Leadership Newspaper

No. 437

N300

22.06.14 FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

nigeria's most influential newspaper

Relatives Denied Access To Detained 486 Northern Traders

Move To Impeach Nyako Suffers Setback

NEWS, PAGE 6

PAGE 5

Chibok Diary

DAY 69

'Abducted Girls May Be Used As Tools For Attacks'

2

EKITI GOVERNORSHIP POLL

Shock, Concern As PDP’s Fayose Takes Early Lead 5 Security agents arrest Fayemi campaign DG, target APC leaders INEC announces result today I will accept outcome of election – Fayose

16 Years After, Nigeria Get World Cup Win Beat Bosnia 1 - 0

By SaliFu uSmaN, Abuja

Nigeria’s forward Peter Odenwingie celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the World Cup Group F football match between Nigeria and Bosnia yesterday. PHOTO BY AFP

Super Eagles this morning beat Bosnia and Herzagovina 1-0 to record their first World Cup win since 1998 and get their campaign back on track.

Stoke City of England forward, Peter Odemwingie scored the only goal of the match in 29th-minute, after a solo muscular run and cross

by Emmanuel Emenike. The victory lifted Coach Stephen Keshi to second place in the group with four points, behind already-qualified Ar-

➔ ContinueD on page 5

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Sunday, June 22, 2014

chibok diary 69

DAY

ChIBok TwEETS @HenshawKate

What will it take 2 maintain d outcry till they bring back our children...Nothing!

What are we asking for? Their lives intact! #BringBackOurGirls

@clancycnn 6h Official report shows federal government has made almost no progress to #BringBackOurGirls

@omojuwa You'd wish Nigeria's president was as dedicated to #BringBackOurGirls as he is to usurping power in Ekiti today

@obyezeks DAY68 of #ChibokGirls abduction. Perhaps after 67 days of cruel doubt by some who said you were not missing … they will now

@senatorbash We would not relent neither would World Cup events overshadow the call for FG to #BringBackOurGirls

Waziri Adio @ Waziriadio June 19 Its day 67! A simple question: what would they have done if any of their children were involved? #BringBackOurGirls COMPILED BY MICHAEL OCHE

Abducted Chibok Girls May Be Used As Tools For Attacks If… – Expert Says

By Kareem Haruna, Maiduguri

There are dangers that the 219 abducted Chibok schoolgirls may end up being indoctrinated as members of the Boko Haram sect or even help to carry out attacks if nothing is done to end their continuous stay in captivity of the insurgents, a top security source who wouldn’t want to be named said.

The security source who has some expertise on criminal psychology told LEADERSHIP Sunday in an exclusive interview that the chances are 50:50 that some of the abducted girls would by now begin to imbibe or get indoctrinated to support the cause of the Boko Haram.

The source said that there are strong argument currently being advanced within the security circle that the young girl that carried out the recent suicide bombing at a military check post in Gombe State could be one of the girls that were in captivity.

“We are faced by two dangers now; one is the fear that these girls could be killed and the other is that they could be turned into some tools by the insurgents who may begin to use them as spies or agents to execute their heinous activities,” said the source.

“Already, if what we are suspecting is anything to go by, the girl that carried out the suicide bombing that claimed her life and that of a soldier may be one of the girls that had been abducted. It is a known fact that a female suicide bomber had not been reported so far, and suddenly we begin to record young girls now carrying out suicide attacks; one would be forced to ask where did the

girl emerged from”?

“Psychologically, it takes about 21 days for one to pick up a habit or drop it”, explained the source. “The danger is that these are very young and ill-exposed schoolgirls, some of them, judging from our interactions with those that had escaped, were village girls who hardly travel far out of their communities, local government or the state. Now some grown up men picked them up and kept them for over 65 days, feeding them with nice foods; probably what they had never eaten before, clothing them, and continually preach to them to see their activities as the genuine worship of God, and then perhaps making some sexual advance on them. Over time, the poor girls would begin to have a change of whatever negative thoughts they may have harboured about the insurgents and then begin to fall in love with them, and with what they stand for”.

The top security source said once the girls got so indoctrinated, there are chances that even if they are rescued, they could still harbour some affection for their captors.

“That is why government had to shelve its politics and sanction an operation that will quickly bring these girls back home, lest we are toying with possible new converts of Boko Haram that could be used to do more havoc”, said the source.

On what could be done should the girls eventually get released, he said that “the girls must be subjected to serious psychological counselling; and experts in the security circle must have to thoroughly debrief them in order to ascertain any possible trace of indoctrination especially from those that may have professed new faith other than what they practiced before they were abducted”.

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our stand Sunday, June 22, 2014

Senate: A Poor Scorecard

I

t is a few months to the 2015 elections and everyone can, actually, catch a whiff of the polls in the air. And this is despite the spate of multifarious setbacks and colossal human tragedies that this country continues to reel under since 2011. For good or bad, however, it is also time to take stock at all levels of government.

We reckon with the scorecard Senator Ita Enang, chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, made public recently. According to Senator Enang, the upper chamber has succeeded in passing 12 bills out of the 187 it had received in the last one year. Enang added that the Senate also passed 24 “landmark” resolutions in the period under review. Of the paltry 12 bills passed, nine originated from the executive, including the Appropriation Bill and Extension of Emergency Rule Bill.

While Senator Enang actually sounded triumphal in his announcement, not a few Nigerians were appalled by the performance of the 7th Senate in the last 12 months. A look beyond the period to even the Senate’s inauguration in June 2011 does not

also yield much in terms of performance worthy of commendation. The jury is in on this one and the verdict is that, compared with the resources our senators have gobbled up within the last one year and their performance, this country has not been well served by the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

And, from all indications, the heart-rending reality is that things will not change in the short time left for the legislative life of the 7th Senate to expire. Rather than being an elucidation of any “landmark achievement, Senator Enang’s disclosure is an exposé of the poor work rate at the Senate and the appalling work ethics of the senators.

Ag. Editor Auwal Sa’id Mu’azu Deputy Editor Kazeem Akintunde Editorial Board Safiya M. Adamu, Chairman Standards Aniebo Nwamu, Director ’Lara Olugbemi, Assistant Director

The nation has watched with consternation the six hours per week sitting sessions at the Senate and the result is very poor. Like most Nigerians, we are concerned with the open knowledge that senators are only active in the areas where they can make pecuniary gains for themselves rather than the general wellbeing of the citizenry. Like millions of Nigerians, we are worried that the Senate is often in the news for the wrong reasons.

To be sure, it would seem that senators are only in their best elements when money matters are on the table. This is especially so when it comes to summoning some government officials or agencies to answer questions relating to money. Like a majority of Nigerians, we have also seen that senators have an acute taste for oversight functions, which entail endless visits to government agencies, to the neglect of their main duty.

The country would have lost nothing without the 7th Senate’s 12 bills out of 187.

Needless to say, the country’s economy is bound to collapse because those who do no work earn the most income. The score of the 7th Senate thus far is 5 per cent.

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 Ekiti Decides

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Large Turnout Of Voters Amidst Tight Security

By KAZEEM AKINTUNDE and ALO ABIOLA, Ado-Ekiti

The gubernatorial elections in Ekiti State got under way yesterday with a large turnout of voters in most of the polling units amidst tight security provided by 12,000 policemen, hundreds of soldiers and paramilitary personnel, 16 Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission and 8,433 of its staff.

As early as 8am, hundreds of people had assembled at their polling units while voting materials had arrived early enough for accreditation monitored by 1,900 local and foreign observers.

At most of the polling units,

PDP Alleges Security Operatives Stopped APC Governors From Bringing Thugs The national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday claimed that governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had planned to bring in thugs to Ekiti State to disrupt yesterday’s governorship election but for the intervention of security agencies.

This is even as they accused the national chairman of APC, Chief Odigie Oyegun of breaching sections of the constitution and the Electoral Act, by allegedly engaging in campaigns and addressing press conferences where he solicited votes for the APC candidate less that 24 hours to the election in clear breach of the said laws.

The party cited sections 99 and 128 of the electoral act which provides that campaign in public must end 24 hours before and the need for orderly conduct during elections.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, who was flanked by the National Woman Leader, Dr Kema Chikwe and the National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, also accused the APC leadership of always denigrating the person and office of the President, stressing that APC chairman carried out the act to overheat the polity and cause mayhem in the state.

The PDP had frowned at a comment by the Oyegun who said “any act of impunity whoever did not condemn it will not have the moral right to condemn the reacts that such actions my elicit.”

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

pregnant women and the elderly were allowed to register very early.

At LA primary School polling unit 009 in Ado Ekiti, accreditation booth was split into five units for easy accreditation.

The same situation was observed at unit 008 in the same area.

Except for the brief arrest of the DG to Kayode Fayemi campaign organisation, Honourable Bimbo Daramola by security operatives on the eve of the election, the state was calm.

Daramola was later released after being questioned though reasons for his brief arrest was not made known.

Governors’ Blockade: Soyinka Seeks Explanation From FG Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has charged President Goodluck Jonathan to speak out on recent blockade of some governors by security agents from a rally organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ado Ekiti on Thursday.

Addressing the media in Lagos yesterday, Soyinka said Nigerians want to know who authorised the blockade which he described as unconstitutional.

A visibly angry Soyinka told newsmen at the conference, “That embarrassment must stop. So we will not be satisfied with anything less than making us know who gave the order. If that does not happen, we will set up a citizen’s court.”

Expressing his resolve, Soyinka said, “We did it in the fight against Abacha, and for Albashir of the Sudan.

We got victims, witnesses and journalists to come and testify on the violation of human rights. We will ask for international help. If we can’t hold it here, we will hold it elsewhere.”

It will be a shame if we are forced to hold it outside. We will place the government on trial. This must be the very last time that such an incident will happen. I still cannot believe that these things happen. It appears like some kind of fantasy, some kind of Nollywood film.’’

By Olaolu Oladipo, Lagos

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State (right) receiving the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar (middle) at the house of the late Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Chief Arisekola Alao when he paid the family a condolence visit. With them is the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Alhaji Suara Aruna (left). OYO GOVERNMENT HOUSE

INEC Commended Over Election

By KAZEEM AKINTUNDE and ALO ABIOLA, Ado-Ekiti

Stakeholders in the Ekiti Gubernatorial elections have commended INEC for the early arrival and smooth conduct of the election.

Voters had assembled at the polling units for accreditation which began at exactly 8am.

Accreditation process at virtually all the polling units in Ado-Ekiti, the State capita went smoothly and peacefully throughout the period.

At ward 9 unit 8 in Adebayo area of the state capital, voters who are mainly students and staff of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital waited patiently after the accreditation to cast their votes.

Men of the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Army were all over the place to maintain law and order while the check points were equally maintained for stop and search operations The unit’s presiding officers, supervisors and voters confirmed the early arrival of voting materials at all the voting units across the three senatorial districts of the state.

At Ifaki Ekiti where the former

Governor of the State, Engr Segun Oni and Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi hail from it was confirmed that voting materials arrived as early as 6am.

The Labour Party state chairman, Barr. Akin Omole attributed the peaceful conduct and large turnout of the voters to the presence of the security agents.

Commenting, Senator Ayo Arise who said he expected a massive turnout of voters noted that the exercise has been so peaceful.

Dr Kayode Fayemi while speaking at Ogilolo Unit 001 in his Isan Ekiti Country home commended the Independent National Electoral Commission over the conduct of the poll.

He said the report he heard from across the state was that the election materials arrived early enough before the commencement of the accreditation.

The governor said the poll will definitely be a great improvement on previous elections in the country including Anambra’s if the electoral body continues in that manner.

Also speaking on the election, the Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),

Mr Ayo Fayose said he would accept the result of the poll in good faith.

Fayose stated this shortly after casting his vote in Unit 001 at his Afao country home in Irepodun/ Ifelodun local government area of the state.

The former governor who voted at about 2:10pm said he would leave the outcome of the election to God. “I have campaigned enough; I did all that was necessary in this election. I know my people love me and they want to see me return as governor, but I will leave my fate to God,” Fayose said.

Meanwhile, the results of the Saturday governorship election in Ekiti State may be announced today, the Independent National Electoral Commission has said.

The Public Relations Officer of the commission in the State, Mr Kehinde Gbadegesin said the electoral body was still expecting the results from the local governments.

He said the announcement would be made as soon as the collation of the results are concluded at the 16 local councils and forwarded to the state office.

Stopping Governors From Ekiti Rally Primitive – Oshiomhole

By Patrick Ochoga, Benin City

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State open up over the grounding of his chartered helicopter to attend solidarity rally for Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State describing the action of federal government as primitive and ill-conceived.

Speaking on a television programme, Oshiomhole said the rally “was a scheduled rally and Kayode is my friend besides being a Governor. I got to the airport and was told that sorry, we got instructions from above that you can’t fly to Ekiti, I was even told that I can’t fly to Akure and go by road to Ekiti.

“It was very unfortunate because you have overzealous persons, it may not be coming from what they referred to as above be-

cause the man in charge of this Nigerian project today who is in the driver’s seat is the President and I do not think that President Jonathan will order anybody to prevent people from going to campaign. But you have people who think they love the ruling party more than the chief of the party.

“For me it was quite embarrassing, I didn’t see what value it added, if anything, it raises the doubts about the preparedness of the authorities to allow a levelplaying field. I have the right to go to any part of Nigeria and if you can stop a Governor, you treat him as a miscreant, it’s not about me, it’s about the office, and then you reduce the country to something close to a banana republic.

“These things happen all the time, that’s why I always argue

that we need strong institutions rather than strong personalities.

When institutions like the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency are strong, even the Minister cannot order those responsible for the airport to be co-opted into their political game, because they are supposed to do their jobs professionally.

“But because we have weak institutions where the Minister can hire and fire, the Minister of State or even a Director who wants to show that he loves the ruling party more than anyone else will give those orders. There is no rightthinking mind who will think that by preventing some of us from attending that rally; it will make such a significant difference to the outcome of the Ekiti election. It was a primitive ill-conceived approach.”

NEWS 5

Sunday, June 22, 2014

LIVING TO BE 100

One health tip daily Spice Up Your Circulation The natural reaction to eating spicy food is redness in the face, increased body temperature, and perspiration. These are signs that your blood vessels are dilated and blood flow is accelerated. Many spices, especially garlic, onions, cayenne, and turmeric, have been clinically shown to prevent blood clots and improve circulation.

To help your blood keep you healthy, add spices and let it flow.

Immortalize Arisekola, Sultan Tells Ajimobi

By Adebayo Waheed, Ibadan

The Sultan of Sokoto and the president-general of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar Sa’ad, has called on the Oyo State government to immortalize the Aare Musulumi of Yoruba land, Alhaji Abdul Azeez Arisekola Alao.

He made the call when he led members of the executive of the council on a condolence visit to the family of the late religious leader in Ibadan on Saturday.

The Sultan said that considering the impact of the deceased to the advancement of humanity, especially the poor, Arisekola deserved to be immortalized by the state government.

He described the deceased as a philanthropist of repute and enjoined wealthy Nigerians to emulate his generosity by being their brothers’ keepers.

Sa’ad urged the children of the deceased to be united and stand for selfless service which their father was known for.

Sultan Sa’ad

Earlier, the Oyo State governor, Senator Ishaq Abiola Ajimobi, said the people should be consoled by the fact that the deceased lived a fulfilled life.

One of the children of the deceased, Alhaji Isa Alao, gave an assurance that the family would sustain the legacy built by their father.

A special prayer for the repose of the soul of the deceased was led by the Chief Imam of the University of Lagos Central Mosque, Professor Murtadha Bidmus.

Until his death, Arisekola was the deputy president-general of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.

16 Years After, Nigeria Get World Cup Win ➔ FROM FRONT PAGE gentina who have six points.

The African champions who face Argentina in their final group game on Wednesday, would needs a point to guarantee advancing to the second round. Third-placed Iran, with one point, take on the Bosnians in the other final match of the group needing nothing less than a win to stand any chance of pip-

ping Nigeria to the last 16.

Bosnia, beaten 2-1 by Argentina are already out of the competition irrespective of the outcome of final group match against Iran.

The last time Nigeria recorded victory at the World Cup was in France 1998. Their two last previous appearances in Korea/Japan 2012 and South Africa 2010 were without single win while the team failed to qualify for Germany 2006 World Cup.

Shock, Concern As PDP’s Fayose Takes Early Lead

By Bayo Oladeji and Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

Shock waves wept through most political circles as the results of yesterday’s gubernatorial election in Ekiti State began to trickle in.

Though the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC), is yet to officially release the results of the poll, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ayodele Fayose, was in early lead, going by the results from some of the wards so far released.

While many indigenes of Ekiti trooped to the streets to jubilate the victory of Fayose, many political watchers were shocked and concerned about the outcome of the poll.

The feelings stemmed from the belief that Governor Kayode Fayemi may have lost the poll due to what they termed his elitist approach to governance in the state.

Early results got from some polling units in Ekiti State show that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Ayodele Fayose, is cruising to victory in the gubernatorial election held yesterday.

His closest opponent was incumbent governor John Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Former governor of Ekiti State Otunba Niyi Adebayo lost his polling unit to the Labour Party governorship candidate, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele. Otunba Adebayo, who hails from Iyin Ekiti in Oye local government area as Bamidele, is a chieftain of the APC. At Iyin Ward A, Unit 3, Elera compound, where the former governor cast his vote, LP polled 61 votes, PDP got 15 votes while APC garnered 36 votes.

Deputy governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu, also lost to the PDP in her

polling unit at Ado-Ekiti where she voted. The result shows that APC got 73, LP 26 while the PDP got 304.

The result at Iyin Ward A, Unit 002, Balogun compound, is as follows: APC 24, LP 36 and PDP 21.At Iyin Ward A, Unit 005, Onikasamu, LP got 63, APC 44 and PDP14. At Ado Unit 006, PDP got 115, APC 53 while Labour Party got 5 votes.

At Unit 007 also in Ado, PDP got 122 votes, APC 25 while Labour scored 7 votes.

The PDP also got the highest number of votes at Unit 009: APC scored 40 votes, Labour 7 and PDP 75. At Unit 009 B in Ado, APC got 43 votes, PDP 88, while Labour scored 5 votes.

At Ward 10 in Ado, APC scored 127 votes, PDP 188 while Labour got 10 votes.

Though the Independent National Electoral Commission had not declared a winner in the poll yet, the whole of Ado Ekiti was in jubilant mood as people trooped to the streets to celebrate the victory of Fayose.

At Ifaki Ekiti in Ido-Osi local government area of the state, the process was peaceful as the voters queued in their numbers for accreditation.

The situation was not different in Ward 2 Unit 006, where the former governor of the state, Engr Segun Oni, was expected to cast his vote.

Voting materials, according to electoral officers, arrived at the unit as early as 6am. Koko Ward 1 Unit 003 in Ifaki Ekiti also experienced a large turnout of voters with Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi who is representing Ekiti North senatorial district at the National Assembly accredited about 9am.

At Ayegbaju Ekiti, most of polling units were yet to commence accreditation by 9:30am; the voters

waited anxiously for the process to begin.

The voters at Oye Ward 1 unit 003 were also seen conducting themselves peacefully for accreditation. The Labour Party state chairman, Barr. Akin Omole, expressed hope that the whole process will be okay with the level of security put in place.

Voters also massed at the Imogun/ Ilemio Ward 1 Unit 004 of Oye Ekiti for the accreditation exercise.

I’ll accept outcome of Ekiti poll – Fayose The governorship candidate of the PDP, Mr Ayo Fayose, yesterday said he would accept the outcome of the election “whichever way it goes.”

Fayose made the declaration after casting his vote at 2.10p.m.at Unit 001 Polling Unit, St. David Primary School, Afao-Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.

“I have campaigned enough, I did all that was necessary in this election; I know my people love me… but I will leave my fate to God,” Fayose said.

Security agents however briefly arrested the campaign DG to Kayode Fayemi, Honourable Bimbo Daramola on the eve of the election.

Daramola was later released after being questioned though reasons for his brief arrest were not made known to the media.

INEC announces result today The results of the Saturday governorship election in Ekiti state may be announced tomorrow, the Independent National Electoral Commission has said.

The Public Relation Officer of the commission in the State Mr ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Move To Impeach Nyako Suffers Setback

By MOHAMMED ISMAIL, Yola

There are indications that the impeachment move against Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State has suffered a setback, as 11 members have allegedly backed out of the move following the intervention of prominent Nigerians including former vice president Atiku Abubakar and former EFCC boss Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

Sources privy to the development within the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) revealed to LEADERSHIP Sunday that the high-stake intervention of major stakeholders of the party has started yielding dividends as 11 members of the House of Assembly have been convinced to drop the impeachment bid.

The impeachment move, which was initiated on June 18, was endorsed by 19 out of the 25 members of the all-PDP House of Assembly, meaning that six of the House of assembly members have

not appended their signatures to the impeachment notice.

The lawmakers who refused to endorse the impeachment move include former speaker of the House and arch supporter of Governor Nyako Hon. Sadiq Dasin from Fufore LGA, Hon. Wale Fwa from Demsa LGA, Hon. Musa Mahmud from Mayo Belwa LGA, the home town of Governor Nyako; Hon. Abuzzari Suleiman Ribadu from Yola North LGA, Hon. Juggal Abdulsalam from Shelleng, and the speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Ahmadu Umaru, from Madagali LGA. But the refusal of the speaker of the House to append his signature to the impeachment notice has rankled many because he was seen to be the brains behind the impeachment move and the major beneficiary if it sailed through -- if it succeeded he would be the acting governor.

A source said the move to enlist the support of the 11 law-

makers was a shrewd political calculation, for if it sails through it will put a spanner in the works of the impeachment plan since 16 members are needed to effect the impeachment of the governor.

When contacted for her comment on the issue, one of the members who refused to endorse the move and member representing Demsa, Hon. Wale Fwa, said she was bereaved of a loved one and was not in the mood to comment on the issue.

Also, when his reaction was sought through sms, the chairman, House Committee on Information and member representing Michika LGA, who was one of the members who initially endorsed the impeachment move, said, “I am sorry; I cannot discuss anything about impeachment because I am not part of it.”

All efforts to speak with Barr

➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

6 NEWS

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Relatives Denied Access To Detained 486 Northern Traders

BY Bayo Oladeji, Abuja and MATTHIAS NWOGU, Umuahia

Anxiety has gripped several family members of the 486 suspected insurgents from the northern part of the country arrested by soldiers in Abia State a week ago while they were travelling to Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, following the refusal of the authorities of Asa Army Base in Ukwa West local government area of the state, where they are currently detained, for them to have access to their relatives.

When LEADERSHIP Sunday visited the army barracks, many relatives of the suspected insurgents were seen crowded at the gate of the army facility waiting anxiously to gain access into the barracks.

A relation of one of the suspected insurgents who spoke on condition of anonymity denied speculations that the suspected insurgents were members of Boko Haram, adding that they are rather artisans, trad-

ers and menial job seekers who were travelling to Port Harcourt at the time of the arrest to seek their daily bread.

He expressed fear that the detainees might be living under stringent conditions since they have been tagged suspected terrorists, adding that the army should allow them to give the detainees food and medication.

The chairman of an association of Jigawa indigenes resident in Aba, Alhaji Idris Wanzam, who claimed his nephew’s wife, one Jemina Dan Nasara, was among those detained, said he had made several unsuccessful attempts to gain access into the barracks to see her.

According to him, on each visit, he was told by soldiers at the gate that he should wait until investigations on the identities and mission of the suspected insurgents were completed.

He appealed to the military authorities of the 144 battalion to speed up the investigations, and

release his relations who, he said, are artisans and menial job seekers, who have nothing to do with Boko Haram.

Another man who identified himself as Murtala Wanzan said he had also made several unsuccessful efforts to see his brother-in-law, Magaji S’aidu, who hails from Karyi local government area of Kano State, and who, according to him, sells tea at Ariaria Junction, Aba. He said Saidu was returning to Aba from Kano in one of the 33 Hummer buses that were impounded by the soldiers on that fateful day.

Attempts by LEADERSHIP Sunday to see the detainees and the commander of the army base in Asa proved abortive. A guard at the gate said the reporter should get a written permission from Army Headquarters before he could have access to the base to see the detainees.

The Abia State commissioner for information and strategy, Dr Eze

Chikamnayo, who briefed journalists last Monday alongside the commander, 144 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Rasheed Omolori, following the arrest of the suspected insurgents, could not be reached on phone for an update on the incident.

The director of information, Defence Headquarters, Major General Chris Olukolade, could not be reached. He was unable to pick his calls and did not respond to our sms. However, a military source, who gave reasons why they are still being held, disclosed that 86 insurgents have been identified among them.

“We are aware of the pressure being mounted from the outside on those that are being held. But let me explain to you the reason why those suspects are still being held. In the first instance, 86 of them have been identified as suspected members of the Boko Haram outlawed sect. This was discovered during the screening and others

are still being screened. The question is, where were these people going in the late hours of the night? How come most of them were having less than N1,000 and they did not even know where they were heading to?”

Speaking further, he said, “Those who wanted to know the identity of the kingpin arrested among them have hidden agenda and those who are clamouring for their freedom do not mean well. We need to be cautious because we are in more or less war situation and all hands must be on deck. We seek the understating of all and sundry. I assure Nigerians that no innocent would be punished.”

On the condition of their detention, he said, “They are not being detained per se; the places where they are held are good and in order.

We would not allow people to communicate with them for now due to security reasons. People should understand this. As soon as the screening is over, those who are innocent would be let go.”

the House had decided to serve the impeachment notice through the print media.

“I was not able to serve Adamawa State governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy Barrister Bala James Ngilari the notice of the impeachment as directed by the speaker since Wednesday, 18th June, 2014,” he said.

The clerk said that the Assembly’s next line of action is to publish the letters in at least two national dailies. This step, he said, is

equally a right alternative as advised by the Assembly’s lawyers.

The clerk explained that the two leaders had sealed off their offices since the directive was given to him.

He said that he had made several attempts to deliver the letters but all his efforts ended in futility due to the evasive disposition of the people concerned.

Investigations revealed that both Nyako and his deputy are out of the state.

Move To Impeach Nyako Suffers Setback ➔ FROM PAGE 5

Sadiq Dasin and one of the staunchest supporters of Governor Nyako proved abortive as all calls directed to his GSM no were not picked and an sms forwarded to him on the subject was not replied.

But the director of press to the speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Solomon Kumangar, expressed doubts, saying that it can only emanate from mischief makers. “I am

not aware that any member has backed out from the move but you should ask those making the insinuation to mention the names of those who backed out. It is apparent that people are ignorant about House resolutions because whenever resolutions are passed no one can infringe on them as they are irreversible,” Kumangar noted.

Nyako’s Impeachment: We Will Serve Nyako, Deputy, notice through media – Assem-

bly Clerk The Adamawa State House of Assembly has adopted a new strategy to serve the duo of Governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy Barrister Bala Ngillari the impeachment notice against them.

Moves to serve them the notice personally had allegedly become difficult. The clerk of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Mr Francis Gbensenso, who said he was yet to serve the impeachment notice on either of the two, said

Shock, Concern As PDP’s Fayose Takes Early Lead 6 Vigilantes, 28 Boko Haram Members Killed In Borno

➔ FROM PAGE 5

Kehinde Gbadegesin said the electoral body was still expecting the results from the local government.

He said the announcement would be made as soon as the collation of the results are concluded at the 16 local councils and forwarded to the state office.

Security agents arrest Fayemi campaign DG, target APC leaders The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alerted Nigerians and the international community to the massive clampdown on the party’s leaders as well as journalists during Saturday’s ongoing governorship election in Ekiti State.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Mr Awodolu and 22 others were arrested at Egbe-Ekiti and taken to Ikere-Ekiti ; two leaders were arrested at Ilawe while 11 others were picked up from Ado-Ekiti. It said those arrested at Ado Ward A units 1, 6, 8 and 11 include Charles Fashuba, Tolu Ajayi, Elesun, Olu Hero, Gboyega Fabuero, all of whom were pointed out to security agents by one Femi Ogunleye, a member of

the PDP. APC said those arrested, who are the party’s leaders at their ward and local governments, were apparently being picked up to prevent them from casting their own votes, monitoring the election and subsequently being present at the collation centres.

“Ekiti has witnessed a massive turnout of voters despite the massive deployment of troops and policemen, ostensibly to provide security for the election but in reality to intimidate and harass voters to stay away from the polling units.

‘Now that the strategy of the PDPled federal government has failed despite their over-militarization of the state, they have unleashed security agents on the leaders of the APC to prevent them from monitoring the collation of results,’’ APC said.

The party said the same security agents had also descended on journalists who were duly accredited to cover the election, with at least five of them forcefully taken to the boundary of Ekiti and Kwara states by a detachment of policemen led by Mopol Commander G.B. Seleke. It listed the affected journalists who were arrested at Ifaki Ekiti by over 50 mobile policemen as Jadesola Aji-

bola of Inspiration FM; Toyin Yusuf, Oyetunji Ojo, Akin Ogunsola, and Aremu Awolola, all of the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC).APC also said security men, who said they were acting on ‘’orders from above’’, locked out voters and election officials at the Ekiti State Government College, Ado Ekiti (Ward 13, Unit 18).

The party listed some of the other infractions as including the following: The names of APC members are clearly missing on the list brought

by INEC officials to wards 3 and 4, Gbonyin LGA. Harassment of the fiancée and aged father of the campaign manager of Fayemi, Hon. Bimbola Daramola, by gun-wielding security agents.

Plan to burn ballot boxes if APC should win Ward 2 Ifaki Unit 7, Ido-Osi LGA. Fake soldiers purportedly from the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, acting under the command of PDP chieftains, are harassing and intimidating voters in Ekiti State.

It called on local and international observers to pay urgent attention to the infractions and ensure they are rectified in the interest of a free and fair election in Ekiti State.

By Kareem Haruna, Maiduguri

Members of the Nigeria Vigilante Group (NVG) yesterday suffered a major loss as six of their members got killed during a fierce gun battle between them and members of the Boko Haram in Kwarangilam village of Chibok local government area, security sources and witnesses said.

About 25 other members of the Boko Haram sect also died during the clash.

According to the spokesman for the vigilante, Muhammed Gava, the attack happened about 9am on Saturday when a gang of Boko Haram gunmen on a cattle-rustling mission pretended to be Fulani herdsmen and suddenly opened fire on the members of the VGN who were on patrol.

“When our men saw the large group of men flocking cattle near Kwarangilam, they thought they were Fulani herdsmen even as some of them suspected foul play given their large number. They never knew that some of them who were carrying guns were hiding in between the cows. They opened fire on our members and six of them got killed instantly; but our men were able to return fire and killed

Shettima

over 25 of them using their hunting rifles, spears and our local fortification charms,” said Gava. Kwarangilam is a farming community 15km away from Chibok where about eight members of the Boko Haram were killed and others were arrested alive by members of the vigilante on May 15 during a nocturnal attack.

The gunmen came to avenge the killing of their members last week.

Efforts to get the police authority in Maiduguri on the incident was not successful as the phone number of the police public relations officer, Mr Gideon Jubrin, could not connect when LEADERSHIP Sunday made an effort to get further confirmation.

news across the states 7

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Ex AMAC Scribe Advocates Proper Integration of Abuja Natives A former secretary, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon Yakubu Mohammed Adamu has called for the establishment of a commission to handle all issues of relocation, resettlement and proper integration of Abuja indigenes.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday at the weekend in Abuja, Hon Yakubu said, the federal government acquired land from the Abuja natives without paying adequate compensation for all the economic trees and farmlands.

He described the various policies of the Federal Government and Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) towards relocation and resettlement of Abuja indigenes as a complete failure. He maintained that none of the policies has worked out rather, it is a rip-off on the Abuja indigenes.

According to the former CPC contender for AMAC/Bwari federal constituency in the House of Representatives, “The processes and procedures used in implementing the compensations have failed for a long time. It is better we wake up now and do it the right way since the agreement is long over due”.

Chika Okeke, Abuja

Minimum Wage: NLC, TUC Issue 21-day Ultimatum To Kebbi Govt

By Yahya Sarki, Kebbi

The organised labour is poised to engage in another face-off with the Kebbi State government over the lingering issue of non-implementation of N18,000 minimum wage to workers in the state.

The leadership of the state chapters of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in a joint meeting in the state capital unanimously agreed on a 21-day ultimatum to the state government to implement the N18,000 min-

imum wage to civil servants in the state or face strike action.

The ultimatum is from June 18 to July 8, 2014.

The state chairman of NLC, Comrade Sadiq Kaoje, who briefed journalists shortly after their meeting said, the two labour unions have been patiently pursuing the lingering issue of implementation of the minimum wage for years since its introduction.

Kaoje lamented that Kebbi State is the only state in Nigeria which did not formally re-

lease authentic salary scale of N18,000 with a circular backing it up. He said, workers in the state were being paid with an old scale of N5,500 as take home pay.

“We are here today to finalise and concretise on what we have resolved. We have resolved to forward a letter of ultimatum to the government to meet our demands which have been lingering for quite a long time and this includes, among others, the immediate release of N18,000 minimum wage to civil servants. Keb-

bi is not poor, it is in category “B” on federal allocation”, he said.

