Leadership thursday

14.08.14

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

thursday

No. 2,239

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Etisalat, MTN, Others Sell $3bn Telecom Towers

By Chima Akwaja, Lagos

Leading Nigerian and African mobile telecom operators, including MTN, Airtel and Etisalat are selling off over 30,000 base transceiver stations

(BTS) tower assets in a move that signals adoption of a new business model predicated on cutting operational costs to

shore up the average revenue per user (ARPU) from voice subscription to independent tower management companies.

Investigation by LEADERSHIP confirmed that Africa’s mobile telecommunications revolution a decade and half ago saw mobile

Niger By-election: We’ll Ensure David Umaru’s Victory - APC > Page 7

network operators (MNOs) build their own infrastructure from scratch. “Operators spent millions of dollars establishing passive mobile infrastructure ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

We Won’t Cede Any Part Of Nigeria To Terrorists – DHQ > Page 4

Ebola Virus Spreads To Enugu, 21 Quarantined Suspected carrier nurse ignored travel advice Jonathan meets 36 govs 5

EBOLA SCARE: NO MORE HANDSHAKE! L-R: State governors Willy Obiano (Anambra), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Theodore Orji (Abia), during the emergency meeting on Ebola between President Goodluck Jonathan and 36 state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY Remi Akuleyan

Chibok Diary DAY 122

We're Behind Ultimatum To Jonathan — Ango Abdullahi > Page 2

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chibok diary 122

Thursday, August 14, 2014

DAY

Chibok Tweets @SephOru #BringBackOurGirls #BringBackOurGirls now and alive, no more politricks @obyezeks Let YOUR VOICE and MINE not be SILENT. WE stay echoing the CRY of our Girls for FREEDOM. #BringBackOurGirls! pic.twitter.com/ Hb4O6MAFAO @rescueourgirls 121 days since Tabitha Thomas was taken from #Chibok.

Will she ever come home? Never forget. #BringBackOurGirls @STORMY_FLEISS They are still missing.

We can't give up until they are home safe. #BringBackOurGirls @ BringGirlsBack @Marystrawberry Drop your cynicism.

Embrace compassion. #BringBackOurGirls #Southsudannow #dancenotwar @omojuwa It is now officially 1/3 of a year since the girls of Chibok were abducted. How long before they get rescued? #BringBackOurGirls @seunfakze Four months of being subjected to unimaginable medical, physical and emotional challenges.

Day 120 of kidnap #BringBackOurGirls @BBOG_Nigeria Day 120: Its now 4 harrowing months for parents and families of over 200 chibok girls that were abducted by #bokoharam #BringBackOurGirls @etinmagbe Our hearts are crying and aching with pain! Is there anyone listening?? #BringBackOurGirls #BringBackOurGirls Compiled by Iroka Ugochukwu

Chibok Girls: We’re Behind Ultimatum To Jonathan – Ango Abdullahi

BY BODE GBADEBO, Abuja

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has fired back at the presidency, saying it was indeed behinnd the October ultimatum given to President Goodluck Jonathan to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls or forget his 2015 ambition of returning as the president of Nigeria.

An official of the forum and former vice-chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Prof Ango Abdullahi, who disclosed this during an interview with a selection of journalists in Abuja yesterday, said the group had every right as Nigerians to issue the ultimatum, adding that they were only exercising their freedom of expression.

On Monday, the forum, at press conference addressed by two of its members, Barr Solomon Dalung and Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed in Kaduna, had said that President Jonathan had until the end of October this year to produce theschoolgirls abducted in April, or face mass opposition to his re-election as president in 2015.

Reacting to the ultimatum by NEF on Tuesday, the presidency, through the senior special assistant to

the president on public affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe blasted the group and said the president did not require any threat or ultimatum from the North or any group of persons for him to perform his constitutional responsibilities.

But Prof Abdullahi said his group was not surprised at the turn of events, adding that he wondered why anyone who did not know the real members of the NEF would question its membership.

“One is not completely surprised with the reaction of the presidential aide on the press conference put together by Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed and Solomon Dalung in Kaduna. First, Ithink the question with regard to whether the statement actually came from the Northern Elders Forum, perhaps they are not used to seeing other people apart from the usual persons speaking on behalf of the forum.

I want to make it absolutely clear that

the press conference convened by Dr Hakeem and Dalung was convened with full knowledge and support of the Northern Elders Forum. In fact, it was a product of a meeting that took place that both translated into a press statement. So, that is to disabuse the mind of anybody who doubts thatthese two gentlemen are speaking for themselves. They are speaking on behalf of the forum.“One is surprised that someone who doesn’t know the Northern Elders Forum, should begin to question who are members and who are not members. But I want to assure listeners or readers, as the case may be, that Dr Hakeem and Dalung that convened this press conference in Kaduna did so with full knowledge of the Northern Elders Forum’s main committee. I want to clear that doubt in the mind of anybody, whether from the officialdom or from ordinary reading public,” Abdullahi said.

BBOG Campaign: Group Re-strategises For Continuity

By Chika Mefor and Ejike Ejike, Abuja Indications show that there will be no slowing down in the clamour for the rescueof the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the Boko Haram sect in April this year, as the #BringBackOurGirls Group has mapped out strategies to continue a robust and sustained protest until the girls are rescued.

At its daily sit-out session yesterday, the group put together plans to visit strategic places and hold a larger protest than the last on Day 130 of the girls' abduction. It also called on all those who could to lend their voices to the campaign for the safe return of the Chibok girls until they were brought back alive.

Everybody that has a voice should lend a voice in the advocacy of the Chibok girls. Everybody that has a voice should lend a voice against the insurgency in the North East. People should come out as individuals and organisations to condemn the attack and demand on government to do what is its mandate to do. Anybody that lends a voice to the rescue of the girls, we stand by that,” the group said.

Recall that the BBOG Group had taken to the streets of Abuja on Tuesday, in a bidto remind Nigerians that the Chibok schoolgirls were still in the hands of the insurgents 120 days after they were abducted.

The protest, which was organised to mark the 105th session of the group's daily sit-outs and Day 120 of the captivity of the girls, involved the distribution of fliersand stickers to motorists and pas-

Chairman of the Chibok in Abuja, Mr. Hosea Abana Addressing Members of #BringBack OurGirls group during their meeting at the Maitama Amusement Park in Abuja yesterday PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO.

sersby.

Also recall that the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) had on Monday given President Goodluck Jonathan an October 2014

deadline by which to rescue the Chibok schoolgirls or forget his 2015 presidential re-election bid.

NATION’S CRUDE OIL RESOURCES LOCAL REFINING TO THE RESCUE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (NNPC) IS ENHANCING LOCAL REFINING OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AT THE PORT HARCOURT REFINERY

49

Nigeria’s largest refinery is located in Port Harcourt, River State

30%

The percentage by which grid outages have reduced *PHRC’s output from its total maximum capacity of 210,000 barrels per day. The outages and other factors have forced Nigeria to import large volumes of refined petroleum products to meet its domestic needs

NATURAL GAS *Port Harcourt Refining Company

Age of the Port Harcourt Refinery

General Electric (GE) is providing Nigeria’s largest refinery with three 25-megawatt (MW), trailer-mounted, TM2500+ aeroderivative gas turbines in a bid to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the refinery

The fuel-flexible system can use either natural gas or liquiddistillate

LIQUIDDISTILATE INFOGRAPHICS BY Matthew Akhabue

3

our stand Thursday, August 14, 2014

Again, Mass Failure In WASSCE

T

he result of the May/ June West African School Certificate E x a m i n at i o n s (WASSCE) just released by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) indicates a 70 per cent failure by the candidates. This is not the first time WAEC is recording this kind of abysmal and embarrassing result. On each occasion, reasons are adduced with experts proffering what, in their opinion, should be the panacea. Soon after, all is forgotten until the next poor result is recorded and the vicious cycle of blame game and buck-passing continues.

According to WAEC, a total number of 1,692,435 candidates took part in the examination out of which a whopping 70 per cent could not make the required result that would enable them proceed with their education at a higher level. As usual, analysts and pseudo-experts have been busy explaining what might have happened as if a lot has not already been said to warrant a state of emergency in the education sector.

Opinions on this serious matter that bears significant relevance to the nation’s socio-economic and political development are varied. Many insist that the major part of the problem has to do with the policy thrust of the government which has continued to pay less than lip service to what is going on in the sector. They point out that the overhaul of the sector ought to start with the teacher training

process as a way of buoying the rather too low entry qualification into teaching which is yet to be clearly defined as to whether it is a profession or a vocation.

At the moment, it is the last resort of those who studied education in the higher institutions, thus leaving the field for those lacking in commitment to use school periods to do other unrelated things to augment their poor pay.

Even the government itself accepts that the sector is poorly funded with its attendant negative impact on the intellectual content as well as curriculum development. Not much is done to ensure that appropriate incentives are put in place to attract the right calibre of personnel; teachers remain one of the poorest public servants in an environment where less qualified people in politics earn in four years what teachers cannot earn in a lifetime.

Besides the apparent lack of seriousness of policymakers in matters relating to teaching and teachers, parents have a share in the blame because of their penchant to leave the upbringing of their wards to teachers

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

alone. In addition to the claim of being too busy to monitor their wards’ school activities, many of them go out of their way to encourage them to cheat; some go as far as buying marks and manipulating the system to ensure that their wards get good grades just to cover up their own parental failures. The students themselves are not helping matters with their inclination to play with their electronic toys even in classrooms. Their teachers look on helplessly as they are usually forbidden to punish erring students. The teachers get back at them through strict invigilation during examinations. The result is the WASSCE results we have seen in recent years.

The situation is not altogether hopeless. If only every stakeholder would decide to adopt a positive attitude, the poor performance in WASSCE would be reversed. But the government should do a rethink of the decision to abolish the Teacher Training Certificate programme which is where the real professional teachers are imbued with the rudiments of what it takes to be a teacher for pupils in the primary school which, in fact, is where the foundation is laid. Mere post-graduate diploma is not enough to make one a teacher who would make the right impact especially at that level. It is time teaching was made a profession in the real sense of it with strict entry qualifications.

It is not a place for quacks and half-baked wayfarers.

Founder Sam Nda-Isaiah Chairman Hajiya Ireti Kingibe Group Managing Director Azubuike Ishiekwene Group Executive Directors Michael Okpere Dr Kazeem Durodoye Company Secretary/ Legal Adviser Abdulhaleem Amin Divisional Directors Abdulmumin Balogun Ademola Oladosu Iyobosa Uwugiaren Salisu Alhassan Bichi General Managers Aminu Abubakar Sule Zipporah D. Tanko Joy Adekanye

Leadership Holdings

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

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

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

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

4 news extra

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Group News Editor: Tony Amokeodo We Won’t Cede Any Part Of Nigeria To Terrorists – DHQ The military has vowed to protect and preserve the territorial integrity of the country, promising that no part of its country will be left to terrorists and other insurgent groups.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, gave this assurance yesterday in Abuja during a media interaction on security issues by the Nigeria Initiative.

Olukolade said that the armed forces will continue its offensive in Gwoza and other towns in Borno State threatened by terrorists who overran it last week.

It would be recalled that Boko Haram terrorists last week, in a daring move, captured the strategic town of Gwoza after the initial attempt by the military to retake the enclave was unsuccessful with the fate of the Battalion Commander, Lt-Col. Agu, still to be ascertained.

However, the military has launched a new offensive to retake the town, with a cheering news that the kidnapped Gwoza monarch had escaped from Boko Haram captivity.

“On Gwoza, all we can say is that we are still working and we don’t want to leave any part of the town to the terrorists. On the role of the air force, they have been very active in the counter-terrorism efforts”, Olukolade said.

He assured that the armed forces would continue to contribute its quota in fighting terrorism but required understanding that they are committed and at the disposal of the public.

“Our goal, our mandate is to deny the terrorists the resources they need to cause insecurity against the country,” he said.

“I will re-emphasis what I said: no part of this country will be allowed for the terrorist to occupy; we want to ensure that everywhere is secure enough. Anything they are doing is criminal; that armed robbers are rampaging in Lagos does not mean they control that place.”

The Defence spokesman also used the opportunity to clarify issues on the women, especially soldiers’ wives who protested against the deployment of their husbands to the war zones in Borno State with poor weapons.

Olukolade said the problem had been resolved, and explained that most of the women were acting out of ignorance and that they had promised not to interfere with military administrative and operational procedures.

“For the women in the barracks, we believe that their grievance is lack of understanding and we have explained to them. It is not their role to decide on deployment; that tendency will not be condoned anymore. It has been dealt with. They now know the consequences of their actions because it’s becoming distracting”, he said.

By Bayo Oladeji, Abuja

President Goodluck Jonathan watches Lagos State governor Babatunde Fashola as he sanitised his hands before the commencement of a meeting on Ebola at the State House in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY REMI AKUNLEYAN.

Impeachment: Enugu Deputy Governor Collapses While Testifying

By Nnamdi Mbawike, Enugu

The embattled deputy governor of Enugu State, Mr Sunday Onyebuchi, collapsed yesterday while testifying before the impeachment panel looking into the allegations levelled against him by the State House of Assembly.

Surprisingly, the panel insisted that it would continue its sitting despite a medical certificate that confirmed that Onyebuchi was suffering from high blood pressure.

A source told LEADERSHIP that the deputy governor who collapsed at about 11.35am was

swiftly rushed out of the court hall at about 11:38am by his wife, Mrs Nneka Ada Onyebuchi, his children and some of his aides present for medical attention.

Onyebuchi who arrived the court with his lawyers started testifying before the panel at 9:30am.

Speaking outside the court room with reporters, one of a counsel to Onyebuchi, Ogochukwu Onyekwuluje, disclosed that the deputy governor was swiftly rushed to the hospital while the proceeding was adjourned till 2pm.

He further averred that the

deputy governor might have slumped due to fatigue, stressing that he had been running around to tidy up his defence for the past two weeks.

He said the deputy governor became feverish after sitting down for hours, stating that he complained of dizziness and weakness before becoming unconscious.

Onyekwuluje further disclosed that they got a medical certificate from Dr BC Anisiuba, a consultant cardiologist with the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku Ozalla, that confirmed that Onyebuchi was suffering from high

blood pressure.

According to him, the doctor recommended that the deputy governor be allowed to rest for one week.

He, however, explained that when the panel reconvened at about 2pm, they suggested that the panel should adjourn till Monday to enable the deputy governor to rest for three days, a suggestion, which he said was accepted by counsel to the House of Assembly, Nduka Ikeyi.

A source told our correspondent that despite the suggestion

by Onyebuchi’s lawyers, the tribunal adjourned till today and vowed to continue sitting.

Soldiers Raising False Alert On Shi’ite Members – Zakzaky

By Midat Joseph, Kaduna

Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, has alleged that the Nigerian military is now spreading rumour that the “Shi’ites” are planning to avenge the killing of their members.

He made the allegation at the end of Nahjul Balagha study session at the Hussainiyyah Baqiyyatullah, Zaria, on Monday, the first since the Quds Day shootings.

The Nigerian military had during the Quds Day peaceful procession killed over 33 people, including three of Sheikh Zakzaky’s sons, while many were injured.

Sheikh Zakzaky said the military men, having woefully failed in their plan, have put all their barracks on red alert to further unleash more violence and spill

innocent blood.

“We will not be surprised if they decided to detonate bombs in their barracks, or even kill some of their own and say it is the “Shi’ites” that are taking revenge. They have been doing this all over in the name of Boko Haram,” he said.

He said that because the military men had been put to shame before the world, they realised that if they unleash further onslaught without justification, they would be further condemned, adding that they have, therefore, decided to spread the rumour and commission Lagos and Kaduna-based newspapers to fabricate a malicious story and attribute it to him.

“The reporter of the national daily was non-existent, but given the name Shehu Dawud.

Then another newspaper, The Polity, carried the same story,

word-for-word, but attributed the story to its anonymous correspondent. Neither of the two newspapers stated where I made the statement. We conducted a press conference here and it was recorded; it was published and posted on the internet and YouTube; how could only a Lagos-based newspaper have heard what El-Zakzaky said?”

Sheikh Zakzaky further stated that the newspapers were sponsored by the military to write the story, adding that fed with the international dimension of the incident in the story, which could only have come from government sources.

“We are aware that the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran had summoned the Nigerian ambassador to the country and expressed its dismay over the

shooting of peaceful protester at the Quds Day procession, and the Nigerian ambassador promised that the issue would be investigated.

“This was on the news, we are all aware of it. What we were not aware of was that other countries also expressed dismay over the issue. In the story, it is said that governments of Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, South Africa, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, etc., all expressed concern over the incident.

“This was not in the news, and therefore the public was not aware of it. It was a diplomatic affair that was not made public. For that to be in only one selected local media proves that it came from government sources, and they used that to justify that these countries are backing our intention to embark on act of vengeance,” he said.

NEWS 5

Thursday, August 14, 2014

LIVING BE BE 100100 LIVINGTOTO

One health tip daily Go Fish for the Omega

If you’re not a vegetarian, you’ll want to make intelligent choices about the meat you eat. Of all animal products, fish is the healthiest, due to its high protein and low fat content. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish, along with other nutrients, protect blood vessels from plaque, reduce

inflammation, prevent high blood pressure, and help you maintain good respiratory health. Populations with a diet consisting mainly of fish, fresh fruits, and local vegetables experience virtually no cardiovascular disease and have a high percentage of healthy seniors.

Etisalat, MTN, Others Sell $3bn Telecom Towers FROM COVER

which included tower sites and all infrastructure on them, such as, shelters and power and cooling facilities (excluding radio equipment).

Today MNOs who were afraid that their competitors could eavesdrop on their communication lines if they shared infrastructure are now doing co-location of facilities and infrastructure sharing on the same site. Carriers in Africa are offloading the assets, which cost more to run on the continent than in other parts of the world because of the need for backup generators and batteries to guard against power failure.

In the words of Messrs. James Cotter and George Morris of Simmons & Simmons LLP, such sharing is recognised by most governments and regulators as an important facilitator of competition at operator level, improvements to national network coverage (with resulting social and economic benefits)and reducing environmental impact For instance, he explained passive infrastructure sharing in Africa offered the prospect of opening up many markets to operators who would not otherwise contemplate building out their own infrastructure; extending existing operators’ services and stimulating network build in locations without coverage. Sale and ‘leaseback’ of passive infrastructure could make a great deal of sense financially,

generating a cash windfall and replacing burdensome capital expenditure (capex) with regular and lower operating expenditure (opex.

LEADERSHIP gathered that African operators such as MTN, Bharti Airtel, Orange, Vodacom, Egypt’s Mobinil are working on selling mobile tower networks in Africa, the latest examples of telecom operators looking to reduce exposure to costly infrastructure in the region. In Africa, towers and the infrastructure could account for more than 60 percent of the expense to build a mobile network, according to data from tower company, IHS Holding Ltd. MTN Group is on the verge of selling towers valued at $1 billion in Nigeria, and Bharti Airtel Africa is selling about 15,000 of its towers across 17 countries for $2bn- $2.5bn. Orange, France’s largest phone company is looking at disposing of towers in subSaharan Africa and Egypt.

According to TMT Finance, a shortlist of three bidders had reportedly been drawn up for MobiNil’s 2,500-3,000 Egyptian towers.* Meanwhile, another operator in which Orange owns a stake, Sonatel, is progressing with the sale of 3,000 towers across Senegal, Mali, Guinea Bissau and Guinea Conakry. South Africa’s Vodacom has to date, sold 1, 149 mobile network towers to Helios Towers Africa in Tanzania. ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Ebola Virus Spreads To Enugu, 21 Quarantined

By George Agba, Winifred Ogbebo, Victor Okeke, By DAVID ADUGE-ANI, and Abdullahi Umar, Bayo Oladeji, Abuja with agency report; Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto

A nurse who ignored medical advice not to travel to Enugu on the grounds of having a contact with the late Liberian Patrick Sawyer who brought Ebola Virus to Lagos has caused an apprehension in Enugu, as her decision to travel to Enugu has led to another development.

About 21 persons, including the nurse and her husband have been quarantined in Enugu State, following suspicion that they were infected with Ebola Virus, the federal government said yesterday.

It also noted that about 198 persons suspected to have contacted the deadly Ebola Virus were under the watch list of health specialists.

This came just as the increasing spread of the disease compelled the Chief Physician to the president, Dr. FDP Fiberesima to issue some precautionary measures to workers at the presidential villa.

Information minister, Mr. Labaran Maku, who disclosed this after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting noted that the affected nurse, who had primary contact with the late Patrick Sawyer travelled to Enugu from Lagos against instruction not to leave Lagos State.

He also told State House Correspondents that, out of the 198 persons under surveillance, 177 of them were in Lagos while 21 were in Enugu.

He said, “All those who had primary contact have been quarantined. Secondary contacts have also been traced. So far, the number of people that have been traced is 198. Out of this number, 177 are in Lagos and are being traced. Some are in quarantine, some are being monitored by health specialists. 21 persons in Enugu are also being watched.

“This is because one of the nurses that was involved with the treatment of the index case, unfortunately, disobeyed medical instructions and somehow travelled to Enugu. All those who she was in contact with, including her husband, are under quarantine. The medical team have been to trace all those who made contact with her.

“Health workers are now in all our border units. All the entry points into this country and exit points, we have port health workers that are working in our airports and seaports”.

He said: “In one or two cases where we have had disobedience, we lost one of them and this one now moved with it to another place (Enugu).

So we are urging Nigerians,

Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu

please to help us in making sure that all these messages and appeals we are making on you, we implement them.

“There is no cure so far, anywhere in the world. Even the trial drug in the US is still a trial drug, its not been established.

One of the doctors and research experts that came forward was Dr Simon Agwale, who has been one of the frontline global researchers on developing vaccines for HIV and other viral diseases.

“He also came forward and said he could help, both in terms of working out to develop a vaccine, which he said he has started work on between himself and his fellow experts in the US and he said this is ongoing”.

In a circular he made handy to workers in Aso Rock, Chief Physician to the president, Fiberesima, said the precautionary measures announced by him was in view of the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus disease and certain animals ( bats and monkeys) have been linked with the virus.

He urged then to avoid physical contact with bats and monkeys, whether dead or alive and picking up dead bats and monkeys.

“Immediately notify the public health unit of State House Medical Centre for proper disposal. Avoid using hand contacts to clear droppings (animal faeces) on parked cars.

Hand gloves are available at the SHMC on request.

Water hose, vehicles parked under trees (with or without animal droppings on them) properly before washing. Sanitise hands or wash your hands with soap and water as often as possible”, he stated.

He further explained that the measures were purely precautionary in view of the large number of bats and monkeys in the Villa.

Governors avoid handshakes, greet with knuckles In a related development, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday summoned the 36 ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

6 NEWS

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Ebola Virus Spreads To Enugu, 21 Quarantined FROM PAGE 5

state governors with their Commissioners for Health for an emergency meeting to discuss possible ways to curtail the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease.

But LEADERSHIP observed that when the governors were about to greet themselves in the usual handshake, some of them opted to greet one another with knuckles at the presidential villa.

Ebola: NMA Now The Hunted, No Longer The Hunter-Bishop Kukah As the rave of Ebola rumour continues to gather momentum on daily basis across Nigeria, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Dioceses, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah yesterday decried what he considered the painful aspect of the outbreak which is the merciless degree at which it was said to be spreading and how those in the profession of care giving were at high risk.

Bishop Kukah, who spoke during the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Sokoto state chapter public lecture on Ebola Virus Disease at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, also said, the fear of Ebola was the beginning of knowledge and living in Nigeria as of today.

Represented by the Secretary to the Bishop, Rev Fr. Onuh Ladi Sixths, Kukah said, the doctors under normal circumstance catered and treated patients but the case now was so terrible and complex that even the doctors were at high risk.

“Ebola sensitization like this one is an eye opener to everybody, especially that it is coming at a time when Nigerians are thinking of insecurity and other challenges. The situation of Ebola could be described as a time of crisis that deserves national emergency. The fear of Ebola is the beginning of knowledge in Nigeria and most painfully, the NMA are now the hunted, no longer the hunter” Kukah observed.

NMA Directs Doctors To Respond To Ebola Emergency The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has directed all its members across the country to immediately respond to the state of emergency

declared by the President on Ebola even as it continued its strike action.

In a statement signed by the NMA secretary-general to LEADERSHIP, Dr. Adewunmi Alayaki said, “NMA hereby directs all Nigerian doctors to get actively involved in this control battle and provide all the needed professional expertise to ensure the situation is brought under control as quickly as possible.”

The NMA said that all its State Branch Officers Committees are directed to immediately liaise with their respective Commissioners for Health, Information, Housing and Urban development, Environment and Water Resources, Education, as well as the Directors of Medical Services and Directors of Public Health with a view to fashioning out effective strategies to prevent the spread of the Ebola Virus.

Nigerian Pharmacist Discovers Cure For Ebola A Nigerian pharmacist, Ben Amodu said he had discovered the cure and prevention of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), which had killed many people since its outbreak recently.

In an interview with LEADERSHIP yesterday, Ben Amodu, who is a notable researcher in areas of Tradomedicine disclosed that his product, Halamin Herbal Product was the remedy for Ebola Virus disease (EVD).

Ebola, a dreaded disease that has been a terror to mankind for some time now, might have surrendered to the power of researched products of Halamin Herbal Products in Abuja, Nigeria. He said.

“My product combinations can cure and prevent Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). Our combinations, such as SAAB and SAAB fate can cure and prevent ETB. We have SAAB in one set and in another set, we have DAAB. We equally have SAAB MALL that has 37% effectiveness against all forms of fever”, he said.

Amodu who is the director and chief researcher of Halamin, said that he discovered the drug a long time ago, adding that the federal ministry of health and the minister of health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu was aware of his discovery.

Ebola: FG Names 4 Laboratories For Testing The federal government yesterday listed four laboratories for testing persons suspected to have been infected with the Ebola virus disease (EVD).

The announcement was made immediately after an emergency meeting of President Goodluck Jonathan, state governors and commissioners for health on issues bordering on the dreaded virus at the presidential villa, Abuja.

The centres are in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Centre for Disease Control in Asokoro, Abuja, University College Hospital, Ibadan and the Redeemer University Laboratory along Kilometre 35 Lagos-Ibadan Express Way. Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting which lasted for over four hours were Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, and his Enugu counterpart, Sulivan Chime, WHO Country representative, Dr. Rui Voiz, the Ministers of Information and Health, Labaran Maku and Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu and the Director-General of National Centre for Disease Control, Prof.

Nasidi Maku, who said nine laboratories would also be set up across the country before the end of next month, noted that most Nigerians in diaspora were in touch with the federal government with a view to assisting in making available the experimental drugs for the virus.

He said: “We rose from this meeting with the confidence that we will defeat this virus in line with the leadership being given by the President and state governors and professional health workers,” Maku said.

According to the health minister, Nigeria had 10 confirmed cases including the American Liberian, Patrick Sawyer who imported the disease and those who had contact with the index case. Out of the 10 cases, three had been confirmed dead, Sawyer himself, the nurse that attended to him and the protocol officer with ECOWAS commission that was detailed to welcome delegates to the conference in Calabar. Seven persons of the 10 confirmed cases were alive and showing

progress with treatment.

He clarified that the 177 persons under surveillance would at the end of the 21 day incubation period would no longer be monitored if confirmed that they were free of the disease.

He said the 21 persons quarantined in Enugu State were secondary contact cases under surveillance and that the defiant nurse was under observation in Lagos.

On his part, Health Minister Chukwu confirmed that the nurse who had primary contact with the late Liberian, Sawyer was among the ten confirmed cases of those infected with Ebola virus disease.

He noted that the 21 persons under surveillance in Enugu were being quarantined because they all had secondary contact with a primary contact.

“When the nurse left Lagos to Enugu, she was under surveillance in Lagos and instructed not to travel to anywhere but she disobeyed and travelled to Enugu to meet her husband who is based in Enugu. It was in Enugu she fell ill and started showing symptoms and the hospital she went for treatment contacted us and we tested her and the test confirmed she has Ebola virus. She is among the ten confirmed cases”, he said.

Chukwu added that the meeting discussed issues of effective communication and the need to provide isolation centres and laboratories for experiment across the country, even as he said government was also working to establish such testing centres in Jos and Kano and is setting up a mobile testing center in Enugu by the end of the week.

He said, government’s decision on prohibition on repatriation of corpses from abroad, would be fully enforced. He however explained that waivers would be granted after due diligence had been carried out.

He said already two of such waivers from Kenya and India of Nigerians who died of diabetes and cancer respectively have been granted.

“Two cases were reported in Abuja but they have been cleared of not having the virus. The one in Anambra concerning a corpse has been cleared. That of Abia, which was a case; of reaction a drug (Steven Johnson) has been cleared. So also is the corpse in Imo brought from Liberia it’s

Patrick Sawyer Branded a Terrorist Following the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the country, the presidency has tagged the man, Mr Patrick Sawyer, credited with the importation of the virus into Nigeria a terrorist.

Senior special assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Youths and Students, Mr Jude Imagwe said in Abuja during the dinner lecture and awards night organised by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Vanguard to honour prominent members of the party in the country.

He said Sawyer’s misguided action had brought pains and hardship upon Nigerians who had been going about their daily duties. He said such a man deserves to rot in hell.

“Patrick Sawyer has brought pain and hardship to Nigerians.

So many things have now changed because he brought this upon us. Even in churches, we are not free anymore”, Imagwe added.

and operate the towers and related passive infrastructure and would invest in a build-tosuit programmes to support MTN’s future requirements in both countries. MTN Rwanda and MTN Zambia will become the respective anchor tenants on the towers for an initial term of ten years. The two transactions brought the total number of

towers in IHS’s portfolio to 10,500 extending its leadership in the African market as at then.

It is believed that Barti Airtel and Etisalat are to sell towers valued $500m and $400m respectively.

“The Value of Intellectual Capital is the ability to breed ideas that ignite innovation” Anonymous.

been cleared of the cause not being ebola”, the minister noted.

Also briefing, Lagos State Governor, Fashola insisted on transparent disclosure of infected persons it saying health workers were provided with advanced equipment to protect them in their first line of duties.

He said, “This is not the time to make fast naira. Next week will be defining for us, to know what cases have multiplied.

This is not something you keep in religious houses to pray. Infected persons are not patients you can move by taxis, if they need prayers now it can be done electronically. We are now 99 per cent following the cases we need to have a 100 per cent because if we have one infected person is a global risk, not just Nigeria.

“We have to drop our traditional behaviours like shaking of hands and nobody should be offended. You have to stop defecating and urinating in public, particularly at this time of our challenges”.

The WHO Representative in Nigeria, Voiz, commended President Jonathan for calling the meeting of governors and commissioners of health to identify gaps in fighting the disease.

Etisalat, MTN, Others Sell $3bn Telecom Towers FROM PAGE 5

Bharti’s sale is likely to result in a split of the towers between multiple buyers.

IHS, American Tower Corp.

(AMT), units of Helios Towers and Eaton Towers Ltd are bidding for the acquisitions of the MTN and Bharti assets.

These companies, backed by cash

from wealthy investors including billionaire George Soros and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., have bought thousands of towers from carriers in the region in the past two years.

In December 2013, MTN announced it had its tower portfolios in Rwanda and Zambia to IHS Holding Limited.

MTN sold a total of 1,228

mobile network towers to IHS’s subsidiaries in Rwanda and Zambia, comprised of 524 and 704 towers respectively, for undisclosed amounts. The deal was in line with MTN’s asset optimization strategy and built on two previous deals with HIS in Cameroon and Côté d’Ivoire, for a total of 1,758 towers. Under the agreements, IHS would acquire

news extra 7

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Niger By-election: We’ll Ensure David Umaru’s Victory – APC The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State has declared that the party will not relent to ensure that Barrister David Umar, the senatorial candidate of the party in the August 30 by-election for Niger East, is victorious .

The publicity secretary of the party, Mr Jonathan Vasta, told LEADERSHIP in an interview that all plan against the party’s candidate had been uncovered in some local government areas and that the party was on top of the situation.

He said that the party’s men all over Niger East were fully mobilized to ensure that the political tactics meant to compromise the forthcoming election were neutralized to ensure that people’s votes count.

“The election in Osun has really awakened the consciousness of the people not to be intimidate by onslaught of security men, to protect their votes and be ahead of any attempt for compromise and manipulation,” he noted.

Vasta said that it would be better for the integrity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) if the present Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Niger State, Dr Emmanuel Onucheyo, is posted out of the state before the election as it was done in Osun State.

According to him, considering the facts that the party has presented against the REC’s ability to conduct free and fair election, it will not be out of place if the REC is posted out.

“We know he collected money from government. He was a PDP governorship aspirant in Kogi State; ordinarily, his sympathy will be for PDP,” Vasta added.

By Abu Nmodu Minna,

Port Harcourt Mayor Slumps, Dies The chairman, Caretaker Committee of the Port Harcourt City local government area in Rivers State, Hon. Charles Paul Ejekwu, yesterday slumped and was later confirmed dead at a private hospital in Port Harcourt.

Ejekwu, who assumed office as the Mayor of Port Harcourt last July, was said to have been part of a stakeholders’ meeting held in the state capital on Tuesday night before retiring to his residence along Abba Street in Diobu area of Port Harcourt.

The state governor, Chibuike Amaechi, who cancelled his scheduled tour of political wards in Obio/Akpor local government area of the state, later paid a condolence visit at the family house in Diobu, Port Harcourt, and also visited the hospital to which he was rushed.

