Leadership newspaper - wednesday pages

18.06.14

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

WedNesday

No. 2,207

N150

NIGeRIa’s MOsT INFLUeNTIaL NeWsPaPeR

Chibok Diary

Uncompleted Gas Project: FG Loses $1.5bn Revenue

By Chika izuoRa, Lagos

Experts have predicted that Nigeria may lose substantial market opportunities if it further foot-drags from developing the various gas projects that have

been abandoned.

Already, it has been estimated that the country is losing about $1.5 billion revenue from that

sector.

Two Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants located in Brass in Bayelsa and Olokola in

Ogun State have been in state of comatose over the last five years. ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

World Cup: Bad Start For African Teams

> Page 52

DAY 65

Mothers Besiege Hospitals Over Rumoured Release Of Schoolgirls > Page 2

BOkO HArAM

US To Seek Extradition Of Detained Members As Gordon Brown, Gov Shettima visit Aso Rock 5 30,000 displaced villagers in Maiduguri – NEMA

People scampering for safety when a tanker exploded on River Benue Bridge in Makurdi, yesterday.

photo by Solomon AyAdo

Viewing Centre: 7 Killed, 40 Injured In yobe Bomb Blast > Page 8

2

chibok diary 65

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

DAY

CHIBOK FACTS 1. the word “Chibok” was coined by a hunter who felt the noises made by his feet as he trekked through the soft and wet mud sounded like “chibok, chibok, chibok, chibok.” Even today, the earth in Chibok is still quite soft.

2. Chibok has a fine grade of natural honey from the beehives within the community. the selling of the honey is a supplemental source of income for many families.

3. the widespread nature of Christianity in Chibok has eliminated the observance of nearly all of its traditional customs. However, polygamy remains common.

4. a non-fiction book, “Life among the Chibok of Nigeria,” was co-authored

by Gerald and Lois Neher, an american couple who came to Nigeria in 1954– and were eventually sent to Chibok- to work as teachers with the Church of the Brethren missionaries.

5. according to the Nehers, Chibok was the last community in Nigeria to fall under British colonial rule.

6. the Chibok people, using bow and arrow tactics as skilled hunters, fought the Fulanis, Kanuri and others groups, and successively repelled the invasion of the Sokoto Caliphate and Kanem-Borno Empire.

Mothers besiege hospitals over rumoured release of schoolgirls

BY KArEEM HArunA, Maiduguri

About 10 mothers of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls in the captivity of the Boko Haram yesterday stormed Maiduguri hospitals in search of their daughters as a rumour went viral that some of the girls had been released and were admitted in hospitals.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the traumatised mothers were responding to what appeared to be a fake information that some of the abducted girls had been released by their Boko Haram captors following their alleged ill-health in the bush.

The rumour also claimed that the girls might have been suffering from some pregnancy -related illness

which their abductors could not handle, hence they decided to let them go back home.

But as the mothers besieged the hospitals, they eventually found out that the news was nothing but fake rumour .

A senior nurse at the General Mamman Shuwa Hospital where the girls were said to have been admitted told LEADERSHIP last night that though she heard the rumour that government is bringing the abducted school girls to the hospital for medical care, none of the girls have been brought to the place The nurse, who agreed to speak to journalists on the understanding that her name would not be mentioned in print, said she and other

Boko Haram Threat Letter: Chibok Community Seeks Adequate Security

BY CHiKA MEfOr, EjiKE EjiKE, Abuja

Chibok community in Borno State where over 200 female students of the Government Secondary School were abducted on April 14 by the Boko Haram sect, has called on the government to beef up security measures over the impending attack from the sect.

The chairman of the Chibok Community Association in Abuja, Mr Tsambido Hosea-Abana, who stated this while speaking at the Unity Fountain in Abuja during the sit out of the #BringBackOurGirls group yesterday, stated that he had received calls from his community stating that they had received a threat letter from the sect members over another attack.

He stated that the community had informed the neccessary authorities involved in Borno State but are yet to see any action from them.

He said, "It is important to start making arrangements for security measures ahead of the attack as we cannot sit and watch our people killed or abducted again. Even if it involves using the local hunters, all we want is to be secured."

The group who were concerned about the imminent threat, further agreed to send a formal letter to the Nationa Security Adviser and the chief of defence to inform them of what it have heard from the news and direct sources about the threat notice and call for immediate action.

CHIBOK TRENDING

UpCOMING EvENTS today Rally in Liverpool,

UK

COMPILED BY UGOCHUKWU IROKA

#Bring Back Our Girls group in a village square meeting at the unity fountain in Abuja yesterday PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO

officials of the hospital were surprised when the confused mothers were asking after their daughters in the hospital.

She said, “When the women came, we told them that no girl was brought and they immediately burst into tears.

“They said they had left Chibok because they were told that their girls are in the hospital. We took them round the wards to see for themselves. However, they did not believe us as they left, maybe somebody they have so much trust in had told them the girls were here.

“They are not ready to believe anyone else. If the girls are here, we could have allowed them to see their daughters.

It is a pity, we are hearing all

kinds of stories about these poor girls, including this one that made these pitiable mothers to travel in vain all the way from Chibok to Maiduguri”.

The women who arrived the hospital in Maiduguri at about 10am, did not leave until about 3pm when it was made clear to them that none of the abducted girls had been brought to the hospital for medication.

Borno state government had procured additional 200 beds and mattresses at the General Mamman Shuwa hospital where it is expected that the abducted girls would be given the first medical care when they are eventually freed from captivity.

SOCIAL MEDIA BOOM, ABUNDANCE OF CONTENT-RICH APPS, RICH VIDEO CONTENT AND ACCESS TO CHEAPER SMARTPHONES HAS FUELLED INTERNET USAGE IN AFRICA

Africa’s Internet

Usage

Growing

Rapidly 76,000TB (terabyte) a month

@

Date usage 2014 doubled

37,500TB (terabyte) a month 2013

In 2015, data usage will increase to as much as 2015 147,000TB per month because consumers, 147 000TB networks and media networks are now embracing the use of 3G and 4G technology

IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, THE DIGITAL TRAFFIC HAS INCREASED OVER 100 PER CENT INFOGRAPHICS BY Matthew Akhabue

3

our stand Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Equal Work For Equal Pay

I

n a recent off-the-cuff interview, information minister Labaran Maku said that the federal government was working on plans to harmonise the salaries of all federal workers with a view to achieving equitable pay across the civil service. Maku stated that pay disparity within units of government establishments has been a major source of discord in the civil service, even as he lamented that government’s spending on its workers was unfairly skewed against the rest of us.

We agree with the minister.

The civil service, anywhere else in the world, is at the heart of government business and an efficient civil service is a sine qua non to the progress of any nation. Whatever amount government spends on the civil service is considered money well spent, and the workforce is demanded to reciprocate that gesture with quality service to the country.

In the main, however, the Nigerian civil service has performed poorly in its duty to this country and it is one major reason Nigeria is in this sorry state.

Rather than render quality service to the nation, the civil service has put itself first, choosing to rip the country off in collabo-

ration with successive military regimes and civilian governments. It is often a joke, not without concrete grounds, that if you went into government today, honest and ready to serve, civil servants would teach you how to steal public funds. And if you were uncooperative, they would exasperate you to unconditional surrender through their time-tested official obfuscation – the infamous red tape.

It is an understatement to say that the Nigerian civil service is over-bloated, ineffective, a drag on the country’s march forward and in need of a radical overhaul. It is the very killer virus in the heart of Nigeria, a willing puppet in the hands of marauding politicians spreading gangrenous corruption in the body

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

politic.

The plan to harmonise civil servants’ salaries has been in the making for decades now.

Perhaps it’s the same civil servants that have been frustrating the plan. It has to be implemented without delay, because we all go to the same market. Besides, any worker who lives above his legitimate income should be arrested promptly so he can explain the source of his lifestyle.

The plan to harmonise civil servants’ salaries, as Maku hinted, should be done transparently and equitably. We support having a well-paid civil service for the country and urge the government to ensure that this is done under its current plan.

Since it has been established that the ghost-worker syndrome is endemic in the civil service, we demand that government make strenuous efforts to end this ignoble practice in the federal workforce as part of the ongoing salary harmonisation scheme. It is really a big failure on the part of the government that it has not been able to bring down the despicable civil servants behind the presumed ghosts in the federal civil service. This is yet another veritable opportunity to act against these big thieves, if the government has the guts.

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 Julianne Omofuma Divisional Directors Abdulmumin Balogun Salisu Alhassan Bichi Iyobosa Uwugiaren Ademola Oladosu General Managers Joy Adekanye Aminu Abubakar Sule Zipporah D. Tanko

Leadership Holdings

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

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Group News Editor: Tony Amokeodo SURE-P: 5,000 Youths To Be Employed As Maintenance Officers – Agwai The chairman of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE –P), General Martins Agwai yesterday disclosed that no fewer than 5,075 youths will undergo training in highway maintenance and will at the end of their training be absorbed as maintenance officers in the Federal Ministry of works.

General Agwai stated this in Kaduna yesterday while commissioning the SURE-P-sponsored rehabilitation of the federal government-owned Highway Training Centre in Kaduna.

The SURE-P chairman berated the poor maintenance culture of Nigerians, while stressing the urgent need for a sustained maintenance culture as a way forward.

He said large sums of money were being spent by the government on projects in the country, noting, however, that most times after the commissioning, such projects lack the required maintenance to make it serve the citizens optimally.

According to him, “Constructing structure is not the major problem of the nation but having the mindset to maintain them is what is needed, and it is the lack of this mind-set that has resulted in dilapidated structures that are visible across the country.”

He said the rehabilitated high way training centre was one of the eight selected across the country for rehabilitation after thorough survey.

By Isaiah Benjamin, Kaduna

Justice Sector Institutions Weak – NBA The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has urged the National Assembly and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the strengthening of institutions in the justice sector, insisting that the institutions are weak.

Speaking yesterday at the 4th Criminal Justice Reform Conference of the NBA, the association’s president, Okey Wali, lamented that the nation’s justice sector was in a state of disrepair.

“Our justice sector institutions in Nigeria are weak. The Police is not only underfunded, but also lack modern equipment and facilities.

“Our prisons are filled to the brim with inmates awaiting trail and the judiciary is grossly underfunded,” he noted.

Wali, who was represented by Barrister Francis Okere, called on the lawmakers to give speedy attention to pending Justice sector bills, including the Prison Act Amendment Bill, and Legal Practitioners Bill, among others, urging them to pass the bills into law before the end of the 7th Assembly, as such would help to address issues of criminal justice administration in the country.

By Muazu Elazeh, Katsina

Kano State Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso (right) receiving certificate of his conferment with an honorary doctorate degree by the Chancellor, Sharda University, Delhi, India, G.K Gupta at the Government House, Kano, yesterday. PHOTO

BY GOVERNMENT HOUSE

N10bn Jet: We Won’t Appear Before You, NNPC, PPMC Tell Reps

By Adesuwa Tsan and Edegbe Odemwingie, Abuja

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Prices Marketing Corporation (PPMC) have told the House of Representatives that they will not be able to appear before its committee investigating allegations that the minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, expended N10 billion on charter of jets.

LEADERSHIP gathered yesterday that the two agencies

which fall under the purview of the minister had written to the House Committee on Public Accounts to state that they would not honour the invitations extended to them to appear before it.

In the separate letters addressed to the chairman of the committee, Hon Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, NNPC and PPMC said they were currently before different courts of competent jurdistion on the same subject and, as such, would not appear before the committee as it would be subjudicial to the

case.

Alison-Madueke had approached three different courts to seek perpetual injunction to stop the lawmakers from going ahead with the probe .

But while Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja refused to grant the request to stop the probe and fixed hearing for today, the other two courts were yet to take any action on the matter.

However, the House has reaffirmed its earlier position to go ahead with the investigation.

Speaking on the matter yesterday, the chairman of the committee, Hon Olamilekan declared that there was no going back on the probe as directed by the House of Representatives.

He said, “As we speak, we are set to commence the probe; there is no court injunction barring our committee from doing our job, so, whether they appear or not, it is not our problem. The law is very clear on this. We will do our job, write our report and submit our report to the House.”

51 Fed, State Polys Get N12.4bn Presidential Intervention Fund

By Kuni Tyessi, Abuja

In its bid to create youth employment and ensure sustainable development, the federal government has restated its commitment to the pursuit and promotion of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Nigeria with the release of N12.4billion to 51 federal and state polytechnics.

It has also approved the supply of equipment and rehabilitation of the nation’s technical colleges at the sum of N6 billion in addition to the N15 billion already expended to rehabilitate the techni-

cal laboratories of 51 polytechnics.

The supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at the May/June Commonwealth Association of Polytechnics in Africa (CAPA) International Developing Competent Work-Force for Agriculture and Manufacturing Industries In Africa: The Role of TVET.” The minister, who was represented by the permanent secretary, Mac-John Nwaobiala, stated that creating employment remains a priority for the government but the first step towards this was ensuring that the youths have the

requisite skills to support the industries.

He said government was aware of the importance of education, especially human capital development, to the long-term development of the country.

He said: “To further support the development of TVET, the National Vocational Qualifications Framework (NVQF) has been approved by the Federal Executive Council.

“National Occupations Standards are being developed in a number of industrial areas including manufacturing, construction, ICT, hotel and hospitality and ag-

riculture,” he said.

According to him, the conference is coming at a time when government is making efforts aimed at repositioning the country’s economy through human capital development.

“Without the necessary manpower, we shall fall victim of a situation where organisations seek manpower outside of our shores simply because we have not developed our local human resources. This will then continue to leave us with the problem of unemployment and economic stagnation,’’ he said.

Bomb In Church: Police Arrest 5 Foreigners, Nigerian Conceal nationality of foreign suspects as northerners flee Imo

By Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

The Imo State police command yesterday said that it had arrested six suspects who, it however said, have not been linked to the aborted bomb explosion at Living Faith Ministries (better

known as Winners Chapel) situated at Owerri, the state capital.

Spokesperson of the police in the state, Andrew Enwerem, who confided in LEADERSHIP, pointed out that the five suspects’ nationanality would not be disclosed to the members of the public in other not to thwart their investigation .

Meanwhile, residents of the state have continued to live

in panic as most of them now avoid crowded areas.

Most viewing centres, which usually attract high patronage especially as the FIFA World Cup is ongoing, are shut as residents have decided to watch the matches in their homes even when their is power outage.

Also, the state has witnessed the exodus of some northerners who ply their trade in the

state, with the most deserted areas as the Onitsha/Owerri road and the ever busy Mbaise road, which have declined in population since the incident occurred.

LEADERSHIP gathered that their exodus might not be unconnected with the bomb saga in the state, as they are said to be fleeing in anticipation of a backlash by residents of the state.

NEWS 5

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

LIVING TOTO BE BE 100100 LIVING

One health tip daily

US To Seek Extradition Of Detained Members

By ABIODUN OLUWAROTIMI, Washington, DC, George Agba,

Igho Oyoyo, Abdul-lahi Umar, Abuja with agency report

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.

Uncompleted Gas Project: FG Loses $1.5bn Revenue FROM COVER

Jonathan

Stakeholders have therefore warned that Nigeria’s desire to expand its market share in the global gas supply may suffer a serious setback very soon in the event that she is unable to get the two other LNG plants off the ground.

They said that the non-takeoff of the Brass and Olokola LNG projects has cost the country over $1.5 billion.

Over $500 million and $1billion have been spent on 5.5 million metric ton per annum Olokola LNG and 10 million metric ton per annum Brass LNG respectively, of which government through the NNPC accounted for over $700 million or 48 per cent.

According to Victor Eremosele, a consultant who has just retired from the Nigeria LNG Limited, the market windows available for these projects now may soon disappear because, by 2020, it may be difficult to find a situation where significant funds have been spent by other countries on their gas projects and these countries would now become new sources of supply of gas to the market.

Victor Eromosele who spoke at the ongoing World Petroleum Congress, holding in Moscow, Russia, said another problem that would confront the gas from Nigeria plants if they ever take off would be the increasing drop in the price of gas at the international market.

According to him, the Shale gas from the United States of America and other gas discoveries elsewhere could make

the plants find it difficult to make any significant inroad to other markets. He stated that the price of gas at the international market has started dropping and, coupled with major discoveries of gas across Africa and the world, may sooner or later impact negatively on the revenue from Nigeria LNGs because of shrinking market.

“We do have our three LNG plants; what are we doing with them? Nigeria should just get serious and fix those two other LNG projects. I mean, they have three LNG projects: get them started, and get them running and then compete; otherwise, that window will soon disappear because, by 2020, we will find a situation where significant funds have been spent by other countries and those Capex are actually converting to new sources of supply to the market,” he said.

He stated that prices will trend southwards to around $9 because there are about six exporters with licences in the US and it is expected that this would continue going forward. “This simply means that the market will change.”

According to him, the NLNG still survived three years after the focus shifted to Shale gas because it was selling most of our LNG products; instead of the Atlantic Basin in Europe and America, it started selling in Japan.

“This is however at a very high cost,” he said, “because, to get to Japan, it’s three times the distance of getting to Europe. So it’ll cost you more but, at the end of the day, we found the strategy worked.”

The United States attorney representing the 25th District (Maryland Region), Ms Aisha Braveboy, yesterday said that the American government would soon be asking its Nigerian counterpart on the possible extradition and serious prosecution of the detained terror suspects who had been arrested on account of Boko Haram in Nigeria.

This is just as Nigeria’s ambassador to Nigeria, Professor Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye, has said that the terrorist group had no reason to justify their deadly acts of killing and destroying innocent citizens of Nigeria.

Speaking during a public debate organized by the Africa-American Investment Partners on the menace of Boko Haram in Washington, DC, Ms Braveboy noted that efforts were underway to ensure that everybody who had been indicted for having anything to do with Boko Haram as well as the terrorist attacks in Nigeria was duly prosecuted by the United States, United Nations and the international community.

Wants politicians linked to terrorism released for prosecution Lauding the efforts of the Nigerian government to curb terrorists and acts of terrorism in the country, the US official said that a letter would soon be sent to the government to request a proper prosecution of the detained terrorists in Nigeria. She added that those politicians that are being linked with sponsoring the terrorist group should be released to the international community by the federal government for arrest and prosecution.

Ambassador Adefuye, who was the keynote speaker at the event, said that there was no justification for any act of terrorism in Nigeria, faulting the claims from some quarters that Boko Haram members were perpetrating evil in Nigeria as a result of underdevelopment in the three affected states.

“Does anybody have a reason to kill because he feels his region has not been developed?

It is totally unacceptable to say that terrorism came to existence in Nigeria as a result of underdevelopment in any part of the country,” he noted.

Condemning media reports that the federal government was violating human rights, the Nigerian envoy who has been

Obama

meeting to inform US lawmakers on the efforts that the Nigerian government is making to fight terrorism in Nigeria continued that the diplomatic way with which Nigeria had been handling the trials of those indicted for terrorism should show that the country is a respecter of human rights. He added that Boko Haram did not just start during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

Adefuye however thanked the United States government including senators and Congressmen for now realizing that all the media reports which earlier said that the Nigerian government was slow in its intervention in the Chibok kidnapping were all fabrications just to discredit President Jonathan’s administration. He continued that the Western media were just blowing the security situation in Nigeria out of proportions.

He said: “How can you say that the entire Nigeria is unsafe because Boko Haram members are striking in just three states out of the 36 states in the federation? I think the international media should also think and report about the positive things happening in Nigeria just like the just-concluded World Economic Forum which was held successfully. All that international investors need to do now is to ignore all the overblown media reports and take a trip to Nigeria; it is when they get there that they will know that the situation is not as bad as it is being reported in the media.”

Also speaking, the coordinator and partner of the AfricaAmerican Investment Partners, Mr Franklin Ekechukwu, charged the international community to urgently do everything to support Nigeria in order for the kidnapped female students to be found and returned back to their families alive.

Mr Ekechukwu added that the efforts being put in place by the federal government should be appreciated. ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

6

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

conference By joe dudun, amina alhassan and Bode GBadeBo

Air, Road, Water Transportations Get Delegates’ Attention As committee says

less than N40bn will complete Ajaokuta Steel

THE AYES HAVE IT: National Conference secretary, Dr. Valerie-Janett Azinge presiding at plenary, yesterday. PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

Resource Control: Drama As Niger Delta Group Tackles Northern Delegates Says it’s 100% resource control or breakup No, we are for unity – Edwin Clark We must be vigilant over documents being circulated – Aremu No, you can’t censor anybody here – Nyiam

There was a mild drama yesterday midway into the debate and consideration of the report of the Standing Committee on Transportation when Ijaw leader and delegate to the ongoing National Conference, Chief Edwin Clark raised a point of order over a pamphlet in circulation among delegates, which demanded 100% resource control by the Niger Delta Self Determination Movement (NDSDM) or resort to self-determination.

Clark said he has seen the document, adding that it is not the true aspiration of the Niger Delta people, of whom he is a leader. He therefore disowned the pamphlet, saying his people cannot be a party to the balkanisation of Nigeria, which they fought for its unity.

“The importance of this conference is for us to see whether we can build up a new Nigeria. This afternoon a document came into my hand, this is the document. I want to say that the South-South members did not subscribe to it, I am the leader.

“This document is vicious, malicious and it is not a South South paper. We are investigating this matter and we will report back to you. We are Nigerians and we will remain Nigerians whatever we get from this conference,” Clark said while waving the controversial

document.

However, the conference chairman Justice Idris Kutigi while reacting denied knowledge of the document in circulation among delegates, saying the confab leadership was not served.

Speaking on the matter, Comrade Issa Aremu called on the conference leadership to always be vigilante in order to monitor and manage literatures bandied around in the name of delegates without promoting censorship. While Aremu was speaking, another delegate, Col. Tony Nyiam (rtd) was simultaneously shouting from his seat, saying “you can’t censor anybody here,” apparently misconstruing Aremu’s intervention.

Meanwhile, according to the authors of the controversial document obtained by LEADERSHIP, which is titled: “Niger Delta, The Economic Life Of Nigeria” with a rider “...On Resource Ownership We Stand...,” they said they were compelled to put up the ‘incontrovertible analytical and statistical presentation’ in the pamphlet in order to respond to an earlier document by northern delegates entitled “Key Issues Before The Northern Delegates To The 2014 National Conference, Northern Nigeria The Backbone And Strength Of Nigeria”

which they described as misleading and an erroneous attempt to rewrite history by the authors.

“The ‘Northern Document’, amongst other statements from northern elders like Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, Professor Ango Abdullahi, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, Mallam Adamu Fika, amongst others, trying to distort historical facts and records, are to say the least, very provocative,” the group said.

NDSDM, which is apparently a group of delegates from the SouthSouth, said it is concerned with the way Nigeria is currently structured vis-àvis the stance and actions of Northern delegates at the ongoing confab. It added that the concerns include the skewed federation practiced in the country to the disadvantage of the Niger Delta people and alleged refusal of northern delegates to allow for the writing of a new Constitution.

“Therefore, anyone who styles him/ herself in any capacity to arrogate such powers to deny the Niger Delta people her stand remains an aggressor as we shall not shift grounds on these conditions.

“Finally, on hundred per cent resource ownership we stand or selfdetermination shall be our only option,” NDSDM said.

Clark said he has seen the document, adding that it is not the true aspiration of the Niger Delta people, of whom he is a leader

Delegates at the ongoing National Conference yesterday made several far-reaching resolutions aimed at revitalizing the transport sub-sector of the national economy. The resolutions were made at plenary during the debate and consideration of the Report of the Transportation Committee headed by Senator Musa Adede.

Consequently, delegates asked the Federal Government to ensure that every major airport in the country is linked to functional rail lines in order to make access to airports across the country easy.

Government was also asked to initiate and construct a rail line from Lagos to Enugu through Ore in Ondo State to ease movement of goods and passengers from the Western flank of the country to the East and South-South.

It was also resolved that rail lines should be made to have a dualisation policy to allow for mass movement of trains as obtained in developed rail systems in other parts of the world.

In order to avoid danger associated with inflammable products, delegates resolved that effective rail system should be developed such that petroleum products can be transported from one part of the country to the other.

In addition, Conference said government should as a matter of urgency complete the National Hanger Project at Uyo Airport in Akwa Ibom State so that it would serve as a repair and maintenance hub to airlines operators.

Conference also asked the Federal Government to start work on the Nigerian section of the Trans-Saharan Highway as a way of easing transportation within the African continent.

The Committee, while presenting its report, observed that the existing transportation infrastructure in Nigeria comprising roads, railways, ports, airport and pipelines is inadequate in terms of accessibility and inter-operability.

Meanwhile, the committee also revealed that the money needed to complete the abandoned Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State is less than N40bn.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

AT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE 7

CONFERENCE MAIN SAY...

CONFERENCE FLAKES

I’m here to inform you that my chairman and my deputy are unavoidably absent. Secondly, my chairman has also asked me to deputise on his behalf. Should anyone have any objection kindly state it so that I may consider it.”

The Gas Flaring Matter

Listening to delegates vote on the recommendations of the various standing committees at plenary have been quite an experience. Just the other day, July 16, 2014, during debate on the report of the Committee on Energy, the plenary overwhelmingly voted for the immediate stoppage of gas flaring in all its ramification.

But Dr. Edmund Daukuro, the Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom and delegate on the auspices of Traditional Rulers made an observation to the effect that the decision to stop gas flaring altogether would amount to the country losing two thirds of her revenue accruing from crude oil exploitation. He supported the present option of ministerial discretion in deciding instances where gas must be flared, cautioning against a blanket ban. He was, however, voted down with a resounding ‘aye’. So, it is well that the country loses two thirds of her revenue from crude oil exploitation that gas flaring may be stopped. Good thinking?

Dr. Valerie Azinge, explaining why she is to preside at yesterday’s afternoon plenary.

No, No National Carrier

L-R: Senator Maitama Yusuf Bello, Prof Jerry Gana, Dr. Garba Abari and ex-governor Segun Osoba, yesterday.

Again, delegates at yesterday’s plenary voted down the need for the country to have a national airways carrier of her own with an overwhelming ‘aye.’ This was during consideration of the recommendation by the Committee on Transportation to the effect that President Goodluck Jonathan should immediately put machinery in place for the establishment of a national airways carrier.

Listening to the vehemence of the vote could almost suggest that it is an aberration for any country to own and run a national airways carrier. But Ghana has one, as well as Kenya, Ethiopia and so many others. But these delegates know better!

L-R: Mr Christian Udechukwu and Prof.

Ike Obiora, yesterday.

Go Home, Mr. Professor!

L-R: Senator Azu Agboti and Prof Jibril Aminu, yesterday.

PHOTOs BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

Considering that yesterday’s plenary was all about the recommendations of the Committee on Transportation, it was only natural that all matters concerning the transportation challenge of Nigeria should be at the fore of consideration. But deliberations gradually edged to a boring point where discussion dwelt on one list of road to be constructed after another.

And Professor Femi Mimiko, delegate representing Ondo State, could not help expressing his consternation. ‘We have been discussing roads, roads, roads when we should be discussing more fundamental issues. It seems to me we are wasting time.’

Of course, you could hear some delegates call out at him from the other end of the hall.

‘Go home, Mr. Professor, if you think you’re wasting time here!’ Very distinguished, not so?

8 NEWS

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

US To Seek Extradition Of Detained Members FROM PAGE 5

Chibok Girls: Jonathan okays N1.6bn for safe schools initiative •As Gordon Brown, Gov Shettima visit Aso Rock

President Goodluck Jonathan has directed finance minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to open a trust fund account of N1.6billion for the Safe Schools Initiative, in response to the growing number of attacks on the right to education including the kidnap of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok.

This is coming just as former British prime minister Gordon Brown, Borno State governor Kashim Shettima and his Yobe counterpart Ibrahim Gaidam met with the president at the presidential villa, Abuja, to perfect and seal the Safe Schools Initiative which was launched by Jonathan at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa last month in Abuja.

Brown, who is currently the UN special envoy for education, had teamed up with a coalition of Nigerian business leaders to formally launch the “Safe Schools Initiative” as part of the opening activities of the WEF. The UN envoy alongside governors Shettima and Gaidam as well as Okonjo-Iweala and presidential spokesman Reuben Abati briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting with the president.

“And Mr President has kicked off this initiative by opening and instructing that I open a trust fund in which we have already put N1.6billion. The private sector is also putting N1.6 billion; his excellency Gordon Brown is going to be raising some resources and the governors are also putting in commitment,” Okonjo-Iweala

said.

The UN envoy told journalists that he also came with a message from Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary-general, giving his support for Nigeria on the Safe Schools Initiative.

He said, “I just came from a meeting with the president.

Every child is special, precious and unique. I have come here with the UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon giving me his support to do so -- to send our sympathies and our solidarity and our support to the children of Chibok who have been cruelly kidnapped and to give our support to the families of these girls and to the whole community in Borno State.

“And I am here to say that we wish as an international community to do everything we can to back up the efforts of President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors of the states to make sure these girls are returned to their families and at the same time to make sure that every parent feels that they can send their children to school knowing they wil be safe in future.

“And that is why we are launching the Safe Schools Intiative and that is why the president has decided to set up this fund that will allow the international community as well as local donors to contribute to making our schools in this country safer.

“We also want to help the rebuilding of Chibok schools because we want parents of that area to be sure that when thier girls are released they can come home to a school that is rebuilt and safe.

And we want to help in rebuilding the schools in other areas where schools have either been demolished or burnt down or vandalized.”

Borno governor Shettima

warned against politicising the process, saying while the situation is such that calls for sobriety and maturity, politics would be played at the appropriate time.

He said, “We have given our commitment to partner with the federal government and the international community to ensure that we promptly address this problem confronting us. It is an issue that basically boils down to education, poverty, empowerment. By the grace of God, we want to give you our commitment: that we are going to pursue this thing vigorously with all the resources, human and material, in our disposal, and, please, it will be completely devoid of politics.

“Times like this call for sobriety, maturity, for unity of purpose. At the appropriate time, we are going to play politics but this is not time for playing politics with the lives of people.”

On his part, Yobe governor Gaidam said, “The initiated is going to be started in our three states because we are the most affected areas in terms of the insurgencies. We promise to give him all the necessary cooperation to ensure that the programme succeeds.

“We are also going to partner both with him and the federal government under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that this programme becomes successful at the end of the day.”

30,000 flee villages to Maiduguri The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said that over 30,000 villagers have fled their areas to Maiduguri, Borno State capital, for safety.

The north-east zonal coordinator, Alhaji Muhammad

Kanar, told the Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that frequent attacks of the villages by the Boko Haram have forced the residents to abandon their homes to Maiduguri, the state capital.

According to the coordinator, “villagers seeking safety in Maiduguri were from Alau, Gwoza and other surrounding communities worst hit by the militants”.

NEMA has vowed to create camps in Maiduguri to cater for the affected persons, Kanar said.

Meanwhile, the Economic Communities of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Ministers has revealed that security, economic development and regional integration will top the agenda of its 72nd Ordinary Session in Accra, Ghana.

This was contained in a statement signed by the ECOWAS Commission’s acting director of communication, Sunny Ugoh, yesterday in Abuja.

According to the statement, the meeting will hold from June 19 to June 20. ECOWAS would also consider the memorandum on the “ECOWAS declaration on events in northern Nigeria” due to insecurity in that part of the country.

Thousands of people have been killed in northern Nigeria due to the activities of the Boko Haram terrorist group.

Use of force cannot end Boko Haram – CAN The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said that the use of force alone cannot solve the menace of Boko Haram, because its activities were ideologically construed and can only be solved by a superior ideology.

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, president of CAN, who spoke

Minimah

yesterday on the sidelines of a one-day Christian/Muslim interactive meeting in Abuja, said as necessary as military operation in quenching the raging fire ignited by the insurgents could be, the only potent means of solving the menace is by engaging them with counter-narrative.

According to Oritsejafor, Muslim clerics should begin to engage the insurgent members with a view to re-orientating them against their pervert ideology, adding that military operation is very important but the problem will not be solved completely just by bullets.