According to the labour leader, other areas the organised labour is concerned about included nonimplementation of promotions of workers, the issue of deductions on national housing fund, contributory pension deductions which has not been properly done in Kebbi, the payment of 2013 leave grants to local government workers and payment of back load of retirees their benefits which runs into billions of naira.

short news Vice chancellor of NTNU, Prof Huseyin Sert and other dignitaries of the institution welcoming President GoodLuck Jonathan to the convocation ceremony of the Nigeria Turkish Nile University recently. Photo by nan.

NTNU Convocation: Jonathan Urges Students To Be Good Ambassadors

UNICEF Calls For Concerted Efforts On Education In The North

President GoodLuck Jonathan yesterday presented prizes to excellent students of the Nigeria Turkish Nile University who passed out with first class and second class upper division at its second convocation ceremony held in Abuja.

Presenting the prizes, the president urged the students to be good ambassadors of their families first and the country in general any where they find themselves and at any level of life they will serve in their various professions.

Represented by the executive secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Professor Suleiman Bogoro, he noted that education is the foundation of a developing nation with potentials to grow its economy and develop technology.

According to him, Nigeria must begin to train and develop human capital for the future of the younger people, considering the competition within developing economies and the increase in advance technology globally.

Bogoro said, tertiary education in the country has been encouraging in the past few years after a decline in the quality of education for decades, adding that government would continue to partner with private investors in the education sector to ensure sustainable development in primary, middle level education and tertiary studies.

By Michael Oche, Abuja

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has again made a passionate call on governments and leaders of northern Nigeria to make concerted efforts towards the development of education in the region for its overall development.

Making the appeal in Bauchi at the celebration of this year’s Day of the African Child with the theme, “A child friendly, quality, free and compulsory education for all in Africa”, the guest discussant, Mrs Mairama Bukar Dikwa, noted that although Nigeria has shown remarkable improvement in terms of literacy

BY DONATUS NADI, Lafia

rating, the north has continued to be plagued by dwindling fortunes in terms of education.

“Nigeria has made progress in relation to literacy level which nationally reflects 56 per cent for females and 72 per cent for males but the northern states still lag far behind,” she said.

While exposing the underbelly of the decay and neglect of the education sector in the north, Mrs Mairama stressed that out of the about 10.5 million children who are said to be out of school by UNESCO, a staggering 6.5 million of them are from the north with the northeast having the larger percentage.

While decrying the concentra-

tion of resources and manpower in urban schools, the education expert pointed out that in most states in the north, situations abound where over 200 pupils are stuffed together in one classroom as opposed to the recommended population of 50.

She narrated further that due to inadequate infrastructure and teachers, two or more arms in a primary school are merged together under the same roof.

“When you go to some rural schools you will find only the headmaster and a religious instructor while in urban schools, you have over 40 teachers most of whom are redundant,” she observed.

FAAN Intensifies Security Checks Nationwide

By NAN

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) yesterday said it is intensifying special security checks of individuals and vehicles accessing all the nation’s airports.

The general manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Dati said that the authority was committed to securing the airports and their users against pilfering and terrorism.

He warned that all persons found loitering around any of the nation’s 22 airports would be arrested and prosecuted.

The FAAN official said that the strict security measures were being taken to check the menace of touting and terrorism.

According to him, all illegal structures around airport runways, particularly in the Lagos area, will be demolished.

“All necessary gadgets have been put in place and we are putting more to ensure the safety of all airport users. All movements are now being closely monitored

and recorded.

“We have been compelled in the past to bar some individuals or bodies from the airports for security reasons.

“There is also now a restriction on the issuance and use of on-duty cards at the airports.

“We believe that some persons should not have unhindered access to restricted areas at the airports,” the official said.

Dati added that all airlines had been advised to ensure the compliance of all their passengers and staff with safety regulations and security procedures.

FG Directs Parastatals To Develop New Agric Products Henceforth, all parastatals and institutes under the ministry of agriculture and rural development must begin to develop new products through research and development (R&D), the minister, Dr Akinwumi Adesina has stated.

Adesina who gave the directive in Abuja at a meeting with chairmen of boards and chief executives of parastatals in the ministry said, they must use viable technologies to develop products for commercialisation instead of leaving them on the shelves.

The minister further directed all the parastatals, institutes and colleges of agriculture to submit quarterly reports to his office in order to enable his ministry keep track of the activities of the parastatals and make government very successful.

He urged them to have a compelling vision on how to achieve the mandates of their institutions in line with the ministry’s agricultural transformation agenda.

He emphasised the need for research institutes and universities of agriculture to collaborate in R&D, production of annual R&D reports, observing annual R&D week and reports on new developments and products.

By Ruth Tene, Abuja

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Sunday, June 22, 2014

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Sunday, June 22, 2014

3 Die In Ogun Cult Clash

By Gbenga Adeboye, Abeokuta

Rival cult groups at the weekend clashed in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, leaving three people dead.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that one person was killed on Friday while the other two were killed early yesterday morning.

Investigation revealed that the clash was between the Aiye and the Eiye cult groups, and that the clash in the recent time has resulted in the deaths of over 18 persons.

It was gathered that the Eiye cult group on Friday stormed Ita Alapo area of Ijebu Ode and killed one boy, identified as Tolu Adam. The Aiye group then launched a reprisal attack yesterday morning killing two persons.

An eyewitness told our correspondent that the cult clashes were getting out of control saying Tolu was killed in front of his father’s house. “I was in my balcony last night relaxing as there was no light and I saw Tolu eating outside their house with his father; it was about 9pm. Then I heard a gunshot and everywhere was scattered. In a moment, the whole area was silent and the boys zoomed off on a motorbike.

“I was later told that he be-

short news Journalist Turbaned Dallatun Kinkinau

A Kaduna based journalist and vice chairman of the Kaduna Correspondent Chapel, Mallam Garba Muhammad was yesterday turbaned as the Dallatun Kikinua in Sabon Gari Kinkinua, new GRA of Ungwa Muazu District of Zazzau emirate.

Mallam Muhammad who is an indigene of Kebbi State is also the president of the Kebbi State indigenes resident in Kaduna State.

The village head of Sabon Gari Kinkinau, Alhaji Suleiman Mohammed said, Mallam Muhammad was given the title by the village council for his numerous contributions to the community and service to humanity adding that he has demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities among his colleagues.

By Isaiah Benjamin, Kaduna

longed to a cult group which I never knew he was into. But all the same, I think he was paid back in his own coin,” the eyewitness said.

Yesterday morning, the Aiye cult group stormed Moslem Primary School along Ondo road where a weekend football set was being played and killed one Eiye cult member, identified as Murphy.

The Aiye cult boys reconvened again and traced another Eiye member to the mortuary, where he had gone to see the corpse of his friend who had just been killed.

Our correspondent, who was at the mortuary to ascertain the story saw the cult boys dragging a young man believed to be a friend to the deceased and shot him in the head, leaving him in the pool of his blood.

“He came to see the remains of Murphy. They were very close and belong to the same cult group.

Somebody called him on phone this morning and informed him of his friend’s death. He rushed down here to see him only to be killed by the same boys who killed his friend”, a source who declined to be named explained.

The whole area was later barricaded when men of the Nigeria Police Force and the military force popularly called OP MESA arrived.

Rehabilitation C’ttee Completes Barracks Repairs The Presidential Committee on Barracks Rehabilitation has embarked on an overview of barracks in Kebbi State in order to rehabilitate and reconstruct dilapidated structures where necessary.

The committee in an inspection and takeover visit to the Dukku Barracks (1 Batallion, Nigerian Army in Birnin Kebbi) at the weekend, expressed satisfaction with the various projects which had been executed by various contractors promising that they would soon be occupied.

The chairman of the committee, Binta Muazu, revealed that the mission of the team has been accomplished adding that she was overjoyed because the project is just one of many objectives of the committee.

“The PCBR was formed to, on a cost-effective basis, intervene in the state of the barracks nation-wide, given that most of them are in dilapidated states. We believe that most of them have not been rehabilitated since their construction back in the ‘70s.

“The PBCR decided to intervene in 2012 to see what can be done,” she stated Pembi David-Stephen, BirninKebbi

short news Insecurity: CISLAC Wants Synergy Between CSOs, Security Agencies The executive director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), a non-governmental organisation, Auwal Musa has called on the federal government to reconsider collaborating with civil organisations and state security institutions in the fight against insecurity in the country saying that there was need to review the role of states in providing security.

He made the remark yesterday at a one day National Civil Society Organisations’ Consultative forum on building synergy with security institutions in Abuja.

He said that the goal of the meeting was for stakeholders to jointly review commitments towards providing security in the nation.

By Chika

Okeke, Abuja

Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam and the special assistant to the governor on MDGs, Timothy Aikor at the commissioning of a hospital constructed by the MDGs in Anongo, Vandeikya local government area of the state recently. PHOTO BY PATRICK EBI AMANAMA

‘Communities Have Roles In Countering Terrorism’

By Michael Oche, Abuja

A group, the Nigerians Arise Against Terrorism (NAAT), has described as laudable the community awareness and sensitisation programme of the ministry of defence, noting that the project would go a long way in creating more awareness about the duties and obligations of terrorism-torn communities towards the success of the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign of the federal government.

The group’s deputy national coordinator, Mr Bernard Bantu told journalists yesterday in Abuja that

the ministry took the best initiative by creating the community awareness programme as a way of making the communities play their central role in the ongoing counter-terrorism war.

On his part, the permanent secretary in the ministry of defence, Alh Aliyu Isma’ila, recently led top officials of the ministry to Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja as part of activities for the flag off of the programme in the country.

He described information gathering as a major tool in combating the insurgency that is presently ravaging the north-eastern part of the country. He pointed out

that fighting the insurgents is not for the federal government alone but for all the various segments of the society including the state, local government councils, villages, communities and settlements.

“It has to start with the people. The areas of the conflict are too large for the military to cover which makes human intelligence very difficult more so that they were never trained to fight insurgents who live among the people.

Information about the insurgents are best generated by the people because they know where the insurgents hide and manufacture their bombs”, he said.

FG To Collaborate With Estate Surveyors On Mass Housing

By Michael Oche, Abuja

Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and valuers (NIESV) have pledged support to federal government in its quest to provide mass and affordable housing to Nigerian workers.

Speaking in Abuja during its national day of prayer and thanksgiving, the president of NIESV, Olorungun James Omeru said that most Nigerians have the wrong belief that every housing agent is also an estate surveyor.

He however stressed that one of the challenges facing surveyors

in the country is the infiltration of quacks in the profession.

He said quacks are taking advantage of the housing problem in the in country saying,“We are tackling all these to bring it under control”.

Speaking on the state of insecurity in the country, he urged Nigerians to embrace peace adding that without peace, no meaningful development can be achieved.

He said the essence of the national day for prayer and thanksgiving was to thank God for the protection of members of the institute and pray for the country.

Also speaking during the event,

ICT Firm Moves To Bridge Digital Gap In Schools

By Ebriku John Friday, Abuja

An information communication and technology (ICT) firm, Certified Systems Limited, at the weekend revealed that it was going to ensure that the existing digital gap in public schools across the 36 states of the country was bridged to compete with their counterparts in other parts of the world.

Speaking on the motive of the organisation’s drive to assist Nigerian schools on ICT, chief executive officer of the company, Engr Em-

manuel Ochie, said it had become indispensable in every human endeavour where ICT was not needed before now.

Ochie also said, with the new policy of examination bodies like the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and others, examinations from 2015 will be computer-based.

“As much as I know, over 70-80 per cent of our schools don’t have infrastructure to support all of

the minister of land, housing and urban development, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi said, the government is determined to reduce the housing deficit in the country though provision of affordable housing for Nigerian workers.

The minister who was represented by a director in the ministry, Mrs Okolo Ebube said, under the transformation agenda of the present administration, the federal government has prioritised provision of housing for Nigerian workers.

She said the ministry will collaborate with NIES for the realisation of the scheme.

these and they need to put all these in place before funding.”

Ochie also stated that the organisation has started a partnership arrangement with Samsung in the same direction adding that Samsung has offered a form of corporate social responsibility and intended to donate N32 million worth of ICT equipment to different states that are interested in keying into the programme. He said the organisation was established to provide ICT solutions and services to Nigeria and other countries.

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foreign Sunday, June 22, 2014

news ➌

Shia militia in battle fatigues accompanied by serious military hardware parade through the streets of Baghdad.

➊

➍➋

➊ South Korean Soldier ‘Kills

Comrades’

GOSEONG, South Korea – A South Korean soldier has shot dead five comrades, injured five more and fled from an outpost near the border with North Korea, officials say.

The army private opened fire on fellow soldiers yesterday evening at a post in the eastern Gangwon province.

It is not yet clear what motivated him to kill his colleagues. A man hunt is now under way. Tensions between the North and South have been high, but there is no sign this was a cross-border incident.

“He shot dead five fellow soldiers, wounded five others and then fled the scene with his rifle and ammunition,” an army spokesman was quoted by news agency AFP as saying.

The shooting took place at an army unit near the border town of Goseong, according to South Korean news agency, Yonhap.

Tens of thousands of soldiers from both North and South Korea are stationed along their joint border, one of the most heavily fortified in the world.

➋ Chinese Police Kill 13 Attackers KASHGAR, China – Police in China’s restive western region shot dead 13 assailants who rammed a truck into a police building and set off explosives in an attack that also wounded three officers, state media said.

The Tianshan website said in a one-line report that no civilians were hurt in the attack in Kashgar prefecture in Xinjiang’s south west.

Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the German-based group World Uyghur Congress, said he called several residents in the Yecheng area who described hearing rapid gunfire, likely from police, before an explosion rang out. He said that authorities quickly placed the county under martial law and started rounding up people in a nearby market.

“It’s undeniable that the armed police are using excessive force to deal with the unrest in the region.

Why did they need to shoot them dead on the spot?” Mr Raxit said. “If they just injured them they would still have a chance to be put through the legal process.”

It was the latest in a series of attacks pointing to growing unrest in the sprawling region of Xinji-

ang, where the native Muslim Uighur people want more autonomy from Beijing. Last month, a market bombing killed 43 people in Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi.

Chinese authorities have blamed the attacks on extremists bent on overthrowing Beijing’s rule. The government says the assailants have ties to Islamic terrorist groups abroad, but provides little direct evidence.

The government has sought to stem the attacks by handing down heavy punishments to people authorities say organised, led and participated in terrorist groups, committed arson, murder, burglary or illegally manufactured explosives.

Earlier this month, China executed 13 people in Xinjiang for such crimes.

Uighur activists say public resentment against Beijing is fuelled by an influx of settlers from the Han majority in the region, economic disenfranchisement and onerous restrictions on Uighur religious and cultural practices. China says it has made vast investments to boost the region’s economy and improve living standards.

PHOTO BY EPA

➌ Iraq Crisis: Show Of Force Raises Tensions BAGHDAD, Iraq – Thousands of Shia militia loyal to the powerful cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have paraded through the streets of Baghdad, raising sectarian tensions amid continued fighting in areas of Iraq.

The cleric, whose Mehdi Army fought the US in Iraq for years, had called for a military parade across the country.

Correspondents say the show of force will be seen as a very disturbing development by the Baghdad government.

Sunni extremists have seized control of large swathes of terri-

tory across Iraq.

Yesterday, officials admitted that the militants - led by jihadist group Isis - had seized a strategically important border crossing to Syria, near the town of Qaim, killing 30 troops after a day-long battle.

The capture of the crossing in western Iraq could help Isis transport weapons and other equipment to different battlefields, analysts say.

Fergal Keane reports: “Isis suspects surrender (to the Kurdish snipers) and are made to strip

for fear they are wearing suicide vests” Thousands of largely Shia Iraqis have volunteered to fight Isis, urged on by a call from the country’s highest Shia religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali alSistani.

But the BBC’s Jim Muir, in northern Iraq, says the impressive-looking parade of men in battle fatigues accompanied by serious military hardware will only raise sectarian tensions at time when the government is under pressure to rally the country together against the extremists.

➍ Egypt Confirms 180 Death Sentences CAIRO, Egypt – An Egyptian court has confirmed the death sentences of more than 180 Islamists, including the top leader of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Lawyers say the ruling can be overturned on appeal. It was not immediately clear how many sentences had been confirmed, with lawyers giving estimates ranging from 182 to 197.

Lawyers boycotted the opening of the trial on March 25 to protest against an earlier mass death sentence by the judge. A month after that session, the judge sentenced 683 people to death, including the Muslim Brotherhood’s supreme guide Mohammed Badie.

The case is rooted in retaliato-

ry attacks on a police station in the southern city of Minya on August 14, after police dispersed an Islamist sit-in in Cairo, killing hundreds.

Of the 683, all but 110 were tried in absentia, according to defence lawyer Khaled el-Komi.

Death sentences issued for those in absentia are automatically cancelled in Egypt if they turn themselves in or are apprehended, and a retrial is ordered.

The death sentences have sparked international condemnation and raised questions about the independence of the judiciary.

Mohammed Tosson, representative of the defence team, said that 183 people were sentenced

to death, four received life sentences and 496 were acquitted.

Those sentenced to death include a Coptic Christian and a blind man, said another lawyer, Mohammed Abdel-Wahab.

The charges ranged from sabotage and terrorising civilians to murder.

This is the second death sentence against Badie, who faces multiple charges linked to the violence that engulfed the country after the ousting of former president Mohammed Morsi.

The military forced Egypt’s first democratically elected leader from power last July after massive protests demanding his resignation.

➎ Ukraine Crisis: Fighting Rages On Despite Declared Truce KIEV, Ukraine – Pro-Russian separatists have carried out several attacks on Ukrainian troops despite a unilateral ceasefire declared by Kiev, Ukrainian officials say.

They say at least six border guards were injured in shelling by the insurgents in the east overnight.

The rebels earlier dismissed the week-long truce called by President Petro Poroshenko, the first step of his peace plan announced on Friday.

They also claimed the Ukrainian army had broken its own ceasefire.

Meanwhile, the US imposed sanctions - including asset freezes

- against seven pro-Russian leaders in Ukraine.

Western leaders have threatened additional sanctions against Russia, which they accuse of stoking tension in Ukraine. Moscow denies the claim.

In a separate development, President Vladimir Putin ordered forces in Russia’s central military district to be put on full combat alert for a week.

The drill does not affect troops near the border with Ukraine. Mr Putin has ordered several such alerts to test combat readiness in recent months.

Buffer Zone

Overnight, the separatists attacked three Ukrainian border posts in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Kiev said.

Pro-Russian troops prepare to travel in a tank on a road near the town of Yenakiyevo eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine’s government says its forces will be observing the truce, but will retaliate if attacked.

The rebels shelled the posts with rocket and mortar fire, injuring six border guards.

The gunmen also attacked Ukrainian forces outside the Kramatorsk airfield, in the Donetsk region.

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Sunday, June 22, 2014

Agenda For Sarkin Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II: Lessons From History

By Ibrahim Ado-Kurawa

Since Sarkin Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II assumed office, several comments have been made in newspapers by those who wish him and Kano the best reign.

But many were sadly partisan and in bad taste, while others in true Islamic spirit called for the insulating of the revered office from unhealthy partisan mudslinging. The Economist of London observed that as an emir, he is “expected to be less controversial. He says he has no interest in formally entering politics, but will back social causes rather than parties”. Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim also wrote a very interesting piece, especially his comment that it is “an opportunity for the emirate to reconcile with its original mission of the Jihad of 1804, which was one for the struggle against injustice and oppression and establishing a political system that will serve the interest of the talakawa”.

Quality public education is the emancipator of talakawa in this century.

The Sarauta and later Emirship in Kano from the 15th Century to the 21st Century has always adapted to changing circumstances. It was never isolated from the World of Islam.

Sarkin Kano Muhammadu Rumfa (1463-1499) built the present palace Gidan Rumfa, but he is better known for his enduring legacy of reforming the Sarauta to conform with Islamic ideals through the guidance of the Shaykh Muhammad bn Abdulkarim al-Maghili who wrote for him the first constitution for a sub-Saharan African state. These reforms also enabled him to initiate another far-reaching social reform in the field of education by introducing the Ajami literary technology which is still used in most of the Hausa-speaking communities around the world.

All the emirs of Kano from 1804 to the present have had their various agendas and their successes and failures were far-reaching. The first Emir Sulaiman (1806-1819) encouraged traders to settle in Kano and this helped in boosting the economy of the emirate. His successor Ibrahim Dabo (18191846) continued with these policies after crushing all dissent and earning the honorific title of Cigari. He became the founder of the present dynasty that has lasted almost two centuries. The pre-colonial emirs succeeded in making Kano the most prosperous emirate of the

Sokoto Caliphate which was the most prosperous state in precolonial tropical Africa.

Sarkin Kano Abbas (19031919) saved the dynasty, the emirate and the society from the British total colonial onslaught.

He refused to apply siyasa (politics) in hukm (judgement) as encouraged by the British who had wanted to abrogate the Shari’ah through that strategy.

Abdullahi Bayero (1926-1953) achieved fame for his pioneering role in almost all social spheres.

In education, he established the School for Arabic Studies, a school that has produced the most distinguished Islamic scholars, jurists, public servants and intellectuals that made exceptional contributions to Nigeria. In infrastructural development, no other emirate in Northern Nigeria at that time achieved what his emirate did.

He built a power plant, a water treatment plant and above all the first concrete mosque in Northern Nigeria, the famous ‘Kano Mosque’ as it became popularly known.

Abdullahi Bayero’s son and successor, Muhammadu Sanusi (1953-1963) excelled and exerted more influence on Nigerian politics than any other traditional ruler. This was because he was the greatest supporter of the nation’s ruling party, the Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC). As the most powerful emir, he used his influence to make sure Sardauna Ahmadu Bello became the Premier of Northern Region.

He was a positively active emir who initiated development programmes in all spheres.

He was also a social reformer who restored women’s right of inheritance that was suspended 30 years earlier. He was the only emir whose life journey was from temporal power to spiritual authority. As the emir, he was feared and respected, and as the leader of the largest Sufi order, he was loved and respected. He was never involved in religious polemics, yet he was most respected, even by those who were not affiliated to any Sufi order.

The emirate under Sarkin Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero (1963-2014) transited from Native Authority to mere adviser of the state and leader of the community.

He supported the reforms, but carved a niche as one of the most respected traditional leaders in Nigeria. He supported the construction of more mosques and Islamiyya schools than any other Nigerian leader ever did.

He became the leader of Hausa

Emir Sanusi

Muslims wherever they were.

They looked up to him as the symbol of Hausa Islamic culture, because Kano is the leading centre of this cultural bloc with over 70 million speakers of the Hausa Language. No other African traditional leader has had this influence. He was on the list of the most influential Muslims of the world, published by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre Amman, because, according to the centre, he was “regarded as a wise counsellor both at home and abroad, because of his experience and ability to mediate between cultures”. He was “an important asset in promoting mutual understanding and resolving conflicts between different ethnic and religious groups”.

On July 9, 2014, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, as he was then known, and one of the most outstanding Nigerians of his generation, became the 14th Emir of Kano. He designated his official name as Sarkin Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, after his grandfather. Considering his credentials and antecedents, there is no doubt he has an agenda in his mind. Definitely as the most sophisticated person to ascend traditional leadership in any part of Nigeria since independence, certainly he would harness his intellectual resource and the experiences of his predecessors to achieve the best result. However, I was prompted among other reasons to write this piece being the only person who has written a book on his biography before he became the emir. With my modest knowledge of him and Kano State having worked in the seat of power for eight years, I believe I can make contributions to the setting of this agenda.

It should also be recalled that when the Senate was screening him for the position of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, he advised the late President Umaru Yar’Adua to reduce the Seven Point Agenda to three, hence it is expected that he would also welcome discussion on his agenda. In addition, while serving as the governor of the central bank, he was very democratic and allowed his professional colleagues to articulate their ideas at the policy sessions. This made him to achieve global fame as the most successful Central Bank Governor of Nigeria, winning the renowned Global/African Central Bank Governor of the Year 2011.

A s commentators and analysts have indicated, he is expected to positively influence programmes that address the socio-economic predicament of Kano in particular and Northern Nigeria in general.

There is no doubt, the root is lack of education. For several years, sub national governments from the Northern Regional Government to the current state governments have made efforts to bridge this gap. Northern Nigeria is one of the most backward places in the planet, because these efforts have not yielded the desired results. It is an issue in which everyone in the north is a stakeholder, yet no one is serious about it, as most of the elite do not patronise public schools. Most of the educational programmes in Northern Nigeria were and are still ad-hoc, ill-planned and for public show, while some of the southern states such as Osun and Rivers states have made concrete and far-sighted investments. In years to come, citizens of these states will compete favourably with their compatriots from other states and the world, while northerners will continue to lag behind. Only far-sighted, distinguished public figures like Sarkin Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II can show the light for their people, devoid of partisan rancour and sentiments. And education is the light that will brighten the future of the large population of children condemned to destitution by the chaotic society of Northern Nigeria.

My suggestion for the emir, who is a revered leader, is to support all government programmes as he is expected to do. And in addition, he should give emphasis to intangible or soft programmes that are not

priorities of politicians, thus he would not clash with this segment of the powerful elite.

One of such is primary schools teacher training and capacity building. Based on the statistics provided by the Universal Basic Education Commission, there are 5,335 primary schools with enrolment figure of 1,977,110 compared to 1,001 primary schools with enrolment figure of 393,768 for Lagos State.

This shows that most parents in Lagos State do not send their wards to public schools because the enrolment figure is even below Bayelsa and Gombe states which have 481,990 and 425,659 respectively with population by far smaller than Lagos State. This not the worrisome issue, but out of the 67,117 primary school teachers, 38,538 (over 57%) do not have National Certificate of Education (NCE), its equivalent or higher qualification, therefore technically they are not qualified to teach in primary schools. Government will certainly claim responsibility for training teachers, but what about capacity building for even the qualified teachers. “No nation can develop beyond the quality of its education system, which depends on the quality of teachers”. This vicious circle persists partly because “much of what teachers need to know to be successful is invisible to lay observers, leading to the view that teaching requires little formal study”. Whereas “ teachers seek answers to questions to enable them help students learn. They learn about literature and appropr i ate technolo g y, c u r r i c u l u m , p e d a g o g y, assessment, evaluation and measurement”. Teachers require “new initiatives in their preparation to adequately meet the new challenges”. The emir may take up this as an agenda worth pursuing, as it will not clash with the agenda of any politicians since they are busy with physical structures. The emir can use his wealth of experience and social capital to generate resources from none governmental sources to help build the capacity of primary school teachers who have been neglected and are more or less orphans. It is a lifetime project and the number of primary school teachers in the emir’s domain is sufficient to occupy any interested public-spirited individual. Allah Ya ja zamanin Sarki.

Ibrahim Ado-Kurawa can be reached via majekarofi@yahoo.com

cover story

13

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Football fans at a viewing centre. PHOTO BY pmnewsnigeria.com

Viewing Centres’ Ban: Operators, Viewers Fret, As Electronic Dealers Smile Due to the lingering security challenges across the country, especially in some northern states, governments of Adamawa, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja have placed a temporary ban on viewing centres in their territories. CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja, ACHOR ABIMAJE, Jos and MOHAMMED ISMAIL, Yola report

S This business is my own oil company, and that is why I’m finding it difficult to comply with the directive from AMMC

ince the uprising by Islamic sects in 2010, it has been said that over 3,000 people have been killed, while properties worth millions of naira have been lost in different attacks, especially in the northeastern part of the country. In a recent development, terrorists have decided to focus their attention on crowded places, among which football viewing centres have taken their major delight as the World Cup matches have been pulling fans from all walks of life together.

Two centres that were targeted by terrorists in Plateau and Yobe state left unwarranted deaths that have left an ugly and indelible mark on the fun of the World Cup fiesta.

Two states and the FCT have already announced temporary

ban on these football viewing centres to check insurgents’ attacks while the World Cup season lasts.

The attacks, which have also crippled many business activities in the affected states, have elicited mind-boggling responses from Nigerians and foreign countries, especially after the abduction of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State.

With the present economic situation in the country, viewing centres have sprung up unimaginably, as over 500 of such centres exist in the FCT, including the six area councils of Abuja. A common feature of these centres is that the structures are usually shanties that are constructed with planks and old trampoline. Different types of satellite dishes are usually mounted on

the shanties for reception of the matches. Most of these centres are football fans’ delight, because they provide power supply from generators thus avoiding the epileptic power supply from the national power grid. Their charges are usually seen as reasonable, ranging from N50 to N100 or more per customer, depending on its location.

But despite the ban, LEADERSHIP Sunday discovered that some of the operators have failed to comply with the directives from Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) to close shop.

A cross-section of operators that spoke with our correspondent suggested that the federal government should provide alternatives to viewing centres or provide enough security, stressing that they depend on the resources generated from the centres to meet up with their daily needs.

One of the operators at Garki, Isaiah Olorundare, said that since he opened the centre in 2009, he had been able to raise enough funds to complete his secondary school education and contributed to his family upkeep. The 18-year-old said though the ban was to ensure the protection of lives and property, he appealed to the federal government to create other alternatives that would provide employment for the youths in the event of the ban.

“I know the ban is for our own good, especially now that Boko Haram has issued threats of attacking everywhere crowded, but I want to beg the federal government and FCT Administration to provide other things that will create employment for the youths.”

For Ibrahim Danjuma, another operator at Lugbe, the proceeds realised from his business were his backbone, saying that his five years search for job led to the opening of the centre. “Don’t think that only illiterates operate the centre, because I am a graduate of business administration from Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja. After my five years search for a profitable job, a friend encouraged me to open the centre, so that I can make little money before getting a better job.”

He continued, he said, “From 2010 till date, many customers have been visiting my shop to watch Premier League matches, and of recent, the World Cup.” Jonah Yebu, another operator at Bwari said, “This business is my own oil company, and that is why I’m finding it difficult to comply with the directive from AMMC. It’s only God that can protect his people.”

However, the assistant director of information, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Mrs Grace Zamani, while confirming the ban, warned residents to desist from patronising viewing centres due to threats issued by unknown terrorists group. “Recently, we made an announcement notifying FCT residents and the six area councils that there is an immediate ban on all television viewing centres till further notice. This ban is based on threats issued by unknown terrorist groups,” she said, continuing that, “residents are advised to avoid patronising television viewing centres, as these locations may be susceptible to attacks by the said unknown terrorists. The general public is ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

14 COVER STORY

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Viewing Centres’ Ban: Operators, Viewers Fret, As Electronic Dealers Smile ➔ FROM PAGE 13 advised to desist from visiting such television viewing centres in compliance with the FCTA requirements as the administration will prosecute all violators accordingly.”

Zamani, who is also the head of public relations, said that apart from the ban, recreational park operators were also advised to stick to the opening and closing time of their operation, noting that it was mandatory for them to engage the services of civil defence or police officers in their parks.

“This warning is not only for viewing centres, but extends to recreational park operators and users. To this effect, we informed the recreational park operators that the opening and closing time of all park activities still stands between 8am to 7pm daily. They are also expected to provide adequate uniform security men, at least one from the civil defence or police, and provide security gadgets for screening of individual users and their vehicles.”

On the number of viewing centres, she said, “We have not been able to identify the number of viewing centres because they are scattered everywhere, but what I can tell you categorically is that we have 200 government approved operational parks and recreational centres.”

In Yola, the capital of Adamawa State, Malam Kabiru Dantalakawa, one of the operators of commercial football viewing centres in the state, said he was looking up to having great prospects of reaping substantial profits as the international football fiesta, the World Cup, started.

In order to attract viewers and make the viewing centre conducive, he gave the centre a major face-lift, which included buying new sets of air conditioner, a plasma television set and a new standby generator in order to strengthen his business. But the prospect of reaping his desired financial returns has been dashed, following the total clampdown on commercial football centres by the state government.

Dantalakawa was not the only one affected, hundreds of other operators across the state were also affected. Apart from the proprietors of such businesses whose incomes have plummeted, residents of Yola, especially football enthusiasts, are gnawing their teeth with exasperation as they say they could not enjoy the frills and thrills of this year’s most cherished and spectacular football fiesta currently taking place in Brazil, following the ban by government on the operations of the commercial viewing centres.

Two days before the commencement of the 2014 World Cup, Adamawa State government had announced the ban on the operations of commercial football viewing centres, saying

A makeshift viewing centre. PHOTO BY THEADVOCATENGR.COM

that the clampdown was in order to prevent loss of innocent lives, as intelligence had indicated that these centres might be soft targets by terrorists.

The decision of the state government was to prevent terrorists from capitalising on the football fiesta to cause mayhem, as they did recently in Mubi LGA in Adamawa when a bomb was detonated at a football viewing centre, killing 18 people, just as many others sustained grievous bodily injuries.

However, the decision by the state government has sparked wide range of comments, especially among the teeming youths who are mostly affected by the total clampdown.

A trip round the state capital indicated that the operators have fully complied with the directives, as major football viewing centres have been under lock and key.

One of the major viewing centres in the town, the magnificent Lamido Cinema, located at the heart of the city, has been turned to a shadow of itself, as it has been under lock and key since the ban was announced, according to a staff of the cinema hall.