Meanwhile, the APC chairman in the state, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, has expressed shock over the death of the Mayor of Port Harcourt.

Cross section of governors and deputy governors, at the president’s meeting with state governors and their commissioners for health in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY NAN

Pay Our Wages Before 2015 Elections, Pensioners Tell FG, Governors

By Michael Oche, Abuja

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) yesterday urged the federal government as well as state government to ensure that all arrears owed pensioners are paid before the 2015 election.

Speaking in Abuja, NUP president Comrade Abel Afolayan, said that governors who fail to pay the arrears of pensioners will lose the support of its members in the general elections.

“Between now and election, we want our outstanding arrears to be paid so that our people will not die. We are also saying that those governors that want pensioners to

die, we will not support them,” he said.

He pleaded with the ministry of finance and the budget office to release funds to the Pension Transition Arrangement Department (PTAD) to enable them pay the pensioners.

The union also backed the PTAD, describing it as a child of necessity.

Afolayan reiterated the union’s determination to work with the new pension authority and pledged its unalloyed support to it in a bid to ameliorate the living condition of pensioners.

He however urged “the management of PTAD to step up efforts in the payment of some outstanding

arrears of pensions of various categories and the payment of new enrollees for payment as well as payment of pension and death gratuities to the deserving pensioners in order to convince the apprehensive pensioners of its action plan as well as prove its critics and skeptics wrong of its programmmes and activities.”

Afolayan also warned unauthorised individuals making statement on behalf of the union to desist from doing so.

“That, for the umpteenth time, we wish to reiterate that the likes of E. A. Omoyemi, David Adodo and Pa Chukwurah who are parading themselves as the self-ac-

claimed leaders of the union are doing so illegally and unconstitutionally as they are neither the voice of the pensioners nor authorized to speak on behalf of the union on issues that border on the welfare and well-being of the civil service pensioners at all levels,” he said.

He also lambasted the group for calling on the federal government to bring back the former chairman of the disbanded Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed maina, to either take over pension payment or to be co-opted to work with PTAD. “We will resist that with the last drop of our blood,” he said.

Osun Denies Arrest Of Deputy Gov Over Arms Possession

by Joshua Dada, Osogbo

Osun State government has denies the allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, that Deputy Governor Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori was arrested for carrying ammunition.

Apparently reacting to the claim by Senator Omisore during an interview aired on one of the television stations, a statement issued and signed by the chief press secretary to the deputy governor, Mr. Tope Ademakinwa said that the allegation was a lie and aimed to cause confusion and disaffection against the per-

son of the deputy governor.

The statement also said that the deputy governor was never arrested for distributing money on election day, adding that instead, Mrs. Laoye-Tomori was at the police station to secure the release of some APC chieftains arrested by soldiers and security operatives over spurious allegations.

The statement said: “In the interview, Omisore, in a desperate bid to grab political power at all cost, connived with himself, and concocted a lie of a ‘phantom’ arrest of the Deputy Governor of the state of Osun, Iyaafin Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, by the officers of the Nigeria Police for carrying

ammunitions and N20million on election day.

“In Mr Iyiola Omisore’s little mind, this lie is supposed to cause confusion and disaffection against the person of the deputy governor, Grace Laoye-Tomori, but alas!, the mission failed, and miserably so.

“To put the records straight; the deputy governor, Iyaafin Laoye-Tomori never distributed money or carried any ammunition at any time, and so, was never arrested. Instead, scores of APC stalwarts, members of the House of Representative and aides to both the deputy governor and Mr Governor were arrested

and detained by the police, claiming ‘order from above’.

“The deputy governor was contacted that her personal assistant was arrested and she went to the office of the commissioner of police for the state to secure the release of all the politicians arrested including her P.A.” The statement declared that she was never arrested or caught with ammunition.

“The deputy governor is a woman of honour and integrity, respected by all.

“This mischievous interview represents an ‘all-time low’ in the annals of Mr Omisore’s political misadventure,” it concluded.

PVCs: INEC Commences Phase 2 Distribution Friday In 11 States

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said the second phase of the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would commence

By Anayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt on Friday, August 15, 2014.

The distribution of the PVCs which will end on Sunday, August 17, 2014, will take place in 11 states and Abuja.

The states are Yobe and Bauchi, (North East); Jigawa and Sokoto (North West); FCT and Kwara (North Central); Anambra

and Ebonyi (South East); Ondo and Oyo (South West), and Delta and Cross River (South South).

The commission further disclosed that the Continous Voter Registration exercise will follow immediately in the above states from August 20-25, 2014.

With the rescheduling of Phase 2 of the programme, new dates will be announced later for Phase 3 involving Adamawa, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Plateau, Nasarawa, etc Niger, Imo, Lagos, Ogun, Edo and Rivers states.

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Thursday, August 14, 2014

conference By joe dudun, amina alhassan and BODE GBADEBO

Ondo Delegates Deny ‘Third Term’ Agenda

Delegates avoiding handshakes, adopt knuckles greetings during the sitting at the National Confab, Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

Confab Doused ‘New Constitution’ Tension Adjourns plenary after 13 minutes sitting As consideration of draft final report begins today

The leadership of the National Conference may have put to rest the allegation by the Northern Delegates Forum (NDF) that it planned to force a “New Constitution” down the throat of delegates outside the purview of the confab.

At a resumed sitting yesterday, the chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, read out a prepared speech where he apologized to the delegates over postponement of the last resumption date of August 4, 2014 after a three-week recess. He said the draft report of the conference which is now with each delegate was prepared by the secretariat with all honesty and diligence, adding that although they are not infallible.

“If there are any errors, they are human errors and not an attempt by the leadership to play any game,” Kutigi said apparently to deny the alleged “New Constitution” plan.

Kutigi further explained that the part of the draft reports labeled “draft constitution” contained the various alterations and amendments to the 1999 Constitution as proposed by the delegates themselves. Surprisingly, his speech was greeted with

a thunderous applause from delegates.

Also, a statement by the conference assistant secretary, media and communications, James Akpandem, later in the day after the adjournment said: “During separate meetings with the leaders of the northern and southern delegations, the Conference management was severally commended for producing a magnificent report within a short space of time.”

Meanwhile, for the umpteen time, proceedings of the National Conference was abruptly adjourned yesterday when delegates forced the leadership of the conference to declare the session closed after sitting for only 13 minutes.

Consequently, the much-expected ratification of the draft final report of the conference was suspended till today.

The resumed sitting did not start as scheduled for 10am as the presiding officers did not enter the auditorium until 10.34am led by the chairman, Justice Kutigi, who was absent at the last Monday sitting along other principal officers save for the secretary.

After the usual formality of

national prayer was observed, Kutigi also announced the replacement of a delegate from the South-West geopolitical zone, Sir Olanihun Ajayi with Mr Supo Shonibare.

However, no reason was adduced for the replacement while the death of Prof Nur Alkali, who represented the Nigerian Council of Islamic Affairs (NCIA) was officially communicated to the delegates and a minute’s silence was observed accordingly.

At about 10.47am, Kutigi told delegates to put their observations, whether grammatical or factual, from the draft report in writing and forward same to an official of the confab secretariat while the session will be adjourned till lunch time by 2pm when delegates will return for the consideration of the report.

But delegates protested, chorusing “tomorrow”, “tomorrow” and he called for a motion for adjournment to the next day when the consideration of the draft final report is expected to begin and probably end the 2014 National Conference eventually.

After the close of the session, Kutigi had invited heads of various delegations to the conference for meeting with him.

If there are any errors, they are human errors and not an attempt by the leadership to play any game,” Kutigi said apparently to deny the alleged “New Constitution” plan

The delegates representing Ondo State at the National Conference have distanced themselves from any plot to guarantee “Third Term” for President Goodluck Jonathan or any other political office holder in the country as alleged by the Northern Delegates Forum.

Leader of the delegation and the State Commissioner for Vocational and Technical Education, Remi Olatubora in a statement made available to journalists yesterday, said the allegation was an attempt to smear the good work done by the delegates and leadership of the conference in trying to reengineer the country.

“We read in some national dailies that a draft New Constitution has been surreptitiously brought into the report of the confab and that there is a plot for third term for President Goodluck Jonathan or tenure elongation.

“Let me state clearly that we as delegates of Ondo State are not part of third term agenda. We came to represent the government and good people of Ondo State and we have no mandate on the third term or tenure elongation.

We are basically asked to come here to be part of the process of re-engineering and reconstructing Nigeria.

“We came with our position paper, touching on issues of structure of government, the possibility of devolution of power and some other critical national issues that touch on the continued existence and the fundamental basis of the Nigerian union and these are the issues we had table and networked with other zones to realize even though we knew that our position was not going to be absolute,” he said.

Olatubora, said the leadership of the conference should be commended for the meticulous job they have done in preparing the amendments and draft copy of a new Constitution in line with the resolutions of the conference and its mandate in the first place.

He maintained that there was no surreptitious inclusion of what was not decided and agreed by the delegates during the plenary, saying what the Conference Secretariat has done, in compiling the reports of the proceedings and proposals made, was to make suggestions constitutional amendments to the 1999 Constitution.

News north-central 9

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Insecurity In North East Has Crippled Economy Of The Zone – NASCO

By Achor Abimaje, Jos

NASCO Group of Companies has disclosed that the prolonged insecurity in the north east zone of the country is crippling the economy of the zone.

The Jos-based household manufacturing company also said the dreams of business operators and company owners in Nigeria and especially in the north have been reduced to a nightmare due to insecurity in the country.

The senior administrative manager of the company, Shehu Sule Nyatau, who made the observation in his office when the new executive members of the correspondents chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ) paid him a visit, said the prevailing insecurity in the north has killed “our market.”

He said, “The major market of NASCO is northern Nigeria, we do record up to 60 – 70 per cent sales in the north, but following the crisis in the zone, our sales has dropped down to as low as 10 – 15 per cent.

short news ‘Delay In Execution Of Kabba-Egbe Road Worrisome’

The people of Kabba/Bunu local government in Kogi State have expressed displeasure over the delay in the execution of the road project between Kabba and Egbe which was flagged off, a couple of months ago.

Speaking yesterday with journalists in Kabba, the people said that from all indications the project is a political gimmick aimed at getting their support ahead of 2015 general elections.

One of the leaders in the area who spoke with journalists stressed that since the contractor started work on the road a couple of weeks ago, there had not been any meaningful efBy Sam Egwu, Lokoja

“Most of our distributors in the north do take our product to neighbouring countries through routes in the north. But all these have stopped because our drivers cannot even take goods to some states in the north because their safety is not guaranteed.

“NASCO is still striving to penetrate markets in the East and Southern parts of the country because they have concentration of manufacturing company there. So, unless government acts fast in addressing the level of insecurity in the north, so many companies like NASCO will soon go out of business.

“If you go to our warehouse, you will see that we have pile up of unsold stocks and these stocks have time frame to be sold or it will expire. We have laid off most of our workers because we can’t pay them.”

He appealed to the federal government to step up action to curtail the incursion of the Boko Haram sect so as to give the economy of the region a breath of fresh air.

Niger Increases Bursary Allowances To Students In Tertiary Institutions Niger State government has increased the bursary allowances of all the students in tertiary institutions in the state and is set to introduce Tertiary Institutions Trust Fund in the state.

The commissioner for tertiary education, Dr Mohammad Nuhu Bashar who disclosed this yesterday to newsmen said that the upward review of the bursary allowances was approved by the state executive council and will take effect from the next academic session.

He stated that the upward review was categorised based on the courses that the students were offering in the schools, saying that the highest bursary allowance were for clinical medical students which was reviewed from N50,000 to N60,000 per student.

Bashar disclosed that another category included premedical/pharmacy, engineering/architecture students who now receive N45,000 as against the former N20,000/ N30,000 paid to the students hitherto.

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

short news Wada Committed To The Welfare Of Kogi People – Deputy Gov

People living in the local government areas of Kogi State have been asked to see the ‘thank you tour’ embarked upon by the Kogi State governor, Idris Wada as a measure of the importance he attached to their welfare.

Kogi State deputy governor, Yomi Awoniyi, stated this yesterday at Odo Eri, Yagba West LGA during the thank you tour to the area.

The tour which Awoniyi said has brought the governor face to face with the needs of the people, was aimed at making people at the grassroots comfortable.

He commended the governor for making the people the bastion of his administration, assuring that better days lie ahead.

By Sam Egwu, Lokoja

Students of Benue State University in Makurdi watch helplessly as fire consume the female hostel, yesterday. PHOTO BY NAN.

Abubakar Audu Cannot Leave APC – Dino Melaye

By Ezra Ijioma, Abuja

As leadership crisis continues to rock the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, the two-time governor of the state, Prince Abubakar Audu, has been described as the leader of the opposition in the state and thus cannot leave APC for another party.

Addressing newsmen yesterday in Abuja, a confidante of Audu and one-time federal legislator, Dino Melaye, said that recent comments by some APC members in the state that Audu is causing confusion in the party and will defect to the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP) are calculated to “tarnish the sterling achievements of the Prince”.

Some members of Kogi APC led

by Barrister James Ocholi (SAN) have accused Audu of dictatorial attitude in administering the affairs of the party in the state and have gone ahead to factionalise the party. Ocholi said that Audu is not sincere in building a united APC in Kogi. “I am at pains to say that there is lack of honesty, trust, fairness and equity in the attitude of Prince Abubakar towards building a strong and united APC in Kogi State,” he said in an interview recently.

In Audu’s defence, Melaye said

that Ocholi has no locus standi to comment on politics in Kogi because, “number one he is not a politician. If James Ocholi as a practicing lawyer is busy in his chambers and in the court, I don’t think that he would have the leisure and time to castigate and malign a political giant like Prince Audu.”

He said that Ocholi is not on the same pedestal with Prince Audu since Ocholi was just a legislative aide to Attai Aidoko when Aidoko was a member House of Representatives.

Aidoko, who is the incumbent, was in the House of Representatives before now.

Niger Govt To APC: You’ll Not Win Niger East Senatorial By-election

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

The Niger State government has said that no matter the level of political shenanigans, blackmail or hallucination of the All Progressives Congress (APC) they will not win in the next by-election into Niger East Senatorial seat.

The commissioner of information Niger State, Dalandi Ndayebo who made this known yesterday at a press briefing said that APC’s allegation of intimidation of its members should be ignored.

Ndayebo maintained that the members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state should ignore the empty grandstanding and blackmail by the APC and put their heads together and defeat the opposition party at the by-election scheduled for August 30.

According to him only a party with no sense of history like the APC will dare toy with the collective resolve of the people of Niger East senatorial district.

The commissioner said, “The people of Niger East senatorial district have never ever vot-

ed for an opposition party in an election that is as sensitive as the one at hand”. He said the people of the zone have established their independent democratic credentials even before some of the present leaders of the opposition party joined partisan politics.

He emphasized that “Even when the so-called hurricane blew across a particular section of the state in the 2011 general elections, the people of the Niger East senatorial district dared to be different-they remained with the PDP.”

2015: Group Urges Kwara To Mop-up Small Arms, Light Weapons

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

Kwara State government has been urged to commence immediate mop-up of all small arms and light weapons from the hands of miscreants in the state as the 2015 elections draw nearer.

The umbrella body of all socio-cultural groups in Ilorin, the state capital – Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressives Union

(IEDPU) made the call in a communiqué it issued at the end of its security summit.

The union which expressed concern over the security situation in the state and in Ilorin metropolis in particular, also stressed the need for the government to block the sources of proliferation of such arms.

It also urged the security agencies in the state to ensure that they “block all sources of

proliferation of these weapons in order to save life and property of innocent people of Ilorin and its environs”.

The communiqué which was read by IEDPU’s national president, Alhaji Abdulhamid Adi warned that, “It is high time for the security agencies to be more proactive in dealing with this security challenges”.

The union added that, “A situation where crimes are commit-

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stories of the Thursday, August 14, 2014

...NEWS WITH A HUMAN FACE

CRIME: Mob Beats Newspaper Thief To Pulp

By Kola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba

Angry mob yesterday in Asaba vented their anger on a suspected newspaper thief around Mariam Babangida way junction by beating him to a pulp, after he was alleged to have stolen one of the magazines belonging to the vendor.

Eye witness said that though the suspect denied stealing the magazine, the vendor; one Ella (surname withheld), insisted that the magazine was her own.

Expectedly, the suspect, identified as Chuks and a student of the state- owned College of Education, Agbor, is said to prefer reading newspapers and magazines to watching television programmes.

But the police public relations officer in the state, DSP Celestina Kalu, confirmed that the suspect confessed to have stolen the magazine upon interrogation, saying that he could not afford buying one hence he secretly took the magazine away from the newsstand before he was caught.

Speaking to our correspondent, the vendor who claimed to have entered sale of newspapers and magazine business for lack of funds to further her studies said; “every day newspapers and magazines are missing when I am taking stock at the end of the day and at the end of the month and my madam will deduct the money from my meagre salary until God exposed this thief”.

NABBED: Fake ASP, 64 Suspected Armed Robbers Arrested

BY ISAIAH BENJAMIN, Kaduna

Kaduna State Police Command yesterday paraded a fake Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and 64 other suspected armed robbers, who were arrested for various offences ranging from kidnapping, car snatching and printing of fake Nigerian currencies.

Parading the suspects at the police command headquarters in Kaduna while addressing newsmen, the state Commissioner forf Police, Umar Shehu, showed newsmen the suspects and the items recovered from them.

Items recovered included, 21 exotic vehicles, 37 arms, 360 ammunition, 10 numbers of GSM phones, 2 numbers of computer laptops, 5 number vehicle plates, 62 other dangerous weapons and 1 military uniform.

The fake ASP, after interrogation, identified himself as Ayodele Adegoke, and confessed that he got the uniform from one of his brothers, who is a policeman and said it was the devil that pushed him into the act.

A tanker truck loaded with weeds suspected to be Indian hemp with registration number LSD 768XM was also seized at Maraban Jos, Kaduna.

“Upon thorough search of the truck, it was discovered that the truck concealed seventy sacks of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp in disguise of palm oil in all its compartments”, he said.

Gbagyi Youth Cultural Dancers displaying their rich culture at the National Agric Show Square along Abuja -Keffi road, Nasarawa State, yesterday.

PHOTO BY OGOH JOSEPH

MURDER: Court Remands Driver In Prison Over Death Of Girlfriend

BY OLUGBENGA SOYELE, Lagos A Lagos State Chief Magistrates Court sitting in Ebute Metta area of the state yesterday remanded a 28- year-old driver, Raphael Effiong at the Ikoyi prison for allegedly killing his girlfriend.

Effiong, was accused by the police of murdering his girlfriend, 29-year-old Miss Gift Sunday, for turning down his marriage proposal in an hotel in Ketu.

The accused person is facing a one- count charge of murder, an offence which the police maintained contravened Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The court presided over by Magistrate, F.J Adefine refused to take his plea but ordered that the accused person be remanded in prisons’ custody, pending an advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Earlier, the prosecutor, Corporal Onaiwu Iyobosa, had informed the court that the crime was commit-

ted on July 28 at 11.30 p.m., at Mayor Lodge hotel of No.10,Yusuf Oyero St., Ketu, Lagos.

Iyobosa also told the court that the accused and the deceased met last year, and that the duo had been having an affair since then.

“The accused proposed to the deceased many times but she refused the proposal because the accused is a difficult person to deal with.

“On the fateful day, the accused invited the deceased to a hotel, the deceased even cooked food to the hotel.

“They checked in, and a misunderstanding ensued after the deceased turned down the marriage proposal made to her by the accused. He (Effiong) brought out scissor and stabbed the deceased on her armpit and breast.

“The deceased screamed for help.The guests at the hotel heard her voice and they forcefully opened the door because the accused refused to open the door,” Iyobosa told the court.

JUJU SCARE: Strange Substance Found At Hotel Lobby, Rooms

By Kola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba

Strange substance and other related acts believed to be ‘juju’ were yesterday found at a popular hotel lobby including some of the rooms in Asaba, Delta State, leaving its workers in confusion.

It was gathered that the substances were tied around sticks with red, black and white threads as the incident in the early hours shocked the workers, many of whom took to their heels for fear of the unknown.

A very popular hotel along Nnebisi road in Asaba, it is said to habour lesbians, who hide under the pretext that they are actresses to indulge in this unwholesome act as well as lure other unsuspecting females into having sexual intercourse with them.

While the hotel booms from all manner

of illicit activities, the strange substances were said to have attracted passersby, including lodgers, who thronged to the scene, to catch a glimpse of the incident, after the shouts that greeted them.

Though the hotel workers claimed that all the rooms and the lobby were properly swept and cleaned and did not see any act of strange substances, unconfirmed sources said that the strange substance may be unconnected with the current crisis allegedly rocking the hotel over some political issues.

A lodger who did not want his name in print, told our correspondent that while he had gone out to make some calls, on his return he found his room littered with strange substance, a situation he raised the alarm that attracted the workers.

CRIME: Robbers Raid Doctor’s House, Attempt Cutting Off Daughter’s Breast MATTHIAS NWOGU, Umuahia

Residents of Seventh Day Adventist Church Street, World Bank Housing Estate, Umuahia the Abia State capital, are now afraid of darkness following, the raid of the residence of a medical doctor by armed robbers.

The medical doctor who was locked up in his toilet by the hoodlums, while his house was ransacked, said his ordeal in the hands of the armed robbers was traumatic as he wished it was a dream.

The doctor who shared his experience with newsmen on condition of anonymity, saying that he did not want to be visited again by the “ merchants of death”, said the armed bandits gained entrance into his house after incessant deafening knocks on his door accompanied with threats of deaths if he failed to open.

He said that cowed by their threats ,the armed men numbering about five and fully armed , bumped into his living room, pounced on him and demanded for his handsets as well his ATM card and PIN number.

According to him even after he instantly surrendered the ATM card as demanded, the gang marched him into his toilet where they locked him up.

The robbers, he added, tied his two daughters to the burglary proof of his door to prevent them from running out to inform the neigbourhood while the wife was confined in one of the rooms.

He said that while one of the hoodlums tortured him even with threats of death to disclose where his money was and to stop shouting, he continued to shout at the top of his voice which apparently attracted neighbours who sent a distress call to the neighbourhood watch and the police.

day

STORIES OF THE DAY 11

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Photo News

THREAT: Lecturer Drags Own Varsity To Court

BY MIDAT JOSEPH, Kaduna

Dr. John Danfulani, a lecturer of Kaduna State University (KASU) has dragged the governing council of the university to National Industrial Court of Nigeria over what he described as ‘deliberate’ attempt to dismiss him from the university.

In the suite No. NICN/KD/19/2014, Dr. Danfulani is challenging a letter issued to him on 20th June, 2014 titled ‘Denigrating The Person of the Visitor of Kaduna State University’, which read, “Management has observed with dismay the way and manner in which you denigrate and make unsubstantiated remarks about the person of the Visitor

of the University, Dr. Mukhtar Ramalan Yero in your numerous write ups.

The warning letter to the lecturer read, “While noting that you may exercise your freedom of expression and express opinion on issues, management views the statements above by you, a staff member of the university as denigrative and as an act of misconduct in line with section 20 (4) of the university law. You are therefore by this letter required to desist forthwith from any acts of misconduct or disrespect to the person or office of the visitor, who is your employer on behalf of whom council acts. Failure to desist will leave management with no option than to take appropriate action.”

Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, with his Nasarawa State counterpart, Tanko Al-Makura during a meeting on Ebola between President Goodluck Jonathan, state governors and their health commissioners at the State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo

By Remi Akunleyan

MURDER: Man In Police Net Over Neigbour’s Death

By Kola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba

A middle aged man identified as Joseph Obakpor, is currently helping the police in Ogwashi-Uku near Asaba, Delta State, over his courage to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of one of his neigbours; Awulu Okoh in Ogbe-Ofu quarters, Ubulu-Unor.

It was reliably gathered that the remains of the said victim was recovered somewhere along Ogwashi-uku/Kwale road high way road already mutilated from unknown incident, which the suspect was said to have disclosed to the police.

Expectedly, trouble was said to have started when the wife of the deceased hav-

ing waited for her husband to return home from work on that fateful Saturday to no avail, had to raise the alarm the next day as to his whereabout.

Our informed sources said she had gone to the house of the suspect to ask him of the husband’s whereabouts but the suspect was reported to have told the woman to go to the hospital in one of the communities close to the area that the husband had an accident and died.

The woman on reaching the hospital was told that there was no accident victim in the hospital and while she was coming back she saw the body of the husband lying on the road mutilated from bashing by motorists who often drive past.

L-R: Minister of Aviation, Mr Osita Chidoka; Minister of state for Power, Mohammed Wakil; Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke and Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, at the Federal Executive Council meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo By Remi Akunleyan

ROBBERY: Police Parade 5 Suspects In Taraba

By Andrew Ojih, Jalingo

The Taraba State Police Command has paraded five armed robbery suspects for allegedly snatching a Lexus jeep with reg no.

EG 897 ABJ, belonging to one Alhaji Adamu Isah in Jalingo.

Briefing newsmen yesterday in Jalingo, the command’s public relations officer, ASP. Joseph Kwaji, said that on the 8th of August, 2014, Alh. Adamu wrote a letter of complaint to the state Commissioner of Police, saying that some unidentified persons armed with

gun, axe and machetes forcefully entered his room at 2pm and collected his Lexus jeep and the sum of N15,000.

He added that the complainant was also beaten seriously in the process of their operation.

“When they entered his room, they ordered Alh. Adamu Isah, at gun point to bring all the money in his possession. They collected his bag from where he kept it, ransacked his room and forcefully opened his bag and collected the key of his Lexus jeep inside” he said.

SUICIDE: Man Hangs Self In Imo

By Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

Residents of Amakohia in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State were shocked yesterday when a middle aged man , Chidi Eke from Ohaji area of the state, hanged himself.

According to an eye witness account from the Nwodu family compound where the deceased was said to have been residing for 16 years, Mr Tochi Nwodu, stated that the lifeless body of Eke was seen dangling from a hook in the ceiling of his room at about 6 am by his mother who was surprised that the gate which was normally open by Eke before 6 am everyday was still locked.

The witness further disclosed that his mother who was preparing for a 6 am mass the fateful day went to find out from the late

Eke who resided at the Boys quarter why the gate was still locked after 6 am, but to her surprise, she found him already dead.

“I found his lifeless body dangling from the high window protector in the bathroom when our mummy who was on her way to Morning Mass, had called the deceased to open the gate because he is the one who usually opens the gate in the morning, but when there was no response, she decided to go the Boys’ Quarters to wake him up, there, his body was found” said the witness.

LEADERSHIP also gathered that the deceased was alleged to be a chronic gambler but it could not be ascertained at the time of this report if he died from frustrations of his gambling as his suicide note he was said to have placed in his room, was not made public.

L-R: Managing Director, Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited, Mrs Abimbola Alale; FRSC Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi and deputy Corps Marshal, Motor Vehicle Administration, Charles Theophilus, during a facility visit by the FRSC management to Nigerian Communication Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Office in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUY

L-R: Director, Highways South-West, Engr Abdullahi Mohammed; Director, Road Design, Engr Josephine Nnoruka, and Permanent Secretary, Dr Abubakar Koro Mohammed, during the 18th annual national conference of Directors of Civil Engineering (Highways), DOCE, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY OGOH JOSEPH

12 news north-East, north-west

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Bombings: Yero Didn’t Receive Prior Report – Aide

BY ISAIAH BENJAMIN, Kaduna

Director General, Media and Publicity, to Kaduna State governor Ahmed Maiyaki has described as false rumours making the rounds that Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero received an intelligence report prior to the recent Kaduna bombings which claimed the lives of innocent people.

In a statement issued and made available to newsmen yesterday, Maiyaki stated: “We are aware of an unfortunate and also erroneous report being circulated to media houses on a purported security report that forewarned

Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of the July 23 bombings that occurred in Kaduna metropolis.

“While we appreciate efforts being made by security agencies in maintaining law and order in the state, it is however sad that some persons within the services could peddle misinformation and deliberately spread falsehood to media platforms on the sad event.

“To put the records straight, we wish to state unequivocally that Governor Yero received no security report from the Department of State Security (DSS) or any of the security agencies

warning of an impending bombing in the state.

He said the governor was a leader committed to the security of life and property of the entire people of Kaduna State, and will never treat such piece of information with levity.

“We therefore view the so -called security report on the bombing as another plot by mischief-makers not only to bring the person of Governor Yero to disrepute but also to throw Kaduna State into confusion.

“We challenge the so called ‘anonymous source’ of the report to provide proof if any of

the purported letter written to the Governor by the Director of Department of State Service in the State,” he said.

He therefore advised media organisations to uphold the basic principle of journalism by interrogating and verifying the report for balance and fact before rushing to the press.

He said the governor called on the entire people of Kaduna State to disregard the erroneous report and go about their lawful businesses without fear as the state Government was ever committed to protecting their wellbeing at all times.

A cross-section of suspects with arms paraded at Kaduna Police Headquarters yesterday.

PHOTO BY GBENGA FOLORUNSHO ABIOLA

short news

Adamawa Panel: ‘Ag CJ Out To Sabotage Nyako’s Case’

By Mohammed Ismail, Yola

Director of Press and Publicity to the

EU Commended former governor of Adamawa State, For Distributing Mallam Ahmad Sajoh, has accused the acting Chief Judge of the State, Drugs In Yola The executive secretary, Primary Health Care, Yola South Local Government of Adamawa state Dr. Abubakar Sahabo, has commended the European Union (EU) for assisting the local government with drugs worth millions of Naira.

Dr. Sahabo, who made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Yola, said the development was part of the gesture by the Union to assist in reducing maternal morbidity as well as to protect children under five years. of age.

Justice Ambrose Mammadi, of trying to sabotage a suit filed by the former governor challenging the constitution of a probe panel set up by the acting governor to probe the activities of the Murtala Nyako administration.

The acting governor had set up a seven-man panel led by Justice Bobbo Umar last week to probe the activities of the former administration from July 2007 to July 2014 within four weeks.

The former governor has filed a suit before a Yola High Court of Adamawa State, praying it to declare the setting up of the probe panel illegal saying that it was set in breach of extant laws of the federation particularly sections 128 and 129 of the 1999 constitution of the federal Republic as amended.

In the suit filed by the former governor dated August 8, 2014, he prayed the court to dissolve the panel as he said the defendants have no power to set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate his administration without recourse to the state House of Assembly in line with the provision of the constitution of

the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Sajoh added that in an apparent move to sabotage the suit, the acting CJ assigned the case to Justice Ishaya Banu who is currently on leave and will resume duty on September 15, 2014, after the panel had finished its sitting instead of the vacation judge, Hon Justice Hafsatu Abdurraham, who should have been mandated to handle the case.

He said, “It is a clear signal that the acting CJ has shown the side he belongs to,” Sajoh said.

He noted that by the nature of the suit, which is an expedited case, the suit should be given an expedited hearing as the panel has only four weeks to turn in its report.

‘Opponents Of Ribadu’s Aspiration In PDP, Enemies Of Adamawa’

By Mohammed Ismail, Yola

A pressure group, the Concerned Youths for Good Governance in Adamawa State, has flayed those kicking against moves to woo the former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to contest the Plum job of the state under PDP as the enemies of the state.

The group, which made the revelation in a press statement signed

By Mohammed by its chairman, Alhaji Isa Ibrahim Ismail, Yola

Toungo in Yola, said those against the move, including the Adamawa PDP stakeholders, are envious of Ribadu’s intimidating credentials.

“Our attention has been drawn to a campaign of calumny against the person and ambition of the much respected Mallam Nuhu Ribadu orchestrated by some spent-forces who felt intimidated by our recent call on Ribadu to dump his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and contest for the governorship of Adamawa state under the umbrella of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“We are particularly irked by reports in the media quoting anonymous sources, obviously politicians too intimidated to come out in the open, to the effect that Nuhu Ribadu is not welcome in the PDP or that Ribadu would be imposed on the party from Abuja”, the statement said.

It added that the sentiments being exhibited by those against Ribadu were baseless as they completely negates the policy and philosophy of the PDP whose aim was to promote massive participation.

short news 2015: Taraba Tiv Youths Mobilise For DSK Founder As the build-up to who becomes the next governor of Taraba State come 2015 gathers momentum, Tiv youths in the state have started mobilising support for the founder of DSK Foundation, Chief David Sabo Kente, to succeed Governor Danbaba Suntai.

Kente is running for governor on the platform of the PDP. The Tiv youths are under the auspices of the Tiv Youth Mobilisation for DSK.

By Andrew Ojih, Jalingo

‘New MACBAN Leadership Will Forestall Farmers, Fulani Feud ‘ The national chairman of Fulani Miyetti Allah Cattle Breaders Association, Alhaji Kiruwa Mohammed, who is also the Ardon Zuru, has said that the new leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breaders Association (MACBAN) in the country which he currently heads would ensure an end to the long existing farmers and Fulani crises in the country.

The new chairman made this statement at the Emir of Gwandu’s Palace while leading the national executives and the Kebbi State officials of MACBAN to condole with the Emir of Gwandu, Maj.-Gen.Mohammadu Iliyasu Bashar over the death of Ubandoman Gwandu, Alhaji Hanafi Saad, who passed away last week.

