owned Oil and Gas Company Sinopec Corp worth the same amount fell through. Total said in November 2012 it had sold its 20 per cent interest in the field to China’s Sinopec for about $2.5bn in cash. It is not known why the sale failed. Sinopec announced that it plans to sell a $17.5bn stake in its retail business, marking the country’s biggest privatisation push since President Xi Jinping came to power almost two years ago.

Hospitality

Starwood joins in Africa’s hotel rush

Starwood Hotels chain says it will add 20 hotels in Africa over the next four years, with five of them in Nigeria, as the U.S. owner of the Sheraton and St Regis brands takes advantage of rising travel on the continent.

The U.S. company is seeking to establish mainly five-star properties to its existing set of 37 hotels, Neil George, senior vice president for acquisitions and development in Africa and the Middle East, said in an interview.

There is a frenzy among the world’s leading hotel chains to expand their presence in Africa and Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and most populous nation with about 170 million people has been marked out as a big attraction.

Economy

Energy firms seen raising equity capital to moderate debt

Energy firms active in the oil and gas and power sector are seen approaching the Nigerian capital markets in the near future to raise equity to help pay down expensive debt incurred during asset purchases.

“Many energy companies will seek equity funding to moderate debt that asset buyers have on their balance sheets,” said Austin Avuru, CEO Seplat Plc, at the capital markets solicitors association (CMSA) annual business event held in Lagos recently.

“In the past five years, $15bn in asset acquisition deals have occurred in Nigeria’s oil and gas and power sector, and 80 per cent of them were done by debt,” said Avuru, whose Seplat was the first major Nigerian energy company to have a dual listing in Lagos and London.

FinancE

Netherlands firm provides 7.5m Euro facility to LApo MFB

FMO, the Netherlands development finance company, has decided to provide a local currency debt facility of 7.5m Euro to LAPO Microfinance Bank, a leading pro-poor financial institution in Nigeria.

The loan will have a tenor of five years and will be used for providing funds to micro and small enterprises’ clients.

This credit facility from FMO to LAPO MFB will not only strengthen the implementation of its environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives including the client protection principles (CPP), but also contribute to enhanced financial inclusion and stimulate the development of sound financial services in Nigeria.

EXECUTIVE CALENDAR CoNFereNCe

WorkSHop

8th Annual Banking & Finance Conference Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria; September 23-24, 2014

Standardise-and-Grow Training Lagos, Nigeria; September 23, 2014

The event with the theme: ‘Positioning Nigeria’s Payments Systems for Global Competitiveness’ is designed to provide a platform for policy makers, key regulators and operators in the financial services industry to share experiences and exchange ideas on contemporary issues affecting the financial services industry.

The president and commander-in-chief of armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, will be the distinguished guest of honour at the event.

The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) invites block moulders and allied operators to the zonal stakeholders’ forum on sandcrete – blocks and allied cement products. The forum is a prelude to nationwide certification of blocks and allied products and another effort by SON to stop building collapse.

The ministers of land, housing & Urban development; works and minister of state for industry, trade & investment will be in attendance.

CoNFereNCe

Automotive Cockpit HMI 2014 Frankfurt, Germany; September 22-24, 2014

This event will draw together extensive experience from industry professionals and encourage the exchange of knowledge, and promote dialogue in an interactive networking surrounding.

Event benefits include, Understand customer expectations and experiences across different world markets to better develop future HMI designs.

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Sunday, September 21, 2014

business

Controversy Trails Implementation Of Reintroduced ATM Charges The re-introduced charge on withdrawals from automated teller machines (ATMs) which commenced at the beginning of this month has continued to generate bad blood between the banking populace and the Central Bank of Nigeria, as well as the banks. BUKOLA IDOWU examines the issues surrounding the development

The apex bank explained that the unintended consequence of the cancellation of the N100 fee had led to the reintroduction of the charge

Introduction The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has in recent times not enjoyed the praise and commendation of the Nigerian banking customers.

This is as a result of the fall out between the apex bank and the customers over the re-introduction of charge on withdrawals on remoteon-us automated teller machines (ATM) that is when a bank customer used the ATM of another bank to make cash withdrawal.

The CBN had last month issued a circular which allowed banks to charge N65 on every withdrawal made on other banks’ ATMs commencing from the fourth withdrawal. With the new directive, which took full effect from September 1, 2014, bank customers would not be charged for the first three transactions they make within a month on ATMs that do not belong to their banks, but would be charged N65 per transaction for every other transaction after that, except the withdrawals made on the issuing bank’s ATM. A Remote-on-Us transaction is when a customer uses his or her card to make a withdrawal on the

ATM of another bank other than his or her own bank.

Basically, this means that when a customer uses his card obtained from bank A to make withdrawals from the ATM of bank B, the first three transactions within the month are free, but subsequent withdrawals from bank B’s ATM will attract a N65 charge.

However, if the customer makes three withdrawals of N20,000 at a time totaling N60,000 at once, the three free withdrawals has been exceeded and subsequent withdrawals will attract a fee of N65 per transaction. Using the card obtained from bank A on bank A’s ATM would however not attract any charge, no matter how many withdrawals are done within the month.

The removal The Central Bank of Nigeria under the leadership of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi had removed the N100 charge for withdrawals on other banks’ ATM. The decision to cancel the charge was jointly reached by the chief executives of all the banks and the CBN. The chief executive and managing

director of First Bank, Mr Bisi Onasanya, who made the announcement at the end of the Bankers Committee meeting held in Abuja in November 2012, explained that the removal of the charge was to help increase the patronage of ATMs and deepen the financial inclusion strategy of the CBN. At that time, the bankers agreed to bear the cost of withdrawals made on other banks’ ATM by their customers. The increased use of the ATMs, the banks believed will help decongest the banking halls and make banking easier for the customers and the banks as well.

The move had been hailed by customers as many who did not use debit cards applied so as to enjoy ease of banking. The removal of the N100 charge was however replaced by another N100 monthly maintenance fee charged by some banks.

The maintenance charge according to some bankers was to help in the maintenance of the machines as well as pay part of the cost of the withdrawals made by their customers on other banks’ ATM. In March 2013, The CBN had issued a Revised Guideline on Bank Charges, cancel-

ing the monthly charge and replacing it with an annual charge pegged at N100.

Effects of the removal Speaking recently, the chairman of Committee of eBanking Industry Heads (CeBIH) who is also the head of Cards and eBanking at Ecobank Nigeria, Ayotunde Kuponiyi, said that volume of cash withdrawal transactions had been on the increase since the N100 ATM charge was removed in December 2012.

He further said that during the 20- month period when the charge was removed, “it was discovered that members of the public engaged in uncontrolled use of their debit cards on other bank ATMs such that some customers engaged in as many as 160 transactions in a month.”

“By December 2012, about N96 billion was withdrawn on ATM using other banks cards on ATM, while the value rose to N262 billion in 2013 when there was no charge. By June 2014 that volume was almost comparable to peak period of holiday in December, June was N238 billion and this clearly is not the trend the CBN would like to push,” he said.

He explained further that bank customers had made N66.8 million interbank automated teller machines cash withdrawal transactions as at December 2013, a 100 per cent increase from the N33.4 million transaction volume recorded in January 2013.

Kuponiyi noted that this had placed a heavy burden on the banks who in turn complained to the apex bank sometime in 2013, “but the CBN had wanted to please the bank customers and decided to employ other means of addressing the issue.

“When they saw the impact on the banks and with the understanding that the way things were going banks may not be able to support the maintenance of the ATMs, the CBN had to reconsider and look at re-introducing the charge,” he said, adding that the increasing trend in cash withdrawals had undermined the cash less policy of the CBN. Why the charge was re-introduced The CBN in a circular said the cost of ATM transactions which had been borne by the banks since the N100 charge was cancelled would now be transferred back to customers. The apex bank explained that the unintended consequence of the cancellation of the N100 fee had led to the re-introduction of the charge.

Director, Banking and Payment System of the CBN, Dipo Fatokun noted that between 2012 and recently when the review was done, “it was discovered that people have ➔ CONTINUEd ON PAGE

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Sunday, September 21, 2014

Controversy Trails Implementation Of Re-Introduced ATM Charges ➔ CONTINUEd from PAGE

Although, the policy had been faulted by some customers, operators in the banking industry and analysts have said the policy would in the long run benefit customers as the banks strive to give better service

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actually turned ATMs into their personally purses because nothing is charged. Somebody needs N500, N1,000, he will go to an ATM to withdraw, such that in a day, some people can patronise ATMs up to five times and this has created a huge cost burden for the banks that issued the cards.”

He explained that when the N100 charge was removed the banks still bore the cost of every transaction their customers make on other banks’ ATMs. “The truth is that, as we said in the circular, that of the N100, N35 goes to the payment bank, which has now been completely waived. But in going to other ATMs to make withdrawals, your bank, which is the acquirer bank, incurs a cost of N65 which they pay to the switches and the owner of the ATM that you are using.”

Kuponiyi, on his own part noted that a huge burden was placed on the banks to pay for the cost of transactions their customers carry out on other banks’ ATM. “To the customer, the transactions were free, however, banks had to pay N55 acquiring fee and N10 switching/ processing fee; making a total of N65 per transaction.”

This, according to Fatokun, was the major reason why the central bank decided that even though remote-on-us would still be encouraged, a customer can go to other banks’ ATMs and withdraw up to three times and there would not be any charges. But the customer would be charged N65 when he makes the fourth withdrawal.

Aside this, he said the increased cash withdrawal was not favourable to the cashless policy of the CBN as more cash still flowed around. He stressed the need for customers to see the ATM as a tool for doing cashless transactions rather than as a cash dispensing machine.

Also, the CeBIH chairman noted that the removal of the transaction charges encouraged access to cash and reduced the rate of adoption of alternate payment channels such as “the POS, online payments, internet banking, mobile money applications, electronic money transfers etc. This behavioural pattern clearly negates the aims and objectives of the Central Bank of Nigeria in introducing the cashless policy which has been introduced in all states of the federation.

Customers fight against N65 charge Banks’ customers on the other hand, have continued to protest the charge and condemn the re-introduction of charges on withdrawals from remote-on-us ATMs, giving the apex bank an ultimatum to provide documentation on how it arrived at the directive on the new charges.

A coalition, which comprises: Enough is Enough Nigeria, the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), as well as other interested persons, had given the Central Bank

of Nigeria (CBN) a seven-day ultimatum to release records and documents relating to the re-introduction of charge on ATM withdrawals in Nigeria.

The coalition, in the letter dated September 12, 2014 and signed by the chief executive of the PPDC, Seember Nyagher said, “We write to request for documentation that would enable us properly access how this decision to re-introduce charge on ATM withdrawals was arrived at.”

The information sought by the group in the letter addressed to the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, include: the number and location of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) deployed by individual banks in each state across Nigeria, records showing the daily transaction down time on ATM in each state in the last six months, record of unfulfilled ATM requests by individual banks in Nigeria, and records indicating how much each bank in Nigeria paid to other banks for remote-onus transactions in the last two years.

Their other demands are: the number of complaints about ATM services/transactions disaggregated by banks, the record of stakeholder consultation meetings that led to the re-introduction of the ATM charge for remote-on-us transaction, a list of attendees at the stakeholders meeting, the attendees representing each interest group, certified true copy of the minutes of the stakeholders meetings, certified true copy of resolutions reached at the stakeholders consultations, as well as the certified true copy of minutes of the CBN board at which the decisions to reintroduce ATM charges was finally adopted.

Also, Concerned Human Rights Nigeria, led by Declan Ihekaire, has risen against the recent re-introduction of ATM withdrawal charge of N65 by the CBN. Ihekhaire at a press conference in Lagos recently said there was no reason for the reintroduction of the ATM withdrawal charge, which was N100 under former CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, and later abolished by him, and now N65 under Emefiele.

Arguing against the reason for the policy somersault, he said “the CBN said the re-introduction of the fee was to cover the remuneration of the switches, ATM monitoring and fit-notes processing by acquiring banks. So, does it mean that when Sanusi abolished the charges on ATM withdrawals, the remuneration of the switches and ATM monitoring and fit-notes processing stopped? Did the banks collapse?

No is the answer to both questions.”

He blamed the government for always shifting burden on the masses, who “have already been short-changed. If this policy is not reversed, Nigerians shall transfer aggression on President Jonathan who appointed Emefiele to add pains to the plight of Nigerians.”

Support for N65 charge Although, the policy had been faulted by some customers, oper-

Emefiele

ators in the banking industry and analysts have said the policy would in the long run benefit customers as the banks strive to give better service. According to the managing director and chief executive of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, after the N100 charge was removed, some customers had made up to 500 withdrawals in a month. This, he said had put more burden on the banks and affected profitability.

In his own explanation, executive director, Finance and Strategy at Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman said the reinstatement of cost recovery for the use of other banks’ ATM is intended to limit the cost incurred by banks and did not constitute profit.

“Banks are still left with the burden of three free withdrawals a month, which translates to N195 monthly charge. While this cost is less than the income on medium and high value accounts, it is sufficient to render most low value accounts unprofitable, which will force banks to discontinue marketing such accounts.

“The last thing the country needs is a rollback of the financial inclusion campaign, which has resulted in a noticeable uptick in customer enrollment by banks and has created access to financial services for more than one million Nigerians in just over a year. The previous policy on limitless withdrawals might have benefitted those who were already financially included in the short term but would have harmed mostly poor people with banks scaling back investments for mass market and refocusing on the middle class,” he stated.

Suleiman further said that banks in recent times have been burdened with the combined weight of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) premiums and Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) levy as well as the increasing cost of Cash Reserves that gives less or little room for pushing additional cost to banks, adding that “it is also becoming a source

of concern for investors and could have negative impact on capital flows.”

This was corroborated by the managing director and chief executive of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane who stated that aside the burden of AMCON and NDIC, “the commission on turnover (COT), which is also a cash spinner for lenders are also almost being removed by the apex bank.”

Bismarck noted that it was wrong for CBN to have removed the charge in the first place, insisting that the charge was necessary given that the dynamics of banking is such that banks will continue to invest and re-invest in infrastructure to make sure that they continue to provide quality services for their customers.

Conclusion The re-introduced fee of N65 is to ensure that bank customers take up the responsibility for the cost associated with transactions carried out on other banks ATMs. It is worthy of note that in re-introducing the charge, three free remote-onus transactions are allowed per customers per month. This means that banks still bear a cost of N195 that is N65 in three places, per customer per bank.

It is also believed that the banking populace will be encouraged to adopt the various alternative payment channels that all banks in the country have made available in realisation of the aims and objectives of the cash-less policy and the attainment of the Payment System Vision 20:2020.