A worker, who pleaded anonymity, said the decision of the government has subjected many families to untold hardship, as their major sources of livelihood have been cut off, adding that the decision to ban the viewing centres was well-placed, but added that his major grievance with the policy was that the government had not deemed it fit to give them some palliatives in view of the fact that most of them are losing their only source of income. He said with the development, he has been rendered unemployed, despite having family members to cater for, while calling on government to either reconsider putting security measures at the viewing centres or to come up with some palliatives which will cushion the debilitating effect that was wrought on them as a result of the policy.

But in a twist of fate, the nemesis of the commercial viewing centres has became a huge blessing to electronic dealers as they

say patronage of television and generating sets since the advent of the directive has increased exponentially.

An electronic dealer at the popular Jimeta Shopping Complex, Mr Stanley Nwachukwu, said in the past one week, he has recorded high TV sales that ordinarily he would have made in six months’ time under normal conditions. “This ban is a blessing in disguise for us, as we have recorded large sales of television and related products after the ban was introduced by the state government. In the last few days, I started running out of stock of my televisions and I have to send my boy to Lagos to buy more goods,” Nwachukwu said excitedly.

Similarly, some of the satellite dish sellers in Yola and Jimeta say they have recorded unprecedented sales of their products.

A satellite dish seller at Jimeta Shopping Complex, Alhaji Muhammadu Arewa, corroborated the position of Nwachukwu, saying that the ban was a blessing as they have been recording huge sells of their wares. “Before the ban, we hardly sold two dishes per day. But now, sometimes, I sell up to eight dishes per day,” Arewa said.

A security analyst in Yola, Dr Bala Dallatu, applauded the government’s action, saying that any government with concern for the welfare of its people should go out of its way to adopt stringent measures of securing lives and property. “I believe that the measure adopted by the state government despite its harshness is in order, because it will lead to securing lives and property,” he said, while calling on the Adamawa State government to implement a comprehensive relief package for those affected by the clampdown in order to help them start a new lease of life, otherwise the substance of the policy may be lost by the perception that it was meant only to punish them unnecessarily.

In Plateau State, the situation was similar. The ban on football viewing centres announced by the Plateau State Police Command received mixed reactions.

This ban is a blessing in disguise for us, as we have recorded large sales of television and related products after the ban was introduced

While some operators of these football viewing centres complied with the directive, others were seen offering skeletal services to their clients in some places.

Our correspondent, who was at a viewing centre at Namua Junction, discovered that there was no total compliance on the directive, as some operators in the area were seen doing their businesses behind closed doors.

However, an operator of a viewing centre at Sparkling Junction in Jos South LGA, Nandom Musa, said he had to comply with the directive because it involved human lives. According to him, the ban is affecting his business negatively, noting that before the ban, he was making between N4,000 and N5,000 per match, but since the ban was enforced and he decided to close shop, his means of getting money has been affected.

He added that “even though we are forced to close shop, it is a step towards the right direction in view of the present security challenges we are having in the country, as terrorists target football viewing centres.”

At Tudun Wada in Jos, where a football viewing centre was bombed during a match, the viewing centre there was perpetually under lock and key. Weeds have overtaken over the environment.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday on the development, the police public relation officer, Plateau State Command, ASP Dominic Esien, said the ban was a precautionary measure in view of the security challenges in the state According to him, any operator who violated the directive will be arrested and prosecuted, saying the command is satisfied with the level of compliance in the state.

In the same vein, viewing centres along Bauchi Road and Angwan Rogo are also complying with the directive, except in some remote areas where football fans go through back doors to watch matches for fear of being rounded up by security operatives.

Similarly, the football viewing centre at Bauchi Road, close to the Red Cross Society office that was bombed last month during a football match leading to the death of four people, including the owner of the place, was also under lock and key.

A family member of the owner, who did not want his name mentioned, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that since the blast that rocked the centre, killing the owner, they have resolved never to reopen the place.

However, a football fan, simply named Awalu, said the ban on football viewing centres during the World Cup season is a step towards the right direction, in view of the fact that viewing centres are now the targets of terrorists in the state. According to him, people should stay in their houses to watch the matches.

15

sunday interview Sunday, June 22, 2014

National Confab Is A Jamboree – Hassan Senator Abdulmumuni M. Hassan represents South/West senatorial district of Jigawa State, and in this interview with Ruth Choji, the lawmaker states that punishment, as provided for corrupt officials in the current Act, does not compare with the billions of naira being stolen.

He also states that resolutions at the ongoing National Conference amount to nothing without the endorsement by the National Assembly, even as he described the exercise as another jamboree You sponsored some bills recently, can you shed light on what you hope to achieve?

If you look at our laws presently, there is provision for death penalty as punishment for some crimes, but the question is for how long have we implement that in Nigeria?

Well, I sponsored two EFCC-related bills, and while one has gone through the first reading, the second is still pending with the committee. The first bill is on the EFCC (Establishment) Amendment Bill 2013 and the aim of the bill is to, among other things, make punishment for economic and financial crimes more stiff and stringent.

Because one of the importance of punishment is to deter prospective offenders from committing that offence, and if you take a very good look at punishment provided in the current Act compared with the amount of billions being stolen by people, it is not in anyway deterring or having the ability of deterring anybody from committing the offence. Because most of the punishments are for two years imprisonment, and I am assuring you that so many people are ready to go for that punishment should they have the opportunity to loot that amount of money. Secondly, the bill aims at providing for an additional requirement for a person to be appointed as chairman of the commission. This is to the effect of providing for the fact that a lawyer of 10 years post-call experience can also be eligible to be appointed as the chairman of the commission since the commission is more or less more concerned with investigation, and then prosecution of alleged offenders of the law. And other similar amendments connected therewith.

The second bill is the Economic and Financial Crimes Court (Establishment) Bill 2013, and it aims at establishing a court of law that will be solely dedicated to settling disputes relating to economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.

The court is supposed to be just like the National Industrial Court, which is dealing with issues of industrial actions, trade disputes and employer-employee issues, among others. Also, if you take the issue of corruption, it is widely be-

lieved to be our own major problem, and so, we think the government should do everything within its powers to solve this menace or reduce it to its barest minimum.

Talking about corruption, some have advocated for death penalty for corrupt public officials, what is your take on this?

You see, I don’t think advocating or making provision for death penalty as part of our law is the solution to our problem, because implementation is the major challenge. If you look at our laws presently, there is provision for death penalty as punishment for some crimes, but the question is for how long have we implement that in Nigeria? Also, the fact that death penalty is applicable in other countries like China does not mean it is going to work for us in Nigeria. And so, that is why we suggest an amendment of the EFCC Act to make the punishment for economic and financial crimes more stiff and stringent.

But, is government doing enough in terms of fighting corruption?

Well, government believes they are doing their best, while majority of the people don’t buy that at all.

Coming back to the budget, what should Nigerian expect in this year’s budget?

The issue of implementation is the major problem we are facing as far as the budget is concerned, and this is every year’s budget and not only the 2013 budget alone.

So, government should actually do more as far as implementation is concerned, so as to actualise the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians. As a people that live on hope, Nigerians should expect proper and better implementation of the 2014 budget.

Are you worried at the dimension terrorism has taken in the

Hassan northeast?

Of course, I am worried, because the security challenges we are facing seem to be deteriorating by the day. The insurgency and counterinsurgency is taking a new dimension, which is making me to pray hard for an end to this menace. You know, it is very unfortunate when children in schools were killed just like that. This is completely new and has no basis in both Islamic law and the conventional international law of war or armed conflict. In all the laws of war I know, there is always a clear prohibition against killing of both women and children, and under no circumstance should they be killed, except where they carry arms. And in this situation, the children in Yobe were sleeping when these people brought their untimely death to them. So, this is very unfortunate, wrong and uncalled for.

How did the northeast get to this stage, and is there a way to end the insurgence?

Well, I think there cannot be a single solution to insurgency in Nigeria. It requires a multi-dimensional effort, because of the multi-dimensional nature and the reasons that brought about it. And

therefore, government needs to adopt the “carrot and stick” approach, and provide job opportunities to our teeming youths that are unemployed. Secondly, government needs to provide social security whereby those that are willing and able to work but do not have job should be gainfully engaged or stipend be provided for them for their sustenance.

Government needs to also provide Infrastructure development which will help take away the minds of youths from crime. Take electricity for example, where there is guaranteed electricity, it will lead to re-opening of our moribund companies in Lagos, Kano, Aba, Kaduna and Port Hacourt, and they will gainfully engage a large number of our youths. Government needs to also emphasise on the issue of gathering intelligence and also provide security to those who provide information. This is because failure of government to do that may deter people from helping security agencies with valuable information.

Most people were surprised when your state governor, Sule Lamido, did not defect to the APC, what happened?

You know, Sule Lamido is a found-

17

16 interview As the Chairman of the Ondo State Scholarship Board, can you tell us What the agency has been doing to make Scholarship Scheme in the state to be effective?

I will say that our scholarship scheme in Ondo state has gone very far in the entire state.

Most of our students are really enjoying it at the moment

Thanks. I assumed office on the 5th November, 2013 which is about six months ago, and we set the ball rolling by looking at the state of the scholarship scheme as it were that time. We have been trying to put in some new life and new directions into it. The scholarship scheme that we have in Ondo state today covers only the Undergraduate Programme and programmes within the country but as it is, we are trying to see how we can extend it to foreign students and Post Graduate programmes. The work is in the pipeline and all we need to is just to get a final approval because what we want to do is a very functional scholarship scheme. Very functional in the sense that it is open to all of our students, no restrictions, as long as from you are from Ondo state, you are qualified but, we have some basic requirements for the scholarship scheme. I must say that before the Mimiko administration, the scholarship scheme as it were was nothing to write home about. Each student at that time was being given 25,000 Naira as scholarship but since we came on board, that has been reviewed and increased to 100,000 Naira per student. Of course, we have our financial aids to students apart from scholarship and it is now about 50,000 Naira. Our students at the Nigerian Law School are also entitled to a financial aid of 50,000 Naira every year. All our medical students across the country are also entitled to 50,000 Naira every year, We have a scheme for the physically challenged.

If you are from Ondo state and you are physically challenged, you are automatically qualified for the scheme which is about 50,000 Naira for each person.

We have a scheme for those who have excelled maybe in cultural activities, academic activities, sporting activities etc either for the state or the country. For instance we have someone on our scheme and i think about 4 years ago, she was our best student in WAEC, she also scored the highest in JAMB for that year, and that person automatically got enlisted in our scholarship scheme.

We have some secondary school students who are indigent brilliant and they are automatically enlisted into the scheme. I will say that our scholarship scheme in Ondo state has gone very far in the entire state. Most of our students are really enjoying it at the moment.

But some students are complaining of short comings from the agency. Some say that the scholarship scheme is not being done the way it should as a result of underfunding. What will you say about this?

Sunday, June 22, 2014

It Is Morally Wrong To Defect With Another Party’s Mandate – Awude Honourable Dayo Awude, a seasoned and vibrant politician and a former protocol officer to Governor Segun Mimiko, is the chairman of the Ondo State Scholarship Board. Awude was recently in New Jersey, USA for some official engagements. In this interview with ABIODUN OLUWAROTIMI, he speaks about how the agency under his watch has made the scholarship scheme in the state to be effective. He also speaks on the political situation in Nigeria, his ambition to represent the Akure South/ North federal constituency at the lower chamber of the National Assembly and his rumoured crisis with Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, among other issues.

tion for 197 schools and i speak with you today, we have paid 195 schools. Only two schools are left so the payment if ongoing. We needed to do a thorough job, we needed to be painstaking about it so we took our time in the payment process. We are paying school by school, state by state. I was told that there was a crisis in the past so i became very cautious in all the process. For some of the students, they felt that was slow but we are deliberate in our approach. We want to be sure that no one is paid twice when some will not be paid at all.

We want to ensure that only students are paid. The process was slow because we insisted that we must get lists from each school.

Because we do not have any prove to say anyone is not from Ondo state, all we do is contact JAMB to give us the list of Ondo state students who got admitted into our Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges. After this, we go to each school to give us the list of Ondo state students in their schools and they give to us. Now we sit down and check the Jamb list and the school list, and if your name is on both lists we mark you and you get paid. Because we insist, some of the schools are slow in turning in the papers and this makes the whole exercise to look slow to some of our students.

This is what we have been able to ensure that our Scholarship Scheme is almost the most effective in the country.

Let’s discuss about the political situation of the country.

Some lawmakers are having their seats to be declared vacant at the National Assembly as a result of defection.

How will you react to this?

Awude

I will explain that. Yes we have some levels of challenge in term of funding which i am sure is not peculiar to the Scholarship Board alone. The nation also has some economy stress at the moment. It is a global thing even in America and Europe. Before now, our students used to applied on paper, obtained physical forms, make photocopies and this allowed a lot of racketeering here and there during that time, things were not properly done, they needed to travel all the way from Kwara, Enugu and so on just to obtain a form, and we said no, this cannot be in the 24th Century. We felt our students should be able to do this online from wherever they are and this made us to ful-

ly automate our system, from the application process to the payment process, though my predecessor began the online payment but when we got there, we fine tuned it. Because our students had been used to the manual style of applying, it became a little bit difficult for them to adjust to the new system but quite a number of them has adjusted and they are happy with the process. All you need do is log on from a computer and you receive an alert on your phone that you have been paid.

You said students were complaining that the Board was not adequately funded and i explained that we have some financial challenges which are not peculiar to us. From 2013, there was applica-

For me, politics is a game but it goes beyond that. Politics is about the people. When we look at our constitution, personally i do not believe that it is morally or constitutionally correct for someone to be elected un the platform of a political party and that person defected to another party after the election. In Nigeria today, you cannot have independent candidacy, you must belong to a political party where you will contest elections. In actual fact, when the ballot is cast, it is majorly for the party, not for your person and that is why you see the logo of the party on the ballot papers , not the person. It happened before that PDP had an internal crisis in the Ondo South Senatorial District over who would be its candidate between Ehinlanwo and Olusola Oke. As at the time of the election, that crisis was still on and after the election, PDP won. Olusola Oke was claiming that he was the candidates that was elected while Ehinlanwo was doing the same but still, INEC went and declared that PDP won in the election. Neither of those candidates was mention, meaning that INEC recognized the party more than ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

interview 17

Sunday, June 22, 2014

National Confab Is A Jamboree – Hassan 15

ing member of the PDP and one of the very few that are still surviving. And so, most or about 99 per cent of the people in PDP today met him in the party. It was the nine of them that met and started making efforts toward establishing the party they later became G18, G34 and later came up with a full blown party called the PDP. So, I don’t think you should build a house, destroy it, and then, go to a friend’s house and beg for where to stay. These are His Excellency’s views on the issue of leaving the PDP for another party. There is a Hausa proverb which is saying “Hannunka baya rubewa ka yanke ka yar”, meaning that you should not amputate your hand because it is rotten. And so, His Excellency and his followers are just saying that there is a problem in the party and so we should solve it in order for us to remain that big united and prosperous family, rather than allowing some of us to go away. But, we have started seeing changes and we hope it will continue so that all will be well.

But do you think the problems in the PDP are surmountable, and do you think the party’s national chairman can restore the glory of the party?

Well, I will answer you by first of all congratulating Dr Adamu Muazu over his recent appointment as the National Chairman of our great party, and I wish him all the best in the difficult tasks of starring the affairs of our party. And

to assure our commitment to his leadership, our mentor and leader Dr Sule lamido led us to the party’s secretariat immediately after he assumed responsibility in the National Secretariat, and we congratulated him and assured him of our commitment to his leadership and the party in general. And so, my advice to him is to remain steadfast, honest, and committed to ensuring internal democracy which will in turn deepens our nascent democracy. He should also do his best in ensuring that matters should be resolved amicably so that our membership will increase rather than decrease. And I wish him all the best.

The issue of defection brought a lot of tension in the Senate, do you think this is healthy for our democracy?

You know, this is politics. There is no permanent enemy or permanent friend, and everybody has his own freedom and constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of association. So, there is nothing wrong or bad if somebody says he is changing a party; after all, he can even decide to leave the Senate or quit politics in its totality.

So, the rift just portrays the fact that our democracy is still young and we are growing, and we will overcome it.

What is your take on the ongoing National Confab?

Well, we are yet to see the deliberations of the National Con-

ference proper, and you know, whatever that is resolved by the delegates is subject to ratification and approval of the National Assembly before it is implemented, and this is because, it is only the National Assembly that has the constitutional power and responsibility to make laws for our nation and not the National Conference.

But do you think it will solve our problems as a nation?

Of course, it is another jamboree, because even the President himself at first said there was no need for the conference, and yet, he came back to organise one. It is natural and normal for people to think and call for anything. But then, where you believe there is need for an amendment of any Act of the National Assembly, the best thing to do is to propose an amendment to the National Assembly, and it will be processed just like any other bill before the National Assembly.

Some are afraid that we might not have a free, fair and credible election come 2015 under Prof Jega. What do you think?

Well, I see Professor Jega as a person who is in charge together with his staff of organising an election in Nigeria, and his organisation or arrangement can be the best we have ever seen. But that is not where the problem is, and this is because Professor Jega cannot divide himself to be in every state,

Hassan

every local government and every ward of the federation. Also, you should note that elections are not largely rigged in the electoral offices, but rather in the polling units.

So, ensuring a free, fair and credible election has to do with all of us as a people and as Nigerians. If we will have a free, fair and credible election, there will not be any violence. But where people see that the persons they elected are not declared winners may lead to some crises, which we do not hope for. I see and hope Nigeria beyond 2015 will still exist as one nation, one people, united and prosperous.

It Is Morally Wrong To Defect With Another Party’s Mandate – Awude ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

any of the candidates, and at the end of the day, the crisis was resolved and Ehinlanwo was declared by the party as its candidate. No one has the right to take the mandate given to him/her by a particular party to another party. If you want to defect, you must drop the mandate before moving on. Those that defected in Ondo state were wrong because the law states that you can only defect if and only if your party is divided at the national level, not at the state level. And at that time, Labour Party was not divided at the national level. It was not divide too at the state level. It was clear enough that they wanted to go and this maybe because they wanted to pursue their ambitions somewhere else.

What of your ambition to contest the House of Representatives seat in 2015?

It is not a rumour at all because every human being has an ambition, every human being has the right to look forward because you must always have a desire to get to the peak of political activities in your country. I have this ambition and there is a reason for that.

I have seen it as a need and i am feeling it. As i am talking today, the representative of my people in Akure South/North was among those that defected from the Labour Party. i want to go to the National Assembly because of my desire to do good things for my people. When i was in the University, i was in the students legislature in the University of Ibadan in 1995. I was president of my department, i was chairman of my faculty, i contested the Students Union presidency so representing my people has always been part of me. Of course, you know i was in the university as an administrator and from there i got called by the governor to work with him as the Chief of protocol which i did for four years and now, i am the Chairman of the State Scholarship Board. 2015 is around the corner and i believe that people with the experience and energy should be enlisted as members of the National Assembly. I want to represent my people because it is their desire that i do so and that will be tested in the election very soon. By the grace of God, we will be able to effect the required changes in the constituency when the time comes.

So what would you have done differently if you were the current representative of the constituency at the House of Representatives now?

I think the first thing is that you are elected to represent your people. Representing them goes beyond just sitting at the Chambers looking at your colleagues. I have never seen Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde on the floor of the House, making constructive contributions but this is not about him at this point. When you have someone with a clear mind sitting at the National Assembly, the Bills are there for you to clear. If i were him, definitely, i will be regular and active in the Chambers. Politics apart, some members of the House have stood out, Gbajamiala has stood out, and many of them like that across all the parties. I think i would be one of those that have stood out in the National Assembly. Many people are elected and they just disappear. If you are representing your people, you should not be far from them. You should always be there for them at the time of their needs. You can ask my people, i have been in regular touch with them both personally and physically. In my Ward in

Akure North today, you can verify, i have done personally more than 20 water projects for the villagers and i am going to o more in Akure North and South.

How do you think you can win your party’s ticket with the big names that are already in the race?

I am not bothered because big name cannot win any election for you if you are not acceptable or popular. The people will base their judgement on the pedigree of each and everyone of us.

What of the rumoured crisis between you and Governor Olusegun Mimiko?

That is just politicking because i have never had any problem with the governor. He is my boss and i support all his ideas. You see, people just wake up and start to cook fake stories about leaders so as to score political points. As far as we are concerned, the governor and i have no problem between us. There was a time they said the governor had sacked me and on that day i was about to drive out with the governor when the call came and when i told him what i was told, he just laughed and asked me to drive on.

18

sunday politics

Politics Editor Weeklies: uchenna awom

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Factors That May Shape Yero’s Return In 2015 Though yet to declare interest in retaining his present position beyond 2015, but his body language, display of campaign posters and bill boards across the State from political allies and aides suggest that Governor Yero is very much interested in occupying Sir Kashim Ibrahim House beyond 2015. MIDAT JOSEPH examines the likely factors that may make or mar the governor’s chances

G

overnor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero was on Sunday 16th December, 2012 sworn-in as the Executive Governor of Kaduna State by the state Chief Judge, Justice Rahila Cudjo, following the demise of his late boss, Sir Patrick Ibranim Yakowa in a helicopter crash far away Bayelsa State.

Hardly has the 46 year Governor settled down to deliver on his December 16th inaugural speech, Political gladiators and aides took over the streets of Kaduna with 2015 posters, bill boards as well as the social media.

He has the incumbency power to stay in Government House beyond the 2015, if eventually he decides to throw his hat into the ring.

Born on 1st of May, 1968 in Zaria, young Yero started in LEA Primary School, Angwan Kaura in Zaria Local Government from 1974 to 1980. Immediately he completed his Primary School, he gained admission into Government Secondary School, Ikara and later Government Day Secondary School, Zaria thus completing his Secondary School in 1986 and obtained his West African School Certificate.

Between 1986 and 2003, Mukhtar attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained a Diploma in Banking, B.Sc in Accounting and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA). Between 2003 and 2004, his quest for professionalism in his chosen career took him to the College of Accountancy, Jos where he

Yero

obtained a membership of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN).

The Governor’s working career started when, as a Youth Copper, 1991 – 1992, he served as an Assistant Accountant with the Ogun State Bulk Purchasing Corporation in Ibara, Abeokuta. And between 1992 – 1993, he returned to his alma mater, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he was employed as a Higher Executive Officer (Accounts). Between 1993 – 1997, he moved to Nigerian Universal Bank Limited, Kaduna as Supervisor (Accounts) in the Head Office Accounts Department and later Supervisor, Officer Grade III at the Sabon Tasha Branch.

Destiny moved him in 1997 to Nalado Nigeria Limited where he served variously as Chief Accountant, Head of Administration, Head of Administration and Finance, and Director Finance and Administration. In July 2007, he was appointed the Honourable Commissioner of Finance under the administration of Arc. Mohammed Namadi Sambo (now Vice President).

In may 2010, when the then Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, late Sir. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa was elevated to the position of executive Governor of the State, Yero became the Deputy Governor.

Issues As PDP Moves To Reclaim Kogi East Senatorial Seat > 20

And finally became the governor in 2002 following Yakowa’s demise.

The Governor, no doubt stands the better chance of winning 2015 considering how destiny has been his friend as well as the power of incumbency, but that does not mean there are no obstacles.

Pundit believe that the governor who has never contested election politically, will need time to convince electorates that he meant well for them and that he has what it takes to deliver.

A senior lecture with the Kaduna State University and a public commentator, Dr. John Danfulani who spoke on the chances of the governor Yero’s return to Government House said, “The Struggle for Sir Kashim Ibrahim House Kaduna has gone far.”

According to him, “from all indications, the ruling party PDP and the main opposition APC will square off. Tradition dictates that all incumbent Governors who are constitutionally allowed additional term(s) and willing to try again, usually have a smooth sail of becoming flag bearers of their party. Writing on the wall shows that this aged tradition will stand in regards to who will be PDP’s gubernatorial candidate in Kaduna State in 2015.”

“The race to Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in 2015 will surely be one of those interesting tangos the entire nations is waiting to see,” he said.

The Yakowa Factor: According to Dr. Danfulani “a horizontal and vertical scaling of challenges and prospects shows that, there might be an upstage because many negative variables associated with Governor Yero since his ascension to power after the death of Yakowa on 15th December 2012.

“On 16th and 20th December Yero made speeches and in them, promised to live by his late boss legacies. A few days after the burial, he started demolishing the legacies he promised to uphold.

“Within seven months of his reign, he did not only abandon Yakowa’s legacies but started criminalising, demonising, and blackmailing him in death.

“It started with introduction of major changes in the 2013 appropriation bill Yakowa gave the house. That was followed by a mini cabinet reshufflement.

“And the sacking of Kaduna ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

politics 19

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Factors That May Shape Yero’s Return In 2015 ➔ FROM PAGE 18

State House of Assembly leadership. That was followed by complete sacking of the cabinet he inherited. And finally abandoning of projects initiated by Yakowa in Southern Part of the State.

“A combination of these deliberate acts made Yero the most unpopular political figure in the State, since inception of civil rule on 29th May 1999,” he said.

Yakowa’s kinsmen are hoping that the ruling PDP will give one of their own the ticket to complete their tenure started by the late governor. Anything short of this will mean protest votes against governor Yero in 2015.

Fraternity with VP Sambo: Governor Yero’s loyalty to Vice President Namadi Sambo is a factor that could mar his desired return to Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in 2015.

According to Dr. John Danfulani, Yero’s other greatest trouble is his fraternity with his former boss and now Vice President Arc Namadi Sambo.

According to Danfulani, “Sambo’s overbearing influence on the Governor which has automatically converted the seat of an Executive Governor to a ceremonial one will serious affect the chances of governor Yero’s return.

“This is because Yero takes orders from Abuja on every single major decision. This isn’t going down well with majority of the people of Kaduna State.

A combination of these factors has made the drive to defeat him in 2015 less cumbersome. Opposition party aspirants are seriously working and plotting on how to capture their party flags because that looks more difficult than defeating Yero whom they believe is a slam dunk.”

One of the biggest factors that will make Yero in 2015 is his ability to complete the 31 road projects awarded by late Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa

The Southern Kaduna Factor: It is unarguably that the Southern Kaduna people have been the stronghold of the PDP in the country. And the people have been given blocked votes to the ruling party since1999.

The zone has been a game decider in the history of PDP in Kaduna state, but the recent decision to vote Yero out in 2015 by the PDP stakeholders in the area is threatening his hope.

Top wigs of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Southern Kaduna led by Sen. Haruna Aziz recently allegedly told the Governor in the presence of the Vice President that the People of the area will not vote for him in 2015 if he decide to run for the office.

The decision was allegedly made known to Vice President Namadi Sambo and the governor at a meeting held in Kaduna recently with top shots of the party that have been behind PDP victory since 1999.

The Stakeholders told the governor that the decision was taken after a critical review of the governor’s relationship with the people

of the zone.

The party stakeholders were quoted as saying that; “Government doesn’t pay much attention in the killings ravaging our area.

And there is no continuation of projects started by late Patrick Yakowa despite promise, the whole thing in shrouded is confusion and deceit. We also made our point that there is exclusion of our people in empowerment initiative.”

Discontent in PDP: The wave of discontent in the ruling PDP in Kaduna State, which led to mass exodus of its members to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has also cast a dark cloud on the return of Governor Yero.

Analyst also believed that unless there is serious reconciliation among the PDP bigwigs in the state, Yero may find it very tough to return to Government House in 2015. This is because of the rivalry between his political godfather, Sambo, and other influential party chieftains like the fromer governor of the state, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi and his former commissioners, Alhaji Samaila Yakawada, Alhaji Shuaibu Mikatti, and some members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

Yakwada, who served as the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government in the Yakowa administration, is yet to forgive Sambo and Yero for, allegedly, instigating the removal of Alhaji Usman Gangara as Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

Former National Legal Adviser of PDP and former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice under the administration of Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, Barr.

Mark Jacob Nzama, said the PDP in the state was currently at its lowest rating since 1999, warning that unless things change, the party may be heading for disaster in the state.

Nzama maintain that it was going to be difficult to get the block votes in the southern part of the state because people of the area feel they are not being carried along.

According to him, “Instead of a policy of appeasement or discussion, we have a situation where people in government or leadership position make it a duty to insult the sensibility of our people.

So we can see discontent and sadness among our people who ordinarily would vote the PDP without asking questions,” he said.

It was gathered that there are still disgruntle members of the PDP, who have vowed to remain in the party until Yero is defeated in 2015. These party members are working in collaboration with the opposition APC. Growing Support for APC: The decamping of the former Kaduna State PDP chairman to the APC in December 24 last year opens the chapter of a massive support for the APC. Alhaji Audi Yaro Makama and Ambassador

Sule Buba, who was the campaign director of the late Governor Patrick Yakowa in 2011, along with over 70 last year left the PDP to according to them help the APC wins the 2015 governorship election.

And before their defection, a stronghold PDP stakeholder, a governorship aspirant in 2011, Alh. Suleiman Uthman Hukunyi had announced that he was leaving the PDP for good.

A week later, over 1, 000 other PDP members from Kaduna North Local Government Area also moved to APC. Makama who led the defectors to the APC, alleged that the injustice in PDP had forced them to leave the party for the APC. According to him, “We cannot wait in a party that cannot provide infrastructure to people of the state. This is why we want those in PDP to know that I hardly join a party that I know will not deliver. So, by 2015, APC will win elections in Kaduna,” Makama declared.

In another move, the All Peoples Congress (APC) received several decampees from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into its fold.

The decampees said they left the PDP over alleged high handedness of the leadership of the party who according to them has refused to listen to advice of members who have worked for the party’s victory in Kaduna state for many years.

Among the decampees were former elected councillors on the PDP platform from Sabon-Gari, Badiko/Kurmi Mashi and Makera constituencies which have been the stronghold of the party.

The decamped former PDP Councilors include Honourables Abdullahi Sani, Bala Bally and Saminu Ibrahim Zagalo, Hon. Bala Junaidu Ex-councilor, Dabo Tela, public relations officer, Abbas Muhammad and Abdullahi Poly who are ex-officio member of the PDP and Abdulmumini Salisu the PDP Youth leader in the area along their teaming supporters.

As if that was not enough, the PDP lost three of it strong members to the APC in the governor’s hometown. A former House Of Assembly member, Alhaji Bala Alwau and former Chairman of Kubau Local government Malam Hashimu Garba Anchau including a serving councillor Zaria West Area Development council, said they took the decision to dump the PDP because the party lack the will to transform the State.

Alwau was one time majority leader in the Kaduna state house of Assembly from Zaria kewaye constituency, stressed that the Party is dead in Zaria and Kaduna State.

Since its emergence in the Kaduna State, the party has continued to receive unprecedented support from the grassroots.

The Emergence of Bantex As APC Chair.

The emergence of a former House of Representative member, Arc. Barnabas Bala Bantex from Southern Kaduna is another signal that could send Yero packing in 2015. Bantex (Christian) was voted by the majority of the APC delegate in view of his grassroots support in Southern Kaduna and could break the history of PDP in the area.

His election has again ended rumours that APC was a Muslim party. Pundist in Southern Kaduna said the election of Bantex has given the the Southern Kaduna the power of negotiating position in the state.

Completion of Yakowa’s Projects.

One of the biggest factors that will make Yero in 2015 is his ability to complete the 31 road projects awarded by late Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa. This is because the administration of Governor Yero has come under serious attacks from the residents following the abandonment of the projects by contractors. The governor must not only complete projects, but start new ones in order to convince electorates of his readiness to deliver democratic dividends.

PDP Disagrees But, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) disagree, saying that there was no factor that will mar the chances of Governor Yero come 2015 vis a vis the Part.

Barr. Ibrahim Mansur who is the spokesman of the PDP in the state said, the party was not concerned and cannot be shaken by the decamping of some of its members to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

He said, “There was nothing that would mar Yero from returning to government house in 2015, this is because of his humility.”

“The governor had during his sworn in made a promise that he will continue with the legacy of late Yakowa’s projects. And we are watching him doing that. The recent passage of the 2014 budgets has clearly shown that the Governor has performed credibly well not withstanding the financial difficulties of the state,” he said.

He added that the decamping of some of its members to APC will not affect Governor Yero’s chances in 2015.

“Most of the people that left the PDP cannot even win their own polling unit not to even talk of wards, they have lost political relevance.

“Those people who decamp to APC have no integrity; they are in APC to actualise their personal selfish desire.

“The relationship between the Vice President and Governor Yero will not in anyway affect his chances,” he added.

According to him, Yero has completed half of the project awarded by late Yakowa and was in the process of completing other projects, adding that “Yero will win a landslide in 2015.”

20 politics

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Issues As PDP Moves To Reclaim Kogi East Senatorial Seat Chibuzo Ukaibe, in this reports x-rays the PDP aspirants in the Kogi East Senatorial district race ahead of 2015

K

ogi East senatorial district is arguably the hub of political activities in Kogi State. In some quarters the senatorial district is readily referred to as the political epicenter of state on account of the political heavyweights it boasts of and considering that it is home to the largest ethnic nationality in the state, Igala.

Expectedly, the contest for who represents the district at the senate ahead of 2015, is simmering as some prominent names within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have already sprang up as possible contenders to the seat that is currently occupied by Sen. Attai Aidoko Ali Usman who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP is bent to taking back the seat considering that after 2011 election, Emmanuel Ocheja of PDP was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). But PDP’s victory was short lived as the court faulted Ocheja’s victory by declaring Sen. Usman winner of the polls.