Kiruwa told the emir that the new leadership of Miyetti Allah was poised to establish lasting peace in the country between farmers and the Fulanis through dialoque and consulating stakeholders such as political and religious leaders on the way forward.

He pointed out that since the intervention of the new Miyetti Allah leadership, relative peace was observed in Benue between the Tiv and Fulanis.

By Yahya Sarki, Kebbi

Dakingari Condoles Emir Of Gwandu Over Death Of Ubandoman Gwandu Kebbi State governor Saidu Nasamu Dakingari has condoled with the Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammadu Iliyasu Bashar, and former Defence Minister, Dr. Bello Haliru Muhammad, on the death of his uncle, Alhaji Hanafi Sa’ad, the Ubandoma of Gwandu, who died on Wednesday, August 6, 2014. at the National Hospital, Abuja.

A statement signed by the chief press secretary to the governor, Alhaji Abubakar Muazu Dakingari, and made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday, said the governor prayed Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and the family, the fortitude to bear the great loss.

Alhaji Hanafi Sa’ad served as divisional officer in Abuja before the creation of the Federal Capital Territory, a onetime Permanent Secretary in former Sokoto State in differrent ministries and also chairman,Civil Service Commission and Local Government Service Commission, before his appointment as Ubandoman Gwandu on April 3, 2010.

The late Hanafi Sa’ad died at the age of 78, leaving behind two wives, 32 children and many grandchildren.

Among his children is Brigadier-General Abubakar Hanafi Sa’ad of the Nigerian Army who is currently in Mali on a peacekeeping mission.

By Yahya Sarki, Kebbi

Thursday, August 14, 2014

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Thursday, August 14, 2014

business news

CIS, Anabel Sign MOU To Create 150,000 Capital Market Jobs

By Chima Akwaja, Lagos

The Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Anabel Leadership Academy Limited aimed at creating 150,000 jobs in the Nigerian capital market. The strategic move will enhance capacity building and make the Nigerian capital market among the top five in the world in future.

Under the MOU, Anabel

Leadership Academy Limited would deploy its membership and mobilisation strategies to enlist qualified young Nigerians seeking a career in the capital and financial market to benefit from this initiative.

It would mobilise 150,000 young graduates in 2014, a prelude to much higher mobilisation in the nearest future, to enrol for the CIS Professional Diploma in Securities and Investment Examination. The CIS is a platform for the training and

certification of the beneficiaries.

President of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Mr. Albert Okumagba, speaking on the MOU, described the signing ceremony as historic.

He said the institute is undergoing a comprehensive re-positioning programme and one of the cardinal objectives is to grow the membership base and widen the scope of capacity building through creation of platform for impacting knowledge and skills that can provide job opportunities.

Jonathan Commissions Gas Facility In Akwa Ibom

By Chika Izuora, Lagos

A major gas facility that will boost electricity supply by 750 mega watts will be commissioned today in Akwa Ibom by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The. Uquo gas facility was designed to feed gas to the Akwa Ibom-owned power plant, the Ibom Power Company.

Already, joint venture partners to the project, Frontier Oil Ltd and Seven Exploration and Production Limited, have finalised arrangements for the official commissioning of the facility which is located in Eket, Akwa Ibom state.

According to the Uquo Joint

Venture (JV) Partners, the gas facility is one of the biggest projects of its nature undertaken by independent indigenous partners in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Uquo JV has commissioned the Train 2 of the Uquo Gas Processing Facility in readiness for supplying 131 million standards cubic feet of gas ( MMscfd) to the Calabar National Integrated Power Plant (NIPP) power station in fourth quarter of this year.

Trains 1 and 2 of the Uquo Gas Processing Facility will be supplying gas to provide 750 megawatts of electricity generation capacity at the Ibom Power station and the Calabar NIPP power station.

FYBDI Targets 10,000 Youth-led Farms, Agro-businesses by 2020

By Ruth Tene Natsa, Abuja

Chief executive officer and Founder Fresh and Young Brains Development Initiative (FYBDI) Barrister Nkiruka Nnaemego has said that the Initiative is targeting ten thousand ( 10,000) youth-led farms and agribusiness by 2020 through its Y-Farm initiative across Africa.

Speaking in her welcome address at the 1st African Youth Agric Festival (AYAF) which held in Keffi, Nassarawa state with the theme ‘Youth at the Heart of Agriculture and Africa’s Development’, Nkiruka also said the Y-Farm Initiative is a two-pronged approach aimed at promoting youth-led farms and highlighting the benefits of farming for sustainable livelihoods

and youth development.

She said, “The Y-Farm project formally launched recently aims to establish and promote at least 10,000 youth led farms, promote a youth-led agribusiness society, reduce poverty and increase active youth participation in sustainable agriculture across Africa by 2020 and our project through the Y-Farm: ‘My Farm, My Swag’ campaigns aims to change the image of young persons involved in Agriculture as poor and illiterates.”

She said the Y-Farm project has the task of mobilizing the African Youth to empower youth through capacity building on selected staple crop production, processing, packaging, sales and export even though it is being challenged by dearth of funding.

L-R: National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) official, Mr. Jude Ughwujabo; star prize winner of StarTimes promo, Mr. Oladele Ajibola, and NLRC Public Relations Manager, Mr. Irete Anetor, at the prize presentation in Lagos. PHOTO BY BENEDICT UWALAKA

Rainbow World Is Nigeria’s Flagship Urban Renewal Project–Ucheya

By Samson Echenim, Lagos

A renowned architect and prime property developer Chima Ucheya has described the sprawling Port Harcourt Housing Estate, Rainbow Town, as Nigeria’s flagship urban renewal project and the largest construction site in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ucheya, managing director and chief executive officer of Rainbow Town Development Limited, developers of Rainbow Town fondly dubbed Rainbow World, noted that the bourgeoning estate has many uniquely

defining attributes, and remains an appealing synergy of public policy, urban renewal, housing and economic development.

Speaking at an interactive media session, Ucheya stated that Rainbow Town is creatively designed to offer a total wellbeing experience. The master plan reflects some of the live-workplay ideals of new urbanism communities worldwide. He noted that Rainbow Town, which is being supervised and managed

by Nigerians, has gained global recognition as evidenced by a profile in the international edition of FORTUNE Magazine’s

P&G, Awesome Communications’ Forum Educate Women In Marketing Profession

By KINGSLEY ALU, Abuja

Women in marketing profession in Nigeria have been advised to give due priority to networking if they really want to succeed in their career. The former managing director of Africa Magic and principal partner of Biola Alabi Media, Mrs Biola Alabi, gave the advice at the maiden edition of Women in Marketing Conference & Awards (WIMCA).

The event, which held at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, was sponsored by the World’s leading fast moving consumer packaged goods (FMCG)

manufacturers, Procter & Gamble (P&G) Nigeria Limited in conjunction with Awesome Communications.

Mrs Alabi said for any woman in the marketing profession to succeed, she must pay due attention to three basic principles - networking, courage/ boldness and focus. According to her, these are ingredients aspiring womanmarketers must imbibe as innate character if they must succeed.

“Networking is one of the most important things in this industry. If you can’t network, you can’t be in this industry. You must find a way to build your own circle of friends; you must

build your own support group. Nobody is going to do it for you,” she said.

She added that self development through reading, learning from others and being adventurous with knowledge acquisition are also essential prerequisites to attaining success in the industry. “You have to read any and every available materials relating to the industry. You have to pick interest in every marketing event in and around your world to keep yourself up to date always in order to be on top of your game; you have to learn. There is no other way to it”, she stated.

2013 Investor’s Guide.

Located with strategic proximity to the robust and vibrant Trans-Amadi businessindustrial area of Port Harcourt, the ambitious program was conceived with a range of good quality 1,181 residential units creatively located in terraces, detached homes and 25 highrise condominium towers. These units, he opined, will address various lifestyles and family sizes with 2 and 3 bedroom condos, 4-bedroom terraces and 5-bedroom detached duplexes, all en-suite and with domestic aid quarters.

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Thursday, August 14, 2014

GEJ: Deepening

Our Democracy ...In the beginning

...And Now

Goodluck Ebele

Jonathan GCFR

President & Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Old Lagos-Benin-Ore road

New Lagos-Benin-Ore road

When God brought you to the saddle as President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you made some crucial promises to Nigerians under the auspices of the Transformation Agenda: You promised better roads: TODAY, majority of our roads are in good shape You promised improved infrastructure: We now have state of the art bridges across the country.

Old Rail Way system

New Rail Way system

You promised functional Airports: Our airports are now of international standards with safe airspace You promised a true democratic goverment: Under your administration we had a true National Conference with potential for restructuring our flawed democratic set-up.

Old Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja

You assured Nigerians of far reaching electoral reforms: The recent election in Ekiti State has clearly demonstrated the irreversible height we have attained in electoral reforms.

Renovated Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja

And now Osun Election has fully reaffirmed your administration’s determination to positively reform Nigeria’s electoral process.

POWERED BY:

Disruption of electoral process

House2House Network

Kudos To The Transformation Agenda!!!

One man one vote is finally achieved

16 NEWS/BUSINESS

Thursday, August 14, 2014

World Bank Lauds Kaduna Over Rural Access Road

Ondo Govt Urges Residents To Pay Tax For Even Devt

BY MIDAT JOSEPH, Kaduna

By Tope Fayehun, Akure

The World Bank has commended the Kaduna State Government over its performance as a pilot state in the area of performancebased contract in executing the Rural Access Mobility Project (RAMP) which is a partnership project with the global bank.

Speaking on Tuesday when he led a team from the World Bank on a courtesy call to the state governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, the transport and information commissions technology practice leader of the bank, Mr Ben Gericke, said Kaduna State performed creditably well as a lead state in the implementation of the RAMP. He said: “You have taken the lead in Nigeria in the task of implementing these projects. I will ask you to continue to look forward, let us work together in getting the next generation contracts started.”

Through the RAMP which was initiated in 2008, Kaduna State, in partnership with the World Bank, has constructed a total of 470 kilometers of roads for rural communities while also building 135 river crossings and bridges across the state.

To implement the project, the World Bank disbursed $47

million, while Kaduna State Government contributed N1.2 billion in the last five years.

In addition to the completed projects, road re-classification has been completed awaiting implementation after reforms.

Road network map is also completed.

Responding, Yero, who signed the RAMP agreement in 2008 as the then commissioner of finance, expressed satisfaction with the level of achievement of the project.

“I am happy today that as a pilot state of the RAMP, we have been able to perform to the satisfaction of the World Bank. We feel elated to have been recognised as having done well,” he said.

The governor said the state government has also benefited from the project in its effort at ensuring accountability and value for money in public projects execution, especially with the creation of a due process office.

He also called on the World Bank to provide more support to the state, saying, “We need support, especially in the area of capacity building. We want officials in the ministry of works to be able to design roads and bridges and cost them in order for us to build infrastructures that will last long.”

NEMA, Stakeholders Warn On Stigmatisation Of Ebola Virus Suspects

By Bukola Idowu, Lagos

The Medical, emergency and security personnel in the country have called on Nigerians to desist from stigmatising suspected and confirmed patients of the Ebola viral disease (EVD) and their families so as not to increase the spread of the disease in the country.

Speaking variously at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Lagos, yesterday, officials from the navy, customs, immigration, red cross, medical personnel and officials of the state and federal emergency agencies, stressed the need to guide against stigmatisation.

According to the zonal coordinator of the NEMA for the south-west zone, Iyiola Akande, stigmatisation of suspected or confirmed patients would make others who may have contracted the deadly disease to shy away from seeking appropriate

treatment and thereby increase the spread as they come in contact with other people in their day-to-day activities.

He enjoined Nigerians, particularly those in the medical profession, to show love, compassion and care to EVD patients so that anyone who may have contracted the disease would be encouraged to seek treatment.

Likewise, the commander of the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Rear Admiral Haruna Yusuf, urged that family members of confirmed victims and suspected victims of EVD should not be discriminated aganist, adding that such stigmatisation would lead to families keeping infected victims at home and increasing the risk of spreading the virus.

On his own part, the controller, Nigeria Agriculture Quarantine Service (NAQS), Dr Okey Okwuosa, urged Nigerians to desist from eating any kind of fruit that may have been partly eaten or tampered with by animals.

The Ondo State Government, yesterday, urged the residents to pay their tax to enable the government maintain the present development and embark on new projects.

The chairman of Ondo State Internal Generated Revenue (IGR), Mr Akin Akinsehinwa, said this during an appraisal and sensitisation walk in Akure.

He said: “All residents are expected to pay tax because we all ply tarred roads and go to

government hospitals and our children attend schools in the state.

“Money is a most difficult thing to part with but the onus is on us to persuade them to pay, pointing out the developmental strides of the government, for instance good roads, free shuttle buses for the students, prompt payment of workers’ salaries as incentives.

“Even petty traders are covered in tax payment since they make profit too as the law stipulates that you must pay tax from profit made.

It is noted that people are not happy parting with their money

but if they know what it is being used for, they will be happy and willing to pay.

“This is the reason for embarking on such long walk and it was just an appraisal and sensitisation event.”

He, therefore, promised to replicate the walk in other major cities across the state.

“We will also go to Ondo, Ikare, Owo, Okitipupa and Ile/Oluji for all must be sensitised and we need their feedback to ensure good understanding between government and taxpayers,” Akinsehinwa assured.

L-R: Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu; President, the Nigeria Society of Engineers Engr. Ademola Isaac Olorunfemi , and former PDP chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur , during the society’s 2nd quarterly dinner and conferment of fellowship yesterday in Abuja. PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

Transcorp Appoints Emmanuel Nnorom President/CEO

By Chima Akwaja, Lagos

The board of directors of the Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) Plc has announced the appointment of Mr Emmanuel Nnorom as its president/chief executive officer (CEO).

Nnorom will formally assume office on September 1, 2014, succeeding Mr Obinna Ufudo, who has led the company since 2011.

The appointment represents a further important milestone in Transcorp’s transformation, as the company moves from stabilisation, following the acquisition of a strategic stake by the Heirs Holdings, to accelerated growth, as investments in power, oil and gas and real estate and hospitality come to fruition.

Nnorom’s key role will be to lead the acceleration, deepening of the company’s investments in its four strategic business

sectors — hospitality, power, agriculture and oil and gas and to build on Ufudo’s achievements in repositioning Transcorp for growth.

He is currently the president/ chief operating officer (COO) of Heirs Holdings, and served as a non-executive director of Transcorp earlier this year.

Previously, he was an executive director of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, occupying a number of senior roles leading the group’s African subsidiaries.

He has also held the position of the group COO at UBA, with responsibility over information technology, operations, corporate services, marketing and corporate communications and regulatory affairs.

He is an Alumnus of Templeton College, Oxford University, and a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of

Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

The chairman of Transcorp, Mr Tony O. Elumelu, thanked outgoing Transcorp chief, Obinna Ufudo, for delivering on the company’s objectives under phase 1 of the turnaround programme.

“In his three years as the CEO of the Transcorp Group, Ufudo laid a strong foundation of good governance, achieved significant financial returns for the company and played a key role in transforming an ailing enterprise into an emerging investment powerhouse with a market capitalisation of over $1.2 billion.

“He will be handing over a transformed business to Nnorom. With the implementation of phase two of our strategic intent, we expect accelerated growth in all spheres of our business, with a clear objective of $1bn in profits by 2018,” Elumelu said.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

17

18 BUSINESS/AGRICULTURE

Thursday, August 14, 2014

How Dangote Became Rice Farmer Dangote is now a rice farmer.

The road to that was paved with the determination to make a positive difference as exemplified in the MoU signed on August 1, 2014 at the presidential villa, between Dangote Group and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group, before the signing, made some elaborate statements that the public would find useful. First, it would appear his company has done its proper feasibility study before taking what appeared to be a ‘plunge’ into the business of rice production.

Let us start with his observation and industry perspective wherein he said: “We need to really support the government. Government is not in business. Their only real business is only to facilitate.

They have facilitated. We the entrepreneurs have to take the risk. Anything you do in life is a risk. This one is a calculated risk. I think, for us as Dangote, it will help to bring in other people who have been shying away.”

Dangote expressed some worries, bordering on policies, which formed part of his decision to go headlong into rice farming. According to him, “2020 is like tomorrow.

By 2020, in five years, the population of Nigeria will be over 200 million. So, if we are going to be over 200 million people, how do you really feed 200 million? Not even feeding (alone), even if you have to import and we don’t want to create jobs here, how do you keep these ports to be handling the kind of food that we will be eating? It is not just going to happen. We are going to get stuck one day. I think what we are doing now is with the support of His Excellency, Mr. President, and his ministers here.”

Although Dangote posited that “it is not government’s work now to go into agriculture, he, however, added that that “they are facilitating by giving us all the support which is there in our MoU, and also the encouragement, because if the country is open to dumping, that is something totally different.” He added a patriotic flavour by saying that, “with the new rice policy in place, signed by His Excellency, Mr. President, I think it is only people who are not really serious, who are always trying to just milk the system that will continue to import rice.”

He assured Mr. President that, as investment in rice

agric focus

production grows, the private sector operators will be at the forefront in the battle against smuggling.

He wanted to start small at

By OLUKAYODE OYELEYE first, but had to raise his scale of investment, seeing the open window of opportunity offered by the federal government’s rice policy. Here’s what he said: “Initially, we wanted to do about $300 million in one area, which is Edo State,” but realising the opportunity to expand the project, he noted that “we have ended up with about five states. The five states are Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Edo and Kwara. What we are trying to do is to join hands with the ministry.”

Dangote’s observation exemplified that of an investor who has spotted the sagacity in government’s policy on rice as he pointed out that, “apart from making Nigeria self- sufficient in rice,” it will also “make sure that Nigeria exports rice because we have no reason not to export rice.”

He disclosed that “the real reason why we want to move into agriculture is that the perception is that there is no money in agriculture. That is the perception also in the Adesina industry. People say no, I am not going to try. There you will are so many people before, have the support by believe that this is not there are several of them that government to protect your possible.” have tried industry and have investment. Unless you are He gave an example: “In failed.” not serious, I see no reason 2002, there was a policy that He was quick to add that why we should not partner Nigeria will start importing “that was then, especially with government to make cement. The total production during the military regime things like these a reality.” as at December (2003) to when the policies were Looking at the implications January 2004, was 1.8 million not consistent. But right for the sub-region, Dangote tons. By ten years, when the now, there is a policy of warned that “we need to be policy was in place, we were government.” He emphasised very, very careful in West to make sure that cement was that “government does not Africa, because, in Africa, self-sufficient here. Today, just go and announce and say the tastes of the people are the total production of the that ‘go and do this’ without changing. Nobody wants to country is 28 million tons. We a policy backing what they’ve now go and eat the kind of have moved from 1.8 million said. That has actually helped food we used to eat 30 years tons to 28 million tons. This to make sure that, yes, instead ago. Everybody wants to eat August alone, we are adding of us to go slowly, with $300 rice. As soon as you have additional nine million tons. million investment we decided disposable income, you want We will get to 37 million tons we were going to go and invest to jump and eat rice.” On the all within ten years.” a billion dollars.” positive sense, he was of the From cement, he moved Comparing, Dangote opinion that “this is going to on to the story of his foray noted that “everybody is help quite a lot to generate into sugar. “We are able to quite happy that Nigeria is hundreds of thousands of jobs also demonstrate and remove selling a lot of crude oil and and even through the value the fear that agriculture is mineral resources.” But, he chains.” a poor man’s business.

It is was worried that “it will be Recalling his earlier not,” he argued, adding that, very shameful for the biggest experiences in the cement in it, “there is quite a lot of economy in Africa that is industry, Dangote said: I have money. I used to tell a lot of not self-sufficient in what to seen it happen before, and I people that, eight years ago, consume.” In his observation, can assure you the rice thing when we used to import sugar, “it is not only the duty of the will become a very, very big we were importing sugar at government to make sure that story. There are quite a few about 143 dollars into Nigeria. we become self- sufficient. things that we need to try One hundred and forty three Governments have already first and see that they work. dollars into Nigeria will not done their bit by giving the Number one is in the nonreally allow you to make seeds in the sense that they food sector, so that people money at all. But, last year have given what it takes for will know that, sometimes and a half or so, alone we have somebody to invest. They’ve when you say you are going to imported sugar at a thousand given the climate. First of all eliminate the importation of you have the water, and then food items, majority of people dollars a ton or so. So can you

imagine! Our people are not looking at these issues because people are not projecting what is going on.”

According to Dangote, “doing farming, doing rice, is by far much easier and also cheaper than cement, because, for cement, to even build a factory, to go through the design, you need four years to be able to deliver, that is if you are going to deliver at all. But, you see, the impact on the society, there is no comparison.” He wears the shoes, so he should know how and where they pinch. So, his words need to be taken seriously.

He was quick to disclose his business strategy as he pointed out that, “what we are trying to do is not only to just make sure that we do end-toend, or do almost everything.

We will try to make sure that we have out growers. We will give them the seeds. We will give them the training. We will give them fertiliser. And then we guarantee to buy their paddy, and process. That is on one side. Even, people who are not around our areas, when they grow the rice, we will definitely continue to support them to buy paddy off from them and then process the rice into an eatable processed rice, because if you don’t continue to encourage them, they are not going to grow rice the following year.”

Dangote has identified rice production as capable of bringing about social harmony and security. In his words, “this will also reduce a lot of tension. It will also reduce quite a lot of this unemployment, because there are a lot people that have finished universities and they don’t have employment. But agriculture is a chain of several other disciplines of jobs.”

He envisaged that Dangote Industries’ investment will create various opportunities.

That, with rice, “we will be able to create” jobs, he explained, “even if you don’t want to go and work you could become a trader. The rice is there.

It will become cheaper. It will conserve our foreign exchange.”

Dangote’s advice for the nation was that “the most critical thing (is), it is not good to have a GDP of seven per cent and not be inclusive.”

He regarded rice as “part of the things that will make it inclusive in terms of GDP, as he expressed optimism that, “if we sort out power and agriculture, these two alone will make Nigeria’s GDP to be growing in double digits on yearly basis.”

Thursday, August 14, 2014

19

20 ENERGY /BUSINESS

energy news Nigeria’s oil & Gas Industry Prepares For Africa Downstream Exhibition Operators in the nation’s oil and gas sector are putting final touches to the upcoming Africa’s premier summit of players in petroleum products trading, marketing and supply.

The 8th edition of the Oil Trading and Logistics Africa Downstream Expo (OTL Africa Downstream), which would also hosts the biggest downstream oil and gas trade show on the continent, is scheduled to hold in October 2014 in Lagos.

The event is the leading conference and exhibition for midstream and downstream oil and gas businesses on the continent, attracts hundreds of leading industry decision makers from key global markets annually and hosts the largest downstream exhibition in Africa of top solution providers, traders, vendors, equipment manufactures, consultants, and operators.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

SPDC Oil Spill Sparks Inferno An oil spill, reportedly coming from a facility operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), is said to have caused a fire outbreak.

The oil spill-related fire reportedly occurred over the weekend in Ayamabele and Kalaba communities in Okordia clan of Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa State.

Reports said the inferno raged

violently throughout the areas impacted by the June 11 oil spill from a manifold at Ikarama, which belongs to the SPDC. The incident was said to have caused further damage to the ecosystem of the area, even as the people were afraid it could enter residential buildings.

According report by an oil and gas publication, Sweetcrude, the spill

spread to the swamps of Ayamabele and Kalaba following delays in cleaning it days after it occurred.

Shell had announced the award of contract for the clean up of the impacted site, blaming the locals in the wake of a breach of the facility.

But there were conflicting reports as to the cause of the fire which reportedly started in the early hours of Sunday.

Subsidy: Civil Societies To Stage Mass Protest In Lagos stories By Chika Izuora, Lagos

Mass rallies reminiscent of the 2012 nationwide fuel subsidy removal protests is planned to occur in parts of Lagos state beginning today.

The protest is being staged by a coalition of notable civil society groups led by the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ).

The ANEEJ and other 79 other associations, including the labour unions, are aggrieved by the monumental corruption in the oil and gas industry and would be using the protest to draw the attention of

the international community to the rot in the sector.

Disclosing the plan in an interview with Leadership, the ANEEJ, programme/ policy officer, Innocent Edemhanria, recalled that in 2012, an attempt by the federal government to remove subsidy led to nationwide protests and mass uprising by civil society organisations, the labour union and Nigerians generally. The protests shut down the country for two weeks, forcing government to track down some oil subsidy corruption suspects.

Edemhanria, however, lamented that their arrests, arraignment and trial have

been slow, leaving much to be desired.

According to him, the House of Representatives, Ad Hoc Committee on fuel subsidy set up in response to the January 2012 uprising unearthed mind-boggling findings, including widespread corruption and mismanagement in the operations and activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiaries charged with the fuel subsidy regime. The committee also found out that payment of the fuel subsidy to oil marketers was inflated and several marketers got paid for doing nothing with the expenses charged to the subsidy account.

Power: Donor Contributions To Hit $2bn By 2018 – UNIDO

By Juliet Alohan, Abuja

L-R: American Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle exchanging the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Nigeria and USA on President Barack Obama’s Africa Power Initiative with the minister of power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, in Abuja. With them is the permanent secretary, Ministry of Power, Amb. Godknows Igali.

Global Fossil Energy Sources To Begin Decline In 35yrs

By Juliet Alohan, Abuja

Fossil sources of energy will begin to experience sharp decline in 35 years’ time, a professor in land policy at the Michigan State University, United States, John Hannah, has disclosed.

Hannah, who is also a special adviser on Economic Intelligence in the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), stated this recently in Abuja in his presentation to the National Council of Power (NCP) titled, “Policy/synergies to incentivise access to power.” Giving details of the remaining global energy bank, he said the decline will begin with uranium in 35 years to be followed by crude oil in 40 years.

Speaking further, he said natural gas will begin to run out in 65 years while coal is also expected to begin running out in 180 years. To this end, Hannah harped on the need for government to pay more attention to renewable energy sources which he said are tied to nature and will never run out.

He also pointed out that while the prices for non-renewable energy sources will continually rise, the prices for renewable energy sources will drop as technology improves. The expert also advised the government to set up a Public Benefit Fund (PBF) which should be dedicated to supporting access to power. He explained that the fund can be supported by charging

the rich a premium, while generator buyers and users should be taxed a premium and taxed respectively.

Hannah also pointed out the need to make laws which would mandate the use of renewable energy to power all federal government offices while a community electrification fund should be set up to be jointly funded by the federal government, distribution companies and the donors.

The expert further recommended the full update of wind research assessment for the nation, completion of the solar resource assessment, and the development of wind and solar prospecting tool as part of efforts to drive renewable use in the country.

The collective contributions by development partners to Nigeria’s power sector reforms is expected to hit $2 billion by 2018, the country director of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in Nigeria, Patrick Kormawa, has said.

He stated this in Abuja, while making a presentation titled “Strengthening and sustaining collaboration with development partners: A value-oriented approach,” at the National Council on Power (NCP).

The development partners donor coordination group on power which works with the federal government through the ministry of power with the aim to help improve the efficiency of power supply in Nigeria is co-chaired by the European Union (EU) and UNIDO. Its members include the African Development Bank (AfDB), Agence Franciase de Development (AFD), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the World Bank. Explaining their various areas of interventions in the sector, Kormawa stated that the AfDB, AFD and the USAID are providing support to improve intervention in the transmission sub-sector of the industry.

Similarly, he said, “the EU and JICA are providing support to improve the contributions for the application of, and investments in renewable energy while the World Bank is providing significant support to the energy reform programme.”

BUSINESS/ENERGY 21

Thursday, August 14, 2014

ENERGY REPORT

Oil workers at work

Group Accuses IOCs Of Manipulating Passage Of PIB STORIES By Chika Izuora, Lagos

This weak regulatory framework permits persons and companies with corrupt tendency to steal our common wealth

The International Oil Companies (IOCs) operation in the country have been fingered as being responsible for the delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

The group, the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), also expressed deep concern over the delay, noting that the non-passage of the PIB has created an environment of uncertainty for new investments by the IOCs, resulting in the loss of potential revenue from royalties accruable to the Nigerian government.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, the ANEEJ programme/policy officer, Innocent Edemhanria, regretted that exploration and production activities in Nigeria’s petroleum industry are currently being regulated by obsolete laws that are out of tune with international best practices and which also lacked accountability and transparency frameworks.

He said there are indications that certain group of persons who are not comfortable with the intended reforms in the oil and gas industry, such as some officials of the IOCs operating in Nigeria and their collaborators in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as well as the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, who have been benefitting from the status quo, are creating obstacles to the smooth passage of the bill.

This, Edemhanria, said explains why the bill has lingered for too long before the National Assembly at the expense of public resources. “Because of these challenges and others, the 6th National Assembly could not pass the PIB and I doubt if this

current assembly will be able to pass the bill even though work on it have advanced.

That is why we have resolved to sustain our campaign; we believe strongly that the PIB present a significant window of opportunity to further deepen reforms that could redress decades of secretive and ineffective management of the oil and gas sector. We are quite happy some of the early activities the ANEEJ organised have stimulated several civil society organisations to do one thing or the other in support of the reforms.”

He said civil society organisations in Nigeria have done a lot to end the culture of impunity and that the campaign, “publish what you pay” (PWYP) for extractive companies and for governments to also “publish what they earn” was a necessary first step towards a more accountable system for the management of natural resource revenues.

According to him, some other civil society organisations have equally argued that oil companies need to first publish what they pump for Nigerians to know the quantity of oil we export daily, an issue that has remained a top secret to the IOCs. “We also know that the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), which is largely a civil society initiative, have been doing a lot in terms of audit of the oil and gas sector. Several audits have been commissioned even though the implementation of most of their recommendations have been quite challenging.

“As to the cause of massive stealing in the industry, I have mentioned earlier that the industry is currently being regulated by obsolete laws that are out of tune with international

best practices and also lack accountability and transparency frameworks. This weak regulatory framework permits persons and companies with corrupt tendency to steal our common wealth.

“In spite of the strategic relevance of the petroleum industry to the nation’s economy, the legal and governance structures regulating the industry that had been designed since the 1960s cannot adequately cater for the requirements of a contemporary Nigerian oil and gas industry,” Edemhanria said.

Giving further details, he noted that the main laws governing the industry are the Petroleum Act 1969 (as amended) – an old document that was designed for the industry at its infancy; the Petroleum Profits Tax Act 1959 (as amended); and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Act of 1977 (as amended).

“There are also a number of other laws, mostly decrees which have become obsolete and proven to be impotent in regulating the country’s petroleum industry.

This is coupled with the fact that the numerous amendments, policy statements and regulations are dispersed in several documents and are often difficult to locate,” he lamented.

He pointed out that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources remains essentially a civil service outfit that is ill-equipped to conceive and formulate the required policies for such a complex and sophisticated industry while the regulatory body, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) is, by and large, similarly constrained being a body tucked away within the ministry and only merely rely on the scanty information provided by the IOCs for tax computation.

SNEPCO Field Raises Nigeria’s Oil Production By 40,000 Barrels

Investment by oil major, Shell, into deep water offshore concession has raised production of oil by 40,000 barrels.

The Bonga North West, a new oil well, is confirmed to have the capacity of adding over 40,000 barrels to national oil production.

Before the streaming up of the Bonga North West field, Shell in 2005 launched itself in deep-water operation in the country with the addition of over 225,000 barrels of oil daily to national reserve with Bonga which is the company’s success project.

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) Ltd, the production arm of Shell Nigeria, started crude oil production from the first well at the Bonga North West deep-water development, off the Nigerian coast. Shell’s Upstream International Director, Mr Andrew Brown, described the production of the first oil from the facility as another milestone for the country’s energy industry which is geared towards boosting Nigeria’s oil production and revenue as well as the interests of the stakeholders.

“This is an excellent addition to our deepwater portfolio – a key growth theme for Shell’s world-wide upstream business. It’s also good news for Nigeria as it is a new source of oil revenue and strengthens Nigeria’s deep-water expertise, a key driver of economic development,” Brown said.

According to him, the Bonga project, which began producing oil and gas in 2005, was Nigeria’s first deep-water development in water depths of over 1,000 metres. Bonga North West represents a significant step forward for the project.

Oil from the Bonga North West sub-sea facilities is transported by a new undersea pipeline to the existing Bonga floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) export facility.

He said that the Bonga FPSO has been upgraded to handle the additional oil flow from Bonga North West which, at peak production, is expected to contribute 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, helping to maintain the facility’s overall output. Four oil producing wells and two water injection wells in the Bonga North West development will be connected to the FPSO, from where oil is loaded onto tankers for shipping around the world.

The Bonga North West project is part of Shell’s long-standing commitment to developing deep-water engineering skills in Nigeria.

22 commerce/BUSINESS

Thursday, August 14, 2014

commerce REPORTS Scrapping Export Expansion Grant Scheme ‘ll Kill Manufacturing Firms – Awolowo

By Kingsley Alu, Abuja

L-R: National Trustee , Nigeria Union of Pension, Comrade Sunday Omezi; General secretary of the union , Elder Aetor Zal, and president , Dr Abel Afolayan, during a press conference in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY OKEKE JANE

Nigeria’s Merchandise Trade Rises By 6.8% In Q1 –NBS

By OLUSHOLA BELLO, Lagos

The National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) has said that the country’s merchandise trade figure for the first quarter of 2014 rose by 6.8 per cent.

The bureau, in the merchandise trade report stated that the country’s merchandise trade stood at N5.51 trillion in the first quarter, 2014 as against N5.16trillion as at the end of the fourth quarter of 2013.