Bank customers also need to know that the cards being issued by the banks are not only meant for ATM cash withdrawal but are activated for a wide range of services on ATM and other alternative channels. Such services include bills payment, intra and inter-bank transfers, airtime purchase, donations, embassy payments, dealer payments, utility bills and school fees amongst others.

business

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Sunday, September 21, 2014

news

L-R: Vice President, Abuja Chamber Of Commerce, Industry, Minesand Agriculrure (Abuccima), Mr Jude Igwe; Abuccima President, Chief Solomon Nyagba and director-general, Mr Joe Wenegieme, at a news conference for the 9th Abuja International Trade Fair in Abuja Friday, the trade fair holds Sept.

23rd to Oct. 6TH, 2014. Photo By NAN.

Alcatel Returns, Plans To Sell 24m Smartphones In 12 Months

By Chima Akwaja, Lagos

Nigeria’s smartphone market is set to witness major boost as Alcatel Mobile, global phone manufacturer and one of the key players in the early days of GSM in Nigeria has returned to the market with a target to control 20 per cent of the smartphone market share in the next one year.

Presently, there are 10 million smartphones phones sold in Nigeria every month and about 120 million sold every year with most of the phones made in made in Asia. Alcatel is coming back with four new android smartphones namely POP Series C9, C7, C5 and Idol Mini phones which will compete in a smartphone market dominated by Asians especially Chinese phones.

The new smartphones, which will add to the list of jumbo phones that have taken over the phone market in Nigeria, were unveiled at a media briefing in Lagos. The entrant, Al-

catel POP C9 is all about bringing a large screen and quad-core chip in an affordable package. It is a colorful plastic device coming in a range of colors (Bluish Black, Cherry Red, Full White, Hot Pink or Fresh Turquoise) and bearing a surprising similarity to Samsung’s Galaxy S III. The POP C9, C7, C5 and Idol Mini run on Android Jelly Bean 4.2 operating system, 5.5” to 4.5” screens, 13 hrs to 20hrs talk time, Bluethooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi direct hotspot and 32GB micro SD car support, 1.3GHz quad-core chip, etc.

Mr Ikechukwu Ezeonyeka, operation director, GIOCAH Ventures, a major Alcatel distributor in Nigeria said the phones would be well accepted because of the pricing and all the additional features of a smartphone embedded in them. “The battery lives of these phones are long, and the designs are very attractive. I believe Nigerians will be happy with the products we have here”, he added.

He said the return of Alcatel android mobile phones to Nigeria is due to the key status Nigeria holds in Africa and Middle East mobile phone market. Alcatel phones are available and we are ready to fight for our share of the smartphone market, noting that the phone manufacturer will aim to control 20 per cent of the smartphone market within the next 12 months.

“After our investigation in Nigeria, we found that out of 100 million Nigerians use handsets and 60 million are smartphones. We are targeting 10 to 20 per cent of the Nigerian smartphone market. We hope to control a large part of the 10 million phones that are sold in Nigeria monthly. For Alcatel, the brand is known and meeting this is target is what we know how to do”, Ezeonyeka said. Alcatel Mobile Phones was established in 2004 as a joint venture between Alcatel-Lucent of France and TCL Communication of China.

Customs Releases HS Code For Imported VehiclesBut customs area comptroller

Stories By Samson Echenim, Lagos

The Nigeria Customs Service Ports Command and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) have released the Harmonised System (HS) Code for imported vehicles following a protest staged by clearing agents at the port on Wednesday after the trade facilitating agency attempted to begin enforcement of the 35 per cent increase on automobile import tariff in line with the revived National Automotive Policy implementation.

The HS Code, also known as the harmonised commodity description and coding system, a tariff nomenclature, is an internationally standardised system of names and numbers to classify traded products and their tariffs.

Clearing agents at the PTML Port had alleged on Tuesday that the port’s customs command had commenced collection of 35 per cent duty and 35 per cent levy on imported vehicles. The alleged move made the agents operating at the terminal to withdraw their services.

(CAC) of the PTML command, Folorunsho Adegoke, told journalists that his command was only currently collecting 35 per cent tariff on used vehicles. He also confirmed the release of HS codes for imported used vehicles and advised licensed customs agents to use them appropriately.

He said, “Note that the new levy is not applicable for now until December 31, 2014,” he stated.

The area comptroller gave the HS Code for used passenger vehicles as: 8702. 1020.20, 8702.

1020.29 and 8702. 9020.97. He added that the HS Code for cars/ four wheel drive vehicles are: 8703.2422.00, 8703.2429.00 and 8703.3121.00.

Comptroller Adegoke also gave the HS Code for dumpers/lorries as: 8704.2125.00, 8704.2219.28 and 8704.2320.00.

He explained that once this HS Code is used, it would be impossible for any officer to classify the used vehicles as new, even as he added that these HS Codes are well known to the clearing agents.

Dufil Names Judges For Independence Day Awards

By Olushola Bello, Lagos

As the countdown to the 2014 Indomie Independence Day Awards (IIDA) for Heroes of Nigeria draws near, Dufil Prima Foods, makers of Indomie noodles has picked September 25 as the date for its 2014 judges sitting.

This event is a yearly initiative by the company that assembles esteemed Nigerians, carefully handpicked to assist in the picking of 3 finalists as had always been the norm since inception.

The announcement of September 25, for the judges sitting is coming on the heels of the completion of the search by the team of experts assigned the role of gathering deserving stories across the nation.

The seven judges, who will pick the three final stories in the first, second and third categories for this year’s IIDA 7th edition are as follows: Mr Graham Stothard, Principal Grange School, Ikeja, Lagos; Mrs Adesuwa Onyenukwe, Publisher, Today’s Woman Magazine; Mr. Olakunle Soriyan, CEO, Olakunle Soriyan Company and Mr Chude Jideonwo,

MD, Red Media Africa. Other members of the panel include: Mr Martins Oloja, editor, Guardian Newspaper; Mrs V.O. Osuntokun, Heritage Homes Orphanage, and Mrs Olufunto Igun, executive director, Corona Schools Ikoyi.

The panel of reputable and esteemed judges, who were carefully hand-picked by the company are expected to begin sitting on September 25, 2014 and will brainstorm on the final 16 stories shortlisted out of the over 200 stories after which the final most inspiring three will be picked by them. While giving insight into the development, the public relations manager, Dufil Prima Foods, Mr. Tope Asiwaju, said, “IIDA is a credible initiative, hence we have carefully selected reputable and distinguished men and women from different spheres of the society, based on their reputation, vast experience and integrity in the society, to help us in picking the three finalists.”

Asiwaju continued, “At the moment, 16 stories have been shortlisted to be deliberated on by the judges out of the over 200 entries received for the 7th edition of IIDA.

May & Baker Invests In Local Manufacturing For Global Market OLUSHOLA BELLO, Lagos

Chairman of May & Baker Plc, Lt. Gen T.Y Danjuma (Rtd.) has said the company has moved from a distributor of products imported from its principals to a local manufacturer of quality medicines for

the Nigerian market and now to a world class manufacturer of quality specialised medicines that are ready for the global market.

Speaking at a press conference during the company’s 70th anniversary ceremony in Lagos, Danjuma said, the company was cel-

ebrating 70 years of success and accomplishments in the midst of severe challenges.

Among other reasons for the success, the chairman noted that: “We began a policy of future based investments. We saw the need for global best practice and compet-

itiveness. That was why we embarked on the long term project to seek international accreditation for the manufacturing process of the company. The first step was to build a factory that would meet the standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and other ramifications.

That factory was completed and commissioned in 2011. Now, we are on the verge of obtaining WHO GMP certification for this facility and pre-qualification for our products”, he said.

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Sunday, September 21, 2014

zonal watch

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

Benue: Lawmaker Donates Relief Materials To Displaced Persons

Nasarawa LGs Owe Workers Three Months’ Salaries BY dOnATus nAdi, Lafia

Following dwindling revenue accruing to local government areas in Nasarawa State in the past few months, it has become increasingly difficult for local governments in the state to pay workers’ salaries for up to three months and above.

This was made known by the executive chairman of Doma local government, Hon Henry Omaku, following a peaceful demonstration staged by the staff of the local government demanding the payment of their salary for the month

HEAdS FROM THE ZONE

BY sOlOMOn AYAdO, Makurdi

of August.

Omaku lamented that the situation is compounded by the fact that the local government service is over bloated with hundreds of employees most of whom only collect salaries without delivering any service as a result of staff recruitment to satisfy political goals.

“In the health department, we have over 200 staff and not up to 70 have the requisite qualification and we are constrained to pay them the salaries and other remunerations due to their professionals service which has also affected other departments” he said.

A member of the House of Representatives, representing Gwer West Federal Constituency of Benue state, Mrs Christina Alaaga has donated relief materials to some people displaced from their homes as a result of communal clashes in some parts of the state.

The items donated by the lawmaker include rice, maze, refined sugar, milk, milo, soap, detergent, blankets, plates, spoons, mosquito nets and nylon mats handed over to the Ter Nagi, Chief Danil Abomtse.

Addressing the victims, at St. Theresa’s Parish Naka and Gregory’s par-

Ebola: Kwara Polytechnic To Screen Students, Staff

Kwara state governor, Alh Abdulfatah Ahmed inspecting the Oke-Andi bridge under construction in sango Area, ilorin, Kwara state. PHOtO by

BY ABdullAhi Olesin, Ilorin

AbdullAHi Olesin

➔ Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed.

The Kwara state government owned International Aviation College (IAC) turns out another set of young 18 Pilots.

➔ Rector, Kwara StatePolytechnic, Alhaji Mas’ud Elelu.

The Kwara state Polytechnic, Ilorin scores another first as it held its maiden inaugural lecture penultimate Tuesday.

ish Ikpayongo in Gwer east, the law maker said the gesture was meant to alleviate the plight of the affected people and appreciated their support.

She recalled her efforts at the National Assembly during the invasion which enhanced speedy response to the crisis and urged the distribution committee to ensure a hitch free distribution of the materials.

The priests, Rev. Fr. Thomas Orhena of St. Theresa Parish Naka and his Ikpayongo counterpart, Rev. Fr. Donatus Ugema described the gesture by the lawmaker as humane and prayed for the restoration of security in the state.

Kwara Engages 100 Health Workers For Community Healthcare Programme

BY ABdullAhi Olesin, Ilorin

Kwara state government has engaged 100 village health workers as part of its strategies to enhance community healthcare in the villages through mobilization of individuals, households and communities and also achieve the Millennium development Goals (MdGs) by 2015. speaking at the launch of the MdGs Village health workers (VhW) programme, the state governor, Alh Abdulfatah Ahmed said the workers were also expected to carry

out routine household visits to enhance promotion activities such as good nutrition and immunization practices.

The health workers, the governor added, “Will sensitize communities on clean environment, hygiene practices and health education to prevent diseases such as ebola Virus diseases (eVd).

On the essence of the MdGs, Ahmed noted that more active collaboration was needed among governments, non Governmental Organization, the private sector and well-meaning individuals in

order to achieve its goals.

Ahmed said it was noteworthy that despite the fact that the state joined the MdGs programme late, it attained 8.58 percent of the infant Mortality Rate target and 88.75 percent of the under Mortality Rate target until six years.

According to the governor, the state government, has over the years, built-new primary health centres, rehabilitated and equipped existing ones to bring affordable and qualitative healthcare to the rural areas.

The returning and fresh students of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin will be subjected to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) screening whenever the school opens for the 2014/ 2015 academic session.

The rector of the polytechnic, Alhaji Mas’ud Elelu made this disclosure in Ilorin during a sensitization training on the control of Ebola disease organized by the school for its staff.

He added that in addition to the various sensitization programme lined up for both staff and students of the institution, the staff of the polytechnic will still under go Ebola virus screening exercise.

To achieve this, Elelu said that a committee had been put in place to liaise with the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) on how to bring in some of those screening equipment before the students resume.

“And when the students come, we will screen them and also give them proper lecture to sensitize them on the Ebola virus. We have proper plan to screen all students, even the staff as soon as we get the equipment. And if we cannot lay our hands on the equipment, we can hire from those that have the screenings equipment.

He added, “Though the federal government has assured us of safety on the issue of Ebola virus, but we still believe prevention is better than cure. On our own, we decided we should bring all information about the deadly diseases closer to our staff and our community in order to be able to prevent ourselves from it.”

In his earlier lecture, one of the resource persons, Dr Abayomi Fadeyi, consultant and infections disease physician from the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) said Ebola Virus Disease was first discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan in 1976.

Kwara Aviation College Graduates 18 Pilots

BY ABdullAhi Olesin, Ilorin

Kwara State government owned International Aviation College (IAC) Ilorin has graduated another set of 18 Pilots.

The rector of the college, Cap-

tain AbdulMumini AbdulKarim disclosed this in Ilorin during an interview with LEADERSHIP SUNDAY. The graduands included five commercial pilot holders with instrument and multi engine rating and 13 private pilot licensed holders.

AbdulKarim added that the college had also completed foundation course training for nine cadet helicopter pilots for Bristow Helicopter.

He said with these achievements, IAC has raised the bar of aviation

training in Nigeria and has been repositioned to fill the dearth of aviation professionals in the country.

This milestone AbdulKarim added is also aimed at building the capacity of Nigerian youth with a promising and enduring career.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

zonal watch (North-Central) 53

project report

The abandoned Benue Television complex. PHOTO BY SOLOMON AYADO

Concerns Over Non-Completion Of Benue Television Station Seven Years After

BY SOLOMON AYADO, Makurdi

The seeming inability of Benue State government to complete the State Television Corporation (BTV) project, embarked upon by Governor Gabriel Suswam about seven years ago, has become a source of worry to stakeholders in the media industry and indeed, the people of the state.

As at the time of this report, there is no sign of visible effort for the take off and, or complete the project. So far, the project has gulped about N628, 889, 919.

Suswam is actually the first governor who deemed it fit to practically erect a building for the takeoff of a state owned television station.

BTV, as fondly called, is located beside the Radio Benue broadcasting house on Old Otukpo road in Makurdi. The contract for the project was awarded about seven years ago; work on the project had commenced speedily, but was later abandoned midway.

The provoking reason behind the establishment of this wonderful outfit was basically on the grounds that there is only one television station in the whole of Benue state – the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Makurdi.

This situation was considered a hindrance to information dissem-

ination in the core agrarian state regarded as the ‘Food Basket of the Nation’.

The abandoned television station was also conceived to enhance reception of interesting indigenous programmes and also promote local languages.

When LEADERSHIP SUNDAY visited the abandoned television complex, situated inside the premises of Radio Benue, opposite the popular Aminu Isah Kontagora theatre complex, it was observed that the one storey-building, partitioned with administrative and management offices is obviously getting dilapidated. The state of the building is despicable and unkempt, just as the entrance and entire premises are gradually over grown by weeds. The signpost mounted at the entry point, with BTV inscription is completely faded and totally unreadable.

LEADERSHIP SUNDAY recalls that Governor Gabriel Suswam had at the inception of his administration maintained that he will not share public funds to individual but execute projects that will have direct bearing on the lives of the people. While explaining the need for a state television outfit, Suswam stated that the state had no other television broadcasting outfit that will serve as alternative to the Makurdi NTA station.