However in the PDP’s quest to the reclaim the seat by 2015, some top frontliners including, Alhaji Abubakar Abdulrahman, Hajiya Halima Alfa and Air Marshall Isaac Alfa have emerged.

But the contest seems to hold more intrigues as two former governors of the state, Prince Abubakar Audu and Alhaji Ibrahim Idris are rumoured to be interested in the seat; a prospect that will reignite the rivalry between two of the most powerful political forces in the state.

Although the former governors have not openly denied interest in the race, the body language of their supporters, seems to suggest they will.

However beyond the former governors the other aspirants are no push overs as they have held their own in the political firmament of the state.

Hajiya Halima Alfa For the only woman in the

race, Hajiya Halima’s ambition for the lawmaking job has been greated by a mixture of awe and high hopes. Widely regarded as a shrewd politician of over 20 years, she, having ran for the seat while under the defunct ANPP, has since joining the PDP many years ago risen to the position of Board of Trustees (BOT) in the PDP, putting her in a strong position for the contest. A lawyer by training, she is well connected at PDP’s national heircharcy and federal government as she is a member of the SureP scheme.

Dogged and courageous, her foray into politics has continued to generate ripples bothering on fear. Not long after her intent for the seat emerged petitions against her followed.

A group under the aegis of Concerned Eastern Citizens carried an advertorial against her in the state owned newspapers, opining that her candidacy would spell doom for the PDP. But for her supporters such petitions were only attestation to her looming image ahead of the polls as she has been seen as a resolute fighter and astute politician. Having served as commissioner in Kogi State she is robustly experience in the states politics, just as she has remained constructively relevant in the politics of the state and in Abuja.

She is perceived as a daredevil by the Igala and Bassa people in her own right and an amazon role model for other female politicians in the state.

Nevertheless, she has to brace up for a tense battle from the other contestants, especially the Air Marshall Alfa, who is observed to have financial muscle and no strangers to the political turf. Moreso her depth of her political team, proactive stragegic prowess and her ability to mobilise and sustain the grass root will be crucial to her ambition.

Air Marshall Isaac Alfa Having served as former Chief of Staff of the Nigeria Air Force, Alfa, a businessman has remained a faithful PDP member inspite of his failure

Halima Alfa

Isaac Alfa

in gubernatorial and senatorial ambitions between 2003 and 2011. Nonetheless, he is acknowledged to have a heavy electoral warchest and a wealth of political experience in kogi politics. Moreso, he intends to bank on party leaders in the state to sympathise with him for his steadfastness and party loyalty, having supported other party flagbears who defeated him in the past. He is projected to draw the bulk of his support from Enjema district of Ankpa LGA where he is most popular.

However, if feelers from his camp are anything to go by, he has to shore up his grass root base and expand his political activities beyond Ankpa Local Government Area. Also, the shadow of Hajiya Halima remains a major threat to his ambition, considering her wide connections both in Kogi and in Abuja.

Moreso, there are grumbles in certain quarters that having served at a high level at the federal government he was not able to attract commersuate economic and developmental projects to his home land.

Abubakar Abdulrahman Popularly called “Railway”, Abdulrahman had a glowing career in the civil service at Railway Corporation. Although he is relative new to the political turf compared to the other contenders for the seat, he has warmed his way somewhat into the hearts of some of party faithful. He is noted to enjoy a cordial relationship with the state governor, Capt. Idris Wada as he is alleged to have seen to the appointment of some members in the state executive cabinet. He also enjoys support from some Ankpa indegenes whom he empowered while he held sway at Nigeria railways. He also said to have the electoral warchest going into the contest.

Still, he is not well known at the national level of the PDP and not so grounded beyond the bounds of Ojoku area where he is from as such his major arsenal would be if the governor openly endorses him.

Clearly, as the most inexperienced of the lot, he has to grapple with the political sagacity and experience of Hajiya Halima and Air Marshall Alfa.

The PDP is bent to taking back the seat considering that after 2011 election, Emmanuel Ocheja of PDP was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission

Abuja

22.06.2014

A-Z all that’s trending

“abuja has an amazing night life ”

Katchy Okorie civil servAnt

the ever Busy Wuse Market WhAT’s UP? She Needs To Know P30

Where’s BUZZING? Trukadero Place P31

WhAT To BUy • • • •

Running shoes Sports bra Sports bag Towel P49

LIsTINGs • Fashion Houses

• Hotels • Construction Companies • Ambulance service P52

sPoTLIGhT • • • •

Kalamarie Tantalizers Bukkateria Paris Choice HotelP51

22 ABUJA A-Z/ WHAT’S UP?

City SIGHTINGS Big Mo 99.5 Wazobia FM’s on air personality Moses Nwokedi a.k.a Big Mo was seen at Area 11, Garki. He wore a blue, black and white polo shirt, blue jeans and a pair of dark brown loafers. He was driving out of a hotel where he attended a media seminar in his silver Peugeot 307.

Daytime Star Tinsel star and Nollywood sweetheart, Gbenro Ajibade was spotted at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Zone 4. It is hard to not notice Gbenro. His dress sense is quite different from the average guy’s. Dressed in a checked jacket, white shirt, black pants and a red pocket square, he was the star of the night.

Everything na “Jara” Co-host of the awardwinning TV show Jara, Uti Nwachukwu was spotted at Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Zone 4 where he was attending a charity show. He was in high spirits as he exchange pleasantries with his friends and fans. Uti just knows how to make traditional outfits look great. Dressed in a yellow short sleeved caftan with matching pants, he definitely lit up the venue.

Abuja

A-Z

Sunday, June 22, 2014

What’s Up?

upcoming events

She Needs To Know

Smart Sistas presents for its eighteenth edition “SHE NEEDS TO KNOW”.It’s a forum where young girls will be educated, informed and enlightened by knowledgeable minds. A medium that seeks to assist and a way to kick-start these young girls on a positive journey of self-discovery and to encourage them to become vibrant women. It is a belief that the people at Smart Sistas are in the perfect position to offer the rudimentary lessons in Life Joys and Challenges. 10am. Gilali Event Centre Zone 3, Wuse. Saturday June 28

Body Shop

Get a luxurious pampering at the Body Shop. With pedicure with Argan oil treatment, a free blow dry and haircut. There is something for the ladies at gentlemen. 1PM. 14B, MALABO STREET OFF AMINU KANO CRESCENT, Wuse 2. Monday June 23

Democracy X-ray

Join a team of experts as they dissect the democracy of Nigeria in thoughtprovoking discussions and mind-blowing analysis. 9AM. RHYTHM 94.7 FM. Tuesday June 24

Digital Experience Technology Week

An exhibition of some latest technology displayed at the just concluded Digital Africa Conference and Exhibition. 9AM. CMETRIX WORLD, PLOT 1387 AMINU KANO CRESCENT, WUSE 2. Wednesday June 25

WWW

This is the biggest music concert Abuja has been waiting for. It is Worship Works Wonders (WWW) season 1.A time of quality and anointed music, comedy, drama and dance from the very best and anointed artistes. 4PM. FAITHVILLE ASSEMBLY, ANNON PLAZA, APO, GUDU DISTRICT. Sunday June 29

Make A Move

Make A Move is tagged Healing through Art and follows the story of Ivie’s character. It is a story of self belief, doubt and a fight against an unfavourable environment. 2:50PM. CEDDI PLAZA, TAFAWA BALEWA WAY, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. Sunday June 29

Advanced Research Methods, Data Analysis & Software Training

The workshop is highly interactive, reflective, and relevant to specific needs of academics postgraduate students and professional researchers whose research thinking, design, methodology, and software-enabled data. 9AM. NATIONAL MATHEMATICAL CENTRE, ABUJA-LOKOJA EXPRESSWAY, KWALI-SHEDA. Monday June 30

Armoured Vehicles Exhibition

The Armoured Vehicles West Africa, organized by the IQPC Worldwide. The conference will cover areas like Demonstrate to regional forces that you take their challenges and requirements seriously enough to attend or support this event in order to learn more at the time to get involved.9AM-4PM. SHERATON HOTEL. LADI KWALI WAY, ZONE 4. Monday June 30

group EDITOR REPORTERS DESIGN

Amina Alhassan Ahman Zanswat Bowsan, Uche Uduma, Chalya Dul IgweNgerem Michael

ACTING EDITOR Auwal Sa'id Mu'azu

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

Abuja A-Z is published as an insert in LEADERSHIP Sunday.

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of these listiings.

However please contact venues to confirm details

Where’s BUZZING/ ABUJA A-Z 23

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Where’s buzzing?

Fashion Houses and Hotels

Trukadero Place The art of bowling has returned to the city of Abuja. This time it comes with much more. At Trukadero Place, you get fun and excitement under one roof. There is a 9D cinema, horse riding, pool table, continental restaurant, Chinese restaurant, African restaurant, yummy tummy Ice-cream and pastry lounge. Step into an environment which provides you with variety of existing recreational entertainment and variety of food to whet your appetite. Trukadero Place is great for breakfast and lunch with other side attractions such as VIP rooms and Lounge of different sizes, ranging from room that sit two-twenty guests and a large place for party and events. Other special packages for special occasion including: Birthdays, Naming-ceremony, Cooperate events and School outing.

131B Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, Wuse2

FASHION HOUSES House of Farrah The House of Farrah is a luxury fashion and lifestyle company which specializes in the production of readyto-wear clothing, accessories and bespoke tailoring. They are innovative, creative and draw on international best practices in garment making, with all their pieces being handcrafted using the finest fabrics and materials sourced from all over the world. Farrah epitomises luxury and exclusivity, with very limited quantities of their pieces being produced. House of Farrah is proud purveyors to the discerning gentleman and fashion-conscious lady offering an eclectic range of garments appealing to a broad range of tastes. The fashion outfit also offer high-end, limited-quantity ready-towear clothing, featuring everything from traditional wear, abayahs, dresses, shirts, kaftans, jackets right down to polo shirts. Their pieces are exquisitely hand-crafted and finished using a range of luxurious trimmings, swarovski crystals, luxurious, opulent and beautiful fabrics sourced from all over the world.

21 Dakala Steet Off Parakou Crescent Off Aminu Kano Crestcent Wuse II Wego Academy of Fashion and Arts Wego Academy of Fashion and Arts

(WAFA) is one of the biggest fashion houses in Abuja. Since the fashion house was established in 2012, it has stayed focused on serving the unique needs of the Abuja fashion scene.

Today that commitment is stronger than before and the fashion outfit has stayed true to its principles, which is to offer upscale assortment of clothing, accessories, and jewelry to its customers. The clothing line also trains highly skilled professionals in the Nigerian fashion industry. It exposes its students to all the opportunities in the industry and also trains them in in all aspects of the fashion business, including planning, production and marketing. The clothing line is one of the few fashion outfits in Abuja that has makes wedding dresses.

Wego focuses on superior service and its trainers are highly experienced designers who have established themselves both on the local and international scene.

Suite C301 Bloomsbury plaza, Adetokumbo Ademola Crescent, Nigeria JAMESLULLY Jameslully brand is a Nigerian fashion label which specializes in creating high-end fashion pieces. They combine quality, innovation and style to create exceptional pieces that get the wearer to be noticed. Created in 2009, Jameslully fashion label has established a wide range of cutting

edge designs such as beautiful Ankara notepads, tees and polos, handbags, wallets and a ready to wear line.

Jameslully is indeed a one stop shop for sophisticated and stylish clothes accessories, bags etc.

No 58b, Usuma Street off Gana Street, opp, UBA Maitama, Abuja MID Kollections MID (Muslim Identity) Kollections is an Islamic oriented business entity based in Abuja, Nigeria. The online Store is the 1st Islamic online retail store in West Africa that offers consumers the convenience of ordering top and quality Islamic international clothing brands from the comfort of their homes and having it delivered to their doorstep. Their core business areas include Islamic fashion, Islamic business oriented concepts development, Islamic business and consultancy services as well as event Management. The fashion outfit is the sole representative and holds exclusive right to the distribution and retailing of top international Islamic fashion brands in Nigeria.

These include islamicdesignhouse. com (UK), lawungdirect.com (UK), modestlyactive.com (UK), al-farah. com (US), bokitta.com (Lebanon), mybatua.com (India), aabcollection. com (UK) Suite GF3, A.G.A Memorial Complex, behind GTBank Area 11, Garki Abuja.

24 ABUJA A-Z/ WHERE’S BUZZING

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Sweet & Cream Sweets & Cream is a sugary heaven for kids and adults, ice creams, milkshakes, sundaes, collection of chocolates from around the world, natural fruit juices, our special air chips and sausages.

All housed in a serene space inclusive of a library which is stocked with all kind of books for all ages. So there are no worries with

keeping the children busy during the holidays. Parents also have an opportunity to unwind, talk and relax away from the daily routines. There is ample space for the kids to run around, explore and have some decent indoor fun. Try it out and you will love it.

174 Aminu Kano Crescent opposite, Wuse

FASHION HOUSES

Dzyn couture

House Of Silk

Ms Makor

Dzyn couture Dzyn is one of the biggest fashion labels in Abuja that makes both ready to wear and made to order products.

The fashion label which was unveiled in 2003 by sisters Ogwa and Ofure, started out casually with exactly five dresses now. Eleven years down the lane, the fashion house has designed and produced thousands of garments. The label emphasizes on perfection. At all its stages of production from design and sketching to tailoring and quality control are done in-house by their dedicated teams.

This way, they ensure the highest quality on every individual garment. To improve on their work, they keep going further to find more inspiration for their collections. Dzyn believes in integrating styles of all cultures to essentially Nigerian fashion and this is how they create extraordinary looks.

Ground Floor, Asokoro Shopping MallAsokoro. Abuja House Of Silk House of silk is a luxury fashion label which started in Lagos, Nigeria in 2009.

The fashion label started off as a fabric retail company, in only a few months the company grew to incorporate tailoring services for their clients on a one-to-one basis. Their creativity in designs, invisible tailoring and impeccable finishing left the clients yearning for more. The brand later grew to open its retail store in Lagos and flagship store in Abuja which is fast rising as the fashion hub in sub Saharan Africa. House of Silk (HOS) has contributed greatly to the social scene providing bespoke tailoring for celebrities and top government officials home and abroad. Their eclectic

ensembles use the best Luxury silk, prints, satin & sheer fabrics, tailored to fuse creativity and comfort.

Typical designs adorn rhinestones, studs, intricate beaded bodice & sequin drapings of assorted colors to accessorize our collection of evening gowns, cocktail and play dresses, which provide the highlight of our couture collection.

House of Silk is located at plot 960 Ahmadu Bello Way, Wuse 2, by Nigeria Turkish School, Abuja

for bespoke clothing is what gives the label an edge over other fashion houses and perfection is its watch word.

Debby African Stitches has a workforce that is poised to change the face of the fashion world. The fashion house enjoys clientele from high profile personalities such as Patience Jonathan, Okonjo Iwela and Edem Duke.

Suit B5, Wuse Shopping Plaza Beside Golden Gate Hotel, Zone 5 Abuja.

HOTELS Ms Makor Ms Makor is a luxury brand that has been in existence Reiz Continental Hotel since 2010. The fashion Reiz Continental Hotel is has been experimenting a hospitality brand that on various cuts & shapes, offers luxuriously furnished servicing private clients accommodation which & creating single unique includes executive suites, pieces. The label fuses business suites and standard fashion & art with couturesuites. The hotel is situated like craftsmanship, ornate in a serene environment at fabrics, structure and bold the heart of central business detailing which are the district of Abuja. It is one brand’s signature. They minute’s walk from National pride themselves in the Defence College (NDC), intricacy of their work, hand two minutes’ walk from craftsmanship & finishing.

Nigeria National Petroleum Ms Makor caters for women Corporation (NNPC) Tower who understand how to work (Head Quarters), three fashion with style. Ms Makor minutes’ walk from Central lady embraces avant garde Bank of Nigeria (CBN) fashion and understands Headquarters, two minutes’ simple elegance. The label drive from International gets its inspiration from Conference Centre (ICC), unique items with timeless Three minutes’ drive from beauty giving each piece Federal Secretariat, Five an old fashion charm. The minutes’ Drive from the label owned by Anita Adebisi Presidential Villa, Aso Rock fuses fashion and art with and about thirty minutes’ couture-like craftsmanship, drive from the Nnamdi ornate fabrics, structure, Azikiwe International bold detailing, which are the Airport. The hotel is known signature of the brand. for providing its guests with Old Banex Plaza Ext fc38, world class personalized wuse2, Abuja services which include 24 hour room service, 24 hour Debby African Stiches car hire service, 24 hour Debby African stiches is one reception service and 24 of the big fashion labels in hour laundry service. Guest Abuja. The fashion label was can stay in one of the rooms started by Deborah Moses and enjoy complimentary Emoto. Within a decade, the breakfast and free Internet fashion label successfully access. carved out a niche for itself Plot 779, Cadastral Zone AO by breaking into the Abuja | Central Business District, fashion industry. Passion Abuja

ceoConfidential #117, June 22, 2014

IF YOU’LL BE...

Chief AdeKunle ojorA

Chairman, Evans PublishErs nigEria ltd.

>26

>29 OTHER BIZ

WorldvieW Ceo’s exit folloWed Cruel April fools’ dAy prAnK >32 HOUSEKEEPING

• Aisha Augie-Kuta,

CEO, MEERMAAD NETWORKS LTD

fAmous entrepreneurs: Who they Are And hoW they Were eduCAted >46 TIPOFFS

do not just embrACe fAilure - leArn hoW to mAnAge it

Augie-KutA’s quest for entrepreneurship development

26 CEOConfidential

Sunday, June 22, 2014

in brief ESSENTIALS

10 Questions for...

FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Ernest Esekhile CEO/ Gospel DJ, Street Gospel Mixtape

Grow your personal network “It isn’t just what you know, and it isn’t just who you know. It’s actually who you know, who knows you, and what you do for a living”

Bob Burg, 1958American author and speaker specialising in entrepreneurial networking and sales skills.

Attend free seminars and business functions to meet people from outside your industry. You may find future clients and more effective suppliers among the crowd.

Local business organisations want to grow their own networks by asking people like you to attend their functions. Find out about the BNI, the federation of Small Businesses and Business Angel Networks in your area.

Register with services such as Facebook, Linkedln, Hubpages, Twitter and Squidoo to grow your professional contacts list and opportunities for your business.

You have the opportunity to spend every morning and every evening networking, so pick and choose the networks that best suit your business needs.

Take every opportunity “Sell a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach a man how to fish, you ruin a wonderful business opportunity” Karl Marx, 1818-83 German philosopher, political economist and revolutionary, co-founder of Marxism and co-author of The Communist Manifesto.

If someone asks for your advice when they want to purchase a product or service, be bold and say, “Yes, that is something we can deliver for you.” Then go and find a way to do it.

Finding willing clients for your product or service is a time-consuming and sometimes frustrating task. When the opportunity presents itself directly to you, the cost and effort of selling go down dramatically.

Take the opportunity and use your network of contacts to ensure that you deliver what you promise for your newfound client. Do it well to ensure repeat business and unprompted referrals.

IF YOU’LL BE...

Chief Adekunle Ojora Chairman, Evans Publishers Nigeria Ltd. Spread your wings. Don’t stay stagnant Ojora is another Nigerian business man, industrialist and entrepreneurs with investments in nearly all the major segments of the economy. Despite his advanced age, he hasn’t slowed down as he keeps on investing. No wonder, he is the leading single shareholder in many blue chip companies in Nigeria.

Don’t forget your root His foray to the United Kingdom where he began to make a name for himself didn’t prevent him from abandoning his home country, Nigeria. Having worked as a journalist with the British Broadcasting Corporation, he decide to come home and contribute his own quota to national building and indeed he did.

Give! Give!! Give!!

As it is a norm among the elite and having gone through hard times, Ojora himself is ever willing to help people in need. He considers his wealth a gift to humanity and thus, ‘blesses’ people who need to be blessed.

– By Olujide Olusola

TIMELESS TRUTHS Provide context “If you look closely at how people make decisions, a clear pattern emerges. No matter what the new strategy, initiative, or change program is, people have the same questions: How is this change relevant to what I do? What, specifically, should I do? How will be measured, and what consequences will I face? What tools and support are available? What is in for me?

The leader’s job is to help people answer these questions. After all, if people can’t answer those questions on their own, then the grapevine will provide the answers- and those answers won’t always be right.

Bill Jensen, consultant and author, Simplicity: The New Competitive Advantage in a World of More, Better, Faster

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

I will like to go into business with the movie character ‘Robocop’ because he stands for justice and follows through at all cost till justice is served.

He will be a good partner in the times like this.

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

God’s Own Democratic Party.

4. Whom would you trade places with?

Mike Otedola, a renowned businessman.

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

Well I would like to trade places with the late Nelson Mandela. He is my role model; he always stood for the freedom of his people.

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

To the future to witness how my life turned out finally and make corrections where necessary.

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

I’ve learnt about how determined, emotional and passionate I can be in doing my job.

8. What have you sacrificed for success?

I’ve sacrificed personal pleasures, freelance lifestyle.

9. What do you consider your favourite achievement?

My greatest achievement will be changing the face of gospel music.

10. What is your motto?

Touching lives, making impact.

Interview by Daniel Udechukwu

group

ceoConfidential ASST. EDITOR Daniel Udechukwu CORRESPONDENT Salome Anyasodo REPORTER Olusola Olujide GRAPHICS Luke Utomi

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

I wish someone could open a Christian hangout spot with live gospel music and comedy.

ACTING EDITOR Auwal Sa'id Mu'azu

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

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

Feedback & enquiries ceoconfidential@leadership.ng

CEOConfidential

Sunday, June 22, 2014

27

popular with CEOs Compiled by Salome Anyasodo

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

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

SEE Lou Guan Tai

Scene from Brazil 2014 World Cup opening ceremony

Atheles

Sporting Sports is not just a game, but an essential and important aspect of our society; they are indispensible when it comes to their impact on a plethora of public arenas, including economics and the mass media. Sport coincides with community values and political agencies, as it attempts to define the morals and ethics attributed not only to athletes, but the totality of society as a whole. Fans of spectator sports find a reaffirmation of key societal values through sports, as they give meaning to their own lives. Sports activities and interests provide many positive opportunities.

However, they can also cause some problems. Many believe that participation in sports will enhance one’s accomplishments, while others believe that sports get in the way of achievement.

Whether they help or distract from achievement depends on

the extent of an individual’s involvement and the type of experiences they have.

With the on going FIFA World Cup competiton in Brazil, the world unifies in watching the games.

Good sportsmanship pro­ vides guidelines that can be generalised to classroom and lifelong achievement. Partici­ pation in challenging sports contests teaches one to love challenge and also to function in a competitive society.

The world of sports mirrors how one can play the game of life. Good athletes stay in the game and play the best even when losing, knowing some games are won and some lost.

Sporting includes discipline, practice with gruelling regularity the necessary skills for sport. Education, life accomplishments, creative contributions in the arts, sciences, business, and government involve similar

Tim Armstrong, AOL, CEO , “The one thing successful people do every morning is to exercise which makes them proactive.”

Armstrong

perseverance and selfdiscipline.

There are many advantages of sports, including physical, mental, and emotional. One of the physical advantages of sports is the exercise that a person gets while playing the sports and practicing for the games. A mental advantage is the way some sports can stimulate the brain with problem solving or hard concentration.

Playing a sport requires a lot of time and energy, but is sure does aid to fight for a common goal with a host of other players, coaches, managers, and community members teaches one how to build a collective team synergy and effectively communicate the best way to solve problems en route to a victory. This will be very helpful in life when encountering problems in the work force, at the home-front, or in any arena.

Dr. Lorelei Mucci, Ass. Prof of epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health “Exercise benefits everyone, especially men with prostate cancer.”

Mucci

leo burnett,

Advicing exectuive

Family, religion, friends...these are the three demons you must slay if you wish to succeed in business.

Mouty burns,

Character in The Simpsons(American TV Series)

A good rule of the thumb is if you have made it to 35 and your job still requires you wear a name tag, you have made a serious vocational error.

Comedian

This was originally a concept or ‘law’ proposed by C Northcote Parkinson in his (1957/8) book Parkinson’s Law: The Pursuit of Progress, which also gave us Parkinson’s Law itself. The revived Triviality Law was popularized in 1999 by Poul Henning Kamp, a computer developer, effectively and accidentally renaming it the Bikeshed Colour effect. Essentially the

law contends that people in organizations (due to human nature and organizational behaviour) inevitably spend a disproportionately large amount of time and effort on trivia matters - especially attempting to apply personal influence - while neglecting the really important issues because they are difficult to understand, and consequently more difficult to influence.

hear Chairman PenCom, Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu at the World Pension Summit Africa Special, Abuja.

Themed “Shaping the Future,” The World Pension Summit “Africa Special” will bring together leading players from Africa’s Pension industries in order to present new frontiers for collaboration with Pensio Funds. The Summit holds at the Congress Hall, transcorp Hilton,Abuja by 8am.

dennis miller,

BIZ Lingo

Bikeshed colour effect/ Parkinson’s law of triviality

Creative ideas best florish in a shop which preserves some spirit of fun. Nobody is in business for fun, but that does not mean there cannot be fun in business.

The cuteness factor of watching a cuddly, docile panda chow down on bamboo will make up for having to clean up after them – keeping them comfy is important as happy pandas are more likely to get on with breeding. also get to learn about the local Chinese culture and eat some delicious dumplings along the way.

taste Edomae-zushi

The dish that the world knows as sushi, tantalising cuts of raw fish draped across pads of vinegared rice – was invented in Tokyo where it’s known as Edomae-zushi, after Edo, the old name for Tokyo.

FEEL Mihir Garh

Mihir Garh sits in splendid isolation amid the Thar Desert near Jodhpur. It looks like an enormous sandcastle, a mirage; but there is nothing insubstantial about this ‘fort of the sun’. It took 150 masons, artisans and craftsmen two years to build what the owners describe as ‘a dream realised’.

SMELL Bright Crystal by Versace All lasting business is built on friendship alfred Montapert,

Author

Driven by sheer sensuality, crystal transparency, and luminous brightness: Versace’s Bright Crystal is a precious jewel of rare beauty characterized by a by fresh, vibrant, flowery scent.

28 CEOConfidential

Sunday, June 22, 2014

The ceoConfidential interview Augie-Kuta’s quest for entrepreneurship development Augie-Kuta sees herself creating works of art that would last a lifetime while supporting the craft of photography.

INTERVIEW BY OLUJIDE OLUSOLA

AUGIE-KUTA IN SHORT Aisha Augie-Kuta is a professional photographer based in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. She is from Kebbi State and has been a fulltime photographer since 2008. She is certified in curating, contemporary art exhibitions from the Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, UK. She studied Mass Communication from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. She had her post graduate degree in Media and Communication from the Pan African University in Lagos. She was also awarded a certificate in Digital Filmmaking from the New York Film Academy. She runs AAK Studios; she is also the founder, Centre For Art and Creative Talent (CACT); and she is the amiable CEO of Meermaad Network Ltd. She is married with three children.

My typical day depends on …

Depending on my schedule for the day this varies drastically. I have relaxed days that only require picking up my kids from school and days that involve meetings with clients or pre-production for shoots to editing, printing, photo-shoots etc. My most hectic days are on the weekend because I choose to work more then than during the week. During my free time, I paint with my kids and edit documentaries.

About Meermaad Network Ltd… Meermwaad Network Ltd is Media Company that houses a network of individuals that are exceptional in the fields of Photography, Beauty, Film, Social Media, hospitality and industry.

We currently work with over 10 photographers; we also have a full team in the film department although some of them are working part

time. Our social media platform currently has three people and two in the hospitality department. The beauty department has three people also.

It is basically a hub because clients that need photography for example; also ask for videos of behind-thescenes, the beauty department and also a drive on social media.

When we work with corporate companies, we come with much more than just a product but also with ideas on how to best utilise what we provide for them. Our goal is to help upgrade the standards in the individual departments in Nigeria most especially in the north.

Challenges are constant especially with entrepreneurship…

Our time management is constantly disrupted by electricity problems and that’s one of our major issues. Before all this though there were

Sunday, June 22, 2014

CEOConfidential

45

AUGIE-KUTA ON GRIT

The more we look at things from different perspectives, the more solutions will come our way problems with start up capital. Personally, I have had to deal with being a female in what is seen as a ‘mans job’ this however is now my strength and people’s minds are being changed after they see our work. I had a problem with mentorship in the beginning and this is why we do not hesitate to mentor those that are coming into the industry whenever we can.

With every challenge comes opportunities…

Well everybody knows our problem with electricity but we have adapted with the use of generators and also working from home.

When it came to start up capital, we decided to start small and we expanded by the day.

It is because of our mentorship program that we are able to have dedication from the people we work with because the mentees do not hesitate to work with us after. With every challenge comes opportunities and we just keep working hard towards our goal despite these challenges.

Balancing work, family, faith and leisure…

Work/Life balance is the most important thing for me. Having a family, work and managing people is a challenge but I do not hesitate to drop it all to rest and have some me time. If one doesn’t do that then

we will breakdown. It is part of my daily routine to get some quiet time to think, I do not wait for stress to pile up.

Work, Rest, Play…very important. I love to travel too for leisure; it is a way of learning new things and gaining inspiration. Stepping away from it all gives me a fresh start towards everything, Social responsibility...

Photography is the best medium to grab the attention of people and society. I use it for different causes; from support for cancer to sickle cell, poverty alleviation and entrepreneurship development. As it is said, a photograph says more than a thousand words, and I realised that I had a voice that would be listened to through photography.

CEO’s should be open to constant learning and innovation…

We are in fast changing times. Businesses have to learn to rely on research, innovation and continuous training of personnel.

Sometimes it will seem like everything is working against you but like I said earlier with challenges come opportunities. The more we look at things from different perspectives, the more solutions will come our way. Nigeria is tough but it is also very easy space to create and support a successful business. Go against the odds everyday, try and try again. Never give up.

CEOConfidential

Sunday, June 22, 2014

initiatives

29

Lere Baale, lerebaale@gmail.com

Leadership Intiative For Excellence (LIFE) Series.

Leadership is everyone’s business Leadership can be learned.

Despite what some say, leaders are not born (well everyone is born but not born to leadership). Leaders develop by observing, studying and practicing. It is a constant and intentional activity. One consistent trait has been observed. Great leaders never stop learning.

You are already in a position of leadership.

Whatever situation you find yourselves, you can take responsibility. Leadership may simply be doing the ordinary in extraordinary ways. For that you do not need to wait or to be told.

You can do it, now.

What you do matters.

You affect those around you. What you do (or don’t do) influence others.

Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner made an important observation, “The truth is that you make a difference. It is not a question of ‘Will I make a difference?’ Rather it is ‘What difference will I make?’ Make no excuses.

You are important and your work of consequence. How you answer the question is significant. What difference will you make today?

In nearly every organization, we are confronted with the idea of leadership. Why is it that this is swiftly becoming a hot buzzword? What is truly meant by leadership?

And how is this different

OTHER BIZ

Christopher Woodrow

from management?

Leadership is all about understanding and embracing the group’s shared vision and helping to inspire the group to achieve its shared goals. This means that leadership is relational rather than positional and in fact everyone’s business.

Each organization and profession has a vision of its own to follow.

For example, Hippocrates who inspired the Hippocratic Oath, which all healthcare practitioners continue to take before practicing understood that healthcare needed to move beyond simply looking at disease as being something attributed to punishment from the gods and instead identified the natural causes of afflictions affecting his fellow people.

This sparked research into developing practical ways to heal people and established the foundation of healthcare as a legitimate profession designed to help every individual. Though advances continue to be made in the quality of care given, one ultimate goal is still omnipresent, that healthcare practitioners must act ethically and seek to help every individual to the best of his or her ability. This is where leadership comes into play. If we are in the position simply to make money or have the status of the hard

“Leadership begins with vision, but without trust and communication we cannot align this vision with others and achieve the group’s shared purpose.” earned PhD behind our name, than we will neither be satisfied, nor give the best possible care.

Motivation is a key factor in understanding one’s effectiveness in his or her chosen profession. Does one simply look at the tangible rewards such as pay and benefits or does one truly embrace the mission of the organization? Though both are required for job satisfaction, the latter is far more important. Keeping one’s vision at the forefront of one’s mind is crucial for maintaining this motivation especially as one completes mundane tasks that may not overtly be relevant to one’s vision.

With this passion for the organization’s mission, one is qualified to lead despite his or her position in the organization. Trust is the foundation of leadership and a positive work experience.

One’s constituents must have confidence that the individual not only embodies the principles of the organization he or she boasts, but also completes job functions equally.

Management refers to a positional approach where members of the organization

are charged with specific tasks to complete whereas leadership refers to a process where individuals are empowered to make decisions and take actions to achieve the group’s purpose. Effective managers understand this principle and are inclusive rather dictatorial in their approach.

Leadership begins with vision, but without trust and communication we cannot align this vision with others and achieve the group’s shared purpose. Regular conversations help keep the group on track as our purpose for being a part of it is regularly affirmed. This also helps better align our goals as organizations are fluid and not static entities and we continually adapt to meet the needs of those we serve.