While the value of total merchandise trade increased in the first three months of this year

by N406 billion or 8.2 per cent.

It said:“The total value of Nigeria’s merchandise trade at the end of quarter one 2014 was N5.51trillion. This represented a 6.8 per cent increase from the value of N5.16 trillion recorded in the preceding quarter.

“In comparison with the corresponding quarter of 2013, the value of the total merchandise trade increased by N406 billion or 8.2 per cent.”

The first quarter of 2014, the report stated, saw N492.6 billion or 14.2 per cent rise in the value of exports. It added that there was also N140.6 billion or 8.3 per cent fall in the value of imports

against the fourth quarter 2013 figure.

It said that a trade surplus of N2.42 trillion was also recorded in the period under review, representing a 35.4 per cent increase from the surplus observed in the previous quarter.

The NBS report stated, “Comparison with the first quarter of the previous year revealed that the value of the nation’s trade surplus increased by 34.3 per cent, or N618.6 billion as a result of a decline in imports by 6.2 per cent, while exports increased by 15 per cent during the period.”

LCCI Expresses Concern Over Cost Of Cargo Clearance

ITF Is Owing N8.5bn – DG

By Kingsley Alu, Abuja

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) is indebted to the tune of N8.5 billion.

Director-general of the Fund, Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeto, who dropped this hint yesterday in Abuja, said scarcity of fund was slowing the activities of the agency in carrying out its mandate.

Onaeto was speaking during a tour of the agency’s model skills training centre.

While calling on companies that are liable under the ITF Amended Act 2011 to remit their training contribution to the agency as at when due, Onaeto said the liability was N10 billion in May, 2014, when she assumed office, but her administration had already defrayed N1.5 billion of the figure living a balance of N8.5billion.

She said the ITF would reach out and get more creative to get donor agencies to come to its aid.

The DG further revealed that the Fund had begun a full audit of its facilities with a view to ascertaining their current state in addition to improving resource utilisation practices and improving productivity.

“The audit is not only going to be on this centre, we have four other centres all around Nigeria that we are reviewing in addition to our area offices.

“The unemployment rate right now is very high and we need to train more people and that is why we set the target of training two million every year.

“But we can’t do that within our centres and we are reaching out to other people to use other training centres so that we can increase the number,”she added.

Onaeto said the Fund, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) would commence an assessment survey of the skill gaps in the country covering all the sectors of the

In spite of the uncertainties concerning the implementation of the Export Expansion Grant (EEG) Scheme - a post–shipment incentive scheme for exporters of locally manufactured goods, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has said that scrapping the EEG may kill a number of the surviving manufacturing industries in Nigeria which have over the years provided jobs and created wealth along their respective products value chain.

The executive director/CEO of NEPC, Mr Olusegun Awolowo, who made this statement while receiving in audience, the area director, West Africa, British American Tobacco, Mr Keith Gretton, in his office, added that the agency was in full support of the review of the EEG for enhanced performance – as recently directed by the minister of finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, if the nation hopes to genuinely remain an exporting country.

He however pointed out that while there were contending issues regarding its operations, exporters should brace-up for the challenges ahead as the scheme would not last forever given its ongoing review.

Awolowo maintained that for the scheme to be sustained Government would like to assess the successes and achievements recorded by beneficiaries over time, in terms of contribution to growth, progressive expansion of operations as well as job creation.

Gretton on his part summed that “there was need to exercise caution on decisions that has to do with the incentive scheme as it has over the years contributed significantly to the growth of various manufacturing companies.”

He noted that though BATN was established in 2003 to cater for the local market, it now exports to more than 14 countries adding that with the expected investments in 2014 and 2015, it would provide more employments for Nigerians both directly and indirectly through the small grower farmers’ scheme along all its products value chains.

Olushola Bello, Lagos

economy this month adding that the outcome of the survey would be ready by January next year.

She said: “The actual survey is about to begin and this would be robust and then a report will be ready in the first quarter of next year probably, January.

“We are embarking on full scale survey of all the key sectors in Nigeria and we are liaising with organisations to feed us in the gaps that exist so that we can establish where we need to speed up the areas of skills. We are commencing the survey with UNIDO this August.”

Also the training manager at the agency’s facility in Abuja, Alh Ishaku Bello, told reporters that the sum of N270million would be needed to upgrade the skills centre.

According to him, the centre was able to make the sum of N32million out of the targeted N170million it had set for itself between January and August this year.

The Fund, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) would commence an assessment survey of the skill gaps in the country

In reviewing the port situation in the country, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has expressed concern over the cost of cargo clearing and the general operating cost in Nigerian ports.

The president of the chamber, Alhaji Remi Bello, said that Nigeria ports have gained reputation as one of the most expensive ports to do business in the world, urging the government to ensure more effective regulatory environment in the ports to protect port users.

“Government should undertake more investment in ports infrastructure to increase the capacity of the port to take bigger vessels in order to reduce the cost of freight to the country.

“Persistent delays in the clearance of cargo at the Lagos ports have become a major cause for concern for the business community. One of the major shortcomings of the investment environment in Nigeria is the speed of cargo clearance at the ports; the 48-hour target set by government is far from being achieved,”Bello said.

He listed the implications of the current situation to include high demurrage charges and disruption of production schedules, as raw materials were not delivered in good time to factories.

BUSINESS/mines & steel 23

Thursday, August 14, 2014

A stone quarry site

Illegal Quarrying, Mining Threat To Economy

Sada

mines & steel REPORT

FG to review 1964, 1967 Explosives Act, Regulation

Illegal quarrying and mining operations continue to be a threat to the development of the nation’s economy. Ruth Tene Natsa looks at some implications of such operations.

Illegal quarrying and mining operations are activities carried out by mining firms that are not in compliance with the Nigerian Minerals and Metals Act, Mining Regulations and other extant laws such as that of the Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG).

To the above effect, the minister of mines and steel development, Mr Musa Mohammed Sada, has revealed that over 600 licences had been revoked due to non compliance with the guiding laws of the mineral and mining sector, adding that the federal government was set to shut down mining operations that do not conform to these regulations.

Illegal quarrying and mining have severe implications including loss of revenue to the federal government where royalties and taxes that should be paid on such quarrying operations are denied and not paid to the proper authorities.

In some cases, the taxes and royalties are paid but not the proper rates since the government does not have proper records of mined products anyway. Environment degradation is another effect of illegal quarrying and mining. In this process, the miners mine without consideration or proper remediation of the environment, leaving the environment susceptible to flooding and creating deep gullies that are a danger to both human and animal lives.

Illegal quarrying and mining also pose risks to both human and animal lives as attested to by the Zamfara State lead poisoning incident which exposed a whole community to lead as a result of

the unsafe mining procedures carried out by illegal miners.

Another dire implication of illegal quarrying and mining operations is the poverty such activities impose on the host community. Community members are denied gainful employment and other benefits that should come to them as a result of hosting such minerals in their community. Illegal quarrying and mining deny the communities of developments that should come to them.

Sada, when he led a delegation of the ministry’s officials to several quarry sites within the Federal Capital Terrirtory (FCT), Abuja, in 2012, threatened shutting down quarrying operations in Hongyum Quarry Limited and also threatened the revocation of the licence of Perfect Stone quarry, saying they did not operate within the constituted laws guiding the sector, As part of measures to enforce these, Sada ensured the denial of explosive renewal as a result of poor safety precautions and ordered the blacklisting of Perfect Stone quarry as it failed to provide proper answers to the queries directed at them, pending when they could provide proof of full compliance while insisting that “there was to be no renewal of the Hongyum operations after five years as everything about their activities proved environmentally wrong.”

Sada observed foul play in the two companies when quarry sites revealed that the companies failed to meet with the minimum employment targets for Nigerians. While having a high number of expatriates as employees, the companies provided little or no safety precautions

for mining explosives, and their management failed to communicate properly due to language barriers among other challenges.

Sada said “The purpose of letting these companies operate is for the provision of jobs for Nigerians and if these jobs are now being taken away by people from other places and those that are employing Nigerians are being challenged in terms of competition, definitely we will do something. One of the reasons we came out here is to see for ourselves what is on ground so that we know where the rules are being violated. We are not going to invent new rules within rules that are already on ground with intent to ensure compliance.”

Sada maintained that except companies met the required standards of the law, they were to be shut down until they are able to meet with standards which centred on environmental compliance, royalty payments, employment of Nigerian citizens, proper preservation/storage of mining explosives, provisions of a conducive working environment as well as meeting community development agreements in tandem with the community social responsibility (CSR) among others.

Meanwhile, a local operator and chairman, Leonford Group of Companies, Senator Effiong Bob, had appealed to the government to intervene as quarry operations in Nigeria had been invaded by the Chinese who do not even obey Nigerian laws, thus providing irresponsible competition to companies such as his which operated a 100 per cent employment of Nigerians.

By Ruth Tene Natsa, Abuja

Government should intervene as quarry operations in Nigeria had been invaded by the Chinese who do not even obey Nigerian laws

The federal government has revealed, through the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, that it is set to renew the 1964, 1967 Explosives Acts towards ensuring better control and use of various mining explosives.

This was revealed to journalists by the acting director of Mines Inspectorate, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Dauda Awojobi, recently.

He added that during the review, efforts would be made to provide adequate security arrangements for monitoring the transportation, usage and storage of explosives.

The acting director said that in the amended law, sanctions would be provided to punish offenders, adding that efforts were underway to track the use of explosives and improve their monitoring mechanism. Awojobi said the 1964 Explosives Act and 1967 Explosive Regulation provided that dealers and users of explosives should have about four or five different types of magazines (explosives storage facilities).

He said the ministry had issued a notice to stakeholders to upgrade their magazines to the required standards for safety purposes, saying “standard prototype guidelines would soon be released to guide operators.”

Awojobi added that in the new policy, only mining engineers, mining technologists or geoscientists knowledgeable in explosives technology would be registered to handle them.

“Only those who are knowledgeable in explosives technology will be allowed to be in charge of explosives. Such persons should be able to identify the different kinds of explosives and know the basics of their chemical composition.

“We are looking at improving on the provision of security for explosives in transit.

We meet regularly with the law enforcement agencies to devise methods of solving problems relating to the proliferation of explosives and we want to strictly regulate and control the use of commercial explosives,” he said.

Awojobi said that though ammonium nitrate in its free state is not an explosive, it had been classified as an explosive because of the way it was being used.

24 feature

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Ebola Virus And Threat Of Bioterrorism

Physical sign of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever

By Chukwudi Edy Chukwu

Recently, Nigerians were jolted by the death of Dr. Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American, in a hospital in Lagos. Dr. Sawyer was reported to have contracted the dreaded Ebola Virus while in Liberia, manifested the symptoms of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF) in Lagos while en route to Calabar, cross River State.

He was hospitalized in a hospital in Lagos, died a couple of days afterwards, and his corpse was cremated after confirmation of the cause of death.

Following this event, a frenzy of health-related actions were jumpstarted to allay the fears of Nigerians, and residents of an imminence of the disease in the country.

On its heels, the death of a Sierra Leonean doctor and the infection of two American doctors by the disease they were dealing with in the West African country evoked the concern of the West about a possible spread of Ebola Hemorrhagic Virus (EHV) to America and beyond. Nigeria has lost two persons from the Sawyer misfortune. The sister of Dr. Sawyer was reported in an interview in CNN to also have died of Ebola a couple of weeks earlier. The disease has equally been reported in Saudi Arabia through a Sierra Leonean entrant. To date, the number of recorded victims is close to 1000 deaths and several sick persons, and still counting.

Recent report by Sahara Reporters has it that the Government of Liberia was well aware of the health status of Dr. Patrick Sawyer, yet he was cleared to travel to Nigeria by the country’s Deputy Finance Minister for Fiscal Affairs, Mr. Sebastine Muah, in spite of his quarantine status. This much was admitted by the Liberian Information Minister, Lewis Brown.

This Ebola affront has thus become the necessary stimulus for action against Ebola invasion and its consequences on human lives and

social habits.

While EHV was ravaging our neighboring countries, the Federal Ministry of Health placed a couple of advisories in the media which not many Nigerians bothered about.

This simplistic attitude of Nigerians has been let to stretch far into safety-related habits like sanitation (environmental concerns), personal hygiene and food (disease prevention concerns), and social life (concerns of impact on other persons), not to talk of proper personal medical neglect.

Apart from Ebola, several other biological invasive diseases have been allowed to thrive due to inadequate attention or direct abuse of personal rights to the detriment of public health. With an insight, it is possible to point at several cases of questionable introduction of blacklisted invasive alien species into our ecological heritage whose consequences may incubate for a longer time-span than the EHF. This fore-knowledge highlights the necessity for integrated biosecurity approach to international relations in trade, transportation, travel and tourism as a precautionary measure to prevent future occurrences of menace by alien diseases. These are the four pathways for introductions of invasive alien species. Deliberate and intentional introductions with a motive to cause harm to human, animal, and plant health; or to debilitate the environment and cause loss of biodiversity is outright bioterrorism.

Biosecurity is situated in environment and healthcare management, agriculture and safe-food management, ecology and biodiversity heritage management. These are linked by an intricate facultative web that the neglect of one would definitely lead to an automatic collapse of the biosecurity System. This implies that each sector is specialized, but cannot work without the other, to achieve a comprehensive biosecurity objective. The ultimate objective

of integrated biosecurity is the sustainability of the quantity and quality of every ambient factor as given by providence for sustaining humanity unto all ages – the so-called in-vita sine-qua-non of human existence and longevity.

In the proceedings of a meeting on Biological Warfare and Bioterrorism {Baylor Univ. Med. CentreOct. 2004; 17(4):400-406}, Stefan Riedel averred that: Biological warfare agents may be more potent than conventional chemical weapons. During the past century, the progress made in biotechnology and biochemistry has simplified the development and production of such chemical weapons. In addition, genetic engineering holds, perhaps, the most dangerous potential as victims of infectious diseases could be weapons of bioterrorism.

The sophistication and use of biological weapons in warfare increased in the 19th Century with the isolation and production of stocks of specific pathogens.

Stefan Riedels assertions were supported by historical reviews of the “BLACK DEATH” of 1346 which started in Caffa Genoese (present day Feodosia, Ukraine) and devastated Europe, the Near East and North Africa; the “SMALL POX” epidemic which was a biological assault of the Native Indian population in the Ohio River Valley in the 18th century. The epidemic transcended into the 20th century beyond the boundaries of America.

The use of anthrax, shigella and cholera was common during World War II by Germany and the Soviet Union. In the aftermath of 9/11, 2001 anthrax was mailed to news organizations and some politicians in America.

According to a CNN report on the outbreak of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever in West Africa, the US government is considering the epidemic as bioterrorism.

In 2010, fingerlings of a questionable species of fish called Pangasius

hypophthalmus were not inadvertently imported into the country for aquaculture purposes. Though a good aquaculture candidate, if an escape occurs or proper practice is ignored, the hazard may be of an epidemic dimension. The fish is indigenous to the Mekong River in Asia.

The main hazard of Pangasius is the impact on biodiversity, and possibility of an outbreak of clonorchiasis.

Clonorchiasis is a medical condition caused by a fluke worm Clonorchis sinensis which is known to lodge in the flesh of the fish sometime during the growth of the fish.

The worm is specific to this fish.

Upon consumption of the fish, the worm finally wriggles into the human liver and feeds on the bile. The medical presentation is said to manifest gradually and may have a long incubation period. The origin of the fish and its habits are suspected to possibly cause bio-accumulation of heavy metals in humans with its dire consequences on mental development, Intelligence Quotient, and life expectancy.

Late in 2013, Federal Department of Fisheries raised an alert about the plan of an Asian to import fingerlings of the Giant Mekong Catfish (a near cousin of P. hypophthalmus) into Nigeria. The Fisheries Society of Nigeria and other well-meaning stake-holders in the fisheries industry were appalled by the importation of this species. Its potential to cause biodiversity loss manifests after about three years of the establishment of feral species in any local body of water. Already, some catches of life medium-sized Pangasius have been spotted in Abuja and elsewhere. The threat could be real unless a study proves otherwise.

The recent revelation and intervention of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the stocking and sale of rotten frozen fish by some corporate organizations is a suggestion of our vulnerability to pathogenic agents and disease. What more, it could be categorized as bioterrorism or simply, economic sabotage.

The outbreak of the Ebola Hemorrhagic Disease, or Fever, is a wake-up call for a review of the total biosecurity management system in Nigeria. It is painfully apparent that this issue has been simply glossed over with its multifarious consequences and impact on human lives and livelihood. It may be an irony to appreciate the incidence of Ebola in West Africa as a good tonic to reevaluate existing Sanitary Standard Practices and Precautionary Biosecurity Standards in Nigeria, vis-àvis, concerns about relations with our near neighbors and cross-border human traffic.

Nigeria definitely needs a strong legislation, capacity development, strong independent biosecurity and quarantine agency (as is the case now in several countries), diligence in public and private biosecurity partnerships with government agencies, and a sustained public campaign against obnoxious social habits, and a pro-active populace.

Chukwu is a biosecurity expert in Nigeria.

Ebola affront has thus become the necessary stimulus for action against Ebola invasion and its consequences on human lives and social habits

Thursday, August 14, 2014

BananaRepublic RESTAURANT

25

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Thursday, August 14, 2014

Congratulations On behalf of the Management and Staff of Thames & Hudson Ltd, we wish to felicitate with Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano, over your appointment as the ProChancellor of the Jigawa State University by His Excellency, Alh. Sule Lamido CON. This well deserved appointment would no doubt give you the opportunity to extend your expertise in turning around Jigawa State University to a citadel of high learning as witnessed in all ramifications at Bayero University, Kano.

Congratulations Signed: Prof. Abubakar Adamu

Thames & Hudson No 21, Mahathma Gandhi Street, Area 11, Garki-Abuja Tel: +234(703)5987669; info@thamesandhudson.com

Rasheed Pro-Chancellor, Jigawa State University

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Thursday, August 14, 2014

THE ELECTABLES On August 15th, 2014

The best among Nigeria’s politicians; the best among those who aspire for political and elective office; the most popular candidates; the traiblazers; Nigeria ‘s most presentable candidates and those who have the vision and sense of mission to lead.

This is a must read!

A

SPECIAL PROJECTS PUBLICATION

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crime

Thursday, August 14, 2014

F E AT U R E S

Fans Of IGP Abba Plan ‘Police Is Your Friend’ Campaign Pop star turned pastor, Felix liberty, leads the train

IGP Abba

By CHIKA OTUCHIKERE, Abuja

Acting Inspector general of Police, IGP Suleiman Abba is like a new bribe that must be pampered and lavished with adoration.

When that bribe is perceived as a paragon of beauty and virtue, her praise is composed in songs and sang in folklores.

When Felix Liberty, in the company of a friend, Henry Fresh, walked into the newsroom of the LEADERSHIP Newspaper, Abuja head office most of the reporters on duty, especially those who were around in the 80s and early 90s did not immediately recognise the musician who had churned out monster hits back then.

In other climes, Liberty would have been a living legend whose songs, including the popular debut track, ‘Loverboy’, and later, ‘Ifeoma’, to name just two, invaded all the regions of the country making fans of music lovers.

But after the LEADERSHIP Group news editor, announced the guest as Felix Liberty, the ‘Lover Boy’ crooner, the reaction was electric. Many of the reporters who had ‘bubbled’ to the scintillating rhythms of the beats then, were literarily thrown into reminiscence as some even mouthed ‘Ifeoma,

Felix Liberty

Ifeoma, Ifeoma, I want to marry you, Give me your Love.

Felix Liberty has since left the business of making music and winning fans. He is now into the business of winning souls for the Lord. Time changed everything; his career, his looks and perhaps, his perception of life. He told LEADERSHIP that he now wins souls for God but that his mission that day was to win Nigerians for the country’s latest Inspector General of Police, IGP Suleiman Abba.

When asked to introduce himself, Liberty retorted, “Everybody knows me”. This reporter quickly reminded him that he did not look like the Felix Liberty of yore, an assertion which he quickly accepted. “My name is Felix Liberty, as you know, but now, I am a pastor by the grace of God. “We are going everywhere planting churches and we are very much interested in what is going on in the country. We want the country to be one, not divided, and anything that will be able to promote peace and unity, we will be there. We believe that the new police boss, IGP Suleiman Abba is a very beautiful choice.

“Police and all that security matter is something now that we have to begin to jubilate about because, now, it will be

Henry Fresh

solved. I am not saying that they were not working before, but I see professionalism now, I see good security going on, I see everybody sleeping with their two eyes closed, why? Because there is a professional that is leading the team now, so that’s why I’m here,” he said.

Asked how well he knows the new IGP, Liberty said he had only been watching him from the military era and his antecedent put him in the right position to lead the police rightly.

He pointed out that he did not have to have had any close relationship with the new IGP but that he was following closely his activities and found him to be an impeccable personality.

“I have never had a close contact with him but I have been reading him and I have been following closely all his works.

When the head is upright then the entire body will be healthy, in a matter of time. I love this country and that is why I am taking this campaign. When I see what is good for this country, I want to support it. I am not saying he is a saint but the man loves the police job. Because of Abba, I am beginning to see that the 2015 election will go the right way.

“Like my friend here, Fresh, when I told him about it, he said

there’s nothing we cannot do for him. We will bring out all our resources to be able to back the police. I tell you the truth, a lot of Nigerians do not believe in the Nigeria Police anymore but now because of the emergence of this man, anybody you talk to, they want to be part of it, to bring out resources and make sure that this campaign goes everywhere, ‘Police Is Your Friend’ that’s what we call the campaign and we are taking it all over the country,” he said.

Henry Fresh added his voice to Liberty’s call for Nigerians to rally round IGP Suleiman Abba, stressing Police being a lifeline of security, if well handled, Nigeria will become a crime free country. “Having checked this man’s pedigree, I believe he has what it takes to bring crimes to its barest in a very short time.

That is why we trying to put up this campaign.

“This is a campaign for right things, campaign for positive change, campaign for awareness in respect to Nigeria Police. The police is your friend and we want to take the message all over the country. The IGP should be given the opportunity to sanitise the police, to make Nigeria a police friendly nation and a better place for people to live. This is why we are here,” he said.

When I see what is good for this country, I want to support it. I am not saying he is a saint but the man loves the police job.

Because of Abba, I am beginning to see that the 2015 election will go the right way

NEWS /CRIME 29

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Police Declare War On Illegal Arms Dealers Set up tactical operations units in north-east

By CHIKA OTUCHIKERE, Abuja

The acting Inspector General of Police, IGP Suleiman Abba, has ordered immediate establishment of Tactical Operation points in some states of the northeast and northwest to curb the illegal movement of small arms, light weapons and other explosive devices.

Abba gave the directive yesterday in a statement signed by the police

spokesman, ACP Frank Mba, in which he said the points would be manned by Policemen who have received adequate training in tactical operation and counterterrorism.

According to Mba the operation points will be established in various strategic locations, including highways in Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba states.

“As part of strategic measures lined up to contain the illegal movement of small arms and light weapons and other explosive materials, the Acting Inspector-General of

Police, IGP Suleiman Abba, has ordered immediate establishment of Tactical Operation Points (TOP) in select states of the North East and North West.

“These points which will be manned by Policemen who have received adequate training in tactical operation and counter-terrorism will be established in various strategic locations, including highways in Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba states.

“Consequently, the IGP has charged all Assistant Inspectors -General of Police (AIGs) in charge of the Zones

covering the affected states and all Commissioners of Police in charge of these states to ensure close supervision and constant reskilling of the personnel performing this special operation.

The IGP pointed out that the latest measure will enable the Force to halt further spread of violence and frustrate the activities of insurgents and other criminals.

“The Force is determined to track and mop up illegal arms trade and arrest the unchallenged movement of explosive materials by hoodlums and other unpatriotic elements,” he said.

Lawmakers’ Abuse Of Siren Worry Imo Elders

Members of the Imo State Council of Elders have decried the indiscriminate use of sirens by some members of the national Assembly and political party stalwarts in the state, calling on the government to curb the abuse.

The elders made this known yesterday, in a statement signed by the chairman of the council Prince Njemanze and addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan and the people of Imo State. They elders lamented that the abuse of sirens by persons who ordinarily, are not entitled to use siren was posing security threat.

“As elders, we believe it is our duty to advice on issues that seem to posea threat to the general security of our state and nation at large. While commending the security agencies for their efforts that have made the state relatively peaceful so far, there arehowever some issues which, if not addressed could give rise to serious challenges.

By Millie Ibe, Abuja

Police Arrest Suspected Cultists In Ogun Over Colleague’s Death

Promoted civilian personnel of the police education directoriate in a group photograph with the director of police education, DCP Kabiru Ibrahim.

1945 Police Education Staff Celebrate Civil Service Promotion

by CHIKA OTUCHIKERE, Abuja

Civilian personnel in the Nigeria Police Directorate of Education were thrown into celebration yesterday during the presentation of promotion letter to 25 of 1945 personnel.

The event which was chaired by the Inspector general of Police, IGP Suleiman Abba, represented by the Director of Police Education, Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Kabiru Ibrahim, held at the

Police Education headquarters, Dei-dei, Abuja.

In his opening speech, the IGP Abba noted that it was the first time civilian staff of the Nigeria Police were benefitting from Federal Civil Service promotion following their integration into the service.

He explained that the promotion was in fulfilment of his promise to take the welfare of his personnel topmost in his agenda.

DCP Ibrahim who spoke with

journalists said the events was the beginning of good things for thee civilian staff working in his directorate. “Like I said in the opening remarks, it’s a very unique occasion; Unique in the sense that for quite some time, our civilian teachers, due to no fault of anybody, promotion has been delayed.

“Now with this thing happening, our schools that are already doing excellently well, will be much more motivated because like they have seen

vividly that the IGP meant what he said when he said he’s going to tackle the welfare of all men working under him, whether they are police officers or civilians. This is just the beginning.

“The total number of all officers that benefited from this promotion are 1945. 25 of them are at the very senior level from level 16 to 17 while the remaining 1920 are from level 7 to 14. Don’t forget that this is just the beginning, he said.

The Police detectives attached to the Agbara Division of the Ogun State Police Command on August 12, arrested four suspected cultists at Igbesa Agbara in Ado Odo Otta Local Government Area of the state, over the death of their colleague.

This is contained in a statement by the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi.

He said, the rival cult groups in the area had engaged themselves in a battle leaving one Adeyemi Yomi, 22, student of the Gateway Polytechnic Igbesa dead on August 11, at about 6.30pm.

The police placed a manhunt on the suspected cult members before one Ologunlagba Timilehin, 21, a confessed member of Airlord confraternity was arrested by the police.

The arrested cultist, Timilehin, had engaged the Doro confraternity in a gun battle for some hours before they were checkmated by the police. The arrest of the suspect has led to the arrest of additional three members of these groups who are helping the police in its investigation.

He said, “Those additional suspects arrested include Anifowose Adewumi, 21, Ekundayo Oladapo, 30, and Aina Owolabi. Efforts are still in top gear to get other fleeing members of these cult groups apprehended.”

By NAN

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Thursday, August 14, 2014

UNITING THE PEOPLE OF ADAMAWA

O

ne of the simple definition of Adamawa state under the leadership of HE Acting Governor Alh. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri is development, food security, and unity and youth empowerment. Whether this definition is accepted by all or not, the glaring mega projects executed within and across the state is enough to attest to the above definition, his effort in timely intervention to crisis and prompt response and support to victims of crisis, payment of two months outstanding salary of the civil savants and supply of 3000 trucks of fertilizers within in two weeks of his assumption in office is a sign of a unifying leader.

When he took the affairs of the state in acting capacity even his critics did not deny the fact that he is a humane and listening leader.

Every school of thought believes that the Youth is the vanguard and backbone of every society, From timely intervention in containing crisis and uniting aggrieved parties HE Ag Governor Alh Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri used the opportunity of power to employ and empower Adamawa youths in difference field of learning, this has gone a long way in reducing poverty, begging and making them independent. His effort in actualizing the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the agricultural sector is felt all over the state, the support he gave in making sure the fertilizer distribution is timely and has reached all nook and crannies of the state is most commendable.

Adamawa remains one of the states that their Governors supported with all seriousness the fertilizer distribution to farmers, no wonder famers would have doubled their output this year and a random visit to any village will testify this.

The universal belief that democracy simply means the actualization of a government that is people-oriented and people-friendly is evident in

party in the state the Acting Governor has enjoyed a great number of followership differentiate him from them is his zeal in empowerment, construction of roads, schools, hospitals, housing estate, water and Agricultural sector across the state.

HE Alh. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri Acting Governor, Adamawa State Ada m a w a s t a t e t o d a y .

Resident move freely a n d associated with each other as brothers keepers, a lot of effort is being expanded by HE Acting Governor Alh Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to maintain peace and security across the state, his continuous support to all security agencies in the state is most commendable.

As the 2015 elections draw nearer, it is logical to call on all eligible Adamawa voters to try as much as possible to reelect GoodLuck Jonathan into office, Alh Ahmedu Umaru Fintiri a leader with a unifying voice, a hum an and visionary leader, a leader that will always be accountable and transparent, a leader who can do all it takes to keep Adamawa united and one, a honest leader who is interested in helping the masses through laudable programmes that will transform the state, HE Alh. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri remains the only leader with the required credentials his laudable programme and plans are indicators to what he wants to achieve in a long term for the state.

The Acting Governor of Adamawa State, Alh Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri can best be described as God given to Adamawa state. In fact, he could as well be said as an anointed leader. He has made history in the development of the state within a short period of time.

Acting Governor Alh Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri Transformational programmes has earned the ruling party PDP wider support from the electorates.

His Excellency Acting Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri effort in achieving the successful fertilizer distribution across the state was successful because of dedication of the federal minister of Agriculture Dr Akinwumi Adesina in bringing Growth Enhancement Support (GES) of the federal ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development at the appropriate time to the state when the rainy season and outside of the new planting are around the corner, the subsidized 2,500 per bag of fertilizer and farm inputs to farmers and extended to every units of the state and over 8,000 farmers have benefitted from the state.

We join all Adamawa's to pray, support and convince our acting Governor to contest come 2015. In order to move the state forward.

Despite all sabotage by the opposition

SIGNED

Alh. (DR) Ado Adamu Bomboy

Yobe State Youth Leader People Democratic Party, (PDP) And North East Co-coordinator Transformation Movement Agenda for Jonathan 2015

education

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Thursday, August 14, 2014

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students were shortlisted for the final live competition

F E AT U R E S N E W S R E P O R T S I N T E R V I E W

Students

Another Curriculum Review: What Impact?

By Kuni Tyessi, Abuja

He contended that Nigerians were not reading and this culture was affecting the pupils and students “because without reading, there is no information

Concerned about the state of Nigerian education, stakeholders in the sector have called for a review of the primary and secondary school curriculum to address what they see as challenges being faced by students and teachers alike. Their suggestion, if approved by government, will consign the curriculum currently in use to the dustbin of history. In this report, Kuni Tyessi x-rays the revised curriculum and its possible impact on the performance of students.

As a captain depends on a compass to find his way in a large body of water, so does a teacher rely on the curriculum to plan and guide him in the teaching methodology adopted to get the best out of the pupils and students entrusted in his care.

The primary and secondary school curriculum have come

under several attacks in recent times with some people saying it is unnecessarily too bulky for the primary and secondary school students and others attributing the poor performance in examinations by pupils and students to the poor teaching skills due to inadequate training of teachers.

Last week, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Centre (NERDC), a parastatal under the federal ministry of education which is in charge of curriculum review, concluded the project of reviewing the basic education curriculum and presented it to members of the Nigerian public.

The executive secretary, Prof.

Godswill Obioma had said the “review of that curriculum was occasioned by the quest of the end user that the curriculum is over loaded in terms of subject matter and there is a need to reduce the subject over load

without losing quality and also to incorporate if there are any emerging issues.”

He contended that Nigerians were not reading and this culture was affecting the pupils and students “because without reading, there is no information.”

The curricula overload was also an issue at the presidential summit on the restoration, reclamation, and sustenance of the quality of education in Nigeria held in October, 2010. Consequently, based on the white paper on the report of the presidential task team on education, NERDC was directed to further revise the 9-year BEC in terms of reducing the subject over load without compromising quality.

Specifically, the number of subjects was to be reduced to between 6 and 13 in line with global best practices as well as taking account of local needs.

The revised BEC approved by the National Council

on Education in 2013 comprised five subjects which include English Language, Mathematics, Cultural and Creative Arts, one Nigerian language and Basic Science and Technology.

Prevocational studies which are to be introduced in primary four are Home Economics and Agriculture while religious and national values include Christian Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, Social Studies, Civic Education, and Security Education. French will be introduced in primary four, Arabic remains optional while Business Studies and Entrepreneurship is to be introduced in JSS1.

The implementation of the revised BEC has been approved by NCE to commence in September 2014 beginning from primary one and JSS one and will gradually phase out the old BEC with the hope that since the curriculum represents the total experiences to which

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Thursday, August 14, 2014

‘Wealthy, Prominent Nigerians Should Assist In Youth Education’

By Winifred Ogbebo, Abuja

Prominent and influential Nigerians, have been called upon to invest in the education of the youths by establishing educational endowment and scholarship schemes in support of educational development.

The call was made recently by Alh Yusuf Mamman Abubakar when he was conferred with the 2014 Kwame Nkrumah leadership Award on Education Development from the West African Students Union (WASU).