The commissioner for Information, Mr Justin Amase, however, said that construction work on the television project had reached 80 percent completion. He said transmission and broadcast services were yet to commence due to defective studio and inadequate antenna height.

“Permit me to underline the fact that concerted efforts to overcome these challenges are being pursued vigorously. Towards this end, I am pleased to inform you that the governor has graciously approved the release of the sum of N48.9m only for the completion of the project and for its license renewal and digitalization.”

Amase stated.

Worried by the no-visible sight of take-off, the Benue state Assembly House Committee on Information and Orientation had resolved to launch a full scale probe into the circumstances that had led to the delay in commencement of operation by the station.

After an oversight visit to the project site, the chairman House Committee on Information and Orientation, Hon Christopher Afaor revealed that equipment for the station worth N48.9m have gone bad because it was left in the container for too long. The committee said it discovered during the testing transmission for the

station that reception signal is poor which, according to it, was attributable to the wrong positioning of the transmitters below, instead of above sea level.

According to the committee, the Ministry of Information has secured the approval of N54m from government to take care of the defects on the project with cash backing and described the condition of the project as ‘terrible.’

It was after tensed deliberations from members that the house, led by the speaker, Terhile Ayua directed the Committee on Information to carry out a full scale investigation into the project and report back to the house.

The assembly therefore directed the committee to find out why, after so many years with lots of money spent, the Benue State Television has not taken off. The committee is also to obtain the technical feasibility study of the project and submit a report to the house.

Furthermore, the committee is to ascertain the qualification and competence of the consultant to the project as well as the terms of engagement. Additionally, it is to establish the level of funding of the project so far and any other matter that is related to the delay in the take off of the project.

The assembly therefore directed the committee to find out why, after so many years with lots of money spent, Benue State Television has not taken off

54 zonal watch (North-Central)

Sunday, September 21, 2014

news behind the news

Ahmed

News Behind The News

The emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, giving a royal blessing to the minister and deputy national chairman, National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr. Sulaiman Olanrewaju (bowing), shortly before a reception organised in his honour by the Kwara State chapter of PDP,while Hajiya Muinat Bola Shagaya and others listen. PHOTO BY Abdullahi Olesin

A Minister’s Peace Mission

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

The people of Ilorin emirate and indeed, all residents of Kwara State last weekend heaved a sigh of relief when their son and the minister of National Planning, Dr Abubakar Sulaiman, assured them that members of his party will conduct themselves peacefully during the 2015 general elections.

The minister’s assurance of a violent free electoral process was heartwarming and was delivered at the Emir’s palace.

Sulaiman, had as part of activities marking the reception organised in his honor by the state’s chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), paid homage to the Emir of Ilorin, Alh Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.

During the visit, he assured the monarch of his preparedness to ensure that PDP members remain peaceful before, during and after the elections.

Analyst, however, opined that the task that sulaiman had set for himself is indeed, a herculean task.

The fear of the analysts are not misplaced given the bloody clashes that greeted the PDP ward and local government congresses in the state.

The minister told the royal father that members of his party will conduct themselves peacefully during the next year’s general elections, assuring that PDP members will not play politics of bitterness and rancour.

He, however, pointed out that the best option for Kwarans is to remain in main stream politics of the ruling PDP come 2015.

He noted that the state in the

last 20 years had not been in opposition and that going with the opposition this time would be a departure from its political tradition.

Suleiman was accompanied to the palace by a business mogul and chieftain of the PDP, Hajia Muinat Bola Shagaya, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), former minister for Sports, Alhaji Bio Ibrahim among others.

Responding, the Emir of Ilorin, Alh Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, who expressed delight with the minister’s appointment, sought God’s protection and guidancce for the minister, saying, ‘the more the merrier’.

Also, during an interactive session with newsmen, Suleiman decried what he described as high poverty rate in the state, saying that Kwara State could only attain greatness by being in the mainstream politics.

The minister said that the PDP had mapped out strategies on how to wrest power from the APC during the 2015 general elections in the state.

He stressed that the federal government was working to diversify the economy, which according to him, informed the attention given to agricultural sector in the last few years.

He added that the federal government was also working to improve infrastructure and enact enabling laws to attract investors to other sectors of the country’s economy with a view to reducing over dependency on oil.

Speaking at the reception ceremony in honour of the minister, a chieftain of PDP, Mohammed Dele Bnelgore ( SAN), reminded Kwarans saying: “It does not pay

to be in the opposition”.

Belgore added, “I have been in opposition in the past and had realized that it does not pay to be in the opposition”, urging the party members to remain united.

Also, a chieftain of the party, Hajia Muinat Bola Sagaya, urged the people of the state to key into the mainstream politics of the ruling PDP so as to enjoy dividends of democracy.

Speaking on behalf of the representatives of Kwara North, a former minister of Sports, Aljhaji Ibrahim Bio, described the minister as the current leader of the party in the state in the absence of a PDP governor, urging him to be fair and just to all.

In his good will message, the chairman, Federal Character Commission (FCC), Professor Shuaib AbdulRaheem, said the PDP will take over Kwara State government house in 2015.

The Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly Matters, Senator Suleiman Makanjuola Ajadi, who spoke on behalf of Kwara South people, said with the minister’s appointment, the state had started heaving a sigh of relief from bondage.

He, however, said the minister should not rejoice yet until the party takes over Kwara State government house in 2015.

The state chairman of the PDP, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, who received some defectors to the party, promised that the PDP in the state will play developmental politics that will liberate Kwarans from bondage and poverty.

He noted that the state in the last 20 years had not been in opposition and that going with the opposition this time would be a departure from its political tradition

Ahmed Threatens To Sanction Commissioners If...

BY Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

The Kwara state governor, Alh Abdulfatah Ahmed has threatened to sanction any of his commissioners found to have smuggled job applicants into the state civil service outside the beneficiaries of Kwara State Bridge Employment Scheme (KWABES) .

Speaking with beneficiaries of KWABES in Ilorin, Ahmed said the scheme was established to gradually absorb youth in the scheme into private and public sectors in the state.

The governor who explained that the KWABES programme was meant to guide youth from unemployment to employment, said that it is only meant to open youth to opportunities that would make them not to rely on government.

“This, among others, is the kind of thinking we want to put into our people through micro-credit loans via bankable proposal”, he said He said his administration spends N2.6bn on salaries and wages out of its N2.9bn monthly allocation.

This is why much could not be done in terms of absorbing all the participants into the service,he stated.

The governor assured that the participants would be absorbed in due course from any opening in the civil service He said, “In 2013, the total amount of money that entered Kwara State from federation allocation was about N38billion. For the same period, what entered Akwa Ibom state was about N468bn, you can see the difference because Akwa Ibom is an oil producing state.

“So we must understand so that we can look at the efforts that we are putting in to improve on people’s lives. It is based on what is available. But despite that we are in the bottom of the revenue allocation, we are one of the six states that have been paying salaries consistently in the last 10 years, we have been paying our pension to our pensioners consistently up to date and we don’t have any abandoned project in Kwara state”.

FEATURE 55

Sunday, September 21, 2014

How I Survived Boko Haram Attack – Johnson Ezekiel Johnson is a Benue state born ND II student of the Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa State who fled Mubi recently. He narrates to. AGBOPAUL AUGUSTINE, (Abuja) what he and his colleagues went through to flee the town as Boko Haram assaults intensified

What finally convinced me was seeing people who fled other towns and villages to seek refuge in Mubi fleeing again

I was inside the campus of Adamawa State University, Mubi, studying for my exams when a friend called me and wanted to know where I was. He said I should start coming back home immediately, just few minutes before noon.

As soon as I came out of the class, I discovered an uneasy calm on the campus unlike when I came in earlier when the place was full of life. On further observation, I saw Amaljiri boys carrying luggage with other students heading outside the school premises in droves.

I pondered what was amiss.

Cars and motorcycles were also at top speed and as I stepped out of the school’s gate, it became clear that something was definitely wrong in the town to warrant the mass movement.

On arriving my ‘Garden City’ neighbourhood home, I asked my friend, Ben, what the matter was. “Michika is on fire,” he responded. “Boko Haram has invaded nearby towns including Bama and there is every possibility they will reach Mubi.”

He then advised that we should think of the next thing to do. We immediately called our third roommate to come home. Within 30 minutes the news had circulated the entire city and the polytechnic community was apprehensive. Most students had packed their bags and ready to flee.

Instantly, the Adamawa State University authority placed a circular that all its students should go home until further notice. We the polytechnic students became more anxious and waited desperately for own management to react to the situation because we were in the middle of exams.

Monday, September 8, 2014 We went to school with tension and wrote our exams. Initially, my department decided to put off the exams because some students may miss it as many students were leaving town. Eventually, the exams time was

shifted from 7am to 2pm to enable all the students sit for it.

After we finished our exams and I went back to town, the situation had not improved. Rather we saw more people leaving the town. What finally convinced me was seeing people who fled other towns and villages to seek refuge in Mubi fleeing again. Also, indigenes of Mubi joined the fleeing frenzy to Yola.

It finally dawned on me that the time had come to flee Mubi for good. We were particularly worried because the polytechnic authority still had not permitted any student to leave and we cannot leave our exams behind.

In the evening, the number of people leaving Mubi town became so scary that one didn’t need to be told that danger was lurking in the corner. We started hearing rumours that Boko Haram were almost approaching Mubi town. I decided to call one of my soldier friends to find out what was happening and was shocked at his response.

He told me he was already on his way to Yola and that most of his colleagues had been killed in an ambush. I asked him: “What is my fate?” He responded: “You decide for yourself to stay and be slaughtered or leave”. October 1, 2012 was still fresh in my mind when many of our students were killed by gunmen and I didn’t want to be part of another sad history.

That night, I wanted to sleep in my house in town but my roommate said we shouldn’t.

Going to pass the night in the school hostel was not a good idea because Boko Haram likes targeting schools. Eventually, he convinced me to go to the school. On getting to the polytechnic campus, students were in disarray, not knowing what to do. Most of the students refused to sleep in their students’ quarters.

My roommate who happened to be a member of the students’ representative council met with the polytechnic chief security officer for details on the situation. The CSO told us to wait until he got further details from the military.

We couldn’t sleep that night.

Students waited anxiously for an official response from the school authority. We were on full alert.

Tuesday September 9, 2014 At about 4am I came out of where I was staying and saw a student with a luggage and I asked where he was going at that time. He said he was leaving Mubi because he felt very uncomfortable in the town. He referred us to the school circular that was released at about

Johnson

3:30am directing all students to vacate the campus till further notice.

On seeing the circular, it became clear that we must flee Mubi town but the challenge was how to leave Mubi without a penny in my pocket. All the banks in the town had been shut down since Monday morning and the ATMs emptied. Meanwhile, the shocking news that filtered to us on Monday night was that the Sarkin Mubi (Emir of Mubi) had fled the town. I became very scared and cautiously returned to my house at about 6am to decide what to do next.

That Tuesday morning, many people were stranded; shops didn’t open for business, even to get bread was difficult. I started looking for a recharge card to buy to call for help from my people but couldn’t find any.

We decided to arrange ourselves and look for Keke Napep with the N200 in my pocket. My roommate had N1, 000 and we took the risk to leave Mubi. The transport fare from Mubi to Yola hit the roof as a journey that cost N1, 000 skyrocketed to N5, 000 and we had only N1, 200 with us. We were lucky that at the park, we finally got a friend in Yola on the phone who asked us to go somewhere and wait for him. To get to the place we had to let go

all the money with us for Keke Napep. At about 11am on Tuesday, my friend arrived from Yola with a car and evacuated us to Yola and we arrived at about 5pm in the evening.

Wednesday September 10, 2014 We went to the park in morning and found the place overflowing with people trying to leave Yola too. There were no vehicles going to Abuja as all available ones had either left or had been booked. It was my friend who again came to the rescue, using his connection with union members at the park and secured a seat for me in one of the vehicles about leaving for Abuja by having a passenger dropped for me. I arrived Abuja late that evening.

Sadly, some of my colleagues who were not as fortunate are still trapped in Mubi not knowing what to do at the moment as tension continue to mount over security situation in Adamawa state.

Most of us couldn’t stay in Mubi because of the last experience and that is why we had to leave for good. It is painful that I had to spend more years in Mubi because of the crisis rocking the northeast. I had only one exam left to complete my programme at the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi.

56 FEATURE

Sunday, September 21, 2014

God Gave Us Second A Chance – Ebola Survivors

Some of the survivors of Ebola Virus Desease with Governor Fashola at Government House, Alausa. PHOTO BY GEORGE OKOJIE

All over the world, career choice has its own consequences. While some want to be lawyers, Journalists, engineers or even soldiers, others choose the medical profession. In this report, survivors of Ebola Virus Disease in Lagos recount their ordeals.

GEORGE OKOJIE writes.

I felt the whole world was against me. I was down with fever and became so weak. I lost my appetite. At that moment, I needed some people to talk to. I left my house, and in that house, I had my brother, his wife and the two kids

It was a moment of sober reflections tinged with emotions that touched the soul in Lagos when those that survived the deadly Ebola Virus Diseases summoned courage, amidst the stigma attached to the ailment, to recount their ordeals.

The survivors, who were mostly medical doctors with First Consultant Hospital in Lagos, where the index case was recorded in the country in an emotion laden voice, said they thought they had the usual patient.

When the Liberian- American, Patrick Sawyer, was wheeled to their hospital on July 20th 2014, to their chagrin, they discovered in the days ahead, that they had the deadly EVD to content with as many of them were infected with the virus.

ECOWAS Official Knew Sawyer Lied To Us According to Morris Ibeawuchi, “I was the person that received Patrick Sawyer the day he was rushed to First Consultant Medical Centre. It was like a joke. I did not know what came upon me that day.

Unlike me, I was so reluctant to attend to him. But I was compelled by my colleagues to attend to him.

“When I got there, I was just

talking to him. It was very unlike me. Being a doctor, you must examine your patient. After due examination, I asked him some questions. But Patrick Sawyer lied to me, even the ECOWAS protocol officer, who was there, kept quiet.

He asked him why he was in First Consultant. He lied to me that he was in a conference and felt so weak. As a result, people now rushed him to First Consultant not knowing that he collapsed at the airport.

“On that very day, the ECOWAS protocol officer was there and did not say anything. After sometime, I took his sample and sent it to the lab. I also informed Dr Adadevoh (now of blessed memory). I informed her. She told me to get back to her as soon as the result was out.

“When the result came out, everything was normal. But that night, the lever function test was not available. I told Dr Adadevoh about MP result, and she was so confused and shivering because the man came in with a temperature of 39.7. She said I should just admit him. We treated him. We commenced with the malaria treatment.

“The next morning, Dr Adadevoh

came around and we all went there.

At that time, the liver function test was already out and the result was so terrible. That made us to be so concerned. After we went around, Dr Adadevoh went for her daily clinic. It was at that point that one of the ECOWAS officers now came in and brought us information that Patrick Sawyer collapsed at the airport.