We will not, however, meet these objectives unless we effectively organize the members of our group to accomplish individual tasks.

This is why it is essential to embrace diversity to foster synergism. Every individual has their own unique set of talents, skills, and abilities which can benefit the group. If we surround ourselves with all

like-minded individuals the organization will stagnate.

Divergent views are needed to push the group forward and make a relevant impact.

Utilizing the talents of many rather than few, we can create a better possible outcome than we could on our own. Without conflict we cannot fully reflect on our values and be sure that our viewpoints are truly in line with what we are seeking to achieve both personally and professionally. Leadership is all about defining what we are passionate about and want to pursue with our lives. Beyond that, the essential function of leadership is to collaborate with others who share our ideals Leadership is everyone’s business, and it’s not about a title or organizational role. * It is about choosing to care enough to act. * It is about doing and saying the things that everyone else thinks about doing and saying. * It is about taking arrows on behalf of someone else, and never telling a living soul about it.

CONtiNueS Next week

Worldview CEO’s exit followed cruel April Fools’ Day prank On April Fools’ Day, Christopher Woodrow, then CEO of top film financier Worldview Entertainment, sent an email to select contacts with word that his COO, Molly Conners, had been hit by a car in New York and was in the hospital. Several hours later, he followed up with a message saying she had died.

Sources who received the emails tell THR they were shocked by the news, then upon learning it was a prank, they were even more shocked by such poor taste. Many were

nonetheless surprised in early June when Woodrow, 36, abruptly exited the New York-based Worldview amid unspecified allegations of personal misconduct.

The ouster comes as Worldview, backed in part by Franklin Templeton heiress Sarah Johnson Redlich and represented by CAA, has become one of the biggest players on the indie film scene. It has helped bankroll more than 25 movies, including Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Birdman (out Oct. 17), and recently announced it will put

up a piece of his next film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Conners has been appointed the company’s acting CEO, and insiders insist its “business as usual,” though no one will comment on Woodrow or the prank. Connors, a former lobbyist and documentary producer, didn’t have a financial background when joining Worldview in 2009, but her contacts proved invaluable, including Johnson, who became a partner in Worldview in 2011 (it was then that Worldview took off).

30 CEOConfidential

Sunday, June 22, 2014

situation reports Compiled by Olujide Olusola

Brand Beginnings Bharti Airtel: Express Yourself

B

harti Airtel Limited, commonly known as Aitel is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 4 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company’s product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers.

In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had nearly 287 million customers across its operations at the end of Dec 2013.

The beginning Sunil Bharti Mittal founded the Bharti Group.

In 1983, Mittal was in an agreement with Germany’s Siemens to manufacture pushbutton telephone models for the Indian market.

In 1986, Mittal incorporated Bharti Telecom Limited (BTL), and his company became the first in India to offer push-button telephones, establishing the basis of Bharti Enterprises.

By the early 1990s, Sunil Mittal had also launched the country’s first fax machines and its first cordless telephones. In 1992, Mittal won a bid to build a cellular phone network in Delhi. In 1995, Mittal incorporated the cellular operations as Bharti Tele-Ventures and launched service in Delhi. In 1996, cellular service was extended to Himachal Pradesh. In 1999, Bharti Enterprises acquired control of JT Holdings, and extended cellular operations to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Rebranding On 18 November 2010, Airtel rebranded itself in India in the first phase of a global rebranding strategy. The company unveiled a new logo with ‘airtel’ written in lower case. Designed

by London-based brand agency, The Brand Union, the new logo is the letter ‘a’ in lowercase, with ‘airtel’ written in lowercase under the logo. On 23 November 2010, Airtel’s Africa operations were rebranded to ‘airtel’. Sri Lanka followed on 28 November 2010 and on 20 December 2010, Warid Telecom rebranded to ‘airtel’ in Bangladesh.

Acquisitions In March 2010, Bharti struck a deal to buy Zain’s mobile operations in 15 African countries, in India’s second biggest overseas acquisition after Tata Steel’s $13bn buy of Corus in 2007. Bharti Airtel completed its $10.7bn acquisition of African operations from Kuwaiti firm, making the Airtel the world’s fifth largest wireless carrier by subscriber base. Airtel

has reported that its revenues for the fourth quarter of 2010 grew by 53 per cent to $3.2bn compared to the previous year; newly acquired Zain Africa division contributed $911m to the total. However, net profits dropped by 41 per cent from US$470m in 2009 to$291m 2010 due to a $188m increase in radio spectrum charges in India and an increase of $106m in debt interest. In 2000, Bharti acquired control of Skycell Communications, in Chennai. In 2001, the company acquired control of Spice Cell in Calcutta. Bharti Enterprises went public in 2002, and the company was listed on Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India. In 2003, the cellular phone operations were rebranded under the single Airtel brand. In 2004, Bharti acquired control of Hexacom and entered Rajasthan. In 2005, Bharti extended its network to Andaman and Nicobar. This expansion allowed it to offer voice services all across India.

Achievements Airtel is the largest provider of mobile telephony and second largest provider of fixed telephony in India, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services.

It offers its telecom services under the “airtel” brand, and is headed by Sunil Bharti Mittal.

Bharti Airtel is the first Indian telecom service provider to achieve Cisco Gold Certification.

It also acts as a carrier for national and international long distance communication services. The company has a submarine cable landing station at Chennai, which connects the submarine cable connecting Chennai and Singapore.

Pace setter Airtel is credited with pioneering the business strategy of outsourcing all of its business operations except marketing, sales and finance and building the ‘minutes factory’ model of low cost and high volumes. The strategy has since been copied by several operators.

Management IDEAS

Boston Matrix

The Boston matrix is the Marlon Brando of management tools – brilliant, feted, poorly deployed and then discredited, but still illuminating in the right context. Otherwise known as the ‘growth/share matrix’ it is, according to one management writer, one of the ‘two most powerful tools in the history of strategy.

Companies can use the Boston matrix to analyse their portfolio of business and then to decide what to do with them – spend money on building them

up, simply keep them ticking over or dump them. In mathematics, a matrix is a table of numbers used to compute a solution. The first step in using the matrix is to break the company down into strategic business units which could be a subsidiary, a division, a product or a brand – any unit with its own customers and competitors.

The unit’s position is plotted within the matrix according to two variables – its strengthen its market, and the attractiveness of that market.

ADVICE

6 things you learn from arguing with Jeff Bezos Amazon pulled in a whopping $19.7bn in revenue last quarter. The company’s on track to employ drones, build phones, stream music, and sell groceries.

This presents us with a question: What kind of lunacy is required to build a company of 90,000 people that made $61bn in sales last year? It seems to have something to do with the argumentativeness of its chief executive, whose shaped a culture that’s been called “deliberately adversarial” and “Darwinian.”

Here are a handful: You don’t rely on someone to look out for you “It’s a pretty brutal Darwinian atmosphere,” said Shel Kaphan, who was the company’s first employee, in an interview with the Financial Times. Kaphan left the company in 1999.

“Nobody above you is really looking out for you,” he says. “It’s not: What can this organization do to support you? It’s: You are responsible, you have to perform, or you will be out.”

You only hire people who are better than you Nadia Shouraboura used to be Amazon’s head of supply chain--now she’s the CEO of Hointer, a retail tech startup.

Her biggest takeaway: hire maximally. “It was very simple,” she said at a recent panel. “Find somebody that’s smarter than you are, then get together with six to eight other Amazonians and the prospect has to be smarter than everyone else. It’s great if you’re a manager because if you hire smart people, you look really smart.”

You learn to back up your story The Amazon corporate culture is famous for thriving on conflict. “It’s not a luvvy dubby work environment,” says Manfred Bluemel, former head of corporate market research at Amazon. “You need to know your stuff and you need to have numbers to back it up...If you don’t understand the details of your business you are going to fail.”

That same “deliberately adversarial” culture was seen

by Shouraboura, the former head of supply chain. “When

Jeff Bezos

everybody’s arguing and fighting and not afraid to talk, the end decision will be the best one,” she said.

You ask “Why?” five times When something goes wrong at Amazon, the team asks why that happened five times, showing the causal chain between a mechanical error and the human decisions behind it. The technique comes from Taiichi Ohno, the man behind the Toyota Production System, which has been rebranded as “Lean” in Western business parlance.

For an example of the five whys in practice, see how Amazon used the technique to figure out why a worker was injured on a production line.

You get frugal Frugality is front and center in Amazon’s leadership principals. One example: Amazon will only fly you-even if you’re a senior exec-in economy class.

Anything upmarket will come from your wallet “If you’re flying everyone Business and First Class to meet customers, it’s a pretty substantial expense, and none of that benefits customers,” says Amazon Web Services Senior VP Andy Jassy.

You make your decisions with data “Bezos proliferated data as the absolute decision maker,” one-time Amazon data scientist Dave Selinger said in an interview. Selinger is now CEO of big data startup RichRelevance, which provides an Amazon-like recommendation engine to companies and their users.

His takeaway: use data to make your decisions rather than relying on feelings “We’re applying that to create bottoms up innovation through data,” he says. “It’s hard to argue with results.”

CEOConfidential

Sunday, June 22, 2014

getting ahead

31

Duncan Bannatyne, Britain’s best-known entrepreneur

Mistakes Businesses Make MISTAKE 36 Failing to manage staff (2)

DiFFeRenTiATe oR Die A Substitute for Leadership

‘When your staff start managing you, it is a disaster’ continues from next week

Whether that’s their individual contribution or the team’s overall success is up to you.

Bonuses don’t have to be much, but if people know their effort will be rewarded, you’re almost certainly guaranteed to get a little bit more effort from them.

Motivation A bonus isn’t the only way to motivate an employee. In fact, survey after survey has shown that remuneration isn’t the main reason why people change jobs: they do it because they no longer feel valued where they work.

Motivating your team doesn’t necessarily have to cost you money. Sometimes a ‘thank you’ for a job well done is all it takes.

You might think it’s cheesy when you see ‘Employee of the Month’ certificates up on an office wall, but for that employee it really is a badge of honour. Recognition is what a lot of people work for.

For others it might be the chance to take on new responsibilities or knowing that they will be

Business icons

in line for promotion when a position becomes available.

Some people are motivated by doing something new: giving them regular challenges will keep them happy.

One of the most effective costfree tools a manager has for motivating a team member is to explain how their work affects the team as a whole. If you don’t do X by the end of the day, then Y in another department won’t be able to meet the client’s deadline. Which me on to: Communication The team that talks to one another is a team that can work together. That doesn’t mean chatting all day and not getting any work done, it means proper communication about what needs to be done, who is doing what and when it will be completed.

It may be necessary to formalise your communication. Plenty of companies start their week with a big meeting at 9 a.m. on Monday morning to set the agenda for the next seven

continues next week

It’s no wonder that marketers display their tradition and culture as a way of telling you why they are different.

As early as 1919, a Steinway piano was described in an advertisement as ‘the instrument of the immortals.’

More recently, Cross trumpeted its pens as ‘flawless classics, since 1846.’

Sotheby’s, the famous auction house, goes one century better by claiming its founding in 1744.

Glenlivet Scotch positions itself as ‘the father of all Scotch. His Majesty’s Government bestowed on the Glenlivet Distillery the very first license under the Act of 1823 to distil single malt whiskey in the Highlands.’

Budweiser has, from time to time, talked about their heritage as “America’s classic lager since 1876.’ (That sure is a lot better than lizards talking about frogs.)

Some of these brands are leaders in their category. Some aren’t. but they all sound very impressive and different.

Leadership lessons philanthropic activities, Winfrey also sees education as the basis of her brand. After her show in Chicago Winfrey has not licensed her name, as other name-brand business moguls became successful, she understood have done, to retail products, although that she had a power base that could be a force for something good. there has been a lot of pressure for Much of that good revolves around her to do so. There would also be a education. “Education is freedom. It is lot of monetary gain, but Winfrey is the only way out…” You can overcome not interested. She prefers to use her poverty and despair in your life name, when she does, to promote with an education. I am living proof social causes and education. of that.” Her main message is that Clearly committed to using her name people are responsible for their own to provide global education for her continues from next week

Oprah Winfrey, President, Oprah Winfrey Network

days. When you have different departments of individuals contributing to a project, then making sure they update each other on their progress, or lack of it, is vital.

It’s also important that people know they can turn to their boss if they feel things aren’t being communicated properly. If you are in charge, make sure your team know they can contact you if they have a problem.

Oversight If a team member knows that at the end of the week, or the project, or the year, they are going to have to sit down with their boss to discuss their work, they are likely to work harder than if they think no one is paying attention. However, it’s important to remember that oversight isn’t about catching people, it’s about checking that they have all the resources they need and offering help where it’s required.

Another way to look at this is to recognise that being around a long time also gives prospects the feeling that they are dealing with an industry leader. If not the biggest, they certainly are a leader in longevity.

lives and everyone shares a common denominator – they all want to be heard. Winfrey believes that her show and company have been successful because she’s always aiming for the truth and everything branded Oprah represents that. People turn to her show and magazine to save them.

Stephen Spielberg once said that every day on her TV show Oprah tried to save the entire world. continues next week

32 CEOConfidential

housekeeping

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Compiled by Olujide Olusola

Famous Entrepreneurs: Who they are and how they were educated (8)

Matthew Charles Mullenweg He is famous for Wordpress and was born on the first day of the first month in 1984.

He attended high school for the performing and visual arts before going ahead to University of Houston though he later dropped out. He has an estimated net worth of $40m.

Larry page He is the co-founder of Google who was born in March 26, 1973. He attended East Lansing high school and furthered his education at the University of Michigan; Stanford University.

He has an estimated net worth of $21.1bn.

Bobby Murphy He is the co-founder of Snapchat and was born in 1989.

His high school records are not available but he attended Stanford University. His company is valued at $3bn

Robert Pera He is famous for Ubiquiti networks, a tech company and was born in 1978. Hi shigh school details are not available but he attended the University of California, San Diego. He has an estimated net worth of $1.95bn.

Elon Musk Famous for: founder or cofounder of Spacex, Paypal, Tesla Motors and more. Musk was born in June 28, 1971. He attended Pretoria boys’ high school before proceeding to university of Pennsylvania. He is estimated to worth $6.7bn

Pierre Omidyar He is the famous founder of eBay who was born in June 21, 1967. He attended St. Andrew’s episcopal school and furthered his education at Tufts University.

He has an estimated net worth of $8.5bn.

Kevin Plank Mark Pincus He is the co-founder of Zynga.

He was born in February 13, 1966. He attended Francis W. Parker School Wharton school, university of Pennsylvania; Harvard business school. He has an estimated net worth of $1.8bn

He is the CEO and chairman Underarmour, a clothing/ fashion line. He was born in 1972. He attended St. John’s before going to University of Maryland. He has an estimated net worth of $1.7bn.

Tim O’Shaughnessy He is the famous founder of living social born in 1983. He attended High school attended: St. Thomas academy and went ahead to Georgetown University. He is estimated to worth $180m.

Tom Preston-Werner He is the co-founder of Github (hosting service for software projects) and was born on May 27, 1979. He attended Dubuque senior high school and went ahead to Harvey Mudd College, though he later dropped out after two years. He has an estimated net worth of $1bn.

40 A GIRL’S GUIDE

et cetera HOW TO USE CHOPSTICKS

...AND OTHER THINGS June 22, 2014

Wish List

Janet Ugbem loves Samsung 10.1 note 2014 edition. p34

The Twitterati

El rufai tweets about choices before leaders p39

REALITY TV shows, how REAL? Photo: bellanaija.com

34

et cetera

How I feel about...

BEING A BroAdcAstEr Justina Bawa, 30 I am a broadcaster and am into it because I love the job. I studied Mass Communication because I am determined to succeed in the media industry I am willing to go further. Some of the reasons I choose this field is because I enjoy informing, enlightening, educating and lastly but passionately love entertaining the listeners or audience. I have sacrificed my time and resources for this job because of my flair for the job.

So far, I have no regrets but one of the challenges I face is the location of the broadcast outfit, I love it here in the northern part of the country and sometimes it can be very difficult going to the office which is quite far from where I live.

However, to survive I have learnt to overcome it. This I simply achieve by having mobility of my own. My motivation does not come from my monthly salary but I am often inspired knowing that there are many who are willing to listen and whatever information I pass across through the media could go a very long way in transforming them.

My family and friends also encourage me and that pulls me through the odds, especially at the times I feel like giving up.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

JaneT Ugbem

Samsung note.

I love the Samsung 10.1 note 2014 edition

WIsH LIst

Heels.

As long as they are comfortable shoes

The pharmacist reveals her wishes to Uche Uduma

beach house and a yatch.

I want to own a beach house and have a yatch of my own

nokia Lumia.

That is one of the best phones

Shopping.

I want to go shopping in Harrods London

DILEMMA

bentley.

I would love to drive in a Bentley for every special occasion

sHOuLD i EnD MY RELatiOnsHiP?

In a light-hearted weekly column, we till his friend came with a letter saying take a wry look at the problems of he wouldn’t come. In the letter he wrote modern life that marrying me would be against the wishes of his dead father. My world Dear sir, collapsed.

I enjoy reading your segment even Three weeks ago I ran into him at the though I think you are a bit harsh airport and since then he has been sometimes, at least you are practical. asking me to come see him. We are both Well, I need your help. Two years ago single and he’s asking that I forgive him.

I was about to be married, all was What would you advise me to do? set for Dami and I to get married.

Temitope from Ekiti So, I was in church early as well as my parents, friends and the priest Dear Temi, except for my fiancé who was late What choice do you have but to and so we thought he must have had forgive him? Forgiveness is free an accident. We waited for a long time, and it helps both get over the sad

et cetera group

past. But it’s up to you to consider going to meet him for any reason.

Have you considered the possible reasons why he wants to see you? It’s possible he wants you back, but any man who could treat a woman so callously, leaving her at the altar is best forgotten. It was cowardly for him to have left you on with a note. Such man does not deserve you dear so hold on, your knight in shiny armour is just around the corner.

Do you have a dilemma that you want help with? Write to blessing. ukemena@leadership.ng

CONTENT Ehinome Osezua, Zanswat Bowsan, Blessing Ukemena DESIGN Igwe-Ngerem Michael ACTING EDITOR Auwal Sa'id Mu'azu FOUNDER Sam Nda-Isaiah CHaIRMaN Hajiya Ireti kingibe GROUP MaNaGING DIRECTOR azubuike Ishiekwene GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Michael Okpere, Dr kazeem Durodoye FEEDBaCk aND MaIlS Etcetera is published as an insert in LEADERSHIP Sunday.

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

et cetera

Sunday, June 22, 2014

PEOPLE TRACKER

BREATHTAKEN

Debby Nongo’s smile will make you want to smile

You can send your pictures to ehiosezua@ymail.com

CHIC

Gwen Nebedum looks stunning with a bright blue jeans and black polkadot blouse

CHARMING

Dillish looking graceful and happy

CHERRY

COLOURFUL Buife Okam brightens up her look with a coloured top

BEAUTIFUL

Ajima Ogbole looks even more charming with her low hair cut

Pauline Amiebonomo lives her life happily

35

36

et cetera

Sunday, June 22, 2014

PEOPLE TRACKER

SASSY Amanda Esame playfulness makes it a never dull moment for her

You can send your pictures to ehiosezua@ymail.com

ELEGANT Hauwa Ibrahim looks beautiful

et cetera

Sunday, June 22, 2014

FASHIONISTA Monica Chibuoke’s bold look isn’t meant to intimidate anyone

FOREVER YOUNG Bukola Salami is elegant, young and vibrant in taste

GENTLE Fredrick Ekong is relishing the moments of the day

PEOPLE TRACKER GLAM Golly Roli enjoys the dazzle look from her orange dress

COOL Babangida Jimeta patiently takes a good pose

CONFIDENT Mrs Ajodoh takes out time for other things too

DELIGHTFUL Fatima Magaji is an awesome personality

PRETTY Bridget Bassey’s matching brown belt and handbag make a statement

SLEEK Barbara Omosun’s smooth look is made fantastic with partyhose

PERKY Murjanatu Ibrahim looks great in bright colours

ELEGANT Nanfe Alao steps out in a simple and classy way

CONFIDENT Mrs Ajodoh takes out time for other things too

37

MIX-MATCH Joy Tomon knows how to combine colours and fabrics beautifully

GRACEFUL Hene Oku makes a bold appearance in a lovely purple kaftan

38

et cetera

Sunday, June 22, 2014

iNSiDE Story

REALITY TV shows, how REAL?

By Zanswat Bowsan, abuja

R

eality TV dates back to 1940s in the United States of America. In 1948, Candid Camera became a nationwide hit in America by featuring pranks on ordinary people. In the 1950s popular game shows such as Beat the Clock and You Bet Your Life and reality shows featuring interviews such as Truth or Consequences became popular. By 1959, America grew to have over 50 million TV sets, from 1 million in 1949.

In 1964, the series Seven Up!, was broadcast in the United Kingdom and featured the lives of some seven-year-olds.

Every seven years, a sequel documented the life of the same people and came to be titled 7 Plus Seven, 21 Up, with no specific plot. Later, in the 1966 film Chelsea Girls, Andy Warhol featured some of his acquaintances but without a scripted plot. In 2007, the Radio Times Guide to Film said that, “the film was to blame for reality television.”

The first of the modern reality show was the 12-part series An American Family aired in 1973. The Family was filmed in the UK in 1974. Other reality shows that emerged in the 1970s were The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, Living in the Past, and The Gong Show.

Though Real People started to be aired in 1979, it became a great hit in the early 1980s.

Canada first aired Thrill Of A Lifetime in 1982. The 1988 Writers Guild of America strike led to the conceptualisation of the series called COPS. The 1992 show, The Real World became the precursor of Big Brother in 2000 and 1997 series Expedition Robinson inspired Survivor (2000). Fear Factor was launched in 2001; the very popular American Idol was launched in the 2002.

what they said...

Reality Tv shows, how Real?

Fast forward to 2014! Reality Shows have become part of our daily entertainment. It is a source for celebrity gossip; shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians have taken over the entertainment industry and though they add no real value to one’s life, there is the thrill of getting the latest ‘juice’ on these people’s lives.

Hajiya Rakiya Ahman Mustapha, a veteran in Nigerian plays speaking with Et Cetera says, “One would not say those shows are any more real than staged productions, but having ordinary people involved makes it easier for an audience to relate than fictional characters and stories.

There is a lingering suspense in the fact that you can follow the person’s career path afterwards to see how they are doing too. Still the cast and content are guided and restricted by producers looking to pull in viewers so the people watching (myself included) need to remember that it is a meditated reality.”

Korede Taiwo, an Abuja based videographer says, “Reality TV has come to stay. Whether it be the adventure platform, Gulder Ultimate Search, Survivor or the lifestyle platform, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Ice and Coco, reality TV has engrossed its viewers with the ‘what will happen next’ effect.

That being said reality TV lacks educational reinforcement unlike TV series and movies that at their core have an educational message.”

Ivie Igberaese, a business developer says, “I am not really a big fan of reality TV, especially the one centred on the lives of celebrities. I don’t go out of my way to watch them, but if I walk into a place and it’s on, I will watch.

The part that puts me off is the fact that these shows are fully scripted. I watch Mob Wives and Real Housewives

of Atlanta because I enjoy the drama. Reality TV has come to stay even when it isn’t real.

Who came up with this name, anyway?”

In 2013, Nollywood star Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde’s reality show, The Real Me aired its first episode in Nigeria. Many were eager to see what she had to offer.

Sadly, it didn’t last very long on air. The Nigerian audience is more interested in talent hunt shows and adventure.

Another Nollywood actor, Jim Iyke made an attempt to go into the world of reality, but it didn’t soar. Many believe that the Nigerian audience isn’t ready for that aspect of reality TV and they feel that they are just imitations of the Western world. Over a decade ago, one of Nigeria’s most controversial stars, Charly Boy came up with a reality show that was called The Charly Boy Show where hidden cameras were positioned on the streets of Lagos and pranks were pulled.

Most of them were funny, but Nigerians didn’t quite catch up on the humour and some had nasty endings.

Kasham Afengbai, a professional photographer tells Et Cetera “I’m a bit on the fence about reality TV. I watch a lot of TV but when it comes to these, I pick what I watch.

I like shows like Tyra Banks’ America’s Next Top Model because I learn things that will help my business; on the other hand, I’m yet to understand shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians; it doesn’t make sense to me. I guess like everything in life, it’s got its pros and cons.”

Umar Aliyu is an IT expert who is very interested in what is going on around him, but when it comes to reality TV, he says “There is really no reality in them. It is all scripted; though some of them can be entertaining and educative, I

“Reality TV has come to stay.

Whether it be the adventure platform, Gulder Ultimate Search, Survivor or the lifestyle platform, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Ice and Coco, reality TV has engrossed its viewers with the ‘what will happen next’ effect. ”

“I’m a bit on the fence about reality TV. I watch a lot of TV but when it comes to these, I pick what I watch. I like shows like Tyra Banks’ America’s Next Top Model because I learn things that will help my business; on the other hand, I’m yet to understand shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians.”

Korede Taiwo, Videographer

Kasham Afengbai, Photographer

find some very boring. There is simply no reality in reality TV. I wonder why they are called that.”

Emmanuel Bashayi, a businessman also said “I like the concept of a reality TV shows. It is made-up to portray different lives, backgrounds and how people survive each other in a particular environment.

Another thing that intrigues me about these shows is you don’t know where the script stops or starts; so it gets me thinking if there really is a reality show or not. Is it really a reality show? How come almost everything is so perfect? We are all alive but our lives are not perfect, rich or poor! I prefer the hidden camera on Punk’d, I Get That A Lot or It Could Be You. Zainab Ahmed, a PR Consultant and a big fan of reality shows opines that, “Every season, a new reality show comes up and knocks another out, while some

“As tacky as these shows may be, the money they make is impressive.

It goes to show that millions across the world are watching and the stars are working hard. How much a star earns in reality TV depends on where they started. Those who are already or kind of famous have a big advantage over those who are unknown.”

stand the test of time. As tacky as these shows may be, the money they make is impressive. It goes to show that millions across the world are watching and the stars are working hard. How much a star earns in reality TV depends on where they started. Those who are already or kind of famous have a big advantage over those who are unknown. But with high ratings, a star could start from the bottom and rise quickly to the top. Shows like Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo, the star Alana Thompson and her family make an average of 4,000 US dollars per episode.”

Research has shown that no matter how effortless and glamorous their lives are, these people have to work hard to keep their shows running and earn good money. When a show doesn’t perform to a certain expectation, it is dropped and taken off air.

“I like the concept of a reality TV shows. It is made-up to portray different lives, backgrounds and how people survive each other in a particular environment. Another thing that intrigues me about these shows is you don’t know where the script stops or starts; so it gets me thinking if there really is a reality show or not."

Zainab Ahmed, PR Consultant

We want to know what you think about our inside story above. You can have your say by emailing osezua.gloria@leadership.ng

Emmanuel Bashayi, Businessman

et cetera

Sunday, June 22, 2014

@OkeyBakassi_

THE TWITTERATI CATCH UP WITH WHAT CELEBS HAVE BEEN TWEETING ABOUT

If som1 turns water into wine in this generation, I don’t think Nigerians will drink from it! They’ll just clap & scream “Oh BOY! SEE JUJU Tuesday, Feb 18 If it were you, would you drink?

@JuliusAgwu1

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sail to always reach my destination...

Tuesday, June 3 The choice is always ours to make

@yemiblaqq

Tragedy is when success is defined in Nigeria by mediocrity and the status quo.

Tuesday, June 10 Tragedy indeed Yemi

@realFFK

May the soul of my dear sister Dora Akunyili rest in peace. She was a woman of integrity with immense courage and strength. We shall miss her.

Saturday, June 7 Amen, she was a gem to the nation

@EkuEdewor

I don’t understand people who just argue to be a part of an argument. Especially when they don’t care about the ‘for’ or ‘against’ Monday, May 26 They crave relevance at all cost

@EFYA_Nokturnal

Sometimes I wish I didn’t care so much…

Wednesday, June 10 Caring is part of being human

@elrufai HARD CHOICES - “For leaders and nations, they can make the difference between war and peace, poverty and prosperity.” Hilary Clinton Sunday, June 8 Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown

@iamMajidmichel

‘Twitter’ has a bird as its logo, that’s why when you join you’re an egg. And your home button is a birdhouse. Why am I just getting this?

Monday, June 9 Because you’ve been too busy shooting

usually elusive “boko haram suspects” in the east to arrest?

Tuesday, June 17 Bravo to the police

@JuliusAgwu1

Mark leads Nigerian Delegation to cheer Eagles in Brazil. Please lead them first to Chibok and Sambisa to cheer our Soldiers to #BringBackOurGirls Wednesday, June 11 Their allowances won’t cover such trips

@cobhamsasuquo

God bless the memories of Steve Jobs and all those good people at Apple who worked tirelessly to give blind people vision.

Tuesday, June 10 Amen

B_ELRUFAI

Only when you’ve been in the deepest valley, can you ever know how magnificent it is on top of the highest mountain.

Tuesday, June 17 You are absolutely right

@MoAbudu

Practice they say makes one perfect, don’t be afraid of failing; it only shows you are on your way to perfection. #IfYouCanThinkItYouCanDoIT Friday, June 13 Mo Abudu is encouraging you not to give up

@BankyW

Big ups to Enyeama for keeping a clean sheet. But, Nigeria, that was a terrible performance from us.

Tuesday, June 17

#GBAM!

@pastortaiwo

In the face of trials, do not despair. Sorrow breaks the spirit and prolongs the pain.

Choose to sing. Choose to rejoice. You will overcome!

Tuesday, June 17 Music is food to the soul

@FunkeKuti

Obstacles don’t have to stop u. If you run into a wall don’t turn around and give up.

Figure out how to climb it, go through it or go around it.

Sunday, May 31 Except of course what’s ahead isn’t worth the risk

@FunkeKuti

Take criticism seriously but not personally.

If there is truth in the criticism try to learn from it. If not let it roll right off u!

Saturday, May 31 Criticism isn’t often negative

@YulEdochie

Still baffles me how a handfull of people can be kidnapped in a country and the government has no clue on how to solve it.

God help us Sunday, May 4 It is a slap to us all

@ik_osakioduwa

#Thankful for Google. You’ve saved me so many times from being the only guy in the room that didn’t Know ‘What’s Up’.

Tuesday, June 10 You aren’t alone on this thanksgiving

@HenshawKate Don’t let our voices be silenced! Don’t be distracted! If it was your daughters, you would bring down the walls. #BringBackOurGirls!!!!!

Tuesday, June 17 True, but why aren’t the parents of the kids talking?

@ladygdgenius

Whatever people have done to you has no power to destroy your destiny. Whoever offends you, only taught you a lesson, learn and move.

Tuesday, June 10 Only move to being positive

@Funmilola

How did the police suddenly find all these

39

@yemiblaqq In the small print of the practice of simplicity and humility is the warning of a major side effect... SEE FINISH! Saturday, June 14 What exactly do you mean?

40

et cetera

Sunday, June 22, 2014

LIFE101

A GIRL’S GUIDE

HOW TO USE CHOPSTICKS If it is Chinese food, you do not sew with a fork and there is no reason why you should eat with knitting needles. This section is not a reference to the first tune any pianist will learn, chopsticks (the original name is ‘The Celebrated Chop Waltz), written in 1887, and now a very popular cell phone ringtone. In this context it refers to the eating implements of the Orient, invented back in 3 BC. The tricky sticks keep you slim; don’t think its food; it’s the lack of sustenance that reaches your mouth. If you thought peas with a fork were hard try rice with chopsticks. Serious social skill is required for its use.

Think of the chopsticks as a pair of prongs or tweezers that have broken.

Chopsticks are operated only with your dominant hand. Put your middle and ring finger, three or four, on your thumb and you have a finger-shadow puppet of a dog’s head.

This is the general idea with using chopsticks: finger shadows and sticks.

One stick you keep stationary, the other you wiggle about to secure the food. To begin with it can feel like the arcade game where you try in vain to grab the teddy bear with the giant claw.

• Take one stick first and hold it in your right hand, the way you would normally hold a pencil. If the stick has a thick and a thin end, or decorated and non-decorated, hold it so that the stick/takeout logo end is on top.

• Keeping the finger in position, turn your hand inward until the stick is horizontal to the table,

parallel to your body and hovering above the food.

• Your thumb and forefinger should be clamping the stick at about its midpoint. The thumb should not be bent or rigidly straight, while all your fingers should be curved slightly inwards.

• Now take the other stick with your opposite hand and rest it on the protruding part of the ring finger of the hand that holds the first stick.

Slide the stick towards the right, touching the tip of the middle finger and passing under the thumb until the thick end rests at the base joint of your forefinger. This is the stationary position of

Couch Potato

WHAT YOU CAN WATCH ON CABLE TV THIS WEEK

tODAY

The Last Station 10:15 PM on M-Net Movies Romance

MONDAY

Married To Medicine 8:30PM on M-Net Series Reality

tUESDAY

Time’s Up 5:15PM on MTV

this stick, and it should be roughly parallel to the first stick.

• If this makes no sense, take the second stick, lie it just below the index finger, and use this to wiggle it. Keep the lower stick ready and upper stick looser to pivot and pick. You hardly need any grip until you have caught whatever morsel you intend to eat.