Yusuf, who is also the secretary general, CBN Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Abuja, was given the award at the Ohinoyi of Ebira’s Palace, Okene,Kogi State.

While reiterating the importance of education , he stated that education broadens one’s horizon, confidence, and enhances one’s independence so much so that no one, can, in the colour of clan, religious or political alienation, “mislead you to perpetrate evil or violence.”

He said, “The importance of youths education to global economy cannot be over emphasized following the enormous potential that abound in the most populous black nation.”

WASU is the initiator of the popular Kwame Nkrumah leadership Award and lecture series, which has featured in Ghana for the last 13 years.

Reeling out his academic pursuits, WASU’s student leader, assistant secretary, Peter Mouizar, who represented the secretary general, noted that Yusuf has demonstrated his love for academics and students, as he has reserved 100 seats for students of primary and post primary schools who attended the occasion, printed 10,000 worth of education materials to be distributed to students.

short news ERC Hails Fashola Over Reversal Of LASU Fee To N25,000 Pupils of Nelson Mandela International School Nyanya, Abuja singing a welcome song during their recent end of year graduation ceremony. photo by adefemi adewuyi

LRCN, NITDA Train Librarians In Open Source Software Application

by Kuni Tyessi, Abuja

Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN) in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is making strategic interventions to bridge the skills gap in information and communication technologies among librarians.

To this end the two organisations organised a workshop on application of free and open source software (FOSS) in library operations.

The workshop was aimed to arm librarians with skills to become key players in the ICT sector, able to deploy and apply the ICTs to improve the lot of all information seekers.

Registrar/CEO of Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigeria,

Dr Victoria Okojie said LRCN is committed to ensuring that information professionals in Nigeria are at par with their counterparts in developed countries of the world.

“It is in line with this wider picture that the Council considered it appropriate to partner with the foremost public IT organisation, NITDA in seeking to equip information professionals and managers with competencies and skills that will enable them choose and work with free and open source software in their libraries.”

Dr Okojie said that financial resources available to libraries are not sufficient hence only very few can afford to provide proprietary software to users. She stated that Free and open source software is free, accessible and easy to

maintain but most librarians are not informed about their availability or lack requisite skills to deploy the facilities.

The workshop explored the possibilities FOSS offer for modernising Nigerian libraries and to facilitate information sharing and also strengthen technical capacity in deploying FOSS tools such as DSpace, Greenstone, Koha and CDS/ISIS. The Director General of NITDA, Mr Peter Jack said NITDA and LRCN are seeking Open Source Solutions for improved service delivery in the libraries optimistic that if librarians are armed with relevant IT skills, they would be re-positioned to address some of the challenges in the sector and thereby contribute meaningfully to national growth and development.

Another Curriculum Review: What Impact?

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all learners must be exposed, the contents, performance objectives, activities for both teachers and learners, teaching and learning resources and evaluation guides are prescribed as components in the overall logical frame.

During the presentation, it was revealed that in 2004, Nigeria adopted a home grown economic blue print, the national economic and development strategy in response to the global reforms.

The focal points included value re-orientation, poverty eradication, wealth creation and employment generation.

The NERDC boss said the BEC was implemented nationwide

in 2008 systematically beginning from primary one and junior secondary concurrently. It comprised 20 subjects which included such new subjects as Basic Science, Basic Technology, and Computer Science/IT. Emerging issues such as family life, HIV/AIDS education, drug education, national values, road safety education etc were incorporated into relevant career subject matter of which out of the 20 subjects, learners offered a maximum of 15 subjects in the junior secondary school.

The teachers’ guides which are expected not to be compromised are said

to enhance the effective delivery as well as eliminate ambiguities in the teaching of the curriculum. This is said to be an improvement compared to past efforts where teachers’ guides were not developed and this is to be supported with the training of teachers on how to use the guide and this is to commence across the country in different designated venues in Benin, Enugu, Lagos, Makurdi, and Minna.

The laudable feat could have been marred by unfavourable release of funds.

Obioma revealed that “of the N270million proposed in the 2014 budget and admitted by our parent ministry and the office of the senior special

adviser to Mr. President on MDGs to complete the distribution of the outstanding primary 4-6, only N30 million was approved by the National Assembly. It will be worthy of note that this unfortunate development if left uncorrected will certainly derail the implementation of the revised BEC as approved by the NCE and thus affect the attainment of the transformation agenda in this context.”

After all said and done, it is believed that the new curriculum, after surviving all the hurdles, will go a long way to improve the understanding of pupils and students, thereby empowering them with the ability to perform credibly.

The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has appreciated the governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola for the reversal of the astronomically hiked fees of the Lagos State University (LASU).

This was disclosed by the publicity secretary of the group, Hassan Soweto while reacting to the struggle made in course of returning the fee to N25,000.

ERC stressed that both lecturers and students need to be vigilant to ensure that the victory is permanent.

By Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, Lagos

EDUCATION/NEWS 33

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Why We’re Building A University Of Education In Niger– Nuhu The Niger State government has concluded plans to establish a university of education. This is even as a new education and scholarship policy is in the works for the state. The state commissioner for tertiary education, Dr. Mohammad Bashir Nuhu commented on these and other issues in this interview with ABU NMODU in Minna. Excerpts What is the main policy thrust of tertiary education in Niger State?

In fact university of education is going to be multi campus, in such a way that it would provide continuous teachers development training at that new site

Well, the cardinal objectives are: one, to narrow the gap that existed in terms of coordination between the various institutions; two is to ensure that there is an adequate way of reporting and embarking on peer review mechanism, and three is to a kind of harmonize and also serve as an avenue for a comparative advantage among various higher institutions and see where there are strength, where there are deficiencies and where there could be leverages to inform one another.

Hitherto, the various institutions were reporting to different ministries, different agencies, some were even reporting to the office of the Secretary to the State Government, some to Head of Service, some to ministry of finance, some to ministry of agriculture, so you could see clearly dysfunctional relationship.

With the establishment of this Ministry of Tertiary Education, we have been able to articulate and to harmonize all the institutions under one umbrella.

How far is the plan for the establishment of the university of education in the state?

We have gone far, the vice chancellor, Prof. Farouk Rasheed Haruna has been appointed, the chairman of the governing board and members have been appointed, even the law establishing the university has been passed by the state assembly. We will now leverage on the existing programmes at the state College of Education,

Minna and delineate structures that will serve the university of education and that of the college of education; we will start admission November this year.

The simple logic is that we already have accreditation by NUC for most affiliated programmes with Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto and ABU, Zaria, which of course would be the foundation for the take-off of the university of education. The faculty of education in IBB University Lapai will be phased out and taken to the university of education, while the staff and every other thing would now move into the university of education.

So when you look at the whole package you see that it is well integrated, it is well comprehensively planned for it to succeed, naturally it has evolved; you are also aware that structures on ground at the college of education surpassed college of education standard, so that already is a leverage that of course we know that we will be taking to the next level. We have also made provisions for the training of staff, we have lecturers that are on doctorate studies oversees and within the country; we have already done staff audit, staff census, we have also identified the gap, department by department, we have looked at the programmes that we intend to start with, we have written the NUC and be rest assured that it will be a university to beat.

What of the governor’s promise to relocate the college of education, why the change of plan?

We are still retaining the site

what are you doing to resolve this?

Nuhu

that was acquired at Munya after Gwada, that is Maraba Dandaudu, we are still retaining it because it would be career teachers development institute.

So, apparently even the structures would be there. We have finished the master plan for that site, and we are coming up with the structure, it would be up for training and retraining of teachers on daily basis, in affiliation with university of education. In fact university of education is going to be multi campus, in such a way that it would provide continuous teachers development training at that new site . Even Fati Lami College of Legal and General Studies will also be in affiliation with the university of education in terms of structures, just like we have institute of administration in ABU. It would have its own unique administration and then it would be under the umbrella of the university of education.

So, there is no change but a better approach for sustainable educational development in Niger State.

Recently issues concerning salaries of lecturers, workers of tertiary institutions in the state have been creating problems,

Ebola Scare: NUC Encourages Proactive Measures

Parents Urged To Invest To Encourage Children’s Literacy

By Chikelu Chinelo

Trending Education Stories ➊ LRCN, NITDA Train Librarians In Open Source Software Application ➋ Why We’re Building A University Of Education In Niger– Nuhu ➌ Another Curriculum Review: What Impact?

The Information Resource Officer of the Information Resource Center (IRC), US Mission Nigeria, Dr. Malore Brown has advised parents to invest in subjects their children find fascinating to encourage reading habit.

Brown made this known at the fourth annual Summer Reading Program of the American Corner, Library, Abuja, which commenced on Monday. She said parents whose children seem averse to reading can induce their interest by learning what fascinates the child and invest on books that leverage on such to not only broaden their knowledge

on such subjects but open doors towards professionalism and learning of other interests.

She advised parents who complained they children have no reading skills but are creatively inclined to encourage such children to express themselves and do a little bit more as that more often than not signify a future career in the making.

“For parents whose children like to draw, you should let them express themselves and encourage them to write a story to accompany their sketches, invest on comics to help them build ideas and talents. It is part of what makes great artists and illustrators in the future.”

We have made several resolutions and we have told them the challenges we have with the budget, budget passed by house of assembly is already in law and their demands have not been captured and we developed about four scenarios and the fourth one was the one feasible.

We looked at the inflow to the state account and what can be implemented, in essence the proprietor of schools determine what workers can be paid, but now you bring in any salary structure from the federal and expect the state to pay. The state has to look at what is affordable and we agreed that there will be pay rise of about 15 percent for the college of education and polytechnic workers and then additional 5 percent for the academics’ earned allowance. Of course we have made it public, we have let them know it was agreed at the state executive council meeting and it was formally approved by the Chief Servant and of course we are working to ensure that it is captured in 2015 budget, so that by January automatically we will comply with the existing regulations. And at the last meeting we held with the commissioner for planning, commissioner for finance, SSG, Head of Service and all the chairmen and secretaries of the unions of the schools present, we all agreed to this amicably. And we agreed to call off the strike and for us in Niger state we are doing our best to improve the system.

What are the standard gauges for scholarship in Niger State, what is the new policy in place for scholarship in the state all about?

Like I did say earlier on, there is no written document that you can say that this is a document comprehensively, a policy document for scholarship in Niger state. But we have made a draft and we have subjected it to stakeholders’.

by Kuni Tyessi, Abuja

25

countries will be participating in this year’s fifth annual Olympiad

The Executive Secretary, National universities commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie has charged university administrators and students to brace up to the new health challenges posed by the dreaded Ebola virus by being proactive and strengthening environmental health on the campuses Professor Okojie who was represented by his newly appointed deputy Executive Secretary, Prof. Chinedu Mafianya in Abuja yesterday at a joint sensitization workshop tagged ‘’Tertiary Institutions student’s health Insurance programme’’, hosted by the NUC in collaboration with the office of the Special Assistant

to the president on youth matters, said ‘’ the current epidemic requires adequate sensitization which has taken the center stage in the country and the world at large’’ He further noted that since students are prone to being in overcrowded classrooms, hostels and allied environments, there is the urgent need to sensitize them on the ideal hygienic practices they are expected to imbibe.

Earlier in a key note address, the executive secretary National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Femi Thomas, said that the occasion was a unique one designed to talk to Nigerians and indeed future leaders which the student’s body represents on the need to embrace health insurance measures.

34 OPINION

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Unemployment, Underemployment And Unemployability Dilemma By joel pereyi

Year in, year out, parents and guardians in the country over pour in their lingering hopes, and in some cases their all into the successes of their children and wards. After much have been expended, our ivory towers certify them worthy in learning and character, only for them to be rubber-stamped and christened unemployable by employers of labour. This has been one of the absurd realities of the youths of this generation, and more disturbing, however, is the fact that we seem not to be in a hurry to alter this sorry fate.

My friend, Udi Martins, graduated three years ago with a second class(upper division) in International Relations. Appealing to my naïveté in the arts and humanities demographic, he used to tease me with literary terms and I responded with all sort of scientific arcana. I recall how he spoke French with the eloquence of Charles De Gaule and English with the dexterity of a Winston Churchill. Undoubtedly, he was and still is an intellectual aristocrat of an urbane and literal temper.

To this day, my dear friend is underemployed. It sickens me he has been denied an income that befits a man of his brain and

Wogu

brawn.

Layefa, Nonye and Nonso – friends of a friend – cleared the doubts of those who held contentions to Jim Rohn’s law of averages in all metrics. This troika were outstanding students who toped their respective departments – Sociology, Petroleum Engineering and Geology – and as such, they carried themselves with the deliberate aplomb of book–bound gurus. Either Layefa or Nonye – I can’t remember which – secured overseas scholarship immediately after her service year, while her friends had to make do with low paying teaching jobs. About two

It will amount to unredeemable foolhardy not to insinuate that the fastest solution to this problem is challenging and simple

months ago, my body squirmed as if it had received a jolt to the nerves when I saw Nonso walking on crutches. On more enquiry, I heard she was a victim of the Immigration recruitment exercise.

It will amount to unredeemable foolhardy not to insinuate that the fastest solution to this problem – unemployment, underemployment, and unemployability – is both individualistically challenging and stupidly simple.

In an attempt to proffer a long lasting solution to this festering malaise, I quizzed the cause, and admonished my respondents to suggest long lasting solutions, through an opinion poll on social media. Expectedly, their views varied like their respective nomenclatures. Their opines reduced the figurative giant of Africa into a somewhat funny pie chart. While some took solace in shooting brickbats and sentimental canons at the establishment, others premised their conclusions on the low quality of education churned out at our academic institutions. In all, the better part of their resolves fell within a comic range that went from slapstick to satire.

How sad?

– Pereyi, a freelance copywriter is a final year Petroleum Engineering student of Niger Delta University

Jimmy Johnson Every Thursday Mobile: 08072001812 email: jimyjayjohnson@yahoo.com

The Root Of Inflation

Letters & Opinions Letters to The Editor, P. O. Box 9514, Garki II, Abuja.

Text: 08116759791.

E-mail: Opinions@ leadership. ng (no attachments please).

Fax: 09-2345360

Nigerians prefer to buy and sell.

Millionaires in Nigeria do not establish factories because of our insatiable haste to make money – going into manufacturing is too long a time to make money quick.

A greater number of youths of the eastern extraction, Igbo are in shops all over learning in practical terms without education, the tricks of buying and selling with maximum profit, rather than go to school.

On entry into any shop owned by an Igbo trader, you observe that the owner of the shop is many more times than not, absent or he is in a small cubicle inside the shop within ear shot of the conversations that will ensure between a customer and his apprentice boys. Generally, prizes are inflated by these apprentices. The cost they present to the customer is usually far more than the cost the same item would have been sold also with profit.

For every item sold, the apprentice makes a certain amount of money on top of his master’s profit. This he saves for the period he remains in servitude – ten to fifteen years, as the case may be on agreement.

His boss, at the end of the boy’s apprenticeship and training, pays one year rent for a new shop for

his boy in which he begins his trade without formal education. This, in no small measure gives rise to inflation of prises of commodities everywhere. Who do we blame for this – children who should be in school are busy looking for short cuts, cutting corners to make money at a very early age.

The streets too are flooded by hawkers selling various commodities and with a hundred meter race away from you and back, the hawkers present you with anything on demand there on the street. They are mostly light weight commodities which they can carry doing the race during traffic jams, However, it is a welcome situation with hope that the recently concluded WEFA will usher in the establishment of factories which will not only provide employment but save us from importing everything under the sun.

The promo by some telecommunication networks namely Etisala and MTN calls for concern. Etisalat has not made public the winner of its $1,000,000 in a promo it carried out sometime ago.

MTN in a current promo is asking subscribers to text YES to1010 and 4100 in a promo they charge N100

per day and claim that N2,000,000 would be won daily. The moment a subscriber sends YES to 4100 or 1010, what follows is a barrage of very simple questions which the subscriber is asked to answer and is charged N100 and before you know it, you have spent over a N1,000.

There are other promos urging subscribers to play one game or the other by sending SMS to the network for which they charge a fee, fifty or hundred Naira. While Globacom’s promotions are factual and winners are paid and published, other networks continue to harass subscribers with false promotions which nobody knows the winners.

Etisalat promo some time ago claimed that $1,000,000 would be won on the purchase of a N200 SIM. The winner of that $1,000,000 US dollars was never published or known by the general public up to date.

For twenty six days MTN recently deducted N100 daily from my credit for which they claimed I would certainly win N2,000,000. I didn’t win N2,000,000 nor was any winner of the said amount made public. If a million subscribers paid N100 in a day it would be N100,000,000 robbery.

Inside Out

KUNLE SOMORIN Feed back: kunlesomorin@yahoo.co.uk 08023339626 (SMS only)

This Monster Called Ebola

I

was woken up on Friday with a strange call.

A friend who had not called me in over two years was at the other end of the receiver.

“I beg you in the name of God, my pastor just called me around 2:30 am that we should call everybody we know to take their bath with salt in warm water before dawn.” He sounded distraught and subtly blackmailed me. “I know you are a Doubting Thomas,” he continued, “Please this is a serious matter. I am not asking you to chant incantation, abi? It’s from a man of God. Ebola like AIDS is real o,” he rambled, babbled and prattled on.

By the time I got to the office, salt and water solution was all over the place. People gathered in groups, shrill telephone conversations, radio, TV and newspapers reported what this longforgotten friend said was divinely revealed to a pastor.

Such is the infamous notoriety that the Ebola virus disease has assumed. This viral disease that has defied all understanding has created a big hiatus between husbands and wives, doctors and patients; turned nations against nations and made an ordinarily taciturn President Jonathan to make venomously un-presidential remark by calling the late importer of the virus, American-Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, claiming that he came with a deadly mission to kill, infect and destroy Nigeria with the Ebola virus disease.

The president must have forgotten that you don’t speak ill of the dead in our cosmogony.

But who will blame the man who was not allowed to savour the honeymoon of his visit to Washington only to return and meet this great national embarrassment? Jonathan has had to declare the control and containment of the Ebola virus in Nigeria a national emergency and coughed out a N1.9 billion special intervention fund, when elections are fast approaching.

The establishment of additional isolation centres, case management, contact tracing, deployment of additional personnel, screening at borders, and the procurement of required items and facilities, may as well become another “toll gate” for some smart Nigerians. Beyond all these is the international economic relations game that ZMapp, the untested drug said to be a likely cure for the disease, has become.

While two Americans infected with Ebola are being treated with it and showing signs of improvement, the United States says it is too early to tell if the drug had anything to do with that.

ZMapp, a treatment made by private US company, Mapp Pharmaceuticals, is still in an extremely early phase of development and had only been tested previously on monkeys.

Ebola virus has killed 1,013 people and infected another 1,848 across West African nations, according to the latest data from World Health Organisation, especially in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and now Nigeria. We should be worried because once a patient is infected with Ebola the incubation period is 4 to 16 days.

The onset of the disease is sudden, with fever, chills, headache, anorexia, and muscle pain.

As the disease progresses, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, stomach pain, and diarrhea are common. Most patients develop severe haemorrhages, usually between days five and seven. Bleeding occurs from multiple sites, including the digestive tract, lungs, and gums.

Death occurs within 7 to 16 days. The trauma is unthinkable.

ISSUES 35

Thursday, August 14, 2014

To SEC’s ‘Concerned Industry Watchers’

By Iyke Attah

On Thursday August 7, 2014, an advertorial appeared on page 55 of Thisday newspaper entitled “Re: Mass Sack Looms in SEC – Response of Concerned Industry Watchers”. The faceless authors of the advertorial in one breath purported to raise concerns over a plan “to employ some 23 senior staff at directorial level” by the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In another breath, they embarked on revealing damaging information about “an act of financial recklessness” and claimed that “SEC has faced deficit budget financing in the range of N1 billion since 2010”.

The writers also questioned how the “SEC Board recently donated the sum of N410 million to Investments and Securities Tribunal outside SEC’s budget to pay the Tribunal’s rents and purchase pool cars. Among other things they said “the donation was far in excess of the (approval) limit of the SEC Board and that the capital market community was more concerned about the judicial independence of the IST and corporate governance issues particularly as the SEC is usually the major complainant or respondent in almost all cases at the IST.” One can go on and on to recap their claims but that is not the purpose of this write-up. My goal here is to show the reading public that the clique behind the said advertorial is nothing but a group of unpatriotic blackmailers whose inordinate greed is capable of sinking the capital market.

A correct reading of the agenda of the clique is that these top officers of the SEC now see themselves as rising financial oligarchs and the SEC as their private property. They do not want any new persons to be employed into the SEC while they want all revenues generated by the SEC

to be left for sharing among themselves to the exclusion of even other key capital market institutions like the IST. We have seen this happen in NEPA where Board, management and employees routinely embezzled all of NEPA’s revenue and budgets, year in, year out, until the NEPA turned into a multi-billion dollar sink-hole and a nation’s nightmare. It happened in NITEL, Nigerian Airways, etc until the federal government had no option than to sell some of them off.

Recently, it was widely published that for the financial year 2013, the SEC, the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Central Securities Clearing System shared the sum of N9.4 billion as proceeds of transaction fees paid by investors in the secondary arm of the capital market. Out of this sum, the SEC raked in almost N3.5 billion in addition to revenues from the primary market from such other sources as registration of new securities, investments schemes, capital market operators, etc.

Presently the SEC has staff strength of about 251. Does it mean that this huge revenue is not enough for it to operate? Why the claim of deficit budget of N1billion since 2010 with all these streams of revenue? Compared with other revenue generating agencies of the federal government like the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigerian Customs Service is it within the powers of SEC’s officials to decide how government spends the revenue generated by the SEC? We have never heard of the Customs Service raising issues that it has sole right to customs duties or the FIRS saying that tax revenues should be regarded as its budget.

The group contradicted itself by claiming N1billion deficit budget financing and at the same time alleging that the SEC DirectorGeneral is “planning to waste a

Oteh

It should worry the reading public that the agenda of the people working in the SEC is that every revenue that enters its coffers should be left to them to share among themselves as if the commission were a quoted company in which they are sole shareholders whopping sum of N2.1 billion on market women, get-together and integrity awards during the last quarter of the year”. That doesn’t look like the pastime of a pauperised institution. Or does it? And this is happening at a time when other capital market institutions cannot afford to fund their basic operations to fulfill their statutory obligations to the investors paying for the SEC’s frivolities.

These greedy financial oligarchs failed to say whether SEC’s staffs are owed salaries and allowances; whether they have not received grants to buy their own houses, car loans, regular

accommodation allowances, etc.

At SEC, government’s obligation to staff has suddenly changed from paying staffs their salaries and allowances to their laying claim to a right to share among themselves every revenue generated by the Commission.

Are they now employing the Federal Government of Nigeria or the government is employing them? Why are they threatening that they are watching the capital market and to what end? Are they going to withdraw their individual investments from the market or what?

It is unfortunate that those who are paid to monitor and

enforce rules in the market have themselves elected to be passive watchers and redundant parasites on the treasury.

It should worry the reading public that the agenda of the people working in the SEC is that every revenue that enters its coffers should be left to them to share among themselves as if the commission were a quoted company in which they are sole shareholders. Granted that the SEC D-G and staff have had a troubled relationship since her appointment, this incompatible relationship should not be the reason for a few privileged government workers to use their ill-gotten wealth to throw calculated blows and sponsor damaging campaigns to subvert policy decisions taken by the government that employs them.

The directive to pay rent and purchase pool cars for the Investments and Securities Tribunal was given by the then supervising Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Lawan Ngama, having considered the precarious expenditure needs of the Tribunal.

Speaking about ‘judicial independence of the IST and corporate governance issues’, the recent directive by the Minister of Finance that IST should be funded with 10 percent share of the one percent transaction fees previously divided among NSE, CSCS and SEC has addressed the issue.

The new funding arrangement is akin to the funding structure of the national judiciary on first-line charge from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Once this is implemented the IST’s independence will be guaranteed and there would be no need for SEC to make donations and grants to it. As the Capital Market adjudicator the IST is also the custodian and curator of corporate governance in the sector.

– Attah is a senior analyst at Jules & Jewels Media Consulting

Dele Fatokun

Reasoning Together reasoningtogether2013@yahoo.com 08158594386 (SMS only)

Science And Faith In the olden days, sailors feared to venture far into the distant ocean because they thought the earth was flat as a table. They thought if they should reach the edge of the earth they would slip down and perish in the bottomless ocean. However, in 1519, Ferdinand Magallan and his crew embarked on the first voyage around the world and proved beyond reasonable doubt that the earth was spherical. This voyage lasted for

three years. This would not have been necessary if they had believed the report of the Bible, the inspired word of God, which tells us that the earth is circular (Isaiah 40:22).

Rich Deam noted that the early proponents (Nicholas Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, and Galileo Galilei) of heliocentrism (the earth revolving round the Sun) were all Christians.

In fact, Isaac Newton, in his famous scientific work Principia, stated: “the

most beautiful system of the sun, planets, comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being”.

Many old scientists believed in God. Albert Einstein (1879-1855) was probably the best known and most highly revered scientist of the twentieth century, and associated with major revolutions in our thinking about time, gravity and conversion of matter to energy (E

= mc2). According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Einstein firmly denied atheism and expressed belief in God. A famous saying of his was ‘Science without (true) religion is lame, religion without science is blind’ Peter Pilt noted that the Bible revealed scientific facts hundreds and thousands of years before science learned about them. When Bible speaks of scientific matters,

it speaks with complete authority and absolute certainty and accuracy.

Once in a while we hear about modern science disagreeing with the Bible. What should we do when this happens? Be patient and give science time to catch up! Science has always needed to catch up with the Bible. For example, science believes in evolution instead of the Biblical creation. What should we do? Be patient with science to catch up.

36

Thursday, August 14, 2014

NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL Supreme Court Complex Three Arms Zone, P.M.B. 483, Abuja

ADVERTORIAL ENROLMENT OF FEDERAL JUDICIARY EMPLOYEES UNDER CONTRIBUTORY PENSION SCHEME In line with the provisions of Section 12 of the Pension Reform Act 2004 and as part of the implementation process of the issuance of Federal Government Retirement Bond, the National Judicial Council is commencing an enrolment exercise from 19th August, 2014 for employees of the Federal Judiciary that retired from service after attaining 60years of age or 35 years in service, whichever is earlier.

2.

It is important to emphasize that only Retirees who have been enrolled will be issued with the Federal Government Retirement Bond which will be liquidated and paid into their Retirement Saving Accounts with their respective Pension Funds Administrators.

3.

The affected employees would be physically enrolled and are expected to come along with the originals of the under listed documents for sighting while photocopies of same would be submitted during the exercise: a) Letter of first Appointment; b) Birth Certificate or Declaration of Age; c) Promotion Letter and Pay Slip indicating grade level and step as at 30th June, 2004. d) Letter from the Court/Judicial Body signifying retirement and first th appointment dates, grade level and as at 30 June, 2004, as well as the last grade level and step at the time of retirement.

e) Letter of indemnity in case of voluntary retirement stating the amount paid as pension and or gratuity if any; f) Authenticated past Record of service; g) Pay Slip indicating grade level and step as at July, 2007; h) Last Pay Slip indicating grade level and step; i) Evidence of registration with a Pension Fund Administrator indicating Personal Identification Number (PIN); j) Evidence of Transfer and Acceptance of Service (where applicable). k) Two recent Passport photographs L) Letter of Confirmation of Appointment or Official Gazette.

4. The Pension Desk Officers (PDO) must be available at the designated venues during the period of enrolment to verify/authenticate and endorse the retirement registration forms and all relevant documents of each retiree.

5. Medically unfit affected retirees are exempted from the physical enrolment.

The Desk Officers are however advised to come along with the aforestated documents as well as a letter from a Government approved Hospital certifying that the affected retiree is medically unfit to attend the exercise.

6. Next of kin(s) are to come along with the aforestated documents, Death Certificate and Letter of Administration.

7. The exercise is scheduled to hold on the dates stated on the under listed: -

SCHEDULE FOR ENROLEMENT OF RETIRED FEDERAL JUDICIARY STAFF UNDER THE CONTRIBUTORY PENSION SCHEME BY THE NJC. S /N

C O U R T /J U D I C IA L B O D Y

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S u p re m e C o u r t C o m p le x , A b u ja .

C our t o f A pp e a l H e a d Q tr s. , A b u ja F e d e r a l H ig h C o u rt H ea d Q tr s. , A b u ja N a tio n a l I n d u str ia l C o u r t H ea d Q tr s. , A b u ja F . C . T H ig h C o u r t o f Ju stic e H ea d Q tr s. , A b u ja F C T S h a r ia C o u rt o f A p p e a l H ea d Q tr s ., A b u ja .

C u sto m a r y C o u r t o f A p p e a l H ea d Q tr s ., A b u ja .

N a t io n a l Ju d ic ia l I n stitu te , A b u ja .

N a t io n a l Ju d ic ia l C o u n ci l, A b u ja .

F e d e r a l Ju d ic ia l S er v ic e C o m m iss io n , A b u ja .

F .C .T J u d ic ia l S e r v ic e C o m m itt e e , A b u ja .

B o d y o f B e n c he r s, A b u ja .

8.

Please, ensure that you bring the foregoing to the attention of the affected Staff so as to guide them accordingly.

All enquires should be directed to: The Ag. Director (Finance & Accounts) National Judicial Council, Supreme Court Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

Tel: 08033154204, 08035868498, 08069742664

Ramalan Shehu Ag. Director (Finance & Accounts) For: SECRETARY

politics today Thursday, August 14, 2014

REPORTS ANALYSES REVIEWS INTERVIEWS

As a seasoned politician, how will you compare the state of political parties back in the day to what it is now?

In our days, there was internal democracy. I think there was no glaring interference from the leaders. They allowed the people to make their selection, go to the polls and decide who they wanted. But today, it is not so. People now want to anoint the people that will protect their interest. The second difference is that there was party discipline; today, there is nothing like discipline.

There was complete adherence to party manifesto but today every elected member will say he is basing his own manifesto or blue print for their state.

Senatorial zones and even local government areas have their manifestos. In a political party, the manifesto should be supreme whether you are a president, governor or senator.

How do we get our political parties to go back to the basis of real party system?

It will be difficult because even people at the top will not want that because they will feel that it will infringe on their interest.

Is this distortion peculiar to Nigerian politics or things have changed all over the world

To me, it is peculiar to Nigeria and Africa. I don’t think America behaves like that, there is continuity and it is based on manifesto. But in Nigeria, during Obasanjo, we started with his slogan, Yar’Adua came with seven point agenda and now Jonathan is transformation.

Tomorrow somebody will come and change it to another thing and this is all setting the clock backwards.

Government should be about continuity. There are so many abandoned policies and programmes and that is why nothing is working in Nigeria.

If they refused to do the right thing, then let that failure be on him. People should not abuse political parties but individuals who have failed.

Nigerian politicians are fond of defecting from one party to another. Your state governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso also did the same thing.

Is this healthy for democracy?

They must have their reasons but to me, it is bad. I see it from two angles. I have never jumped from one party to another since I started politics. To me,

El-Jibril

Nigerians Must Make Their Leaders Accountable – El-Jibril Sen. El-Jibril Masaud represented Kano South from 1999-2003 in the Nigerian Senate. In this interview with Ruth Choji, the Kano State PDP chieftain speaks on the impact of Governor Kwankwanso’s defection to APC, the role of government in checking insurgency, internal democracy in political parties and why Nigerians must hold leaders, not parties, accountable for their actions.

I think it is better for them to stay and fight from within.

When you are in opposition within, people tend to fear you more. If my governor was within PDP, I am sure Jonathan would have been skeptical

in taking some decisions but today, because they have left the party, he will do anything he wants. If they think they will work for a region or group, it would have been better from within. But now they are in a

new place before they will be accepted and trusted will take time. When you bring four ➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 38 Donald Ojogo, Group Politics Editor

37

38 POLITICS TODAY

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Nigerians Must Make Their Leaders Accountable – El-Jibril ➔ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

for any security breach. But what we have now is a federal government controlled security and so people automatically blame them for any crisis.

political parties with different manifestos, ideologies and different backgrounds, it will be difficult to manage them.

Instead of solving a problem, they will be creating another one. Some are saying they were not treated fairly, forgetting that as governors, they have not been treating people fairly too. If there is a communication gap between the leaders of the party and them, they should have stayed for the benefit of their people, not defect for personal interest. Their defection will make those in the party they joined judge them wrong in every decision they take. Look at what happened in Kano, how Shekarau defected to the PDP because they were not been treated fairly when Kwankwaso joined them.

Are you advocating for the creation of state police?

It is not just advocating, let’s also empower our traditional rulers constitutionally. They used to control their domains and then, they knew who were living there and when a stranger enters their community.

But today, our towns and villages are porous. We need to empower men of God and traditional rulers.

But will the National Conference solve these problems?

What has been the impact of Kwankwaso’s defection in terms of the economic and social state of Kano State?

During Obasanjo, we started with his slogan, Yar’Adua came with seven point agenda and now Jonathan is transformation. Tomorrow somebody will come and change it to another thing and this is all setting the clock backwards.

Government should be about continuity

If I want to be fair to the system, his defection has affected PDP negatively. He is a governor and he controls the whole resources of the state. You cannot tell me that his defection is nothing but we have gained all that from Mallam Shekarau. I don’t think we have lost again.

We are living peacefully with Mallam Shekarau and we are beginning to gain more people.