“We will have to create an avenue for a superior argument in the area of ideologies. In other words, we must bring up another ideology that is higher and better, that would counter and contradict the ideology that has created this monster,” he said.

Oritsejafor said he disagreed with a section of the people who believed that poverty was at the centre of the issues that bred insurgency in the north, stressing that if government decided to give car to each Nigerian, it would still not address the scourge because the dreaded Islamic group was being driven by wrong ideology.

Burning Tanker Kills 2 On River Benue Bridge Viewing Centre: 7

By Solomon Ayado, Makurdi

Tragedy struck yesterday on the Makurdi Bridge across the River Benue when a tanker conveying fuel collided with another vehicle that was gutted by fire, burning to death two people.

The ugly incident which occurred about 3:30pm happened when the tanker journeying from the Nassarawa state axis lost control on the bridge probably because of failed brake and rammed into a Peugeot J5 bus.

The two vehicles went up in flames immediately and the situation disrupted traffic on the major highway, just as cars and motorcycles were burnt in

the process.

Eyewitnesses said the driver of the tanker had lost control immediately he had climbed the bridge and jumped over the road divider, heading to the opposite lane where it finally hit the J5 bus that had in it jars of palm oil and bags of pepper.

Yesterday, thousands of people who thronged the place to catch a glimpse of the incident received injuries becuase of the rowdiness in the area. The men of the fire service and the police arrived late to the scene.

Sources said the burning of the tanker on the bridge was not an accident but a planned attempt by insurgents to collapse the bridge and cause

untold hardship to people.

The mission was, however, not achieved.

Meanwhile, commuters plying the ever-busy LafiaMakurdi-Enugu expressway were yesterday stranded following the incident. This is just as some hoodlums seized the opportunity to dispossess passengers of their valuable belongings before the police intervened.

The police public relations officer, SP Daniel Ezeala, confirmed the incident and said men of the command were quickly deployed to the area to maintain traffic and prevent crime. He said information on the casualty number was yet to be ascertained.

Killed, 40 Injured In Yobe Bomb Blast

By Abdullahi Umar, Abuja

A bomb blast yesterday rocked a viewing centre in Nayinawa ward of Damaturu, Yobe State capital, where followers of FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 were watching Brazil and Mexico match, killing seven while 40 others were injured.

A resident of the area told LEADERSHIP last night that the incident occurred around 8:40pm during the first half of the match, although details of the attack were sketchy as at the time of filing this report.

The state police command

Badeh

was yet to confirm the incident, but efforts made to reach the state police commissioner, Patrick Egbuniwe, for his comment proved abortive.

news extra 9

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Terrorism: Ekiti Commissioner, 11 Others For Arraignment The federal government will this morning arraign the Ekiti State Commissioner for Integration and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Funminiyi Afuye, and 11 others before Justice Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The commissioner and others are charged with terrorism in a three-count charge filed by the Police yesterday.

According to the charge, they were arrested over the last violent clash by party supporters in Ekiti, during which a man identified as Peter Akin was killed.

The charge, filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and marked: FHC/ABJ/ CR/118/14 was signed by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Oloye Torugbene.

Others to be charged with Afuye are Idowu Aladejebi (68 years), Afuye Jide (30), Anisulowo Kayode (46), Azeez Suleiman (19), Ajayi Idowu (18), Babadi Ajayi (35), Abiodun Omoniyi (68), Oyedapo Olaoluwa (29), Sunday Olalere (27), Dapo David (26) and Akinyemi Tayo (25).

In count one, they were accused of conspiring with each other to commit an act of terrorism at Ijegbo Round About to wit: “Using dangerous weapons/devices at Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, which resulted in destruction of properties and the death of one Peter Akin (M) and injured several other persons.”

By Kunle Olasanmi, Abuja

NUPENG Suspend Planned Strike The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) yesterday suspended its planned strike pending a meeting with the government.

The union had on May 30 handed down a 14-day ultimatum to the federal government to intervene in what it termed the abuse of the judicial process in the protracted leadership crisis within the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), failing which it will mobilise members for a nationwide strike.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja, NUPENG president, Igwe Achese, said the decision to suspend the strike followed the intervention of the minister of labour, ministry of justice and the Department of State Security (DSS).

He said following a meeting with the minister of labour, Emeka Wogu, a committee was constituted to investigate the allegations raised by NUPENG NUPENG had demanded an the intervention of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice on the abuse of the courts to obtain Kangaroo judgment, as done in the judgment given in the IPMAN crisis at the High Court in Abuja on Wednesday.

By Michael Oche, Abuja

L-R: MD/CEO Ashaka Cement Plc., Leonard Palka, chairman, Umaru Kwairanga and Company Secretary, Bello Abdullahi, during the 2014 Annual General Meeting of the company in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI.

We’re Screening 486 Persons Arrested In Abia – DHQ Wanted Boko Haram kingpin identified

during a security screening.

This was disclosed by the Director of Information, Major

By Bayo Oladeji, Abuja General Chris Olukolade yesterday while reacting to the The Defence Headquarters has story. said that it is screening the The 144 Battalion of the Ni486 persons alleged to be sus- gerian Army stationed in Asa, pected insurgents in Abia State. Ukwa West local government The Defence Headquarters area of Abia State, on Sunday also disclosed that it had iden- arrested 486 some persons tified a wanted notorious Boko who were travelling to Port Haram kingpin among the 486 Harcourt in Rivers State. persons arrested by the Army The military operatives also on their way to Port Harcourt impounded 33 Hummer bus-

es which were conveying them while two of the buses with their occupants escaped arrest.

Reacting to the story, the military spokesman disclosed that the screening involved all the security agencies, saying that as soon as the exercise was completed the details would be made known to the public.

“A wanted terrorist described as a kingpin has been identified in the cause of ongoing screening of the 486 travel-

lers in Abia State. Further development will be communicated later,” Olukayode added.

When asked if a statement would be issued on the issue, Olukolade said, “We cannot issue a statement on the arrest now until the ongoing screening exercise is over and the exercise is being done by all security agencies for tactical reasons. As soon as the screening is over, the details would be made known to the members of the public”.

Medical Consultants Threaten Solidarity Strike With Doctors

By Winifred Ogbebo, Abuja

Anarchy looms in the health sector as the consultants in federal government tertiary health institutions, under the aegis of Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), have threatened to go on a solidarity strike with doctors.

Last week, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) issued a 14day ultimatum to government to withdraw the circular in favour of the agitation of members of the Joint Health Sector Union to

be appointed as consultants and medical directors of government hospitals.

In a statement made available to journalists yesterday in Abuja, the MDCN said it rejected what it described as unknown to medical professionalism concessions made to JOHESU, allowing its members to be appointed as medical directors, among others.

The circular was recently approved by the federal government following the agitation of JOHESU, which, among others, provides for the approval of consultancy po-

sitions for support staff; abolition of Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (DCMAC) position; appointment of support staff as directors; referral of the following to the Yayale Ahmed-led committee; elimination of medical teachers from eligibility for headship of teaching hospitals, and reinterpretation of “medically qualified”, which is a key phrase in the University Teaching Hospital Act. The statement, which was signed by the president of MDCAN , Dr Steven Oluwole, and secretary, Dr Aderemi Adeosun, said

it would be compelled to join NMA to withdraw its services if government does not withdraw its concession to JOHESU after the expiration of 14-day strike notice by NMA. They said, “The ultimatum of the NMA to government on JOHESU matters is noted. While MDCAN remains committed to its policy of ensuring uninterrupted health services, it will comply with directives to withdraw services should government allow the situation to deteriorate to the extent that NMA will have no credible alternatives.”

Ashaka Declares 42k Dividend Per Share Pacifies host communities

By EZRA IJIOMA,abuja

AshakaCem Plc, a subsidiary of Lafarge, yesterday declared 42 kobo dividend to each share for its 2013 operations.

Declaring the dividend, the chairman of the company, Alhaji Umar Kwairanga, said the board of directors resolved to recommend to the shareholders at the AGM a gross dividend of 42 kobo on every ordinary share in issue, same as it was approved by the shareholders in 2012.

However, some leaders of the

host communities agitated for improved relations with the company as its parent company, Lafarge, plans to expand production and merge with its business in Nigeria and South Africa into Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc (Lafarge WAPCO). The communities’ leaders said they would have loved the company to start its proposed production expansion from 300, 000 metric tonnes to three million metric tonnes and also to address the concerns of communities’ welfare they have raised over the merger.

According to one of the leaders of the community, Dr Garba Mohammed, the reality of things

on the ground was different from what the management of the company was publishing in the pages of newspapers.

He lamented that there was no expansion project going on in the plant, and the communities are worried that Lafarge would not carry them along in the development of the 35-year-old cement company.

They walked out of the meeting but were later persuaded to return. It was explained to them that the company was committed to improving the welfare of its host communities as it had finished thousands of units of houses and

would soon hand them over to the indigenes.

With respect to expansion of production capacity, the management of AshakaCem disclosed that equipment was already in the country to that effect and it was even in its best interest to increase capacity.

Kwairanga assured the shareholders and the communities that the management of the AshakaCem and Lafarge were committed to the expansion projects because of the competition facing the industry.

AshakaCem Plc was incorporated in August 1974 and commenced production in 1979.

10

stories of the Wednesday, June 18, 2014

...NEWS WITH A HUMAN FACE

Violence: Man Macheted Over Nigeria/ Iran Match

BY MATTHEW DIKE, Lagos

There was pandemonium in Ilasan area of Lagos State when a drunkard chased people away with a machete during the match between Nigeria and Iran.

The suspect identified as Sunday Usman, from Edo State was said to have been viewing the match in company of people in a bar when a man identified as Koffi showered encomium on the foreign country.

Sources revealed that Usman who was drunk of alcoholic bitters cautioned Koffi who hails from Ghana to desist from making provocative statement because he would regret his action.

An eye witness, Chukwuka said that though he was angry with Koffi on how he mocked at Nigerian team but he never expected Usman to react harshly.

He said that Koffi who believed the man was joking could not escape when Usman left the scene and returned with a cutlass while people scampered for safety and abandoned the match.

Chukwuka added that Usman instantly cut Koffi on the head but it took the intervention of sympathisers to stop the drunkard from inflicting further injury on the victim.

Human Trafficking: Court Remands Electrician For Selling 1 Year-old

BY SOLOMON AYADO, Makurdi

A magistrate’s court sitting in Makurdi Benue state yesterday remanded an electrician accused of abducting a 1year-old baby allegedly sold to a business woman.

The accused, Felix Owoicho of No. 25 Bankole street, Lagos state was arraigned on a two count charge of abduction and human trafficking.

His arrest and detention by men of the Nigerian police was facilitated when the mother of the abducted child, Joy Owoicho reported the case at a nearby police Station alleging that her baby was sold for N300, 000.

According to police report, Owoicho had on 25th May, 2014 reported to the police that the accused came to their village in Ohimini LGA of Benue state and deceived her and the baby, Juliana Micheal to follow him.

Joy said the accused convinced her on the pretext that he would provide a lucrative job to enable her take care of the baby which he later abducted and sold to a yet to be identified Igbo woman.

When the charges were read by magistrate, Mrs. Cecilia Bakare, her pleaded not guilty and was ordered to be remanded at the Federal prison in Makurdi. The case was however to 25th June, 2014 for further hearing.

An accident scene along Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Lagos yesterday. photo

by NAN

Death Sentence: Corps Member Arrest: Vigilante Apprehends 2 To Die For Robbery Robbery Suspects

By Bernard Tolani Dada, Uyo A High Court sitting at Ikono local government area of Akwa Ibom has sentenced a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Udeh Kinsley Emeka, to death for armed robbery.

Udeh who was serving at Comprehensive Secondary School, Ukpom, before he committed the offence has been standing trial since 2005 on a four-count charge of armed robbery contrary to section 1(g) of the robbery and firearms special provision) Act. Cap 398 Laws of Federal Republic of Nigeria (1990.)

According to the prosecutor, the accused

on November 2004, in company of three gang members, robbed one Dr Clement Adolf Bassey at Edet Ukpom Market and dispossessed him of an unspecified amount of cash, Peugeot 504 Best Line saloon car and other valuables at the premises of Edet Community Bank.

Dr Clement was said to be driving in company of a friend from Uyo when the robbers who were inside a Mercedes Benz Car laid ambush and finally snatched the car.

The matter was later reported to Ukpan Uwana police station where thorough investigation was conducted before Udeh and his gang were arrested and subsequently arraigned before the court.

Extortion: NSCDC Indicts NECO Centres Over N500 Exam Fee

By Osa Okhomina,Yenagoa

Operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) yesterday stormed the venue of ongoing National Examination Council (NECO) centres in Bayelsa State over alleged extortion of N500 from candidates.

Investigations conducted by the NSCDC revealed that though the indicted school authorities in the State capital denied the alleged charge of extortion, it was discovered that candidates sitting for the examination were asked to pay N500 each under the pretext that it was examination number allocation fee.

The Bayelsa State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr. Desmond Agu, who led a team of operatives on a surprise visit to some schools as part of the corps’ statutory functions discovered that some

candidates were not allowed to write the English Language exam over their failure to pay the said fee.

One of the candidates who preferred anonymous said that he was unable to write the exam for paying N300 instead of N500 as agreed by the centre.

“I don’t have N500 to pay for my exam number. I have so far paid N300 but l was asked to pay the rest before sitting for the English Language exam”.

However, a mild drama ensued when Agu who upon investigation volunteered to pay the requested money was encircled with other candidates that pleaded with the commandant to also pay for them.

Meanwhile, the vice-principal -Principal of BDGS, Mr. Inga Bode, denied the claims of extortion even as he described it as a blatant lie.

By Gbenga Adeboye, Abeokuta

The men of vigilante Service in Ogun State yesterday arrested two member of a robbery gang that had terrorised Ijebu Ode in the last three months.

The suspects, Yemi Eniola Salau, 30 and Samuel Oluwatobi Olukoya, 27 were arrested following a distress call from the natives.

Some items recovered from them include one locally made pistol, 13 mobile phones, cutlass, a bar, 9 memory cards, 7 wristwatches, four cartridges, charms and the sum of N36,415.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP, the Ijebu Zonal Chairman, Mr Ayankoya and Chairman of the VSO in Ijebu Ode Comrade Ijaoba Odukoya expressed happiness for the job well done and commended the the general public for providing them with adequate information that led to the arrest of the suspects in giving them adequate information promptly.

According to them “We want to send notice of warning to all the armed robbers, kidnappers and other devilish people to move away from Ijebu and Ogun State in general because we are working with all the security agencies in the State whicc has made the operation very easy for us”.

The Area Commander in Igbeba, Ijebu Ode could not be reached for comment as his phones were switched off but a source from police area command confirmed the matter.

He said that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation, SCID for further interrogation.

day

STORIES OF THE DAY 11

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

photo news

Robbery: Police Arrest 3 Suspected Ritualists, Bandit

By Kola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba

The Police Detectives at the Delta State Police Command Asaba, yesterday arrested three suspected ritualists and robbery suspect in Issele-Azagba Community near Asaba upon a tip off by Operation Comb in the State.

Sources said that the suspected ritualists allegedly hired agents who were armed with charms to woo unsuspecting persons especially teenagers in their hideout at the community forest when

nemesis caught up with them.

However, the State Police Public Relation, DSP Celestina Kalu who confirmed the arrest said that the detectives acted on a tip off and swooped on the suspect in their hideout where they also recovered some fetish materials.

He added that the robbery suspect was also nabbed while attempting to rob farmers on their way home saying that the suspects have made useful statements to the police and would be charged to court soon.

L-R: Minister of finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,Yobe State governor Ibrahim Geidam, Former British prime minister Gordon Brown and Borno State governor Kashim Shettima jointly briefing State House Correspondents after their meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan on the Safe School Initiative, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY REMI AKUNLEYAN

Deceit: Woman Gets 1-year Jail Term For Duping

By JOSHUA DADA, Osogbo

A Magistrate court sitting at Osun State yesterday sentenced a 28 year-old Babatunde Zainab to one year imprisonment with hard labour for issuing a dud cheque to a customer.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs Alimat Olowolagba said that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others since the evidence before the court proved that Zainab was guilty of the offence.

The convict was earlier arraigned on the 23rd of March, 2014 on one count charge of fraud.

The prosecutor, Mr Akinlade Ismail, told the court that the convict issued a fake cheque of N276, 000 to one Omidiji Rotimi when her account was blank.

Ismail also said that the convict committed the offence on September 8, 2010 at Power line area, Osogbo. He informed the court that the convict issued the cheque with an old generation bank Account number 1192113617 and claimed to have paid the complainant his money.

According to the charge sheet, the offense preferred against Zainab was contrary to Section 419 (b) of the law of Osun state of Nigeria, 2003.

L-R: Donor of the hospital Chief Billy Offessi, minister of Police Affairs Abduljelili Adesiyan, inspector-general of police Mohammed Abubakar, chairman of Senate Committee on Police Paulinus Nwagwu and Force medical officer A IG Grace Chita during the commissioning of the Nigeria Police Hospital in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY OKEKE JANE

Bank Raid: Robbers Kill Policeman, Steal Rifle

BY MATTHEW DIKE, Lagos

Bank robbers have shot a police corporal dead in Ojo Alaba International market , in Lagos State and carted away his rifle.

LEADERSHIP gathered that police operatives attached to the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, who are investigating the incident, arrested two policemen and a worker at a new generation bank in connection with the robbery.

The bandits were said to have arrived at the scene on motorcycles and opened fire on the policemen who were escorting a bullion van parked beside the cash centre of the bank.

The incident which occurred on June, 11, 2014, instilled fear in people living close to

the scene.

Corporal Nathaniel, who was among those escorting the money in the bank’s bullion van, was killed. The robbers succeeded in snatching a huge sum of money, estimated at over N15million belonging to the bank.

Police spokesperson, DSP Ngozi Braide, while confirming the robbery, said no policeman was arrested in connection with the robbery.

A police source attached to the Lagos State police command explained that police escorts, Inspector Benjamin Ene and Corporal Nathaniel, escorted the bank’s bullion van from Apapa to Alaba where they were attacked.

Preliminary investigation led to the arrest of the two suspected policemen.

L-R: Director-General, NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii; chairman, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria(PSN), Pharm Bruno Nwankwo, Nigerian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Amb Dauda Danladi, and the High Commissioner of Pakistan in Nigeria, Lt. Gen. Muhammad Asharaf Saleem (rtd.), at the Nigeria-Pakistan Pharmacist Investment Forum, in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO BY GBENGA OLAJOBI

Death: 2 Die In Boat Mishap

BY MATTHEW DIKE, Lagos

Two persons were said to have died in a boat mishap in Tin-Can Island, Lagos State,on Monday.

LEADERSHIP gathered that five persons were rescued by local divers who rushed them to hospital for medical attention.

A man, who identified himself as Akeem, said the passenger boat took off from Ojo area of Lagos around 1pm and was heading toward Tin-Can Island area when it ran into a huge wave created by a large vessel.

Akeem said the wave threw the boat

high before it landed on it side. The passengers and its cargo fell into the water and two of the passengers died.

Many of the travellers could not swim and the lucky ones were rescued by local divers and fishermen .

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) public relations officer in the South West Zone, Ibrahim Farinloye who confirmed the incident, said only one person died among the 10 passengers on board.

He said the accident occurred at Ibasa area of the state.

L-R: Chief Pilot, Arik Air, Capt. Adetokunbo Adekunbi, senior vice president, Commercial, Sivaswamy Ramachandran, managing director Mr. Chris Ndulue and the group chief executive officer of the airline Michael Arumemi-Ikhide during Arik Airline’s press conference in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO by BENEDICT UWALAKA

12 news north-East, north-west

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Gov Yero Reopens Moribund Food Processing Firm

By Midat Joseph, Kaduna

Kaduna State governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero yesterday reopened the moribund Ikara Food Processing Company Limited.

The tomato paste company was leased to a foreign company through Public Private Partnership with an Indian firm.

Speaking during the reopening ceremony held at the company’s premises in Ikara, the governor said the move was part of his administration’s commitment to continuity and actualisation of all

projects initiated by past regimes in the state.

He said, “Our administration remains focused in achieving the objective of boosting investment by encouraging private sector participation in the economic growth and development of the state. As you may be aware, the state government is fashioning out its Policy Framework on Investment, Commerce & Industry (PFI&CI), tailored towards providing the much needed enabling environment for private investors to do business with ease in Kaduna State.

“Apart from tomato, Kaduna State is blessed with other important crops, such as maize, cassava, ginger, groundnut, and mineral resources, whose value-chain development could be a source of employment for our teeming unemployed youths, create wealth and reduce poverty. We are committed to supporting MSMEs, who would venture into agro processing, so as to take full advantage of this.”

Governor Yero said his administration is also in talks with foreign investors that have indicated

interest in taking over other food processing companies owned by the state.

“Apart from tomato, Kaduna State is blessed with other important crops, such as maize, cassava, ginger, groundnut, and mineral resources, whose value-chain development could be a source of employment for our teeming unemployed youths, create wealth and reduce poverty. We are committed to supporting MSMEs, who would venture into agro processing, so as to take full advantage of this,” the Governor said.

L-R: Principal, Highway Training Centre, Kaduna, Mr Ahmed Yabo, Chief of Staff Government House, Kaduna, Mallam Aminu Yahaya, and chairman, Sure-P Committee, Gen Martin Luta Agwai (rtd) at the commissioning of SURE-P sponsored rehabilitation of the federal highway training centre in Kaduna, yesterday.

PHOTO GBENGA FOLRUNSHO ABIOLA

short news Umar Warns Council Chairmen Against Breakdown Of Law The acting governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Garba Umar has directed local government chairmen to be security conscious and ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in their respective areas.

Umar gave the directive yesterday in Jalingo shortly after an intensive Security Council meeting with both traditional rulers and council chairmen.

By Andrew Ojih, Jalingo

Ramadan: Kebbi To Distribute 9000 Bags Of Grains To Destitute, Physically Challenged

By Yahya Sarki, Kebbi

The Kebbi State government has procured 9,000 bags of grains at the cost of N62million for distribution across the state to destitute people and the physically challenged for the forthcoming Ramadan.

The executive secretary of Social Welfare Fund in the state, Mohammed Nasiru Shehu made

this known to newsmen in his office yesterday in Birnin Kebbi.

Shehu explained that the fund was established solely by the state government to assist destitute people and those with physical disabilities in terms of welfare, medical assistance and provision of shelter.

According to the ES, in view of the approaching Ramadan Fasting, the state governor approved

the purchase of the grains for the vulnerable people in the society so as to put smiles on their faces.

He said, “Ten committees have been set up comprising serving and retired civil servants as well as representatives of the Council of Ulamas to properly monitor the distribution of the grains to the benefiaries in all the centres spread across the state”.

Bishops’ Forum Tasks Politicians On Promise Keeping

By Isaiah Benjamin, Kaduna

The Charismatic and Pentecostal Bishops’ Forum has enjoined Nigerian politicians to deliver on their promises and develop the land which they observed is flowing with milk and honey, while advising them to play politics devoid of bitterness and acrimony.

Rising from a one-day extraordinary meeting held in Kaduna yesterday, the forum in a 13-point resolution of its communiqué signed by its chairman, Bishop Tinuoye Ademola and 10 others, which dwelt on the state of the nation, said religious leaders should

preach peace and pray for the success of various strata of government as there is no leadership without God’s consent.

“Religion is basically a way of life and personal relationship of the creature with his/her Creator and every religion forbids violence; Muslims and Christians should be tolerant of one another and be each other’s keeper. Let us give maximum value to life; killing must not be part of the political game. No man can give life; therefore, no man should take life under any circumstance.

“All Nigerians regardless of tribe, tongue or belief must endeavour to

live in peace, avoiding bitterness and acrimony towards one another, as one nation, one people under God Almighty. Terrorism, kidnapping and arson of various forms must stop, while we should be observant and security conscious, reporting suspicious movements and characters to security agencies.

The communique further said, “Traditional institutions must be respected by the people as the traditional leaders as expected to be mindful of the enormous responsibilities on their shoulders as leaders of the people restoring the honor of such exalted stools and thrones must not be compromised.”

short news LG Chair Counsels Pregnant Women The chairman, Ikara local government of Kaduna State, Alhaji Alhassan Mohammed Datti, yesterday urged pregnant mothers to make themselves and their children available for immunisation against five killer diseases.

He stated this during the flagoff of Kaduna State Health Week held at Ikara Health Clinics. He said it is important for pregnant mothers to mobilise themselves and their children for vaccination against five killer diseases.

By Aliyu Yusuf, Zaria

Imo Bomb: Don’t Tribalise HURIWA, Group Warns Onwubiko A group, Northeast Security Advocacy Forum, has warned the national coordinator, Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, against introducing ethnic sentiments to the association as suggested by his statement on the Imo bomb published in the dailies yesterday.

Mrs Stephennie Joshua, coordinator of the forum, lamented that HURIWA under Onwubiko’s watch kept silent over the numerous killings in the northeast, only to speak now that explosives were found in Imo state.

It is instructive to note that they have claimed about 10,000 men, women and children in addition to abductions, rape, destructions of communities and public buildings, the HURIWA under Onwubiko’s watch kept mute only.

She said, “Human rights activists are supposed to be detribalised, we have been working in the southeast and other parts of Nigeria. Human rights activists are supposed to be patriotic. All the years that we have been suffering in Adamawa, Borno,Yobe, Bauchi and Taraba, HURIWA kept suspicious silence, HURIWA was dead.”

By Millie Ibe, Abuja

Adamawa Commissioner Indicts Lawmakers Over Failure To Settle Shop Rents Adamawa State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Alhaji Ahmed Gorko, has indicted some legislatures whom he claimed have failed to settle the cost of the shops allocated to them at the Jimeta Ultra Modern Market since 2009 thereby contributing to the failure of the ministry to complete the exercise of selling off the market shops.

Gorko, made the revelation during the Assembly’s plenary while answering questions over the failure of his ministry to complete the sale of market shops which commences since 2009.

But in reaction to the question, the commissioner furiously told the Legislatures that they contributed immensely to the failure of the ministry to conclude the assignment as they could not offset the cost of the 128 shops allocated to them.

Disturbed by the Commissioners comment, the Speaker of the house Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri accused the commissioner of not telling the true picture saying that as one of the lawmakers that benefitted from the allocation he has so far made half of the payment in respect of the shops allocated to him.

By Mohammed Ismail, Yola

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

13

14 News north-central

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Niger Assembly Suspends Minority Leader Over Allegation Of Compromise

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

Following the allegation by a member representing Kontagora 1 in the Niger State House of Assembly, Muhammad Nurudeen Umar, that the assembly took bribe to impeach two previous speakers, the Assembly yesterday suspended the member for three months.

Nuradeen, who is also the Minority Leader in the House and a member of All Progressive Congress (APC), is to forfeit all benefits and is also barred from entering the State Assembly premises within the period of the suspension.

The House had alleged that Nuradeen, in an interview he granted an Abuja- based newspaper (not LEADERSHIP) on the 12th of this month, said that the lawmakers were bribed to impeach two former speakers.

The House at its sitting Tuesday unanimously resolved, to suspend the minority lead-

short news FUT Minna Graduates 82 First Class, 6,312 Others The Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, would be graduating 82 first-class graduates out of 6,394 graduates of the institution for three sessions.

Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Musbau Adewumi Akanji stated this yesterday while addressing Journalists as part of the activities to mark the combined 21st, 22nd and 23rd convocation ceremonies of the institution.

Giving the breakdown, Akanji stated that in the 21st convocation, for 2010/2011 academic session, would be graduating 24 first- class graduates out of 2,176 graduates, while the 22nd convocation of 2011/2012 academic session would be graduating 32 firstclass graduates.

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

er from the state assembly and must stay away from the premises of the legislative complex, unless based on the invitation of the House of Assembly .

The resolution is sequel to a motion on the allegations raised under matters of urgent public attention by Yusuf Kure representing Paikoro constituency who described the allegations of Nuradeen as untrue, malicious and capable of tarnishing the image of the House.

Kure said that apart from the allegation against the House, it was more worrisome because since inauguration of the seventh legislature, there had never been bills in the House like the one Nuradeen claimed in the said interview he sponsored.

He said the only bill Nuradeen could lay claim to was the one on the public private partnership and it was not a private bill but was forwarded by the executive arm of government.

Kwara NBA Alleges Brutalisation Of Member By Police

short news Nasarawa To Commence Fertiliser Sales Next Week

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA),Ilorin branch, yesterday alleged that one of its members was brutalised by the Police.

The association’s chairman, Barr Mobolaji Ojibara, said a member of the bar, Barr Taofiq Sanusi, was stripped last Friday “by some overzealous officers of the Nigerian Police, beaten to a state of stupor and almost had his eye blinded”.

He disclosed this at a special court session in honour of Justice Joseph Ibiwoye of the state High Court who died in April this year.

“Permit me, my lord, to also use this opportunity to reiterate the commitment of the leadership of Ilorin bar under our watch to uphold and protect the fundamental human right and dignity of all its members. It is in this regard that the NBA Ilorin branch condemns in the strongest possible terms, the acts of intimidation and persecution of the members of the bar in the cause of their professional pursuit by the police and calls on all members of the legal profession including the judiciary to join in resisting this trend.”

The Nasarawa State Government said on Tuesday that it would commence the sale of assorted fertiliser across the state next week.

Alhaji Danladi Madaki, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia.

While appreciating the role of farmers in nation building, Madaki gave the assurance that the state government would make the commodity and other agricultural inputs available at affordable rates to farmers this year. ``I am reassuring them that by next week, the sale and distribution of fertiliser will commence across the state.”

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

By ANAN

Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu (middle) cutting the tape to commissioning of the Introductory Technology Center of Niger State College Of Education, Minna, he is being assisted by the Commissioner of Tertiary Education Dr Muhammad Bashir Nuhu (1st left) the chairman governing council, Prof Muhammed Daniya (2nd left) and the provost, Prof Faruk Rashid Haruna (1st right). photo by government house, minna.

Al-Makura Approves N280m Bursary For Nasarawa Students

By Donatus Nadi, Lafia

The Nasarawa state governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, has approved the sum of N280, 197, 800. 00 for disbursment as bursary to students of Nasarawa state origin studying in various higher institutions of learning across the country.

The executive secretary of the state scholarship board, Sulaiman Abdulwahab Sulaiman made this known yesterday in a press statement issued to journalists in Lafia.

The executive secretary who took his time to review the activities of the board, said Governor Al-Makura approved the sum for

the 2013/14 academic year.

He further disclosed that so far, 38 students from the state were successful in previous federal scholarship scheme and were currently undergoing study at various universities in the country while eight others were equally successful under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) and now attending universities in Russia, Morocco and Turkey.

The release stated that students attending law school will receive N100, 000, those attending Maritime Academy and College of Aviation Technology will get N50, 000 each while students reading medicine, pharmacy and education, will

receive N60, 000 and N50, 000 respectively.

Students undergoing undergraduate studies in other fields as well as those attending polytechnics will receive various sums ranging from N30, 000 to N10, 000 depending on their levels.

Physically challenged persons undergoing studies at any higher institution will receive N20, 000 as bursary.

Meanwhile, Sulaiman also disclosed that so far, the state government has spent additional N66 million as bursaries for its 14 students studying medicine and engineering courses in Ukraine since 2011 till date.

SURE-P Fund: Gov Jang Moves To Stop Probe By Assembly

By Achor Abimaje, Jos

Plateau State governor Jonah Jang has launched a move to stop the State House of Assembly from probing the state government of gross financial misconduct levelled against it.

The latest move by the state government is an attempt to stop all government appointees and civil servants from appearing before the state House of Assembly over the petition before it.

The state House of Assembly had set up a committee of the house

to probe allegation of gross financial misconduct levelled against the state government by a group known as “Plateau Patriotic Front” The son of Governor Jang, Yakubu Jang, had earlier approached the state high court to prevent the lawmaker from probing him and his father.

The court had already served the House to hold on their move to probe the government pending the determination of the suit filed by the son of the governor.

The order by the Governor Jang administration to stop his politi-

cal appointees and civil servants from appearing before the lawmakers was conveyed in a memo issued by the secretary to the Plateau State government, Prof Shedrack Best.