“After that, she asked whether I got the information. That was how the whole thing started. From there, we instituted barrier nursing technique. She tried as much as possible to get through to the Lagos State Ministry of Health. Again, I was asked to take Sawyer’s sample.

Since I had already had contact, I was the person that always took his samples. Before I went there, it took me hours.

“But I summoned courage to do my duties. So, I went there. When Sawyer was trying to explain, I asked him to hold his peace and should not tell me anything. After that, I took samples and dropped it at the blood unit. The next day, Dr Adadevoh was so busy. She was just going from one place to the other, working hand in hand with the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

She called me later in the evening and told me to be careful. She said she just got a call that the result of the test showed the feature of Ebola Virus Disease. “ She warned me to be careful and that Sawyer should be treated as the case of Ebola, not even the suspected case of Ebola. We placed him under surveillance. But Sawyer died on the twelfth day; it was very terrible.

I thought The Whole World Had Collapsed On me He added that, “My temperature is always 36. But that same fateful day, I checked my temperature and it was 37.7. I felt the whole world was against me. I was down with fever and became so weak. I lost my appetite. At that moment, I needed some people to talk to. I left my house, and in that house, I had my brother, his wife and the two kids.

When I developed the symptoms, I was so bothered about my family members. I had to put a call to Lagos State Ministry of Health.

The ministry asked me to make contact with my family and so on.

At that time, I was still thinking it was malaria. I took anti-malaria drugs and nothing changed. The rate at which my temperature rose was screaming.

At the first check, my temperature was 37.7. It rose to 38. The highest I measured was 41.

The health ministry came and decontaminated the whole house.

When I was at the isolation centre, the Lagos Ministry of Health attended to me. I was stooling and vomiting. I even became weaker.

There was a night I thought my existence on this earth had ended.

I was stooling and vomiting.

“At that point, Dr David was the only doctor attending to us. He tried a lot to secure life. He had to rehydrate me. After that, they left me to my fate. That was around 9:00 p.m. How I made it that night was miraculous to me. I know the hand of God was upon my life. Dr.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

FEATURE 57

Mrs Solomon on her hospital bed exposing the rotting arms

My Wife’s Arms Are Rotting Away – Husband Of Nyanya Blast Victim The Second Nyanya bomb blast which killed about 16 persons is still replaying in the minds of the survivors of the blast. Blessing Ukemena speaks to a husband to one of the victims to know how life has been since after the incident

T

My wife is still at the hospital as I speak to you. I have spent up to N2 million and used all I have, I even sold my car because of this incident

he Nyanya bomb blast happened over four months ago now and many seem to have moved on with their lives but there are some people who are still living the effects of the explosion.

Mr Adebosin Solomon Sunday is a father of three children and the husband to one of the victims of the second bomb blast at Nyanya.

His wife has been and is still in a critical state at the Gwagwalada hospital since the blast. Taking care of her has drawn a lot of time and money. He told the story of how his wife was involved in the second Nyanya bomb blast that took some lives and how life has become more difficult for him and his family each passing day.

His wife Mrs Monica Solomon was one of the victims who managed to survive but sustained some very severe burns on her arms and face. On that fateful day when she got to the Nyanya bus stop, she waited awhile for a vehicle to convey her to her destination. When the bomb laden car arrived she walked towards it thinking it was just another cab but right then, a very loud explosion rent the air. The blast threw her to the ground, she tried to stand but her arms and face were on fire. Eventually some people came to help her put out the fire and when the rescue team

came, she was taken to Asokoro Hospital.

Mr Solomon narrated their ordeal to LEADERSHIP Sunday, “I work with the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and my wife’s name is Monica Solomon. On the 1st of May, 2014 she was on her way to work in a private enterprise at Nicon Hilton Hotel in Area 11, Abuja.

She was going for the evening shift The victim, Mrs Solomon with her husband on that fateful day when the blast happened. I was unable to locate everything they prescribed for me. care both her drugs, her food and her on time but I finally found her After some more weeks there, food for the two people engaged at the Asokoro General hospital in one of the doctors told us that to assist her. There was a special a pool of blood. they cannot handle the burns Nebo Cream that was prescribed After some time they referred and that they will refer us to for her and for which I had to us to Maitama Hospital where Gwagwalada. I pleaded with them send money to Lagos because the they told us they did not have to refer us to the National Hospital hospital pharmacy had only one the facility to take care of burn because I live in Nyanya and that in stock. Even when the hospital victims. From there, they also Gwagwalada was too far for me to has her drugs in their pharmacy referred us to Wuse General go but they insisted saying there I still had to pay for them. When Hospital. At the Wuse hospital, we was no bed left at the National they wanted to transfuse blood were taken to the Intensive Care Hospital. I was told to fuel the to her, they could not locate any Unit and we stayed there for about ambulance they would use to vein on her arm and they had three weeks. We were there when transfer us to Gwagwalada. I paid to use what they called ‘central the FCT Minister came to see us N3,000. line’ through her spine and I and the other victim in the ICU, “When we got to Gwagwalada paid N20,000 for that. There was one Mr Dominic. He consoled us, hospital, I was confronted with even a time they asked me to pay promised us and said that the bill a couple of bills– new card, for the sterilised materials they and feeding would be taken care administration fees, then bed use in cleaning her burns every of. Less than 24 hours later, the space but a brother of mine who four days. Their reason was that hospital authorities said they works at that hospital helped there was no letter from the FCT did not have injection for my me by telling them my wife is a Administration that my wife was wife, that I had to buy it and the victim of the Nyanya bomb blast a bomb blast victim. I was told Damacin cream that they normally and should not pay for bed. That that the wife of the Minister was rub on her due to the severity of was how we got admitted into the taking care of the bills of other her burns because they did not female surgical ward and I started patients, I wondered why my case have it in stock. I went and bought buying everything for my wife’s was different.

58 sunday e-train

e-train

Sunday, September 21, 2014

My Parents Almost Cursed Me For Taking To Acting – Oga Bello He is a household name in the nation’s movie and theatre industry. He began his acting career in 1964 as a young budding talent and was Inspired by early pioneers such as the late Hubert Ogunde.

Alhaji Adebayo Salami, more commonly known by his stage name ‘Oga Bello’ has soldiered on in the world of make-believe like a trojan horse. An indigene of Kwara State, the amiable gentleman shared his 50-year journey with OLAOLU OLADIPO and SAMUEL ABULUDE Congratulations on your 50 years on Stage anniversary, how do you feel looking back?

I feel great celebrating 50 years on stage. It’s a milestone for me. As regards the celebration, it has been postponed to December to enable more sponsors participate in the fiesta and give room for more preparation. So, by the time we roll out the drums, it will be bigger and better. I will be going back to our forte as stage dramatist and at the MUSON centre, a stage play titled Olo’kola will be displayed. It’s a stage play that was endearing to my heart when I started my golden career. Then the celebration to round it off will be at the Times Square, off Adeniyi Jones in Ikeja. One of the milestones of my years on stage is unveiling all my movies again, over 50 of them including the epics.

I hid my acting career from my parents and uncle, because actors were regarded as never-dowells in the 60s and 70s

In all these years as theatre practitioner, what has changed in the industry?

Obviously a lot has changed.

There has been an improvement in wages of actors and men behind the camera. When I started as a 12-year-old boy, we did everything for the passion that we had in the arts. I worked with Duro Ladipo known as Baba Mero and ended up being his assistant. Then it was tough as the eldest son and I was in modern school now referred to as secondary school. I hid my acting career from my parents and uncle, because actors were regarded as

never do wells in the 60s and 70s.

It got to the point that my parents when they discovered I was into theatre, they almost cursed me with the Qu’ran. But I made them reason that this was my passion and I won’t let them down. I combined acting with secretarial job working under Chief Femi Okunnu as his personal secretary. I wanted to be a lawyer but theatre took the better of me and I could not realise this ambition. Thank God my son is now the lawyer though he is also an actor too. Destiny cannot be upturned.

Like they say, we are all pencils in the hands of the creator.

But your son Femi is not a practicing lawyer, he has taken after you...

He does because he has people making appearances for him in court when his law firm has one case or the other. Don’t forget that Femi went to law school and he practised for a while before finally venturing out to become an actor.

There is this ethic in the law profession that forbids lawyers that they must not be seen doing something that brings them to limelight like what he is doing while they practise law at the same time. So when the arts got the better of him, he dropped his wig.

Some cable channels showcase Yoruba movies on their channels, has this added any form of material advantage to you?

Oga Bello

Well, it is the marketers that are making money from these channels that showcases our movies. I will tell you something, the marketers that own and sponsor the movies are selling them cheap to all these cable channels. And all the casts in the movie don’t benefit from the payment. Marketers are the ones making the money. Normally in other climes, this is not done as works of intellectual property are not taken as cheap products. But our people just want money and the platform to show their movies. For me, I won’t settle for less, if you need my movies on your screen then you pay for my worth.

told me in Yoruba, ‘you‘ll have to continue with this work. When things are good, that is when opposition surfaces and unpleasant experiences occur but Salami you must roll up your sleeves and never look back. There are greater things ahead.

You’ll have to push on,’ he advised.

We don’t see you in English movies unlike Jide Kosoko and others...

Like marrying many wives. I set out to marry more than one wife though as a Muslim, I’m entitled to four (laughter). But I thank God that I made a success of everything. The fruits of my marriages are for people to see. I have graduates as children and other professionals. I put premium on all my children getting educated and I’m glad it paid off.

You should ask the movie producers why I’m not being featured.

May be they think Oga Bello cannot speak English (laughter). I for one won’t lobby for roles. At this stage in my career, anyone who needs my services will pay for it, I love to help the upcoming ones and that’s why I feature in their movies. Yoruba movies account for a lot of new and educated actors who are doing well in their right.

Did you ever think of quitting this job at any point in your career?

Yes, in the early stages. When Baba Mero died and I was his assistant and the reins of leadership of Duro Ladipo fell on me and I assumed responsibility. Within a year of Duro Ladipo’s death, his wife also gave up the ghost. This was too much for me and I was still young then. I thought of leaving the kleiglight but late Hubert Ogunde encouraged me to stay and continue to entertain our fans. Baba Ogunde

How did you cope with fame?

It was not easy since I gained fame early in my career. I was trained by a disciplinarian and learnt to be focused in life. I made mistakes like every other young man and I’ve learnt from them.

What were your mistakes, can you tell us one or two?

The ANTP crisis does not seem to be over, what exactly is happening?

I think you should ask Asaolu that question. But let me put it this way.

ANTP is not the only guild of theatre professionals in crisis. Others also have issues because dealing with creative people is not easy at all.

Do you have any plans for politics like your colleagues?

For now, no plans for that. I have so many things I am involved in. Film making is a way of life for me and it has opened doors for me. In my state, the governor and his wife have involved us in handling programmes for the state.

sundAy e-train 59

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Change Through Politics: Celebs Wanting To make A Difference As the nation progresses towards general elections in 2015, it is interesting that a number of distinguished personalities from the entertainment industry have signified interest and declared their intentions to vie for various political offices. SAMUEL ABULUDE writes

I’m coming to take up a political office, not because of the juicy part of politics, but because I’m passionate about meeting the needs of youths, whom I’m part of

Never in the history of the entertainment industry have we had a large number of celebrities showing interest publicly of being elected into political office. The question observers and fans alike are asking is why has politics suddenly become lucrative for men and women from the music, movies and comedy industry?

As campaign and rallies are now being held by political parties, our celebrities are showing themselves as not only cheerleaders of the events or ‘amuludun’ (meaning entertainers in Yoruba language), but people that is desirous of making changes.

Desmond Elliot months ago declared to vie for a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly under the Labour party, obviously influenced by gubernatorial candidate, Mr Jimi Agbaje who has built his campaign team around members of Nollywood and professionals from other endeavours. Since his decamping to the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, definitely actor and movie director, Desmond Elliot’s standing will change as we await his next line of action politically.

Delectable actress, Kate Henshaw is vying for a seat at the Federal House of Representatives from Cross River State under PDP. The Face of Onga seasoning and oldest of four siblings looks serious and with her popularity and perhaps connection to the movers and shakers in Cross Rivers State polity, Kate who studied microbiology may stand a good chance having become marketable as far as her brand is concerned.

Talented comedian, Julius Agwu is also vying for a political office in his Rivers State constituency. The showbiz personality and entrepreneur from Choba in Port Harcourt declared more than a month ago and his intention may have gotten the blessings of his people in the Niger Delta area.

Bob Manuel-Udokwu, veteran actor and Senior Special Assistant SSA on Nollywood and Entertainment under Anambra State Governor, Willie Maduabuchi Obianor recently declared his intention to run for a seat at the Anambra State House of Assembly.

Bob expectedly will pitch his tent with APGA party. In his speech on September 3, 2014, the entertainer spoke of his desire to bring transformation to his community. He said, I have formally declared interest to vie for a political position on the 2015 general election into

Anambra State House of Assembly to represent Idemili North Constituency. This move is to help develop Idemili North area and make it the constituency to beat in the state. I ask for your prayers and support in any and every way to enable me achieve this humble ambition.

9ice is another musician that wants to become a Federal House of Representatives member under Ogbomoso Constituency 1 in APC. The Gongo Aso crooner whose real name is Abolore Akande was spotted on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at the APC rally in Oyo State. The popular Singer 9ice, who is from Ogbomoso, Oyo State, availed himself of the opportunity by visiting his constituency for awareness campaign and to identify with the electorate.

The singer hit the ground running by addressing a large crowd that gathered at the Town hall in Oja Igbo, and promised that if elected to represent Ogbomoso Federal constituency 1, he will use his salary to do developmental projects in the constituency.

Bearded actor and Ondo cultural ambassador, Jibola Dabo wants to become a Federal House of Representatives member from Ile-Oluji Constituency under PDP. Dabo who has travelled far and wide wants to impact the younger generation and will bring his wealth of experience to bear.

Other personalities like Funke Adesiyan, an actress from Yoruba movie industry just indicated wish to vie for a seat under the Oyo State House of Assembly.

Youth development One major reason that most of our people in entertainment industry wants to go into politics is the need to empower the youth who have become a stranger in their own land due to the lack of policies or not enough structures to empower the Nigerian youth.

Kenny Saint Best (KSB) vying for a seat at the Lagos State House of Assembly says emphatically that there is no meaninful structure to empower the youth fully. She says that she has been involved in youth development and had engaged herself politically. Kenny wants to be a voice for the Nigerian youth under Ikeja 1 Constituency for APC party.

She spoke to LEADERSHIP Sunday on phone that since Nigerian youth represent 66% of Nigeria population, there ought to be a fullfledged Ministry that focusses on Youths, youth affairs and development not joining Ministry of Wom-

9ice

Henshaw

Dabo

Baba D

en Affairs or ministry of Sports or Culture with it.