Our biggest problem before was seeing people as negative people. I don’t want people to see PDP as a negative party, if there are individuals in the party who have offended the people, they should be judged based on individual levels, not as a party because we have good individuals in the PDP.PDP is the vehicle that took people to the top, if they refused to do the right thing, then let that failure be on him. People should not abuse political parties but individuals who have failed. Like Kwankwaso now, he cannot be judged based on his current party, APC because he didn’t do those things he did while he was there. He was in the PDP when he did those things, the credit must be given to PDP as a party.

The North East is now seen as a hot bed of insurgency and terrorism, what is your take on this crisis?

God alone knows how the North got to this stage. Every Nigerian must be worried about the state of thing in the North.

Everybody is at a loss to what is happening everywhere. I am worried about this excessive clashes between farmers and

El-Jibril

Fulanis. I don’t know why it has taken this dimension. Fulanis and farmers have been leaving together in peace for over two hundred years. When I was a local government chairman, Fulanis were living close to the game reserve and we related very well, they know the land was not theirs and they will beg people to borrow their land to farm. I set up a farmers /Fulani relationship committee with the police and SSS in that community. I think this kind of committee should be set up everywhere so that the leaders will know themselves.

Another problem is that where the Fulanis used to graze have been sold by traditional rulers and indigenes for development.

Recently, the federal government set up a committee to looks at ways grazing land can be given to the Fulanis. Whose land will be taken to give them for grazing?

Not whose land, originally they had grazing land with small water. When they are bringing their herds, they will be targeting that water and such route were earmarked not for farming. They can follow from

Gombe to PortHacourt and when the cows know the route, they follow naturally. But if they will earmark these lands and leave it for them, it will solve the clashes between farmers and herdsmen. It is also possible that mercenaries are brought in to fight on behalf of the Fulanis but Miyetti Allah has been denying it. So the security service must uncover the truth behind these incessant killings.

When it was NSO, before it was converted to SSS, was in existence, people were afraid to talk because you won’t know who is listening. Some were even afraid to talk to their wives because there could be somebody eavesdropping but today, we don’t have that kind of intelligence gathering and that is why people do what they want.

Some Nigerians are of the opinion that the present administration is not capable of solving the problems.

If we want to be fair, when people accuse the government, to an extent they are right. If we have state police, then it is the state police in that area that will handle the situation. It is that state police that will be blamed

To a large extent, it will because some people have been advocating for this a long time ago. For whatever reason, we may not know. For everybody to call for a sovereign national conference, it means we have problems in all spheres of life so I think the conference will give everybody room to express themselves and their problems.

We also expect government to pick out these issues and tackle them. Our biggest problem as a nation is that we have refused to utilise the huge human, financial, intellectual and natural resources God has blessed us with. I don’t know why we should allow arable land in the North to be wasting away when people are jobless and hungry. If government will concentrate on agriculture alone, Nigeria will change and things will be better.

Going back to the Senate, has it lived up to your expectations?

I don’t always want to compare ourselves with them because we went to the Senate during a very difficult time. It was when Obasanjo was president and how I wish sometimes, people don’t call me senator because of the condition we served under. We suffered very much, working with Obasanjo was like working with a military leader who doesn’t want to understand your problem. Your problem is not his problem but his problem must be made your problem. So you can’t compare the two Senate. I believe they are doing their best under the circumstances like insecurity.

We didn’t experience such enormous insecurity excerpt for the case of Odi and Zaki Biam.

These days, when you wake up and don’t see any news of killing, it is not news, not the other way round. I think they are trying their best and if given more room, they can do better.

POLITICS TODAY 39

Thursday, August 14, 2014

2015: As Youths Prepare To Hold The Baton Of Leadership Nigerian youths have always played negligible roles in the country’s electoral processes despite their huge number which makes them a force to be reckoned. Ruth Tene Natsa writes on the prospects of Nigerian youths in the 2015 electoral process.

Y

It is important that the parties do not marginalise any young person from contesting on the basis of the fact that he or she is young but rather, such person’s competence, credibility and requisite credentials for the office

ouths as defined by the Nigerian Constitution is an adult not below the age of 18 and not above the age of 35. This makes up over 50% of the nation’s population who can exercise legal franchise on the basis of their ages.

Unfortunately, this class of citizens are often not taken seriously in the electoral processes. Like the women and people living with disabilities, they are marginalised due to their youthful exuberance tendencies and used as tools of violence by irresponsible politicians who otherwise should have no say in the electoral process of any nation, much more of a nation like Nigeria.

Since independence, many young people have been unable to exercise their franchise due to lack of finance and poor or lack of sponsorship, they are seen as unfit to hold high political offices and definitely not given a chance in a nation which believes in the saying that ”the youths are the leaders of tomorrow”. This leaves stakeholders with the fear that “tomorrow will never come” for the Nigerian youth.

In a system that sees the youth as unfit to rule, they, like their older counterparts, are excelling in all fields of endeavours; becoming business moguls, millionaires and fiercely arguing that given a chance, the youth filled with visions may turn around Nigerian’s system that is considered corrupt and in some cases, a failed one.

In light of this, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Democratic Governance for Democracy (UNDP/ DGD) recently supported a brainstorming session with the Ministry of Youth Development and Youth Initiative For Advocacy Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) towards ensuring youths participation in the 2015 and 2019 elections.

The two days programme which held in Keffi, Nasarawa State, was sponsored by UNDP/

DGD with support from the UKaid, CIDA, UNDP and the EU as a platform towards ensuring youth participation in the 2015 democratic process.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP,YIAGA’s head of research, policy and advocacy, Samson Itodo, said “it is not about the programmes but what happens after and that is why there is a focus shift in terms of doing activities that talk about participation to looking at the core issues within the parties to advocate for the parties to open up a place for young people”.

He continued, “As parties go into their conventions, it is important that more young people are brought in as delegates in the parties, we need more young aspirants. Parties should no longer conscript the young people to be used as campaign instruments but rather, ensure that they create a level playing field for young people who aspire to contest”.

Speaking further on the issue, he cautioned it is important that the parties “do not marginalise any young person from contesting on the basis of the fact that he or she is young but rather, such person’s competence, credibility and requisite credentials for the office he or she seeks and the part they seek to play should be looked at”.

Mr Itodo was optimistic that the cohesion and momentum that is building up should and will increase the level of youth participation in the 2015 elections, noting that the youth agenda on political participation recently launched clearly articulates what political parties can do.

“They need to strengthen their youth wings, respect the constitutions of the parties and internal instruments of the parties”, he stressed.

Deputy director of Youths Rights and Leadership, Mrs Stella Uduezue, said the capacity building for the staff of the ministry is for the eventual implementation of the support from UNDP on effective youth

Haruna

participation in 2015 elections.

She said, “After the capacity building, we are taking off with zonal workshops where we are to enlighten youths on their rights and the need for them to vote and do what they have to do. We want Nigerian youths to participate fully, which is why there is a campaign for all the youths to participate. There is the need for them to know that they own the future of this country and should participate in the 2015 elections”.

Meanwhile, over the last 24 months, youth leaders of political parties and youth civil society organisations with the support of the UNDP/DGD have engaged in debates, roundtable discussions and conferences in a bid to improve the quality of youth participation in politics.

A key outcome of the engagement was the drafting of an agenda that articulates policy and programme frameworks that safeguard youth participation in electoral politics in the build up to the 2015 general elections and beyond.

The Nigerian Youth Agenda on Political Participation articulates the views and aspirations of young people irrespective of political, religious, ethnic and sectional interests.

Through the instrumentality of this document, a template for increasing youth participation in politics and decision making will be adopted by different stakeholders in the electoral process. Needless to say, it is expected to bridge the gap between youths in political

parties and the leaders of youth civil society organisations.

The Nigerian Youth Agenda on Political Participation was formally launched on July 2nd, 2014 in Abuja by Youths in CSO and political Parties, representative of the Ministry of Youth Development, Independent National Electoral Commission, Democratic Governance for Development II Project (UNDP/DGD), United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES-Nigeria), InterParty Advisory Council (IPAC) and the media.

Meanwhile, as the preparations for 2015 peak, youths have rallied for a two day workshop in Enugu State to mark the commencement of a nationwide campaign of the agenda for advocacy, voter education and youth mobilisation ahead of the 2015 elections. The programme will feature panel discussions and group sessions on enhancing participation through the instrumentality of the youth agenda document with participants drawn from political parties and youth civil society organisations working in the area of governance and elections.

Again as the 2015 elections get closer, youths have asserted their readiness not to be caught napping as has always been the case in the past, but have shown their readiness to tackle the electoral process in a way that will ensure that youths have a chance like never before.

40 feature

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Xraying Glo’s Network Modernisation Project by millie ibe

The battle for enhanced quality of service in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector has been long and chequered. It is a battle that is as old as the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) in Nigeria.

Service quality levels have steadily oscillated between acceptable and less desired in what seems to be an unending yo-yo game between subscribers, industry regulators, the National Assembly and telecoms operators in the last decade.

It has not been for want of trying.

The operators and indeed other key stakeholders have invested considerable efforts and resources into stabilizing quality of service in the telecom industry.

One factor that has made the country’s telecom sector one of the fastest growing in the world is incidentally one of the major challenges militating against efforts to stabilize service quality in the sector. Huge and ever increasing demand for service has ensured that telecom operators continue to play catch up, in terms of capacity expansion.

There are also a number of other challenges that are peculiar to the Nigerian market, such as inadequate power, equipment vandalism, multiple taxation and insecurity, especially in the northern parts of the country. There are also community agitations that often lead to shut down of mobile sites, especially critical hub sites, thereby incapacitating hundreds of dependent sites for days, weeks and even months.

The situation frustrates operators’ efforts to improve service quality levels.

Amidst all the challenges, the operators have been devising strategies on how to improve the network experience of their subscribers. In particular, Nigeria’s only indigenous integrated telecoms operator, Globacom, has established an implementation model that is worthy of emulation since it started its network expansion and modernisation projects. The operator signed a $1.25 billion network upgrade and modernization contract and has kept up an impressive mechanism to keep the public updated on the progress since then.

The scale of the project is mindboggling, especially for a Nigerian company, but then again, this is Globacom, which has established a tradition of sparing no resources when championing causes dear to consumers’ hearts.

In 2003, Globacom delightfully surprised the telecom sector by launching commercial operation with per second billing after existing operators had consistently told telecom consumers it was not feasible at that stage of growth of the telecom sector.

The operator was also the first to introduce 2.5G network, making it possible for Nigerians to enjoy a bou-

Mike Adenuga quet of mobile data services running on the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) platform. In 2008, Glo introduced third generation technology (3G Plus), making it the first operator in West Africa to do this. The platform made Video Calling, High Speed Internet, Mobile TV and Video on Demand (VoD) possible on the Globacom network.

Globacom has also remained the only operator in Africa to singularly install an international submarine cable system originating from Europe and coursing through major West African countries. Since installation, the cable has helped to crash the cost of bandwidth and deepen internet connectivity on the African continent.

A number of innovative products and services introduced by Globacom ahead of others include mobile internet, mobile banking, vehicle tracking, MMS (Multimedia messaging service), Magic Plus, mobile money, In-flight Roaming, Prepaid Roaming, International MMS, Voice SMS and Blackberry services.

Judging by the number and scale of innovative products Globacom has pioneered in Nigerian telecoms, it was apparent the company’s promoters opted to adopt innovation as the niche to win the heart of subscribers.

Details of Network Enhancement When Globacom turned 10 last year, it commenced a massive network expansion and upgrade project, using leading technology infrastructure companies Huawei,

Ericsson and ZTE. The project entails swapping of old equipment on the network, installation of software upgrades, overhaul of network infrastructure, building of new switches and construction of additional 4,000 km of optic fibre cable to complement the company’s existing fibre optic facility, which is among the most extensive private fibre networks in Africa.

Additionally, Globacom’s existing 10,000km optic fibre network is being upgraded with IP MPLS and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) network to provide capacity and route protection.

It will also ensure constant (24/7) connectivity.

The project also includes installation of new base stations and densification of existing ones, establishment of three new call centers in Port Harcourt, Abuja and Lagos to take care of vast increase in subscriber figures and upgrade of the radio access network which will ensure that data customers enjoy unparalleled speed and reliability.

In the latest of the series of briefing sessions the company has held to appraise the media and the general public about the status of the project, Globacom executives announced the near completion of this ambitious project. According to the officials, parts of the project, such as, the Port Harcourt call centre is ready for commissioning while the Abuja call centre is already in operation.

The modernisation and swapping of the Lagos components of the network is 90 percent complete. This has led to improvements in many loca-

Amidst all the challenges, the operators have been devising strategies on how to improve the network experience of their subscribers. In particular

tions in Lagos. The work is expected to be completed later this month, so that the gains of the massive project can be experienced uniformly by subscribers in Lagos.

Globacom officials stated that the neighbouring state of Ogun has been fully completed with subscribers there already enjoying significantly enhanced quality of service. They also pointed out that the overall customer experience will be top-notch across the country when the project is completed nationwide this year..

For Edo State, the project is about 60 percent completed, while the project is being rounded off in Delta State, according to the officials.

Work has been finalised in Oyo, Osun, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers States, as well as several parts of Lagos and Ogun States, including Lekki, Ikorodu, Agbara and Otta.

According to Head of Operations, Globacom, Bisi Koleosho, by the time the project is completed, all legacy equipment on the network will have been swapped with state-of-the-art network software and hardware.

In addition, he said Globacom will soon achieve its target of having 90 percent 3G coverage, making it the first operator to do this and making it possible for Glo data subscribers across the country to experience significant service enhancement. Koleosho said that all aspects of the project will be completed this year.

According to Koleosho, the service improvement being experienced in certain locations in the country where the project has been concluded will be replicated nationwide.

At another recent interactive session with the media, Globacom’s Group Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Mohamed Jameel, said the company is eager to kick-start a broadband revolution just as it played a pivotal role in the first telecom revolution that put mobile phones in the hands of millions of Nigerians.

“Having played a prominent role in the first telecom revolution in the country, Globacom is now ready to lead Nigeria into the second revolution, which will be an explosive broadband growth across Nigeria in the next three decades,” he said.

“Globacom will be the biggest player in the second telecommunication revolution in Nigeria. Nigerians will enjoy the massive transformation on the Glo network after the expansion and modernisation exercise”, said Mr. Jameel.

This is a promise that many Nigerians are eager to see come into fruition. Subscribers eagerly await such a time they will be able to initiate calls from any part of the country at one dial and hold conversations for as long as they want to.

And if one is to judge by the improvements already recorded in the areas of the network where the modernization project has been concluded, it should be easy to see that the much expected promised relief is now within the reach of Globacom’s subscribers.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAIHI RAJI’UN

LATE MALAM MOHAMMED YUSUFU The Director General, Management and Staff of the Debt Management Office Abuja, condole the Family and Friends of our former Director, Malam Mohammed Yusufu who passed away on Sunday, the 10th of August, 2014 after a brief illness.

He has been buried according to Islamic Rites in his home town of Samaru, Zaria.

MAY ALLAH GRANT HIM ALJANNAT FIRDAUSI, AMEEN DEBT MANAGEMENT OFFICE The Presidency NDIC Building (First Floor) Plot 447/448 Constitution Avenue Central Business District. P.M.B, 532, Garki, Abuja Website: http://www.dmo.gov.ng Email: enquiries@dmo.gov.ng

41

42 news south-west Ajimobi Seeks Massive Turnout For Permanent Voter Card Collection Oyo State governor Abiola Ajimobi has urged the people of the state to turn out en masse to obtain the permanent voter cards (PVCs) whose issuance begins on Friday, August 15, 2014 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The governor made the call in a statement issued in Ibadan by his special adviser on media, Dr Festus Adedayo.

While stressing the importance of collecting the PVCs, he said that the cards would give them the ample opportunity to exercise their civic rights and choose people to represent them during the 2015 general elections.

“I like to inform the good people of Oyo State that it is very important for them, particularly those who had earlier registered and obtained the temporary voter cards, to collect the permanent ones. It is the opportunity they have not to disenfranchise themselves.

By Adebayo Waheed, Ibadan

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Omisore Asks Court To Stop Probe Panel

By Joshua Dada, Osogbo

The defeated governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has secured an interim order from the State High Court to prevent the panel of enquiry on disturbance of public peace set up by Governor Rauf Aregbesola from investigating him.

The chairman of the commission, Justice Moshood Adeigbe, said the panel has received a court order from the State High

Court ordering that status quo be maintained pending the ruling on the application.

The panel had summoned the minister of police affairs, Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan and Senator Omisore, following a petition written by Senator Adeleke that both Senator Omisore and Jelili Adesiyan assaulted him during a stakeholders’ meeting of the PDP at Ideal Nest Hotel in April this year.

Adeleke, who recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), alleged that

Omisore and Adesiyan threatened to kill him during the meeting and urged the commission to investigate the allegation.

Senator Omisore, who had refused to appear before the panel, said that the commission lacked power to investigate him.

However, counsel to the petitioner, Mr Lekan Olayiwola, urged the panel to allow the petitioner to go on with the hearing of the matter despite the interim order of the court.

LCDA: Fayemi Resolves Feud Between Two Communities Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has resolved the conflict between Kota and Omuo Ekiti over the creation of the new local council development area.

The two communities which were parts of Ekiti East local government area were at loggerheads over the parcel of land where the secretariat of the newly created Ekiti Southeast LCDA was to be cited.

At a meeting attended by the commissioner of police, director of the SSS, representatives of some other security agencies and traditional rulers of the two communities, the governor stressed the need to sustain the level of peace currently being enjoyed in the state.

By Alo Abiola, Ado-Ekiti

Ogun Trains Workers For Retirement The Entrepreneurship Development Training Programme for intending retirees in the Ogun State Civil Service has been described as a way of preparing, nurturing and guiding the retirees on the threats and opportunities that exist after retirement.

The head of service, Mrs Modupe Adekunle stated this yesterday while declaring open a twoday Franchising and Entrepreneurship Development Training Programme for intending retirees in the Ogun State Civil Service organised by the government in collaboration with Nigeria International Franchise Association (NIFA) and National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) in Abeokuta.

By Gbenga Adeboye, Abeokuta

Osun State Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (on the Vehicle) acknowledging cheers from indigenes of Ora-Igbomina in Ifedayo Local Government, during his ‘thank you’ visit to the ancient town. PHOTO BY GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

short news Ondo Govt Urges Residents To Pay Tax For Even Devt Ondo State government yesterday urged residents of the state to pay their tax as at when due to enable the government to maintain the present development and embark on new developmental projects.

Mr Akin Akinsehinwa, chairman of Ondo State Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), made the call during an appraisal work in Akure.

He said, ”All residents are expected to pay tax because we all ply tarred roads and go to government hospitals and our children attend schools in the state.

“Money is the most difficult thing to part with but the onus is on us to persuade them to pay, trying to point out the developmental strides of the government.”

By Tope Fayehun, Akure

Aregbesola’s Victory, A Deserved One – Osun Muslim Group

By Joshua Dada, Osogbo

The national president of Jama’atu Ta’awunil Musilimeen, Sheikh Daood Imran Molasan, yesterday described the victory of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in the just concluded governorship election in the state as a deserved one.

The muslim body in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo, said the contribution

of Aregbesola to the rapid growth of the state was one of the impeccable factors that led to his re-election.

“His resourcefulness in developing the society educationally, economically, socially and in all facets of life is a testimony to his good leadership. And this is compatible with our ideology and the aim of our organisation.

“Politics becomes a dirty game

when it is manned by selfish people; Aregbesola is not a dirty politician and has never been accused of embezzlement or infringement on others’ rights.

“Aregbesola is for the common people; he feels like them and knows accurate solutions to their suffering. And any patient who does not like to die before his time must choose a qualified doctor who can cure his ailment

at the right time.

“Aregbesola is a right doctor that knows the ailment of the masses and Allah has given him unbeatable knowledge to prescribe the right medicine for their survival and better living,’’ Molasan said.

He posited that the gubernatorial contest in Osun State was between truth and falsehood, adding that Allah has proved Himself supreme.

2015: INEC To Create Additional 497 Polling Units – Oyo REC

By Adebayo Waheed, Ibadan

The Independent National ctoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State is expected to create additional 497 polling units and conduct fresh voter registration exercise in the state before the 2015 general elections.

The Continuous Voter Registration will take place in the state next week (Wednesday, August 20 to Monday, August 25, 2014).

The resident electoral com-

missioner for Oyo State, Alhaji Nasir Olanrewaju, who disclosed this while addressing stakeholders on the commission’s preparedness for the distribution of permanent voter cards and conduct of continuous voter registration, said the distribution of permanent voter cards in the state comes up this weekend from Friday, 15th to Sunday, 17th August, 2014 from 8am to 4pm.

He disclosed that in 2011, voter registration took place in

4, 783 polling units in the state, adding that 4,286 polling units representing 89.6% have printed permanent voter cards.

“The balance of 497 units representing 10.3% will have outright fresh voter registration during the Continuous Voter Registration next week.

Among the registered voters affected by this arrangement are some prominent citizens and residents of the state, including serving and former state functionaries, while the

affected 497 polling units are spread across 20 local government areas.

“The most affected local government areas are Afijio, Ibadan North East, Ibadan South West and Ogbomoso North. INEC Local Government Electoral Officers especially those in the local government areas mentioned above have been directed to convene stakeholders’ meetings for further briefings and explanations,” he said.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

43

44 news south-South south-East Imo 2015: Ararume Begins Campaign, Appoints Ogunewe Campaign Director As the battle for a single slot for the gubernatorial position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rages on in Imo State, one of the major contestants, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, has appointed Hon Independence Ogunewe as his campaign director.

Ararume also appointed a former senatorial candidate and businessman, Chief Okey Ikoro as the deputy director general, to ensure his victory during the 2015 general election.

A statement signed by the political adviser to Ararume, Mr Chinedu Nwogwugwu and made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday, said the appointment of the campaign director had sent shock waves to other aspirants from Mbaise clan which comprises three local governments.

By Igho Oyoyo, Abuja

Rivers: UPTH To Treat Malaria Patients As Potential Ebola Victims The management of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) has directed all health workers in the hospital to treat patients suffering from malaria, who are admitted in the hospital, as potential victims of Ebola Virus Disease.

Chief medical director of UPTH, Professor Aaron Ojule, who announced this yesterday while speaking to newsmen at Alakahia, near Port Harcourt, said the decision was part of the universal precautions for medical personnel in health institutions across the globe.

Ojule said, “That is why health workers earn hazards allowance because if you come to me, I don’t know what you have. It is not only Ebola; there are a thousand and one cases that you have that might be infectious.”

By Annayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt

2015: Corps Members Told To Avoid Contravening Electoral Laws The director general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Johnson Olawumi has enjoined corps members that will participate in the conduct of the 2015 general elections not to contravene electoral laws or accept financial inducement from politicians to aid election rigging.

The NYSC boss, who was speaking to journalists in Issele-Uku, Delta State yesterday, also called on the corps members to see their posting to the state and their participation in the service year as a national assignment they should be proud of, advising them to avoid unnecessary journeys that may put their lives at risk.

By Kola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba

Thursday, August 14, 2014

APC, PDP Supporters Clash Over Amaechi’s Visit To Monarch

By Anayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt

Business and commercial activities were disrupted in parts of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, yesterday, following clashes between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the planned visit of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to Rumueprikom community in Obio/Akpor local government area of the state.

This is as operatives of the Rivers State Police Command arrested the paramount ruler of Rumueprikom

community, Eze Anthony Owabie, for allegedly shooting his son, Mr Clement Ndidi Owabie, and four others as a result of disagreements over APC and PDP. Four persons were allegedly wounded during the clash between the APC and PDP supporters at Rumueprikom, which is the hometown of the minister of state for education and governorship aspirant on the platform of PDP in the state, Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike.

Amaechi was expected to continue his ‘meet the people’ tour of Obio/ Akpor local government area with

a visit to Rumueprikom and other communities in Akpor Kingdom.

Clashes between the supporters of the APC and PDP were said to have started at the popular Wimpey Junction along Ikwerre Road in Port Harcourt, and later spread to Rumueme, also in Obio/Akpor local government area, and Diobu, in Port Harcourt City local government area.

An eyewitness told LEADERSHIP that trouble started when some youths believed to be supporters of PDP, blocked the Wimpey Junction, drumming and dancing, thereby barricading all the entrances leading

to the traditional ruler’s residence where the governor was expected to pay traditional homage to the monarch.

He said, “The Governor was billed to visit Rumueprikom community today (yesterday) as part of his three days visit to Obio Akpor local Government Council. The youths who have sympathy to the minister of education heard about it and threatened to disrupt the visits. The youths had argued that the community is the main stead of PDP and as such the Governor does not have right to visit the area.”

short news Uduaghan Mourns Ofili, Monarch Delta State governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has expressed deep shock over the deaths of Mr Sunny Ofili, special adviser on Information Communication Technology (ICT), Obi of Issele-Uku, Henry Ezeagunam and one of his sons involved in a ghastly auto crash on Sunday.

A dumbstruck Governor L-R: Rivers PDP governorship aspirant, Mr Oseleye Ojuka, chairman of the occasion, Mr Godwin Minimah and pastor, Uduaghan said Impact-World Christian Centre, Rev Chuks Okolo, at the PDP stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt, yesterday. PHOTO BY NAN he was highly pained by the development, adding that he was finding it difficult to accept that they are no more.

“I have not been able to say

By Nnamdi Mbawike, Enugu The community also accused the for the rehabilitation of the comanything. Eating is commissioner of monumental cor- munity. only a formality. I Uneasy calm reigns in Obinofia ruption, adding that it had sought But the commissioner, in his recan’t believe what Ndiuno community in Ezeagu lo- audience with him to enable him sponse, dismissed the allegation of happened. This cal government area of Enugu State explain his complicity in the alleged impropriety levelled against him, death is a personal following the community’s insis- embezzlement of N7.5million for saying that it was the Rural Eleccalamity,” he said tence that the commissioner for electricity extension project. trification Board (REB) that hanin a statement housing in the state, Victor Okolo, In a petition signed by the pres- dled the electrification project. signed by his press an indigene of the area, should be ident-general of the town union, “It is the Rural Electrification secretary, Felix probed over the alleged disappear- Chief Fred Chukwudi Ezinwa Board (REB) that is handling the Ofou, adding “My ance of N7.5million given to the and secretary, Comrade Nicholas community project and REB does heart is with their community by the state govern- Onuigbo and made available to re- not give money directly to an indifamilies; I share in ment for the extension and com- porters in Enugu, the community vidual. There is no way I could have their pain.” pletion of electricity project in the sought to know the whereabouts of embezzled the community electrifiBy Kola Eke-Ogiugo, area.

N6.03million and N3million meant cation project fund”, he said.

Asaba

Enugu Community Wants Commissioner Probed Over Alleged Disappearance Of N7.5m Electricity Fund

Delta Assembly Passes Tenure, Retirement Age Of Higher Institutions Bill

By Kola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba

Two bills, Tenure and Retirement Age of Delta State Tertiary Institutions Bill 2014 and Delta State Polytechnics Bill 2014, before Delta State House of Assembly passed through first reading on the floor of the House at the resumption of plenary yesterday.

The first bill seeks to regulate the tenure and retirement age of professors and staff at tertiary institutions in Delta State, while the latter seeks to establish polytechnics in various parts of Delta State to run courses in technology, applied sciences, management and other fields of study and to make provisions for the general ad-

ministration of such polytechnics and other purposes.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan sent the bills to the House two weeks ago during the resumption for the 4th session of the 5th Assembly, and they were received by the House for further consideration.

At the resumption of plenary yesterday, presided over by the

speaker, Rt. Hon. Peter Onwunsanya, the bills were considered through first reading following a motion moved by the majority leader, Hon Monday Igbuya and seconded by the minority leader, Hon Julius Okoko.

The second reading of the bills has been slated for Tuesday, 19th and Thursday, 21st August, 2014.

news Lagos 45

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Dana Plane Crash: Again Court Refuses To Hear Suit Against Airline Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday declined to assume jurisdiction on three separate suits filed by three relatives of the ill fated Dana Air flight that killed 153 passengers and crew in Lagos on June 3, 2012.

It would be recalled that Justice Abang had on Tuesday declined to assume jurisdiction on a suit filed by one Mrs. Chika IkemObih on behalf of her family over the death of her sister, Ms. Ijeoma Onyiuke, occasioned by the June 3, 2012 Dana air crash.

The court had based the decision on the failure of the applicant (Ikem-Obih) to comply with the provisions of Order 46, Rule 5 (2) of the Federal High Court Rules which required the filing of a motion for leave of court permitting the matter to be heard during the on-going vacation of the court.

On Wednesday the court also refused to hear three separate suits filed by a consortium of lawyers including: Oba Nsugbe (QC, SAN), Babatunde Ajibade (SAN) and Ajibade Dalley. on the same ground that the said Order 46, Rule 5 (2) was not complied with.

These suits had George Okonji, Hannah Adijolola and Femi Anibaba as applicants, while Dana Airlines Limited and one Stacy Veolette Sellers were the defendants.

Sellers was sued as the personal representative of the estate of Mr. Peter Simon Waxtan, the pilot of the said Dana flight No 9J992 which crashed in Lagos on June 3, 2012.

Okonji sued as administrator of the estate of Patrick Eze Okonji, who died in the crash, while Adijolola sued as administratrix of the estate of her late husband, Mr Abraham Bamidele Adijolola, who equally died in the crash.

Anibaba, on his part, sued as administrator of the estate of his late wife, Mrs Oluwatosin Ibironke Anibaba, who also died in the ill-fated Dana flight No 9J-992.

The applicants had separately claimed $200, 000 each against the defendants as damages for the loss of their loved ones.

They had equally sought interest on the sum at the rate of 21 percent per annum from June 3, 2012 until the date of judgment and interest at the rate of 10 percent per annum until the date the judgment is finally liquidated.

Specifically, they alleged that the pilot of the ill-fated plane failed to promptly abd properly respond to abnormal conditions in the engine throttle settings, engine power indications and engine power produced by the aircraft.

By Olugbenga Soyele, Lagos

Fashola Tasks African Leaders Over Continent’s Challenges

By GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos

Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola yesterday urged African leaders to draw inspiration from the glorious past and reposition the continent to take leadership role in global arena.

The governor said this at a Power Dialogue put together

by Mail & The Guardian Africa which dwelt on the theme, “How African Cities Will Be The Biggest Drivers of the Rising African Story.”

Fashola added that the events of recent times have clearly changed the rhetoric of Africa once looked down by the developed world as hopeless continent.

According to him there is need to query, “How much food is produced here, and how many airlines are we making here and how many vehicles are made here, in terms of construction equipment, how many are made here?”

He lamented that even items like phones are hardly made in

the continent.

The governor expressed optimism that the prospects are heading towards the right direction saying what is needed is the determination to rise up and contribute to the growth of Africa.

Fashola noted that things have actually not changed from the structure that was put in place about 100 years ago when the colonial masters prowled the continent for extractive commodities and all rails end up in the ports where

commodities are taken out of the continent to Europe.

According to him, Africa as a continent appears to be rising because markets are thinning out in Europe and elsewhere.

He added that African nations may need to wait for another decade when economies in Europe would have rebounded before it will be logical to deduce that Africa is actually on the rise.

He called on African nations to reposition itself to remain relevant.

short news Fashola Re-appoints Fabamwo As PSSDC Boss

L-R: Editor, Mail & Guardian Africa, Mr Charles Obbo, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola and South African Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Mokgheti Monaisa, at the Mail & Guardian Africa’s meeting in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO BY NAN

Osun Poll: Falana Petitions NHRC Over Client’s Brutalisation By adesuwa tsan , Abuja

National coordinator of Human and Environmental Development Agenda, a non-governmental organisation, Mr Lanre Suraj, has petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over alleged abuse of his rghts by snipers during the recently concluded Osun State governorship election.

Lawyer to the petitioner, human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana, who signed the letter which is dated August 9,2014 on his behalf, also added that other than his client, there were other victims of the brutality of the snipers.

Giving the commission 14 days to re-

spond to the petition, he said, “Our client was duly accredited by the Independent National Electrical Commission to monitor the Osun State gubernatorial election which held on Saturday, August 9, 2014. In the course of monitoring the said election at Osogbo, Osun State, our client was brutally assaulted by a gang of snipers without any justification.

As the snipers were allowed to wear masks our client was unable to identify any of them. Our client also witnessed the harassment and intimidation of other innocent people by the snipers”.

The senior advocate added that curiously, attempts by his client to make an

official report to the police was met with resistance by the officers.

“Our ‎client’s request to the police to record the criminal activities of the official terrorists was turned down!”, he said, adding, “the federal government has vehemently denied knowledge of the existence of snipers in the country”.

He continued that having confirmed that the masked persons are not members of any of the security agencies in the country, his client requests the National Human Rights Commission to investigate their involvement in the Osun State governorship election and his brutalisation by the extra-legal security outfit”.

Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola has approved the re-appointment of Mrs. Regina Olubunmi Fabamwo as the directorgeneral of the Public Service Development Centre(PSSDC) for another four year tenure.

In the reappointment letter released from the Office of the Head of Service, Mrs. Josephine Oluseyi Williams, the new tenure took effect from May 3, 2012.

In the letter signed by the Head of Service, Mrs. Josephine Oluseyi Williams, the state government stated that Fabamwo was reappointed based on her effectiveness on the job.