According to the memo signed

by Izam Azi, permanent secretary, policy and general services on behalf of Prof Shedrack Best, “No civil servant working under the state government or political appointees is allowed to honour invitation from the state House of Assembly without seeking clearance from the governor.”

Ilorin Clash: Death Toll Rises To 5 OPC denies alleged involvement

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

The death toll in Monday’s violent clash which broke out between some hoodlums in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital has risen to five.

The Kwara state Police command has also arrested 12 persons in connection with the incident.

Three casualties were recorded between Friday and Monday morning with an additional casualty recorded on Monday afternoon.

While an un-identified motorcy-

clist rider was allegedly shot dead by security operatives, another person simply identified as Dauda, reportedly died in cross fire by the rampaging hoodlums The spokesman of the state Police Command, Mr Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the arrest of 12 persons in connection with the crisis to journalists in Ilorin yesterday.

He said investigation was still on to unravel the cause of the fracas.

Anti-riot policemen and military personnel were called in to quell the fracas which paralysed commercial activities in most parts of the me-

tropolis.

Normalcy was yet to return to the affected areas at the time of filng this report.

Meanwhile, the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has dissociated itself from the violent clash. The group in a statement clarified that “OPC is not in any way involved in the said political crisis in Alore/ Omoda area of the state.”

Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had, in a statement by its spokesperson, Chief Rex Olawoye, accused some OPC members of complicity in the fracas.

15

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

business news

NSE Trades 313.087m Shares Worth N4.06bn

BY Olushola Bello, Lagos

Investors on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday staked N4.06 billion on 313.087 million shares transacted in 5,066 deals.

The turnover increased by 71.95 per cent, compared to the 182.085 million shares worth N1.96 billion traded in 4,517 deals on Monday.

The Custodian Allied Insurance emerged the most traded equity with 56.12 million shares worth

N199.22 million. Mansard Insurance came second on the activity chart, accounting for 21.52 million shares valued at N55.97 million, while Transcorp traded 20.49 million shares worth N92.84 million.

Oando sold 20.46 million shares valued at N467.52 million, while Zenith Bank exchanged 17.46 million shares worth N436.11 billion.

However, the NSE All-Share Index dropped by 314.11 basis points or 0.76 per cent to close at 41,135.40

as against the 41,449.51 achieved on Monday. Similarly, the market capitalisation shed N104 billion to close at N13.583 trillion compared to the N13.687 trillion posted on Monday.

Nestle recorded the highest price to lead the laggards’ table, dropping N10 to close at N1,070 per share.

Nigerian Breweries trailed with a loss of N8.58 to close at N173, while Conoil declined by N7.08 to close at N65.65 per share.

Arik Air Decries Dominance Of Foreign Airlines In Nigeria

BY NKEM OSUAGwu, Lagos

Arik Air has described the dominance of foreign airlines on the Nigerian airline market as a huge drain pipe on Nigeria’s economy and one that has led to huge capital flight.

This was the view of the group chief executive officer of Arik Air, Mr Michael ArumemiIkhide, while unveiling the plans of the carrier to commence direct flights to Dubai and the launch of its Frequent Flyer Programme, otherwise known as the Arik Affinity Wings at the airline’s corporate headquarters in Lagos.

According to statistics, Nigeria loses over N200 billion annually to international

airlines that have been generously given more than enough flight rights into Nigeria at the detriment of Nigerian carriers which are left with just three per cent of the international market share.

The inability of Nigerian airlines to ply most of the routes has led to an imbalance in the over 80 Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigerian and most countries.

British Airways operates 14 frequencies to Lagos and Abuja, Ethiopia Airways operates 37 frequencies to Enugu, Lagos, Abuja, and Kano with airlines like Virgin Atlantic Airways, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, Etihad, Qatar and other carriers.

L-R: Business director Globacom, Kaka Olukemi; senior special assistant to the president on research and documentation, Ferdinand Agu and director-general, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Adolphus Joe Ekpe at the Globacom Centenary World Cup Promotion in Abuja yesterday. Photo By ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

FG Seeks $100m For Safe School Project FAAC: FG, States, LGs Share N683.9bn In May, As ECA Rises To $3.73bn NSE ANTHONY-UKO, Abuja

BY NSE ANTHONY-UKO, Abuja

The federal government yesterday said it was looking up to raising about $100 million for the implementation of its Safe Schools project.

This is even as the United Nations Special Envoy, Mr Gordon Brown and Borno State Governor, Malam Kashim Shettima, expressed their support for the project in view of its socio-economic and political implications for the nation’s education sytem, particularly in the troubled North-eastern part of the country.

Updating the media on government’s plans to embark on the phased implementation of the project, the coordinating minister for the economy and minister of finance, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, recalled the federal government’s pledge made at the last World Economic Forum for Africa (WEFA) to initiate the project and expressed government’s delight on the progress made so far to kick-start the implementation in the emergency states.

She explained that there were three components of the initiative which had been launched by the president and for which a trust fund has been opened.

Okonjo-Iweala said the Safe Schools initiative was being done within the context of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and gave the assurance that all steps were being taken in order to find a way of bringing the girls back.

On the three windows, the minister said that one window is for Emergency Relief, while the others are the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of basic infrastructure and the Safe Schools initiative.

“Under the Safe Schools window, we have already put in N1.6 billion which is equivalent of $10 million, private sector is bringing their own and Mr Gordon Brown is raising resources”.

In his remarks, Brown, a former British Prime Minister, said he was engaging the international community, including the Governments of Norway, and the African Development Bank, with a view to raising funds and other supports towards the successful implementation of the project.

The three tiers of government have shared a total of N683.898 billion from Statutory, Value Added Tax, (VAT) and other accrued revenues sources of the Federation Account for the month of May. The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) rising from its meeting yesterday, also reported a marginal increase of the Excess Crude Accounts (ECA) savings from $3.60 billion last month to $3.73 billion this month.

The month’s distributions to the various governments represented an increase of about N49.17 billion over the N634.731 billion shared in the preceding month.

Giving a breakdown of the revenue accruals to the Federation Account and the shared sums during the month in review at the end of the

Follow these reports on leadership.ng/business

FAAC meeting, the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Jonah Otunla, disclosed that the gross revenue of N844.032 billion accrued to the Federation Accounts during the month under review, an amount higher than the previous month total revenue collections of N584.151 billion by N259.881 billion.

He attributed the rise in revenues to the accounts to a bulk payment of US$1.2 billion by the Nigerian Liquifieed Natural Gas (NLNG) as well as the upward review of estimates

by SPDC Limited and other companies even as he bemoaned the increasing incidence of oil theft and negative effects of pipelines’ repairs and maintenance on crude oil production.

According to him, N582.934 billion was shared under statutory allocation while VAT distributions amounted to N65.417 billion and N35.549 billion distributed as the Subsidy

Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) component of the distributions.

Otunla disclosed that out of the NN574.824 billion statutory distributions, the Federal Government got N271.340 billion representing 52.68 per cent; the states got N137.627 billion or 26.72 per cent; while the local governments shared the balance of N106.105 billion or 20.6 per cent.

Similarly, he said N52.751 billion was shared to the nine oil producing states based on the 13 per cent principle of derivation.

Of the VAT distributions totalling N62.798 billion, the Federal Government got N9.420 billion or 15 per cent compared to the states’ N31.399 billion, which accounted for 50 per cent of the earnings, while the local governments shared N21.979 billion.

RMRDC Supports Manufacturers On Local Raw Materials BY nan

The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) is determined to assist Nigerian manufacturers in the use of local materials for the production of goods that meet international standards.

The RMRDC deputy director, Public Affairs, Mr Chuks Ngaha, expressed this view in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday.

Ngaha said that the step was necessary to strengthen the nation’s

economy and ensure the realisation of the mandate of the council of promoting the development and utilisation of local industrial raw materials.

He said the agency would draw up guidelines and action programmes on raw materials acquisition, exploitation and development by industries.

“We are also to review, from time to time, raw material resource availability and utilisation with a view to advising the federal government on the strategic implication of depletion, conservation or stock-piling of such

resources.

“The RMRDC is vested with an objective to advise the federal government on adaptation of machinery and process for raw materials utilisation.

“We want to make sure that the local manufacturers use locally-made raw materials to produce instead of importation.

“This would enable the patronage of made-in-Nigeria products to increase and become one of the best products in the global competitive market,” Ngaha said.

16 NEWS/BUSINESS

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

CBN Auctions N168.4bn T-bills

BY Friday Atufe, Lagos

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will today holds Treasury Bills (T-Bills) Primary Auction.

The T-Bills worth N168.30 billion will mature while an equal sum will be issued in 91day, 182-day and 364-day instruments.

The CBN is expected to auction a total of N33.266 billion, N65.029 billion

and N70 billion in 91day, 182-day and 364-day instruments respectively.

Analysts at Meristem Wealth Management said, “We analyse the current yield environment in light of the outcome of the previous auctions on the respective instruments.

Since the last auction on the June 4, yields on all the instruments listed increased by 0.31 per cent on average.

“The increase in yields featured in the three instruments as 91-day, 182-day and 364-day bills inched up by 0.30, 0.11 and 0.50 per cents in that order. Since, the beginning of June, demand in the T-bills market has significantly declined, especially for the short term instruments which resulted in increase in yields compared to their rates in May.”

ICPC Seizes 372 Passports over Visa Scam

BY NKEM OSUAGWUe, Lagos

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said seized over 372 passports from Nigerians involved in visa scams, even as the commission has warned that such offences would be prosecuted.

The ICPC has mandated the bearers of the passport to collect the seized passports from its headquarters in Abuja within two months as failure to do that may lead to the black listing of the owners.

Other than black listing, the bearers may be barred from travelling abroad until their status are verified .

The chairman of the ICPC, Ekpo Nta, disclosed this yesterday in Lagos at a one-day seminar on curbing visa scam and racketeering. Nta said 372 passports were intercepted based on intelligence information on the illegal activities of unauthorised travel agents and other persons involved in visa procurement scam.

He said the authority is therefore giving the holders of the seized passports the chance to come to the ICPC office in Abuja to pick up their passports, or be handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), which could bar them from travelling abroad.

He cautioned intending travellers to desist from patronising touts at embassies even as he urged the embassies to streamline and simply the online visa acquisition process.

“I want to use this opportunity to invite Nigerians whose passports are seized from different agents by the ICPC to visit the commission’s headquarters in Abuja and collect their passports within the next two months. Failure to do so would result in the ICPC handing over the passports to the NIS for further necessary action which might include black listing of the bearers of these passports and barring them from travelling abroad until their statuses are verified,”

Nta said.

He called on embassies and high commissions in Nigeria to sanitise their visa processes and entrench a culture of integrity in their visa acquisition process in Nigeria.

“The imposition of unreasonable procedures by some embassies seem to have exacerbated the already complicated visa acquisition process which tend to promote corruption-prone processes by unofficial cartels within and outside the embassies.

“This seminar is part of further intervention in restoring sanity and integrity in important sectors of our nation. We have now turned our searchlight on visa procurement processes,” the ICPC chairman said.

While declaring the seminar open, the governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, urged the ICPC to carry out enlightenment and advocacy programmes to educate Nigerians to save them from the antics of persons involved in visa scams.

Micro-insurance Can Jumpstart Nigeria’s Economy – TPL Boss

BY EZRA IJIOMA, Abuja

Micro-insurance can be used to mobilise funds necessary for long-term investments and needed to jumpstart the Nigerian economy.

This was disclosed by the founding director of Transparent Protection Limited/ Gte, Mr Sam Onyeka, while speaking to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

Onyeka said that given Nigeria’s 170 million persons and how much could be raised if just 50 per cent of the population took out life insurance policies, the premium paid could be used as loans to fund economic developmental projects like housing, road

construction and lending to industries. “Micro-insurance can even mobilise more funds than pension. All we need to do is to create awareness at the grassroots and strengthen transparency in insurance activities,” he added.

On the proposed Insurance Bill, Onyeka said that investigations by the TPL showed that it has not been introduced to the National Assembly but has been presented to the ministry of finance since it’s the parent ministry of the National Insurance Commission which fine-tuned the bill.

Also speaking, the programme manager, TPL, Mr Godson Ibekwe-Umelo, decried the low level of

insurance penetration in Nigeria which has reduced insurance contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) to just 0.68 per cent while it contributes about 12 per cent to South Africa’s economy.

He disclosed that over 70 per cent of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria have no form of insurance which exposes them to the unwholesome risk and deny them access to funds for investment. Thus, the TPL has designed a programme to increase awareness and build the capacities of small and medium scale enterprises in the areas of insurance and risk management.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

17

18 BUSINESS/BANKER’S BANK

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Nigeria Goes Cashless Come July 1

When the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) initiated the cashless policy, many had their doubts about its success.

However, the success of the pilot stage, which kicked off in Lagos and spread to six other states, has made it imperative that it be spread to other parts of the country.

The success of the policy, which is expected to go live nationwide in a couple of weeks, precisely July 1, 2014, can be measured through data on the use of electronic banking channels as recently released by the CBN in its Financial Stability Report (FSR) for the first six months of last year.

The increased volume and value of transactions on these e-banking channels are indications that the project is on course despite initial fears that it would be hampered by operational hiccups and the political whirlwind that had caused many similar beneficial policies to crash in the past.

Data from the FSR have shown that a total of N80.35 trillion passed through the e-banking channels during the first half of 2013 in 188.09 million transactions. Mobile payment system, which is yet to be very popular and reach its optimum use, recorded the most improvement with 258.6 and 103 per cent increase in volume and value of transactions done on the channel when compared with what was done in the first half of 2012.

The volume and value of mobile payments increased during the review period to 5,982 million and N51.79 billion from 1,668 million and N25.50 billion in the second half of 2012. The apex bank attributed the significant rise to the number of mobile payment operators as well as improved public awareness in the use of mobile banking services.

Data on various e-payment channels for the period under review indicated that automated teller machines

(ATMs) remained the most patronised, accounting for 93.31 per cent, followed by mobile payments with 4.08 per cent and point of sales (POS) terminals, 1.85 per cent.

The internet was the least

By Bukola Idowu patronised, accounting for only 0.76 per cent. In value terms, ATMs accounted for 91.42 per cent; mobile payments 3.68 per cent; POS 3.43 per cent; while the internet accounted for 1.47 per cent.

Whilst the number of ATMs stood at 11,702 at end-June 2013, as against 10,727 at endDecember 2012, reflecting an increase of 9.09 per cent, the volume of ATM transactions decreased by 30.6 per cent to 136.663 million during the first half of 2013, from 196.995 million in the second half of 2012. However, the value of transactions rose to N1.286 trillion at end-June 2013, from N1.046 trillion in the second half of 2012, showing an increase of 22.9 per cent.

The cashlite policy of the CBN also had greater impact on the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) Emefiele Instant Payment (NIP) as the volume and value done second on the channel rose to 5.924 half of 2012, while the volume million and N4.178 trillion at decreased to 146.961 million end-June 2013, from 3.293 from 201.793 million. million and N2.872 trillion at The volume and value of the end-December 2012, reflecting NIBSS Electronic Fund Transfer increases of 79.90 and 45.46 (NEFT) transactions decreased per cent in volume and value. to 13,918 million and N6.738 Likewise, the volume and trillion at end-June 2013, from value of cheques cleared 15.143 million and N6.845 increased to 21.096 million and trillion at end-December 2012, N11.492 trillion at end-June reflecting a decline of 8.09 and 2013, from 18.988 million and 1.57 per cent in volume and N9.653 trillion as at December value. Volume and value of 2012, reflecting increases of inter-bank transfers through 11.10 and 19.05 per cent. the Real-Time Gross Settlement The development was (RTGS) system declined to attributed to the N150,000 197,220 and N55.005 trillion at third party cheque encashment end June 2013, from 213,825 limit policy which encouraged and N57.285 trillion at endthe presentation of cheques December 2012, reflecting a through the clearing house. The decrease of 7.8 and 4.0 per value of electronic card (e-card) cent in volume and value. The transactions rose to N1.416 decreases were attributed trillion in the first half of 2013, to increased use of other from N1.127 trillion in the alternative payment platforms,

banker’s bank such

as the NIBSS Instant Payment and web-based payments.

The volume of POS transactions increased by 64.4 per cent to 3.207 million in the first half of 2013, compared with 1.951 million in the second half of 2012. Similarly, the value rose by 53 per cent to N57.2 billion over the level recorded in the preceding half year. The increase in volume and value was due to sustained public awareness and acceptance of its usage.

The volume of web-based transactions in the first half of 2013 was 1.108 million, indicating a decline of 5.9 per cent, compared with 1.178 million in the second half of 2012. However, the value rose by 13.1 per cent to N20.7 billion from N18.3 billion in the preceding period. The fall

CBN Charges Banks On Compliance Measures

BY Bukola Idowu, Lagos

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has charged financial institutions in the country to keep close check on transactions involving high risk customers such as politically exposed persons (PEPs) and financially exposed persons (FEPs).

Speaking at the 2014 Compliance Conference, organised by the Committee of Chief Compliance Officers of Banks in Nigeria (CCCOBIN), the deputy governor, Financial System Stability of the CBN,

Adebayo Adelabu, noted that in many jurisdictions, fraud and corruption are committed by those entrusted with positions or public funds who override controls to perpetrate the crimes.

Adelabu who delivered a keynote address titled “Fraud and Corruption: The Role of Banks and Other Corporate Entities,” said while the crimes of fraud and corruption are international in coverage, their incidences have become predominant in third world countries, including Nigeria as a

result of perverse incentives.

Noting that criminals often collude with officers of legitimate organisations and financial institutions to perpetrate the crimes, he said the “proceeds realised could be used in funding activities that are dangerous and injurious to society.

“It is because of the negative and adverse consequences of these crimes, amongst others, that regulatory bodies, both domestic and international, have set up standards and regulations to curb the menace.”

Commending the CCCOBIN, a self-regulatory organisation, in its drive to promote compliance in statutory and regulatory requirements, Adelabu said compliance function will continue to remain relevant due to its positive impact on both financial and non-financial institutions.

“Banks and other corporate entities should continue to see compliance function as an integral part of business operations that focuses on safety and soundness of

in volume was due to users’ preference for other payment channel.

Expectedly, the apex bank has proved that it is determined to ensure that the policy succeeds by learning through mistakes of the pilot project in Lagos, listening to constructive criticisms and adopting best global practices to gradually integrate the Nigerian financial system into the world financial operational portal.

The apex bank had projected that the operations of the ‘Cashless Lagos’ project and the subsequent phased extension of the implementation of the policy into other parts of the country would substantially reduce the cost of banking services (including the cost of credit), drive financial inclusion agenda by providing more efficient transaction options and improve the effectiveness of monetary policy in managing inflation and driving economic growth.

The cashless economic policy was designed to promote financial intermediation, financial inclusion, minimise revenue leakages and thus increase internally generated revenue, reduce incidences of robbery and also to reduce the amount of cash payment while encouraging electronic payments. The cashless policy allows individual customer to make cumulative lodgment of N500,000 daily while corporate customers are allowed to make cumulative lodgment of N3 million daily. However, it is the account to which withdrawal and lodgment is made that bears the processing charges and not the individual that receives or deposits the cash.

Although lodgements above the daily limits had before now attracted charges, the new CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, has issued a circular to all deposit money banks in fulfillment of his resolve to end charges on deposits imposed through the cashless policy.

financial systems rather than an “enemy” in the wheel of progress.

“There is no doubt that in Nigeria we have adequate legal and regulatory measures such as Know Your Customer (KYC), Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and Enhanced Customer Due Diligence (EDD) that cover these areas.

The application of these key KYC provisions are meant to reveal illegitimate sources of funds and trigger enquiry/ investigation by relevant stakeholders,” he stressed.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Interview

Feature

Affordable Housing Is Possible – Yusuf

20 Years After, Gov Wada Begins Construction of N2.2bn Kogi House

Page 21

Page 22

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Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Firm Trains Estate Agents On Online Marketing

By Catherine Agbo, Abuja

The need for real estate agents to begin to take advantage of the internet and the various platforms it prevents to market their business formed the Cruz of discussions when about 160 real estate agent converged on Abuja for a workshop with the theme, “running your online real estate agency.”

The workshop was organised

by Nigeria’s foremost online property portal, privateproperty.com.ng.

Managing director and cofounder of the real estate firm, Mr. Oluwafemi Taiwo told LEADERSHIP in an interview at the event that the firm decided to organise the workshop as a forum to brainstorm and network with estate agents in Abuja and Nigeria as a whole.

“We found out that many people have heard about the internet but don’t know the value or what the internet can do for their businesses.

So we brought them together to share knowledge and at the same time, impact on them that they can make money online and how they do it I more about presenting themselves ahead of competitors.

“We all know the future is online and when people are

looking for information, the first place they go is online. In property now, when someone is looking for a house, he goes on line to search and so, we are trying to educate and let estate agents know that online is the next business frontier, that they need to be online to get more customers in the 21st Century,” he explained.

On the skeptism people still have and how real estate which is something people need to see and feel physically would care online, he stated that people eventually get to see the property but what the internet does is to bridge the gap and save the prospective buyer the trouble of walking the streets looking for property.

“The idea of the internet therefore is to give information and shorten the time that the person would have wasted if for instance, he is told of property in about 12 locations. With the internet where you get to see pictures of the property, you can short list and decide which ones to see or not,” he added.

On the strides the company has made in over its eight years of operation, he described the experience as remarkable, saying the company has maintained a steady triple digit annual growth rate. He

however said there has been the challenge of educating Nigerian and gaining the or trust as many still see internet business as being fraudulent and still want to use the traditional ways of marketing.

Speaking on the future of real estate in Nigeria, South African partner of the firm, Mark Coetzee noted that real estate would significantly change in Nigeria in the next few years.

“It’s a whole new breed of internet savvy buyers that are coming into the market place and with the rebasing of Nigeria’s GDP, we anticipate that there’s going to be a lot of foreign investment being pumped into Nigeria and a lot of that investment is going to require housing and many of the investors are going to be searching for property in line.

So, real estate in Nigeria and real estate practitioners on Nigeria really need the way they market themselves and seeing online as a serious resource to find the new age buyer, foreign investors and the people that are going to be buying new property,” he explained.

He also emphasised the new for real estate practitioners in Nigeria, both in the public and private sector, to formulate structures, adding that private organisations such as

theirs, have the responsibility of doing that to make sure that the real estate business in Nigeria becomes a lot more professional because of the trends that will start happening.

“We’ve got to take our roles as partners in the industry more seriously and start providing better training like what we have done and almost spearhead a discussion between government and ourselves to regulate the industry.

It has happened worldwide and has to happen in Nigeria too. The agents have to be more professional and are going to have to become certified to operate as well,” Coetzee added.

Another speaker, Mr. Damola Awosika who spoke on ‘building your real estate brand online,’ described the internet and social media platforms such as Facebook as very useful tools for marketing, noting that about 50 per cent of Nigerians are internet users.

High point of the event was the presentation of awards to five real estate agents namely, Knight Frank, Peter Okolo & Co, Process Property Consult, Rot Ultimate Properties and Midel Properties, for being loyal clients of the company.

Ndubuisi Kanu Garden Park Boosts Lagos’ Aesthetics

By GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos

The newly unveiled Ndubuisi Garden Park located in the Alausa area of Lagos State has added a boost to the landscape of the state’s seat of power.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the state Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello said the completion of the Garden Park underscores the commitment of the present administration to transform its environment.

He added that the uniqueness of the park is to further enhance the greening culture for which the area has been known in the last 25 years.

Bello noted that the new park occupies approximately a total land area of 17,195 square metres and has the following facilities, ornamental plants, palms, garden seats, trees of various types including fruits producing tree, rotunda.

Others are a garden lights, gazebo with seats, multipurpose court, children play-

ing ground, irrigation facilities, toilet facilities, walkways and parking area that can accommodate a minimum of 40 cars.

Responding the obviously elated, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (Rtd) whose meritorious service to the state as a military governor was being rewarded, expressed appreciation to the Lagos State Government for the honour done to him.

He said the gesture was least expected as he had no prior knowledge of the event before the state governor, Babatunde Fashola called him to inform him.

He noted that that he once had cause to pass through the road, parked his vehicle to admire what was to him, a beautiful piece but that little did he know that it would later be renamed in his honour.

Before unveiling the Garden Park, Fashola lauded the drive and initiative of the officers and men of the Ministry of Environment and the Parks and Gardens Agency for creating new opportunities from the challenges of the environment.

Lagos To Introduce Gas Reticulation System In Residential Estates The Lagos State Government has said it has concluded plans to introduce gas reticulation system in its residential estates as a way of achieving greater use of liquified cooking gas in the state.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Mrs. Regina Obasa disclosed this at a public forum in Lagos.

She said the state government was introducing the gas reticulation system in state owned residential estates as a way of making Lagos residents have easy access to cooking gas as well as embrace the use of cleaner fuel for cooking in their various homes.

Obasa revealed that the pilot scheme had already began in new estates under construction such as the Ilubirin foreshore, Ijora and iponri with gas piles being installed for domestic use.

She explained that with the gas reticulation system, individuals need not purchase conventional gas cylinders as each apartment in the estates would have gas supply from a centralised skid plant located within the estate, which in itself is a safety measure.

By George Okojie, Lagos

BCPG Inaugurates Abuja Chapter The Abuja chapter of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) has been launched, with a town planner, Mr. Barnabas Atiyaye as interim coordinator.

BCPG is a body of professionals in the built environment with the mission to bring an end to incidents of building collapse.

Membership of the guild is drawn from professional bodies in the built environment including, Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Nigeria Institute of Surveyors (NIS), Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigeria Institute of Building (NIOB), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) and Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS).

Speaking during the launch of the chapter, professionals in the sector were unanimous in their opinions that professionals in the built environment cannot be completely absolved of complicity in building collapse, whether during construction or when the building is in use.

By Evelyn Okoruwa, Abuja

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6 30 Interview The FCT gets only about N30 billion from federal allocation for projects.

people should be made to pay fines if they leave completely developed property unoccupied for six months.

Affordable Housing Is Possible – Yusuf Mr. Yahaya Yusuf is the director of the development control department of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). In this interview with Nkechi Isaac at the just concluded housing summit of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Yusuf shares the administration’s steps to make housing affordable in the FCT How do you think affordable housing can be achieved in the FCT?

To start with, I think there is an exaggeration of the amount, for example, when they want to publish the estimates of those who are in need of housing. In Nigeria, they tell you that it is 70,000,000.

But if you take an average of seven per cent per household, you find out that in the end we may have more than 117,000,000 people who are homeless.

But then, we have to define what we mean by ‘house’. This is because in the rural areas and area councils in the FCT, standards must be adhered to, because they are relevant. That said, we are talking of houses which can be good for the people. It doesn’t have to be too big and unnecessarily spacious before it can be considered to be a house. As a long as it provides shelter and makes it possible for you to access in-house facilities like toilets, bathrooms and kitchens comfortably, while also meeting extra requirements like schools, health facilities and recreational facilities, before you talk about the higher-grade facilities.

To meet the desire for affordable housing in the FCT, we must first devote a lot of resources to infrastructure. As you know, the FCT is entitled to a per cent of the national allocation from the Federal Account. But presently, I don’t think this has been so. You are also aware that in the past, the FCT has had allocations in hundreds of billions, but today, we are getting N30bn from the federal allocation for capital investments. The implication of this is recourse to private sector funding of these services including infrastructure. As you also know, from the land-swap deal which is novel, as well as the PPP arrangement made for

mass housing, at the end of the day, these houses are provided either by contractors or the developers themselves who depend on the end-beneficiaries to provide the house as well as infrastructure. At the end of the day, the cost of bringing these infrastructures up to standard (proper underground drainage, sewage system, etc.) makes its affordability such a challenge. To some extent, most people have been able to muster the resources required to put up these buildings must recover what they spent and that is why they are so costly. To start with, therefore, we have to make up for the existing deficit created by the number of existing, unoccupied houses.

What is your department doing about the Many unoccupied houses in Abuja?

Already, the Department of Development Control is in the process of coming up with a proposal to sanction the owner of any house which has been completed and finished yet remains unoccupied within six months. If you aware of the Bill for the establishment of the FCT internal revenue board which was recently passed, one of the things the board will look at is finding a way of taxing these houses that are left empty.

When the owners are taxed continually over a home that is earing no revenue, perhaps, they will think twice.

In many countries, they ‘action’ such houses that are unoccupied or not put to use.

The fact that government leaves provision of infrastructure in the hands of private developers is often said to be one of the reasons for high cost of houses in Abuja. Is this correct?

As for the issue of infrastructure, as much as possible, the federal

Yusuf

government must see Abuja as a capital city and not as one of the cities in the nation. If they swing into the commercialisation of everything, the city will metamorphose into a business town and the place will become completely lousy. You can see the extent to which we control signages at present. So you can imagine what it’ll be like when it becomes a fullblown commercial town and we have to charge people for putting up signages. To keep it as an administrative town, the cost of services rendered will have to be subsidised by making sure that there is a lot of government undertaking, especially in the area of infrastructure, by ensuring that those who are coming to build do not have to worry themselves about the cost of the infrastructure. If they have to battle with the cost of infrastructure and fuse it into the cost of other things, the building becomes exorbitant.

There is also the need to address the cost of building materials. As you know, it has been a subject of controversy. At the end of the day, if the quality of cement is not stream-lined (from 32.5 to 42.5), you will find out that people who live in areas out of the focus of enforcement agencies will adopt the 32.5 range as the cement of choice.

We must ensure that standardi-

sation does not become a way of cost for people but a way for people to develop alternatives. That is why a conference like the one we are having is very imperative, given the various expositions of materials which can be used to develop properties that can withstand stress and still be durable many years after. Our research results, then, should move from the laboratories to the industries, so that they can be adopted, especially, beginning with outlined areas like satellite towns where you have the social housing schemes and you do not need full-blast-technology in carrying out these things.

That said, it is imperative that we engage the artisans who carry out a huge percentage of these constructions in training, because even after completing the actual building, the cost of maintenance becomes very high. When the mix in the first place, is discovered to be improperly done and cracks become visible in the building, if it is discovered after the integrity test that the building is not strong enough, we carry out rehabilitation and the end-cost of the building still discourages people from coming to rent or buy the building.

Therefore, we have to train the artisans on the right mix of materials so that they do not get overly induced by estate developers who

are there to cut costs. With this, we may go quite some way in making some of these houses affordable and make them habitable for people to move in.

When you say auctioning…?

No, I didn’t say auctioning, I said actionable. It means that you can sue someone for leaving a developed property unoccupied for over six months. Almost invariably, that house which is left vacant like that is not only depreciating, it also costs money to maintain because when it is unoccupied, the owner will have to make the minor changes needed. Also, it becomes a nuisance by depreciating the value of other properties close-by, irrespective of how qualitative they appear.

This will give rise to insecurity and a slum-like situation – despite the provision of infrastructure in some of those places.

From this point of view, the idea is that they are generating nuisance in an environment where infrastructure has been put in place for it to have an occupied property that is put in place.

So, very soon, the FCTA will move against owners of developed but vacant houses?

I can tell you that authoritatively.

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the project ia an 11-storey building comprising a 5-star 89 apartments/ rooms and 23

2.2bn

20 Years After, Gov Wada Begins Construction Of N2.2bn Kogi House by catherine agbo, Abuja

For years, the land lay fallow.

It was one of the undeveloped plots in the nation’s capital city that was giving the administration a cause for concern.

The administration had severally lamented that undeveloped plots that dotted the landscape of the city centre were contributing in making the aesthetics of the city less attractive and had severally threatened to revoke such plots. Indeed the threats were not empty. Some of the plots got revoked.

Plot 999 located off Ahmadu Bello Way, near Abia State House is the property of the Kogi State government. The land was allocated to the state about 20 years ago when the state was created, for the construction of the Kogi House, which would serve as the state’s presence in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The state is not the only one to enjoy such privilege. Other states also have their state houses in Abuja but unlike other state governments who developed theirs and were making huge economic benefits from their property, Kogi remained one of the few states without such investment in the FCT. That it had become an embarrassing situation to the state is stating the obvious. The state government houses in the neighbourhood of the undeveloped Kogi House Plot were a constant reminder of the inability of the state to find its place among its peers.