“I’ve been in politics for sometime now, six years. I’ve worked on different projects under Onigbongbo local government. Going for a political office is something that I’m serious about. People thought it was a joke since a lot of entertainers already signified interest now to run for political office. For me it’s not wishful thinking,” says KSB. Speaking further on her level of preparation, KSB said, “I’m part of my ward, I was part of my LCDA delegate for the State congress. I was also present at the national APC Congress in Abuja. I worked with Hon. Idowu Obasa. The chairman felt there was a gap between public schools and private schools and engaged us to help solve the problem. I also worked on youth development and education under the SA of Governor Fashola, Hakeem Animashaun, giving motivational talks in schools and the tertiary institution. I’ve also worked with Dame Abimbola Fashola and even for the Deputy Governor.”

there to show for it. I can’t speak for other entertainers but I can speak for myself. I want to make positive change among the Nigerian youths. There is no structure for our youths. Our government don’t even know the challenge of Nigerian youth in the 21st century. In a country that boasts of a great population of youths. In the entertainment industry, 99% are youths.

“If I’m coming to take up a political office, not because of juicy part of politics, but because I’m passionate about meeting the needs of youths, whom I’m part of. Why are people scared of going into politics here? We need the right set of people to make lasting changes and outdo the wrong ones.

“Look at the last national Confab, was there a representative for the youths? No! Government just see the youth as kindergarten and not someone to take very serious and engage. Look at what China is doing to its youths? The government is empowering the youths wholistically knowing well that they are the future of the nation.

They are focussed on entrepreneurship and the youths are at the centre of this drive. Who’s doing that in Nigeria? I’m going into politics actively under Ikeja 1 constituency to give the youths a voice.”

In politics they say that there are contenders and pretenders aiming for an elective post. So by the time the primaries for candidates contesting the offices with our entertainers is concluded, the situation will be clearer on their seriousness and how viable their candidacy is at their different parties. The men will be seperated from the boys.

But note that with this development of entertainers and role models vying for elective posts the nation is in for a revolution and our polity will be better for it.

Not being in politics for the money The distrust between the governed and those who govern- people in political office have made fans and observers to insinuate that the celebrities, having hobnobbed with politicians are going into politics to amass wealth- get their own share of national wealth.

KSB countered saying, “What about people that are already there in politics? I’ve been committed in my own industry. I have been part of the team that caused a revolution in the entertainment industry.

“I worked with my brother, Keke Ogungbe to make an impact in the music industry and the records are

60 kiddies

Sunday, September 21, 2014

mAze

kiddies kingdom

By Chika mefor

08156719304 (SMS only)

The Ant And The Grain

O

nce upon a time there was a little ant called Anit. She was very hard-working and lived in an anthill with the rest of her family – about 50,000 relatives.

The ants were busy storing the grain for the winter so that when the cold weather came, there would be enough food for everyone. But this year, the ants have to travel a long distance to get the grains. It was a gloomy situation and even the wisest old ants weren’t sure they could survive the winter.

But Anit wanted to store as much grain as possible to help her family. And she knew that by

showing an optimistic attitude around the rest of the ants, they could do it. So, off she went to train with an ant who was much stronger than her, an ant called Al. Al taught her a few tricks on how to carry more grains with the same amount of effort. Anit trained for a few days and as the days went by, she was able to carry more and more.

When Anit was finally ready, she called the rest of the ants together and told them, “I know you think we won’t survive the winter.

But I have a solution: firstly, you have to believe we can do it, and secondly, I’ll teach you what you need to do to carry more grains.”

And so the whole anthill set to

work like Anit said, with optimism and a hopeful heart, and before the winter arrived they had already gathered more grain than the year before. And so it was that, thanks to Anit, all the ants survived the winter without any problem.

SPOT The dIfference

WOrd SeArch

hAPPY BIrThdAY

Eunice Sokoga Nda-Isaiah was one on September 12, 2014. Kiddies Kingdom wishes you God’s blessings and protection.

interview 61

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Oyedepo

Oyedepo At 60: Why I Chose To Be A Player Not A Spectator Bishop David Oyedepo, a world renowned minister of the gospel is the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide. An author and educationist par –excellence, he will be 60 on September 27. He had a chat with a cross section of the media and GEORGE OKOJIE was there for LEADERSHIP Sunday Why did you roll out the drums at 60?

We discovered that when character is in place, the intellect is more robust. That, we have done with the number of first class graduates we have produced in Covenant University

This became necessary simply to appreciate God for the gift of life.

Recognizing the fact that life is a gift not a right. There is nothing anyone has done specially to remain alive. So, I will say life is a gift and the adventure of life is a privilege. The purpose is to say lets return the glory back to God for the gift and sustenance of life. This little life, by the grace of God, is evident in so many areas. Life expectancy in our part of the world is 47 years and if anybody crosses 47 to 48, 49 and then 50 and you then count to 60, you should recognize that this is God not man and to that extent, you give him praise.

This is to celebrate the abundant grace of God for his gift of life. Any platform that seems to make anyone achieve is sufficiently by Gods grace.

How did you get to this staggering height as a clergyman?

I believe that the real worth of man is the value he adds, the contributions he makes, the feat he accomplishes and the impact he generates. By his grace I am the president, Living Faith Church Worldwide with over, 6000 churches in most cities , towns and villag-

es of Nigeria and across nations of the world with followers numbering in millions. I am the founding pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland in Ota-Lagos , the acclaimed 50,000 seat church statuary reputed to be the largest church auditorium in the world benchmarked in the Guinness Book Of Record in 2008 and 2009. Today, the tabernacle plays host to about 20,000 worshipers every Sunday morning in four services, making it probably the largest gathering of worshipers in one location on Sunday morning anywhere in the world with over 22, 500 house fellowship centers spread across Lagos and Ota. Suddenly, we woke up one day and discovered that the sanctuary is being listed in Guinness Book of World record in 2008 as the largest church auditorium. What they rated the largest church auditorium is what we built in just one year. The largest cathedral listed after the largest church and Catholic Church is 2000 years old. It is all a celebration of the grace of God, nothing else. Technically, there is no one who could have built that massive structure in one year but God made it possible. We are sitting down in the Covenant University today, it was built in seven months to accommo-

date 1,500 student. Faculty buildings, staff housing, roads and everything was done between March and October 2002 and it is still rated today as the best maintained campus. All at his cost, all at the cost of grace. Interestingly, we are not owing a dime to any bank, persons and institution and we have no foreign inputs into what we are doing. And no one in the church is under any form of pressure. What happened here is possible in our country and our continent. We have never had power outage here since 1999 and this is part of Nigeria. Our tap has never ran dry since 1999 so, it can be done anywhere.

It all of grace, faith and work.

are not challenged to read your books and pass your exams. These are the stepping stones for the making of champions. For instance, at one time, our church was growing at a rate I consider not normal. We went into prayers and fasting and suddenly light came. We knew what to do to grow the church and now the church is growing. That someone say something bad about you should not cause distraction. Everyone is entitled to his/ her opinion.

There is no one in power today that will not have opposition. Even if an angel occupies the seat today as the president of Nigeria, he will have opposition. So, I don’t see those things as challenges.

Can You Say your vision has been accomplished in setting up private universities?

What is your take on the problem of corruption in Nigeria?

As for our programmes, you can see that all our universities are unique. It targets the character of the student. It targeted at the old tradition of university education as a character and learning centre. Before now, all those legacies were mere theory. That is why today, most graduates are not worth one penny in character. We discovered that when character is in place, the intellect is more robust.

That, we have done with the number of first class graduates we have produced in Covenant University.

There is no question of being too many. If you are running a race and five of you hit the mark at the same time, you will be rated first. That has been validated again by the presidential for first class graduates in Nigeria and we have an average of 10 percent twice. Remember, we have 129 universities in Nigeria, so how can one university pack ten? That happens virtually everywhere these products are found because there is uniqueness in their packaging. Examination malpractice is a capital offence here. Is you commit examination malpractices, you are dismissed not suspended and you won’t come back. Covenant University has been rated by several national and international organizations as the best private university in Nigeria. It is also the most preferred private university by applicants since 2005. It is the best ICT university in Nigeria since 2007. The university is listed among the first 100 universities in Africa and the second in 2014 WEBO ranking. It is second to only Ife in Nigeria.

We also have the Landmark University, the second best university in Nigeria, which is just three years in existence and has climbed to number eight in 2014 Webometrics ranking for Nigerian universities.

Your success as a pastor is alluring. What were your challenges?

Life is better when there are challenges. It is those challenges that make champions. You cannot become a heavy weight champion except you receive punches. You cannot change classes in school except you write examinations. So, to me, it is normal to be challenged. You can change classes in schools if you

As long as we keep saying that nothing is changing, it will remain so. For instance, for someone to stand up and say all Nigerians are thieves is not fair. There are some Nigerians, no matter the amount of money you drop even on their body, if it is not their money, they won’t touch it. And most of us, who do this job are in that class.

So, for anyone to generalize is not the best thing. For instance, somebody in our place bought an item and they over paid him. When he got to the airport and knew about it, he went back to them and returned it. I got a letter of commendation from the company to appreciate us for raising a brand new set of Nigerians. There are many like that. I believe things are changing and keep changing and some day, we will come out of it completely. I want you to know that all the nations that we see up there, they still have challenges. The prisons in America are still being filled on a daily basis. Nigeria is improving, things are changing and will keep experiencing more changes.

How did you meet your wife?

Interestingly, I met my wife by divine direction. I met my wife when I was 22. The Spirit of God ministered to me about it. We had a spiritual alignment and came together.

We had six years of courtship before we got married.

It is like you have developed thick skin towards criticisms and negative publicity by not reacting to them. Why is it so?

My understanding of opposition and persecution is someone’s opinion harshly expressed. Everybody has his rights to his opinion. I don’t feel it is necessary the energy.

What do feel when referred to as richest Pastor ?

May I say here that God owned the silver and the gold and he is the most holy God. If wealth and righteousness are not the best of friends there is no way God will be the wealthiest of all. From his fullness we all received we are also told that Jesus died so that through his poverty we will be made rich and I think there is no father who wishes his children poverty. If God is truly a father he will not wish his children poor and the wealth of every parent is reflective in their children.

62 news across the states

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Collapsed Building: Jonathan To Meet With 36 State Govs On Policy Decisions Visits Synagogue church

By GEORGE Agba, Abuja and George OKOJIE Lagos

President Goodluck Jonathan hinted yesterday that he was meeting all the 36 state Governors where issues bordering on averting future collapse of buildings and policy decisions on erecting high rise buildings anywhere in the country would be discussed.

The meeting said to hold at the presidential villa on a yet to be fixed date would deliberate on how to prevent use of defective structures in buildings and strengthen regulations concerning high rise buildings.

Jonathan disclosed this during his visit to the scene of the collapsed six-storey building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCAN) at Ikotun, a suburb in Lagos State where about 84

persons were said to have died and many others sustained various degrees of wounds.

Describing the building collapse as “very sad story and very sad incident”, the president sympathised with the Church members; the Head of the Church, Prophet T. B. Joshua and those who lost their dear ones in the incident.

He equally expressed sympathy with the South African people and the President, Jacob Zuma, saying

he had already spoken with him to extend the nation’s condolences.

He said, “Today when I arrived Lagos, my first port of call was where a six-storey building collapsed and 80 people were confirmed dead, about 131 people injured. It is a very sad story, very sad incident to us and the international community because most of the people that died in that building collapse were not Nigerians, in fact about majority of them are South Africans.

R-L Representative of the minister of transport,Basorun Dauda, deputy Corps Marshal Training Standards and certification Yemi Omidiji; and the head of section, sports, Bisi Kazeem during the Frsc monthly walking and jogging exercise at the National Stadium Abuja yesterday.

TAN Rally: North-east PDP Endorses Jonathan For 2015

By Abdullahi Maha, Gombe

The coast now appears clear for President Goodluck Jonathan as the four governors of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the North-east and the party’s bigwigs have endorsed him for the 2015 presidential election in the country.

Speaking at the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) North-east zonal rally in Gombe, yesterday, the speakers unanimously declared that the region was in total support of President Jonathan’s re-election bid to transform Nigeria.

Gombe State Governor Ibrahim

Dankwambo said TAN was in the zone to join hand with the people to pray for peace in the Northeast, noting that was why Northeast rally stood out among other zonal rallies.

“We are here to pray with our brothers and sisters in the Northeast and Nigeria in General over the state of insecurity and to wish our President good luck and God’s guidance in piloting the affairs of the country, especially in this trying moments. Allah will guide him in whatever he is doing for this country,” he said.

According to Governor Dankwambo, Jonathan has transformed Nigeria remarkably, hence

he deserves a second term in office to consolidate on gains made so far.

In his speech the minister of science and Technology, Dr. Abdu Bulama noted that the activities of TAN were in line with President Jonathan’s transformation agenda and philosophy, saying the group should borne the name ‘Transformation of Peace and Unity in Nigeria.’

Bulama said the generality of Nigeria had agreed that there was a great change in Nigeria in the four years of President Jonathan, especially in Yobe State where the transformation agenda was more pronounced in almost all sectors of

the economy, calling on the people of the zone to support the President for 2015.

Bauchi state governor who was represented at the occasion by the deputy governor Sagir Aminu saleh accompanied by the FCT minister senator Bala mohammed, said they are witnesses to the Transformation agenda of Mr. president and called on the people from the zone to support him in 2015.

Three hours to the commencement of the event which took place at the Pantami stadium in Gombe, all roads leading to the event were blocked making it difficult for commuters to move freely yesterday in Gombe.

HAJJ 2014: FG Assures Pilgrims Of Ebola-free Operation

By PAUL CHIAMA, Abuja

The federal government has assured Nigeria’s intending pilgrims of adequate measures against the possibility of contacting the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) during the 2014 hajj operation in Saudi Arabia.

The head of federal medical team at National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Dr. Ibrahim Kana, gave this assurance yesterday while speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday in a separate interview dur-

ing the Hajj Induction Course which took place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

Kana said the federal ministry of health had taken all necessary actions to forestall contact of EVD while embarking on Hajj or while leaving Saudi Arabia back to the country.

“I can guarantee you that the honourable minster of health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, is very much on top of this and I give him briefing every minute and every second of the day,” he stated.

He cautioned the intending pilgrims to take personal measures such as taking necessary immunisations required before embarking on pilgrimage as a way of safeguarding themselves and the entire nation against deadly diseases.

He said: “First of all, they should take their health very seriously.

They should visit their doctors before they embark on this important journey for Hajj; thirdly, they should ensure that proper immunizations are taken as well as other immunisations that should be tak-

en against yellow fever, meningitis and polio. They should also be aware of the fact that there was Ebola scare in Nigeria today even though it had been brought under control by the government of Nigeria.

“So, we are calling on all intending pilgrims to be aware and seek more knowledge about the mode of transmission of Ebola so that they can protect themselves; as they are protecting themselves, they are equally protecting other pilgrims and at the same time, protecting other Nigerians.”