By George Okojie, Lagos

UNILAG Commiserates With Ade-Ajayi Family

By Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, Lagos

The vice-chancellor of University of Lagos, Professor Rahamon Bello yesterday led an 11-man delegation to Ade-Ajayi compound in Ibadan to commiserate with the family over the death of Professor Jacob Festus Ade-Ajayi who died on Sunday, August 10, 2014.

Bello commiserated and rejoiced with the family on the pass-

ing on to glory of a great world scholar, academic, administrator and historian, Professor Ade-Ajayi.

According to him, the professor was a blessing to all universities, particularly the University of Lagos where he was the architect of the modern day Unilag.

“It was during his era that there was a great turn around in the infrastructural growth in the University of Lagos. It was during Ade-Ajayi era in Unilag that the

building and commissioning of the new halls buildings, the Main auditorium, the Faculty of Arts and the three high-rise buildings for staff took place.

“His era also saw the reordering of the University of Lagos academic structure to meet with the modern and future demands of the country”, he added.

Speaking further the vice chancellor said the deceased is a guiding light to the entire institution

and all over the world.

He said, “For us in Unilag we are ready to play our part to immortalise him”.

In response on behalf of the family, a onetime editor of Daily Times and a member of the AdeAjayi family, Dipo Ajayi thanked the vice chancellor and his delegation. He described the visit as an indication of the contribution made to the University of Lagos by Professor Ade Ajayi.

46 news NATIONAL

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Jonathan Approves Deployment Of Perm Secs

Unfair Criticisms Of Armed Forces Dangerous – DHQ Spokesperson

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the deployment of permanent secretaries in some ministries and parastatals.

In a statement signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Aji, Engr. Emodi Nebolisa has been deployed from the Ministry of Transport to the State House, Mr. Adelakun Yemi from Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (Common Services Office) moves to the Ministry of Aviation, Mal. Mohammed Bashar, from the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs goes to the Ministry of Transport.

Mrs. Fatima Bamidele from the Ministry of Interior moves to Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Engr. Magaji A.G. moves from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (Economic Affairs Office) to the Ministry of Interior. and Mrs Jamila Shu’ara from the Ministry of Aviation to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

While the federal government approved the appointments of Amb. Danjuma Nanpon Sheni to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (Cabinet Secretariat), Mrs. Binta Bello to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (Economic Affairs Office) and Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye to Common Services Office in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

According to the statement, the processes for handing and taking over should be completed on or before Wednesday, 20th August, 2014.

The defence spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade has warned against undue criticisms of the armed forces, especially the soldiers, as these criticisms are dangerous for the nation.

Olukolade, who was a guest speaker at the interactive media parley organised by I-Nigeria Initiative in Abuja yesterday, stated that it was high time Nigerians stay away from propagating negative criticisms and reports about the officers and men of

By Igho Oyoyo, Abuja

NUC Boss Urges Christians To Be Their Brothers’ Keepers The executive secretary/CEO, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius A. Okojie, has urged Christians and the Catholic faith in particular to be their brothers’ keepers as a way of encouraging members of the religious faith.

The executive secretary made the call while receiving members of Abuja Archdiocesan Catholic Men’s Organisation (AACMO) who paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

He said, “So, here we are. We have the duty and responsibility to be our brothers and sisters’ keepers”.

Okojie who pledged to continue to serve humanity through Christianity also called for attention of members in taking care of Catholic priests. “We are not kind to our reverend fathers.

By Paul Chiama, Abuja

BY Bayo Oladeji ,Abuja

the armed forces, who put their lives on the line always in order to ensure a secured and united Nigeria.

He however called on Nigerians to rally round the armed forces to ensure that the fight against insurgency is won rather than circulating unfounded rumours and reports, which are rather demoralising the high confidence the Nigeria armed forces had been known with.

“Let me state clearly that there is no gain in circulating or fabricating stories that would be-

little the Nigeria armed forces. We should not be so eager to celebrate negativity and create fears in the minds of the officers and men of our military, who are fighting the insurgency with their lives everyday.

“Nobody will benefit from a downtrodden armed forces, instead, we should rally round and see how we can contribute to the fight against terrorism.

What the Nigeria armed forces had achieved in countries like Sierra Leone and Liberia can still be achieved here in the fight

against terrorism. All we need is patience and support so as to ensure that we tactfully execute the fight successfully,” Olukolade stated.

Speaking on the state of security in the Northeast, Olukolade stated that the fight against terrorism is ongoing and there is no place for the terrorists to occupy or hoist any illegal flag in the Nigerian territory. He noted that the security forces are well rooted on the ground to handle the security challenges in the Northeast.

short news Jonathan Hosts Presidential Summit To Evaluate Nigeria MDGs’ Success As part of efforts to accelerate Nigeria’s attainment of the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) come 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan will hold a presidential submit to evaluL-R: Public Relation Consultant, I-Nigeria Initiative, Mr Yashau Shuaib, Director, Defence Information, Maj-Gen Chris Olukolade and ate the achieveCoordinator, I-Nigeria Initiative, Ms Ada Stella-Api, at a media interactive session on security issues in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY NAN. ments, challenges and lessons learnt in the implementation of the development

By Igho Oyoyo, Abuja WAYS), with the theme: “Fund- of gases that increase global agenda. ing Road Development in Ni- warming. The ministry is also This was made The federal government has geria: A Panacea for Economic working assidiously to ensure known by the said that the two bills drafted by Transformation”. that the National Tolling Polisenior special the Federal Ministry of Works Muhammed said the FRA cy is in place as soon as possible. assistant to the to the National Assembly for and NRF which are being vig“The ministry has taken a president on the creation of Federal Road Au- orously pursued by the Minis- number of steps to ensure that MDGs, Dr. Prethority (FRA) and the National try of Works to ensure that they Direct Foreign Investments cious Gbeneol in a Road Fund (NRF) when passed are passed into law, will attract (DFIs) and Public Private Partpre-press briefing into law, will create engineer- huge private sector funds re- nership (PPP) tremendously ing opportunities and jobs for quired to fill the funding gap in thrive in the development of ahead of the Nigerians. presidential the development of road infra- road infrastructure in Nigeria, Permanent secretary in the structure. submit that will in order to guarantee sustainFederal Ministry of Works, Dr. be taking place “The Federal Ministry of able funding of the road sector.

Abubakar Muhammad, made Works has put in place poli- These efforts are underscored by in Abuja, from this known yesterday at the cies such as the use of bitumen the fact that government alone August 18 to 19.

18th Edition of the Annual Na- emulsion in all road projects in can no longer fund huge and extional Conference of Directors line with the Kyoto Protocol, in pensive road projects due to limBy Evelyn of Civil Engineering (HIGH- order to discourage emission ited financial resources,” he said.

Okoruwa, Abuja

FRA, NRF Bills Will Create Job Opportunities For Nigerians – FG

2015: Lack Of Security Deployment Will Lead To Rigging– GSN

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

Ahead of 2015, a pro-Jonathan group, Goodluck Support Network, (GSN) has hailed the outcome of the Osun State governorship election, adding however that the success of the poll was because of the security deployment.

They accused those opposed to deployment of security personnel

for future election purposes of planning to rig.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the continental president/ national chairman, High Chief Egbe Akparakwu Adun, who described the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states as safe, free, fair and credible, said “If we keep the pace going, we will get to that level where everybody can

just walk in and vote.”

He said, “For many agitating for security men not to be at election platform or venue, I think these persons are planning rigging” adding “they are frustrated because the rigging is not working.”

Adun who said that he had ran in two major elections in 2007 and 2011 added “I know what it is to run election without secu-

rity around you. So when people come out to say security men are too many I get confused. We should be asking for more security men for election to be credible.”

He said, “So we have commenced a demand ahead of the 2015 elections. We will beg Mr. President to impress on security agencies to recruit unemployed Nigerians.

news NATIONAL 47

Thursday, August 14, 2014

2015: ‘Northern Group Indecisive About Power Shift’

Jonathan Appoints New HoS As Goni Aji Bows Out

Inspite of the clamour for power shift to the North ahead of 2015 presidential election, the Northern Youth Assembly said it has no clear cut decision on power shift to the region.

Addressing newsmen in Katsina yesterday, president of the group, Ibrahim Wayyah said the group was indecisive about whether or not to support power shift to the north.

Wayyah said the Assembly had canvassed for power shift during the build up to 2011 election but was disappointed by some undisclosed self serving politicians.

He however said the group will let its position known at later times not minding the fact that 2015 elections are few months ahead.

He insisted that the group which came into existence in 2008, was geared towards championing the unity of the North.

By Muazu Elazeh, Katsina

By George Agba,Abuja

President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Danladi Kefasi as the new Head of Service (HoS) of the federation.

Information minister, Mr. Labaran Maku who disclosed this after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting yesterday said Kefasi was appoint-

ed following the retirement of the former HoS, Bukar Goni Aji from the service.

He said, “Also today, the Head of Service, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji formerly retired from service, having attained the height of 35 years in service. He was appointed HoS by Mr. President and since his appointment he served this nation. His appointment had impacted positively on the federal civil service. Mr.

President in council thanked him for his achievements.

“The president then announced the immediate appointment of Mr. Danladi Kefasi, who is presently the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. He will be assuming office as the new HoS with immediate effect”.

Maku said the president commended the former HoS for

bringing his leadership capacity and ability to network with other people in government to achieve the objectives of the transformation agenda.

“Mr. President said he found him very competent, very knowledgeable and very committed to his work. The council moved a motion to formally congratulate him for attaining his height in service and also to thank him.

short news Navy Hands Over 20 Suspected Crude Oil Thieves To EFCC

Rivers: Police Move Arrested Monarch To SARS The Rivers State Police Command says it has moved the traditional ruler of Rumueprikom community in Obio/Akpor local government area of the state, Eze Anthony Owabie, to the State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Owabie and four others were arrested for allegedly shooting six people, including his son, Mr. Clement Owabie, when some youths believed to be supporters of the minister of state for education, Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, invaded his palace yesterday.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday in Port Harcourt by the assistant police public relations officer, Mrs. Grace Iringe-Koko.

By Anayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt

Katsina NSCDC Begins Training For Private Guard Coys The Katsina State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has commenced training of private security guards companies.

It was gathered that 1000 personnel from 20 registered Private Security Guards Companies (PGCs) registered and operating in the state would benefit from the training.

While addressing the trainees at the NSCDC’s College of Peace and Disaster Management Studies based in Katsina, the state commandant, Ibrahim Musa Zabura noted that the training would be a continuous event.

By Muazu Elazeh, Katsina

L-R: Vice President South, Women in Politics Forum, Mrs Sharon Ikeazor (APC), former Minister of Women Affairs, Iyom Josephine Anenih (PDP), former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Mrs Pauline Tallen (Labour Party), former Head of State and APC chieftain, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President North of Women in Politics Forum (WIPC) APC, Hajia Hafsat Mohammed Baba, and President Women in Politics Forum,Mrs Ebere Ifenolu when the Women in Politics Forum paid a courtesy visit to Buhari to commiserate with him on the recent Kaduna bomb attack in Abuja. PHOTO ADEFEMI ADEWUYI.

Only Education Can Solve Nigeria’s Problems – Wamakko

By Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto

Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko said yesterday in Sokoto that only education can solve the problems facing the country.

Wamakko who spoke when the Association of Primary Schools Headmasters of Nigeria conferred the 2014 Excellence Award in the Advancement of Primary Education in Nigeria on him, also hinted that only viable education can solve the myraid of challenegss confronting Nigeria today.

The governor who revealed that his love for the education sector

was borne out of the fact that he was also a former teacher and a headmaster, stressed that he will ensure a conducive atmosphere for effective learning and teaching at all levels in the state.

Noting that cordial relationship between teachers, pupils and parents is sacrosanct to a hitch-free learning in the country, Wamakko observed that adequate attention should be given to teaching aids among others. “ This is part of our obligation and the oath of office, not to win an award. We will continue to do our best to address the needs of the

electorate in all aspects of human endeavour.

‘1, 426, 261 Persons Eligible To Collect PVC In Sokoto Meanwhile, as the journey towards 2015 general elections getcloser, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that only 1, 426, 261 persons are currently eligible to get the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) in Sokoto State.

The disclosure was made yesterday in Sokoto by the deputy director (MIS) ICT Department, INEC Headquarters, Engr Paul Omokore.

Authorities of the Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy yesterday handed over 20 suspected crude oil thieves to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC).

According to the Navy,the suspects were arrested along the Sagana River area of the Brass local government area of the state and are made up of 18 Nigerians, one Camerounian and one Ghanaian.

The commanding officer, FOB Formoso, Capt.

Noel Madugu, while handing over the suspects at the command’s Forward Operating Base, Formoso, Brass, Bayelsa State, said the suspects were arrested on board the vessel MV ELMINA.

By Osa Okhomina, Yenagoa

16 Lagos Senior Citizens Get Lagos HOMS

By George Okojie, Lagos

No fewer than 16 senior citizens who are original inhabitants of Shogunro Housing Estate located in Ogba area of Ikeja, Lagos before it was demolished were yesterday relocated back to 16 homes in the Shogunro housing scheme.

Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola disclosed this while presiding over the sixth public draw of the Lagos State

Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (LagosHOMS) where 37 new winners won homes in different housing schemes in the state.

He said the 16 beneficiaries were those who cooperated with government and willingly gave up their apartment during the regeneration exercise of the estate.

Fashola noted that the development further confirmed the commitment of the government to keep to the promise made to

the citizens in the state.

He said , “After five successful draw I want to now announce a new dimension to the Lagos HOMS policy. I want to share with you the regeneration and the compassionate side of the Lagos HOMS and the inclusion that seems to carry everybody along.

“This morning, 16 senior citizens have benefited from 16 homes which are part of the Lagos HOMS in the Shogunro

scheme in Ogba.”

He assured residents that the ongoing regeneration exercise across the state will not leave anyone aside provided they cooperate with the government.

Fashola further said,“Many of you may not know the history behind Shogunro housing scheme but it was developed around 1970 as a result of the reclamation and development going on around Marina.

48

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MBA, 3 - 5 years Short email: 340f4@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/363236

Qualifications and Requirements: • A university degree in a relevant course, • Minimum of 5 years professional experience related to software development, systems design and deployment, networking and infrastructure and 2 years in a senior technical role such as technical lead, team lead, architect, or any other hands on leadership role.

• Hands on experience in undertaking complex ICT projects and providing ICT solution design services that align with organizational objectives and business requirements.

• Applicants must have an appreciable knowledge of Programming languages and vast experience with multiple technology platforms across software, hardware, programming, networking and server technologies.

A firm in the ICT sector seek qualified candidates to fill this position: Responsibilities: • This position is responsible for driving the design of technology and business solutions that meet the needs of our clients and projects.

• This person will lead his/her team and coordinate the interface between the client or business development department and the software development team or technical implementation team.

• This role will provide expert-level leadership in the areas of design, development, testing, data documentation, and proposal writing and presentation creation.

• The head of Business & Solution Analysis will lead group discussions and engage stakeholders from all functional areas of the business or client, and communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, in one-on-one and group settings, you will lead the engagement of various stakeholders to define, refine, validate, and document business requirements for technology solution’s Qualifications and Requirements: • Applicants must possess university degree with a minimum of 2nd class Upper and 2 – 4 years’ experience. An MBA and an IT background is an added advantage • Applicants must be skilled and experienced in documenting software requirement specification and an applicable understanding of UML modeling will be an added advantage

Academic Student Support In Abuja BSc, 1 - 3 years Short email: 340f5@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/363237 An ICT firm seeks qualified candidates to fill this role

Job Summary: This role requires academically inclined individuals to assist in research and student academic support via tutoring and providing virtual academic guidance.

Customer Service In Abuja

Qualifications and Requirements: • Minimum of a degree in a related discipline • Applicants must be knowledgeable and vast in their course of Study, well-spoken, • Must be computer savvy.

• Ability to coherently communicate in writing and orally is key.

• Candidates with the following specialty are encouraged to apply ICT, Sociology/ Philosophy, Public Administration, Business administration, Education, Comm. Health & HIV/AIDS, Physics, Mass Communication, Education admin/technology, Tourism & hosp. Mgt., Chemistry, Biology/ microbiology, Economics, Primary Education, Agriculture, International Relations, Early Child Education, MIS/ Databases, Christianity, Business Education

Accor Hotels requires the service of qualified candidates to fill this position.

Head of Finance and Accounting In Abuja

Qualifications and Requirements: • Minimum of OND in a relevant field.

• Minimum of 1 year experience.

• Good communication skills.

• Attention to details.

BSc, 3 - 5 years Short email: 340f7@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/363239 An ICT firm seeks qualified candidates to fill this role Job summary: The Head, Finance and Accounts engages in overall management of Finance and Accounts functions. He / She also conduct financial analysis in such areas as modeling, forecasting, project planning, budgeting, engaging in cost reduction analysis, and reviewing operational finance.

Qualifications and Requirements: • Minimum of a degree in a related discipline • 3-5 years of experience • Budgeting skills, Funds Management skills, Forecasting skills, Financial Analysis skills, Communication skills, Electronic Spreadsheets skills, basic company accounting and regulatory reporting skills.

Core PHP Developer In Abuja BSc, 1 - 3 years Short email: 340fa@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/363242 An Abuja based ICT firm seeks qualified candidates to fill this role Job summary: • Responsible for the development of software solutions in accordance with documented requirements and expected outcomes.

Qualifications and Requirements: • Minimum of a degree in a related discipline • 1-3 years of experience • The Core PHP Developer must possess knowledge of PHP Frameworks (knowledge of Zend Framework advantage), and must show an understanding of Design Patterns (MVC) • . He / She must be experienced in writing algorithms and API’s. Bug Analysis.

• He/she must also possess knowledge of database modeling, system analysis, GIT/ SVN collaboration tools, modular approach to system design and implementation.

• Should possess knowledge of RDBMS and NOsql, real time system, and development of interactive dashboards and reporting systems.

OND, 1 - 3 years Short email: 3419b@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/363403

Responsibilities: • Prepare & maintain customer service summary reports.

• Co-ordinate the handling of product installation & maintenance for customers.

• Resolve product or service problems by clarifying the customer’s complaint and explaining the best solution to solve the problem.

• Initiate required action for response to customer service requests for order changes, maintenance of order/customer information files and communicate changes to the appropriate personnel/ departments.

English Teacher In Mission Schools, Abuja NCE, 1-3 years Short email: 341bf@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/363439 A school requires the services of qualified individual to fill this position.

Responsibilities: • The teacher uses the Curriculum, and current research based instructional practices to develop interdisciplinary units of instruction that meet both the group and individual needs of students.

• The teacher is responsible for maintaining an on-going dialogue with other specialty teachers and coordinating curriculum integration and implementation with these teachers.

• The teacher works with students of various abilities assigned to the classroom, including those with learning differences as diagnosed.

• The teacher may be required to participate in meetings, training, and planning cooperatives to fully meet each child’s needs.

• The teacher uses various assessment tools/ strategies such as observations, children’s work samples, continuum of development, portfolios, etc. to help make instructional decisions for individual students.

Qualifications and Requirements: • 1-3 years of experience in a similar role • A minimum of a degree in a relevant field • Must be hard working, diligent and trustworthy.

• Must have a good command of English

Mathematics Teacher In Mission Schools, Abuja NCE, 1 - 3 years Or visit: http://jbng.me/363441 Short email: 341c1@jbng.me A school requires the services of qualified individual to fill this position.

Responsibilities: • The teacher uses the Curriculum, and current research based instructional

49

Thursday, August 14, 2014

•

•

•

•

practices to develop interdisciplinary units of instruction that meet both the group and individual needs of students.

The teacher is responsible for maintaining an on-going dialogue with other specialty teachers and coordinating curriculum integration and implementation with these teachers.

The teacher works with students of various abilities assigned to the classroom, including those with learning differences as diagnosed.

The teacher may be required to participate in meetings, training, and planning cooperatives to fully meet each child’s needs.

The teacher uses various assessment tools/ strategies such as observations, children’s work samples, continuum of development, portfolios, etc. to help make instructional decisions for individual students.

Qualifications and Requirements: • 1-3 years of experience in a similar role • A minimum of a degree in a relevant field • Must be hard working, diligent and trustworthy.

• Must have a good command of English

Marketing Officer/ Executive In Rhemalisa International Sixth Form College, Abuja HND, 1 - 3 years Short email: 341e6@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/363478 Rhemalisa International Sixth Form College is an Independent Co-Educational Christian School located in a serene environment in the heart of Asaba, Delta State. As a result of our ongoing expansion exercise, we currently require the services of qualified and experienced personnel.

Rhemalisa International Sixth Form College is an Independent Co-Educational Christian School located in a serene environment in the heart of Asaba, Delta State. As a result of our ongoing expansion exercise, we currently require the services of qualified and experienced personnel.

Responsibilities: • As marketing executive, you would manage and control the relationship between school and the intended market • Promote the school to get more students • Developing new marketing strategies is an important part of the role.

• As a marketing executive you will report to the school management Qualifications and Requirements: • HND in marketing or a relevant field • 1-3 years of experience • Ability to meet and exceed revenue targets • Applicant must be outspoken and friendly • Salary is between N360000 to N480000 per annum plus incentives

Editorial Assistant In RB Magazine, Abuja OND, 3 - 5 years Short email: 341f7@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/363495 Rb Magazine, requires a suitable candidate for this position.

Responsibilities: • Editing and proofreading manuscripts and other forms of copy for publication, making stylistic, structural and grammatical corrections, as well as other substantive changes as needed.

• Performing layout work of a detailed and complex nature, coordinating multiple

production schedules and maintaining printing deadlines for same.

• Coordinating editorial, design and production aspects of a wide variety of materials for production, as well as postproduction activities, such as mailing, mail house arrangements, registrations of copyright, etc.

• Providing assistance of a general office nature for immediate supervisor, department head or others involved in editorial program of the larger unit.

• Conferring with author, author’s representative or client on content, form, style, price etc.

Requirements: • Minimum of OND. • 3-4 years of experience.

• Must be able to work with minimum supervision.

• Must possess innovative skills to build a growing brand successfully.

Medical sales Representative In Biogenerics Nig. Ltd, Abuja Degree, Entry Level Or visit: http://jbng.me/363621 Short email: 34275@jbng.me Biogenerics Nigeria Ltd is looking to recruit highly proficient Medical Sales Representative.

Job Description • Present and sell company products and services to current and potential clients, including medical practitioners, pharmacists, nurses and other relevant healthcare professionals • Remit cash proceeds from sales of company products to the company’s bank account promptly • Manage the distributor’s account • Follow up on new leads and referrals resulting from field activity.

• Identify sales prospects and contact these and other accounts as assigned.

• Schedule group product presentations in public and private health institutions; prepare, submit and follow up on proposals and sales contracts.

• Continuously acquire and maintain current product, customer and territory knowledge.

• Establish and maintain current and potential client relationships.

• Prepare and submit regular reports on sales activities, closings, follow-up, and adherence to goals..

• Identify and resolve client concerns.

• Communicate new product and service opportunities, competitors’ activities, special developments, information, or feedback gathered through field activity to appropriate company staff.

• Develop and implement special sales activities to reduce stock, ensure prompt stock depletion and prevent product expiry.

• Other duties as assigned.

• Participate in marketing events such as seminars, public awareness campaigns and conferences.

• Follow-up for collection of payment for all sales made in assigned territory.

Requirements and Qualification • Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, Biochemistry or Microbiology.

• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suit • Ability to persuade and influence others.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills • Be able to maintain professional appearance and provide a positive image of the company to the public.

• Possession of a valid drivers’ license as work requires significant local travel.

• Willingness to work a flexible schedule and occasional overnight travel.

Marketing Executive In Sunny Baba Nigeria Limited, Kogi

School

OND, 1 - 3 years Short email: 33eeb@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/362715

The candidate must have: • Minimum of NCE qualification • At least 1 – 3 years of experience • Be ready to relocate to the School environs.

An event management firm in Kogi State requires the services of a candidate for this position.

Program Leader in African Center For Innovation And Leadership Development, Abuja

Responsibilities: • Planning, developing and implementing effective marketing communication campaigns for conferences and exhibitions.

• Using the full marketing mix for the company’s marketing communications.

• Writing copy for all marketing collateral, including brochures, letters and emails.

• Understanding the product and customer profile and write thorough specs for each conference/exhibition.

• Assisting in the production of ongoing competitor analysis and reporting, with particular reference to pricing, presentation and promotion for each conference and exhibition.

• Will carry out field operations

MBA/MSc, 3 - 5 years Short email: 34066@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/363094

Requirements of the role: • Should possess an ND. • Should possess 1-2 years of experience • Previous experience in a similar role.

• Should have good communication skills.

• Strong project management/organizational skills.

• Understanding of customer segmentation.

• Should behave member drive • Should be outgoing and should be able to make fluent expressions

Finance Manager In El-Sophi Community & Child Care Initiative, Kogi 1 - 3 years Visit: http://jbng.me/362846 El-Sophi Community & Child Care Initiative seeks qualified candidates to fill this role Job summary: Will take the lead in the financial management and administrative proceedings of the organization, track budget processes and compliance of organization’s financial system and practices with local and international finance processes, diligence and standards.

Qualifications and Requirements • Minimum of a degree in Accounting/ Finance • At least, 5 years of postgraduate experience in a finance/accounting position with a reputable organization. Membership of relevant professional body is highly required. A post graduate degree will be an added advantage.

• Skills/competences: Strong analytic skill and comfortable dealing with figures.

Extensive PC and accounting software skills-Word, Excel, Access, and Peach Tree is highly required.

Head Teacher In MATTANGELS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, Niger NCE, 1 - 3 years Short email: 33fa0@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/362896 MATTANGELS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL is a new Nursery and Primary School located in a rural community called Boyi Sarki along Zuba - FCT road on the Kaduna - Abuja Express way.

We require the services of a Head teacher.

Summary Run the day to day Administration of the

The African Centre for Innovation and Leadership Development (ACILD) is a development non-governmental organization (NGO) headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria with offices in Toronto, Canada and Nairobi, Kenya.

Our mission is to be a legendary reference point for providing the finest resources for fostering the development of innovation and leadership in Africa through empowering researchers and leaders in advancing innovation in science and technology development on the continent. ACILD has two main division that reflect its strategies for developing leadership and innovation: Leadership and Ethics Program and Innovation & Trust Program.

We are exclusively interested in applicants from Africa The following is a detailed description of the Program Leadership position within the Leadership & Ethics Program of ACILD Working alongside other members of the ACILD team, the Program Leader will manage a grant on developing nutrition games to improve health outcomes for secondary school students and also build and support team members to develop, manage and implement training and consulting engagements on professional and research development within universities and secondary schools in Nigeria.

Specifically, the program leader will: • Manage all activities related to the Leadership and ethics program of ACILD. • Initiate and facilitate training and workshops, seminars and symposiums for students and faculties in university and secondary schools on professional development, leadership and achieving academic excellence.

• Lead the development of grant applications related to youth development in Africa.

• Lead the development of cutting-edge seminars and workshops for lecturers and teachers at universities and secondary schools on professional and personal development.

• Develop relationships with other multi- and bi-lateral donors within the educational sector.

• Contribute to the design of new strategies, collaborations and implementation plans to ensure long-term sustainability and impact of the Leadership and ethics program.

• Manage the program’s annual African Youth Leadership Summit.

The following are some of the expected Skills and qualifications of the PROGRAM Leader position: • Master degree in a Project management and/or Education/Health-related field.

• At least 5- 10 years’ experience in managing large projects or grants.

• Demonstrated ability to research, analyze and integrate diverse information from varied sources.

• Demonstrated evidence of strong leadership and results-oriented team management.

• Excellent writing skills with at least twothree peer-reviewed publications • Possesses a strong passion for improving education and youth development in Africa.

• Demonstrated ability to express ideas

50 clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.

• Excellent coordination skills, with the ability to work under pressure and handle multiple activities and projects concurrently.

• Experience with the Nigerian educational sector (secondary schools and Universities) is an asset • Strong interpersonal skills with ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with people of different cultural backgrounds.

Marketing/Sales Representative in Doveway Creations, Niger SSCE, Entry level Or visit: http://jbng.me/362766 Short email: 33f1e@jbng.me An ICT company requires a target driven applicant to fill this position Job Description • Listening to customer requirements and presenting appropriately to make a sale • Maintaining and developing relationships with existing customers in person and via telephone calls and emails; • Cold calling to arrange meetings with potential customers to prospect for new business; • Responding to incoming email and phone enquiries; • Acting as a contact between a company and its existing and potential markets; • Negotiating the terms of an agreement and closing sales; • Gathering market and customer information; • Representing their company at trade exhibitions, events and demonstrations; • Negotiating on price, costs, delivery and specifications with buyers and managers; • Challenging any objections with a view to getting the customer to buy; • Advising on forthcoming product developments and discussing special promotions; • Creating detailed proposal documents, often as part of a formal bidding process which is largely dictated by the prospective customer; • Liaising with suppliers to check the progress of existing orders; Requirements • Must have a passion for selling • Should have excellent communication skills • Should have a minimum of an SSCE

Civil Engineer in AIM Consultants, Zamfara Degree, 5 - 7 years Short email: 33fea@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/362970 Our client is an engineering firm currently hiring professionals to join their esteemed organization Job Summary: Candidate will be deployed to work on a site.

Qualification: • B.Sc in Civil Engineering • COREN Registration as an added advantage • Computer literate Working Hours: Monday to Saturday Requirement: Minimum of 5 years of experience in Design works

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Accountant in Wetrans Nigeria Limited, Kwara BSc/HND, 3 - 5 years Short email: 33e44@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/362548 WeTrans Limited is a newly formed logistics and transportation company set up to provide bespoke transport services for its clients. At WeTrans, we work with public and private institutions to conceptualise and implement innovative strategies for overcoming transportation challenges. WeTrans has recently entered into a concession agreement with a public institution in Kwara State for the provision of mass transit services for its visitors and staff. To ensure effective operations, we seek to engage the services of a suitably qualified Accountant. The preferred candidate should meet the description below: Responsibilities: • Prepare management and financial accounts • Perform monthly reconciliation of accounts - bank reconciliations, inventory reconciliations, fixed assets, vendors and cashiers • Preparation of staff payroll • Coordinate monthly and yearly end closing activities and provide support to external auditors • Manage tax portfolio and ensure compliance to statutory regulations • Assist in the preparation of annual budget and quarterly forecast • Monitor all CAPEX request to head office and coordinate all related project performance report • Carry out periodic physical stock verification and reconciliation with stock records The Person: • Analytical, interpersonal and communication skills • Ability to work under pressure and strict deadlines • Excellent knowledge of ERP, Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint Qualifications: • First Degree/HND in Accounting or related field • Must be a Chartered Accountant (ACA) • 5 O’level credits including Mathematics and English Language in not more than 2 sittings Experience: Minimum of 3 years relevant experience

Computer Operator in Tanacson Solutions, Kwara SSCE, 1 - 3 years Short email: 33e8d@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/362621 Tanacson Solutions a computer training center, requires a suitable candidate for this position.

Responsibilities: • Preparing equipment for operations by accessing software in computer; loading paper into printers and plotters; preparing for output.

• Starting operations by entering commands.

• Resolving user problems by answering questions and requests.

• Maintaining operations by monitoring error and stoppage messages; observing peripheral equipment; entering commands to correct errors and stoppages; reloading paper; making adjustments in process; notifying supervisor for additional resources.

• Documenting problems and actions by

completing production logs.

• Documenting financial transactions by entering account information and using the peach tree accounting software.

Requirements: • Minimum of SSCE. • 2-3 years of experience.

• Must have a good knowledge of corel draw and photoshop.

Sales Executive in Abuja OND, 1 - 3 years Short email: 2d9e0@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/336848 The company is the Fastest growing Technology Company in the e-Commerce space offering value added services to its customers.

As a result of our extensive expansion in our operations in Lagos and in other states of the country,we currently seek to hire very Competent, Talented self-starters to fill in the available Job openings in the company urgently We provide our staff with an Excellent work environment and Rewarding Career experience Responsibilities: • Responsible for daily sales interaction with customers and clients with a view to conversion to actual sales • Meeting Monthly and Quarterly targets • Working with Team Leads and Sales Manager to cover all prospective leads within area assigned Qualifications and Requirements: • Minimum Qualification of an Ordinary National Diploma[OND] or Bachelor’s Degree • Sales Experience may not be necessary but would be an added advantage • Great Articulatory Skills • Ability to work with Minimal Supervision • Great Objection handling skills • Self-starters and ability to work under pressure • Age:20-25 years • Software Skills • Excellent in the use of Office Packages, Remuneration: Attractive Base Salary, Commissions and Transport Allowances weekly

Information Communication Technology (ICT) OFFICER in Future Of Africa Travels And Tours, Abuja HND, 5 - 7 years Short email: 34267@jbng.me Or visit: http://jbng.me/363607 OVERVIEW Future of Africa Business Solutions Limited (FoABSL) is an Abuja based start-up group of Companies that includes a Travel & Tour outfit, Domain Name Sales and hosting, Website design and hosting outfit; and other E-based and non-E-based Businesses.