There were several attempts to revoke the undeveloped plot, which had become a nagging problem for the territory’s administration but the government was consistent in its fight to ensure the property wasn’t revoked.

This perhaps explained the jubilant mood when the Kogi state governor, Capt. Idris Wada (rtd) led prominent in-

digenes of the state and other well-wishers on Tuesday May 27, 2014 for the foundation laying and ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the Kogi State House.

LEADERSHIP reports that the design proposal for the project located on Plot 999 Cadastral Zone is for the development of an 11-storey building comprising a 5-star 89 apartments/rooms and 23 Nos. office/commercial accommodations which has been estimated to cost N2.2 billion. The construction period is 24 months.

Vice President Namadi Sambo who flagged off the construction of the N2.2 billion Kogi House, called on other state governors to emulate the Capt. Idris Wada (rtd) led Kogi State administration.

Sambo noted that the land was allocated to the state over 20 years ago but only the incumbent administration had the foresight to develop the project, which he noted would improve the economic fortunes of the state when completed.

While reiterating the support of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration for the Kogi state government and its people, he announced that government had removed all encumbrances around the Ajaokuta Steel Company in the state and the company would soon be revived.

The vice president expressed hope that the project when completed would achieve the aim for which it was initiated.

Earlier in his address, the governor said, the goal of the state for the project was to seize and indeed capitalise on the shortage of quality and appropriate housing and commercial accommodation needs in Abuja to the advantage of the state.

“It is my belief that this project will chart a course towards the improvement of housing and commercial accommodation; generate employment and

Prototype of the Kogi House

revenue both for Kogi state government and the Federal Capital Territory. Indeed, there is no doubt that the 11-storey Kogi House, when completed will definitely stand tall to dwarf all existing buildings in this part of the nation’s capital. It should also exert some aesthetic impact on the skyline of the Central Business District (CBD) of Abuja, thus raising the profile of Kogi state,” Wada emphasised.

He said the project was being executed through public private partnership and the state was partnering a Chinese firm, Kaibo Engineering Holdings Limited, in a unique arrangement which compels the contractor to also bring on board a project management team to ensure compliance with the timeline, quality and all the processes and procedures that would lead to the delivery of the project as agreed upon.

“The strategic arrangement of the PPP agreement on the Kogi House gave rise to a structure where Kogi state government contributes 80 per cent of the investment, while our PPP partners, Kaibo Engineering Holdings Limited will contribute 20 per cent, the investment ratio being 4:1. Kaibo is also responsible for the management of the property to ensure that partners obtain the expected returns on their investments,” the governor emphasised.

FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, who was also present, commended the state governor for his doggedness which ensured that the plot was not revoked.

Harping on the relevance of the project, Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the state governor, Mr. Jacob Edi noted that since the creation of the state, this was the first time it would make such a giant development stride.

“The advantages among other things will bring the state into physical presence in the FCT like other states and for us, it is not just erecting a structure, the advantages are our primary concern and that is why I say this is actually Kogi state investment house. The project will have hotels and other facilities that will be a revenue earner for the state. It will also contribute in reducing unemployment because people will be employed to run it,” he said.

On how the government would be able to recoup its investment after the completion of the project, Edi explained that, “remember that Kogi state took a bond from the capital market and this is one of the projects specified in that bond that it would be used for so, we cannot just go and take a bond for nothing. It is actually something that will bring more money to the state.”

the cost of the project has been estimated at N2.2 billion.

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NPDC And Enhanced Local Participation In Oil Output By odwin Anaughe

It is true that when progress comes, there is propensity by those who are afraid of change to challenge it. For the past four years that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been at the helm of affairs her goal has been to make the oil and gas sector more accessible to local indigenous players. Her work has been plagued with stories which whether real or imagined have not been fully investigated nor do they hold neither facts nor truth.

This is the price she is paying for daring to remain at the helm of the most important sector of the Nigerian economy and threading in an all men industry and still has the guts to stand tall despite the negative publications against her. And who is to blame if not she, for failing to fight back forcefully enough. The good news, however, is that the criticism has never dissuaded her from doing what she believes is right for our country.

We do not always have to criticise government officials simply because we do not understand the workings of government. Alison-Madueke, a holder of the MBA of Cambridge University is not all knowing and never will be, but her record shows that she knows what she is doing at the petroleum ministry and her desire to see that the Nigeria oil sector develops to its maximum capacity is not in any doubt. It is this desire that has driven her to adopt several creative previously utilised ways to bridge the existing

Jonathan

funding gap in the industry which hitherto has prevented the NNPC from meeting its cash call obligations when due.

One such financing arrangement is the Strategic Alliance Agreement (SSA), which has made it possible for the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), the exploration and production subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to undertake investment in very critical projects in the oil and gas sector. Similar to Financial and Production Sharing Agreements (FPSA) and Petroleum Sharing contracts (PSC), the SSA has enabled NPDC to develop oil and gas fields which ordinarily it could not have funded from its limited resources or carried all the risks solely. These agreements are based on tested financial models used by international oil companies to help NPDC fund its cash call obligations.

Without the SSA, many oil and gas fields would not have been

explored, developed and produced because NPDC would be unable to meet the cash call obligations in these partnerships with its partners, and as such many vital projects of NPDC would have suffered thereby undermining the Nigerian economy. This is definitely what Nigerians who are not conversant with the oil industry do not know. They also do not know that SSA with NPDC has been entered into with indigenous companies to empower the local companies (under the same terms and conditions like that undertaken with the international oil companies and NNPC). This kind of effort should be lauded, as it is the minister’s goal to develop indigenous companies.

The SSA is not new in the petroleum and gas industry, as many countries have used this financing instrument to grow their operations. State oil companies such as Petrobas of Brazil, Petronas of Malaysia and Sonangol of Angola have aggressively used these innovative financing arrangements to the benefit of their countries. NPDC cannot be different if we are to remain competitive in the global market.

The criticism of Alison-Madueke who, in good faith, has made audacious steps to reposition the oil and gas industry through the adoption of innovative financing instruments to the benefit of the nation are uncalled for. She deserves commendation and not condemnation.

We are all aware that the international oil companies have always complained that NNPC

is not able to meet its cash call obligations. Therefore to suggest that the SSA be rolled back is to say the least unwise and unpatriotic.

It will amount to throwing away the baby with the bath water when the gains of SSA are about to be consolidated. Agreed that flaws may abound in the agreement, but they cannot and should not be blamed on the executive, which has used these already established instruments to ensure the smooth operation of NPDC. Neither can they be attributed to the minister or the government. These flaws manifest at the operational level and whatever challenges that exist in the execution of those agreements, be they legal, commercial or operational, should be handled at the operational level.

It is at that level that issues such as those arising from the commercial agreement entered into by NPDC and Atlantic Energy Concepts Limited should be resolved.

Antagonising Alison-Madueke on the basis of decisions that were made in good faith could only discourage future ministers from making hard decisions where necessary to deal with challenges in the oil and gas sector. Without doubt, Alison-Madueke is a strong character who is not easily distracted but she needs our support so she can remain focused on the restructuring of the oil and gas industry and most especially the passing of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) that will help stimulate investment in the oil and gas sector.

– Anaughe, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Lagos

Angola have aggressively used these innovative financing arrangements to the benefit of their countries.

NPDC cannot be different if we are to remain competitive in the global market

Olejeme: Rise And Rise Of A True People’s Leader

By Afrah sadiq

Only last May 15 in Lagos, in recognition of her role in adding value and her pragmatic stance in ensuring good governance and management, Chairman, Board of Directors, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Olejeme, was bestowed with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Positive Thinkers Award.

A statement signed by NAWOJ, Lagos state chapter said “Olejeme won the special recognition for her philanthropy through the You and I Foundation, which has set a new paradigm in social and humanitarian activism in Nigeria as well as her accomplishments in NSITF and other institutions in Nigeria and abroad” Continuing, the statement said “her accomplishments have given succour to the ordinary people and hope to millions. She is a role model to women politicians and young people in Africa. NAWOJ

resolved to give a pat on the back” to Olejeme for promoting the values of hard work and sincerity and contributing significantly to national advancement as well as in the development of Delta State.

That recognition by NAWOJ which underscored the very many accolades Olejeme had been receiving for her strides in and out of her office at NSITF, no doubt signaled the unique qualities of the Delta stateborn administrator. It was also underlined the so many calls she had been getting from back home to succeed Dr. Emmaneul Uduaghan as governor of the state come 2015.

Little wonder that Director General, You and I Foundation, Oritsejolomi Uduaghan last month, described Olejeme as a highly focused individual, saying this humble and dynamic Deltan is a natural successor to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

“If the succession is about continuity, keeping up the tempo

of sustainable development and lifting the state and the people to the greatest heights, then Deltans have the answer in Dr. Ngozi Olejeme” In a statement issued in Warri to explain the backing of Olejeme by prominent Nigerians for the governorship of the state, Uduaghan said they opted for Olejeme, owing to her track record as the chairman of NSITF and her philanthropic activities.

“Olejeme has a cordial relationship with Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. She has vision, moral fortitude, zeal, leadership, commitment and love for all. She enjoys the friendship of the leadership of the party and the confidence of the people and will definitely triumph in 2015” he said.

Continuing, he said “Olejeme is knowledgeable and straight forward. Her goodwill and philanthropy will see her through” He pledged to work hard to

ensure the success of the NSITF boss in the state “We are working very hard to deliver the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket and the state to Dr. Olejeme. So we don’t want to be distracted” he said.

Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, a cousin of the current governor of the state and former special assistant to ex-governor James Ibori and Governor Uduaghan on special duties, argued that the NSITF boss was a detribalized Nigerian who is more acceptable in the country, particularly Delta State than some individuals parading as governorship aspirants.

Not lacking in support across the state for this call to service, Delta state leaders recently called on the people from her native Delta North to unite, speak with one voice and strongly resist any political arrangement that will deter the area from getting the governorship slot in 2015 even

as they implored Olejeme to continue her good work.

“Olejeme has endeared herself to development conscious Nigerians as a veritable model. In NSITF and other institutions, she has empowered several people and cemented an enduring friendship with people from all walks of life,” the elders said.

They urged Deltans, irrespective of ethnic and cultural persuasion to join hands with men and women of good conscience to make Olejeme governor in 2015.

The leaders who also commended the cordial relationship existing between the governor of the state and Olejeme, advised against any contrary plan on the intention.

“Olejeme, who doubles as Board Chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and the Trust Fund Pension Plc, is capable of consolidating on the gains so far made in Delta State” the leaders said.

– Afrah Sadiq wrote in from Abuja

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CAVEAT EMPTOR

This is to inform the general public, particularly the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), and any other bank or institution operating in Nigeria or outside Nigeria, that Plot No. 865 (now Plot No. 1809) within Cadastral Zone Ao4, (No. 26A and 26B), Ukpabi Asika Street, Asokoro, Abuja, FCT is a subject of litigation at the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/A/370/2012 between IMONKHUEDE OHIKHUARE V. AMB. ALHAJI SHEHU OTHMAN MALAMI & 4 ORS. The said property was developed by Mr. Imonkhuede Ohikhuare (the Appellant) but Mr. Emeka Offor is currently in possession thereof vide a writ of possession whose legal validity is being challenged in the same proceedings.

The Appellant in the above appeal has recently become aware of the publication in many Nigerian Newspapers, particularly Thisday Newspaper of June 6, 2014 at page 6, captioned: “NDIC LOSES BID TO FREEZE EMEKA OFFOR’S ACCOUNTS IN 22 BANKS”. From the said publications it is obvious that NDIC intends to sell properties owned by the said Emeka Offor for alleged debts.

In the light of the above, the General public, especially NDIC, is hereby warned that Mr. Imonkhuede Ohikhuare claims title to the above property and that the property is not for sale.

SIGNED: PAUL EROKORO, SAN PAUL EROKORO & CO (COUNSEL TO THE APPELLANT) 3RD FLOOR, WEMA BANK BUILDING PLOT 464, CONSTITUTION AVENUE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ABUJA.

NATIONAL BOARD FOR TECHNOLOGY INCUBATION No 10 Zambezi Crescent, Maitama Abuja

RE: INVITATION FOR PRE-QUALIFICATION (ADDENDUM) 1.0 Introduction Further to the advert made by the Board on the 8th of May, 2014 in two (2) National Dailies (Daily Trust and The Guardian), in respect of the above subject matter; we wish to re-invite all those reputable consulting and contracting Companies that have applied for 2014 Capital projects to take note of the slight alterations in the scope of work and eligibility criteria.

Sokoto, Minna, Gusau, Nnewi, Warri, Yenagoa, Yola, Kaduna, Jos, Agege, Gusau, Ilorin, Ibadan and Aba. LOT11: Research and Development Commercialization: Prototype Development of R & D Commercialization such as Agro – Allied fabrications (Post – harvest), Food processing, plants and other Industrial Processing lines.

2.0: Scope of Work:

3.0 Eligibility Criteria: The following requirements for pre-qualification must be submitted along with company profile: I. Evidence of CAC/ Company Incorporation in Nigeria.

II. Evidence of last three (3) years Tax clearance (2011 – 2013) and VAT certificate.

III. Tax Identification Number (TIN) certificate.

IV. Company profile with list of Technical/Management staff.

This is to include all Academics and Professional Membership Certificates of Technical Staff (Degree and Diplomas, NSE, COREN, COBON, NIM etc) as evidence of technical capability V. Evidence of previous work experience, stating detailed clients, nature of work, completion period, works completion certificates, etc.

VI. Evidence of Financial Capability.

VII. Evidence of compliance with section 6 (1) – (3) of the amended ITF Act, including PENCOM and other regulatory agencies where applicable.

LOT1:- Procurement of ICT Equipment at the Headquarters and 27 Technology Incubation Centers.

LOT2:- Purchase of Advanced Industrial Equipment: - Acquisition of Demonstration Equipment for Mass Production and Product Quality Assurance, Spectrometers, Industrial Machines etc.

LOT3:- Development of Permanent Site: - Abuja Head Quarters.

LOT4:- Completion of on – going projects at Technology Incubation Centers: - Bauchi, Benin, Calabar, Agege, Sokoto, B/Kebbi, Gusau, Kano, Maiduguri, Minna, Igbotako, Ibadan, Uyo, Warri, Yenagoa, Aba, Nnewi, Okwe, Jos, Yola, Taraba, Abeokuta and Enugu; Provision of Standby generators, Provision of Fire Fighting Equipment, Completion of TIC Temidere, TIC Kaduna, TIC Ilorin, TIC Ile-ife and TIC Ado-Ekiti.

LOT5:- Completion of on – going projects at Technology Incubation Centers at Owode – Yewa Extension and Odogbolu.

LOT6:- Provision of Quality Control Laboratory and Engineering Workshops in Nine (9) New Technology Incubation Centers: - Lokoja, Makurdi, Nasarrawa, Katsina, Gombe, Damaturu, Katsina and Port Harcourt.

LOT7:- Construction of Incubation Units in Technology Incubation Centers: - Lokoja, Makurdi, Nassarawa, Katsina, Gombe, Port – Harcourt, Kaduna, Jalingo, Enugu, Maiduguri, Bauchi, Yola, Kano, Gusau, Sokoto, Akure, B/Kebbi, Igbotako, Nnewi, Aba, Warri, Benin, Agege, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Okwe and Ilorin.

LOT8:- Design and Construction of New Technology Incubation Centres: - Gombe and Oka Akoko.

LOT9:- Design and Construction of conference / exhibition Hall in Abeokuta Centre.

LOT10:- Rehabilitation of existing infrastructure at the following Technology Incubation Centers: - Okwe, Ibadan, Bauchi, Benin, B/Kebbi, Kano, Maiduguri,

4.0 Submission All amended pre-qualification documents where applicable must be in sealed envelope marked: Confidential pre-qualification for NBTI 2014 fiscal year capital projects and the LOT of interest clearly printed at the top left corner of the envelope and submitted on or before Wednesday 25th June, 2014 to: THE DIRECTOR- GENERAL/CEO, NATIONAL BOARD FOR TECHNOLOGY INCUBATION, WAEC BUILDING, NO 10 ZAMBEZI CRESCENT, MAITAMA, ABUJA. 5.0 CAVEAT: This notice is applicable to only Contractors / Companies that have submitted Pre – qualification documents before the closure date of the earlier advert. Also note that only pre-qualified companies shall be invited in writing or through publication.

Signed:

Management

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

zonal watch

OYO STATE OGUN STATE LAGOS STATE ONDO STATE EKITI STATE OSUN STATE

Ogun: Ogun Water Regulatory Commission, Urban Water Sector Law Underway - GM

By GBenGA AdeBoye, Abeokuta

The general manager, Ogun State Water Corporation, Mrs Monsurat Agboola has said that the corporation has concluded arrangements to present a bill on “Ogun State Water Regulatory Commission and Ogun State Urban Water Sector’’ to the State House of Assembly for consideration.

The bill if passed by the lawmakers and assented to by the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, according to the GM in a statement by the corporation’s media officer, Mr Ayokunle Ewuoso, would give

room for Public Private Partnership (PPP), that would enable the corporation to draw investment from foreign and local investors.

According to Engineer Agboola, a drafting committee comprising officers from the legal department of the corporation, officers of the Ministry of Justice and other relevant agencies were saddled with the responsibility of drafting the bill which she said already had the backing of the state executive council before it was sent to the House of Assembly through the Bureau of Cabinet and Special Services.

“The committee consulted exist-

ing policies of the national draft, took a look at the Uganda water law, looked at the municipal water law in one state in the United Kingdom and some Nigerian laws were put into consideration before coming up with the draft bill’’, she noted.

The general manager pointed out that the Regulatory Commission would serve as an umpire between the suppliers and the consumers as it would be in the position of settling issues either between the consumers and the corporation or the consumers and the private investors, adding that the commission

would also have the authority of fixing water tariff.

“This bill allocates water right appropriately among stakeholders; it also imbibes international best practices in the sector and spells out responsibilities to all within a strategic and institutional framework that epitomises the dreams and desires of Ogun State citizens.

It encapsulates the rational, strategic content, dramatis personae, institutional framework and synergies to achieve the vision of the governor in providing potable water to all citizens of the state’’, Agboola remarked.

LAGOS: Lagos Deputy Gov Advocates Life Imprisonment For Rapists, Paedophiles

By AdeBAyo WAheed, Ibadan

deputy governor of ekiti State, Prof Modupe Adelabu, speaking at ireti Ayo Quarters, Mission School Area in Ado-ekiti, after inspecting some projects executed by the Kayode Fayemi administration in the area at the weekend.

Ekiti: Why Fayemi Is Different From Others - Deputy

by Alo AbiolA, Ado-Ekiti

The deputy governor of Ekiti State, Prof Modupe Adelabu has said that the achievements of Governor Kayode Fayemi across the 16 local government areas of the state have distinguished him from other candidates jostling for the governor-

ship seat in the land of Honour State .

According to the deputy governor, Dr Fayemi is seeking a second term mandate based on the strength of his performance and because he has kept faith with the pact he made in the Roadmap to Ekiti Recovery, the Eight-Point Agenda of his

administration, while his opponents in other political parties are merely making campaign promises.

Mrs Adelabu made the remark during the inspection of some of the roads that were recently graded in various quarters across the 13 wards of AdoEkiti, the state capital.

Ekiti: Why We Are Backing Fayemi – PDP Elders

By Alo ABiolA, Ado Ekiti

Some elders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State at the weekend made good their promise not to work for the party’s candidate, Mr Ayo Fayose as they publicly declared their support for the re-election of Governor Kayode Fayemi.

Two of the 18 PDP stake-

holders who had a few days ago signed an advertorial dissociating themselves from Fayose’s candidature, Justice Edward Ojuolape (rtd) and Chief Dapo Alibaloye, had at the adoption of Governor Fayemi by Ekiti indigenes in Ondo State, said they were supporting Fayemi to continue his good works in Ekiti beyond 2014 because the candidate

of the PDP does not possess the qualities that dignify the personality of Ekiti State.

Ojuolape and Alibaloye who were at the adoption meeting

by Ekiti Descendants Union in Akure on Saturday, said the state does not need a governor who lacks character and who neither respects elders nor the office of the governor.

Piqued by the increasing cases of rape and other forms of sexual harassment against women and children, Lagos State deputy governor, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has advocated life imprisonment for convicted rapists and paedophiles to act as deterrence to people committing the crime.

The deputy governor who made the call at a press briefing to commemorate this year’s International Day of the African Child also advocated compulsory psychiatric test for paedophiles and rapists.

She affirmed that with such stringent punishment like life jail terms without options of fine for the offenders, there will be a significant reduction in rape cases across the country.

The deputy governor said, “We must jointly be committed to putting a stop to all forms of sexual harassment, assault and abuse, particularly rape cases against our girl-children.

Parents should not hesitate to report such cases to the police in order to expose and prosecute the offenders to serve as a deterrent to others. Again, we must all break the culture of keeping silent on rape cases and violence.

“Recently, I made an assertion that with the increase in rape cases and sexual harassment, there is perhaps the need to make psychiatric test compulsory for some men especially the perpetrators, as part of the routine checks.

“I notice sociopathic tendencies in some men; a situation where a father impregnates his own daughter or a blood brother impregnates his sister or an uncle impregnating his cousin cannot be explained and calls for concern”.

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INTERVAL 31

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Niche Marketing: How Goldberg’s Strategy Revs Product Equity

By SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH

The cutthroat competition in today’s business environment which has been spawned by the industrial age ideational frame work is massive. This is primarily based on the reality that the business trajectory of a vibrant, vociferous and massive brand category involves a far-reaching complex web of strategies.

Hence market strategists, and brand experts alike, are evolving exceptional business approaches and models that investigate consumer’s interests, hobbies, age group, gender, social background, ethnicity, religion, lifestyle, and educational background, among others.

By efficiently deploying a proactive marketing niche system, multi-nationals can develop a brand targeted to a certain consumer demographic and lifestyle. This is achieved by gathering data on the inclinations and preferences of the target market; a business can position niche marketing campaigns to appeal directly to the desired purchasers of the product. Having a specific target also allows businesses to test specific advertising campaigns and refine the strategy based on the desired outcome.

Within the global marketing sphere also, niche marketing has become a veritable business tactics which harnesses market feasibility rules of profitability, growth potential and sustainability. In order words, as a strategy, niche marketing festooned on market positioning among a sea of me-too products within a brand category.

Marketing experts are unanimous that niche marketing can be beneficial for several reasons. It has become marketing strategy that can be tailored to the specific product, thereby creating a more effective overall advertising campaign. Niche marketing also narrows the focus on potential buyers which

(L-R) Brand Manager Goldberg Lager Beer, Bassey Mfon, Winners of the Fuji T’o Bam Contest, Twinzobia Twin Taiwo and Kehinde Ali at the presentation of cheque during the grand finale of the Goldberg Fuji T’o Bam in Ibadan

allows specialized businesses to implement marketing plans that highlight areas of a product that will appeal most to a certain demographic.

Among beer consumers and marketing experts in Nigeria, it has become public knowledge that urban areas such as Lagos, Abuja, and Port Hacourt are overcrowded with several beer brands. As such, the cluttered beer market has made it increasingly difficult for discerning beer brands to rev market share. Hence, the Goldberg activation tagged Fuji T’ o Bam is exemplary of niche marketing. As a result, the beer brand has garnered visibility and an appreciable chunk of market share owing to its niche marketing approach.

In essence, it exploited the activation to its fullest. After a month of thrills, excitement and emotions, the second edition of Goldberg Fuji T’o Bam came to an impressive end recently at the Trans Amusement Park in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The tension soaked finale was charged and breathtaking as the

six contestants that qualified for the finals were locked in a battle of wits for the grand prize of N750,000. In the end, Twinzobia Twins from Ibadan, Oyo State emerged winners. Okiki Akeem from Osogbo, Osun State grabbed the N350,000 first runner up prize, while Temitope Ajani went home with N200,000 as the second runner up.

The six contestants that took part in the finals were, Akeem Okiki, Temitope Ajani, Twinzobia, Ejire Performer, Olajide Akanni, aka Banana and Muhideen Adisa. The night kicked-off with each of the contestants taking turns to display various Fuji theatrics to the admiration of the judges and the audience that thronged the venue of the event.

The high point of the event was the impressive performance

by Fuji great Alhaji King Saheed Osupa, aka Saridon P who thrilled the fans with his hit songs to the admiration of the crowd who seem to want more from him.

The night was also a gathering of the best of fuji musicians as

international fuji icons, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1), the Oluaye of Fuji, Alhaji Taye Adebisi, aka Taye Currency, current Goldberg Ambassador, Nurudeen Atanda and other fuji stars thrilled the audience. It was a standing ovation all through as the musicians hit the stage to dish out the latest Fuji hit songs.

It would be recalled that marketing director Nigerian Breweries Plc, Walter Drenth had during the preliminary stages expressed great satisfaction over the huge turn-out of Fuji lovers and artistes. While explaining the rationale behind Goldberg’s Fuji T’o Bam initiative, he said, “Goldberg is a quality lager beer that celebrates consumers and their traditional values. Fuji music enjoys huge followership across Nigeria which has led the brand to provide the Fuji T’o Bam as one of the platforms to further engage and connect with our consumers.”

He also added that the programme was a worthwhile event. “The Goldberg brand believes that many parts of the country are endowed with talents

We Are Proud Of Flavour As An Ambassador – GLOBACOM

By SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH

Telecommunications giant, Globacom, has said it is proud of the urban high-life crooner, Izuchukwu Chinedu Okolie popularly known as Flavour as a Glo ambassador.

The musician won the Best Live Act on Stage award at the 2014 edition of MTV African Music Award (MAMA) which was held on Saturday night at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Durban, South Africa.

He beat three other nominees to win the award. The MAMA, which recognises and rewards talented African artistes in various genres,

had other Nigerian artistes winning six awards out of the eighteen categories available this year.

According to a statement from Globacom headquarters, “Flavour’s award is a testimony of his hard work and dedication to his music career through the years. He has distinguished himself as one of Africa’s finest artistes. It is a well-deserved honour and we are proud of him as a worthy Glo ambassador,” the statement added.

Speaking on his award, Flavour, who was overwhelmed by the pronouncement, attributed the award to his persistence and

consistency. He said: “Thank God for winning the award. I see it as the result of hard work. Hard work pays, Flavour said so.” Flavour dedicated his award to his band members.

The MTV Africa Music Award was instituted by the music and lifestyle channel, MTV Base, to recognize creative African talents who excelled over the past years in the showbiz industry and society.

This year’s edition of the event was hosted by US stand-up comic and actor, Marlon Wayans.

Flavour also performed at the event as a guest artiste alongside other notable Nigerian artistes, including Phyno and Ice Prince.

Flavour

in music yet to be discovered; and I believe that as the talent hunt contest progresses, Fuji T’o Bam will discover more Fuji talents that will become great music icons like K1, Pasuma, Saheed Osupa and others”.

In his comments, brand manager Goldberg, Bassey Mfon, stated that the brand believed that Nigeria has so much talent as shown in the contestants.

“We will as a brand continue to connect with our consumers through what appeals to them and give desired satisfaction.”

He further disclosed that Fuji T’o bam will continue to get bigger and reach out to more people in the next edition.

Taiwo Ali, representative of the Twinzobia Twin who was full of emotions, expressed happiness for being part of the winning team. “I really feel very happy today,” he said, adding “it has been God all along. The competition was very challenging because there were many good Fuji talents who participated from the audition through to the final stage. We are delighted to have emerged as the best for 2014. We will forever be grateful to Goldberg for creating the platform for us to display our talent and get a huge reward for it.

He added that they would continue to work on their act as they prepare for the future which they believe would be worth the energy they expended in participating in the competition.

On their part, consumers who thronged the venues of the activations applauded the brand for going the extra mile by popularizing Fuji music which Adisa Akanni, a consumer and Fuji enthusiast described as the “best music on earth.” Others poured encomium on the brand for providing the platform that has led to the discovery of new talents who have in turn become agents of development in their various localities.

32 INTERVAL

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

How MI, Flavour, Other Glo Ambassadors Teamed Up For Eagles

By SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH

As the 2014 World Cup gets hotter in Brazil, Nigeria’s leading musicians will, courtesy of Globacom, be singing for the triumph of the Super Eagles at the soccer fiesta.

Gifted rapper MI, “Ada Ada” crooner Flavour, Omawumi, Waje, Wande Coal, Naeto C, Chee the Voice and Ego, who are all Glo ambassadors, were assembled by the company to produce three theme songs to mobilise support for the Nigerian team and fire the players to victory at the mundial.

The songs are Power to Win, powerfully delivered by Flavour and MI; Raise Your Voice, anchored by the Glo All Stars, as well as a medley of popular Nigerian Supporters’ Club chants which Nigerians are enthusiastically downloading as ring back tunes.

The refrain no lele, no yawa in the Raise Your Voice song which in popular Nigerian Pidgin English means “no worries” is resonating with Nigerians who love the reassuring words in the song.

The lyrics says amongst others, that we would raise our flag, we would shine our eyes, we would raise our voice and defend our name. No dulling Naija! Velvety voiced Waje, inimitable Omawumi

IT’S NOT

OVER OMENESA

and sonorous-voiced Chee combined with other A list Glo ambassadors to encourage Nigerians to lend their voices to support Eagles’ World Cup campaign.

The Supporters’ Club chant is a medley of folkloric and religious songs in the three major Nigerian languages of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba.

These songs are prayers to God, meant to serve as rallying appeal to Nigerians to support the Super Eagles with prayers and positive comments.

Indeed, the Raise Your Voice song seeks to achieve this by catching the attention of all.

The Supporters’ Club chants begin with a call for fair officiating in Yoruba language, urging the referee to be impartial. This is closely followed by other prayerful Yoruba songs tagged Baba ti bawa se and Sa ma sinwalo, expressing the hope that God would see the Super Eagles through the World Cup campaign. All the Yoruba songs were anchored by Wande Coal.

The Igbo choruses, led

by Flavour and Naeto C, have great danceable instrumentations that create a picture of football action on the field of play in the people’s minds when the song is played. The beats also elicit interminable thirst and hunger for victory for the

I Am Ugly!

Omenesa.

The week of my return was an absolute nightmare. oruma@yahoo.com 08176324382 (SMS) Everywhere I turned, I heard, "Why are you so fat?" "You are I just returned from my bloated, it's not fair." Among session on Moments with all these ‘compliments,” the Mo on ELTV (Dstv Channel one that hurt me the most 165). It was absolutely was "Why is your face so fat? amazing, being there with I thought you were planning the wonderful crew and my on exercising." At this point, husband. Everything was just I envisioned slapping the so perfect. My story, from daylight out of this person, but my health to my numerous refrained from embarrassing escapades and how I found myself. The thought was good God and my Better Half in the enough! process, was all documented.

Then I got to thinking, wait I mean, everything was great, a minute. I had to realise that but while getting my make- it didn't matter what people up done, I felt ugly. Yes, I said about me, all that matters felt ugly. The make-up was is what I say and feel about beautiful and the colours myself. What's really making were radiant, but I was ugly. you sad; is it that you're fat Why? My face was fuller and or because people noticed? I my cheek bones which I used realised that we find solace to be proud of were gone! in self-deceit and denial, and All I saw was a bloated, ugly totally lash out at concerned, ORUMA AKOMOLAFE

Super Eagles each time they take to the field during the World Cup matches.

Chief amongst the Igbo songs are the Otitikpokpotikpo, an Igbo exhortative chant and Onye n’eme nma which exalts the goodness of God. Choruses rendered in Hausa were anchored by Bez Idakula who hails from Nasarawa State. With the other ambassadors backing him up, he sang the universal Ole, Ole!, a celebratory chorus that inspires teams to victory.

The song like When Nigeria beat Brazil r e m i n d s Nigerians of the golden m o m e n t when the country won the Olympic gold medal in football at the expense of football giants like Brazil and Argentina.