Adamawa IDPs Reject Relief Materials By APC Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs from Madagali, Gulak, Michika and Bazza local government areas of Adamawa State have rejected relief materials donated to them by Adamawa State chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Binta Garba Masi.

The IDPs said what they needed at this time was peace enterprise for them to return to their homes and continue with their major preoccupation which was farming.

Hon. Masi was accompanied by members of the state exco of the party to Ribadu Square, the venue of the distribution of the relief materials.

The displaced persons maintained that no amount of food or relief materials would solve their problem, unless something urgent was done to enable them go back to their ancestral homes.

“All we need is peace not assistance with relief materials,” the aggrieved IDP’s told Masi.

Gulak and Madagali are in Madagali local government area, while Bazza and Michika are in Michika local government area.

Hon. Binta Garba Mai hails from Bazza.

By Mohammed Ismail, Yola

Dame Jonathan Rallies African First Ladies On Peaceful Co-existence As part of this year’s global celebration of peace with the theme, ‘Rights of People to Peace,’ which is observed annually on September 21 as an International Day of Peace, the First Lady and President of African First Ladies Peace Mission, Dame Patience Jonathan, has called for concerted efforts on peace.

In a press statement made available to LEADERSHIP Sunday, and signed by the media adviser to the first lady, Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele, Mrs Jonathan enjoined African leaders to imbibe the African spirit of conflict resolution, dialogue and peace building mechanisms so as to bring an enduring development to the continent.

She alluded to the fact that, Africa devoid of violence, terrorism and war would have been the most developed continent in the global arena due to its abundant natural resources.

She charged other African First Ladies to support their spouses in changing the fortunes of Africa by being change agents of transformational development and good governance, which will ultimately lead to the stoppage of incessant violence that pervades the African region.

By Micheal Oche, Abuja

63

Sunday, September 21, 2014

A call to the

Beloved of

Bishop Oyedepo is a P 60 Pa

The presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide PAPA DAVID OYEDEPO clocks 60 on September 27, 2014.

The global church has its roots in Northern Nigeria, where LEADERSHIP remains the most influential platform.

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THE

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news across the states 65

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Yuguda Drums Support For Ending Insurgency In October

By Michael OChe, Abuja

Bauchi State governor, Malam Isa Yuguda has expressed full support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent declaration of a deadline to finally stem insurgency by the middle of October, describing the target as attainable if only all well-meaning Nigerians support the President.

The President set the deadline in Abuja on Thursday at the 66th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in reaction to fresh insurgency of the Boko Haram sect which he described is a secessionist

agenda.

Gov Yuguda told reporters in an interview in Abuja yesterday that with the President’s ongoing stepping-up of the anti-insurgency infrastructure to stem increasing threats to the unity and stability of the country, all well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians should fully support and back the president’s declaration towards attaining the target of finally bringing the insurgents on their knees by mid-October.

“If there is anytime our president deserves and direly needs our fervent prayers and unconditional

support, it is now. The best all wellmeaning Nigerians can do in the present circumstances is to rally round President Goodluck Jonathan and support him in steering the ship of the Nigerian state successfully at this critical moment”, he said.

He condemned the recent bombing and attacks in Kano and Kaduna, describing them as cruel, callous and barbaric. He prayed that the blood of the innocent victims of the senseless killings will continue to haunt the perpetrators.

According to him, it is now clear that the present insurgency in the

country is a common enemy to all Nigerians irrespective of region or religion, state or status, wondering why not even sex, age or political affiliation of any Nigerian means anything to the insurgents.

“A common enemy needs a common response. This common response should start with our collective prayers for the present leadership of the country. It is now also clear that insurgency is taking a secessionist dimension. Our support for the President is the first guarantee that they can and will be crushed.

Police Arrest 51 Robbers, Kidnappers, Cultists In Rivers

BY ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, Port Hacourt

Commissioner of police in Rivers State, Mr Dan Bature, has said the command under his leadership arrested a total of 51 suspected armed robbers, kidnappers, and cultists in the state between September 1, 2014, when he assumed office and September 19, 2014.

Bature, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Port Har-

court, said 15 of those arrested within the period were suspected armed robbers, 10 were suspected kidnappers while 26 were arrested for their involvement in cultism in the state.

He stated that a total of five suspected armed robbers and one kidnapper lost their lives during exchange of gunfire with men and officers of the command, while a total of 20 kidnap victims were

rescued within the period.

The police chief also stated that a total of 15 fire arms as well as 242 ammunitions and 10 bullet proof vests were recovered within the same period.

He advised hoodlums operating in the state to either denounce their criminal activities and be law abiding, or be ready to face the consequences of their actions, pointing out that he had or-

dered officers and men of the command to smoke out criminals from their hideouts and bring them to face the full wrath of the law.

He said, “I want to use this opportunity to send a warning signal to kidnappers, cultists, armed robbers, and other criminals that they should either denounce their criminal activities and be law abiding or be ready to face the consequences of their actions.

Police Foil Bank Robbery In A/Ibom Police in Akwa Ibom at the weekend foiled an attempt by a gang of armed robbers who stormed the Okobo branch of the Union Bank Plc. The dare devil armed robbers, who were said to have enter the sleepy town of Okobo through the creek at about 1 a.m with heavy guns and assorted explosives, made straight to the bank located in the heart of the town few meters from the divisional police headquarters shooting sporadically to scare away residents of the area.

Residents of the area, who woke up from their sleep due to booming of gun shots, were said to have ran into the bush for their dear lives.

One of them, who did not give his name, said that when the robbers arrived the area at about 1 a.m and started shooting, many residents took to their heels to avoid being hit by bullets.

He said that a lone motorist, who was on his way to Uyo from Oron, had to abandon his car in a ditch and ran for his live when he saw the armed men.

By Bernard Tolani Dada Uyo

66

Christian perspective

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Brother Gbile Akanni Living Seed trifect2000@yahoo.com +234 806 126 1907

Fresh Fire For Life And Effective Ministry (2)

E

I just want you to know that if you walk in step with Him, He will keep you fresh. You will never become obsolete

very time God speaks, He talks with freshness.

You cannot say you collected so much from God suchthat when you come again, God will say “Yes, you people have drained me, so there is nothing now. Come back next week, by then I would have recuperated”. That is not the nature of God. What I discover with God is that, everything you take from Him has an automatic in-filling.

God is never stressed. God never reduces. God is God. Therefore, the first thing one needs to note is that these are instructions from the Lord Himself and He is very qualified in every sense. He is worthy to instruct us this way. When God begins to speak this way, my own attitude, first of all, is to say, “O Lord, so there’s something I will do that will keep me fresh; even if it is in a very little way and I will be sharing a little thing in common with my Father in heaven, who never runs dry”. So, the first issue is that it is the Lord

speaking. Why is He speaking? He does not want your fire to go out.

He wants you to be ever fresh. He does not want you to become an abandoned man. One of the first fears I had several years ago when I started knowing the Lord and desiring to serve Him was, “How will I finish. I have heard of people who did not finish well. If I will not finish well, why should I start at all”? The Lord gave me an assurance. He said, “He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. If you walk within my circumference, I will keep you”. He gave me that assurance. I am happy that God is able to keep us. I am very excited about that. I don’t worry about how tomorrow will be, neither should you worry about that. I just want you to know that if you walk in step with Him, He will keep you fresh. You will never become obsolete. Do not be afraid to share all the messages God gives you for today thinking that there may be nothing more tomorrow. It is not true. The Father that we are deal-

ing with is inexhaustible.

A Matter of Principle...

The second word to note is “The law”. What does that imply?

When you use the word “law” in Social Science, it is not first and foremost a rule and regulation. It means what governs the operation of several things. We talk about, “The law of gravity”. What is it?

The law of gravity says that everything that goes up must surely come down. When we talk about the law of inertia, it is the principle that governs every movement of human beings and every material must obey this rule.

Again, I find God saying, “There is the law of the burnt offering”. This law is the principle that can make a man to have fresh fire all his life.

Once you operate it, it will work for you. In Science, one of the first things you learn is how to establish a law. Before you come to the level of saying this is a law, you must first of all, call it a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a theory that

is waiting to be proved by very many infallible experiments. Until we have proved, it we cannot call it a law. It will, at best, be a hypothesis.

But I thank God that Jesus is not telling us about a hypothesis. What are we talking about? A law. Why is it a law? It has been proved. It has been experimented.

It has been established. You cannot change it now. You can only abide by it. When you abide by the law, it works. If it were a hypothesis, it would be subject to further experimentation before we can agree that it is a law.

Therefore, the process of a hypothesis becoming a law can take several years. If it is a law in Nigeria and it breaks down in Russia, it can no longer be a law. It has to be a hypothesis. But what we are talking about here is that it is a law. As a law, if it works in Russia, and Europe, it must work in Africa.

I implore you to stay with us in the following weeks as we explore this matter in depth.

Rev. Dr. M. Udochi Odikanwa Bold Before Christ www.therestorationlifeassemply.org udodikanwa@yahoo.com

The End Of My Famine Famine, an acute shortage or extreme scarcity of anything is a hopeless situation which anybody will not wish to find him or herself in but unfortunately, a lot of people are still confronted with it, not just in the area of food but often in their spiritual lives.

Famine connotes: 1 Scarcity of God’s presence felt around a person- This experience occurs when a person is faced with spiritual famine; a situation whereby even when you are in the house of God, you still feel empty spiritually.

2 Scarcity of resources in the family 3 Scarcity of resources with whichto bless God 4 Scarcity of zeal and love for God 5 Lack of maturity 6 Lack of integrity and values However, God is ever and always ready to supply the needs of His children. He does it in tremendous ways and He will do the same even unto you this day if only you are willing and ready to receive from Him. The Bible recorded that, There

came a time in Samaria that the country was confronted with famine. The famine was so serious that the people began to eat their children. And the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall; there cried a woman unto him, saying, help, my lord, O king. And he said, if the lord does not help thee, whence shall I help thee? Out of the barn floor, or out of the winepress?

And the king said unto the woman, what aileth thee? And she answered, this woman said unto me, give thy son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow. So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, give thy son, that we may eat him: and she had hid her son. 2Kings 6:26-29 The famine was so great that an ass’ head was sold for four score pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver. But in spite of the enormity of the famine, God turned the situation of Samara around in just few hours. 2Kings 7:1 says “Then Elisha said, hear ye the word of the lord; thus saith the lord, tomorrow about this time shall a measure of

fine flour be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.”

It is really amazing how God works when he is determined to put an end to the famine of a person, people or a nation. God used the four leprous men at the entry of the gate to pass information that eventually saved the entire people of Samaria from starvation. And when the lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate drank and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. Then they said to one another, we do not well: this day is a day of good tidings and we hold our piece: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come that we may go and tell the king’s household. 2Kings 7:8-9 Indeed, the word of God came to pass in the lives of the Samarians.

Verse 16 of the chapter says, “And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two

measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the lord.”

HARVEST Harvest is like an open heaven and when it comes on you, you will not have to struggle for something good to come your way. It signifies: 1When a person assimilates the presence of God in the house of God. This is when a man is mature enough to say ‘no’ to the devil at anytime regardless of his challenges.

2.When God’s favour and attention is upon a man.

3.When your prayer is unhindered.

HOW DO YOU DESTROY FAMINE? You can simply put an end to famine through sacrifice. The Bible recorded that the family of Obed-Edom was blessed because of the Ark of God which was kept there for three months. 1Chronicles 13:14 Also Solomon was blessed through the sacrifice which he made unto God. 2Kings 6:24, Revelation 3:8.

However, God is ever and always ready to supply the needs of His children

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opinion Sunday, September 21, 2014

Shema: What Next After Katsina Assignment?

By Hassan B Nagado

Unprecedented achievements have been attained in Katsina State since the emergence of Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema as the executive governor in 2007. These achievements are not academic pronouncements; they are realities on ground called dividends of democracy by political scientists.

Years after the creation of the state, many administrations, including the military and civilians, have done as much as they could but none has transformed the state in all facets of infrastructural gains like the current administration.

These facts have been echoed by former Governors Yahaya Madaki, Col (rtd) Achunolu and others including former heads of state who described the level of changes recorded within the last 7 years as unprecedented.

These achievements are not by accident, they are results of well calculated governance designed to change a course of history for a people that have lived in the shadow of past glories. The

administration of Governor Ibrahim Shema after its election in 2007 set out targets that it intends to achieve before the end of the first tenure in 2011.

It is on record that Katsina State, during this period, was adjudged as the only state in the federation that attains 90% budget implementation. By 2011, after re-election the government set up the second phase of comprehensive infrastructural development agenda that will see the state transforming into one of the most developed in the country.

These Infrastructural developments initiated were to move the entire state to a workable, sustainable and realistic entity with mass road networks, drainages, hospitals, schools, and other integrated mechanisms to fast tract the social economic development of the state. Today, no town, city or rural area is left behind in the provision of social amenities and infrastructures in the entire state. This inclusiveness is achieved through carrying the whole community in the decision

making process as far as project allocation is concerned through the community development committees.

Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema’s execution of relevant development in the state through community participation was unique whereby demands of the communities are identified and provided for as part of the administration’s bottom-top governance. So far, this concept has worked so well that each and every community today in the state is a beneficiary of one infrastructure or the other.

No economy and community will boast of any infrastructural growth without electricity and this has also received commendable attention from the administration, such that over 200 communities, so far, have been connected to the national grid; this is apart from the massive rural electricity projects across the state. Katsina State could today be described as a hub of infrastructures in the country. As at today, not so many local governments in the country could boast of dualised

road networks as seen in Katsina State where all roads at the major local government councils have been dualised with fully working street lights.

Over 30 township roads have been dualised in the last five years and several others will be dualised before next year. In the last six years also, over 4000 housing units were constructed across all the local government councils of the state to improve shelter for the ordinary man in the state. Many more houses are today under construction and by the end of the year, several other thousand houses will be constructed in the state as part of the ‘housing for all’ project of the state government. In the area of transportation the state government has acquired over 200 vehicles including over 20 marc polo luxury buses as part of efforts to improve the transportation sector and reduce the menace of road accidents accessioned by the poor transport system in the state.

Nagado wrote in from No 34, Unguwar Dabino, Dutsinam .

Shagari, 2015 And Matters Arising

by Ayuba Ahmad

Unfortunately, Sokoto appears to have been suffering the burden of a clueless and self-seeking set of leaders at the helm of political affairs since the return of democracy fifteen years ago

Even as the country is months away from the 2015 general elections and INEC is yet to lift the lid on political activities, the political atmosphere in Sokoto State is characteristically already aglow. The streets and highways are inundated with posters and billboards just as several commercial and private vehicles are adorned with stickers with slogans and pictures of aspirants.

Also conspicuously noticeable is the surge in the political profile of the otherwise self-effacing deputy governor, Barrister Mukhtari Shehu Shagari evident in the spontaneous surge of crowds that greet his convoys everywhere he goes in the towns and villages with the shout of “Sokoto Sai Mairuwa!” Meaning, “Sokoto belongs to the water man”. This is a fond reference to his days as the minister of Water Resources. The tumultuous crowd of guests from all walks of life that thronged to the venue of the wedding of his daughter two weeks ago is one other attestation that the people of the state are, indeed, looking in a new direction for a political ral-

lying point.