(FoABSL) is currently recruiting a very experienced, hands-on, dynamic, creative and highly effective self-starter to support the organizations ICT activities. The person must be able to work completely independently, versed in a wide range of ICT technologies in order to provide operational, procedural and technical ICT support/operations including installations and upgrades including: Objectives: Website/Portal Design & Development Application Design & Development using various Desktop, Database and Web based Software Tools and Technologies

Design and Support of Voice and Data Network Communications Support of Internet and Social Media Accounts and Technologies.

Purchase, Maintenance, Diagnostics and Support of Computer Hardware and Software.

Qualifications • Degree/HND in Computer Studies or a related area • Proficient in use and support of MS Office, email, Social Media, Text and Messaging, Graphics (Adobe Creative Suite) Windows operating systems from XP to Windows 8, Website maintenance, email, Social Media, Text and Messaging systems • At least 2 years of experience of Front and backend Web technologies such as: Wordpress or HTML, XHTML, XML, CSS, Scripting and Programming, Javascript, PHP, ASP, Web APIs, Multimedia, NET Technologies, Linux, Apache, Website Design and Maintenance, Dynamic Web Application Development, Web Based, Database Applications, Web Content Development, Web Content Management Systems • Mobile and Cloud Based Computing • Experience of Database Design and Management • Good working knowledge of any flavour of SQL including: MySQL, MSSQL, Oracle • Experience of Programming Design & Development Techniques using Open Source Software • Dot Net technologies • Minimum of 5 years in a similar role • Ability to troubleshoot Hardware, Software and Network problems • Outgoing personality and excellent social skills in interactions with users • Strong analytic abilities, attention to detail, and a prompt follow-through Added Advantages: • Professional Computer Certifications in relevant areas such as Computer Hardware Maintenance, Networking Design and Administration, Database Design and Administration, Website Design and Administration, Graphics Design • Experience of working in a support environment • Ability to troubleshoot Hardware and Software problems • Proposal writing skills • Familiarity with Call and Contact Centre technologies • Experienced Driver with a Current Driving Licence • Qualified and interested Candidates should apply And application letter should be included on the first page of the CV. Your application letter should mention how this vacancy first became known to you and provide answers to the following questions: • Why you are the best fit for the position, giving the top three factors that make you an outstanding candidate for this position?

• Give examples of how your competencies can successfully accomplish the goals and requirements of the position?

• Why you are passionate about the position?

The file name should be “your names” and the words “CV for FoABSL ICT Officer Job”, e.g. Bill Clinton CV for FoABSL ICT Officer Job Closing Date: 17th August, 2014. However we will keep searching until we find the right person.

The Recruiter, Grass-Root Systems Limited, Abuja, FCT.

THE NATION’S CAPITAL 51

Thursday, August 14, 2014

RMRDC To Organise Quiz Competition For FCT Schools

Tete Makes U-Turn On Ebola Isolation Centre Decision

By Igho Oyoyo

By Nkechi Isaac

The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has disclosed its intention to organise quiz competition for schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to sensitise them on the raw materials resources available in Nigeria.

This was disclosed by the director-general of the council, Dr. Hussaini Ibrahim, when he hosted the Association of Niger State students, who paid him a courtesy call in his office, yesterday, in Abuja.

Ibrahim said, “it is also pertinent to inform you that very soon we shall be organising quiz competitions among all the secondary schools in Nigeria starting with the FCT, to sensitise our young students on the locations, properties and uses of all the raw material resources available in the country.

“This is a deliberate ploy to educate our youths on the uses of our raw material resources and preparing their minds on job and wealth creation which is the hallmark of the transformation agenda.”

The RMRDC boss represented by the assistant director of policy analysis and development division of the council, Mr. Sayuti Wali, reiterated the council’s commitment to the development of raw materials in Nigeria, saying that it had established a catalytic factory, the Kagara Talc Processing Company, to promote talc production.

According to him, “some of you plying along Minna-Kagara of Niger State will see one of our catalytic factories, the Kagara Company, located some few kilometers to Kagara town.

The chairman of Kuje area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Shaban Tete, has made a u-turn on his earlier threat to resist any attempt by the FCT Administration to site the Ebola isolation centre in the council.

Recall that Tete had, earlier this week, raised an alarm over plans by the FCTA to site the isolation centre in the council, saying it was a threat to residents and threatened that the council will protest the

move.

However, the council boss rescinded his decision to protest the move and called on the residents to accept government’s decision after a meeting with the FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed and other stakeholders in Abuja.

Tete, who appealed to Kuje residents to accept the designation of Kuje General Hospital as an Isolation centre for Ebola infected persons, said he now realised that if Ebola virus could be spread through the air, American government

would not have transported their affected citizen back to their country.

According to Tete, the appeal became necessary as a result of the wide rejection of the centre by the residents of the area and the apprehension of residents, over the knowledge that the virus kills infected patients few days after being infected.

He said, “we had a meeting with the minister and he made it clear to me that Kuje General Hospital has been designated as an Isolation Center. They also explained clearly to me, that the

disease can only be contacted when you come in contact with an affected person through body fluid.

“The minister explained that all the necessary facilities, to protect residents and health personnel, would be put in place before any infected person would be brought to Kuje. The FCT is presently free of Ebola virus and we pray that it remains that way. I want to encourage residents of Kuje to remain calm and always be hygiene conscious, both at home and outside home.

Ebola: Gishiri Residents Raise Alarm Over Filthy Environment

By Chika Mefor

With the report of increased cases of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria, residents of Gishiri in Bwari area council have raised alarm over the high level of filthiness in the council, saying it can lead to an epidemic outbreak.

Residents who said that filth has been identified as one of the channels of transmitting virus, expressed worry over the high

level of filth in the community and called on the council to wade into the situation and sanitise the area.

In a chat with LEADERSHIP, a school teacher in the area, Mrs Margeret Buba, said the call on the council became necessary as the area was becoming increasingly dirty, with people disposing waste indiscriminately.

Buba also called on the health and environment department of the council to help in sensitis-

ing residents on the gains of a healthy living, through daily sanitation of their environment.

Another resident, Aisha Nuru, said that the lack of drainages at the area has also contributed in defacing the environment, citing the provision of a proper drainage system as a panacea for a better, sanitised community .

“We need people to take the message of sanitation seriously.

I believe that if the area council

comes here to sensitise the people, they will take it seriously.

We need drainages too. It is very important. The drainages will help the proper flow of water,” she said.

In his remarks, a resident, Allant Iko, opined that the business of sanitation is not the exclusive responsibility of the government, saying that residents have a vital role to play in sanitising their immediate environment.

52

Thursday, August 14, 2014

world

news ➍

➏

➎ ➐ ➋➊ ➌

➊ Iraq’s Kurds

➋ Egypt’s

Kurdish officials in Iraq have demanded that the US sustain and expand its aerial bombing campaign in order to help them stave off advances made by the Islamic State group.

Over the past week, the Kurdish military forces known as Peshmerga have conceded control of a large swath of territory to fighters stretching from the Syrian border to 50km from the capital of Iraq’s Kurdish region, Erbil.

Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has denied he ordered security forces to kill protesters, as he faced a Cairo court over the deaths of 850 demonstrators during Egypt’s 2011 uprising.

Mubarak told the court he never handed down orders to kill protesters.

“I, Mohammed Hosni Mubarak, who is standing before you today, never handed down orders for the killing of protesters.

➌ 6 Dead As Gaza

➍ Canada Sends Trial

Six people were killed in the Gaza Strip when an Israeli missile exploded amid attempts to dismantle it.

The dead included two journalists - an Italian and a Palestinian - and a number of bomb disposal officers.

The incident happened in the town of Beit Lahiya, in the north of the Gaza Strip

North American country sends up to a thousand doses of an experimental Ebola vaccine to be distributed in West Africa.

Canada is sending up to 1,000 doses of an experimental vaccine to West Africa to help the World Health Organisation (WHO) fight the Ebola epidemic, the country’s health minister announced.

Demand Expanded US Operation

Bomb Disposal Team

Arms To Iraqi Kurds

France will supply arms to Iraq’s Kurds “in the coming hours”, French President Francois Hollande has announced.

France has received approval from authorities in Baghdad for the

decision, French media reports say.

Kurdish forces are fighting militants from the Islamic State (IS) group. Thousands of members of the Yazidi sect have fled the IS advance.

➏ Swiss Train Derailed In Landslide

A train has derailed after a landslide near the Swiss ski resort of St Moritz, in what police describe as a “serious” accident.

Swiss national radio reported that one carriage had plunged into

a ravine and another was hanging from the rails.

The extent of casualties is unclear but officials say the injured have been taken to hospital by helicopter and ambulance.

Uncertainty surrounds the movement and route of a Russian aid convoy bound for east Ukraine after Ukrainian officials said they would not let it in.

At least some of its 280 trucks are

stalled in the Voronezh area, some 500km from Moscow. Others are said to be heading further south.

There have been fears Russia could use the convoy as a pretext for military action in Ukraine.

➎ France To Deliver

Mubarak Denies Killing Protesters

Ebola Vaccine To W\Africa

➐ Ukraine Crisis: Russia Aid Convoy Slows Amid Spats

Thursday, August 14, 2014

WORLD NEWS 53

Oil Prices Dip To 9-month Low spanning an unusually large swathe of the oil-producing world.”

The agency said that while tensions in Iraq and fighting in Ukraine continued, other oil resources were available, such as those of the US, Libya and Saudi Arabia.

According to the IEA: “The Atlantic market is currently so Doctors educating volunteers on how to use protective equipment to avoid well supplied that incremental catching the virus in Liberia.

Libyan barrels are reportedly having a hard time finding buyers.”

It had been thought that Global oil prices have fallen to The current dip in price has led sanctions imposed by the US and their lowest level in nine months, to an increase in demand from EU on Russia over its support for ment’s response to the epidemic, Ukrainian rebels might affect oil By Tunde Oguntola, Abuja despite fears that conflicts in wealthy states. he said “Ebola virus is a commuIraq has scheduled to export distribution.

Ukraine and Iraq would inflate In a swift response to Ebola virus nity challenge that can only be about 2.4 million barrels per But the IEA said: “The which has killed over 900 people prices.

Brent crude oil has fallen to day of Basra Light crude in consensus in the industry seems in West Africa sub-region, the Vice faced through solidarity, working $103.70 (£62) a barrel, its lowest September, up from 2.2 million to be that neither set of sanctions President of the ECOWAS Com- together and integrating our rein the previous month. rate since November 2013. will have any tangible near-term mission, Dr. Toga Gayewea McIn- sponses.”

The disease has claimed more In a report on Tuesday, the impact on supplies.”

In July, oil hit its highest tosh has described the Ebola outlevel in nine months, valued at International Energy Agency Oil analyst Malcolm Bracken break in West Africa as not only a than 900 lives since its outbreak $115.71 per barrel. Violence in (IEA) said: “Oil prices seem said there was no need to worry health emergency but a “destruc- in the region in March 2014, with Iraq was cited as the reason for almost eerily calm in the face about Russian oil, as the most tive element” in the region’s march most of the deaths reported in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, of mounting geopolitical risks testing time was past. the rise. towards socio-economic develop- and at least two in Nigeria. ment.

He however, used the opportuAt a forum organised by the nity to convey the condolences of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu- the commission to families of deja to brief the international com- ceased community citizens and the munity on the Nigerian Govern- affected member states.

“Focusing on fundamentals has us viewing any weakness as a buying opportunity.”

Poland’s foreign minister eased some concerns, saying the threat of Russia invading Ukraine had receded amid reports a Russian aid convoy would cross the Ukraine border under the aegis of the Red Cross. Still, Ukraine said the convoy would not be allowed to pass.

Libya’s parliament has called for vention, the parliament also votRussia’s dollar-denominated RTS index rose 1.8 percent and foreign intervention to protect ed to disband all militias, but the the Market Vectors Russia Exchange-Traded Fund was up 1.7 civilians from deadly clashes be- state has no means to enforce this percent to $24.41. tween rival militia groups. measure.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 29.09 points or 0.18 MPs were meeting in Tobruk in The BBC’s Rana Jawad, in Trippercent, to 16,589.63, the S&P 500 gained 5.26 points or 0.27 the east because of violence in the oli, says the first decree appears to Wall Street has been largely driven by the news flow from percent, to 1,939.01 and the Nasdaq Composite added 21.12 capital Tripoli and the second city be a bold move by the parliament abroad, and signs of progress were enough to overshadow points or 0.48 percent, to 4,410.37.

Benghazi, and 111 out of 124 vot- but is ultimately symbolic. some cautious signals in the United States, where retail sales Retail stocks were among the weakest of the day. Macy’s ed for the call.

“The international communiunexpectedly stalled in July, pointing to some loss of momen- Inc cut its full-year same-store sales outlook. The stock fell 5.1 Neither the UN nor any foreign ty must intervene immediately to tum in the economy. percent to $56.74 as the S&P 500’s biggest percentage decliner. power has any current plans to in- ensure that civilians are protectBased on its Tuesday close, the benchmark S&P 500 is 2.7 Kohl’s Corp lost 2.9 percent to $54.32, while Nordstrom Inc tervene. ed,” said MP Abu Bakr Biira, quotpercent below a record close in late July. Throughout 2014, slid 2.2 percent to $67.23. Both names are slated to report Libya has been gripped by vio- ing from the decree. investors have been using market pullbacks as opportunities to results on Thursday. Deere & Co fell 1.5 percent to $85.16 after It is not clear whether the parlence involving militias that spearadd to their positions. it posted a lower quarterly profit on Wednesday and cut its headed the 2011 uprising against liament is seeking a peacekeep“The market seems comfortable with what’s going on full-year outlook as declining grain prices discouraged farmers. ing mission or some other form Muammar Gaddafi. abroad, and while there’s always a risk of escalation, which Amazon.com Inc boosted the Nasdaq, up 2.3 percent to More than three years after the of help. uprising, Libya’s police and army But the international communiwould give the market pause, trying to anticipate that is pure $326.69. The online retailer unveiled a $10 credit-card reader remain weak in comparison to the ty has so far stopped short of any speculation,” said David Lebovitz, global market strategist at and mobile app for brick-and-mortar businesses, marking its militias who control large parts of intervention, instead demanding J.P. Morgan Funds in New York. latest step to expand its presence in the physical world. the country. an end to violence and encouragShortly after the decree on inter- ing dialogue.

ECOWAS Calls For Regional Cohesion Against Ebola Outbreak

Wall St. Edges Up, Dow Again Positive For 2014

Libya Crisis: Parliament Votes For Foreign Intervention

UK Jobless Rate Nears 6-year Low UK unemployment edged closer to a six-year low in the three months to the end of June, official figures have shown.

The Office for National Statistics said the unemployment rate fell to 6.4% in the quarter, the lowest since late 2008 and down from 6.5% in May. The number of people unemployed fell by 132,000 to 2.08 million.

But average wages excluding bonuses rose by 0.6% in the year to June, the slowest rise since records began in 2001.

Including bonuses, wages fell 0.2%, the first fall since 2009.

The ONS figures show that about 40% of the increase in employment levels in the UK over the past year was among people who were not born in the country.

The number of UK-born workers rose by 502,000, said BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw.

The number of workers born overseas (including some UK nationals) went up by 326,000.

The ONS says the country of birth of some workers was not known, resulting in a total employment increase year-on-year of 816,000.

There was a big increase in the number of workers from the so-called A8 countries - former Soviet bloc states such as Poland, Hungary and Lithuania, which joined the EU in 2004.

“The number has risen by 178,000 in a year - that’s an increase of more than a quarter - eclipsing the rise in any other category of foreign workers,” our correspondent says.

If you count the figures by nationality, as opposed to country of birth, the total employment increase was 820,000, more than a quarter of which was due to a rise in foreign national workers.

The number of UK nationals working in the UK increased by 601,000.

Brazil Presidential Candidate Capos ‘In Plane Crash’ The plane was frequently used by Mr Campos who is running for president for the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB).

Party members said he was on board at the time of the crash.

Firefighters said there were 10 “victims” but did not clarify if the 10 were injured or dead.

According to Air Force officials, air traffic control lost contact with the plane after it could not land in Guaruja due to bad weather. , Mr Temer said there were “no words to describe the trage-

dy that has befallen Brazilian politics today”.

“Eduardo Campos was a politician with principles and values passed down through his family and carried with dignity and honour throughout his career in parliament and the executive,” the statement added.

Mr Campos’ family had actively opposed Brazil’s military rule (1964-1985).

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has cancelled all campaign activities for three days, her party said.

54

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Unconscious Swimmer Rescued From Race Polish swimmer Natalia Charlos had to be rescued from the water after losing consciousness in the women’s 10k race at the European Swimming Championships.

Charlos, who lives and trains in Germany, was pulled ashore on the opening day in Berlin after officials and spectators alerted

the lifeguard.

The 21-year-old was treated at the scene and Germany team doctor Alexander Beck said Charlos was recovering well.

Charlos overexerted herself after picking the wrong lane at the finish.

The race was completed, with

Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands winning gold, Eva Risztov of Hungary claiming the silver, and Italy’s Aurora Ponsele taking bronze.

The 5k, 10k and 25k open water races will all be held at the same Regattastrecke Grunau venue.

NFF Electoral C’ttee Disqualifies Umeh, Ogunjobi, Odegbami, Clears Giwa, 20 Others

By SALIFU USMAN, Abuja

Ogunjobi

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Electoral Committee has cleared chairman Giwa FC of Jos, Giwa christopher Musa and 20 candidates to contest August 26 election into the Executive Committee of the NFF. However, three other candidates, acting president of the NFF, Mike Umeh, former NFA general secretary Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi and former Green Eagles captain Segun Odegbami, who collected forms to contest for the presidency of the NFF were not cleared. The impeached president, Aminu Maigari, who also collected the form did not submit his form to

the committee.

Briefing newsmen yesterday in Abuja, the committee chairman, Biambo Amoni, said out 60 forms printed by the committee, only 24 were purchased, saying even when the sale of nomination form was extended from June 10 to August 4, while aspirants were screened between 5th and 12th of August, 2014.

Explaining why the acting president of the NFF, Mike Umeh, Segun Odegbami and Taiwo Ogunjobi were not cleared to contest, he said the acting president obtained form for the position of vice President but returned it as a presidential candidate.

He said Odegbami failed to

attach receipt of the form to his nomination form and he was not endorsed by anybody from his South West zone, while on Ogunjobi, he said the Electoral Committee noted he is still under ban from participating in football related activities hence, not eligible to contest.

The full list of those cleared: 1.Ahmed Yusuf 2.Giwa Christopher Musa 3.Yahaya Adama 4.Farouk Yarma Adamu 5.Kachala Baba Gana Kalli 6.Fema Mohammed Sani 7.Inuwa Sharif rabiu 8.Suleyman Muazu

9.Shehu Adamu 10.Babngida Tukur 11.Ogbokwe Ikechukwu 12.Obinna Ogba 13.Felix Anyansi 14.Emeka Inyama 15.Atuake Oswald Agaba 16.Johnson Etim Effiong 17.Obuah Felix Amaechi 18.Sunday Dele Ajayi 19.Majekodunmi Adeshina 20.Akinwunmi Abiodun Oluseyi 21.Tinubu Ayodeji Those who Cleared:

were

not

1.Mike Umeh 2. Taiwo Ogunjobi 3. Segun Odegbami

NFF Watching Developments In Plateau, Yobe FAs Yes, we received the reports as conveyed by the secretaries of the Football Associations in the two States. But we are still studying these reports and will come out with our position very soon Chief Mike Umeh, Actiing

President of the NFF

By onjewu dicksoN, Abuja The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has received reports of the dissolution of the Plateau State Football Association and the suspension of the Chairman and 1st Vice Chairman of Yobe State Football Association, from the secretaries of those associations.

A letter dated August 7, 2014 and signed by Tijjani Jibril, Secretary of Yobe State Football Association, informed the NFF that the

Congress of the State FA passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Garba and the 1st Vice Chairman, Umar Suleiman, for several reasons including failure to call meetings for the past four years.

The 2nd Vice Chairman of Yobe State Football Association, Mohamad Kalli, was said to have taken over as Chairman.

As for Plateau State, the NFF was informed that at its Congress held on Saturday, August 9, 2014, the entire

Board of Plateau State Football Association was thrown overboard.

However, Acting President of Nigeria Football Federation, Chief Mike Umeh, said yesterday that the nation’s supreme football –governing body is still watching events in the two States.

“Yes, we received the reports as conveyed by the secretaries of the Football Associations in the two States. But we are still studying these reports and will come out with our position very soon.”

2014 World Cup Superstars: Eden Hazard (Belgium) NAME:Eden Harzard Date of Birth: January 7, 1991 Place of Birth: La Louviere Club: Chelsea World Cups: 1 APPS : 4 Goals: 0

Harzard

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has had a profound influence on many a player’s career. Carvalho, Terry, Drogba and others have all flowered from great talents into great footballers under Jose’s ‘velvet glove’ treatment. When in November last year, Eden Hazard forgot his passport after a trip to France and was late back to training, he was summarily dropped from a Champions League game. As Mourinho told a packed press conference: “He’s

a kid. Kids make mistakes and fathers have to be clever in the way they educate their sons. He didn’t play. He wanted to play. He was sad because he didn’t play:’ Eden’s parents were both semi- professional footballers, and he has three brothers, all of whom play football for a living Jose Mourinho Since then a new Hazard has slowly e erged, lesson learned, having added determination and workrate to his undoubted guile and reat technique. And the new Hazard looks every incli world class footballer.

Gifted with two great feet, the young Hazard made his professional debut for French si e Lille at the tender age of 16.

Umeh

Victor Moses Seeks Redemption At Chelsea Nigeria international and Chelsea forward Victor Moseshas revealed his determination to put aside his Liverpool nightmare and force his way into Jose Mourinho’s first team squad this season.

Moses who was loaned to the Anfield Stadium giants last season made his first appearance for the Blues as a substitute in their 2-1 victory over Hungarian side Ferencvaros.

With this, the 23-year-old is hoping to rebuild his career after making just six Premier League starts at Liverpool last season.

“There are a lot of quality players here but I will keep giving it all I have got,” he told London Evening Standard.

“I just have to forget about last season and think about this season, concentrate and keep working hard.

“What happened at Liverpool - that’s football for you. It was a loan move, I wanted to play football but I unfortunately didn’t get as many games as I expected.

“My fitness is getting there.

It was my first pre-season game – I came back injured after the World Cup. I couldn’t join up with the lads and was just getting treatment at the training ground.

“I’m delighted I got on (against Ferencvaros) and had the minutes I had. You’re looking at three-four games before you get back to full fitness.”

Follow these reports on leadership.ng/sports

sports 55

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Hockey Super League: Niger Flickers Aim For Fourth Trophy

By Jonathan Nda- Isaiah, Abuja

Flying Eagles listening to instructions during training at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, yesterday.

PHOTO BY GBENGA ABIOLA

AYC Qualifier: Manu Optimistic Of Victory By onjewu dickson, Abuja

The coach of the Nigerian U-20 side the Flying Eagles, Coach Manu Garba has assured Nigerians of victory when his side clashes with the Lesotho U-20 side in the last round of qualifying matches for the Africa Youth Championship (AYC) in Senegal next year.

Manu who gave the assurance shortly after his side ended an evening training session at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, venue the match is scheduled to take place on Saturday August 16th.

The coach said that although five of his key

players will not be available for the match, he expressed confidence that the available players in the camp will produce the desired result.

Manu who said his team was a high scoring side that did not lose a match during their under-17 campaign and even at this stage from the friendly matches played so far, the team has recorded plenty of goals in each of the friendly matches.

He promised to finish up the match at home by winning convincingly and make the return leg a mere formality.

The coach who counted on the support and prayers of Nigeria’s soccer fans as

his team promised to work hard to ensure victory said that the Kaduna fans are wonderful people who are very accommodating and lovers of the Nigerian team and that the Ahmadu Bello Stadium is one of the best pitches in the country said that all these were what his team needed for a successful outing.

One of the key players of the team, Taiwo Awoniyi who turned 17 On August 12 said the team is ready to give Nigerians results, he said that though some of the key players who are absent will be missed, but that does not call for alarm as the available players are also

equal to the task. Awoniyi expressed satisfaction with the weather in Kaduna and also praised the pitch, which he said only required trimming to make a good match.

Winner of the two-legged encounter will qualify for the AYC next year in Senegal.

It could be recalled that the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Musa Yahaya, Isaac Success, Chidera Eze, Dele Alampasu and other key players are all with some foreign clubs after their successful outing at the FIFA under 17 World Cup last year under the tutelage of coach Manu Garba.

Everton Want Atsu In Season-Long Loan Everton are keen to secure a season-long loan for Chelsea’s Ghana international winger Christian Atsu.

The 22-year-old joined

Chelsea from Porto in September 2013 but was immediately loaned to Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem for the 2013-14 term.

“We are hoping that the deal can be formalised and finalised

by Thursday,” Everton boss Roberto Martinez said.

“He can play on both wings, through the middle and has appreciation of space.

Technically he is very gifted.”

The premier hockey club in Nigeria, Niger Flickers is gunning for its fourth trophy in six years in the hockey super league scheduled to kick off in Kaduna at the end of the month.

The super league has been renamed Dr Goodluck Jonathan open men and women championship will take place from 22nd to 30th this month.

Niger Flickers have won three out of the last five editions with Yobe winning the remaining two.The two finalist usually compete in the African Club Championship with this year’s edition taking place in Zimbabwe towards the end of the year.

The championship in Kaduna will feature teams like: Niger Flickers, Nagwamatse hockey club Kontagora Kaduna Hockey club, Delta Force of Asaba, Union Bank Hockey Club, Yobe Desert Rollers of Damaturu, Kano State Hockey, Katsina and Bayelsa.

Niger State Ministry of Sports Development has appointed Hon Mohammed Sani idris Kutigi as the chairman of Niger Hockey Association.

Kutigi a member of the Federal House of Representatives has vowed the team will recapture the trophy from Yobe Desert Rollers.

He cited the support of the governor of Niger ,Babangida Aliyu as the motivation for the team

to lift the trophy as the game of hockey enjoyed a renaissance during the tenure of the Chief Servant.

According to him, Niger is known as the number one hockey team in the country because of the effort and financial support of the governor and the team has responded in equal measure by winning three out of five editions in the Super League adding that” We have vowed to win the championship in Kaduna for the fourth time for the chief servant who has always supported the game of hockey in Niger State.

In preparation for the Kaduna tourney, President of the Hockey Federation in Nigeria, Senator Abdul Ningi paid a courtesy visit to the Kaduna State governor Ramalan Yero where he vowed to take hockey to pinnacle position in the country so that it can compete with football in terms of popularity and rating .

In another development the Nigeria Hockey Federation board has invited 25 male and females to camp from which the best will be selected to represent Nigeria in Nairobi for the world league series slated for September 2 to 7 in Nairobi, Kenya. that” We have vowed to win the championship in Kaduna for the fourth time for the chief servant who has always supported the game of hockey in Niger State.

Suarez ‘Accident Waiting To Happen’

Suarez

Luis Suarez is “an accident waiting to happen” and Liverpool were right to sell the striker, Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has said.

The Uruguay international is serving a four-month ban for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup. The 27-year-old, who will discover the outcome of his appeal against that ban on Thursday, left Anfield to join Barcelona for £75m in the summer.

“I can’t say that I’m sorry to see him go,” Scudamore said.

Suarez was voted player of the year by both the Professional Footballers’ Association and the Football Writers’ Association last season after scoring 31 goals in 33 Premier League games for the Reds.

Scudamore, speaking at the official launch of the 2014-15 Premier League season, said: “At the end of the day, he’s a great player and I’m not taking anything away from his talents.

“He was voted, by both his own players and the media last year, the player of the year. Deservedly so. Great to have, but an accident waiting to happen

- you are always waiting for the next thing to come along.

“And this one, in the summer, although it was with Uruguay, although at the World Cup, although it didn’t directly involve the Premier League - clearly, Liverpool, as one of our great clubs, it reflected on them and it reflected on us.

“It was good business on a number of levels for Liverpool to move Luis Suarez on.”

Suarez was banned from “all football-related activity” for four months and suspended for nine international games for biting Chiellini.

He argued the terms of the ban were excessive and an appeal hearing took place at the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week.

The CAS verdict will be released at 14:00 BST on Thursday, with the detailed reasons for the decision published at a later date.

His legal team were expected to argue that he should be allowed to train with his new side during his suspension and that the ban should be limited to international football.

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14.08.14 www.leadership.ng

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

damawa is a unique state in Nigeria. Anyone looking for a practical expression of unity in diversity should go to Adamawa. Here is a state where there are over 80 ethnic groups yet there is peace and harmony. Virtually everyone is related directly or indirectly to the other because the integration process has been on for centuries. All members of the elite can speak Hausa and virtually everyone can speak Fulfulde, the Fulani language. In one family, one can get children of the same father and mother professing different faiths, yet there is no quarrel or tension. Adamawa is a mini Nigeria.

Politically, Adamawa is very strategic in Nigeria. No one has ever been president or prime minister of Nigeria since independence without winning in Adamawa. Even in 1979 when Adamawa, then Gongola, voted for a governor from the opposition Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP), the state went ahead to elect President Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) overwhelmingly during the presidential election.

So, one doesn’t joke with Adamawa if one is serious about winning elections in Nigeria.

Loyalty is in the second nature of the people of Adamawa State.

The late Alhaji Mahmudu Ribadu, Nigeria’s first defence minister and deputy prime minister at independence, was loyal to both Sir Ahmadu Bello and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, his political leaders and associates, until he died in May 1965. Atiku Abubakar was loyal to his political mentor, the late Gen. Shehu YarAdua, and to President Obasanjo until Obasanjo tried to go for a third term. Governor Boni Haruna was loyal to Atiku till the end of his governorship, and if he had elected to betray him he would have got oil blocks. Adamawa has produced many generals, air marshals and admirals but none ever overthrew any government.

In the build-up to the 2011

THURSDAY

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The Thursday Column

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presidential election, the Adamawa establishment, regardless of religion or ethnicity, came together and decided to support President Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential election. That was how Prof. Jubril Aminu, Alhaji Gambo Jimeta, Ambassador Wilberforce Juta, Ambassador Hassan Adamu, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, General Halidu Anthony Hananiya, Air Commodore Dan Suleiman as well as Governor Nyako came out fully in support of President Jonathan and rejected their son, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who was contesting for the presidency under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and son-in-law General Muhammadu Buhari who was the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). Jonathan won almost two-thirds of the votes cast in that election in the state.

With the resignation of Deputy Governor Bala Ngilari and the impeachment of Governor Nyako, Adamawa State is set to elect a new governor in October this year. Many aspirants have started coming out in the two main political parties – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The elders of Adamawa are also watching to see who among these has the requisite experience, exposure and expertise to clear the augean stable and set the state back on the road of admirable stability and sustainable prosperity.

The earliest person to come out is Gen. Buba Marwa. He is an able administrator who once governed Borno and Lagos states at various times during the military era. Unfortunately for Marwa, he comes from the same local government of Michika as Saleh Michika and Boni Haruna, two past governors of the state. He also comes from the same northern senatorial district as Governor Juta and current acting governor Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri. Marwa was a presidential aspirant in 2007 and a governorship candidate in Adamawa when he came a distant third place in

the last governorship election.

Another aspirant is Dr Umar Ardo, who was special assistant to Vice President Atiku. Ardo is an academic who sustained the struggle against Nyako for long.

But, unfortunately for him, he comes from the same senatorial district of Adamawa South as the impeached governor Nyako who ruled for over seven years. There is a strong consensus that the next governor of Adamawa should come from the Central zone which has never produced any governor of the state before. Thus, it is difficult for anyone from the northern and southern zones to sell his or her candidature now.

There are strong indicators coming out from the state which point to the fact that the speaker of the State House of Assembly who is now the acting governor, Hon. Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri, is also interested in contesting for the governorship of the state. Acting governor Fintiri is an Atiku loyalist. That was why he followed Atiku to the Action Congress (AC) in 2007 and even contested under that platform that year. And that is why Fintiri appointed Atiku’s special assistant on legal matters, Prof. Maxwell Gidado, as his chief of staff. If Fintiri actually comes out, it will send the signals that he actually impeached Nyako for personal reasons and not in the interest of the state, which makes it morally indefensible and politically incomprehensible. Besides, Fintiri comes from Adamawa north which has been consistently producing governors for the state since its creation except for the Nyako interregnum.

There are other aspirants but the next serious contender is Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Ribadu comes from a very strong political family. A few months after joining politics, he became the candidate who contested for the presidential election under the umbrella of the ACN in 2011. He got over two million votes across Nigeria which was

more than twice what Governor Shekarau of Kano who contested under the ANPP got. He came third in that election after President Jonathan and General Buhari. He is from Adamawa Central zone that never produced any governor in the state before.

The people of Adamawa are looking at their current predicament and who has the potential to help them out. There is so much corruption in the system and Ribadu is known worldwide for his fight against corruption. There is so much insecurity such that Adamawa is one of the states under emergency for over a year now and Ribadu was a security officer, having been a policeman for almost a quarter of a century. There is so much lawlessness and Ribadu is a reputable lawyer who will fix the system. Besides, his enormous goodwill and network across Nigeria and around the world will attract investors and development to the state. These are the considerations that make the elders and people of Adamawa request Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to come home and lay a solid foundation for the development of a model Adamawa State before anything else.

After all, charity begins at home.

History is on the side of the oppressed.

GHANA MUST GO Nigeria has been a very successful country — Richard Akinjide

Until Jonathan happened!

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