Globacom said the essence of the songs was to create the belief in the Super Eagles and Nigerians that with hard work, dedication and the support of 160 million passionate Nigerians, the team can excel in Brazil.

caring people. Well, some of them are just down-right rude and nosey, but for the most part, they are just taken aback by the changes in your life, that's all. So, there’s no need to sweat. Voices are powerful; therefore, it is important to speak to yourself daily, to combat negative voices.

I have a huge scar on my back from scoliosis. I used to be very conscious of it, until I decided to wear it proudly. I mean, it's not going anywhere, so I might as well flaunt it. I purposely wear bikinis and open-back outfits to boost my self-esteem. Now, I wear it as a reminder that God saved my life during that 18-hour surgery.

Are you deemed to be too fat? Wear it. Too outspoken and nobody likes you? Wear it! Got only a high school diploma? Wear It. Your teeth

are crooked? Wear it. You've got cancer? Wear it. Yes, wear it! Feeling stupid and good for nothing? Wear it! It is ironic for someone to tell you to wear your shame, but you simply have to accept it. Listen for the compliment in the insult.

Look out for the curve in the fat hips. Wear it proudly and take steps to do something about it, if it's really that important to you. Be sensitive to others and love yourself.

Just the other day, I put on an outfit that was bigger than me. Three months ago it was bigger than me, but when I put it on, I looked sexy! Oh Yes, that dress fit on these perfect curves that I'd gained. It had never fit that good. I suddenly got excited to start sewing new outfits to fit my brand new look. Yes, I gained a puffy face too, but I finally got the body I didn't have to undergo surgery

for. Now I know what people mean when they cry over their image. I used to find it so melodramatic. I guess God has truly decided to allow me walk in that shoe, so that I can be an effective minister and counsellor.

While moving to Kentucky from Texas in 2007, I took my luggage to my friends’ house.

Her mother was wearing a ‘Colour 4’ brown, dull wig. Her mother was fair and such a beautiful lady, but that wig was horrendous. Being my flippant self, I laughed and teased her so bad, but she kept laughing.

I walked out of there giggling like an idiot. A few months later, my friend posted on her Facebook page, "RIP MOM".

That's when it hit me that her mother was undergoing chemotherapy, and she had no hair, hence the wig. Enough said!

THE NATION’S CAPITAL 33

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

NGO Promises To Provide Portable Water For FCT Rural Communities

By Igho Oyoyo

One of the dilapidated classrooms of the L.E.A Primary School, in Ijah-Tampe Community, Kwali area council, yesterday. Photo by nan

Talent Hunt: Model Secondary School Unveils Beauty Queen

By Chika Mefor

Following the conclusion of the 2014 edition of its talent-hunt programme, Model Secondary School Maitama, Abuja, has unveiled Miss Maryam Kabir as its 2014 Miss Model Beauty queen.

The talent hunt, organised by De James, a Junior Achievement Student company of the school under the Junior

Achievement Nigeria (JAN) Entrepreneurship Training Scheme, had eight students contesting for the crown, but Kabir emerged winner after the competition.

The programme, tagged “Discovering our tomorrow today,” had students from various schools in Abuja winning various prizes during the raffle draw and displaying their entrepreneurial skills.

While giving a special

presentation during the event, the secretary of the company, Miss Bukola Hamzat, said the company was concerned about nurturing talented students, in order to groom them into achieving their goals in life.

She urged the students to define themselves by their sense of creativity, instead of where they are coming from.

“The reason why our nation is not as developed

as other countries is because stereotypism has become the order of the day; everybody wants to do the same thing and no one wants to be unique.”

Also speaking, the national coordinator of the JAN, Bar. Franca Nnaji Thomas, urged the government to set up institutions to nurture Nigerian kids to develop their talents, just like the JAN is doing.

Council Boss Reiterates Commitment To Early Childhood Education Chika Mefor

The chairman of the Kwali area council, Ibrahim Daniel, has reiterated the council’s commitment to the promotion of early child education and care in the council.

Daniel, who was speaking when a team from the United Nations International Children Educational Fund (UNICEF) lead by their leader, Mallam Adamu Ndagi, paid him a courtesy visit in his office recently, stated that the council has made education its first priority, as no country can move forward with citizens who are unenlightened.

Ndagi stated that the council is willing to partner with the UNICEF, in order to ensure that early child education becomes a paramount thing in the council. He stressed that a good, early foundation in education helps the child ease into primary school and the parents will no longer struggle to get the children to school.

“The council is privileged to have the UNICEF coming into the council to help in the education of our young ones.

It has been the desire of the council to make education our number one priority.

If you want this nation to move forward, you must have

enlightened citizens who will contribute their best to the world.

“It is one of the cardinal things in the council to promote education. This is one of the reasons why the council provided 17-seater buses to all the junior secondary schools in the council,’’ he said.

Earlier, while speaking on the reason for their visit, Ndagi stated that the visit was to revive education in the council and encourage the early enrolment of children in school, assuring that the UNICEF would work with the council for the next four years to improve basic education and, especially,

girl-child education.

“We are bringing more support to what you are doing.

We want to see how we can get more girls into school.

We are not playing down the education of the boy-child; rather, we are using them to challenge the boys.

“We want to see early childhood care, which can be called ‘pre-primary’ or ‘nursery’. It is a policy of the government that, in every school, there should be early child-care, because it helps in easy transit to Primary 1. It also helps early stimulation and learning. It is very important globally,’’ he said.

A non-governmental organisation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Soroptimist International aka Best Sisters, has promised to provide potable water in rural communities in the FCT, in order to eradicate water-borne diseases and improve hygiene.

The president of the NGO, Anthonia Okoli, who listed the provision of potable water in rural communities in FCT as her priority, revealed that, given that the NGO specialises in providing humanitarian services through provision of basic needs to the society’s indigent, there is the need to ensure that smiles are put on the face of benefactors.

“This organisation’s primary duty is to make life meaningful for the poorest of us, especially women and girls. Our aim is to create a society where there will be equity and for people to live a decent life. I will do all within my power, by God’s grace, to touch as many lives as possible. I enjoin well-meaning Nigerians, friends and relations to key into this version,” she said during her installation as the 13th president of the NGO, in Abuja. Earlier, the immediate past president of the organisation, BS Medinah Huthman, described the body’s mission as an “inspired action that creates opportunities to transform the lives of women and girls through a global network of members and international partnerships”.

Emergency Committees Underway In Area Councils

By Nkechi Isaac

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has revealed its intention to set up local emergency committees in the six area councils of the territory.

This was disclosed by the director-general of the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Alhaji Abbas Idriss, while donating relief materials to members of the Sabon Gari Bassa Community in Kwali area council, whose homes and farmlands were destroyed by a windstorm, in conjunction with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

According to Idriss, the local emergency committee will be a representation of its parent body in the community and will liaise with it to ensure risk reduction and rapid response in times of disaster in the locality.

Idriss thanked the chairman of the council, Hon. Daniel Ibrahim, for his unflinching support to the FEMA and asked for his assistance to set-up the committee in the council.

Earlier, in his remarks, Hon. Ibrahim expressed his appreciation to the FCT Administration (FCTA) who deemed it important to respond to the difficulties hardship being faced by the Sabon Gari Bassa people of council.

“This exercise shows that the FCTA and the federal government have the interest of the community at heart,” he said.

He further appealed to the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the relief material which have been provided.

In his address, the zonal coordinator of the NEMA, Mr. Ishaya Isah Chonoko, advised the community residents to plant more trees in their domains, in order to prevent future wind-related destruction.

According to the head of the agency’s public relations unit, Josie Mudasiru, the relief materials donated included mattresses, pillows, bags of rice, garri, beans, roofing sheets, wrappers, nails, blankets and bags of cements.

34 issues

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Life After Service: The Rai-son Dètre For NPF Pensions

By CSP Frank Mba

Day and night, in peace as in times of crisis, they toil in spite of the elemental forces of the sun, heat, wind, rain and other adverse weather conditions. Herculean indeed is the task of providing effective security and safety for their beloved country and people.

Yet, it is true that nothing borders these unsung heroes and longsuffering Policemen as much as their retirement benefits.

These worries are not unwarranted against a long and bitter history, better to be forgotten - a history of pension funds embezzled by corrupt civil servants, of gratuity and other emoluments not paid at all or paid belatedly in meaningless bits and pieces, or of Police retirees dying in endless queues while awaiting their benefits. Arguably, as the bitter groans and ululations of unhappy retirees from other Parastatals and agencies did demonstrate, the pain and anguish suffered then were not limited to Policemen alone, it was a general malaise. This state of affairs compelled the Federal Government to enact the Pension Reform Act (PRA), 2004 which replaced the old public sector operated Defined Benefit Scheme with the present Contributory Pension Scheme.

Of course, the present scheme is miles away better than the old one and many literatures have been written in praise of the Federal Government for this.

Equally commendable are the efforts tailored towards making the Scheme better. However, even under the present scheme, some of the complaints raised above still persist. These include: under-payment of retirement benefits, low remittances and in some cases non-remittance of Pension contributions as well as undue administrative protocols deliberately created by some Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).

This paper therefore, is at once celebratory as it is, as well, an attempt to tell the true story on why the Nigeria Police Force opted to have its own limited liability company, the NPF Pension Limited which is to operate as a Pension Fund Administrator to exclusively manage the Pension contributions of the personnel of the Force.

In view of the above observations and desirous of an exemption from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) just as was done for the Military and the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force approached the Federal Government but that request was turned down, ostensibly because it was argued that since the Police Force commands the largest staff

strength, having over 300,000 officers and men, its exiting from the scheme will be counterproductive and adversely affect the financial stability of the scheme.

The Force however did not give up the fight and subsequently, the Federal Government directed that administrative solutions be adopted to address the genuine grievances of the Police within the framework of the pension law.

In line with the Federal Government’s directive therefore and in compliance with relevant provisions of the PRA 2004, the Police High Command then set up the NPF Pensions limited which subsequently applied to the National Pension Commission (PenCom) for license to operate as a PFA, exclusively for the Force, in order to address the peculiar concerns of Police officers. But like the proverbial camel passing through the eye of a needle, the task was tortuous and seemed insurmountable. In fact, the road to the accomplishment of this feat was strewn with thorns and thistles but NPF Pensions Limited overcame it all. The Commission felt satisfied that NPF Pension Limited had met all the stringent conditions required and therefore granted it an Approval-inPrinciple (A-I-P) for a license to operate as a PFA. Indeed, there is a strong reason to celebrate the Approvalin-Principle (A-I-P) granted which has qualified it for a license to operate as a Pension Fund Administrator that will exclusively manage the pension contributions of the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force. Needless to say that Police Pension Funds are funds meant to settle officers and men of the Nigeria Police upon retirement, in line with the Pension Reform Act (PRA) of 2004.

Some commentators on pension matters have however expressed fear and uncertainty that the setting up of the NPF Pensions Limited and granting it an Approval-In-Principle (A-I-P) for a license to manage the pension contributions of Police personnel will constitute a major threat to the N4 trillion pension assets, in view of the safety and professional management of the fund. What an unwarranted and misplaced fear!

In one of its recent publications, the National Pension Commission (PenCom) painstakingly addressed these concerns. It explained in very lucid and concise terms that there were no bases for such doubts and fears in view of the fact that the management and custody of Pension assets are respectively undertaken by separate licensed operators, namely the PFAs and Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs) under the strict supervision of the

IGP Abubakar

Commission. Expatiating further on the matter, PenCom made it distinctly clear that first, only the administration of RSAs of Police personnel is being transferred to NPF Pensions Limited and not cash since the money will remain in the custody of licensed PFCs. Second, that it has designed an operational framework guiding the re-assignment of Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and transfer of records of all Nigeria Police Contributors to the NPF Pensions Limited in eighteen months period.

It is worth mentioning however, that in spite of the fact that the NPF Pensions Limited was established by the Nigeria Police Force, it is nonetheless, a limited liability company independently managed by experienced professionals who have been certified as ‘fit and proper persons’ by the Commission. Besides, the Nigeria Police have never been involved in Pension Fund mismanagement or embezzlement. Rather, they have been the victims who have suffered severely because some Federal civil servants entrusted with their Pension Funds had stolen their money. However, blaming the victims for woes they did not inflict on themselves, is at best an unkind cut and an injustice of the worst kind! As earlier stated, one of the reasons the Police Force opted to have its PFA is to right the wrongs of the past and prevent a repeat of becoming perpetual victims in our country.

Our history of excellent management of corporate entities is incontestable. Companies such as NPF Microfinance Bank Plc, NPF Mortgage Bank Plc, NPF HMO and NPF Multipurpose Cooperatives Limited which have been operating profitably

over the years under the relevant regulatory agencies are proudly owned by the Police. The NPF Microfinance PLC is quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and is the undisputed and widely acknowledged best Microfinance Bank in the Country.

It needs be stated that the setting up of the NPF Pensions Limited is worthy of celebration.

Its operation offers an average Policeman a sense of fulfillment as issues relating to his job and career would be ably addressed to suit his peculiar needs. Firstly, it will help to address the issue of multiple registrations peculiar with existing PFAs. Secondly, it will ensure uniformity in contribution and accurate remittance of pension retirement benefits to all retirees under the scheme.

Thirdly, in all Police Commands there will be Pension desks, manned by officers, which will be integrated electronically with the NPF Pensions Limited to enable easier and faster transactions between Police officers and their PFA. No doubt, this will facilitate prompt payment of retirement benefits with little bureaucratic processes.

Fourthly, it will afford commensurate returns on investments arising from operational profits which NPF Pensions Limited can make and this will be ploughed back to improve Police welfare.

Fifthly, NPF Pensions Limited will provide another opening for job opportunities for Nigerians, thereby helping to tackle the problem of unemployment and other social ills, including crimes often associated with lack of decent jobs.

– CSP Frank Mba, is the Force Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Police Force

It is worth mentioning however, that in spite of the fact that the NPF Pensions Limited was established by the Nigeria Police Force, it is nonetheless, a limited liability company independently managed by experienced professionals

35

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

online

reactions

Army Arrests 486 Suspected Insurgents In Abia

17/06/2014

3 months After Immigration Tragedy: Same Firm Recruits For Army, Navy, Police

Keep up with updates on these stories @ www.leadership.ng You Can Follow Us On Twitter: @LeadershipNGA Facebook: Leadership Newspapers Google+: Leadership.NG Linkedin: Leadership Newspaper Blackberry PIN: 7530EC8C

David Mark Tipped To Head ‘Transitional Govt’

Minimah

Yusuf Aliyu Leave innocent people alone! Go to Sambisa and arrest the real insurgents.

Ogunyemi Blessed Chei! So we have been sitting on a keg of gunpowder! 486 insurgents! Wahala dey o.

Ofoha Chinedu Abia is God’s own state, but it does not mean that we should welcome Boko Haram in our mist. If after interrogation, they are found not guilty, they are free to stay with us.

Yusuf Muhammad Rabiu Even the army in Borno State has never arrested 486 since the Boko Haram insurgency.

Nkechi Nmereole God will not allow them succeed o!

Yakubu Yahaya The issue should be properly investigated, so that their rights will not be violated.

Chika Claude They should be deported back to their states of origin.

Jacob Ode Oyaje Leave innocent people alone! The whole world knows where Boko Haram is. Our security operatives should go after the real Boko Haram.

Idris Jatto Shuaib I hope these people arrested are not innocent traders? We have had similar cases in the past.

Paradang

Oduniyi O. Kayode We have not heard anything about the NIS recruitment again! I hope Nigerians are watching!

Suleiman M. Abbas The firm must either be owned by a chieftain of the ruling party.

Usman Okene The firm is untouchable! We

are, indeed, in an era of “Animal Farm.”

Akpaja Godwin Bassey Unveil the corporate veil of that firm and you will be shocked to find out that the faces behind the masquerades are the “high and mighty.” Since they were not sanctioned for their dastardly role in the NIS recruitment exercise, why won’t they continue?

ICPC Seizes 372 Passports To Eliminate Visa Scam

Why I Boycotted APC Convention – Ikimi

Banks Refund N14.6bn Fraudulent Charges To Customers

Subscribe to LEADERSHIP Newsletter today for your daily news highlight.

Sign up with an email (It’s free) Ikimi

Steve Ibrahim Please do not leave APC! Muhammad Mudathir Inuwa Ali What manner of politics and politicians! So because you were not chosen as party leader you want to leave the party?

Emefiele

Abdulhamid Marshall How can I get my refund?

I have not received any transaction alert.

Monday Onoja Refund to which customers? I don’t know what they are talking about o!

Ejike Macbede Odenigbo I’m waiting!

Ogbodo Jude

Noble Udoka I have not seen any refund o!

Tony Balo Sweetman Here in Nigeria, individuals are more powerful than institutions!

What a pity!

Hon Gideon J Zakwoyi From the beginning, he had been an agent of PDP. I reserve my com-

ments!

Ibrahim Mohammed Ikimi, please return to where you belong! We know you and Ali Modu Sheriff are working for the PDP. Go, Ikimi, go!

Hussaini Markus Democracy in action!

Yakub Auwal Mohammed Mr Ikimi, that is why we are praying for two-party system in Nigeria. If you like, defect to PDP; if you like, remain in APC, the choice is yours. Must you be the chairman of the party?

36 OPINION

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Transformation Drive Of A Servant Leader By ayegba israel ebije

Niger State governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu who has expressed himself as a good student of history has since thrown his weight behind the education sector, taking it from challenges in the sector where school administrators engaged in nefarious activities cutting across outright stealing of funds meant for academic exercises.

Before Governor Aliyu came on board as governor, parents were confused, classes were completely empty, the system was operating according to its own whimsical drive based strictly on the wind pressure of those profiting from the lugubrious trade of selling off the future of the youth.

To worsen issues, parents had nothing to offer their children or wards. They had no money, hence their school going children had to pull out of the system – a very deadly development considering the negative effect of having indolent and illiterate youthful population in the present escalating security challenges in Nigeria.

In a revolutionary move, Governor Aliyu decided to abolish payment of school fees by parents in all public schools, and registration fees for WAEC, NECO, NABTEB examination since 2008, which his administration is paying till date.

Thus, parents are presented with the opportunity to use their money for other social and economic needs as government has so far expended billions of naira on education alone. Qualified students have also been sent outside the country to read professional courses such as medicine, engineering among others. Soon these graduates will compete favorably in the labour A most neglected intangible is in the area of managing security.

Many administrations are of the opinion that security votes

Aliyu

are meant to be the prebend of the governor and his cronies but little do they know of its resultant implication on the lives and properties of the people, which often has a very disastrous negative.

For the chief servant, security funds are set aside to engage in detailed security operations to mop off imminent security related challenges and to evacuate volatile situations like the Darul Islam sect in Mokwa local government area, and the latest, the Madinatu Muheenu Bustanul Harifina Dahiratul Nibassiya Islamic sect located in a forest camp at Lapai, Lapai local government area, The community of about 18 people grew to thousands and the government took immediate steps to arrest the situation. Should they have not been evacuated at that time, they could have formed the nucleus of insurgency today. government continues to provide support to security agencies in diverse ways that cannot be quantified or estimated, but the outcome is peace and serenity in the state. It cost a lot of money to remove sects or potential threats

Agricultural subsidy in Niger State has helped to contain the social menace of rural-urban migration

– enough to tempt some moneybased politiciance to overlook the import of treating security issues.

A crossbreed between tangible and intangible is the case where the Niger State government has created and sustained interventions between muslims and christians.

The administration of the chief servant established the Ministry of Religious Affairs which has indeed helped in creating an environment where both religious groups have opportunity of having social and psychological understanding of themselves.

The building of an ecumenical center running into billions of naira, as well as renovation of churches and mosques across the state has further raised awareness of brotherliness through one God irrespective of different mode of worship. The hate, the confusion, the stereotype, the gaps have indeed been bridged cancelling out friction or tension.

Monies have also been expended in subsidizing agriculture by a subsidy granted by the chief servant from 2007 to date resulting in 70% reduction annually. Now with the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme, smallholder farmers have easy access to fertilizer. Hitherto, it was a cartel that handled fertilizer supply and distribution, where people made huge profits from the subsidy to the detriment of the farmers.

Agricultural subsidy in Niger State has helped to contain the social menace of rural-urban migration because most of the things they need to enjoy in urban locations or cities are now available in the rural areas. There is thus the need to recognise the rural development drive of the government that has generated more positive and tangible outcomes.

– Ebije is chief press secretary to Niger State Governor

tribute Farewell To A Worthy Mother BY musa wada

Death is inevitable and every soul will have a taste of it (Qur’an 3>185). It will surely come when it will come. It is a necessary end of every mortal on earth. It does not respect anybody, whether highly placed or not. Nobody has immunity from death. In fact, nobody is guaranteed eternal life.

The truth is that no one lives eternally. Some people live life till they attain old age, some die even before they are born, and yet some die at the peak of their career. So when on Saturday 31ist when the so

it was when Saturday May 31 hundreds were shocked by the announcement of the death of Hajiya Zainab Ibrahim Idris, the first lady of kogi State between 2003 to 2012, and mother of the amiable Honourable Mohammed.

To any one that knew or heard of her, Mama as she was fondly called by her loved ones was the most humble, and gentle human being you could ever meet. An endless list of complimentary words cannot define the incredible person that this astoundingly selfless mother was, she was the

pride of her family, the most compassionate first lady , the most caring mother any child could wish for, a devoted wife, a faithful friend and a priceless assest to the state. We mourn her passing away two weeks to her 59th birthday. We also reflect on the impact she made in her position as the first lady through her pet project. She was without doubt one of the most successful and respected figure in Kogi State. As first lady she was very much respected and the human qualities and unassuming way in which she conducted herself set her apart as a role

model for the state and the country at large.

While we understand the inevitability of death, we appreciate how Hajiya Zainab will be missed by all who knew her. Indeed, a vacuum difficult to fill has been created, but we fervently pray that almighty Allah grant her pardon and a peacefull abode in paradise.

May God grant Honourable Mohammed and the rest of his family members, the fortitude to bear this inconsolable loss.

Adieu Mama. Your memory lives forever in our heart.

–Walda contributed this piece from Abuja

Rights Watch Emmanuel Onwubiko www.huriwa.blogspot.com

Military Repression Of Press Freedom

I

n the first installment of our reflection on the emerging dangerous scenario of attempts by ‘khaki boys’ to return Nigeria to the infamous period of oppressive witch-hunt against media practitioners, it will be apt to recall the jailing of two journalists, Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor by the General Muhammadu Buhari’s military regime We were able to establish without a shadow of doubt that the extent of rot that would follow the sinister attempts by the military to muzzle the press is that government of the day may have given authorisation for the institutionalisation of impunity, lawlessness and the resort to self -help and this goes a long way to give further weapon to the evil practitioners of jungle justice.

What will the federal government tell all those in the riotous crowd of irrational public who take delight in lynching suspected criminals? If section 6 so validates the constitutional supremacy of the law courts as the only independent arbiter in all disputes, why then will the government stand by and seek to justify these acts of infamy and injustice against the media? Again, as I had written above, the actions of the Nigerian military in stopping media houses from reaching their readers with their newspapers and at the same time bring up some irrational and spurious arguments to justify these outrageous and primitive acts of mischief is like the action of the serial rapist who while committing rape may be thinking that he is deriving maximum pleasure from this infamy not until he is punished or he may as well continue in the atrocious act believing that might is right.

The government must stop justifying acts of irrational attacks against the media by the military because the implication is that if they succeed in muzzling the press which is a strategic tool for sustaining the current democratic experiment then they will go for the jugulars of the civilian administrators who were democratically elected. Section 22 and section 39 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 (as amended) are very clear on the fundamental freedoms guaranteed to both the media and the citizenry regarding freedom of information.

The most interesting dimension of all these acts of treachery by the military is that these criminal acts are all happening right under the nose of these same civilian leaders who were elected by the people in line with the constitution which is now being raped by the Nigerian military. The military is also an institution and a creation of the constitution and so I am shocked that in this 21lst century Nigeria, that the military will seek to take us back to the medieval period whereby the emperors elevated their selfish interests to the supreme laws of their respective constituencies.

The Nigerian government must caution these military operatives to stop taking the laws into their hands and to seek legal redress if they perceive the media has violated any of their legal interest but it is certainly not against national security interest for the media to focus on some acts of suspected corruption that may have happened in the military since no institution in Nigeria is above the law.

As my Igbo people would say please let President Jonathan remove the hands of the monkey from the soup before they change to human hands.

politics today Wednesday, June 18, 2014

37

REPORTS ANALYSES REVIEWS INTERVIEWS

REVIEW

When South East Govs Don’t Wish Themselves In Jonathan’s Shoe Jonathan

Buhari

Jonathan: Gauging Political Tide With lnter-party Summit?

The All Political Summit convened by President Goodluck Jonathan last week is an indication that despite its counter-rack against opposition’s consistent political attack, Aso Rock could as well be craving for a political serenity ahead of 2015. GEORGE AGBA reports the event.

T

he All-Political Parties Summit held last Thursday at the International Conference Centre, Abuja wouldn’t have come at a better time than this. Political observers believe that it was a step in the right direction taken by Aso Rock.

As far as they are concerned, the tensed political atmosphere being provoked by the security challenges needed a neutralizer in the build up to the 2015 general elections.

By convening the summit, President Jonathan demonstrated that as a leader, he could as well act as a pathfinder in promoting jovial and positive relationship amongst all political parties.

Where others see chaos, the president may have noticed that there could be concordance in the seeming dis-

cord pervading the country’s political space. “Political parties must relate with one another and conduct themselves with responsibility and statesmanship, focus on positive inputs into governance whether they are in power at present or not”, he told participants at the summit.

It was not as if General Abudlsalami Abubakar (rtd) who is also a former military head of state as General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) did not deserve the kind of accolade they later got from Jonathan.

But the president singled out Buhari, his major opponent in the 2011 presidential election to thank specifically for making out time to attend the interparty summit despite the fact that this was a very busy period for his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I must express my pro-

Abubakar

found gratitude to all the political parties that answered this clarion call today. General Buhari has indeed demonstrated statesmanship and patriotism as well as the willingness to put partisanship aside in the ➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 38 Donald Ojogo, Group Politics Editor

Southeast governors came to Aso Rock on Monday to sympathise with President Goodluck Jonathan. Their mission, according to Anambra State Governor, Willy Obiano was to assure the president of their full support against those putting him under undue pressure in the face of security challenges.

He said it amounted to “pouring kerosene to fire”. He explained that their solidarity visit was necessary to counter those bent on making Jonathan’s job more difficult that it should be.

Obiano said; “The Southeast governors came this morning to assure him that we are with him all through the way and that he can count on us. The President is a human being and he is under a lot of pressure, and some other people are making the work a lot more difficult for him.

“Instead of supporting him to steer us out of these stormy waters, they are adding kerosene to fire. So we are here to tell him that we are here supporting him and that he should count on us”.

But when asked by State House correspondents whether it was not possible that the terrorist attacks by Boko Haram would not get to the Southeast region in view of the attempted bombing of a church in Owerri, Imo state, Obiano’s reply was no different from that of someone shouting “blood of Jesus” in the face of danger.

Obiano said that was not possible because the people of the region were alert enough to avert such incidents.

He said, “No, they can’t get there; I can assure you of that. We will not allow that to happen. I can’t tell you in any material details about bombs found or not found. All I can assure you is that we are very alert in the Southeast and we are watching what is going on. I can assure you that Boko Haram cannot come to the Southeast”.

By interpolation, the governor may have made it clear that he was not ready to be in the shoes of the man he had come to sympathise with. That someone goes mourning the death of another does not mean he wished to die himself.

By George Agba

38 POLITICS TODAY

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Jonathan: Gauging Political Tide With lnter-party Summit? ➔ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

collective preserve of our nationhood”.

Jonathan noted; “rancor-free relationship amongst political parties in their conducts, acts and utterances cannot be overemphasised”.

Apparently aware of the enormous challenges ahead of the 2015 general polls, Jonathan may have seen the need to mend fences. Hence, the need for such a summit could not have been more aptly desirable.

According to him, the summit of all political parties with the theme; “Inter-party Collaboration/National Stability and Democratic Consolidation”, offered the opportunity for political parties and politicians to reflect and review the possible consequences of their actions.

The president said; “Inter party relations and collaborations make it incumbent on the party in power to govern in recognition of beneficial voices and views of political party and vice versa for the parties out of government to proffer issue based engagement towards improved performance in governance and service delivery to the people.

“The onset of the fourth republic, the institutionalization of the inter party mechanism was domiciled in the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter- party Affairs.

“The concept of inter party relations and collaboration presupposes that even though political parties may differ in ideology, process and structure of governance, they must remain united in the common objective of preserving and consolidating the nation’s unity and its democratic foundation”.

He further warned against anti-democratic forces who, he said, might want to take advantage of certain loopholes in the electoral processes to truncate the 2015 general elections.

He noted that the country’s social stability and democratic consolidation would be undermined if critical national political stakeholders indifferently and wrongly presume that the nation’s democratic system has become invincible to be taken for granted without constant and careful monitoring.

Jonathan said; “I agree totally with the Chairman of INEC that we have to be mindful and make our ears to listen very well so that we can save our necks. There are still very remorseless anti- democratic forces operating in the political system, ever ready to exploit lapses in the management of our political and elec-

Mu’azu

Oyegun

Tinubu

Jega

toral processes.

“Some of these forces may indeed during the fourth coming elections as their lifestyle truncate the nation’s hard won democratic liberty. But dear compatriots, with respect to the 2015 elections in particular and our journey as a nation in general, we must never allow these negative forces to prevail.

“This summit must be an occasion for political rejuvenation and re orientation. Its outcome must be a common stand against all and any anti democratic forces that are currently waging vicious and mindless war against the state.

“Fellow compatriots, we must first build a nation before engaging on arguments on how best to run it. The system is not yet so sock proof to withstand

all unguarded and careless political statements and action.

If our state enterprise fails, no political party or politician can stand it”.

Former military head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) joined President Jonathan in sanctifying the political atmosphere.

He charged political parties to caution their members over inflammatory comments. He said they must stop the blame game over insurgency in the country.

“According to him, security is everybody’s business and politicians should desist from making political capital out of the security challenges in the country.

Noting that the greatest challenge facing the country today was “mutual suspicion among

the political class”, Abubakar called on politicians to eschew bitterness and rancour “.

Political parties, he warned, must caution their members to be more constructive in their utterances”, particularly on issue of security, which he said blame game must be put aside”.

Feeling the pulse as well, Buhari who insisted on free and fair election cautioned security agencies against partisanship. In his less than a minute speech, the APC leader implored politicians to learn from the lessons of June 12, 1993.

He said with the annulment of that election, the whole nation lost as there was neither victor nor vanquished. He further said, while the time for blame game was over, past political and electoral experienc-

Jonathan noted; “rancor-free relationship amongst political parties in their conducts, acts and utterances cannot be over-emphasised

POLITICS TODAY 39

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Can Nass Pass PIB Into Law? The delay in the passage the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) increasingly gives credence to reports that the Bill might not be passed by the current Assembly. EDEGBE ODEMWINGIE reports that at best, a watered down Bill making it practically impossible to receive presidential assent appears to be in the making.

T

he long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will potentially end years of uncertainty that has blocked billions of dollars of investment in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas sector.

In technical terms, licensing rounds, contract renewals and investment have been put on hold for over five years pending the possible of the revolutionary Bill.

The PIB is meant to change everything from fiscal terms to overhauling the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) but its comprehensive nature has caused years of disputes between federal lawmakers, oil ministry/presidency and oil majors.

In the House of Representatives, excuses for delay in passing the PIB have come in torrents.

The House in a tame response recently stated that a legislation as “important” as the PIB will not be rushed. In another, it claimed that the PIB was at a “technical stage”.

The facts are, Nigerians have been there before. The Bill, put mildly, has suffered a heavy dose of delays since its introduction.

The seventh legislative session undoubtedly chases history if it can see through the successful passage of the hugely anticipated Bill. The ambitious PIB, which seeks to redirect Nigeria’s oil sector, has been years in the making and several other versions have been inconclusively debated by the National Assembly.