A measure of the pulse of the people of Sokoto, in the towns and villages, the elite and the ordinary folks, will reveal an overwhelming desire for a fundamental change in the style of leadership that is more of a craving for the return of a glorious past. Not so much for the type of political leadership of saints, scholars and clerics in the times of Usman Danfodio, his companions and the long chain of those who came after them up to the advent of British Colonialism.

No, because the geo-political landscape fondly known today as “The Seat of the Caliphate”, like the rest of the world, has come a long way from that historical past to the modern world. The clamour is for a change in the cast of political leadership that will give Sokoto people a sense of direction, hope, self esteem and a pride of place among their compatriots.

Yes, in the contemporary history of Nigeria, Sokoto has thrown up a set of leadership that made it a reference point and a force to reckon with in the politics of the country. There were among the several of such

dynamic leaders, Sir Ahmadu Bello whose vanguard role in the nation’s struggle for independence and as premier of the northern region in the post colonial Nigeria has given him a place of eternity in our political history.

After the Sardauna, Sokoto also had the likes of Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Shagari, Idris Koko, Abubakar Kigo, Abubakar Tunau Mafara, Muhamadu Jega, Shehu Kangiwa, Dr Garba Nadama and Yahaya Aboulkarim, among others.

The leadership attributes these great leaders had in common included simplicity in their life styles, honesty and singleminded commitment to uplifting the quality of life of the generality of their subjects. They were guided by the principles of justice, equity and fair play in the distribution of opportunities, reward for hard work, merit and dedication in service to the public. Then, people, who aspired to leadership were compelled and expected to be loyal, not to the whims and caprices of the leader but, loyalty to the principles of hard work and selflessness.

Unfortunately, Sokoto appears to have been suffering

the burden of a clueless and self-seeking set of leaders at the helm of political affairs since the return of democracy fifteen years ago. Though, they proclaim Sir Ahmadu Bello and others as their heroes and guiding lights, but in their actions, such outward proclamations are best described as a mockery of these great leaders of the people. Such is the degree of impunity such that persons in positions of trust are no longer bothered by what the electorate thinks of them and so they flaunt their opulence in a lavish, flambouyant lifestyle. They are poor imitators who, in trying to mimic the legendary generosity of Sir Ahmadu Bello, go about throwing stipends at the people, not from their legitimate incomes, but, from the fractions of what actually belongs to the people. They have therefore, been sowing the seeds of poverty, dependence and loss of dignity instead of sowing the seeds of prosperity through investments in quality education, infrastructure and industries that were the focus and legacies of the leaders of yester years.

Ahmad wrote in from Sokoto

Today, no town, city or rural area is left behind in the provision of social amenities and infrastructures in the entire state

68 NEWS

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Zainab Jaji Zee’s Corner zeescorner@gmail.com,Twitter. @addazee

The Decimation of the North East

I have spent the last few weeks in Adamawa State, and to say that insurgency has well and truly taken a firm hold in the region is to state the obvious. Citizens are literally running for their lives. We now have residents from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa converging in the town of Yola. Young boys from Gwoza are now selling popcorn on the Chochi bridge between the town of Jimeta and Yola. It is certainly a pathetic situation.

How did we really get to this point? Were our leaders caught napping or did we all underestimate the menace of Boko Haram?

Resources are being ploughed into the fight against insurgency and all we hear of are people running for their lives. The decimation of this region is more than what can be imagined. There was little infrastructure to begin with, but with all the destructions meted out, it will take nothing less than a decade to start seeing any meaningful development if the menace is stemmed.

With other factors like closure of

schools due to the Ebola outbreak, the domino effect this will further have can only best be imagined.

When one contacts family or friends in Maiduguri and environs, they just say they are now hermits in their own homes and stay put in order not to get killed in any cross fire. Most feel the problem is underestimated as so many have died.

We are witnessing a catastrophic decline in the population of the north east and one wonders what our leaders are thinking as they are obviously not united on fundamental issues. Paying lip service in condemning attacks and simply shaking their heads when things go awry is just not enough.

The ordinary citizen is totally helpless as they are caught up in all the tragedy whilst our leaders are running to Abuja to seek solutions.

The abduction of the Chibok girls has been the real test. Over 150 days later and still no news.

This adds to the malaise and the disconnect between the governed and leaders. Without a proactive

and decisive policy, there is simply no saying what the situation will be in six months. Will our leaders negotiate to secure the region?

The army enlisted to protect the area are battle weary. One sees them weather beaten and angry.

With another 500 troops recently deployed to Borno and Yobe and the towns of Gulak, Michika and Kuchinga in Adamawa, it means the federal government is ramping up troop levels for more offensive engagement with the terrorists. But flushing them out is not enough and the numbers of military personnel is low compared to the rampaging murderers who seem to have fire power to equal that of our military.

In addition, we need to ensure that wherever insurgents are engaged they are not just allowed to move into another community. There must be a real attempt to crush this insurgency in order for real development to have a chance.

The North east is already seen as the poverty zone of Nigeria where nothing meaningful happens. It is a region that is accused of sucking

the resources of the centre without giving much in return. It is the region with the lowest and worst examination results in Nigeria.

It is the region that marries off its girls at an early age and denies them access to education. It is the region that has also produced great political leaders in Nigeria but yet remains so backward because our modern leaders are only out for themselves.

The tragedy that is now the North east will need a miracle and a complete coming together of the leaders in the region to move it forward. It is obvious we need more than the politicians who make ubiquitous empty promises.

We need fearless leaders with roaring hearts whose sole purpose is to serve the people and ensure that their rights are perpetually protected. We need visionary and courageous leaders who have the fear of God to wholly and sincerely serve their countrymen and who will see beyond their pockets and decide that leaving a good legacy is the sole purpose of their existence.

Hamza Atta Isn't It Funny? hamzolo@yahoo.co.uk 08181091784

Communication And Understanding

At present, we poison our country with too many toxins.

We should be mindful that these toxins would still be causing damage long after we are gone

I read that Washington Post editorial about the insensitive parody of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign by some supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan before I actually saw the posters. The one erected close to the ECOWAS secretariat at Asokoro, Abuja, gave me an understanding that we all do not think in the same way and see things from very different perspectives. The green-andwhite #BringBackGoodluck2015 wasn’t only a poorly conceived, insensitive and myopic idea; it was an embarrassment to Nigeria and Nigerians.

Had the little minds that conceived such a distasteful association to the person of President Jonathan known what the BBOG hash tag stands for, if they understood what is at stake, they would not try to use it for political gains. Resorting to the adaptation of a symbol of pain, struggle and hope for political gains is a moral crime. For a tool devised to constantly remind the government that for four months those young girls have been held captive in the hands of terrorists to be so mocked leaves me with no words. It is an irony, a paradox and an indictment all at the same time. As claimed by

the presidency, it is possible that the group which perpetrated the evil act (yes, it is an evil act!) acted alone without the consent of Jonathan or any of his advisers.

But, why did it take an editorial in a foreign newspaper for the action to be reversed? Were the cries in the social media prior to that Washington Post commentary not loud and clear enough?

We here are the constituency.

If we know what we are doing as a people, our government, our leaders will listen to us first before being influenced by the views of outside bodies. While it is quite easy for the Presidency to claim its innocence of any complicity in the campaign faux pas, how does it explain the former Borno State governor escorting the president to Chad, after an Australian hostage negotiator, Stephen Davis, accused him of sponsoring Boko Haram and the Department of State Security (DSS) released a statement saying Sheriff was under investigation. Although they came out to vehemently deny the allegation, Sheriff should not be seen to be hobnobbing with the president.

It is not my duty to either defend or prosecute Sheriff, but his 2011

advertorial, wherein he tendered unreserved apology to Boko Haram for unknown reasons, is a traceable public document. No court of competent jurisdiction has pronounced Sheriff guilty but with such an allegation dangling over his head I am not so sure that he is the best choice of ambassador! Our leaders should not only do the right thing, they should be seen to do it.

On the bright side of things, the Defence headquarters and all Nigerians should be proud of the fact that we still have amongst us, brave and determined men and women who are ready and willing to pay the ultimate price for the good of Nigeria. Injured Lt Col Adeboye Obasanjo, son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is one of them. Many wives have been made widows and many children made orphans since the insurgency started. We haven’t appreciated our soldiers enough. They are doing a sterling job even in very difficult circumstances and risk their lives every day to rid our land of terrorists. With the power his father wields, Adeboye could have chosen not to be deployed to the frontline but he has chosen to do so and we thank him and all others who

are fighting the fight for securing our futures.

It is at times like these, when so many things around us are not going well and our spirits are dampened and we despair, that we are given a boost of oxygen and a pick me up, and understand that all is not lost and we are not alone and we must fight on. Nigeria is what we make of it, whether a comedy of errors, a tragic reality or a success in the making. At present, we poison our country with too many toxins. We should be mindful that these toxins would still be causing damage long after we are gone. It is for these reasons, with so many challenges confronting us as a nation, that we should all take an interest in the upcoming elections.

Poor communication causes confusion, misunderstanding, conflict and inevitably insecurity and loss of life; precisely what we are experiencing now. Some amongst us accord the 2015 elections and only what they can gain from it more priority than these crises threatening our existence.

Think what you can do for Nigeria and not what Nigeria can do for you.

The tragedy that is now the north east will need a miracle and a complete coming together of the leaders in the region to move it forward

feature 69

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Jonathan

Mu’azu

2015: How Jonathan Emerged PDP’s Sole Candidate At last, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has endorsed President Jonathan for a second term.

In this report, Chibuzo UkaibE looks at the intrigues that played out in his emergence

He added that President Jonathan’s endorsement was also in view of the fact that the party has to go into election in harmony and win elections fair and square

There was little or no indication that the last National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not overwhelmingly endorse President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole candidate for the 2015 presidential election.

This was more so as series of endorsements by the party’s governors, its caucus in the National Assembly, the Board of Trustees and a larger caucus of the party had between Tuesday and Wednesday last week paved way for the NEC to stamp the decision.

Any inclinations to the contrary fizzled out as the NEC members (the highest decision making body of the party second only to a national convention), were heartily engaged in robust exchange of pleasantries before the business of the day commenced. They were all in peace with each other, united in one course.

However, when governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, entered the venue dressed unusually in a suit, it caused a few stirs.

He was seen as a likely challenger to President Jonathan for the party’s ticket.

As such, his absence at the PDP governors meeting and the caucus meeting a night before had kept party faithfuls guessing. He had, however, sent his deputy to the meeting. The deputy was the one who signed on his behalf at the larger caucus at the presidential villa to make President Jonathan the party’s sole candidate.

Moreover, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who hitherto, had enormous influence in the

party, has never hidden his preference for Lamido going into 2015.

The former president who was one of the major campaigners for Lamido for the top job, was however not present at the NEC meeting, having at the height of his face-off with the president, resigned from active participation in the party’s affairs.

Any inkling that Lamido was out to spoil the jubilant mood was kept under wraps as he joined in the hugs and backslapping that preceded the meeting proper.

Soon after, the president arrived in company of the vice president, the national chairman of the party and the senate president.

However, like a drafted script, the meeting took a different pattern. Unlike previous meetings, which starts with an opening remark by the national chairman, the spokesman of the Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, who moderated activities at the meeting, took the party on a new route, indicative of how special and strategic the meeting is for the party.

The turn of events opened the various organs of the party formally justifying their endorsement for President Jonathan as sole candidate.

On behalf of the PDP Governors Forum, Niger State governor, Dr Babangida Aliyu, stated that all the governors overwhelming endorsed President Jonathan with a united front to win more states for the party.

He, however, called on the Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, who was present at meeting to stand for recognition, which was greeted with cheers from the NEC

members. Lamido however waved to the president.

Mu’azu, who is also the chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, NGF, stated that PDP will reclaim Sokoto, Kwara, Adamawa, Rivers, and Nasarawa states.

Speaking for the Board of Trustees of the party, deputy national chairman of the party, Shuaibu Oyedokun, said the members of BoT considered the need to consolidate the gains in the party and making use of an incumbent president who was performing.

He lamented that the party had suffered a lot of defections and appeared as if it would collapse but he said,“We have come to stability due to reform and the putting in place of right men and women. Our president is performing. His transformation agenda is going well and Nigerians are enjoying it”.

Speaking for the National Assembly, the senate president, Sen David Mark, said, “If there is any arm of government that wants continuity and understands the importance of continuity, it is the legislative arm. We don’t want a breach in continuity. We believe in continuity. We asked for continuity. So for us, what is happening today is good news.”

Sen Mark, who stated that the PDP caucus in the National Assembly had since taken a position on President Jonathan’s 2015 ambition, noted, “What we are announcing here today is not about Goodluck Jonathan. Not just for those of us here. It is a legacy that we want to leave for PDP”.

He noted that if there is a sitting president, who is a performing president, it is will be good to give him a chance to do even better.

On behalf of PDP women, Justina Eze, who after leading a song,

said “We have totally resolved that for what Jonathan has done, we endorse him totally as the sole candidate. No vacancy in 2015.”

Consequently, former chairman of the party, Haliru Bello Mohammed, raised a motion for the adoption of President Jonathan to emerge as the sole candidate of the party, arguing “We cannot change a winning formula and we have always had it from 1999.”

He added that President Jonathan’s endorsement was also in view of the fact that the party has to go into election in harmony and win elections fair and square. He also said President Jonathan has performed well in line with the manifesto of the party. Seconding the motion, former Anambra State governor, Chief Jim Nwobodo, who acknowledged Sule Lamido, corroborated saying,“It is difficult to change a winning team.

You don’t change a winning team, they have done so well, therefore, I support the motion that Dr Jonathan be adopted as our sole candidate”.

However, in his opening remarks, the national chairman of the party, Dr Adamu Mu’azu,said ahead of the party’s national convention, the main business will be the nomination of party flag bearers but “That with the endorsement today Jonathan will be our candidate”, he said.

He also noted that there will be a minor amendment to the party’s constitution.

The national chairman, however, reiterated that party primaries will be free and fair, adding, “We must show good results through transparent primaries so that others will follow. We must do things right always, no halve measures or cutting of corners”, he said.

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Sunday, September 21, 2014

National Honours Award: Why Jonathan Dropped Maigari

sports

news

Facts have emerged as to why former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Maigari was denied the privilege of receiving the ‘National Honours Award’ he so desires for his unprecedented performance as NFF president. Maigari’s name was conspicuously missing from the list of prominent Nigerians approved by President Goodluck Jonathan and released on Thursday to receive the 2013 and 2014 National Honour Award.

It was reported that Maigari had been line-up for the award by President Goodluck Jonathan which informed why government through the

Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim appealed for the impeachment carried out on him to be quashed to avoid staining his record.