The chopstick is a multitasker; it serves as fork, knife and spoon. It can even be used to eat soup and cut food into small morsels which is just plainly silly. If all else fails, use your fingers and use the chopsticks as hair accessories, sushi-free, of

WEDNESDAY

Criminal Minds 8:30PM on FOX Crime

course.

Despair not if you cannot use the chopsticks or other cutlery; you will not starve. There are foods that best eaten by hand. It can also be very attractive.

Just ensure that you don’t accidentally swallow a diamond, loose jewellery should be removed and safely stored, ideally in handbag or pocket. Almost everything at cocktail parties or at pre-meal nibbles is ‘finger food’, proof that even the truly posh can make fingerlicking appearances.

Finger foods include chips, bacon, banana, seafood, popcorn and sweets.

Culled from The Girl’s Guide to Almost Everything

tHURSDAY

Under The Dome 10:30 PM on M-Net

RULES YOU NEVER LEARNT IN SCHOOL Here are some basic rules that children should be learning in school, but unfortunately don’t. Not all of these have to do with academics.

Rule 1: Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teenager uses the phrase, ‘It’s not fair’ 6 times a day.

Rule 2: The real world won’t care as much about your self-esteem as much as your school does.

It’ll expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. This may come as a shock. Usually, when inflated self-esteem meets reality, kids complain it’s not fair.

Rule 3: Sorry, you won’t make $40,000 a year right out of high school. And you won’t be a vice president. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn’t have a label.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss. He doesn’t have tenure, so he tends to be a bit edgier. When you screw up, he’s not going to ask you how you feel about it.

Rule 5: It’s not your parents’ fault. If you screw up, you are responsible. This is the flip side of “It’s my life,” and “You’re not the boss of me,” and other eloquent proclamations of your generation.

When you turn 18, it’s on your dime. Don’t whine about it or you’ll sound like a baby boomer.

Rule 6: Your school may have done away with winners and losers. Life hasn’t. In some schools, they’ll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. Failing grades have been abolished and class valedictorians scrapped, lest anyone’s feelings be hurt. Effort is as important as results. This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.

Rule 7: Life is not divided into semesters, and you don’t get summers off. Not even Easter break. They expect you to show up every day. For eight hours. And you don’t get a new life every 10 weeks. It just goes on and on. While you’re at it, very few jobs are interesting in fostering your self-expression or helping you find yourself.

Fewer still lead to self-realisation.

Rule 8: Television is not real life. Your life is not a sitcom. Your problems will not all be solved in 30 minutes, minus time for commercials. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to jobs. Your friends will not be as perky or pliable.

Rule 9: Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them.

Rule 10: Smoking does not make you look cool.

It makes you look moronic. Next time you’re out cruising, watch an 11-year-old with socks in his mouth. That’s what you look like to anyone over 20.

Rule 11: You are not immortal. If you are under the impression that living fast, dying young and leaving a beautiful corpse is romantic, you obviously haven’t seen one of your peers at room temperature lately.

Rule 12: Enjoy your youth time while you can.

Sure parents are a pain, school is a bother and life is depressing but someday you’ll realise how wonderful it was to be a kid. Maybe you should start now.

Source -facebook.com

FRIDAY

The Extra Man 6:30PM on M-Net Movies Premier

SAtURDAY

Ocean’s Thirteen 3:55PM on Studio Universal

CEOConfidential

Sunday, June 22, 2014

bottom lines N8,000,000,000 8% Percentage of Nigeria’s inflation year-on-year as consumer prices moved up slowly but steadily since February according to National Bureau of Statistics.

IN SHORT

Union Homes Savings & Loans Plc recently posted a loss of N3.258bn in its 2013 audited year end. The company had in the same period of 2012 declared a loss of N6.0bn; indicating it is trying to scale down on its losses. The primary mortgage institution said its interest income increased from N6.011bn in 2012 to N6.617bn in the review period of 2013; showing a 10.1 per cent growth.

Meanwhile, Integrated agro-industrial firm, Presco Plc recently announced a 90 per cent drop in dividend payout to investors of the company by offering 10 kobo per share in its 2013 audited year end. To record the drop in dividend offered to shareholders, the company paid N1.00 dividend in 2012 end compared to the 10 kobo proposed for the 2013 audited period.

However, the integrated agro-industrial company said closure of register for year ended December 31, 2013 is June 07 to June 09, 2014. It said is annual general meeting has been scheduled for July 22, 2014; while payment date is July 24, 2014.

COMPANY

SECRETS

Scott Cook, founder, Intuit

Proposed amount Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc. plans to over the next four years for business expansion.

GSK declares N1.2bn dividend… as Onuzo emerges new board chairman

Union Homes posts N3.258bn loss in 2013

Olusegun Osunkeye, Chairman, GSK Consumer Nigeria plc

GSK Consumer Nigeria plc. has declared a dividend of N1.243bn to be shared at N1.30k per share for its shareholders for the financial year ended December 2013. The company has also declared it resolve to invest in it industries across Nigeria to ensure its products are made more available to its consumers.

The declaration was made at the 43rd annual general meeting of the company held in Lagos recently. Speaking on the company’s performance, Olusegun Osunkeye, chairman, the company’s board of directors, thanked the shareholders for their belief in the company and their continuous investment in the growth of the company.

“I am pleased to announce to you that your company’s performance and operating results for 2013 were impressive. Turnover was N29.183bn, a 15 per cent increase over the previous year… the board will be recommending a dividend of N1.243bn to be paid to shareholders, representing N1.30k per share subject to appropriate withholding tax deduction,” Osunkeye said.

At the AGM, Osunkeye declared his decision

41

to resign as the chairman board of directors after serving for 14 years on the board of GSK Consumer Nigeria plc. In a moving speech, Osunkeye thanked the shareholders for their belief in GSK Nigeria as a company with high integrity, which has over the years invested and increase the capital base of the company.

“It has been my privilege and honour to have served on the board of directors as chairman for 14 years since my election on February 15, 2000. I note with satisfaction that our company has been remarkably successful over the past 14 years. From a turnover of N2.6bn in 2000, to N29.2bn in 2013; profit before tax of N97.1m in 2000, rose to N4.3bn for the year 2013,” Osunkeye said.

To avoid any vacuum, a member of the board, Edmund C. Onuzo was presented by the board as the newly elected chairman. The decision was admitted and approved by the shareholders with immediate effect.

Speaking after his appointment, Onuzo thanked the shareholders for their continuous support for GSK Consumer Nigeria, promising to ensure their rights were protected with an overall goal of improved returns on their investment.

GSK Nigeria recorded a revenue growth of 15.3 per cent year-on-year to N29.18bn, for full year 2013, compared with N25.3bn in the 2012 financial year. The remarkable growth in revenues, which is close to the rise in 2013 nominal GDP (real growth plus inflation) are attributable to product development in the consumer healthcare segment and continued sales, marketing and distribution efforts as well as its strong presence across Nigeria.

The company has also been able to sustain a steady growth due to the brand equity enjoyed by virtue of its parent company (GlaxoSmithKline plc) and robust product portfolio. Net income for the period increased 3 per cent to N2.91bn, compared with N2.82bn for 2012. Cost-to-sales was relatively stable at 60 per cent for the 2013 financial year, which can be attributed to stable prices of major raw materials.

BoostiNG Sales A Web-based business thrives on visitors Web-based business models are writing the book on building traffic to their doors and it is book the rest of us need to read. There are a lot of factors that make the online business models different from brickand-mortar business, but here we are going to concentrate on the traffic building illustration.

Some of the tactics they use are: 1. Offering quality content that becomes highly forwarded to others (such as viral marketing, aka word-of-mouth marketing!)

2. Advertising/linking from sites that cater to their prospects.

3. Routinely performing search engine optimisation (SEO) to become highly visible to consumers who are actually looking for their products or services.

4. Advertising in targeted traditional ways.

Many Web-based businesses don’t expect to see their prospects face to face or even talk with them in real-time.

Therefore, they tend to work harder than the typical brickand –mortar business to create useful collateral materials and decision-making tools that engage prospects in the decision-making process.

Visitors alone are not the answer, but once you build the machine to increase the traffic, it can be tweaked until you are getting the best prospects.

‘Software by the numbers’ I would describe the start of Intuit as more of a eureka insight than a moment. The moment is really just the beginning of a journey and, in fact, only a way station on that journey. But the centrepiece of it is an insight that challenges the common wisdom. It is when you implement that that you end up revolutionising an industry. Most of our major businesses at Intuit are based on a eureka insight.

I had always toyed with starting a business. When I was in junior high, I

sold Christmas cards door-to-door to earn money. And in high school I looked at going into the cuff-links business. At about the same time, though. I listened to my wife’s complaints about doing the bills. But having the insight that finance is a good use for a computer was not the key to success. The key was the second insight I had, which came about from surveying customers. I got the phone book, called up households, and tried to understand what they did in their finances – their likes and their dislike.

And the insight that came out of that was that people weren’t turned on by doing graphs or other fancy stuff. They just wanted to get the work done, and they wanted to do it as quickly and easily as possible. Yet the products in the market did sell. In fact, the most complex ones actually tended to sell better. This seemed incongruous; something didn’t fit. When you do something truly revolutionary, most competitors will never copy it – they won’t even understand it.

42 CEOConfidential

hub Compiled by Olujide Olusola

Sunday, June 22, 2014

8.5%

Percentage of the GDP growth of Democratic Republic of Congo according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

N844, 030,000,000 Worth of Nigeria’s gross revenue as at May 2014 according to the Accountant General of the Federation.

L-R: Chairman, Advisory Board, Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE), Adebola Williams; Nollywood actress, Omotola Jolade-Ekehinde; executive director, EiE, Yemi Adamolekun; Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw, and a guest, Kola Oyeniyin, during a fund raising dinner to support the EiE Register, Select, Vote, Protect (RSVP) campaign in Lagos. PHOTO: GBENGA OLAJOBI

L-R: CEO/MD, Bint & Prathel Ltd, Engr. Tunde Odunlami; Airtel Franchisee, Mrs. Olusegun Oderinde; CEO, First CRT Recruitment Ltd, Chief (Mrs) Folayemi Olaitan and Mr. Olumide Fasasi at the commissioning of Airtel Express Shop at Eputu, Awoyaya, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos at the weekend. PHOTO: BENEDICT UWALAKA

L-R: Executive director, Finance and Development, Total Nigeria Plc, Wilfried Konde; managing director, Alexis Vovk; chairman, Momar Nguer, and company secretary, Olubunmi Popoola-Mordi, during the company’s 36th annual general meeting held at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos recently. PHOTO: BENEDICT UWALAKA

L-R: Manager MTN Nigeria, Kieven Ombu, Senior Manager Sales and Distribution MTN Nigeria, Amina Usman, Senior Manager, Government Relations MTN Nigeria, Austin Iyaghere and Principal Government Secondary School Karu, Patience Oti during the 21 days of yello care Program at Government Secondary School Karu, Abuja yesterday. PHOTO: ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

words but knows the tune and hums it.

Robert T. Kiyosaki @theRealKiyosaki The most successful people in life are the ones who ask questions. They’re always learning. They’re always growing. They’re always tweets pushing.

Bruce Van Horn @BruceVH Don’t focus on profits. Focus on serving customers and solving their problems with your product/service.

Profits will follow! #leadership

fav

Lord Sugar @Lord_Sugar Love the passion of the Brazil players singing the national anthem.

Rooney does not know the

Dele Momodu @DeleMomodu Leadership is about being open and not about pretentious piety!

Shoreditch House, London Shoreditch House is a private building dating from the early 1930s. members’ club in the heart of East There are several bars, a restaurant, a London. It’s a hub for the local gymnasium, flywheel studio, barber creative industries, a workplace and parlour, ping pong, rooftop for freelancers and a great pool and gardens. spot for a night out, whether Next door to Shoreditch House you fancy a quiet dinner in is a Cowshed Relax Spa and a works renovated pub containing 26 the restaurant or a late night cocktail in the Garden. The bedrooms, ranging from ‘Tiny’ House opened in the summer to ‘Small+’. The perfect place to of 2007, and occupies the top three base yourself whether you’re starting floors and roof of a renovated factory early, or finishing late.

net

CEOConfidential

Sunday, June 22, 2014

2,130,000

Tonnes of iron ore required by Ajaokuta Steel Company to enable it to begin production.

4,000

Number of local companies that participates in the country’s mineral exploration, alongside 60 foreign companies according to the federal government.

L-R: Organiser, Nigeria-Pakistan Pharmacist Investment Forum, Malam Ahmed Ibrahim Yakasai; director-general, National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, Dr Paul Orhii, and another organiser, Nigeria-Pakistan Pharmacist Investment Forum, Mr Ibrahim Bin Maqsood, during the opening ceremony of the event in Lagos recently.

PHOTO: GBENGA OLAJOBI

BLEW IT

Boris Berezovsky

Exile favours. He famously boasted how he was part of a small coterie of so-called oligarchs who It was by becoming a media baron that owned 50 per cent of Russia’s wealth. He was Berezovsky started to gain serious influence, on top of the world, seemingly invincible. and it was his 36 per cent stake in Russian First off he was given the mostly honorific post public television channel ORT that became of deputy secretary of the National Security particularly important. The channel became an Council, and then he became secretary of unofficial mouthpiece for the campaign to rea Kremlin group coordinating the so-called elect Boris Yeltsin. In 1996, Yeltsin’s popularity Commonwealth of Independent States. Yet rating was a miserable 30 per cent and his with Russian politics come intrigue, dark arts nationalist rival, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, was all and the sort of plot lines only usually seen in a set to defeat him. Then along came Berezovsky James Bond film. And it was in these posts that and his pro- Yeltsin propaganda machine, and Berezovsky became embroiled in the murky the voters gave Yeltsin another four years. With and bloody civil war in Chechnya. the relief palpable in the capitals of Europe CONTINUES NEXT WEEK and beyond, Berezovsky was duly owed a few

continueS FROM LAST WEEK

6

Number of commercial banks that have paid no less than N392.77m in fines to the Central bank of Nigeria in 2013 for contravening various aspects of Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act.

L-R: MD/CEO, Demani Bisket Stores, Barr. Safiya DemolaSeriki; former NFA chairman, Mr Kojo Williams; MD/ CEO, Ann Marie Wine World, Mrs Kikelomo Ajibade; director, Lagos Operation, LEADERSHIP Group, Mr Ademola Oladosu, and female talking drummer, Aralola Olumuyiwa (ARA), during a wine tasting event by Ann Marie Wine World, held in Lagos recently.

PHOTO: GBENGA OLAJOBI

HOW THEY

43

YOUR FYI FOR INFORMATION Shamans and Santeros Traditional shamans form a similar link between ancestral spirits and bad health right across Asia, from the ghers of Outer Mongolia to the leafy huts of Arunachal Pradesh. In Cambodia such healers are known as kru khmer. Similar beliefs about the origins of illness are still found in Latin America; from Cuba across Puerto Rico to Brazil, people put their trust in the power of santeros, priests who will take the problem of a particular illness to a specialised orisha (a saint like deity).

Some cultures even accept the power of living sorcerers to induce illness or death from outside. In Laos, they wear amulets to protect themselves against such people, who believe may cast spells or even project foreign objects, such as a stone or an animal bone, into their bodies. This kind of conviction is still found among Aboriginal people in Australia and in the jungles of New Guinea, where evil men who cast spells are known as kakua. Traditionally, they were killed and eaten, as only by digesting and excreting their brains could you be sure to have rid the world of their wicked souls.

DoING Business Leadership and status with Greeks The Greek view of leadership is somewhat similar to the French conception- that is, rooted in rational argument and skill in oratory. Mastery of the language is seen as essential for commanding the respect of subordinates. Family name is very important.

Status is gained in different ways. There is a great respect for education, qualifications and intellectual prowess on the one hand, wealth and family connections on the other. There are several powerful family dynasties.

44 CEOConfidential

entrepreneur 1883

The year the United States Patent Office issued a patent to Jan Matzeliger, a Dutch for the ‘Lasting Machine’ he created to manufacture shoes in mass, thereby making shoes affordable for the ordinary citizen.

SMALL BUSINESS Managing and funding growth Businesses are like sharks – their survival hinges on forward progress. Sometimes that means adding new stores, plants, or regional offices. In other businesses, it means selling more widgets to existing customers, creating new products, or raising same-store sales. Even if you’re content to say comfortably small, standing still isn’t an option. Costs rise, competition lurks. Unless you advance – spreading escalating costs over an expanding revenue base – you’ll gradually take on water. But there’s more. Growth has a voracious appetite and sharp teeth – not just for capital, but also for people and systems. Focusing on growth growth growth rather than day-to-day necessities may starve the operation’s core, the source of life-giving income.

Entrepreneurs are typically more ‘growth aggressive.’ Founders of companies tend to be builders all the way down to their DNA. They love to create products and expand capacity, and they’re confident the business will justify the expenditures. Each new success emboldens an entrepreneur to take on even more risk. Trouble is, as a company gets larger, new layers of complexities arise and its risk profile changes, dramatically.

Enlightened entrepreneurs upgrade their skills to meet elevated risk head-on, aware that adrenalinefueled crapshoots too often wind up with somebody going bust.

Here’s where a board of advisers is worth its weight in stock options. continues NEXT WEEK

HER STORY

Sunday, June 22, 2014

$700m

Worth of opportunities investors see in Nigeria’s pharma imports, according to reports by BusinessDay.

Danson Muchemi

Inspiring youths across Africa

He quits his job five years ago to start an e-payment business from a cyber café. Danson Muchemi, aged 30, today runs Kenyan-based electronic payments service provider JamboPay, and services over 1,500 merchants in Kenya, Tanzania and Senegal, according to reports by Dinfin Mulupion of howwemadeitinafrica.

Speaking further, Muchemi says he started the business because at the time there was no local platform that allowed people to buy and sell electronically. JamboPay enables businesses and government agencies to accept and make electronic payments via multiple card and mobile money systems.

In two months JamboPay will begin collecting payments for business permits, parking fees and land rates on behalf of the Nairobi County Government following a deal signed last month. It is expected JamboPay will collect about US$6.8m every month in the first year.

Recalling how he operated from a cyber café where he leased a computer for $51 a month in the early days, optimism however helped him “keep the dream alive”. According to him, “It was six months of maintaining the discipline of going to an office in a cyber café every day at 8:00am. I don’t think we would have survived through that first year without discipline. It did not matter whether or not we made any deals, I still dressed up and went to work.

“If I had known how difficult it would be I would not have walked that journey. However, there are some similarities between today and that first year when we were operating from a cyber café; I was as optimistic as I am today.”

Speaking on the company’s entrant into other African countries, Muchemi says he “has a craving for challenges” and believes in handling the “hard bits first”.

“There is a general perception in Kenya that it is hard to do business in Tanzania. So we decided to make Tanzania our first investment outside Kenya.

We knew there would be less competition and we would have a first mover advantage,” he revealed.

JamboPay has recently also set up shop in Senegal and hopes to use Dakar as a launch pad for further expansion in West Africa.

“Senegal may not have a lot of economic activity compared to some African countries, but it is relatively stable and has a strong financial industry. Where there is a strong banking industry there is opportunity for us.

“These boundaries, these things of night and day and different languages do not instil fear in us. We love going against the grain. We knew we needed to be present in West Africa, so we took a plane and visited Senegal, identified partners to work with and set up there,” says Muchemi.

To younger entrepreneurs he advised: “With patience, proper planning and research, efficient internal systems, and focusing on the important things, you will reach your zenith.”

Okoduwa Peter, Director, OD & AK Catering Services, Abuja How did you get to where you are today?

I started in 2007 which was borne out of my passion for cooking. Just after leaving Auchi Polytechnic, I had my industrial training with an eatery which further fuelled my passion.

What have you learnt over the years?

I have learnt to create food and mend foods that seem to be bad and make them come out so good. I love seeing people finishing my foods. It gives me joy.

What were the challenges you faced?

There were months where I stayed without any business to do. I would just go around pushing my brand. I also had issues getting an office space in a good location.

How did you overcome the challenges?

I kept faith with my passion and never gave up by specialising on outdoor services.

What are your future projections for your business?

I want to rule the world and people will not let go of my products and services.

How do you intend achieving these projections?

It will be through God and of course through referrals and the contacts I have made.

Any advice for younger entrepreneurs?

You cannot achieve it all except through God. You must remain committed always.

Contact Okoduwa on 07030437776

46 CEOConfidential

Sunday, June 22, 2014

tipoffs $445,000,000,000 Compiled by Salome Anyasodo

SECRETS OF LONGETIVITY Make your world less plastic

Many plastics, however, release vinyl chloride and other dangerous gases that can cause cancer, birth defects and lung and liver disease. They also mimic estrogen in the body, leading to hormonal imbalance, especially in women.

Besides the obvious plastics we can see, in out TV’s, computers, telephones, coffeemakers, water bottles and food containers-hidden plastics are found where you might least suspect them in cosmetic, upholstery, carpeting, chewing gum, sanitary napkins, tissues, toilet paper, mattresses, building insulation and polyester clothing. Cut your health risks by minimizing the use of plastic: use glass water bottles, wooden toys, paper products from recycled fibre, personal care products and cosmetics made with natural ingredients, and cotton or wool clothing, bedding and mattresses.

BOOKMARK

Big Data @ Work

Thomas H.Davenport, Publisher: 2014Harvard Business Review Press.

In Big Data @ Work, Thomas H. Davenport reports that the challenges and opportunities of big data are very real. Based on research into dozens of companies, Davenport explains why big data matters, what technologies make it possible, and how to acquire those technologies. He then presents the keys to implementing big data projects, whether they are focused on cost reduction, time savings, or developing new products and services. The lessons are drawn from start-ups and familiar online giants that have used big data effectively.

Estimated amount Global economy suffers loss annually from cyber crimes according to a report by Centre for International Studies (CSIS).

50%

Estimated percentage the Broadband Council advocates for increase of 3G for the Nigerian Polulation expected by 2015.

Do not just embrace failure – learn how to manage it “Fail fast” is an overly used and loaded adage. Entrepreneurs do not wake up and ask themselves “How can I fail today?” What’s important is not to embrace failure, but to figure out how to manage it. Below is a recipe for failure.

Try. Theodore Roosevelt, one of the toughest and most interesting executives of our history, tells us that, “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Akhil Nigam, Founder of MassChallenge said during a panel during National Small Business Week that “As an early stage founder, you must will your business into existence.” If you do not act for fear of failure, how will you create anything of meaning?

experience, and that one can grow from it. It also helps to have others to relate to.

Dani Dewitt, an alumna of the Launch Academy program, shares “I think being around a group of people that were also fighting through the same kinds of things at night helped me realise I just needed to keep looking at things from different angles until I could solve the problem.”

Own your failure.

While willing creation or ones new skills into existence, one will stumble across the way, and those that follow will struggle as well.

Take ownership of your part in failure. If one makes excuses for oneself or blame others, no good can come of an already concerning situation.

Apologise authentically.

As part of owning failure, be authentic to those one might have wronged. There is nothing more infuriating for ones customers than the corporate “we apologise for any inconvenience.” As an example, if the email service went down, it would be better to hear, “We know email is critical to your business, and we feel terrible for the disruption. We will update you as soon as we resolve the issue to get you back up and running.”

Always acknowledge the problem and stress one understands the importance of solving it.

Forgive yourself.

For many, this is the hardest part. It helps to acknowledge that failure is a part of the human

Perform a transparent retrospective.

In corporate sillyspeak, one might call this a post mortem. This term

ECONOMIC THEORIES When it come to a second hand cars, nobody wants to buy a ‘lemon’ but it happens all the time. Why? Well, you ma know that the average 10-year old Fords trades for $1,425,000. The owner knows that, too. But if it is a clunker, he would be happy to sell at $1,425,000.But if it is a clunker, he would be happy to let you have it. That gives you a big incentive to check the vehicle out; but the owner will still know more

needs to go away.

Unless one in the healthcare business, it is unlikely anyone died as a result of one’s failure.

In software development, we use the term retrospective when we refer to a meeting where we look back at what went well and what went wrong in the management of failure. Involve stakeholders in this process, and be transparent in sharing what one has learned with employees and customers.

Teach others.

“To teach is to learn.” Take the insight you’ve gleaned from your retrospective and share your tribulations. It will benefit others in that they can learn from your experience, and it will provide you with closure. As entrepreneurs, our businesses move too quickly to dwell on failure. Use this framework as a means to learn and move on, having benefited from the experience. Let us not be confused anymore; failing is not fatal.

Adverse selection about it than you do. And that, inturn, may make you hesitant to cough up to $1,425,000 for it. This mechanism often reveals that the market mechanism often does not function efficiently when one party has more information about the goods than the other-so called ‘information asymmetry’.

Sellers may try to take advantage of this, trying to sell bad products that are over priced. The same problem be-devils the market for

health insurance, but the other way around. When insurers offer generous health insurance, they are more likely to attract unhealthy individuals with higher costs; this drives up the costs of insurance for everyone. To counter adverse selection, better information is needed for the party that is lacking it, for example, via a neutral intermediary (your local mechanic) or legal regulation (a coompulsory medical checkup).

CEOConfidential

Sunday, June 22, 2014

updates Compiled by Dan Udechukwu

1,177

1.5%

Length in kilometres representing pipeline project, known as the Percentage by which the Consumer Prices Index fell in May Northern Gateway, Canadian government has approved and expected to compared with 1.8% in April, according to the Office for transport 525,000 barrels of oil a day to Asia-bound tankers.

National Statistics.

$8.9bn

Agriculture

Agriculture, Africa’s hidden treasure

Value of Japan’s trade deficit for the month of May, according to reports

by BBC.

$34m

Amount Kenya is keen on committing to revive its leather and textiles sub-sector, treasury secretary, Henry Rotich has

Despite the current low productivity in Africa’s agricultural sector, the World Bank believes the sector, which already employs about 70 per cent of the continent’s people, has great future prospects.

The global financial institution recently said agribusiness in Africa could be valued at $1 trillion in the next 16 years. The sector’s ability to empower the economies of many countries on the continent, advance food security and create jobs is palpable.

According to a campaign known as “Do Agric, It Pays”, research has indicated that in subSaharan Africa (SSA), the advances in the sector have the potential to reduce poverty 11 times more than other economic sectors.

Currently, the sector accounts for 25 per cent of the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP), the World Bank says.

“Investing in agriculture now could help lift tens of millions of people out of poverty by 2024,” the campaign believes.

Kenya’s debut $2bn bond breaks Africa record

Kenya has raised $2bn from international investors, the largest debut for an African country in the sovereign bond market amid strong demand from pension funds, insurers and sovereign wealth funds seeking higher-yielding assets, reports Financial Times.

The much-delayed fundraising effort puts Africa on track to beat the record $11bn it raised last year from the international capital markets, after Zambia, Morocco and South Africa also issued bonds in recent months. Investors anticipate that Ghana and Ivory Coast will tap the capital markets before the end of July.

Telecommunication

BNP Paribas, Orange partnership reaffirms growing significance of mobile money in Africa

UK-based telecom giant, Orange and the French banking group, BNP Paribas have teamed up to roll out mobile money services for Africans, joining the growing pool of mobile money providers and reaffirming the increasing prominence the innovative service is taking in the continent’s financial sector.

This new service is available starting today in Côte d’Ivoire and will be extended to other countries in which BNP Paribas and Orange Money are present, particularly Senegal.

Australian-grown genetically modified bananas, targeted at combating Vitamin-A deficiency among children in East Africa, is set to undergo its first human trials in the United States.

Energy

The International Monetary Fund warns that Argentina’s legal defeat in its fight against hedge fund investors may have wider implications.

Last Monday, a US Supreme Court ruling sided with bondholders demanding Argentina pays them $1.3bn.

Mining

QUAD-WRANGLE

Total eyes greener services with West Africa’s first solar-powered station

French energy giant, Total has opened a $1.5m environmentalfriendly solar powered service station in Lagos, the first of its kind in the West African region, confirming its keenness to offer greener services across Africa.

Total Nigeria said its decision to build a solar-powered service station which is furnished with SunPower solar panels was part of its pledge to provide renewed energy solutions that are environmentally friendly and efficient.

South African economic growth hit by mining slump

British mining giant, Consolidated Mining Investments (CMI) has taken over struggling Zambian nickel mine, previously ran by Chinese company, Jinchuan Group of China.

Zambian Mines Minister Christopher Yaluma said that operations at Munali Nickel Mine in southern part of the country which shutdown three years ago has been taken over by CMI and will start operating end of June.

“I can confirm that the nickel mine is set for revival and the new investor is expected on site before the end of the month,” said Yaluma.

Zambia, according to Yaluma, is confident that the new investor will bring the desired benefits for the people of Zambia. Munali Nickel Mine operations collapsed in 2011 owing to plummeting base-metal prices on the global market.

City search

Can you work out the name of each actress from the following anagrams? Name lengths are shown in brackets

Can you discover the sixteen numbers that match all the clues below? All the numbers are whole numbers. No two numbers are the same and no number has a value less than 1.

1. A1=either D3 plus C4 or D3 minus C4.

2. A2=either B2 minus C2 or B2 plus C2.

3. A3=a third of B4.

4. A4=either B1 minus C3 or B1 plus C3.

5. B1=either a third of D3 or a sixth of D3.

6. B2=D1 minus B1.

7. B3=either D2 minus D3 or D2 minus A3.

8. B4=either 6 or 7.

47

9. C1=half of B3.

10. C2=either A3 tripled or A3 plus B4.

11. C3=B3 minus D4.

12. C4=B1 plus C2.

13. D1=either A4 plus B4 or A4 times B4.

14. D2=A1 minus B1.

15. D3=C2 times B4.

16. D4=C1 plus B1.

Name of actors : 1. LENGTHY PART WOW (7,7) 2. RAINY WONDER (6,5) 3. WARY UNIVERSE EGO (9,6) 4. IN FINE TORN JEANS (8,7) 5. NO ALIENS DARLING (7,8) 6. REALLY HERB (5,5) 7. IDOL NICKNAME (6,6) 8. NO EAGLE IN JAIL (8,5) 9. SEEN AT A RICH JET-ZONE (9,4-5) 10. TWEAK TINSEL (5,6)

Last week’s solutions QUAD-WRANGLE 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

All the numbers are whole numbers (intro), so B3=12 and A2=4 (clues 2 and 7).

D4=48 (16). No two numbers are the same (intro), so C1=8 (9). A4=96 (4).

D2=24 (14). B2=3 (6). C4=72 (12). D3=66 (15).

C2=30 (10). A1=54 (1).

B1=18 (5). B4=26 (8). D1=40 (13). C3=10 (11).

A3=50 (30).

D3=60 (15).

Anagram 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

TOM CRUISE AL PACINO GEORGE CLOONEY MORGAN FREEMAN SYLVESTER STALLONE

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

BRUCE WILLIS ROBERT DE NIRO LEONARDO DI CAPRIO TOM HANKS MEL GIBSON

48 CEOConfidential

updates Compiled by Dan Udechukwu

Sunday, June 22, 2014

N11

3,000,000

Number of women and children the Private Sector Health Alliance leads charge towards free healthcare.

$35m

Investing

Nigeria, Kenya rank top destination for global investment

Estimated amount Nigeria is losing to oil theft a day, according to a report from the energy committee of the on-going National Conference (Confab) last Tuesday.

$750m

Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria has emerged the number one frontier-market economy in terms of attracting the most attention from European and American multinationals, a report titled ‘Frontier Market Sentiment Index’ by Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Frontiers has revealed.

“We collect data about which countries the companies are watching for potential future investment. Over time, that gives us a clear picture of their market priorities—which countries are they including in their future plans and which they are dropping,” said Matt Lasov, global head of advisory and analytics of Frontiers Strategy Group (FSG), the US-based advisory firm that created the index for WSJ. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa dominate the list, with nine from the region making part of the 11 from Africa in the list of 20 countries.

Kenya ranked 5th on the list, making it the second African country with 23.17 per cent corporate sentiment rate, following Nigeria’s 29.57 per cent.

Rising insurgency in both countries apparently has not discouraged multinationals from venturing into business dealings as opportunities in the countries probably outweigh security risk.

Value of funding shareholders of Union Bank Plc have given the board of directors of the bank approval to raise

As part of strategies to grow project portfolio and deepen their share of the property market, property vendors are leveraging the N30bn “moving home” business, with interest in providing after-sales services.

Finance

CBN begins process of blacklisting bad bank borrowers

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is again in the process of blacklisting bad bank borrowers, making good the governor, Godwin Emefiele’s determination to go hard on habitual bank debtors and making it difficult for them to access credit anywhere in

The CBN’s monthly report for April showed a deficit of N89bn on the FGN’s fiscal operations and a four-month (January – April) figure of N430bn suggesting some slippage in FG aims of fiscal consolidation.

Amount per share representing Total Nigeria’s total dividend payout in 2013, according to the company’s annual report presented to shareholders at its annual general meeting.

the system.

This was one of the key highlights of the Bankers’ Committee meeting last Tuesday in Abuja where Emefiele equally reminded bank executives of his zero tolerance stance on infractions, and his plans to intensify banking supervision.

Briefing on the outcome of the meeting which was also Emefiele’s first since assumption of office, Agnes Tokunmbo Martins, CBN director, banking supervision; passion for these two issues which he believed would help the nation’s financial stability.