According to the petroleum minister, the PIB if passed will be fully operational in approximately seven years

A politicised PIB? Institutions, individuals from the country’s north and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) have also faulted the enormous powers granted the petroleum minister.

Northern elements have also consistently rejected the 10 per cent Petroleum Host Communities Fund, both contentious provisions contained in the PIB. Nigeria’s petroleum minister, Deziani Allison-Madueke stated at a legislative hearing that the PIB has been unduly politicised and personalised in many quarters. She insisted that the PIB provides a win-win situation for oil companies, the federal gov-

ernment and relevant stakeholders.

According to the petroleum minister, the PIB if passed will be fully operational in approximately seven years. Allison-Madueke stated that contrary to notions in select quarters, the PIB has reduced the powers of the petroleum minister.

She said; “Full and efficient implementation of any law as robust as the PIB takes a number years. You cannot pass or promulgate a bill into law overnight and that is quite obvious.

“But a complex one that has many facets to it takes a number of years for full implementation in all its ramifications. By the time your National Oil Company is fully up and running, working seamlessly, we are talking about four, five or, six years down the road.

“But the other institutions and entities look forward, as delineated in this bill, are in full implementation and running as efficiently as we expect them to run, we are talking of six, seven years time down the road.

“By that time, President Goodluck Jonathan and the Petroleum Minister, Allison-Madueke, will not be in office. That is obviously clear. So this is not a bill that should be personalized or politicised.

“It (PIB) was put forward for the benefit of the nation, the economy and all Nigerian people in whole, bearing in mind that we expect, in the next few years, to find oil or hydro-carbon in other parts of the country. In fact, that is what we are desperately trying to do, which means we diversify our hydro-carbon base completely.

“This same law is for all Nigerians and for all parts of the country and that is the intent of the letter of the law which we hoped it will provide. It should be very clear that when we personalized or politicised bills of this sort of criticality to the nation, then we have cheapened those bills and we have cheapened the effects and efficacy of such Bills for the entire nation and the entire economy.

On the powers of the petroleum minister, Allison-Madueke said; “There is no law that confers on the minister of petroleum in nigeria as many powers as

Tambuwal

Diezani-Allison

the current Petroleum Act. That is the Act that confers on Minister all powers.

“The PIB has reduced those powers because we worked very hard to reduce them in a number of ways. As a matter of fact, we took as best practice the laws of those places like the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Norway and yet, we did not confer upon the Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria the extent of powers that those countries have conferred on their ministers. So we actually mitigated about the powers of the petroleum minister.

“The petroleum minister, like other ministers in the federal government of Nigeria, has the powers invested on them by the president himself and of course, as vested in the constitution of the country. “And our asset comes under the power of the President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. So, it is an issue which I think has been completely taken out of contest because if you compare the powers of the petroleum minister under the PIB in Nigeria, they are less than those of his/her counterparts in places like UK, Norway and Malaysia.

actually uneconomic for oil companies operating in the country.

OPTS represents 18 national and international oil and gas companies in Nigeria (Shell and Mobil are members) including the larger indigenous producers.

“OPTS consolidated the business plan data of our members and other indigenous companies to include all of the planned projects in our collective portfolios.

We then developed an economic model to compare PIB with current fiscal terms to determine the impact of the Bill. Based on this analysis, under the proposed PIB terms Nigeria’s production would fall 25% through 2022 which is more than 500 kbpd drop.

This is in contrast to an originally planned + 60% increase (1.5 M bdp) in our business plans that could be achieved if some of the challenges I just mentioned are addressed. So this isn’t just complaining about a drop in returns or profits, but the fact is the PIB fiscal terms make projects uneconomic and therefore they will not happen, leading to significant contraction of the industry,” the oil companies stated in their position paper.

This is apart from the fact that OPTS is seeking the appointment an independent fiscal expert that is acceptable to both government and the oil and gas industry. The oil producers say this will facilitate a common understanding of the impact of the PIB terms and help identify potential solutions.

Again, the oil companies insist it was important for the PIB to explicitly recognise contract sanctity for existing Joint Venture Licences and Production Sharing Contracts. New term should apply to only new contracts and licences in view of billion dollars up-front investments made by oil companies in old contracts with the Nigerian government As the House resumes on June 24 to commence the 4th Session of the 7th Assembly, all eyes will be on the Hon. Ishaka Bawa-led House Ad-hoc Committee on PIB for an update on the fate of the long-awaited PIB.

Harshest fiscal regimes Citing illegal bunkering and sabotage, constant security threats to oil sites and employees, shortfalls in Joint Venture funding, lengthy delays in project and others, International Oil Companies (IOCs) have rejected the PIB on the grounds that the Bill has failed to resolve such issues.

The oil companies in their position paper delivered on their behalf by the Chairman, Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), Mark Ward recently stated that the PIB if passed in its present form will reduce the much- needed investments to sustain and grow Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

They insist that Nigeria will have one of the harshest fiscal regimes in the world, leaving Nigeria uncompetitive and projects

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Wednesday, June 18, 2014

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news Lagos 41

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Nnamani Urges Court To Adjourn Trial To Recover From Heart Surgery Former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, yesterday urged a Federal High Court in Lagos to put his trial on hold, to enable him recover from an open heart surgery, which he recently underwent.

Nnamani, who was accused of laundering about N5billion belonging to the state, told the court that he was unfit to go through the rigours of trial, because he had just undergone a Quadriple bypass (open heart surgery), which recently caused him chronic chest pain.

The former governor was arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside seven others, on a 105-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and money laundering.

By Olugbenga Soyele, Lagos

N125bn Fraud: Atuche, Ojo Know Fate Sept 30 A Federal High Court in Lagos will on September 30 decide whether the court can apply the new practice direction issued by the chief judge of the court to the ongoing trial of former managing director of defunct Bank PHB, Francis Atuche and that of Spring Bank Plc MD, Charles Ojo. The trial judge, Justice Saliu Saidu adjourned the matter for ruling after the prosecution and defence counsels adopted their written addresses on the contentious issue.

Atuche and Ojo were both accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of carrying out a N125billion fraud while they

By Olugbenga Soyele, Lagos

Lagos CJ Frees 75 Inmates Of Kirikiri Prison

The chief judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, has freed 75 inmates of the Kirikiri Female, Medium and Maximum Prisons in Lagos.

Phillips released the inmates who were awaiting trials during her visit to the detention facilities yesterday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three inmates were released at the maximum facility, while 71 were set free at the medium prison.

Only one inmate was released at the female prison.

In her speech, Phillips admonished the pardoned inmates to “go and sin no more.”

By NAN

Drug Trafficking: Appeal Court Reserves Judgement In Suit By Nigerians Repatriated From Thailand ByOLUGBENGA SOYELE,, Lagos

The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal yesterday reserved judgement in an appeal instituted by 22 Nigerian citizens convicted in the Kingdom of Thailand for drug trafficking offences and later repatriated to Nigeria.

The court presided over by Justice Sidi Bage reserved the appeal for judgement after counsels to all the parties argued and adopted their written submissions.

The appellants, Napoleon Marvelous, Azubuike Uzoma and

20 others were sentenced to death but their sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment in Thailand before they were repatriated to Nigeria.

They were repatriated by virtue of a “purported” treaty between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Thailand with regards to transfer of prisoners.

On their arrival in Nigeria, the appellants were kept at the Kirikiri Prison to continue their respective sentences.

But the appellants had through their counsel, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) filed a suit before

Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking a declaration that their imprisonment in Nigeria is illegal.

They had insisted that the purported treaty signed on transfer of prisoners between the Kingdom of Thailand and Nigeria was yet to be domesticated in Nigeria hence they ought to be released from prison.

The defendants in the suit are: the federal government, the attorney-general of the federation, the deputy controller of prisons, Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, Apapa, Lagos and the deputy controller of

prisons (Female Wing).

However, in his judgement delivered on March 18, 2013, Justice Idris dismissed the suit on the grounds that there was no evidence placed before the court by the prisoners to enable it decide in their favour.

Apparently dissatisfied with the lower court verdict, the appellants through their counsel, Ayorinde had prayed the upper court to determine whether the appellants were under obligation to produce before the lower court the purported treaty between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Thailand.

short news Lagos To Create Database For Grassroots’ Emergency Responders The Lagos State government yesterday said it had concluded plans to create database on all local emergency responders across the 57 local government and development areas in the state.

Mr Femi OkeOsanyintolu, general manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), disclosed L-R: Director, Consular Immigration Service Foreign Affairs, Amb. Abdulaziz Dankaro, chairman, ICPC, Ekpo Nta and Lagos State Commissioner this to the News for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed, at ICPC one day national seminar on VISA acquisition in Lagos. PHOTO BENEDICT UWALAKA Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikeja.

Osanyintolu said the database would assist LASEMA to

By CHIMA AKWAJA and GEORGE practice was the reason behind getting access to mobile phones ensure a better OKOJIE, Lagos incessant hikes in price of the crashed and calls were being co-ordination of service rendered. charged per minutes. That is Many Lagos residents were yeslocal emergency reDr Muyiwa Akinsanmi, a what the people also expect terday excited by the unveiling medical consultant, said Nige- from CONSAT,” he said. sponders to enhance of a new Pay-TV christened rians were paying exorbitant emergency response In his address, the chief execCONSAT, saying it will drive prices to subscribe to Pay-TV utive officer, Continental Satstructure in the state. the country’s local content and stations in the country, laud- ellite Limited, Mr Mayokun He said that portray the African continent ing Continental Satellite Lim- Okunola, said CONSAT is bethis would promote in good light. interactions and also ited for coming up with CON- ing introduced into the market Many Lagosians who spoke SAT to break the monopoly. facilitate informato provide world class content at the media launch held in tion sharing for “We expect what happened at a fair price for Nigerians to Lagos lamented the continued in the telecommunications sec- facilitate true digital experience effective response to monopoly of the cable televi- tor to repeat itself here when as countries around the world emergencies among sion network market in the a particular indigenous opera- migrate from analogue to digiresponders. country, saying the entrenched tor came on board; the cost of tal broadcasting in 2015.

By NAN

Debut Of CONSAT Pay-TV Excites Lagosians

LASU Students Want Governing Council To Slash Fees By 60%

By NAN

Students of Lagos State University yesterday urged the institution’s Governing Council to apply the approved 60 per cent reduction in tuition fees only across the board.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos State government had on June 11 announced a reduction of

between 34 per cent and 60 per cent of tuition fees in the institution.

Governor Babatunde Fashola had decided to reduce the fees as a result of several protests by the students and civil society groups.

The government had in 2011 increased the fees from N25, 000 to N198, 000 for humanities and education, while medi-

cal students paid N350, 000.

The students’ union had earlier rejected the offer of 34 and 60 per cent reduction, urging the state government to give the details in monetary terms.

Mr Nurudeen Yusuf, the Students’ Union president, told NAN that the union was discussing with the Governing Council on the fees reduction.

“It would be fair if the Govern-

ing Council works with the 60 per cent across the board, rather than the 34 per cent,’’ he said.

Nurudeen said the students were not satisfied with the 34 per cent reduction because students paying N198, 000 would still pay about N131, 000.

“The fees will be affordable if the reduction is done at 60 per cent, and it would do the students a lot of good,” he added.

42 news

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

2014 Guber Poll:

EkitidecIdes

Saturday, June 21

Fayemi Empowers Cooperative Societies, Fayose Promises Improved Social Motorcyclists With N50m, 100 Motorcycles Security Scheme

Falegan Rallies Support For Bamidele

In a bid to support small businesses and improve the economy of Ekiti State, Governor Kayode Fayemi, has disbursed N50 million as revolving loan to cooperative societies in the state.

This is just as he presented one hundred motorcycles and an 18-seater bus to the state motorcyclists association while the state chapter of the National Associ- Fayemi ation of Nigerian Students He added that coopera(NANS) and the Joint Arti- tive groups are viable netsans and Technicians also works that can evolve into got a bus each. sustainable business enterPresenting the cheque prises that can enhance the which is the first phase of economic development of the cooperative revitalisa- the state. tion fund to the cooperaHe said, “today’s activitive societies in Ado- Ekiti ty is therefore aimed at inyesterday, the governor said creasing the lending capacithe gesture was aimed at im- ty of the various cooperative proving the lending capacity societies and unions, thereof the societies and the over- by reducing poverty in the all standard of living of the state in line with our vision.” people.

An Ekiti elder statesman, Chief Ojo Falegan, has described the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele as the best among contending governorship candidates in the state.

According to a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday by the administrative secretary, Ekiti Labour Party Elders’ Forum, Hon. Niyi Ajibulu, Falegan said this while addressing a meeting of the forum in Ado-Ekiti.

Pa Falegan who expressed confidence that Bamidele will emerge victorious in Saturday’s poll in the state, said his prediction was hinged on public opinion.

Describing the federal lawmaker as a genuine candidate who has the interest of the state at heart,

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose has promised to implement a “real social security scheme” when he assumes office as governor of the state.

In a statement signed by the director general of Ayo Fayose Campaign Organisation (AFCO), Chief Dipo Anisulowo, the former governor said “the best social security is the provision of gainful employment for the youths for them to be able to feed their aged parents, not a token N5,000 per month stipend.”

Describing the social security scheme of the present administration in the state as “a deceit taken too far”, Fay-

Fayose

ose promised to provide gainful employment for the youths of the state alongside decent social security scheme for the elderly.

Decrying the high rate of youth unemployment in the state, Fayose said it was wrong for a government to be celebrating the payment of N5,000 monthly stipend to their aged parents.

Bamidele

he said his promise of a term in office could be relied on, adding that his programmes for the development of the state has no match.

While saying that those seeking another term of office had not done enough to be trusted with another term of office, he promised to go round to mobilise support for the LP candidate.

Stories By Alo Abiola, AdoEkiti

south-wEst Muslim Groups Laud Sanusi’s Appointment As Emir Some Muslim organisations in the country have lauded the appointment of Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the 14th Emir of Kano by the Kano Emirate council, describing his emergence as ``the will of Allah’’.

The groups, in separate congratulatory messages made available to newsmen in Ibadan on Tuesday, said the appointment of Sanusi would usher in more development for the state.

The groups include the Federation of Muslim Women in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Muslim Community of Oyo State (MUSCOYS), Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN), Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates Association (UNIFEMGA), and Muslim Consultative Forum (MCF).

Earlier, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), the apex Islamic body in Nigeria, had congratulated the newly installed Emir of Kano, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, describing his choice as ``God made’’.

The council’s secretary-general, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, stated in a statement that Sanusi’s appointment ``convinced us that a good choice has been made’’.

By Adebayo Waheed, Ibadan

olubadan Is hale, hearty – Osi Olubadan

By AdeBAyo WAheed, Ibadan

The Osi Olubadan of Ibadan Land, High Chief Lekan Balogun on Tuesday allayed fears of the people of Oyo State over the rumoured death of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1.

The high chief, while playing host to the executive members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), who paid him a visit at his Alarare residence in Ibadan, said the monarch was hale and hearty.

He confirmed that the mon-

arch actually did undergo a surgery and was admitted at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

According to him, it is those people who wished him death that speculated that he was dead.

“In the last two weeks, Kabiyesi has been sick. He was at the UCH for operation. Those who wish him dead, went around speculating that he is dead,” he said.

He said despite the fact that the monarch was discharged after the surgery on Saturday, the speculation has not stopped.

Balogun who disclosed that the monarch was 104 years old and that the recent centenary celebration was just an official age, explained that those who speculated the monarch’s death were taking advantage of his age.

He added that it took the intervention of his personal physician before the operation could take place while assuring his continued support for the NUJ and journalists in the state.

Tension had gripped the ancient Ibadan community over the rumoured death of the city’s centenarian monarch.

2015: Kashamu Denies Interest In ogun Guber Race

By GBenGA AdeBoye, Abeokuta

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State and chairman, Organisation and Mobilisation, PDP, south west, Prince Buruji Kashamu, has once again distanced himself from the posters announcing his governorship ambition.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capi-

tal, Kashamu said his attention has again been drawn to many posters dotting several parts of the state announcing his governorship ambition.

“I hereby reiterate that I am not interested in contesting for any position. Whether I become a governor or not, it does not stop me from empowering my people.

“Even though it is true that people from all over the state

have been pressurising me to run for the governorship of Ogun State. They say I have been there for them and the party when others abandoned it,” Kashamu said.

Kashamu said although he loves and appreciate those calling on run for governor of the state, he was not interested in the governorship of Ogun State or any office, whether elective or appointed.

ShoRt NEWS Ajimobi Appoints 5 New high Court Judges Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has approved the appointment of five judges for the state High Court.

The state attorney-general and commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adebayo Ojo, in a statement in Ibadan on Tuesday, gave the names of the newly-appointed judges as Mrs. Bolaji Abosede Sikeade, a deputy chief registrar in the state High Court and Mr. Ganiyu Lateef Adebayo, director, Litigation and Advisory Services II in the state Ministry of Justice.

By Adebayo Waheed, Ibadan

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

A/Ibom Shuts Illegal School Of Nursing In Ibiono In its renew effort to ensure that only approved institution runs regular heath institution government of Akwa Ibom has ordered the closure of an illegal school of nursing operating at Ibiono Ibom local government area of the state.

The state commissioner for health, Dr Emem Bassey, who gave the order yesterday while inspecting state of facilities in government hospitals, said it was illegal for anyone to establish a health institution without proper accreditation and approval of the state government.

He said that school of nursing was a specialized training institution which requires utmost care and therefore should not be toyed with.

Represented by the permanent secretary, Elder Essang Bassey, the health commissioner warned that henceforth anyone caught running an unregistered health school would face the law.

ByBernard Tolani Dada Uyo

news south-South south-East 43

FG Empowering Farmers, Cooperatives In Rivers – Adesina

By ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, Port Harcourt

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, has said the federal government is presently empowering farmers and farmer cooperatives in Rivers State.

He said the empowerment programme includes 100 packs of day-old chicks, vaccines, medication, and feeds for poultry farmers, fertilizers, feeds and fish fingerlings for fish farmers, as well as live goats for goat farmers and credit facilities to cooperative societies.

Adesina spoke yesterday at Obuburu-Egi community in Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State, during the free distribution of Shika Brown Layer birds to poultry farmers in communities in the Oil Mining License (OML) 58, under the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) of Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (TEPNG).

He said: “We also gave out live goats, and sheep to sheep and goat farmers and created credit facilities for cooperatives. We also provide fertilizers, fish feeds, fingerlings, fishing nets, etc, under the Growth Enhancement Scheme.”

The minister stated that the Stable Crop Processing Zone (SCPZ) at Okorolo in Andoni local government area of the state, was established to attract private sector agribusinesses to set up processing plants of high food production, to process commodities into food production.

Adesina, who was represented by a director in the ministry, Elder Ime Umoh, said the poultry value-chain in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, was aimed at facilitating the availability of breeder stock and day-old chicks to poultry breeders and farmers in the

country at affordable prices.

The minister lauded TEPNG for coming to the aid of the poultry farmers, saying the gesture was in line with the transformation agenda of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan in the agricultural sector.

In his address, deputy managing director, TEPNG, Mr. Nicolas Brunet, said the oil firm had worked within the years to encourage the diversification from oil and gas, through the establishment of various institutions in the communities geared towards empowering the local people in the areas of business and entrepreneurship.

short news Epileptic Electricity: Ebonyi Consumers Threaten Power Firm

Delta: Bomadi/Ohoror Residents Raise Alarm Over Banditry Following the increasing robbery activities, residents of Bomadi/Ohoror communities have raised the alarm over the continued robbery activities in the area and called on the security agents and the state government to intervene especially in the killings carried out by the bandits.

As it were, Bomadi/Ohoror road has been regarded as a death trap as armed bandits often ambush unsuspecting motorists including pedestrians to rob them of their belongings at gun point.

Bomadi/Ohoror Road traverses Ughelli North, Patani and Bomadi local government areas of the state as the residents who spoke to our correspondent explained that the call became necessary as all efforts to curtail the robbery menace were futile.

ByKola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba

DELSU Graduate Sues Varsity For N12m Over NYSC Clearance A female graduate of Agricultural Education from Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka, Miss Madamedon Endurance, has sued the uniiversity for N12 million as damages over its purported refusal to clear her for thecompulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme after she completed her three-year programme.

The claimant, in a suit filed on her behalf at the High Court, of Delta State of Nigeria, in the Isiokolo Judicial Division, by her attorney, F.J. Atie Esq, is praying the court to compel the DELSU and the vice chancellor to clear her, “having met all her academic, requirements in order for her to embark on her NYSC immediately “after denial for three consecutive batches from 2012.”

ByKola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba

Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha in a handshake with Bishop David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel during the latter’s visit to Government House in Owerri. PHOTO BY GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

Oil Bunkering: JTF Intercepts Boat,Tankers In Bayelsa

By Osa Okhomina, Yenagoa

The operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, codenamed ‘Operation Pulo Shield’ have intercepted and arrested an illegal oil barge laden with unspecified quantity of stolen crude oil in a creek in Bayelsa State.

The barge, christened ‘Gracious Enduer’ was intercepted by anti-illegal bunkering troops of Sector 2 deployed at Kalatoro community in Southern Ijaw council area of the state.

According to a statement issued by the coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, JTF, Lt Col Mustapha Anka, the arrested barge is currently anchored at Kalatoro waterways awaiting to be towed pending preliminary investigation before handing over to the prosecuting agency.

He added that the troops led by the Deputy Commander, JTF, Commodore Henry Ekpa, had also invaded an illegal crude oil camp site in the Southern Ijaw council area and destroyed several illegal bunkering points and Cotonou boats laden with

suspected illegally acquired crude oil near Obama flow station.

“The suspects on sighting our troops absconded thereby abandoning the Cotonou boats. The boat and its content were set ablaze in situ,” he noted.

According to him, “the Deputy Commander also visited troops of the JTF deployed in Okporoma House Boat in Nun River, Shell Petroleum Development Company Flow Station and Igbamatoru House Boat where he addressed officers and men of the Task Force .

Residents of Mile 50 layout, Mgbukobe AmikeAbba, Kpirikpiri, Azuugwu and other communities within and outside Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, yesterday threatened to disrupt the activities of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, Abakaliki, branch should the epileptic power supply witnessed in the area persist.

Some of the residents who spoke to LEADRSHIP yesterday expressed regret that few minutes to the commencement of the Nigeria-Iran world cup match, there was power outage in the areas thereby forcing them to run to viewing centres.

By Obinna Ogbonnaya Abakaliki

Okorocha Can’t Dethrone Me – Ilomuanya

By Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

The embattled traditional ruler of Obinugwu in area of Imo State, who Governor Rochas Okorocha announced his dethronement last week, has maintained that he can not be removed by the governor.

Addressing a delegation of the Orlu stakeholders’ forum who paid him a solidarity visit in his pal-

ace, weekend, the embattled monarch recalled the genesis of his ordeal and expressed regret that his three-year absence from office had foisted darkness on the highly revered traditional institution of the Igbo in the state.

He cited the Imo State House of Assembly Law No 6 Section 17A which he said legally prescribes a five-year tenure for the office of

the chairman of the state council of traditional rulers but which, according to him, was flouted by the governor.

“One million Rochas Okorochas cannot dethrone me as the traditional ruler of my community. My God has placed me on this throne and I have been on it for 18 years and my people have absolute confidence in me. Therefore, no man

born of a woman - no matter how highly placed in society - can remove me without the consent and approval of my people who willingly chose me as their traditional ruler,” Ilomuayan said.

He noted that he would have resigned from office if the governor had made it clear to him initially that he did not need him in his administration.

44 news NATIONAL Bishop Oyedepo Visits Okorocha Over Failed Bomb Blast The general overseer of Living Faith International otherwise known as Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, yesterday visited the branch of his church in Owerri where a bomb explosion was averted.

He also paid a courtesy call on Governor Rochas Okorocha at the Government House and thanked him for the quick intervention which averted the planned disaster by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

He regretted that the nation is being plagued by Boko Haram insurgency which has taken a great toll on the lives and properties of innocent Nigerians. He prayed for God’s intervention as well as the country’s leaders to possess the wisdom to stem the rising security challenges in the country.

By Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

FG Approves N2.3B SURE-P Funds For N/Delta Roads The federal government has approved N2.3billion under the Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment-Programme (SUREP) fund for roads project in the Niger Delta.

Prof. Kunle Ade Wahab, member of the board of SURE-P, who stated this yesterday while Inspecting the deplorable section of the road at Iwukem in Akwa Ibom State, underscored the importance of the roads as the major gateway to the east and southsouth parts of Nigeria, assuring that the road would be fixed.

He said the federal government was committed to revamping infrastructure across the country, assuring that Chinese company, CCECC, which is the major construction firm handling the project would soon return to site with the approval of the funds.

By Bernard Tolani Dada, Uyo

‘Glaucoma Made 150,000 Nigerians Blind’ A call has gone to all stakeholders in the health sector to arrest glaucoma that has made no fewer than 150,000 Nigerians blind before it affects others.

The call was made at the weekend by an ophthalmologist, Dr Olufemi Emmanuel Babalola while delivering the 15th Faculty of Ophthalmology Lecture for the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria in Abuja, entitled “Lasers in the management of glaucoma in Nigeria”.

“Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness globally. In Nigeria, it is estimated that about 150,000 people are severely visually impaired and blind due to glaucoma, and by 2020, there will be a projected increase to over 200,000.

This means that one out of every 800 Nigerians is at risk of serious visual impairment from glaucoma”.

By Bayo Oladeji, Abuja

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

PDP Accuses APC Of Lying About Youth Leader’s Age Says Ibrahim Jalo is 52 not 43

By Chibuzo Ukaibe , Abuja

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday accused the new leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to lie about the age of its national youth leader, Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo.

While the APC declared the age of Jalo as 43, PDP maintained that his documented age is 52.

PDP national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh in a statement said, “It is public knowledge that Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo contested the Gombe/Kwame/ Funakaye Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives in 2011 during which he declared his age to be 49 years.

The records are there and they speak for themselves.

“If Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo was 49 years old in 2011, it naturally follows that he is 53 at present for which he should be grateful to God. It is, therefore, clear

that the statement by the APC declaring him to be 43 years old is false.

“Whilst we concede that the APC has the right to select a person of any age for any position within their fold, including a man of 52 as national youth leader, we are, however, shocked that they chose to lie over an issue as ordinary as the age of a national officer”, the statement said.

The party stated that it is disheartening that the APC has refused “to shed its unnecessary

penchant for lies even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.”

The PDP said in lying about the age of its national officer, the APC has shown that “it has little regard for integrity and that its statements cannot be trusted.”

The ruling party further cautioned the “APC, now under a new leadership to imbibe the culture of integrity and honesty especially as Nigerians deserve to know the truth and the correct state of facts always.”

short news INEC Displays List Of Governorship Candidates In Osun

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State on Tuesday announced that it has displayed the list of candidates participating in the Aug. 9 gubernatorial election in the state.

The announcement is contained in a statement issued by Mrs Nike Tadese, the chief L–R: Chairman, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations’ Technical and Recreational Employees (AUPCTRE), FCT Branch, Comrade public affairs officer Benjamin Anthony, guest speaker, Dr Joe Odumakin, the union’s women coordinator/chairperson in the FCT, Comrade Lynda Barau of the electoral and vice chairperson, Comrade Rabi Momoh, during the FCT public lecture organised by the union in Abuja, yesterday. body in Osogbo.

PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI The statement quoted Tadese as saying that the public display of the list was

By Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, isations in the country to conbut giving back to the society. in compliance Lagos According to her, MTN Yel- tribute their own quota, saying with Section 31 low Care has set aside 21 days it will go a long way to improve sub-sections 3, As part of its contribution to every year for its staff across the the education sector. She also 4 and 5 of the improve the education sector states to render community ser- expressed her satisfaction on Electoral Act 2010 in Lagos State, MTN Yellow vice and to contribute their quo- the reception given her by the (as amended).

Care has renovated six blocks ta to the development of the so- management of the school.

She said the list of classrooms in Basiru Dania ciety.

In his own contribution, the was now on display Primary school, Mafoluku, Os“We want to lift others up senior manager, Sales Support at the state office hodi. and also be our brothers’ keep- and Financial Control of MTN, of INEC and all the Speaking on the project on er”, she stated, adding, “This Mr. Martins Emeh explained 30 local governTuesday, MTN human resourc- prompted us to complete the that they tasked their members ment offices of the es executive, Mrs. Amina Oyag- project within 3 days.” of staff and also expended part commission. bola expressed the view that life Oyagbola also used the plat- of the welfare money to actualBy NAN is not all about making profits form to challenge other organ- ise the project.

MTN Renovates 6 Block of Classrooms In Lagos

Capital Oil v. Access Bank: ‘Ifeanyi Ubah Has Heen Vindicated’

By KUNLE OLASANMI, Abuja

The business dispute between Capital Oil Limited and Access Bank Plc has finally been settled with the intervention of AMCON. Sources close to Dr Ifeanyi Ubah disclosed that he was initially reluctant on the terms of settlement, knowing fully well his rights and liabilities in that transaction but was persuaded from high quarters to accept it and let bygones be bygones.

LEADERSHIP gathered that AM-

CON’s intervention was as a result of how solid the capital base of Capital Oil Limited is, which according to sources, is in excess of about N500billion.

The sources said AMCON would not have assumed the liability as it is not a charitable organisation meant to dish out money freely.

According to the sources, AMCON was sure that the company funds were safe before getting involved in settling the dispute.

“By this settlement, Ifeanyi

Ubah has been vindicated on his stance that the matter was purely a business transaction between the parties. He called them for reconciliation of accounts to know where liabilities fell but they had a different agenda with their paymasters to take over Capital Oil Limited’s assets for peanuts.

“Ubah is well aware of the laid out plot by some people to dispossess him of the Capital Oil assets through various means. He was sad that a man he calls his brother was

being used in the plot.

“This was why he went to court to enforce his fundamental human rights when they wanted to use security agents to intimidate him. The court in Nigeria did not shy away from its responsibilities to protect the right of a citizen in imminent danger of being breached.

“It is sad that they are now disparaging the Nigerian court for being alive to its responsibilities because they couldn’t have their way illegally”, the sources said.

45

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

VACANCIES A reputable furniture company situated in Kano urgently requires the services of suitably qualified candidates to fill the following positions: 1.

PRODUCTION MANAGER Qualification: A University Degree in any engineering field and 10 years working experience in a similar enterprise.

2.

ADMIN MANAGER Qualification: A University Degree in any related field and a minimum of 5 years working experience in a similar enterprise.

Requirements: Conversant with the use of computer.

3.

ACCOUNTANT Qualification: A University Degree or HND in Accounting and a minimum of 5 years working experience

4.

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CHAIRMAN Qualification: A University Degree in any related field and a minimum of 5 years working experience in a similar enterprise Requirements: Conversant with the use of computer.

5.

FURNITURE DESIGNERS Qualification: A Masters Degree in Architecture with a minimum of 5 years post-qualification experience Requirements: Conversant with the use of computer. Ability to use application softwares (AutoCAD) will be an added advantage

6.

STORE OFFICER/MANAGER Qualification: A University Degree or HND in any related field Requirements: Ability to use the computer is an added advantage

7.

OFFICE SECRETARY Qualification: A University Degree or HND in any related field and a minimum of 5 years working experience in a similar enterprise Requirements: Conversant with the use of computer

8.

MARKETING MANAGER Qualification: A University Degree in any related field and a minimum of 5 years working experience in a similar enterprise

9.

MARKETING OFFICERS Qualification: A University Degree in any related field and a minimum of 1 year post-qualification experience

Applicants should forward their CVs and Applications to: kanofactoryjob@gmail.com within two (2) weeks from the date of this publication.