But 2muchsports.com reported that the Presidency made a U-turn when after it noticed that Maigari is more consumed by his desire to remain in NFF than keeping to the agreement reached with the government.

The Minister of Sports and chairman, National sports commission (NSC), Dr Tammy Danagogo had expressed disappointment with the former NFF president when he declared

NFF Flout Court Order, Hold Congress In Warri

By Salifu Usman, Abuja

Despite Friday eight points’ orders of the Federal High Court sitting in Jos, the Aminu Maigari faction of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) went ahead their extra-ordinary congress yesterday in Warri, Delta State. LEADERSHIP Sunday sports reliable gathered the Aminu Maigari-led NFF were served of the court order but decide not to obey it by went y

go ahead with congress as originally scheduled, stating that the civil court has no place in football.

The extra-ordinary congress presided by Alhaji Aminu Maigari, among other decisions taken, commended President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for his personal and administration’s love and tremendous support for the NFF, national teams and Nigeria football as a whole.

Ahead of the upcoming elec-

tions into the NFF executive committee, Congress composed a new NFF Electoral Committee to conduct the election and also unanimously approved Tuesday, September 30 as date for the Elective Congress, and Warri, Delta State as venue.

The Congress passed a resolution that a credible and transparent electoral process is nonnegotiable.

The congress also other decision affirmed that FIFA di-

rective that the 2014 elective congress be composed of only delegates that attended the November 2013 Annual General Assembly in Warri.

In a seven communiqué signed by Sir E.C. Chukwuemeka, chairm an communiqué draft committee, the congress heaped encomiums in the Nigeria Media for standing by the truth and clearly supporting what is just in the thick of the recent crisis.

Maigari

opened the August 26 congress of NFF. He berated the Bauchi-born football administrator for not being a gentleman, stressing that he flouted every agreement reached with him.

Premier League results Yesterday’s Matches QPR 2 – 2 Stoke City Aston Villa 0 – 3 Arsenal Burnley 0 – 0 Sunderland Newcastle 2 – 2 Hull City Swansea 0 – 1 Southampton West Ham 3 – 1 Liverpool

Today’s Matches Tottenham Vs West Bromwich Leicester City Vs Man United Everton Vs Crystal Palace Man City Vs Chelsea

I Will Run FEPSGA With The Fear Of God–Dahiru

By Salifu Usman, Abuja

Onyekachi Apam of Nigeria tackles Angel Di Maria of Argentina in the Men’s Gold Medal football match between Nigeria and Argentina at the 2008 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia

Apam Joins Martins In Seattle Major League Soccer (MLS) club, Seattle Sounders has sealed the signing of Nigeria defender, Onyekachi Apam for undisclosed fee. Sounders, however, stated that the former Rangers of Enugu man will be added to the roster pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Clearance.

Sporting director of Seattle Sounders,

Chris Henderson, believes the MLS club have done a good business by signing on the 27-year-old defender. Henderson also described the former Nigeria under-20 players as “a versatile defender.”

“Onyekachi brings vast experience from French Ligue 1 and the Nigerian national team. He is a versatile defender who can

play central or wide and has the ability to start our attack from the back as well,” Henderson said.

The former Stade Rennes and OGC Nice centre-back will now link up with Nigeria striker, Obafemi Martins, in Seattle once his visa and transfer certificate are secured.

The new president of the Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA), Hassan Dahiru has promised to run the affair of the federation with the fear of God. He said he will seek the face of God in all the affairs of the federation for guidance.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday sports, the former vice president who beat his erstwhile boss, victor Orji to emerge as a president, said his immediate target is to ensure that the volcanize FEPSGA under the former president are bring together to under one unify umbrella of FEPSGA and restored the lost glory of the federation.

He said his administration will not leave stone unturned to ensure members every member of the federation are carry along in all the programmes and activities of the federation. “My first agenda is to move FEPSGA to the next level. How I will do that is to ensure that the volcanize FEPSGA under the past president are bring under one Umbrella.

Segmentation will be thing of the past.

“I will try my best to unite everybody together.

The election that took place in FEPSGA is like in any other election for political office and you must have people diverge opinions. I will try to bring all parties back to FEPSGA family. I am for FEPSGA and not for any group. I have started reaching out to aggrieve parties on the need for us to come together and move the federation forward.

Power belongs to God. He gives to whomever He wishes and takes power from whomever He wishes to take from. I have supported at least two past presidents of FEPSGA with all my heart and I expect other to give me the same cooperation to move the federation forward,” he said.

He added that his board will assiduously to a new facelift and extend their hands of fellowship to corporate organisations. “We will try our possible best to give FEPSGA a new facelift and extend our hands to corporate world for sponsorship.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Ozil Inspires Arsenal To Victory At Villa Arsenal responded to midweek criticism with a 3-0 thrashing of Aston Villa in the Premier League yesterday inspired by record signing, Mesut Ozil.

Ozil scored one and created another for Danny Welbeck as the visitors struck three goals in four minutes before halftime to end the hosts’ unbeaten start in emphatic fashion.

The Germany midfielder produced a cool finish after 32 minutes from Welbeck’s pass, then returned the compliment as Welbeck opened his Gunners account. An own goal by Villa’s Aly Cissokho ended the game as a contest after 36 minutes.

Southampton’s impressive start to the season continued

as they won 1-0 at Swansea City, who played more than half the match with 10 men after Wilfried Bony was redcarded.

Victor Wanyama’s 80thminute goal moved Saints into second place with 10 points, two behind Chelsea who face champions Manchester City on Sunday and a point better off than Arsenal. Villa also have 10 points.

Newcastle United fans held up hundreds of posters calling for manager Alan Pardew to be sacked but two goals from Papiss Cisse enabled the home side to come from two down against Hull City to draw 2-2 and move off the bottom.

A sensational Nikica

Mesut Oezil of Arsenal scores the opening goal during the match

Jelavic volley and a thumping strike from Mohamed Diame had put Hull in control. Niko Kranjcar’s superb late free kick rescued a point for Queens Park Rangers in an entertaining 2-2 draw at home to Stoke City and Burnley drew 0-0 at home to Sunderland.

Pacific Open: Ivanovic, Wozniacki For Final Ana Ivanovic overcame a slow start to beat top seed Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3 in the semifinal of the Pan Pacific Open yesterday to set up a title clash with second seed Caroline Wozniacki.

World number 10 Ivanovic, seeded third in the $1 million event, was down 5-3 in the opening set but went on to win 10 of the next 13 games to seal her victory against her eighth ranked German opponent.

“In the beginning it really took me some time to adjust to her game. It wasn’t like my previous matches,” Ivanovic said.

“But once I adjusted and got more aggressive it started to go my way, and I’m really happy with the win today because she’s always such a tough and challenging opponent.”

Ivanovic

The win boosts the former world No 1’s bid to qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore as it did for her opponent in Sunday’s final.

Wozniacki, also a former top-ranked player, was the first to book her spot for the final after a tough match against an aggressive Garbine Muguruza.

The Danish player saved 19 of the 23 break points she faced in the match, including all nine in the first set, to win 6-4 2-6 6-2 against the 20-year-old Spaniard.

Muguruza gave it her all, hitting 53 winners in the match but was hurt by the 50 unforced errors she committed.

Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire To Host 2019, 2021 AFCON Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea have been named as future hosts of the African Nations Cup by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

A vote of the executive

committee, meeting in the Ethiopian capital, awarded Cameroon the 2019 finals and Cote d’Ivoire will stage the 2021 edition. In an unscheduled announcement CAF also decided to hand

Guinea the right to host the 2023 edition.

Algeria and Zambia lost out in the bidding process.

The Democratic Republic of Congo had withdrawn from the race two months ago.

South Africa To Pay $900k To Hurt Athlete South Africa’s athletics federation said it would seek guidance from the IAAF after being ordered by a court to pay nearly $1 million to an athlete in compensation for injuries he sustained at a meet.

Athletics South Africa said pole-vaulter Jan Blignaut’s case should not have gone

to a civil court under IAAF regulations and should have been dealt with through arbitration instead.

ASA said in a statement it will now seek advice from the international athletics body.

The track federation’s attorney, Monty Hacker, said it would also ask the court for

a “stay of execution” against the compensation award.

ASA - already in severe financial trouble - was ordered to pay Blignaut R10.4 million ($940,000) by a court on Tuesday for head injuries he suffered in a fall at an ASA event in Pretoria in March 2009.

sports 71

AMUSEMENT PARK

winston had devoted the best years of his life to preparing his impromptu speeches — F. E. Smith on WinSton ChurChill

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

21.09.14 No. 450 N300

Aniebo Nwamu

the sunday column

L

Nobody older than 62 years should aspire to rule Nigeria

Not His Last Word Yet

aniebo@leadership.ng

ast week, one of my readers reminded me of the thankless job newspaper columnists do. After reading the piece entitled “3million Jobs In 300 Days”, Mr A. Abba (+2348036465434) sent me a text message: “You are giving away an expensive consultancy prospect on the pages of a newspaper.”

I agree with Abba that we writers are often used and dumped by nitwits and smart alecks near the corridors of power. By simply leafing through newspapers, many have sourced proposals with which they cornered incredible millions of naira. The plagiarist then begins to think of becoming a senator, a governor or a president while the original owner of the ideas that made him rich is ignored. When journalists and other writers are invited to join government, it is often to become press secretaries; they are not required to be involved in decisionmaking but to sing the praises of less intelligent people in power.

Yet, hardly has there been any government policy that did not take its roots from columns and editorials.

No commissioner or minister attends an executive meeting without being armed with ideas borrowed from us columnists. But when such ideas are accepted, they appoint their cronies and thugs to committees or implementing agencies. It is little wonder that otherwise good policies and programmes of governments in Nigeria have always ended in failure.

One could therefore see the frustration of Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah – I simply call him “Sam” – who has, in the last 15 years, run his Monday column “Last Word” in both the Daily Trust and LEADERSHIP. The more he exposed the ills of each government, the worse it performed.

Through his column, he has consistently warned against the country’s penchant for running a mono-product economy, even as the future of oil appears bleak. Hardly any of his articles missed mentioning the deadly effects of unchecked corruption and unpunished crimes. Long before four opposition parties merged to form the All Progressives Congress (APC) in March last year, he was calling for the merger.

It is on record, also, that Sam rang the first alarm bell announcing President Obasanjo’s ambition to get a

third term. Many “informed” observers thought he was alarmist. Everyone was familiar with the tenure elongation bids of military dictators, but no one thought a democratically elected president would seek to change the country’s constitution just to accommodate his vaunting ambition. As the days and weeks passed, however, the truth emerged – “third term” was real. Public funds changed hands and everyone waited for the National Assembly. On May 16, 2006, the Senate led by Ken Nnamani threw away both the baby (constitution amendment) and the bathwater (third term). Sam had been right all along.

Regular readers of “Last Word” and “Earshot” may assume that Sam opposes every president of Nigeria.

False. He usually starts by guiding each president toward the right direction until the latter stops taking his advice. That’s what happened to Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and now Jonathan. This paper that Sam started 10 years ago has been independent; time and again, it has published ideas that are the direct opposites of ones expressed in “Last Word”. The editorial board (which I led from the day LEADERSHIP became a daily on February 1, 2006, until about three years ago) has rarely solicited Sam’s views on any issue or invited him to its meetings.

By choosing to drop his pen in order to join the effort to rescue Nigeria, Sam is seeking to implement what he has been preaching in “Last word”.

Like anyone else, he has the right to aspire to be the king rather than the kingmaker this time. Sam has seen an opportunity to transform his country and wants to seize it. No man with

0805 410 0220 (sms only)

such unquenchable thirst for leadership has ever betrayed his country.

Examples abound.

There is little doubt that imposition of leaders – “drafting” of unwilling candidates – has been Nigeria’s undoing. Nigerian leaders that did well in office were the ones that came with a mission: Gen. Murtala Muhammed and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari/Tunde Idiagbon. The rest, in my view, had leadership thrust on them. It’s about time we listened to voices, especially when they become persistent. So far, Sam has been one of the few presidential aspirants that have come with a blueprint.

His greatest impediment in this race (for APC presidential ticket next month and the presidential election in February) is clearly Nigeria itself.

It is the same obstacle Barack Obama would encounter if he were to seek election as Kenya’s president, and Philip Emeagwali would face if he were to contest election for local government chairman in Anambra State.

Technocrats like Pat Utomi, Chukwuma Soludo and, recently, Kayode Fayemi have had bitter lessons in Nigerian politics.

I am not a politician and cannot mislead my readers. But it is worrying to read or hear supposed enlightened folks rooting for a moneybags and deriding a candidate with good ideas, simply because he has not accumulated billions for sharing among voters. So, can’t anything good come out of Nigeria? Have we given up on the country’s salvation? The cult of mediocrity that seems to be choking Nigeria is what Sam dares to confront. He knows it will not be easy but it is in his nature to “know your limits and then ignore them”. The hope that change would come someday, I guess, has been his driving force in this race to the top. For, there’s no disputing the fact that he has a passion for greatness – the kind that propelled Singapore from Third World to First.

This column has also been prophetic. Before Sam started nursing his ambition, I had innocently advised the APC to look in the direction of a presidential candidate with some of these qualities: a new face untainted by the ills of the past, from the north-central, not fanatical about any religion, and relatively young. In this matter of choosing the APC presidential candidate, Sam fits the bill. He has no “ex-

perience” in treasury looting, is from the north-central, is a Christian married to a woman whose parents are Muslims, and he is just 52 years old.

In my view, nobody older than 62 years should aspire to rule Nigeria.

I make this rule because I have not seen a septuagenarian that is healthy enough to take the pressure of office and still fail to go astray. So, if my ideal candidate enjoys two terms of four years each, he will not be older than 70 by the time he leaves office.

The ruling PDP already has a formidable candidate in President Jonathan who, like Sam, is educated, from a minority tribe and relatively young.

APC must do its mathematics well before picking its candidate, if it hopes to make any headway in 2015. Nigerians desire to have their own Lee Kuan Yew, Roosevelt or Obama. The Murtala and Buhari/Idiagbon regimes I cited earlier did well probably because they were led by a 38-year-old and a 41-year-old who still had the advantage of youth.

Even as president of Nigeria, Sam may still desire to continue writing his column. For now, “Last Word” has transmuted to “BIG IDEAS” canvassed by his campaign team. In particular, he remains a veteran journalist’s son who still seeks to change society as his father did..

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GHANA MUST GO General election must hold next year — Tambuwal

Period!

• LEADERSHIP (ISSN 0331-328X) is published in Abuja by LEADERSHIP GROUP LIMITED, 27 Ibrahim Tahir Lane, Off Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Way, Utako District, Abuja P. O. Box 9514, Garki II, Abuja. Lagos Office: 34/36 Adegbola Street, Anifowose, Off Oba Akran, Ikeja. E-mail: info@leadership.ng, advert@leadership.ng, newsroom@leadership.ng