Martins briefed alongside Ladi Balogun, managing director, FCMB; Phillip Oduoza, MD, UBA, and Segun Agbaje, MD GTBank.

It would be recalled that the CBN in 2012 blacklisted a lot of serial bad borrowers whose debts ranged between N5bn and above, most of which went bad and ended up in the books of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

Telecommunication

Telcos prepare InfraCo bids as NCC begins selection process

Efforts to deploy widely accessible and affordable broadband internet services across the length and breadth of Nigeria have begun in earnest as major telecommunications firms have started preparing bids for the InfraCo (Infrastructure Company) licences offered by the industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), according to industry insiders.

The InfraCos are expected to deploy critical Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

The NCC has issued an invitation to capable and interested companies to submit bids for the first phase of the InfraCos programme which will cover Lagos State and the North Central zone of the country, in consonance with the National Broadband Plan (2013-2018). The broadband plan has set a target of a five-fold increase in broadband penetration by 2017.

technology

Paypal enters Nigeria, three other African markets

PayPal has announced into to bring its global payment services into 10 new markets.

“People in more than 200 markets around the world will have the option to pay with PayPal,” said Rupert Keeley, senior vice president of PayPal Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The people of Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Belarus, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro and Paraguay will be able to register for a PayPal account and start making payments on millions of websites around the world without the worry of entering their credit or debit card details online as soon as services go live.

“While technology is breaking down barriers to global commerce, many people are wary of entering their credit or debit card details on the website of an unknown seller, operating in a distant country,” said Keeley.

EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Conference

Seminar

Show

4th Zambia International Mining and Energy Conference Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia, June 24-25, 2014

3rd Digital Services in Africa 2014 Maslow Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa; June 24-25, 2014

The 2014 Needlekraft Fashion Show Lagos, Nigeria; June 15, 2014

Zambia hosted once again a very successful international mining and energy conference, ZIMEC 2013. The 3rd Zambia International Mining and Energy Conference (ZIMEC), held on 19 and 20 June at the New Government Complex in Lusaka, consisted of two parallel conference streams, focusing on mining and energy issues, and an associated trade exhibition. However, this year’s event promises to be more successful as stakeholders in the industry from all over Africa will be in attendance.

This brand new dedicated event brings together the growing telecoms digital ecosystem to discuss its developments.

Over two days, it will enable stakeholders to build the partnerships that will bring African customers the most attractive services and generate new revenue streams.

Needlekraft Couture plans to showcase its 2014 Styles’ Collections. This year the Fashion Show will also include the presentation of free sewing machines to some less-privileged women who have graduated from Needlekraft Fashion School under the Free Fashion Skill Empowerment Programme for the less-privileged.

Where to buy/ ABUJA A-Z 49

Sunday, June 22, 2014

What to buy

1

Keeping fit is an important part of healthy living, and having the right kit makes working out more fun. In this edition, we selected must-haves accessories that will take your work out to another level from a comfortable running shoes to a trendy sports bras, a towel to keep you dry while you work out and of cause a bag to hold all your accessories.

Editor’s Picks

2

1. Running shoes- When it comes to running,

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

nothing is more important than finding the right running shoe to avoid injury and up your game.

With a perfect running shoe, your work can be less tedious and more enjoyable. You can visit Levi’s Store Ceddi Plaza Abuja Sports bra -Wearing a sports bra during exercise is a must for every woman, for stability, comfort and impact reduction. Unsupported breasts during exercise leads to irreversible breast damage. An everyday bra can reduce bounce by up to 38%, a sports bra can reduce bounce by up to 78%. The sports bra is a must for any woman who embraces her fitness and wellbeing. Different of sports bra such as seamless and tank top ladies sports bras, can be gotten at Nike Sports Store Ceddi Plaza Abuja.

Sports bag-A gym bag is one of the must-have accessories for fitness enthusiasts. It is designed for transporting necessities to and from a fitness center, gymnasium, pool, spa, yoga class, or anywhere else where people may need to change clothes. A gym bag is not only used in the gym, it can double as an airline carry-on bag, overnight bag, backpack for school and hiking, or virtually anywhere else active people go with items to carry.Nike Sports Store Ceddi Plaza Abuja Towel-One can never have a serious work out without sweating, and sitting around in the gym with your sweat dripping over equipment is not very nice. So having a clean towel is necessary when you are working out. Although some fitness centers may have towels available at their center, having your own towel is healthier in the gym.

Exclusive stores Timer -Everyone loves setting new targets and exceeding it, so if you want to keep real-time tabs on your progress and success every step of the way, keep a quality heart rate monitor in your gym bag. You can use this during cardio and lifting sessions to monitor your heartbeat and stay in the desired zone. Some heart rate monitors will even give estimations of total calories burned, so if fat loss is a primary goal, give them a look.

Nike Sports Store Ceddi Plaza Abuja Socks- Your feet are a major source of perspiration, so make sure you keep them cool and dry while working out. Socks made from advanced natural and synthetic materials effectively dry up moisture and allow your skin to breathe in order to prevent excess friction that eventually leads to blisters. You can get cotton gym socks at Ceddi Plaza, Plot 264, Central Business District, Abuja.

3 4

5

6

50 ABUJA A-Z

Sunday, June 22, 2014

the ever Busy Wuse Market.

STORY: CHALYA DUL

Fruit stalls at Wuse market

Raw food section of the market

Wuse market is one of the busiest and most patronised markets in the capital city. Located in Zone 5 of Wuse district, almost anything can be found there such as food stuff, clothes, jewellery, electronics, furniture, phones, rugs, carpets, salons and loads more. Prices in Wuse market are quite high compared to other markets like Utako, Garki and others. One good thing about Wuse Market is that it is wellstructured, organised and generally clean.

Since the market is quite big and very busy, it is almost impossible not to experience traffic when driving into the market, especially in the evenings. When entering into the market, you pay an entrance fee of 100Naira for small cars and 200Naira for big cars and trucks. There is a large parking lot which can accommodate up to 200 cars; although sometimes waiting for space could get quite frustrating on very busy days. It is in light of this that an outside parking lot has been built so that you can just walk into the market after parking your car.

Abuja A-Z spoke to a few traders and shop owners on what they think about Wuse market, how and why they patronise the market and what it is to own a shop in the market.

Chizoba, who owns a shop in the market, says “shops here are more expensive than in the other markets but the good thing is that I make my money back in no time. ’’The market attracts a lot of exchange activities,” Mr Abubakar, runs a popular cosmetics shop. He comments, “I have had no regrets choosing Wuse market because I am always

marvelled at the rate of patronage I get in daily. To be honest, it has always been a gain-gain for me.”

Miss Hassana, a customer at the market, says that she prefers Wuse because, “I can get all that I want and also trust the freshness and cleanliness of foodstuff in the market.”

Amarachi Okpanachi, a youth corps member, says, “Since I started serving in Abuja I’ve become so comfortable with Wuse market; I get everything that I need here- clothes, food stuff, hair plaiting and fixing my nails. The market is so relaxed and well-structured that I can comfortably be on the phone with my friend while walking without being pushed around, unlike Lagos markets or other markets.”

Another patron, Ann who owns a fashion designing outfit says, “Even though the prices of commodities are way higher in Wuse market than in any other market, I get whatever I need for my sewing needs.

There are a variety of fabrics ranging from juvenile fabrics, men’s clothing fabric, upholstery fabric, glittery fabric and accessories and loads of other stuff. I actually walk into Wuse Market with the certainty that I will get all that I have come to purchase.”

Madam Rose, a Hair dresser in the market says, ” I get a lot of customers and I close late which is against the market rule; usually the market closes at 6pm but I am there till past 6pm and sometimes get to pay a late fee. To be honest, I really don’t feel the impact of paying late fees because I have loads of customers,” she adds confidently.

MY aBUJa Katchy Okorie civil servant

The beautiful city of Abuja is dotted with spectacular landscapes, natural beauty and a wide variety of sightseeing. Another beautiful feature about Abuja is that it shares the savannah grass with the north. Abuja has rich soil for agriculture and enjoys a calm climate that is neither too hot nor too cold all year round. Abuja has beautiful sceneries such as the Aso Rock which is the symbol of the center of power in Nigeria.

Another remarkable feature of Abuja is its nightlife. Abuja is a 24 hour town, there is ongoing activity in the town from morning till night, from Monday to Sunday. The first time I visited Abuja, I was amazed to see restaurants open at 1am in the night and the streets still bustling with activities. The town is also a great place for families, because there are several garden, Amusement parks and places where families can unwind during the weekends. Even when one does not have a particular place to go to, driving around the beautiful city to have a good view of the beautiful high rise structures that are spread across the town can be fun. Development in Abuja is remarkable fast even as the population in the town rises.

liStingS/ABUJA A-Z 51

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Listings hotelS

hotels and construction companies

the choice is yours. You can do it all at the Bolingo Hotel and Towers, with its array of outstanding services and thrilling activities in illustrious Abuja. Bolingo Hotels has 350 exquisite rooms and luxurious suites which offer first class amenities such as air conditioning, satellite TV, a fridge, 24-hour room service, electronic safe, wireless internet access and en suite bathroom. Their luxuriously furnished accommodation includes Executive Suites, Business Suites and, Superior and Standard rooms.

Phase 2, Abuja, Nigeria Abuja

hawthorn SuiteS Hawthorn Suites offers modern conveniences and easy access to the best restaurants, shops and capital-area attractions. Tourists in Abuja can settle in the spacious suites available in the hotel, including a two bedroom suite and kitchenette loft. Need to work out? The hotel has a state of the art fitness center, where guests can have a nice work out. The hotel also has amenities that add up to a comfortable stay, cheSBury hotel aBuJa including a microwave, For guests who long for a quiet refrigerator and 32-inch moment to unwind, either on TV. Guests at the hotel their own or with friends, the also have access to a free Chesbury Hotel bar may be a Wi-Fi to stay connected perfect place to be. Hotels is from their rooms, and situated at the Wuse Zone 4, start off each day with a right at the hub of the city. free hot breakfast buffet.

The hotel offers excellent The guest can also work service at any time of day or out in the fitness center night, whether it concerns and unwind in the outdoor welcoming guests, or simply pool. Airport and local getting information about shuttle service as well the city, everything is as a 24-hour restaurant possible. Chesbury offers are also available at the a truly unforgettable hotel. Two bedroom suites experience, in lavish comfort and kitchenette lofts are and uninterrupted privacy. available.

And most importantly, its 1 Uke Street, Abuja workers are courteous and efficient. The hotel service protea hotelS is available night and day.

Protea Hotel Abuja offers Chelsea Hotel is also happy 28 luxuriously furnished to assist its guests with rooms, a restaurant, bar transportation services and coffee bar for dining including shuttles to and and socialising. Situated from the airport and with just 10 minutes from the movement around or outside main city center, 5 km Abuja city metropolis. from the British Embassy 5 Gwani Street, off Cape Town and within walking Street, Off Ibrahim Babangida distance of the Irish Way, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, Embassy the hotel offers a 24 hour business center Sigma apartmentS and a 20 seater boardroom Sigma Apartments is an for their corporate guests. epitome of refined living Customers can also featuring 48 fully service have a dip in the hotel luxury apartments designed swimming pool or have for those accustomed to a quick game of golf or the finer things in life. bowls nearby. The rooms Conveniently located in the at Protea rooms have heart of Abuja metropolis comfortable lounge areas midway between the and king-sized beds. More northern and southern interestingly, guests can retail hub of vibrant Abuja really relax in the Jacuzzi downtown of Wuse ll, Sigma baths in their executive Apartment is a hospitality lofts. brand that provides extended Bola Ige, Abuja 102215, stay accommodation for sojourners in Abuja. Spread Bolingo hotelS over four blocks and four Tourists in Abuja can treat floors, Sigma Apartments themselves to a luxurious spans over 6000msq and comfort and 5-star quality offers 48 spacious one, two during their stay at the or three bedroom apartments Bolingo Hotel and Towers. where every inch of living You’ll be astounded by the space has been designed to warm décor and friendly match your esteemed status. service and hospitality.

As the pace of life increase It will feel like you’re in today’s world, there are still at home. Come for a select few who possess business or for pleasure, the vision, resource, and

SPOTLIGHT

the opportunity to live at one of the most prestigious addresses in Abuja. Going with the modern time Sigma Apartments also have the fastest internet connectivity in Abuja. Other services available at Sigma Apartment include exotic restaurant and 24Hrs Room Service, A well-equipped gymnasium and fitness center, swimming Pool, Whirlpool and Spa Bath.

No 1 Embu Street, Off Aminu Kano Creascent, Wuse II, Abuja

conStruction companieS Seteraco Setraco Nigeria Limited is a leading engineering company with a vision to touch the lives of all Nigerians positively by completing much needed infrastructure development in their region.

The construction company was established in 1977 and over the years the company has rapidly grown to become one of the largest construction companies in Nigeria specialized in roads and bridges. Setraco ensures that all projects are successfully completed to specification and in line with the company’s sense of responsibility towards its Clients and host communities.

Plot 526, Shehu Yar’Adua Way Kado District Abuja JuliuS Berger Julius Berger is a Nigerian company offering integrated construction solutions and related services. The company’s value system is built on the belief that the company’s duty, apart from delivering the highest quality standards in work, is to support and advance the development of its staff, host communities and the country of Nigeria itself.

The company’s business is built on the strategy of having vertically integrated operations, which improve efficiency and timeliness of project execution.

Additionally, subsidiaries support Julius Berger’s ability to offer a complete range of construction related services. Julius Berger holds itself accountable for being honest, fair and respectful in all aspects of its business, and operates in a zero tolerance atmosphere for any actions that could be perceived as contrary to these values.

Head Office: 10 Shettima A. Munguno Crescent | 900 108 Utako | Abuja FCT

Tantalizers tantalizers is a leading nigerian fast food restaurant chain. it opened its first location in Festac town, lagos. this first location was initially a small neighbourhood restaurant serving hamburgers.

Success at this first location led to an expansion that has seen the company and its franchisees open additional locations in cities such as lagos, ibadan, abuja, and port harcourt. the restaurant has 38 locations. tantalizers serves nigerian fast food staples such as meat pies, scotch eggs, chicken, jollof rice, fried rice, cake, and hamburgers.

42, Samuel Ladoke Akintola Boulevard, Garki 2

SPOTLIGHT

Kalamarie at Kalamarie, everything is exquisite; from the food to the interior. it is a great place to have a dinner party of 10 or more people. it is a flexible place so customers are able to discuss with the management on what they would like. the menu has a wide range of salads and sandwiches which indicates that the restaurant is very health conscious. the starters are more protein based than flour. the staff ensure that guests are not kept waiting for long stretches for their meals. everything is done accordingly.

No. 3 Bangui Street, Off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2

52 abuja a-z/LISTINGS

SPOTLIGHT

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Listings CONSTruCTION COmPANIES

Bukkateria Bukkateria is a celebration of Nigerian cuisines from different cultures and regions of Nigeria. Offering exquisite culinary delights, elegant decor and luxurious comfort, Bukkateria’s excellent service is guaranteed to keep you coming back again and again.

At the upstairs bar, what you will find is the ideal gathering place for friends and business associates to relax, while they watch their favourite football teams thrash it out live on TV. It is also a get-away for those who want to chat freely without offending other customers.

No. 2, Bouar Close, off Bangui Street, Beside Jevinik Restaurant, Wuse 2

SPOTLIGHT

Paris Choice Hotel At Paris Choice Hotel you will experience comfort, hospitality in a beautifully styled boutique hotel.

Experience its ambient low lighting that forms the backdrop to The Tavern, the hotel’s exclusive open bar where you can indulge yourself in a wide variety of alcoholic non alcoholic drinks, from beer to the choicest wines and spirits from around the world.

2 Owena Street, Off Yesterdam Street, Maitama

arab ContraCtors The Arab Contractors is one of the leading construction companies in the Middle East and Africa, committed to providing high standards services and products that are fit for purpose. Its 77,000 employees work in collaboration with its esteemed customers, partners, and suppliers in more than 29 countries. The arab contractor’s experience covers a wide spectrum of the construction industry and its ancillary services include public buildings, bridges, roads, tunnels, airports, housing, water and sewage projects, water treatment plants, power stations, dams, hospitals, sports building, restoration of monuments, irrigation, producing ready to mix concrete, ship building, electromechanical projects, engineering consultancy etc.

89 Alfagyum Street Wuse Zone 3 Abuja

Construction companies, Ambulance service

Equipment and technology are always in the van of the higher standards of quality, efficiency, industrial safety and respect for the environment. The Company aims for the development of the potential, creativity, energy and enthusiasm of a youthful staff, which, supported by experienced and skilful managers, represent the driving force of the organisation. The team has the capability to adapt itself to the unceasing evolution which characterises the field of civil engineering.

The Company was founded in 2002 with over 95 per cent owned by the renowned Civil Engineering Company, Italy which has been in existence since 1957. Within this short time span, the Gitto Costruzioni Generali Nigeria Ltd has over 26 project sites with an estimated value of $1billion within Nigeria. The growth of the Company is achieved through increased volume of business, qualified staff, enlargement of the fleet of vehicles and equipment and the acquisition of vanguard technologies.

Plot 737 Mabushi Abuja. F.C.T

abuja CliniCs Our goal is to provide immediate, timely and highly specialized treatment to those in need of urgent medical care. We have well equipped ambulances to convey patients to the hospital. Our highly trained nurses and doctors are proficient in providing basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS). The emergency care service works in conjunction with other specialists in the hospital like the cardiologist, pediatricians, anaesthetist.

Critically ill patients are admitted and monitored in the intensive care or special care baby unit as the case may be (ICU/SCBU).

Prompt and reliable medical emergencies are managed wherever and whenever they occur in our area of operation. Ready to deliver our innovative services, is a team of uniquely qualified personnel. The special care ambulance has the capability to deliver an on-site critical care before moving client to the hospital.

Abuja Clinics Ltd. No 22 Amazon Street,Off Alvan Ikoku way,Minister’s Hill Maitama, F.C.T Abuja, Nigeria

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Email: assist@crinigeria.com

53

Sunday, June 22, 2014

business

Moulded concrete blocks laid out for curing. PHOTO BY bizwatchnigeria.ng

Block Industry And Challenges Of Double Taxation, Quacks Incidences of building collapse in the country have been linked to the continued usage of low grade cement, as against the higher grade approved by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). In this report, CHIKA OKEKE, examines the operations of the block industry in Abuja and how taxation and quackery are affecting quality and productivity

I This issue of multiple taxation is affecting us, because they are indirectly pushing us out of the business

t is a fact that the concrete block industry consumes about 60 per cent of the total amount of cement released into the Nigerian market annually. The concrete block-making industry is considered one of the most important parts of the economy, given every building requires appropriate use of blocks and cement during construction.

With the growing cases of building collapse, experts have partly hinged the occurrence on lack of regulatory framework by building professionals while others blamed the block industry for using 32.5R which is a lower grade of cement than the approved 42.5R classified as higher grade of cement.

Recently, the chairman, House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on the composition and pigmentation of cement, Hon Yakubu Dogara, during a public hearing in Abuja said the incidences of building collapse in the country were partly hinged on lack of regulatory framework and substandard cement.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that the serial incidences of building collapse in the country have become a source of anxiety. Some have blamed it on substandard ma-

terials including cement, while others have blamed it on lack of regulatory framework.”

He wondered why Nigeria should continue to produce 32.5R low grade cement while countries like China and India are producing 42.5R grade cement.

A member of the committee, Hon Ayi Essien noted that Nigerians were concerned over the quality of cement and the professional application of the cement in construction work.

At a recent workshop organised

by Dangote Cement Plc in collaboration with Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in Abuja on the need for articulate blend of cement components in block making, stakeholders expressed divergent views on problems associated with the business.

Multiple Taxation The chief executive officer of Nma Best Global Services, Mrs Christiana Onuoha was worried at the illegal extortion of block industry by the government through taxation saying that it is hampering the growth of their business and encouraging quackery.

Onuoha runs a block industry

at Apo Resettlement camp with a branch office at Mararaba. According to her, the people that come around for the revenue charge us depending on the number of machines at the site. I pay N20,000 for each machine per annum while another set of revenue officers that claimed to be taskforce also come around to demand for additional revenue.

“This issue of multiple taxation is affecting us, because they are indirectly pushing us out of the business. Some don’t even have a permanent office address because when one of them approached me for tax, I demanded to know his address which he misunderstood that I was being difficult. They locked my office and took my brother to the police station but they were later told to unseal the site, so we started work again.

She expressed regretted that the inability of FCT administration to provide a permanent site for block moulders exposed their members to series of demolition exercises embarked upon by Development Control.

“Assuming we have a permanent site, when they come around, we will be able to know what the government wants from us whether tax or revenue and we will also know where the money is going to.

“It’s over two years that Abuja Block Producers have written a letter requesting for a permanent site and nothing has been done about it. Earlier this year, Development Control Department of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) demolished some block factories and people are just

suffering.”

According to her, though I was not directly affected but I was asked to stop work. If you come to my block industry at Apo now, we are not working. We are afraid of buying materials because when we buy, development control might come and demolish and at the end of the day, we will lose money.

“I had three machines before we were asked to stop work. Out of those three machines, each machine is assigned to five people; I have a secretary and driver with an average of 21 other workers. I’m able to maintain only seven workers in Mararaba but in Apo, work has been suspended.

Harmonisation of Cement Prices While appealing to the FCT administration to reconsider allocating permanent site for concrete blocks manufacture, Mrs Onuoha further called on Dangote to harmonise the prices of cement to avoid middlemen from inflating the prices.

“Dangote Cement Plc educated us that the cause of building collapse was from block moulders which we have been trying hard to fight and maintain the standard. If they (FCTA) give us a permanent site, we will be relaxed and water the blocks for seven days but since there are disruptions from Development Control, if you produce blocks within three days, you will be forced to remove it without allowing it to solidify.

“Just like the presenter said, the ➔ CONTINUEd ON PAGE

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54 BUSINESS

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Block Industry And Challenges Of Double Taxation, Quacks ➔ CONTINUEd from PAGE

53

price of cement is N1,640 which I am surprised to hear because some of us pay as high as between N1,700 and N1,850 per 50kg bag.

The price is not stable because we fall into the hands of these agents that buy from them. How do we get to the right source so that we will get a stable price? That is why we are appealing to Dangote to block the loopholes. Sometimes, within a space of three weeks, it will go up three times and come down, so we are worried. We are appealing that the price of cement be stabilised so that we can get it at the company approved price.

The only antidote for collapsed building in Nigeria is for the entire stakeholders whether government, private developers, artisans and others users to insist on using the right quality of cement

Legislation for Block Industry Apart from the issue of multiple taxation, the block industry has been infiltrated by quacks that claim to be professionals in the business.

The Production Manager of Dunu Nigeria Limited another block factory at Dawaki in Abuja, Mr Frank Arinze was also in consonance with Onuoha’s view but suggested that the National Assembly should legislate against the proliferation of block factories.

“If the government can legislate against the proliferation of block factories and set a standard which everybody will use, it will stop quacks going into the business.

When there is uniformity of purpose and the government recognises it, it’s not everybody that will be blocks moulder and they will maintain standard just like other developed countries.

On the prices of their blocks, he said, “Because we are maintaining quality and government standard, we don’t expect our prices to be the same with roadside block moulders. Our materials are more superior. We have two brands of blocks: one is N230 while the other is N180 though they are different in quality.

Speaking on multiple taxation, he added, “Sometimes, you cannot say exactly what happens with the taxation because the administrators are not sincere. Taxation in this country is not harmonised to be on the profit and not on capital which they don’t take into consideration.

“For instance, if your entire capital is in millions, they will tax you in millions too which is wrong. There is nothing we can do because of the lack of a stable system and pattern of life. You need to go to other West African countries and witness what I am telling you.”

Quality Assurance Mechanism Since the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) have harped on continuous usage of high grade cement, the concrete block moulders are in doubt whether the system of governance in Nigeria would make it effective.

The secretary, Board of Trustees of Abuja Concrete Moulders Association (ACMA), Dr Rosemary Udeozor stressed that quality assurance mechanism must be put in place to avoid building collapse and further re-emphasised on the

Jonathan

Okonjo-Iweala

Aganga

need for FCTA to map out permanent site for block factories.

“For you to ensure standard, there must be a monitoring group and quality assurance mechanism that must be put in place. I am part of those who articulated in a very proper way the essence of giving an approved place for the concrete moulders so that the association will go round and monitor production. After today’s workshop and efforts of Dangote, if there is no follow up or monitoring group, they will still go back to their old ways. Our people are mainly concerned with maximising profit and compromising standard.

“In every building, there are columns made up of iron rods but block and cement is of majority, so the blocks must be strong if buildings will stop collapsing in Abuja.

She added, “We wrote the FCT Minister as far back as 2009, since then we have been following up until 2011 that he gave an approval which he minuted to a director, Urban and Regional Planning, FCDA. We continued going there until last year, when the office was able to say that it has been able to secure a place to start resettling concrete moulders. They have not given allocation to any single person. What hurts us most is that they uprooted the little efforts we made. The people we know their sites, we were going round and monitoring them, encouraging, and helping them to abide by high standard production.

She maintained that development control destroyed the casting bay built by block moulders even as she urged Dangote to intervene in the inflation of cement prices.

“Many moulders had casting bay but early this year, a demolition team from development control went round and destroyed all the casting bays they built. If there is a way the minister will hear this, let him ask down the line what is happening to concrete moulders on the approval he gave since 2011. Why is it that they are still decentralised?

Udeozor said, “Dangote and his group should please intervene in the ever increasing prices of cement because people try to cover their overhead costs and make profit by adding more sand for one single bag of cement in order to produce enough blocks to cover the cost of cement.

“If there is any major depot in Abuja where they can give permission to block moulders and concrete moulders to buy their cement directly and by pass middlemen that cause this high-rise in the price of cement, it will be a wonderful idea.

“Dangote can produce a communiqué from this workshop, and then forward a copy to the FCT Minister. When the minister reads it, it will remind him of the approval he gave in 2011 that nothing has been done up till this moment. Let them cut bureaucracy because it’s affecting this country so much and in this dimension of block moulding, it’s no difference, it’s the same way.

Lagos, Abuja Rank Highest in Building Collapse Dangote Group, regional manager marketing services in Abuja, Mr Johnson Olaniyi said that 80 per cent incidences of collapsed building across the country occurred in Lagos and Abuja, a situation he attributed to the continuous use of low grade cement in building construction.

“Two locations in this country are having 80% cases of collapsed building namely Lagos and Abuja.

Lagos has the highest number of 52% followed by Abuja which has 28%.”

He said, “The only antidote forcollapsed building in Nigeria is for the entire stakeholders wheth-

er government, private developers, artisans and others users to insist on using the right quality of cement that is, 42.5R sold by Dangote Cement Plc as against the former 32.5R grade.

“SON should enforce the usage of right quality cement while the masses should reject lower quality cement sold at the same price with higher quality that may aggravate the menace of collapsed building now and in the nearest future.

“Dangote has invested heavily in collaboration with SON in the training and re-training of artisans on the right usage of cement by providing lectures and practical demonstration to Artisans in Nigeria.”

He maintained that before the year end, Dangote Cement would add another 6 million tones to its production even as he appealed to Abuja Block moulders to form a formidable association that would usher new artisan’s management in Abuja and its environs.

On insinuations of hike in prices of cement, he added, “Dangote has not increased its price but the price they are getting is based on artificial increase by the middlemen. Rather than increase, he is even making the product available at our door steps.

“We are aware of the past challenges most especially on availability of the brand in the market which has led to exorbitant/ unstable retail prices, non-conformity products such as caked cement, slow setting time and delayed supplies.

“The good news is that management has put in place strong machinery to address all these issues by investing heavily in research and development and they have come up with a new formulation.”

SON Reacts Reacting, the State Head of Standards Organisation of Nigeria, FCT Abuja, Mr Gambo Dimka said that after their meeting with ABMA last year, the association agreed to expose those involved in sharp practices stressing that due to the topography of Abuja, it was impossible to monitor their activities.

“We had our workshop in June last year where we called on Abuja Concrete Moulders Association (ACMA) and Abuja Block Moulders Association (ABMA). We had discussions with them and they agreed to collaborate with us and also to inform us about those who engaged in sharp practices. If there are, we have not know them and you know the locations of block moulders in Abuja is not easy to locate because they are spread all over.

“They are the only people who know themselves and can tell us.

The essence of the inspection visit is to encourage those who are in the practice of manufacturing good blocks; it is not just a witch hunting but those who are out with the intent of cheating that we ensure they are not in production.

“If they will help us with the information on their members who are doing the wrong thing, definitely, we will catch up with them and we want to believe that they will cooperate with us in that line.”

business

55

Sunday, June 22, 2014

news

Ajaokuta Steel Is key To Nigeria’s industrialisation – Aganga The minister of trade and investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga has said that the key to the current administration’s industrial revolution is connected to the Ajaokuta Steel Company.

The minister who along with his counterpart in the mines and power ministry, Mohammed Sada, were conducted round the facility, located in Kogi State, dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the steel company had become obsolete.

He said the facilities in Ajaokuta are no different from those obtainable in other steel developed nations, saying “Those who are saying that the facilities in this steel company are obsolete are not saying the truth. In fact, with what I saw today, it is a great asset for the country”.

Sada pointed out that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan is determined on its revitalisation policy of the steel industry in Nigeria, stressing that the drive toward indus-

trialization can only be achieved with steel development.

He maintained that the Ajaokuta Steel Company will begin operation soon and there will be change of strategy, through active involvement of private sector players, to speed up completion of the steel industry.

In his welcome address, the Sole Administrator of Ajaokuta Steel Company, Mr. Isah Onobere said between five and thirteen million dollars will be required to complete the steel project, the government having spent N4.66 billion dollars on its construction.

He added that the company is at present collaborating with some investors for rehabilitation of the light section mill and the wire rod mill for the purpose of billet conversion as fee.

According to him, the plan in signing Mutual of Understanding (MoU) with Ukranian concern, Reprom Nigeria Limited, was aimed at re-commissioning the light mill section

Adibba, Smile Partner For Improved Service L-R: Director, Prostart Consultants, Mrs Mariam Lemu; chairman, African Capital Alliance, Richard Kramer; his wife, Wanda; chairman of the occasion/chairman, MTN Nigeria, Pascal Dozie; senior adviser to the president, U.S. Institute of Peace, Princeton lyman; Sen. Udo Udoma and Lagos State commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Ben Akabueze, at a seminar tagged: “Partnering for nation-building”, in honour of Richard Kramer at 80, in Lagos yesterday. PHOTO BY NAN

Nigeria Online Transactions To Hit N1trn By December

By Chima Akwaja, Lagos

As Nigeria continues its movement towards a digital economy, online transactions in the country are expected to reach N1 trillion by the end of 2014 boosting the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) aimed at reducing cash-based transactions.

According to the managing director of Accenture Nigeria, Mr Niyi Yusuf, on e-commerce, several Nigerian companies like Jumia, Konga, Wakanow.com, etc are pushing the frontiers of online transactions helping Nigerians make purchases online.

Yusuf who made this disclosure whole delivering a paper on strategies for enhancing collabo-

ration between stakeholders and government at the 2014 information technology assembly, an annual conference and annual general meeting (AGM) of the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria in Abuja said, at the end of 2014, online transactions will top N1 trillion.

He said mobile payment through point of sale (PoS) machines had already reached N271 billion in 25 million transactions.

Jumia.com turnover according to him had reached N1 billion as at the end of 2013 up from N100 million in 2012, a sign of the abundant business opportunities available in e-ecommerce in Nigeria.

He said a further way of making sure that Nigeria plays a more

active role in e-commerce is for public-private sector participation whereby government funds initiatives that will lead to mega billion dollar internet companies from Nigeria. He noted that Mpesa and Internet were research initiatives funded by the governments of Kenya and the United States of America.

Yusuf called on the government to create open platforms to encourage innovations and collaboration and challenged the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Transfer (NOTAP), a federal government agency, to fund technology initiatives that will position Nigeria in the information and communications technology (ICT) space.

By Friday Atufe, Lagos

As part of its commitment to continuously evolve innovative ways of solving consumer challenges and provide convenience, Adibba. com, one of the fastest growing online retail stores in the country has partnered Smile Communication to provide increased accessibility to Smile products and services.

The business relationship, which is described as a technical partnership would ensure that users of Adibba.com services have unhindered access to Smile products and services 24 hours day at the comfort of their home via Adibba.com site.

By placing its products online, Smile now adds the convenience of door-to-door delivery and sameday activation, to the list of customer services its currently offer. The service will be coordinated by adibba.com’s professional delivery network.

According to the chief executive officer, adibba.com, Chris Udeji, this partnership is one designed to create convenience for our customers and another consumers willing to join the growing consumer base of the business. “Customers would have smile products deliver to them wherever they so desire as long as

Smile service coverage is in that area.”

This partnership will fulfill both companies’ desire to make access to Smile services easy, convenient and worry-free.

Explaining the mechanics, Udeji said consumer needs to log on to adibba.com, search for the Smile icon and click on it and select the device they want to purchase. “If you already have a Smile SIM, you can purchase airtime using your debit card and once the purchase is confirmed, the product will be delivered. The SIM card will be automatically registered and activated for Smile customers,” he said.