Signed:

MANAGEMENT

46

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

SCHOOLS, EDUCATION, & FAITH PLATFORM

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF

SPECIALISED CLASSIFIEDS PAGES PSALM 23 MINISTRY

CARINg CENTRE PRAYER gROUND

gREATER FAITH MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL

The General Public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies And Allied Matters Act, Cap C 20, laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named Ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for Registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

The General Public is hereby notified that the above named has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies And Allied Matters Act, Cap C 20, laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Prophet yaya Idowu 2. Mr. shaba Tunde 3. Evangelist yaya Taye 4. Mr. yaya Kehinde 5. Mrs. Popoola Taye

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Pastor (Mrs) Victoria Chuku-Akwu 2. Hilary Chuku-Akwu, Esq 3. Pastor Jephtha Nwenike 4. Mr. Kelechi Akuma 5. Mr. Abuchi Akwu 6. Ms Faith Wabali 7. Ms Chidinma samuel AIMS AND OBjECTIVES: 1. To preach and propagate the gospel of Christianity.

2. To win souls into the kingdom of God through our lord Jesus Christ.

3. To do works of charity within and outside Nigeria.

Any objection to this Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, (CAC) Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

- Gen. Overseer - secretary - Treasurer - Member - Member

AIM AND OBjECTIVES 1. To preach the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ to all nations and to prepare the church for the coming of our lord Jesus Christ.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C) P.M.B 198, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Irosi street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: PROPHET YAYA IDOWU

Signed: HILARY CHUkU-AkWU, ESQ (SOLICITOR)

BAYWOOD FOUNDATION This is to inform the general public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matter Act Part “C” No. of 1990.

THE TRUSTEE ARE: 1. Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe - Chairman 2. Empress Patricia Baywood Ibe 3. Rt Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Afamefune Ugwu 4. Most Rev’d Amankechinelo Amos Madu 5. Obiora Edmond Nnaji - secretary AIMS AND OBjECTIVES 1. To helf the less privileged in the society Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar – General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this Publication.

SIGNED: BARR. OBIORA EDMOND NNAjI

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Pastor JohnBull Tamunotonye Dasimaka 2. Elder Thomas Anukwu 3. Pastor Fabia Tamunongo 4. Elder Benneth Amadi 5. Pastor Helen George 6. Elder Ediaobo lily M. Briggs

- Chairman - Vice Chairman - secretary - Member - Member - Member

AIMS AND OBjECTIVES: 1. To preach the gospel to the need.

2. To teach the word about the goodness of Jesus Christ.

Any objection to this Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, (CAC) Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: PASTOR FABIA TAMUNONgO

WOMEN OF PURPOSE DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

ARISE WOMEN’S SUPPORT FOR MEDICAL/MOBILE CLINICS INITIATIVE

This is to inform the general public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matter Act Part “C” No. of 1990.

This is to notify the general public that the above named Initiative has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990.

THE TRUSTEE ARE: 1. Mrs. Onwuemele Mabel 2. Mr John Onwuemele 3. Mrs Nene Amodu 4. Pastor & Dr. Mrs Ocheja 5. Rev. Tina Bawa

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Mrs. sijuade Iluyomade 2. Mrs. Doyin Arueyingho 3. Mrs. Tope Akingbola

AIMS AND OBjECTIVES 1. To safeguard and protection the right of women 2. To assist and encourage the deprived and abused in our society.

3. To promote human capital development 4. To advance and unleash the grant potentials of women 5. To guide women to the realisation of the identity and importance to nation building.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar – General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this Publication.

SIGNED: ANTHONY AgUN

AIMS AND OBjECTIVES 1. To promote easy access to Medical services especially in the rural areas.

2. To promote interactions amongst members.

Any objection to the Registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi street, Maitama, Abuja, within thirty days of this publication.

SIGNED: MIkE IBEZIM ESQ. SOLICITOR

HOLY BETHEL OF gOD MIRACLE MINISTRY

ROYAL kINgDOM INTERNATINAL CHRISTIAN CENTRE

HOPE FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

The general public is hereby notified that the above named MINIsTRy has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for the registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named CENTRE has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria CAC for registration under part ‘‘C’’ of the companies and allied matters act 1990.

This is to notify the general public that the above named INITIATIVE has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Udoh Happiness James 2. Mbaw Ekerete 3. Peter Paul Uwem 4. Israel James 5. Patience Oriji Igwe 6. Manson Today Blessing 7. Barisua Joseph Nwideeduh 8. Amos Izoma 9. Nnuka Bridget 10. Joseph Gospel Kinako

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Roseline Esue 2. stephen Enetomhe Esue 3. Joshua Asaolu 4. Dr. Olusola Oduoye 5. Dr. Adeyinka Aladesida 6. Victoria Francis 7. Ambrose Olusonya

AIMS AND OBjECTIVES: 1. To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi street, Maitama, Abuja within –twenty eight (28) days from the date of this publication.

Any objection thereto should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

SIGNED: FREDRICk C. OLISA, ESQ 08133901933

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Ajibike Taofeek Babajide 2. Olofintuyi Kehinde Tobi 3. Ayodeji Babatunde Iginla

THE AIMS AND OBjECTIVES ARE: 1. To reach all nations with the light of the gospel until they are translated into the kingdom of the son of God.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja within 28 days of the publication.

Signed: BARR. VINCENT O. ENEMOSAH

PWARI gREATER HEIgHTS ASSOCIATION

LOUkMAN MASjID CENTRE

The general public is hereby notified that the above named AssOCIATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for the registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named CENTRE has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission abuja for registration under part c of the companies and allied matters act no. 1 Of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Chief Jacob Ndawalam 2. Rev. Ben Ubeh 3. Kanem Fedel 4. Ndatam Afego

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. sani Hadi - Chairman 2. shamsuddin Ahmad - secretary 3. Atiku Bishir 4. Mohammed Abdulrahman 5. Mohammed yomi

AIMS AND OBjECTIVES 1. Development and promotion of Mbola culture.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja within 28 days of the publication.

SIGNED: ELUkPO AgIWON, ESQ 07034595010 For booking or inquiry call

> HENRY UBIMAGO 08068640944

> AUGUstINE 08061602706

6. Usman Bello Kankara 7. Alhassan sabo 8. Musa Hamza Alhassan 9. Hassan Mohammed 10. Baba Dahiru Hamidu

AIMS AND OBjECTIVES ARE: 1. To inculcate the virtue of patriotism, discipline selfless services, honesty and integrity in the Nigeria youths.

2. To encourage less privilege youths and youth activities by promoting physical, mental and socio-economic development.

PATRIOTIC YOUTH ASSEMBLY IN AFRICA The general public is hereby notified that the above named AssEMBly has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Tyani lanre 2. Okedurum Daberechi 3. sikpi Andrew 4. Mohammed Ibrahim Ohinonye 5. Eferebo sylvanus 6. Idoko George

AIMS AND OBjECTIVES 1. To Propagate Islamic religion

AIMS AND OBjECTIVES 1. For the development of youths.

2. To promote the welfare of youths.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar general, corperate affairs commission, plot 420 tigris crescent, off aguiyi ironsi street, maitama, abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to The Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: BARR. ISHAkU SHUAIBU (08062659270)

Signed: SECRETARY

> GLORIA OKwUM 08038722368

> ABIGAIL sAMBO 08064382438

> GLORIA RAPHAEL 08061356519

> GLORIA ODIO 08034285851

> GRACE OJO 08035054444

47

Wednesday, June 18, 2014 CENTRE FOR SUSTAINABLE ACCESS TO HEALTH IN AFRICA

ebonyi south unity & development forum

DYNAMIC GOOD FRIENDS PROGRESSIVE CLUB

The general public is hereby notified that the above named CENTRE has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named club has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for registration under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE Trustees are: 1. Dr. Babatunde Fakunle - Chairman 2. Mr. Inyang Effiong 3. Mr. Charles Faweya 4. Ms Ololade Fakunle 5. Dr. Edet Edet

THE Trustees are: 1. Prof. Ogbonnaya Ogbu 2. Mr. Sunday Chukwu (Sunny Bright) 3. Engr. Julius Ukachukwu 4. Mr. Okechukwu Njoku 5. Mr. Peter Anichukwu 6. Engr. Charlse Orji Anoke 7. Mr. Sabastine Uzoma Nworie

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Ikenna Obiekwe 2. Francis Mbata 3. Chimezie Nyama 4. Chika Nwali 5. Joseph Chukwu

Aims and objectives are: 1. To bring health awareness to the door step of every Nigerian.

2. To educate the public on the importance of regular health check-up.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: barr. uyi a. osemwegie 08038485178 ugiedavid@yahoo.com

GBARI LIBERATION ASSOCIATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

THE Trustees are: 1. Mohammed Sarki Gubata 2. Daniel Ishaku Datu 3. Abubakar Madaki Leda 4. Zaphaniah Dikko

- President - Secretary - Vice President - Member

Aims and objectives are: 1. To promote the welfare of members Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

Aims and objectives are: 1. To promote sustainable development among people of the zone.

2. To promote patriotism by recognising members of the zone who are making positive contributions towards human and infrastructural development.

3. To be a voice and watch-dog for people of the zone against corruption and other forms of social vices.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To assist members when the need arise.

2. To maintain integrity amongst members.

3. To reach out the assist the less privileged.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to The Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: BARRISTER FERDINAND ONUKWUBE

Signed: BARRISTER AGBONMEIRE IBEKWUTE (08029999152)

BORNO INDIGENES FORUM ABUJA (BIFA)

LEGAL NOTICE

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ORGANISATION has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” for the followings:

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

1. Alhaji Umar Abba Gana is replacing Amb. Ahmed Al-Gazali, Amb. Ahmed Al-Gazali is being removed for reason of having changed residence from Abuja.

2. Amendment of the constitution of Borno Indigenes Forum Abuja as appropriate.

Any objection to the above enumerated changes (and subsequent registration thereto) shoudl be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Plot 420, Tigiris Crescent, Maitama District, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: MESSRS GAJI & ASSOCIATES, N0. 4 BAMAKO STREET, WUSE ZONE 1, ABUJA

Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the person(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of administration of the personal property.

Notice is hereby given that the said letters of administration be granted to such person(s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT” the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE Deceased name and address Applicant for grant Sa’adatu Abdulkadir Mohammed Isyaku Abdulkadir and Court of Appeal Headquarter, Abuja. Maryam Isyaku Abdulkadir Who died on the 4th January, 2014.

Dated at Abuja this 17th June, 2014.

Block B Flat 4 Court of Appeal Quarters, Kubwa Abuja.

The son and daughter of the said deceased.

Signed: Barr Hafsat Sadiq For: Probate Registrar

YOUTH ARISE EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE

ASSOCIATION OF OCCUPANTS OF MINI SHOPS IN SHEHU SHAGARI CENTRAL MOSQUE

AYUA PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION IYAGBUGIE BRANCH

The general public is hereby notified that the above named INITIATIVE has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

THE Trustees are: 1. Senator Sylvester Ndubisi Anyanwu 2. Comrade Efeanyi Igwe 3. Adaeze Oche 4. Samson Ogacheko 5. Barr Muslim Maigar

THE Trustees are: 1. Malam Adamu Haruna Aliyu 2. Ibrahim Musa Gusau 3. Grema Hassan 4. Salisu Tsalha 5. Ibrahim Bobi 6. Rabiu Sulaiman

The general public is hereby notified that the above named ASSOCIATION has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, Under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matter Act 1990.

Aims and objectives are: 1. To engineer patriotism and civic responsibility amongst youths at all levels.

2. To promote youth empowerment.

3. To advocate for effective & accountable leadership in our society.

Aims and objectives are: 1. To provide peace and harmony between members in the business group.

2. To foster unity among members.

3. To act as mediator in information between the Mosque management and the business group.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

Signed: SECRETARY

- Chairman - Vice Chairmna - Auditor - Pro - Treasurer - Secretary

THE Trustees are: 1. Ibrahim Abubakari - Chairman 2. Amidu Amedu - Secretary 3. Mohammed Martala Umar Aims and objectives are: 1. To foster love, unity and progress among members.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

ONE WAY ONE JOB EVANGELICAL MISSION INTERNATIONAL

LEGAL NOTICE

NASTAIN CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

The general public is hereby informed that the above named Church has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under part “C” of the companies and allied matters act 1 of 1990.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

This is to inform the general public that the above named Initiative has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘’C’’ of the companies and allied matters Act No 1 of 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. REV’D RASHEED OBA ALAWODE 2. MR BABATUNDE OLUWATOSIN ALAWODE 3. MR LAWAL GBOLAHAN AKANMU FOLORUNSO 4. PRINCE JONN OLANIYI OLANIPEKUN 5. REV’D OLALERE HENRY AKANBI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF GOD 2. TO WITNESS WITH PROOF THAT JESUS IS ALIVE 3. TO BOLDLY WITNESS CHRIST TO THE UNBELIEVERS, THE UNREACHED AND THE UNCHURCHED Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrargeneral, corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication. .

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the person(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of administration of the personal property.

Notice is hereby given that the said letters of administration be granted to such person(s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT” the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE Deceased name and address Applicant for grant Danjuma Dachung Gwok Mrs. Naomi Dachung Guardian to Power Holding Company of Nigeria, Abuja. Gift Dachung Who died on the 11th January, 2014.

Dated at Abuja this 17th June, 2014.

No. 4 Idda Street Jikwoyi FCT Abuja.

The widow and son of the said deceased.

Signed: Barr Hafsat Sadiq For: Probate Registrar

LOSS of OF document DOCUMENT loss LOSS OF DOCUMENT

LOSS OF OF DOCUMENT DOCUMENT loss LOSS of document

This is to inform the general public of the loss of original certificate of occupancy with file N0. 107812, C of O N0. 8F6ew-9093z6859r-1Fh8u-17 urd in respect of plot 3613 Cadastral zone E05 Aviation Village District Abuja, measuring 8,833.70m 2, bearing TRENUR NIG. LTD. was missing. All efforts made to trace the said document proved abortive. If found, please return to the nearest police station.

The general public is hereby notified of the loss of Offer Letter in respect of House N0. 8 1(s) 7 road B close Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Lugbe, Abuja belonging to CHIEF TURNER A. JONNY. All effort made to trace the said missing documents proved abortive.

Please if found contact the nearest police station.

The trustees are: 1. Hajiya Lateefat Okunnu 2. M.D Yusufu 3. Yahaya Ahmed 4. Hajiya Bola Risikatu Usman 5. Professor Dawud Noibi OBE 6. Ibrahim Inahoro 7. Usman Isa Modibbo

- Chairman BOT

- Secretar

AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. To awaken the environmental consciousness of Muslims and NonMuslims in Nigeria 2. To engage in any order ancillary or business, with prioritized bias towards the ecosystem, that facilitates the aims and objectives of the Organisation Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within –twenty eight (28) days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: Secretary

public notice loss LOSS of OF document DOCUMENT Police Announcement: Auction Sales The Ebonyi State Command wishes to inform the general public that the command has recovered the following vehicles/items; One Toyota bus with reg.

No AG 965 ATN, One Nissan blue bird with reg. No AV 720 AGL, One accidented Peugeot J5 with reg. No XT 586 ENG, One accidented Toyota Hilux with reg. No FG 158 UOI, One Volkswagen Beetle with reg. No AN 9799 ND, one burnt Sienna scrap without reg. No, five motorcycles of different models and two generators, two televisions, two standing fans and one mattress.

Sequel to the recovery, the general public is hereby advised to visit the Divisional Police Headquarters Ishielu with relevant documents for identification/claim as they will be auctioned after 14 days from the date of this publication. The office remains open between 8am-4pm daily.

Signed: ASP Chris Anyanwu Police Public Relation, For Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command..

48

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

UGO COMMITTEE OF FRIENDS ASSOCIATION

THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF CHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGY AND CHRISTIAN LAW

COMFORT MORENIKE ABIMBOLA OLADELE FOUNDATION

This is to inform the general public that the above named association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (1990)

The general public is hereby informed that the above named body has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under part “C” of the companies and allied matters act 1 of 1990.

This is to inform the general public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (1990)

The Trustees are: 1. Mr. Amechi Nkwor 2. Mr. Cyril Udeh 3. Mr. Matthew Nnaji 4.Mr. Christian Okafor 5.Mr. Anayo Nneji.

6. Mr Chiedozie Nnamoko 7. Mr. Nnabuife Nnamoko 8. Mr. Chizoba Nnamoko

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.DR.CHARLES OGUNDU NNAJI 2.CHRISTIAN OGECHUKWU NNAJI 3.TERESA NKECHI OPARA 4.STANLEY CHIKWENDU UWAH

- Chairman - Member - Secretary - Member - Member - Member - Member - Member

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To sponsor and create an atmosphere where charitable causes are met.

2. To promote the cultural heritage of Akpugo people.

3. To promote social well-being and cater for the welfare of all members 4. To promote community service Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar - General Corporate Affairs Commission AbujA within 28 days of this publication

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.TO TRAIN PRIESTS WHO WILL DOUBLE AS PSYCHOSOCIAL PRIESTS AND INFORMATION THEOLOGIANS. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrargeneral, corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: BARR.BARRISTER OLUCHI J.IRONKWU 08170538692

SIGNED: BARR. UCHENNA NNAJI UCHENNA NNAJI AND CO (08024352882)

The Trustees are: 1. Dupe Onitiri Abiola 2. Tinuola Thompson Ajayi 3. Abiola Oladele AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To provide/promote primary health care centre and services.

2. To provide clean water, education, vocational training.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar - General Corporate Affairs Commission AbujA within 28 days of this publication SIGNED: SECRETARY

HOUSE OF GOLD INTERNATIONAL ROYAL FOUNDATION

LEGAL NOTICE

AJIMA YOUTH EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION

The general public is hereby notified that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja for change of trustees and change of objects/alteration of constitution under Part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

This is to inform the general public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘’C’’ of the companies and allied matters Act No 1 of 1990.

THE OLD TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Gennie Eleojo Enie 2. Gabe Onah 3. Celestine Ike Okai 4. Rev. Fr. Cletus Ubom Etim 5. Dr. Gabriel Efe Osirim 6. Prof. Jerry Buhari

- Retained - Retained - Retained - Retained - Retained - Retained

THE NEW TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Annena Elizabeth Hendricks 2. Musa Zubairu Usman OLD OBJECTS 1. To promote the Nigerian cultural heritage, etc NEW OBJECTS 1. To promote the African cultural heritage, emphasizing on educational reserach, tourism and cultural values in Nigeria.

2. To contribute to the socio-cultural and economic development by mobilizing, organising and promoting self-help projects for youth and women through workshops, seminars, skill acquisition, health seminars and talks, etc.

Any objection to this changed should be forwarded to The Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Abuja within 28 days from the date of this publication.

Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column. And whereas the person(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the grant letters of administration of the personal property.

Notice is hereby given that the said letters of administration be granted to such person(s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT” the grant thereof is filed in the probate registry of the above named court within twenty one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE Deceased name and address Applicant for grant Adama Josephat Adama Judith and Adama Celestina.

FCDA Development Control.

Ministry of Petroleum Resources Who died on the 15th January, 2014.

Dated at Abuja this 17th June, 2014.

Abuja.

The Widow and daughter of the said deceased.

Signed: Barr Hafsat Sadiq For: Probate Registrar

Signed: SECRETARY

The trustees are: 1. Fatima Oyiza Ademoh 2. Kabir Onimisi Ademoh 3. Hajiya Maimunat Okibayi Ademoh 4. Mr. Samson Ayodele Ahmed 5. Ms Jelena Zivkovic 6. Alhaji Abdulganiyu Ahmed 7. Alhaji Isa Ovurevu Ademoh

- Founder - Secretary

AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. To empower youths to be self reliant 2. To empower youths in becoming community leaders 3. Improving the participation of youths in achieving economic prosperity Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within –twenty eight (28) days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: Samson Enesi Esq. Abuja

ALUMINIUM COIL DEALERS ASSOCIATION ONITSHA

JUSTICE AND TRANSFORMATION SUPPORT INITIATIVE

BOREHOLE DRILLERS AND PLUMBERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA AGBARHO CHAPTER

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990

The general public is hereby informed that the above named body has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under part “C” of the companies and allied matters act 1 of 1990.

The general public is hereby informed that the above named body has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under part “C” of the companies and allied matters act 1 of 1990.

TRUSTEES: 1. CHIEF OKONKWO CLETUS EKEMEZIE 2. CHIEF BASIL EZERIE 3. MR. CHIDI CYRIL MBACHU 4. MR. ANYIKA JOHN ABUBE 5. MR. EMEKA CLEMENT

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.CHIEF THOMAS CHUKWU 2.MAGNUS UNAH 3.GABRIEL ARIKPO 4.MICHAEL DURA 5.CHARLES OGOH 6.ISREAL ABUA 7.HENRY ONAH 8.MRS NGOZI CHUKWU 9.ALLOY CHRISTIAN

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To promote peace, unity and good relations among members of the association.

2. To function as a platform for the improvement of social economic and general living conditions.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.PLAMER DIAGBAR 2.EMAVWOSE DICKSON ARIERHI 3.HENRY EPETUKU 4. OSAZUWA WEALTH NOSAWARU 5.SAMUEL OVWIGHOSOTU THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE 1.TO BECOME INDEPENDENT IN ORDER TO BRING DEVELOPMENT TO THE LOCAL MEMBERS.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE 1.TO PROPAGATE THE NEED FOR A PERFECT SOCIETY.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar-general, corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrargeneral, corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

Signed: BARR. GABRIEL ARIKPO 08098389118

Signed: CHAIRMAN

GEM EMBASSY INTERNATIONAL

HAPPY LIFE FOR WOMEN ORGANIZATION

CENTRE POINT MUSLIM YOUTH ASSOCIATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED FOR REGISTRATION TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990

The general public is hereby informed that the above named organisation has applied to the corporate affairs commission for registration under part “C” of the companies and allied matters act 1 of 1990.

The general public is here by notify that, the above name has applied to corporate affairs commission, Abuja for registration under part ‘C’ of companies and allied matters act No.1 of 1990

The trustees are: 1.EVANG GOD’POWER GODWIN SAMPSON 2.BRO GOSPEL SUNDAY THOMAS 3.SIS SUNDAY FAITH WILSON 4.BRO UKO ISONG JACKSON 5.SIS VICTOR JOY UMAKISO 6.BRO BERNARD AUGUSTIN AKPAN

THE TRUSTEES ARE: (1) MR. IGBINOSA OMOBUDE OSAZUWA (2) LAMBERT NEKPENEKPEN (3) VICTOR EDET (4) MRS. LASISI KIKELOMO

aims and objectives are: To preach the gospel of Lord Jesus Christ.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28TH DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: ChaiRman

ELUGBE

OKOJIE

I formerly known as LOIS DAUDA now wish to be known as MRS. ELUGBE LOIS. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

I formerly known as MISS IWHIWHU ACCORD AGHOGHO now wish to be known as MRS OKOJIE SAMUEL ACCORD AGHOGHOMENA. All former documents remain valid.

General public to please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS CHIMEZIE OGECHUKWU UBADI now wish to be known as MRS. CHIMEZIE OGECHUKWU CHIDOZIE-IKEASOMBA. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ADEWALE VICTOR TOLUWALASE now wish to be known as PIUS-ISEI VICTORIA TOLUWALASE. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

CHIMEZIE

PIUS-ISEI

AIMS & OBJECTIVES: To empower low income women through flexible financial services.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrargeneral, corporate affairs commission, plot 420 Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Garki, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: SECRETARY

OLORUNSHOLA

I formerly known and addressed as MISS AWONIYI OLUWATOYIN, now wish to be known as MRS OLORUNSHOLA OLUWATOYIN. All former documents remain valid.

General public to please take note.

DIANA

I formerly known and addressed as LADIDI DAUDA, now wish to be known as DIANA DAUDA. All former documents remain valid.

ABU and the general public to please take note.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Prof Yusuf Saheed 2. Dr Jameel Ismail 3. Dr Bashir Yunusa 4. Zafaran Adeniyi(PhD) 5. Lateef Bakre(PhD) 6. Safiu Salau 7.,Yahya Uba Abdullahi 8. Tahir Muyideen(MCasson) OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. To promote Islamic Religion.

2. To organise educative activities that will inculcate teachings of Islam among youth 3. To do all acts that will assist in the furtherance of its objectives Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the corporate affair commission plot 420 Tigris crescent,off Aguyi Ironsi street, PMB 198 Maitama, Abuja, within 28 days from the date of this publication.

SIGNED: M I KHALIL ESQ. 08099496040

AGBO

I formerly known and addressed as MISS NGOZI ANYANWU, now wish to be known as MRS AGBO NGOZI. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

BILKISU

I formerly known and addressed as MISS BILKISU ABDULLAHI, now wish to be known as MRS BILKISU ABDULKARIM. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

JOY

AMINU

I formerly known and addressed as MISS JOY AKUDO IHESIULOR, now wish to be known as MRS JOY AKUDO ALOZIE. All former documents remain valid.

Ugwunagbo LGA and the general public to please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as ALI JAMES, now wish to be known as AMINU MUHAMMED. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS BUKOLA OBALEYE, now wish to be known as MRS BUKOLA OBALEYE FAKOREDE. All former documents remain valid.

General public to please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS ADETOYINBO VERONICA OLUSHOLA, now wish to be known as MRS OMIWOLE VERONICA OLUSHOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

BUKOLA

OMIWOLE

49

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Iyobosa Uwugiaren Wednesday Periscope 08033143902

T

o those who may try to instigate someone or some people against me after reading this piece, I say: don’t attempt it because you will fail woefully. Like every columnist, my aim here is provoke a scholarly discourse in order to deepen our understanding of how our politics and political players work, think and reason. My focus here is the process that led to the emergence of some national officers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) last Saturday in Abuja and the possible feeling of one of the stakeholders in the party - somebody I have huge respect for. He is party-disciplined quite all right but we need to provoke him to make his position known in this matter. Follow me.

His credentials for democratic norms and values are uncommon. In the last three decades or so, he has used his regular column in newspapers to defend and protect these values. Sometimes he goes to the extreme to shout it very loud. You may not like his style but you cannot fault his patriotism, nationalism and genuine motive in whatever he does. Having been on the side-lines shouting, protesting and criticising, he elected recently to throw his hat in the ring in order to play an active role – in an attempt to right the wrongs in our national politics under the platform of the selfstyled “progressive party” that does things differently from the most criticised Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). And, in the last few months, he has invested hugely in the political project from his hard-earned resources and with the help of those who believe in his “big ideas”. I am sure by now you know whom I am talking about. Many of his admirers and followers call him Sam. I have not asked him but I am sure he waited for the Friday/ Saturday national convention of his party to see whether his progressive party was ready to chart a new course for some Nigerians who are not happy with the present socio-political and economic happenings in all lev-

iyobosa@leadership.ng

Who Owns APC?

Oyegun

els of governance in our nation.

And, after the APC convention, how did this patriotic Nigerian see the outcome? Is the celebrated columnist and aspiring president of our country satisfied with the process that produced the new executive members of his party? Does he see hope in our country? Like many followers of the regular Monday column, “Last Word”, I thought he would discuss the matter this Monday but I waited in vain to read him. I don’t know why he chose to address another topic this Monday. Nevertheless, as one of the ardent followers of his column, I demand to hear from him on this matter.

Before then: My take on the outcome of the convention is that the leaders fell short of glory before God and the electorate. They fell flat on the core principles of democracy: the right of people to decide who leads them; they failed woefully on their widely advertised selling points -- “change” and “new ideas”. What happened at the Eagle Square, Abuja, between last Thursday and Saturday morning, was a sham; it was a selection, not election; it lacked the basic minimum elements of internal democracy in a party that prides itself as a “progressive party”. Indeed, the conduct of the APC leaders was retrogressive. Those who based the outcome of the convention on “conscious arrangement”

were only looking for an escape route to justify their dubious, unkindest and uncommon disrespect for the will of the people; they only succeeded in stamping the many criticisms of their opponents that the party is owned by a few people and they alone decide who gets what in the party. Thanks to the Nigerian media, many aggrieved party members, those who are not happy with the dictatorial conducts of the so-called “elders of the party”, might not have the rare opportunities like Chief Tom Ikimi, Alhaji Ali Modu Sherrif, Chief Segun Osoba and others to express their anger, but truth is that many people were not happy with the process that led to the emergence of the John Odigie Oyegun-led executive last Saturday.

What evidence do we need?

Somebody who never showed interest in any party position was appointed national secretary of the party, and, apart from the positions of national chairman, national secretary, a few zonal chairmen and national publicity secretary, I learnt the owners of the party were still trying to fill other positions as at the time of writing this piece. Tell me: where lies the code of belief of democracy in APC? It is a big shame! I am sure those who left the party before the convention would be sipping their shai (tea) and champagne by now, telling those who cared

to listen to them, “But we told you that these people do not have respect for democracy.”

I hold this view strongly that APC is not a credible alternative to the PDP. Some naive minds may not agree with me, but who cares? That was the message the owners of the APC sent to Nigerians last Saturday morning in Abuja while presenting the Oyegun-led executive members to the public. I am sure our respected Chief Segun Osoba and his huge followers in Ogun State share the same view too.

From the look of things, Nigerians will have to choose between the devil and Lucifer in the 2015 general elections. This is the unfortunate situation we have found ourselves in. While some APC members may still be nursing the political wounds inflicted on them by a cult in the party, I predict that it is also a sign of what will happen in the party’s presidential primaries fixed for November. Except those who do not believe in themselves, sound political minds already know the direction of the owners of the party on the matter. I now believe what an insider told me a few months ago: that the merger of the party was planned and executed for the interests of two persons. Don’t ask me who they are; you know them..

— Follow me on my twitter: @rexiyobosa

From the look of things, Nigerians will have to choose between the devil and Lucifer in the 2015 general elections. This is the unfortunate situation we have found ourselves in.

While some APC members may still be nursing the political wounds inflicted on them by a cult in the party, I predict that it is also a sign of what will happen in the party’s presidential primaries fixed for November

50

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

world

news ➋

➍ ➌ ➊

➐ ➏ ➎

Tension On The Rise In Kirkuk

Wearing a flak jacket with a pistol on his hip, the president of the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF), Arshad Salihi, announced yesterday the mobilisation of a new Turkmen militia in the city of Kirkuk, saying that if

the Kurdish Peshmerga forces “refuse to return Kirkuk [to the Iraqi government] we will fight back”.

Heavily armed men gathered at the offices of the ITF in Kirkuk.

➏ Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Meets The Queen On Uk Visit

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has been received by the Queen on the first full day of his official visit to the UK. Mr Li has also been holding talks with David Cameron in Downing Street.

It is the first UK visit by a Chinese premier since a row in

2012 over Mr Cameron’s meeting with exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Mr Li has said he hopes the trip will help to “change misperceptions and misgivings” about his country as well as further business and cultural ties.

Iraqi government forces are engaged in heavy clashes with Sunni insurgents who have made major advances in the past week.

Parts of the city of Baquba - just 60km (37 miles) from Baghdad - were briefly taken over by the rebels.

Meanwhile, Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki has fired senior officers for failing to halt a sweeping advance by Sunni Islamist rebels.

Reports say 44 prisoners were killed during fighting at a police station in the city.

➎ Kurdish-Turkmen

➋ US Seizes Benghazi ➊ Kenya Attacks: 12 Women Abducted Raid Ringleader The suspected ringleader of Near Mpeketoni At least 12 women were abducted during the latest attack on Kenya’s coast, which also left 15 people dead, residents say.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has blamed “local political networks” for the overnight raid on two villages near the town of Mpeketoni.

➌ Major Ukraine Gas

the September 2012 raid on a US diplomatic post in the Libyan city of Benghazi, which left four Americans dead, has been captured, the Pentagon says.

Ahmed Abu Khattala was taken into custody in a secret US military raid in Libya on 15 June.

➍ UK Law Banning Forced

Pipeline Hit By Blast

Marriage Takes Effect

A major pipeline in Ukraine carrying gas from Russia to the rest of Europe has been hit by a blast.

Flames could be seen erupting from the Urengoy-PomaryUzhgorod Pipeline in central Ukraine. No one was reported injured by the explosion.

It is not clear what caused the blast. European and Russian companies said gas exports to the EU were not affected.

British legislation banning forced marriage has come into effect, with those found guilty of the largely hidden practice facing up to seven years in prison.

The law applies not only within Britain but also makes it a criminal offence to force a British national into a marriage abroad, as many youngsters are flown out to weddings in their ancestral homelands, particularly in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

➐ Fighting

Approaches Iraqi Capital Of Baghdad

Analysis 51

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Confronting Fundamental Sexism In Africa

I

The choice to discriminate is a political one.

The use of religion to justify discrimination on a continent where a majority see religion as a very important part of their life is simply tactical

t’s been a month since over 200 school girls were abducted by the armed group Boko Haram in Borno state in northerneastern Nigeria.

As the crisis in Borno sparks fresh debate about religious fundamentalism on the African continent, it is important that we don’t just focus on armed groups performing horrendous acts in the supposed name of God. The gender dynamics of the Chibok crisis signals a worrying trend across the African continent, as religious fundamentalist views and take hold and find their place not just in fringe extremists, but in capturing policies and actions of the state and, perhaps more worryingly, the popular imagination.

In the past decade religious fundamentalists have used women’s rights as a “soft target” in their moves to capture social and political power across the African region. Take the invasion of northern Mali in early 2012 - women were the first focus of fundamentalist policy with edicts policing women’s dress codes and labour in public. In Tunisia as fundamentalisms grow in the wake of the revolution and shifting political power, women’s rights activists note growing restrictions on women’s dress and freedom of movement.

These trends act as warning signs, demonstrating that we need to keep interrogating the continuum of political thinking that can lead to the violent enforcement of very narrow, exclusionary and deeply sexist ways of ordering society. And here, fundamentalist Christianity needs to remain in our analytical frame. Legislation controlling women’s dress under the Anti-Pornography Act in Uganda and the failed Indecent Dressing Bill in Nigeria were both developed in the name of highly conservative expressions of Christian morality, and alongside the much critiqued legislation in both countries expanding anti-gay laws and the criminalisation of same-gender sexual acts and advocacy for equality.

All of this legislation has emerged in the context of rising popular fundamentalism - with a range of religious actors advancing sexist and homophobic ideas among their followers, and in making strategic linkages with the

Mothers

state.

We seem less comfortable about debating the potentially harmful effects of Christian fundamentalism on African societies, perhaps because they have tended to not use strategies of mass physical violence. However as Ugandan feminist and human rights activist Solome NakaweesiKimbugwe argued, in the heat of national debates around the policing of sexuality and individual expression: “with the War on Terror, America has tried to label Muslims as more backward, etc., but for me in the work that we do about liberating women, about choice and autonomy, the most dangerous ones are the Pentecostals.”

The fundamentalist control of women is specific and targeted, focusing squarely on women’s bodies and sexual and reproductive autonomy.

As Ayesha Imam, a Nigerian feminist academic and activist clarifies, “When we talk about religious fundamentalists being anti-women, we need to break this down a bit: they are not anti-women as such; they are anti women’s autonomy and control of their own sexuality and in favour of patriarchal heterosexuality”.

These dynamics are not unique to religious fundamentalisms in the African region.

Global research shows that fundamentalisms across religions and cultural contexts share a patriarchal politics and a disregard for human rights,

alongside their hallmark of absolutist, intolerant ideology.

The choice to discriminate is a political one. The use of religion to justify discrimination on a continent where a majority see religion as a very important part of their life is simply tactical. The same applies to arguments that religious fundamentalists also use, claiming that women and girls’ rights or lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender equality is not part of African culture, or is the product of Western imperialism.

The argument that homosexuality is “unAfrican”and “against our culture” falls flat in light of the historical and contemporary reality that there are, and will always be, lesbian, gay and bisexual Africans. Policy makers and legislators advancing the “not in our culture” argument also seem to have conveniently forgotten that South Africa made international legal history by passing a constitution in 1994 that specifically named sexual orientation in its clause on equality, a legal win that was built out of the lessons of a struggle against racial and gender-based oppression.

This position also erases the many, varied, individual and African collective voices that have mobilised to support the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people as part of creating inclusive, democratic societies. African religious fundamentalists’

claim that women’s rights is both immoral and imported from the West is similarly ahistorical, and denies the legacy of women’s bold and imaginative activism and contributions to progressive transformation in all African societies.

The Chibok crisis shows in depressing extremity that religious fundamentalism is a dead end for work on equality and non-discrimination, and puts a full stop to social justice.

As we consider the economic, political and social future of the African region, we have to consider what actions we can take to reverse the rise of closeminded, discriminatory, antidemocratic thinking dressed in the language of religion.

As Nigerian writer and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka put it in a recent interview, our generation of Africans needs to start taking greater action to “respond to those who think they have a divine right to mess up our lives”.

Stopping the spread of religious fundamentalisms does not require military action. It requires the persistent public reaffirmation of critical thinking and debate, a separation of religion from state policy and law-making, strengthening progressive social movements, and the bravery to stand upin defence of the marginalised in our societies. It also requires us to be more assertive in our defence of women’s rights.

—Al Jazeera

DAY With

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Ishaku Kigbu

7

Cameroun Vs Croatia:

Players To Watch

Eagles Get Full Bonus Despite Draw

By ISHAKU KIGBU, Brazil

Eagles at AFCON

The Super Eagles in spite of failing to win their opening Group F match against the Iranian national team may have pocketed a whopping $10,000 as match bonus even though agreement reached between them and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was $5,000.00 for a draw.

A staff of the federation hinted LEADERSHIP Sports that the full payment was to ‘encourage’ and motivate them to pick a win against Bosnia on Saturday as a lot depends on that game the federation thinks. The make or mar game will

be played at Cuiaba, a city that is 22hrs by road from Sao Paulo. “The federation and government delegation on ground wants to pay the players full match bonuses of $10,000.00 despite failing to win the game against Iran. Officials believe that will help to further motivate the players to win the game against Bosnia but is against the original plan.” The staff revealed.

“It’s his goal too. He hit the shot, the goalkeeper saved it and the ball fell to me,” explained Peralta, known to his countrymen by the nickname ‘El Hermoso’. “Gio is a player who we all turn to. He helps you a lot out on the pitch.”

Samuel Eto’o

NFF official comments on Eagles bonus Alex Song

The federation and government delegation on ground wants to pay the players full match bonuses of $10,000.00 despite failing to win the game against Iran

Yesterday’s results • Belgium 2-1 Algeria • Brazil 0- 0 Mexico

Eric Maxim Choupo-Monting

Today’s Matches • Cameroun Vs Croatia 11pm (Manaus ) • Spain Vs Chile (Rio De Janeiro ) 8pm • Australia Vs Netherland (Porto Alegre) 5pm

Tomorrow’s Matches • Colombia Vs Cote d’Ivoire 5pm (Brasilia ) • Uruguay Vs England (Sao Paulo ) 8pm

About Manaus • Population 1.9 million • Economy: Several mobile pone manufacturers operate plants in Manaus

Head-To-Head Nigeria Vs Iran • FIFA Ranking: Cameroon 56, Croatia 18 • Played 0 matches, Goals for: Cameroon 0, Croatia 0

Action from USA Vs Ghana match

Group Games: Bad Start For African Teams Only Ivory Coast may qualify to next round

By SADIQ ABDULLATEEF, Abuja

African countries have had a poor start in their first games in the group stages in the ongoing World Cup, with just one win (Ivory Coast 2-1 Japan), one draw (Nigeria 0 – 0 Iran) and three losses (Cameroon 0 –1 Mexico 1, USA 2 – 1 Ghana, Belgium 2 –1 Algeria).

It is sure not the desired start for the five teams from Africa.

With tougher games to come for Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and Algeria, the danger signs are there for them. In Group A, Cameroon will play a resolute Croatian side and the host Brazil in their last two group matches after losing 1-0 to Mexico in their first game. A point from these two games will be a big achievement for Samuel Eto’o and co, making their progress to the next round seem impossible.

In Group C, Ivory Coast is the only African team to win their first group

match and may progress to the next round. Gervinho and Wilfred Bony scored two goals in three minutes to give Drogba and co a winning start after Honda had given Japan an early lead. The Orange boys of Africa will have to see off either Colombia or Greece to stand any chance of making it to the next round.

In Group F, most people in the footballing world expected Super Eagles to beat Iran in their first group match, but Dejagah and co held Nigeria to a 0-0 draw, the first stalemate in the tournament. Eagles now face a must-win match against a resilient Bosnian side, before the final group match with Messi’s Argentina.

Mikel and co will have to beat Bosnia and hope Argentina beat Iran to stand any chance of progressing to the next round, that is, if the latter do not get anything from their final game with Bosnia.

In Group G, Ghana came close to getting a point against USA in their opening group match, after Marseille’s Ayew cancelled Seattle’s Dempsey

opener, but defender John Brooks headed USA’s winner three minutes later from a corner. The Black Stars now face a tough final two matches against Germany and Portugal.

In Group G, Algeria also came close to a win against Belgium after Valencia’s Feghouli gave the Africans a 25th minute lead through a penalty, but substitute Manchester United’s Fellaini headed in the equaliser for Belgium in the 70th minute, and another substitute, Napoli’s Mertens, fired in the winner 10 minutes later to make the score 2-1. The North Africans will play South Korea and Russia in their last two group matches.

Since Italia 1990, only one African country has managed to qualify to the next round from the group stage in every World Cup tournament: only Cameroun advanced from the group stage in 1990, Nigeria in USA 94, Nigeria again in France 1998, Senegal in Korea/Japan 2002, Ghana in Germany 2006 and Ghana again in South Africa in 2010.

Luka Modric

Mario Mandzukic

Danijel Pranjic

53

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Eagles A ‘Tournament Team’ That Improve With Every Game – Gaiya

By ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

Police Storm Hotel Lodging Nigerian Journalists For Drugs

By ISHAKU KIGBU, Brazil

Armed Brazilian policemen stormed the Santana Gold Flat, the hotel housing top Nigerian journalists, mostly editors of national newspapers in Nigeria in a secret surveillance move in search of drugs couriers.

The incident happened Sunday night after most Nigerians entered the city of Sao Paulo in readiness for the game against Iran the next day.

The head of the Nigerian top journalists lodging in the hotel, Managing Director of Complete Sports, Mumini Alao when briefed after the policemen left was furious stating that “you would have brought them to me.”

Other top editors in the hotel include, Kunle Solaja of the Sun, Akinloye Oyebanji of NTA, Paul Ogazi of NTA, Tony Ubani of Vanguard, Adekunle Salami of The New Telegraph, Duro Ikhazuagbe

Nigerians should not lose hope on the Super Eagles in spite of a 0-0 draw with Iran on Monday, as they will bounce back and go far at the 2014 World Cup, being a tournament team that improves with each game.

Chairman, House Committee on Sports, Honourable Godfrey Gaiya expressed this on phone from Curitiba while

reacting to the team’s opening performance.

According to him, Nigerians seem to forget in a hurry what happened last year at the Nations Cup where they lost hope on the team after the first two matches, but later were the loudest in pouring encomiums when the team lifted the trophy.

“I think we Nigerians always forget things quickly. Let us give this team a chance and keep

faith with them while praying that they win the remaining two matches at the group stages,” he said.

Speaking further, he said that what the team ought to do now is to go back and strategise ahead of the remaining games.

“I would also like to advice the team to avoid trading blames and concentrate their energy on learning how to defeat Bosnia and Argentina,” he added.

of Thisday, Christian Opara of The Guardian, Shaagee Orkula of Daily Trust and this writer.

In a related development, this writer was accosted by South Africa police in January in Johannesburg while on a stroll with a colleague for questioning and identification because according to them he looked like an Igbo man.

Meamwhile, the Nigeria Football Supporters Club were by world football governing FIFA stripped off their fanfare during the game between Nigeria and Iran decided at the Arena Da Baixada.

FIFA in collaboration with hosts Brazil before the game ordered that the Nigerian supporters must not be allowed to enter the stadium with their drums. It was gathered the move was purely for security reasons since the drums were sealed round without anyone knowing the content of what might be hidden inside.

Nigeria Supporters Club

Mikel Obi Undergoes Doping Test

By ISHAKU KIGBU, Brazil

Nigeria and Chelsea of England midfielder, John Obi Mikel was randomly picked for doping test by FIFA after the goalless draw against Iran in which he was also voted FIFA Man Of The Match.

Mikel who by many was not spectacular in the game against Iran made several faulty passes and could not connect well in good transition between the midfield and attack. According to him, the opening game for the Super Eagles was a disappointment.

“Yes I feel highly

disappointed with the outcome of the game.

It was a disappointing encounter and all of us are disappointed. As our first game we wanted to win and we clearly had the idea of what to do but it became very difficult to create chances; we tried early goals but they never came so we got frustrated. Iran frustrated all our moves and packed 11 men behind the ball.

That match was really frustrating.”

He said the next game against Bosnia is really important for Nigeria and the team. “We have to go back and review what we

Osaze

Attackers Ahmed Musa and Emmanuel Emenike who played full 90 minutes without impressing or scoring a goal did not get Stephen Keshi’s open reprimand, but Osaze Odemwingie who substituted Ramon Azeez in the mid second

of the day

➔ Belgiumcoach Marc Wilmot was able to talk his team to a comeback from a goal deficit against Algeria, winning the game 2-1

Mikel in action for Nigeria

did against Iran because the next game is really important to us. We will at training correct our mistakes and

Osaze Didn’t Play To Instructions – Keshi

By ISHAKU KIGBU, Brazil

Winner

half has been blamed by Keshi for not playing to his instructions. The same reason kept Ike Uche who scored 16 La Liga goals out of Keshi’s list.

Speaking after the match against Iran, Keshi said Osaze was busy doing something different from what he instructed him to do.

improve on what we may have done well.

Iran before the game knew what they wanted to do and

they did it. In our next game against Bosnia we must create chances and be clinical in the opponent’s goal area.

Iran Get $3,000-a-man For Nigeria Draw Each Iran player was paid a bonus of $3,000 for holding African champions Nigeria to a barren draw in a World Cup group game on Monday.

Team Melli massed their defence and launch the occasional counter to keep the more illustrious Nigerians at bay for all 90 minutes in Curitiba.

According to media reports in Iran, each player got US$3,000 as

a token of appreciation from the football federation for the goalless draw with Nigeria.

This bonus will serve as motivation for them as they prepare to face Argentina in their second Group F game.

Nigeria received $5,000-a-man for the draw in Brazil, which is half what they would have got had they won this clash.

Page edited by Onjewu Dickson

LOSer of the day

➔ Algeriacoach Vahid Halilhodzicfailed to keep his boys in control of the game, losing to Belgium

54 sports

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Taribo Labels Keshi’s Men ‘Disappointing Team’

Improve Your Game Against Bosnia, Mark Charges Eagles

By SALIFU USMAN, Abuja

Former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West has described Coach Stephen Keshi’s men goalless draw with Iran on Monday as disappointing, saying the Iranians have succeeded in dropping bombs on African champions World Cup dream.

Super Eagles began their World Cup campaign with a disappointing 0-0 stalemate against Iran– leaves Bosnia and Herzegovina, who lost their first game 2-1 to Argentina favourites to qualify from Group F behind South American nation if they avoid defeat to Nigeria in Cuiaba on Saturday.

Iran’s game was arguably Keshi’s men best chance of a first World Cup win in 16 years, but ended up misfiring.

Former Milan centre back

By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah, Abuja

Leader of the Federal Government delegation to Brazil 2014 and President of the Senate, Senator David Mark has urged the Super Eagles to step up their game against Bosnia in order to qualifier for the next stage of the competition.

Reacting to the Super Eagles goalless draw against their Iran counterparts, Senator Mark said the Nigerian lads tried but they need to improve their game against Bosnia if they are to make the needed impact.

According to Mark in a press statement issued by his Special Adviser Media Kola Ologbodiyan, “Every team is important and every match must be taken seriously. The Super Eagles must therefore bring their resilient and the indomitable spirit of Nigeria to bear and deliver goals.

“Nigerians are eagerly waiting for an improved game in your next match. The national image and pride is at stake and you cannot afford to let our people down.”

He assured of the government and people of Nigeria’s support to the Super Eagles and enjoined them to put the draw with Iran behind them and move ahead.

Emmanuel Emenike

in his several tweets posted on his tweeter handle, ‘@ Taribo _West’ yesterday, said he was in tears through the duration of the game, as he watched the encounter despondently. “@Taribo_West: Am in tears already. I love you super eagles. This #NGA team are so disappointing.

I feel like Iran have dropped a bomb on our World Cup dreams #NGA #IRN,” Taribo stated in his several tweets yesterday.

Super Eagles started the encounter with an attacking intent but ran out of ideas as the match wore on. His replacement, Shola Ameobi, seven minutes into the second half, went close with two headers and Osaze Odemwingie who came in 15 minutes to the end of the match for Ramon Azeez added fresh impetus, but did not carry nearly enough of a threat.

Commonwealth Games: NSC Warns Athletes, Coaches Against Doping

By SALIFU USMAN, Abuja

Ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, coming up shortly after the ongoing soccer fiesta in Brazil, the director general of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye has warned federation secretaries and coaches against aiding their athletes to take enhance performance drugs.

Speaking at the interaction forum with secretaries, technical directors and coaches yesterday in Abuja, he

said the commission will not take likely with any athletes and their officials involving in the use of drugs before, during and after the games in Glasglow.

“Winning medals in events does not necessarily involve the use of drugs, rather good preparation. I urged you coaches to go and prepare your athletes very well ahead of the games and discourage them from the use of drugs because we are not ready to take easy with any athletes and their coaches if

involve in drugs,” he warned.

He further stated that, the fact that Nigeria want to win medals in the games to surpass her previous record does not give room to any athletes to indulged in duping as that would endangered the image of the country, saying that, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) would not hesitate to blacklist any nation that her athletes would be found wanting in doping at the games.

“If any athletes found

wanting of doping, the coaches and officials of such athletes would be held responsible, so go and get your athletes ready to compete using their normal God’s give talents and couple with the preparation you will give them before the games.” He stated.

He said the commission is putting every things in place for the success of Team Nigeria in Glasgow Games, insisting that why he fail to travel to Brazil to Support Super Eagles at the ongoing FIFA World Cup.

Keshi

NFF Insists No Rift On Appearance Fees, Bonuses

By ONJEWU dickson, Abuja

Eagles

The Nigeria Football Federation has blasted a report insinuating rift between the Federation and players of the Super Eagles on appearance monies and bonuses at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals.

Nigeria football spokesman Ademola Olajire dismissed the report which suggested that Senate President, Distinguished Senator David Mark (GCON) blamed the NFF leadership for holding onto the players’ money, as low – quality fiction.

“The persons who wrote those reports were never at that meeting. There have been a couple of meetings on the appearance fees and bonuses and all ended pretty well and on note of good understanding between the NFF and the players.

“There is not even any money to hold onto, yet.

FIFA has not paid Nigeria for participation in the competition as no one knows yet how far we will go to determine the amount to be paid. No country has been paid appearance money.

“The percentage to be paid eventually has been agreed with the players and they are happy.”

Olajire regretted that some fellows who were nowhere during the struggle to qualify for the finals have been desperate to hug the headlines through negative tactics.

“It is unfortunate that at this period that we should all work together and be on the same page for the interest of our country, some people are hell –bent on a negative campaign to try and make the NFF look bad.

SPORTS 55

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Yobo Expects Open Clash Against Bosnia

Maigari Remains Optimistic, Wants Total Support For Eagles

By ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari has expressed optimism that the Super Eagles will go ahead and qualify for the knock –out stages of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, despite Monday’s scoreless draw with Iran in Curitiba.

The African champions huffed and puffed throughout but failed to get the needed goal to claim three points,

despite dominating for large periods.

“I remain optimistic and confident that the Eagles will still qualify. Certainly, the Government and people of Nigeria were expecting victory in this game, but that is football for you.

“I have spoken with the Head Coach and he knows as well that victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina is non –negotiable. The team will do what is necessary to earn the three points and then face with Ar-

gentina with courage,” Maigari said on board the TAM Air flight that brought the NFF delegation back to Sao Paulo after the match.

Argentina now top Group F with three points while Nigeria lie second with Iran on one point each, and the Bosnians bottom without a point.

“I want our people to remain strong behind the team and continue to support the players and technical crew with their prayers. The tournament is just starting.”

Eaglets Okay ‘No Barriers To Education’

By ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

As part of the activities marking the Day of The African Child on Monday, the Golden Eaglets have endorsed the ‘ No Barriers To Education Campaign’ an initiative launched

by Mr. Phil Obaji- A World at School Global Youth Ambassador.

Obaji said it was imperative that pressure be brought on those who should play a role in

educating a child in order to breakdown stumbling blocks to school enrolment and completion; quality of learning and global citizenship.

“As kids who have attended school, members of the Golden Eaglets understand the importance of education but too many of their contemporaries don’t,” stated Obaji.”Education is the reason why these players can live their dream, but for 10.5 million Nigerian chil-

ZIPPORAH

I formally known and called ZIppORAH HARUNA now wish to be known and called ZIppORAH KINGSLEY-SWEETWILLIAMS all former documents remain valid, general public to take note.

ISAAC

I formerly known as ISAAC OMIWOLE now wish to be known as ISAAC OLUWOLE. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

BASIRU-OLUMUYIWA

I formerly known as NWASIKE MARY CHINWE now wish to be known as BASIRU-OLUMUYIWA MARY CHINWE. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

TASIU

I formerly known as ALH TASIU ALHAZAWA now wish to be known as TASIU ADAMU ALHAZAWA. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

SUSAN

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By ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

Stephen Keshi’s men began their campaign with a disappointing 0-0 stalemate against Iran on Monday, while BosniaHerzegovina opened up with a 2-1 defeat to Group F favourites Argentina 24 hours earlier.

Nigeria and Safet Susic’s side are widely expected to battle it out for the second qualification spot in the pool, behind Argentina.

And Yobo believes both teams will therefore approach this weekend’s meeting in Cuiaba with an attack-

dren, there might never be such luck.”

Obaji’s view was supported by Golden Eaglets’ captain, Kelechi Nwakali and speedy striker, Kehinde Ayinde, who noted that footballers with meaningful education would on the long run have a beneficial life long after their careers.

“Education is important because it improves our understanding of the game,” said Ayinde, a Senior Secondary

TALATU

I formally known and called TALATU ELISHA now wish to be known and called TALATU IBRAHIM all former documents remain valid, all the authority concern and general public to take note.

ERONINI

I formerly known as MAjEKODUNMI ANENE OLAWUNMI now wish to be known as ERONINI ANENE. All former documents remain valid.

General public to please take note.

OLATOKE

I, formerly known as OLATOKE BOLANLE WINNIEFRED now wish to be known and addressed as OLATOKE BOLANLE WINNIEFRED NINA. All documents bearing former names remain valid.

Authoriti cencerened and the general public should please take note.

ing mindset.

“It will be an open game against Bosnia, who like us will be looking for their first win of the competition,” he said.

“I thought we played well against Iran, but we found it difficult to penetrate them.

They always had 10 men behind the ball. Teams are defending well in this tournament. We now have to be more creative and believe in ourselves - if we don’t, we only have ourselves to blame.”

Nigeria round off their Group F schedule against Argentina in Porto Alegre on June 25.

yobo-

MARIA

I formally known and called MARIA SULEH now wish to be known and called MARIA DOGARA BUNU all former documents remain valid, all the authority concern and general public to take note.

OJOGHO

I formerly known as UCHE MITCHELL OjOGHO now wish to be known as MR. OjOGHO UCHECHUKWU. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

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I, formerly known as AYANTUNDE AYANTOKE OYINDAMOLA now wish to be known and addressed as AKINMAMEjI TOKE OYINDAMOLA. All documents bearing former names remain valid. The General public should please take note.

UDOKA

AGNES

I formerly known as UDOKA, CHUKWUMA GEORGE, now wish to be known as UDOKA, MUSTApHA ALIYU OROjI. All former documents remain valid.

General public to please take note.

I formerly known as AGNES OGBEYALU OKEKE now wish to be known as AGNES OGBEYALU OKEREKE . All former documents remain valid, General public to please take note.

OGUNBIYI

ONYEMAUGWOEBERE

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I formerly known as MISS ONYEMAUGWOEBERE CHIATOGU ANOWEY now wish to be known as MRS ONYEMAUGWOEBERE CHIATOGU CHUKWUEKE. All former documents remain valid, WAec, Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri and the general public to please take note.

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I formerly known as MISS NWANKWO FAUSTINA CHINWE now wish to be known as MRS CHUKWUMA FAUSTINA CHINWE. All former documents remain valid.

General public to please take note.

LOSS OF OF DOCUMENT DOCUMENT LOSS

LOSS OF OF DOCUMENT DOCUMENT LOSS

This is to inform the general public of the loss of Original Allocation Letter with No. 385 Maitama (Sabo) Kubwa Resettlement Area issued by FcDA belonging to SUNDAY AYUBA of Flat 171, Block C29, CBN Quarters Wuse II by Ap plaza Abuja.

All efforts made to trace the document proved abortive.

If found please contact the owner, FcDA or the nearest Police Station.

This is to inform the general public of the loss of Original certificate of Occupancy with File No. AD 10237 issued by FcDA belonging to ZAINAB ABUBAKAR of plot 1234 Udo Udoma crescent, Asokoro Abuja All efforts made to trace the document proved abortive.

If found please contact the owner, FcDA or the nearest Police Station.

LOSS OF OF DOCUMENT DOCUMENT LOSS

LOSS OF OF DOCUMENT DOCUMENT LOSS

LOSS OF OF DOCUMENT DOCUMENT LOSS

This is to inform the general public of the loss of Originals of Offer Statutory Right of Occupancy Letter and Statutory Right of Occupancy Bill with file N0: MISC 117325 in respect of plot N0: 567 having and area of approximately 4600.74m2 in Cadastral Zone B10 of Dakibiyu FCT Abuja, Bearing HOFFMAN WILLIAMS LIMITED was missing. All efforts made to trace the said document proved abortive. If found, please return to the nearest police station.

This is to inform the general public of the loss of Originals of title documents including the certificate of Occupancy of plot N0. 363 Cadastral Zone B10 Dakibiyu Abuja, in the name of MUKTARI BETARA ALIYU with file N0. B010028 and certificate of occupancy No. 10D6W-FDFOZ-59DAR-944CV-16 was missing. All efforts made to trace the said document proved abortive. If found, please return to the nearest police station. AGIS and the general public to please take note.

This is to inform the general public of the loss of Original certificate of Occupancy (c of O) in respect of plot No. 16, Maitama A06, with file No MISC7052, dated 5th April, 1991, measuring about 2,634.29 sqm2 issued by Federal capital Territory Administration Abuja, belonging to EL-AMIN NIGERIA LTD. All efforts made to trace the missing documents proved abortive. If found, please contact the nearest police station.

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What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?

— Ursula K. LeGuin

18.06.14 No. 2,207

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

Hannatu Musawa

A

If the APC makes the dire mistake of imposing candidates at every level, especially at the presidential level, it will be in grave danger of diminishing any advantage it may presently have

www.leadership.ng

N150

The Wednesday Column s a law student, I was always very fascinated with the legal maxims which were used to show established principles or propositions. I liked maxims because I saw them as an instrument for positively applying the requirements of integrity and utmost good faith.

The essence of maxims such as “Equity looks to the intent rather than the form”, “Equity looks on that as done which ought to be done”, and “Equity does not aid a party at fault” is to serve as a flexible principle aimed at achieving justice for both sides in every case.

But my favourite maxim by far has got to be, “He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.” What makes this particular maxim so interesting to me is that it bestows on a party a voluntary dictum that blocks the court of equity to one that has been soiled with bad faith in regards to the matter in which one seeks relief. This guiding doctrine can be applied in any situation in life to further the cause of justice and fair play. Once applied, one can hardly go wrong.

A perfect scenario to benefit from the equitable duty imposed by this principle is the opposition politics that is currently playing out in Nigeria. As the main opposition party embarks on putting its substantive foundation in place, the code of fairness and equity in its internal conduct and the way it responds to its members must be embraced. The one complaint that every opposition party in Nigeria has always had against the ruling party during elections is the party’s lack of internal and external democracy. However, if the principle and standard of fairness is what the opposition parties expect from the PDP in the 2015 elections, then the opposition itself has got to be seen to observe and uphold the very same tenet and standard.

Last year, when the hopes and efforts of the vast majority of Nigerians crystalized into the APC, it provided the best conduit for the change that people were so

WEDNESDAY

APC Must Come To Equity With Clean Hands hannatu@leadership.ng

desperate for. Apart from the lessthan-satisfactory performance over the last 15 years, another factor that disenfranchised a good number of the electorate against the PDP was the vehement way that the ruling party was thought to bulldoze its way into power at every general election. It seemed as if, with wanton abandon, every four years the candidates of the PDP, validly or invalidly, would be foisted upon us. No matter how much the opposition campaigned or the enthusiasm of its supporters, PDP always managed to be declared winners with seemingly little effort.

And right up until the recent formation of the APC, there has always been the understanding that the opposition parties were always the underdogs with the herculean task of succeeding in taking power at the centre. APC’s formation precipitously galvanized all those who feared that the political landscape of Nigeria had morphed into a one-party state.

As one watches the party grow, one can see that the APC brings to the table an essentially distinctive and, in every respect, most potent challenge to the ruling party we have seen yet. With the general elections less than a year away, the APC is, in theory, well-positioned to become the most important political force over the coming year.

Another major hurdle, of which PDP, APC and all the former legacy parties have fallen victim to, are party leaders who suffer from a syndrome that makes it very difficult for them to rein in their individual ambitions: leaders who have recycled their aspirations election after election, year after year; and those that have been in power since the creation of man continue failing to recognize that their constant and inordinate ambition has been the greatest factor in creating an obstruction for the opposition.

Such leaders and those who double as rulers and go all-out in the art of imposition of candidates have got to be discouraged. The party

has to dissociate itself from the ugly culture where leaders behave as if contesting for elections and ruling Nigeria is their own personal birthright and individual inheritance. There is not one person in this country that has the greater right, above and beyond everyone else, to be the uncontested, sole aspirant to present themselves as the only candidate in the presidential election or any other position for that matter. Of this, the APC must take notice very seriously!

If the APC makes the dire mistake of imposing candidates at every level, especially at the presidential level, it will be in grave danger of diminishing any advantage it may presently have.

Furthermore, the majority of its members have already begun protesting against the whimsical declaration of predetermined winners of the APC primaries.

Let’s make no mistake: the necessary sacrifices of forgoing certain ambitions of specific polarizing party members have got to be made, albeit in a democratic manner.

For APC, when the story of its outing in the 2015 election is eventually told, five vital elements will likely stand out: the combination of nationally acceptable candidates to carry the presidential and vicepresidential tickets, the strategy and intelligence, bar sentiment used to employ the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, the validity of the process exercised to produce those candidates, the impartial platform provided for the emergence of other candidates at every level, and the extent that the party is prepared to go in order to ensure that there is internal democracy in its entire conduct.

It will be upon these five scenarios that APC will make it or break it come 2015.

The coming months will be crucial for APC to prove to Nigerians that the party really is a viable alternative to the PDP. As long as the party lives, eats

and breathes justice; as long as party decisions aren’t made in the interest of unfairly erecting structures of patronage around preselected candidates; as long as the party can exhibit practice of internal democracy at the highest level, then, it has a real fighting chance of success come 2015.

However, anything short of that, any conduct that compromises the integrity of internal democracy, will perhaps be the cause for the formidable-forming wall of the APC to come tumbling down. And it certainly may just be the prompt for those of us who, for over a decade, have toiled tirelessly to ensure a higher standard in the opposition landscape to begin a journey of disbelief.

As a barrister practising law, I see “He who comes to equity must come with clean hands” as far more than a mere banality. It is a principle that I apply in my own life and one that I expect my party to apply in its internal conduct. If the APC fails to do so and is confronted with a PDP and INEC that challenge it with their own usual brand of soiled hands in 2015, then, we have no right to complain or protest by virtue of natural reason… Fact will be, we cannot go to equity if we don’t go with clean hands!

GHANA MUST GO Police dogs deployed to monitor Ekiti polls — News

Kare jini! Biri jini!

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