Commenting on the partnership, the General Manager-Sales & Distribution, Smile Communications, Ken Esenwah said “Adibba.com picked after a painstaking screening procedure. We found out that Adibba.com possesses the capacity and technicality Smile requires to venture into this type of Spartnership and we are very excited to announce that consumers would find this offer irresistible.”

“Adibba.com customers who purchase Smile products from Adibba. com will have their products activated and will also receive free delivery of these products,” Esenwah stated.

Lagos Chamber Of Commerce Decries Prolonged Polytechnic Strike

By Olushola Bello, Lagos

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry has shown a great concern over the protracted industrial action by polytechnic lecturers in Nigeria.

Speaking to newsmen in Lagos, the organisation’s president, Alhaji Remi Bello said, “This strike has entered its 11th month. This is unprecedented and marks a major setback for our aspirations to improve

the quality of human capital in the country”.

He pointed out that one of the major challenges of the Nigerian economy today is the capacity gap in technical education, saying, “Therefore, for activities of our polytechnics to be paralysed for close to a year is not a good commentary on our governing process”.

He stated that this matter deserves a speedy and higher level of attention than it is currently re-

ceiving.

He noted that the protracted strike has far reaching implications for the Nigerian economy which would also result to deterioration in the quality of technical education.

He attributed the others to crises in admission into polytechnics in the new academic session as there has been no movement in the past one year. Wastage of public funds as the main purpose of these insti-

tutions has not been fulfilled in the past one year.

“Pre-disposition of the students to anti-social activities which could arise from over 11 months of idleness and general adverse effects on the psychology of the parents as well as the students.

“We call on the government and the lecturers to urgently resume dialogue and resolve the impasse by making compromises on both sides”, he added.

He also pointed out that the current situation is clearly unacceptable and needs to be brought to an end, adding that the educational system has enough issues to deal with especially in the area of quality assurance.

According to Bello, the industrial action can only worsen the situation. “It is our hope that both parties would see reason and return to the negotiation table,” he said.

56 FEATURE

Sunday, June 22, 2014

L

ittle Benita Adugu, 11, is a maid engaged by Mr and Mrs Benjamin (not real names). Speaking to Leadership Sunday on her typical day, the under-age worker said” I wake up as early as 4am and fetch water after which I sweep the parlour (sitting room) and clean everything. I wash junior’s dirty clothes from the previous day and wait for my madam to wake up and prepare breakfast. Also, I wash plates and carry junior on my back while his mother sews in her shop.

I sleep on the floor in the kitchen every night”.

Another under-age worker is Chundung Dung from Plateau State and she said, “I was brought to work for my aunt as a maid by my mother. I am 10 years old and I was in class 3 when I was brought to Abuja. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I sweep and wash plates, I sweep the compound and set water on the charcoal fire for my oga and madam to bathe with. After them, I take my turn and wait for my madam to package what I will hawk for that day. If it is the season for ground nut, I hawk ground nut, if it’s oranges or banana, she will package it in a tray for me and warn me not to come back until I have sold everything. I sell my wares around Nyanya. She pays my mother N2,500 every month.

I will love to go to school, but I can’t because my mother needs the money to feed my brothers and sisters. We are six children that my mother has and three of us are working in different places”.

These are just a few of the numerous examples that abound in the business of child labour bludgeoning across the country today.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO), defines child labour as “some types of work” done by children under the age of 18. The ILO also says that child labour includes full-time work done by children under 15 years of age that prevents them from going to school or that is dangerous to their health. Also, the Constitution of Nigeria prohibits forced labour, slavery, and servitude, while the Child Rights Act prohibits forced labour of children and the use of children for commercial, sexual exploitation and in armed conflict.

The Child Rights act imposes strict penalties for abuses and creates family courts.

It says, “No Nigerian child shall be subjected to physical, mental or emotional injury, abuse or neglect, maltreatment, torture, inhuman or degrading punishment, attacks on their honour or reputation.” Even though only 24 out of 36 states of the federation have enacted the law, the ministry in-charge of child related issues has been doing lots of advocacy and creating awareness on the need for all states to adopt the law.

The Nigerian Labour Act of 1974 prohibits the employment of children under the age of 15 in commerce and industry and restricts labour performed by children to home-based agricultural or domestic work. It also stipulates that children may not be employed in agricultural or domestic work for more than eight hours per day, and that children under the age of 12

Children As House Helps Ruth Choji takes a look at the increasing number of under-age children engaged as domestic servants across the country cannot be required to lift or carry loads that are likely to harm their physical development. The Labour Act of 1974 also prohibits forced labour.

Mrs Grace Iliya, a lawyer, psychologist and child health worker said that “there are two types of labour. These are bonded and non-bonded labour. The Bonded child labour is the one that under-age children are made to work so their parents can collect the monies,while non-bonded child labour is where the child is not working to pay off a debt he or his family owes to the employer of the child.

Legal Provisions on Violence Against Children Section 17(3) of the 1999 Constitution provides that the State shall direct its policy towards ensuring that All citizens (children inclusive), without discrimination on any group whatsoever, have the opportunity for securing adequate means of livelihood as well as adequate opportunity to secure suitable employment; Conditions of work are just, humane, and that there are adequate facilities for leisure, social, religious and cultural life. The health, safety and welfare of all persons in employment (children inclusive) are safeguarded and not endangered or abused; That there are adequate medical and health facilities for all persons; That there is equal pay for equal work without discrimination on account of sex, or any other ground whatsoever; That children and young persons are protected against any form of exploitation whatsoever, and against any moral or material neglect. In addition to the above Constitutional provision, there are also provisions of Federal and State legislations that seek to address

other forms of violence against children. The Child Rights Act 2003 under Sections 21 - 40 provides for the protection of children against discriminatory, harmful and exploitative practices. These include the prohibition of hazardous child labour, child hawking, begging for alms, prostitution and exploitation prejudicial to the welfare of the child.

Mrs Iliya expressed her belief in laws that relate to children, the children and young person act of 1958, labour acts no 21, section 58 of 1974 and other edicts prohibiting child labour.

“The child domestic servant is most times subjected to abuse and molestation by wicked employers.

Government must make education attractive so that parents will be able to send their children to school.

Those who engage the services of under-age children must treat them kindly and laws must be enforced when wicked people are caught maltreating these children”.

She further stated that following the law in the constitution, it is necessary for the federal government to create the legal instrument that will discourage child labour and take the over 10.5 million out-of-school children off the streets by providing free and compulsory education for them, because Women and children are indispensable group of people needed for economic growth and social stability of any nation.

Nigeria should formulate legislative policies and legal instruments that will correct the current status quo” “The International Labour Organisation estimates that about 25 per cent of Nigeria’s 80 million children under the age of 14 are now in the work force. Majority of the girls sent to be domestic helpers range from age seven with

It is necessary for the federal government to create the legal instrument that will discourage child labour and take the over 10.5 million outof-school children off the streets

most locked indoors with no hope of schooling,” according to Danlami Audu, a welfare officer.

The united nations charter and Organisation of African unity on rights and responsibility of the African child states that, “the child has a right to education, health care, to love and care, food and shelter, clean environment, relation and recreation. Government must protect children and discourage parents from sending their children into slavery. In 2003, Nigeria passed a Child’s Rights Law that was designed to incorporate into its laws all the rights guaranteed in the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child. The U.N. convention, adopted in 1959, states that: “The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. He ... shall not be admitted to employment before an appropriate minimum age; he shall in no case be caused or permitted to engage in any occupation or employment which would prejudice his health or education, or interfere with his physical, mental or moral development. Though the U.N. convention was signed by Nigeria as a nation and its provisions incorporated into federal law, it was not incorporated by all of Nigeria’s 36 states. For that to happen, the Houses of Assembly of each state must pass it into law. As at now, 24 of the 36 states have done so”.

The minister of women affairs and social development whose purview include women, children and disabled, Zainab Maina stated that, “the use of children in labour activities affects both the physical health and the psychological wellbeing of Nigerian children. Child labour undermines national development and provides a reservoir of children for easy recruitment into violent acts, hence the need to address the challenges facing the affected children. The educational policy direction of government is aimed at ensuring that every school age child is in school.”

57

nollywood Sunday, June 22, 2014

NOSC: Nollywood Eyes “Best Foreign Language Film” Prize

By PATIENCE IVIE IHEJIRIKA

The Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC), has started accepting submissions for its inaugural selection edition from June 16 to July 16, 2014.

The Oscar Selection Association of Nigeria is a cultural organisation whose mission is to recognise and celebrate the art of cinema by showcasing Nigerian films and filmmakers to the Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars for the category of Best Foreign Film.

The committee is to submit and represent the feature Nigerian film at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards, popularly know as the Oscars.

NOSC focuses on choosing high quality films from Nigeria by reviewing all eligible submissions and selecting based on the quality of the film’s narrative and its production values.

In line with its commitment to screening the finest and boldest Nigerian cinema, the committee says it accepts films of all lengths and genres which include motion pictures from Nigerian film makers living in Nigeria and the Diaspora whose films relate to Nigeria, the recording of the original di-

Chineze Anyaene (Chairperson, NOSC)

alogue track as well as the completed picture which must be predominant in a language or languages other than English.

NOSC indicated that the motion picture must be first released in Nigeria not earlier than October 1, 2013 and not later than September 30, 2014.

In its guideline, the committee hinted that films that have

previously been screened publicly in the country, aired on television prior to the selection and available for purchase on DVD or are available for continuous online viewing in their entirety are not eligible.

Also, the committee maintained that films must be submitted on DVD and must be clearly watermarked with pre-

view copy while urging the entrants to be mindful and careful enough to avoid incorrect wording in publications or on awards if the entry forms are correct or eligible as the committee will not be held responsible for any such mistakes.

The selection procedure is expected to end by September 1, 2014.

Mercy Aigbe Becomes Toast Of English Nollywood Movie Awards Welcomes Entries Movie Producers

By SAMUEL ABULUDE, Lagos

By SAMUEL ABULUDE, Lagos

AMVCA 2014 Best Actress In Yoruba Movie, Mercy AigbeGentry surely is receiving the dividend of hardwork and professionalism over the years.

Few days after finishing on the set of Famous Otapowien’s movie, ‘The Needle’, Mercy Aigbe is busy again on the set of a Lancelot Imasuen movie, shooting a movie titled The other side of a Coin.

This development has pushed producer of OsasOmoge Benin and Komfo to the level of Funke Akindele and Eniola Badmus who are now the toast of Asaba film makers.

Mercy who got into the spotlight eight years ago how-

Mercy Aigbe and Ebube Nwagbo on movie location

ever, said she is not dumping Yoruba movie but wants to

concentrate more on English movies this time around.

A call for entries on the 2014 edition of Nollywood Movie Awards has been opened.

The award which holds on October 18, 2014 at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island in Lagos promises to be an epoch making event as this year’s award night celebrates Nollywood a hundred per cent in line with Nigeria’s centenary anniversary. The theme is: Celebration of Nigeria 100 years.

Therefore interested movie producers have been asked to visit http//www.nollywoodmoviesawards.tv/submission. Deadline for submission of entries is June 30.

Nominations will be announced in August 2014.

Ibinabo Fiberesima

58

e-train

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Gospel Artistes That Rocked In 2013 The Gospel music scene has been agog with an array of musicians doing great and inspiring songs.

SAMUEL ABULUDE, takes a look at some of the musicians who are the Gospel artiste nominees for the upcoming Nigeria Entertainment Awards (NEA), scheduled to hold in August 2014 in the United States.

Twenty-six category awards are up for grabs at the prestigious awards ceremony TIM GODFREY The award winning singer, Tim Godfrey has been around for some years now. The gifted songster along with his group, ‘The Extreme Crew’ was the NEA 2012 Best Gospel Artiste and with his work released in the following year, the singer is in for a ride. Since his single Agidigba became a praise song, constant in churches, the singer having dropped album titled Spell Check has been a voice in the music space of the Gospel genre.

Now, Tim has promised his fans more than an album in 2014 and the albums will contain a whooping quantity of 44 tracks. By the time Tim releases his album and such a quantum of tracks, the songs will drive home how talented and gracious the musician is.

FRANK EDWARDS With a unique delivery of songs that remind you of heaven, Frank Edwards has gradually become the face of gospel rock music. With good music laced with deep lyrical content, Frank has it all in his four different albums from Angels On the Runway, The Definition to Unlimited, the musician from Enugu has proven to be one of the highly-sought after gospel artistes in Nigeria and a leading light among young generation of musicians.

Frank Edwards was nominated in the 2013 Nigeria Entertainment Awards and has a fair chance of going home with the award.

FLO The music producer turned singer is now the toast of lovers of contemporary gospel music. His real name being Nathan Akinremi, the artiste recorded YAHWEH featuring hiphop artiste, Gameman and the video released last year enjoyed great reviews. The song expresses

Awards (NEA). This is because the Arugbo Ojo performer has established himself as an anointed musician. Segun won two awards at the maiden Music & Entertainment Gospel Awards (MEGA) held last year among which his Arugbo Ojo series III won the Song of the Year.

The minstrel from CLAM church for about a decade plus has been in the ministry of producing gospel tunes and mentoring younger brass instrumentalists.

Tim Godfrey

Frank Edwards

Flo

a heart of gratitude to God and its video is a raw-line, real-feel uplift to the praises of Yahweh. The track Twale won awards and the accompanying album, Sanctioned, garnered Best Album, Best Male Vocalist at Music & Entertainment Gospel Awards (MEGA) last year, making a total of six awards, the highest at the event in Lagos. With discordant tunes on the choice of FLO a new entrant as the winner of these different award categories,

Nikki Laoye

Sabina Umeh-Akamune

Segun Oluwayomi

a music expert concurred with the choice of FLO as MEGA’s top prize winner explaining that the music producer brought to bear, his dexterity to produce a quality album from abroad. Going forward, FLO may just nick the prize.

SEGUN OLUWAYOMI Award winning Saxophonist, Segun Oluwayomi deserves to be among the nominees of the 9th annual Nigeria Entertainment

NIKKY LAOYE Smarting from her winning the Female Vocalist of the Year at the Headies 2013, petite singer, Nikky Laoye is an inspirational singer that knows her onions.

The singer who recently dropped her 123 video is one of the gospel female artistes who has ‘reconstructed’ Gospel music becoming the bridge between mainstream and gospel genre. Nikky Laoye is back with more sonorous tunes after taking a break from recording. She got married and is back with a bang continuing where she stopped and doing endless collabos. Nikki stands a good chance to win this NEA award and more as she has plans to drop an album later this year.

SABINA She is one of the singers that has an outside chance of winning the Best Gospel artiste of NEA 2014.

Sabina Umeh-Akamune, singer/songwriter is the daughter of a playwright. A Uniben Theatre Arts graduate, Sabina was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) 1990 in December 1989.

Having pursued a career in modelling and singing, she became a co-founder and artistic director of music production company Juicygroove. Her debut album, Warrior, was released in 2013 after which its international tour garnered attention to her music. The singer who is married to fashion designer cum actor, Kesse Jabari fancies her chances at the award.

PROVABS He is a young and talented Gospel singer who came into the spotlight in 2009 and his songs Bless Me Dey Go, Hope, Ife and Kosi are his credits. Provabs’ career in music received a boost when he got New Revelation Of The Year at the Nigerian Gospel Music Award, NGMA 2011 and also for the Best Choreographed Video for Komole Remix with Vector and TIV featuring Provabs at the Nigerian Music Video Award NMVA 2011. The artiste surely is set to rise higher with the experience of working with established acts like Onyeka Onwenu.

sunday e-train 59

Sunday, June 22, 2014 How did you start up in the industry?

There’s nothing really big behind Koko J. Actually let me say I found myself doing music because it’s not something that I have been doing. I really loved Mohit back then. Everything they did inspired me.

I started music when I remixed D’banj’s Mr Endowed remix. I loved the song. During one of my cousin’s birthday, Derenle and I were miming the song and because of the energy I put in it, people started urging me to come up with my own song and style, rather than act like D’banj. So I decided to do mine with my producer back in my school, not for music but as manager. Because I had a friend that could also sing, I asked if I could produce, he said I have to know how to play an instrument first. I did that same endowed remix again in my school and it was good. That’s how I started music.

What was your first song?

My first song was Komole written by my producer and I. Which song are you promoting?

We just produced two singles.

Orekelewa and WonWami. What inspired the Won Wami is the Nigeria Entertainment Awards (NEA). Because I was nominated for the promising act category of the awards.

You just said you are a nominee at the NEA, how does it feel as a young artiste?

If I say I feel great I will be lying to myself. I feel elated and honoured. And if there’s another word I can use to describe my feeling I will use it. It makes me more excited because everything I have been doing have not been in vain. As I keep pushing and going, it encourages me to want to do more.

Is Davido also nominated in the same awards?

Yes...we were together some days ago in Abuja, because I had two shows on the same day. At the Bowling and Yar’Adua centre. We talked about the NEA, just expect something great from us, but that would be after the NEA. So a collaboration is in the offing with Davido?

Well...I’m just saying that everyone should keep there fingers crossed. I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag now. It could be with Tuface.

So for how long have you been in the music industry now?

I have actively been in the music industry now for about four years. That’s why many people are saying that under four years I have gone this far? I just tell them it’s God and hard work.

What was the reaction like from your folks when you

Koko J

I’m Bringing Back NEA Awards – Koko J He loves music and have club bangers. Koko J has been nominated at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards as the Young Promising Act. In this interview with ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM, he speaks on why he is a better candidate said you are taking to music professionally?

The way I started, it was like a joke. I didn’t take it too serous.

It was when I shot my second video Gbonode, that people began to see and take me serious.

What’s Gbonode?

It means shake anything. When you say gbo, it means shake. So we twisted it to our taste. We kicked off with Gbonode that’s when people started taking me serious. For my mum, when she eventually knew I was doing music, she was excited and I was surprised because I didn’t know she would take it that way. She has since then been a pillar of supporting. And for my other family members and friends, they have been great.

What’s been your major challenge?

It’s not really been easy because at times you go for shows, they would be looking at you as if you are nobody. But at other times you will be recognised.

Basically there are many ups and downs when it comes to the artiste. I have been faced with so many challenges up to the extent of starving myself.

So who’s been watching

your back?

That’s my uncle, Brolak International. He has been very supportive.

Who is responsible for the production of your songs?

Mestrodee have been behind it all. We started together from the scratch, we are here and we are going far.

How do you see yourself making it in this industry?

Sincerely I know pretty soon, I will be everywhere, but God is first because I will be one of the biggest icons in the industry.

What’s been keeping you going?

Advise from friends and family not to stop and things like NEA. Because when I see a positive result, it makes me want to do more. I’m always positive.

So you are clinching the award?

Yes, but we have to leave it to God because everyone on that category is a promising act.

What is your philosophy?

It’s what I enjoy doing. Because you must love what you are doing. People that are out there didn’t make it in a day but un-

til they had done many things.

Believe in what you are doing and keep doing it.

Your video Selina...what inspired the song?

It wasn’t like I was inspired like my new singles. Selina was something that came-up when we were in the studio because of the beat. We felt it is a club banger, we decided to shoot the video and that’s Selina. But my latest songs are Orekelewa and won wami. Orekelewa was inspired by a lady I was in a relationship with, she got tired and told me that there is more to life than love. If you listen to the lyrics...you will get the feel of what I’m saying. But for won wami, it was NEA that inspired it. And I’m going for the NEA in August in the USA. And I will be performing at the event in New York City. Everyone should watch out for Koko J because it’s going to be different.

Message

Don’t stop what you are doing even though you haven’t got there yet. Keep pushing, believe in yourself. Don’t wait for someone to come drag you up. Try to do things for yourself and people would surely come to assist.

60 kiddies

Sunday, June 22, 2014

kiddies kingdom

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

By Chika mefor

08156719304 (SMS only)

The King’s Youngest Wife Once upon a time in the village of Ganduwa lived a king named Gadu.

Gandu was loved by all his subjects because he was kind to all and was a good king. Gandu took over from his father, Zaki, many years ago when he suddenly died of stroke. He was the only son of his father who had tried for many years to get another son.

Zaki in the process of looking for another son, had married five wives including Gandu’s mother who was the third wife. Those wives succeeded in giving Zaki 24 daughters with no son accept Gandu. Zaki who was 60 years old was in the process of acquiring another wife when he suddenly died of stroke.

The girl Zaki had wanted to marry was Amani. Since the process of the marriage has almost been completed, Gandu was pressured by the elders to finish up the process and take over the girl as his wife. Gandu, as tradition stipulates, was also to take over his father’s wives except his mother.

Gandu was 17 years when the mantle of leadership was placed on his young shoulders. But his young age didn’t affect the number of wise decisions he was able to make. He had his father’s old friend, Danta, to also thank for the many wise decisions he made. His decisions amazed all, even the elders, who had secretly thought that his taking over from his father at a young age would be a disaster.

The king came to love his wouldbe father’s wife-turn-his, Amani so much. This made her co-wives, espe-

cially the two youngest wives of the old king jealous and it made them even more resolved to be the ones to give the new King a heir. They also sought various ways to give Amani a bad name.

One day, it was her turn to cook for the household. When she had finished cooking, she had dished the king’s food and had given it to one of the palace chiefs to take to his chambers. The two jealous wives intercepted the soup and added more pepper to the food. They gave the servant oath of secrecy and asked him to continue on his journey to the King’s palace.

Gandu finished his business for the day and settled down to eat the food of his favourite wife. He tasted the food but couldn’t swallow it. The hotness of the pepper was too much that tears ran down his cheeks. He

couldn’t even talk but frantically signalled to his servant to get him water. After taking a gulp of water, he shouted at the top of his voice for Amani who came rushing in.

“What is this,” he bellowed, with water gushing out of his eyes and nose.

Amani who didn’t really understand what was happening stood transfixed, gazing at the king until he shouted his question a second time.

“Food, my husband,” she said.

“Why do you want to kill me before my time?” He queried again.

“God forbid! I... I don’t want you to die o,” she stammered.

“Come here,” he beckoned her.

“Come and taste your food,” he urged her.

Amani ventured forward and tasted the food and couldn’t believe her eyes. Too much pepper! The hot pepper entered her through her throat and she started coughing profusely. The king who was yet to recover from the hot pepper, asked the servant to give her water to calm her down.

Amani, even with the coughing, tried to explain to the king that she didn’t cook the food that way but Gandu refused to listen. He banned her from cooking in the palace again.

That type of act would even earned her sack out of the palace but for his love for her, he decided to only ban her from cooking. Amani could hear her two co-wives giggling behind the door when all these were happening and knew they had spiked her food.

To be continued next week.

PuZZlE

mAZE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Goodness Omenyi was four on the June 8, 2014. Kiddies Kingdom wishes her God’s blessings and protection always.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

61

conference By joe dudun, amina alhassan and Bode GBadeBo

Getting Justice May Not Be Enough – Hauwa Shekarau For Barr. Hauwa Evelyn Shekarau, all she ever dreamed of was to join the glamorous world of a Newscasting. Fate, however, stirred her in the direction of the legal profession through her uncle. Today, a successful Lawyer and the National President, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, she joins other delegates at the National Conference to chart a way out of the myriad of problems confronting the country. She said it could not have come at a better time. In this interview with LEADERSHIP, she speaks about the confab, human rights violations and other sundry issues Many people believe that realistically, the National Conference is a waste of time, money and effort; that the federal government is using it as a smokescreen to hide an agenda. They believe the outcome of the conference will not amount to much.

What do you say?

I do not share their views. Even though it would have been better to start this conference earlier, I believe in the expression, ‘‘it is better late than never’’. It is coming at a time when so much is happening in the country; with so many conflicts, dissatisfaction, kidnapping in the eastern part of the country, insurgency in the northeast, oil bunkering in the south south and skirmishes in other parts of the country. It showed that this is a country in turmoil and when you speak with people, they are not happy with the way things are going. We had reached a point where it became necessary to have this conference and iron out issues.

I think it is very important that we have been given this opportunity to talk. Since the confab started, there has been a sense of something being done, a kind of realisation that we are heading somewhere. In the beginning, people came with lots of hang-ups, demands and were not ready to compromise or budge on their positions. Now, the tension has reduced, the confab has enabled us to come together, agree to disagree on issues. At the committee levels, everyone was involved and saw themselves as champions of trying to keep Nigeria together and move her forward. There were tense moments with some delegates almost losing it but they were able to resolve their

issues. An exception of course, was in one of the committees where a member disagreed with some of the recommendations and wanted to submit a minority report, which was denied because it is something alien to the rules of procedures of the conference.

Four committees are being kept until the last part of the conference; is it because they are the most important committees that could make or mar the whole process?

It was actually in those committees that tempers rose and nerves became frayed but at the end of it all, decisions taken which were acceptable. I believe that by the time we get to some of those recommendations, there will be some kind of shifting ground, peoples’ feelings will be assuaged and interests accommodated. I do not envision that there will be any decision that we are not able to resolve.

How do you find the handling of issues by the leadership of the conference so far?

I think the Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi and his team are doing a fantastic job. In the beginning, it looked like the conference would break up when it came to how the voting pattern would be taken at the confab.

The moment the committee of fifty wise men and women met and they brought it to the larger House, it helped in dousing the tension. Some recommendations such as the removal of the Land Use Act is under bracket because we have not been able to agree on whether it should be left or removed from the constitution. I know that one ingenious way the leadership of the conference has tried to resolve issues like that is

Hauwa Shekarau

by consulting different interest groups and different blocks within the confab in order to look for solutions that each group will be happy with and I am aware that consultations are still going on.

What are some of the recommendations Nigerians should look forward to from your committee especially where it concerns human rights violations, rape cases and so on?

Incidentally, if you look at the committee and the issues that would ordinarily be involved, they are all quite very broad issues but the mandate we were given by the confab were itemised so we worked with that. Some of us raised concerns over the increasing number of sexual and domestic abuse that we are seeing in the society and the way the laws are being couched. In particular, the law on rape that sometimes seems to bring the victim under trial instead of the perpetrator.

We all know that sexual offences are not committed in the open therefore it is very difficult to find a witness. We need to do away with the requirements of corroboration particularly when it relates to having a witness. Other ways corroboration can be inferred is by looking at circumstances that

Sometimes getting justice is not enough; it goes beyond just punishing the offender because the victim is left traumatised for the rest of her life. There is also a need to provide psycho-social support for victims which is not always prominent in this country

happened either through medical examinations of the victim, history of the perpetrator and so on. Sometimes getting justice is not enough; it goes beyond just punishing the offender because the victim is left traumatised for the rest of her life. There is also a need to provide psycho-social support for victims which is not always prominent in this country.

We have also looked at prison issues, trying to strengthen human rights situation of inmates to ensure that they are not kept longer than their sentence. A shocking issue that came up was a case where convicted felons trade their sentences for money.

For instance, an accused person found guilty and sentenced to ten years imprisonment or more would swap the sentence and the accused person would pay someone else to serve the sentence on his behalf. This is done through the connivance of prison and court officials.

We were also informed of cases where a judge will sentence an accused to fifteen years and the court officials would find a way of reducing that sentence to maybe one or two years by forging the signature of that judge. We have provided recommendations on ways of strengthening and blocking these loopholes.

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Sunday, June 22, 2014

zonal watch

NIGER STATE KWARA STATE KOGI STATE BENUE STATE NASARAWA STATE PLATEAU STATE FCT ABUJA beNUe: NANS Appeals To benue Teachers To end Strike

By SOlOMOn AyAdO, Makur-

even at the current wage level, Benue teachers are better remunerated than some of their counterparts in some states of the federation

all negotiations with state di government had failed to yield positive result.

The National AssociaFollowing the ugly sittion of Nigerian Students uation, NANS has visited (NANS) has urged prithe state on a fact-finding mary school teachers in mission on the prolonged Benue State to end their strike by the teachers and Oloyede prolonged strike action. the inability of the state NANS described the government to effect the teachers refusal to return to class- salary threshold. rooms as an infringement on the Speaking with newsmen in Makurrights of the pupils. di, NANS president, Comrade Yinka The striking teachers have down Gbadebo however said that even at tools for almost a year now due to the current wage level, the teachers the failure of the Governor Gabriel were better remunerated than some Suswam-led administration to im- of their counterparts in some states plement the new minimum wage and of the federation.

KWARA: Students Stop Gunmen From Abducting Female Colleague

KWARA: Injured NURTW Member Flown Abroad For Treatment

By ABdUllAhi OlESin, Ilorin

A member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Kwara State, Mr Mukaila Babalola, who was reportedly shot by suspected armed bandits along Oyo-Ogbomoso road last year, is currently undergoing medical treatment in an Indian hospital.

Babalola was flown abroad along with his son a few days ago, courtesy of the national headquarters of NURTW. The national president of the union, Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, had during his recent sympathy visit to Babalola in Ilorin, assured that the victim would be

flown abroad for adequate medical care with the union bankrolling the trip.

The victim was allegedly shot late last year by a robbery syndicate who ambushed his car while making a return trip to Ilorin from Lagos.

Though, before now, he was taken to University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, he seemed not to be regaining the lost part until it was diagnosed that it would require special plastic surgery before the victim could regain his face.

Confirming this development, the chairman, Kwara State NURTW, Alhaji Aliyu Isa Ore, said the victim was responding to treatment in an Indian hospital.

Heads FROM tHe ZONe

By ABdullAhi Olesin, Ilorin

But for the bravery of some male students of AlHikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, a female student of the institution would have been whisked away by three unidentified gunmen.

The incident happened at the University’s campus, Adewole area, Ilorin penultimate Wednesday. Though, the gunmen in mufti claimed to be security agents, the students insisted that they could not arrest their colleague without the consent of the institution’s management.

The development resulted in pandemonium during which the vice chancellor, Professor AbdulKareem sustained injury on one of his hands.

The school authority was also in support of the action of the students because the VC claimed that it was wrong for any security operative to carry out any operation within the university’s campus without formally intimating the management about such development.

The development disrupted academic activities at the university before the police from Adewole police station were invited to douse the tension.

According to the VC, the policemen from Adewole division upon arrival at the university, arrested the armed men and later transferred them to the state police headquarters.

“What happened this morning is a case of misjudgement by authority that is supposed to be enforcing laws. They came to the campus and tried to arrest a female student. We had to intervene because students insisted that students can not be arrested from campus without letting the authorities know.

“It is very unfortunate that anybody will come to the university campus and want to make an arrest and made no effort to inform constituted authorities.

“Anyway, if we had not come there to address the students because these men were armed, I do not know what would have happened. We thank God; the only person that got wounded was myself. I was trying to clear the debris that the students put in front of the vehicles. These people were in mufti; that is what is more disturbing. If you come in uniform and you want to effect an arrest, you still need to tell the constituted authority. But to make the matter worse, when you come to the campus with plain clothe and want to arrest a female student, it is not something that the students will stomach.

“We call for the police and they came. The people that came to make arrest are with the police now.

Meanwhile, the student is safely in our hands. She is a 200 level student and the situation is calm now,” he said.

➔ Former Head of state, abdulsalami abubakar, has called on government at all levels to continue to implement programmes and projects that will elevate the people and provide them with sustainable standards of living as being done in Kwara state in order to bring an end to security challenges

➔ the former Nigeria Permanent Representative at the United Nations has warned that it would be a great mistake to regard the Boko Haram insurgency as a problem of the North east of the country, adding that though the state of emergency declared in the three states of Borno, Yobe and adamawa is necessary but not sufficient to restore peace and security in the area.

The speaker, Kwara State house of Assembly, Barr Razak Atunwa, exchanging pleasantries with the deputy governor of niger State, dr Musa ibeto, during the commissioning of the remodelled ilorin General hospital in ilorin, while the Kwara State deputy governor, Elder Peter Kishra looks on. PHOTO BY ABdullAHi Olesin

nasarawa: UnICEF scores al-Makura High On Basic Education

By dOnATus nAdi, Lafia

The united nations Children’s Fund (uniCeF) has applauded the efforts of nasarawa state governor, umaru Tanko AlMakura at repositioning the basic education sector with a call on other governors in the north to follow in his steps for the overall development of the region.

Making the commendation in Bauchi at the just concluded series of lectures marking this year’s day of The

African Child, the guest discussant, Mrs Mairama Bukar dikwa, noted that although the north is generally backward in comparison to other regions of the federation, nasarawa state has in the past three years, taken a quantum leap towards improving the lot of education, especially at the basic level. she noted that nasarawa alongside Plateau, Katsina, Kano and Jigawa states have recorded tremendous improvement in the education

sector.

On the other hand, she said the north eastern states have the lowest rating in terms of educational development with Bauchi, Gombe, Borno and yobe states having the worst challenges.

Mrs dikwa, a girl education project specialist, pointed out that nigeria has about 10.5 million children out of school which is the highest number in the world. she said almost one of three primary age children is out of school.

KOGI: Constant Inspection Guarantees Project Execution – LG Boss

By SAM EGWU, Lokoja

The chairman of Ibaji local government area, Kogi State, Hon David Ogu, has said that constant inspection of projects by relevant agencies of government would guarantee quality and timely execution of such projects.

The chairman who stated this in Onyedega, headquarters of the council, while addressing jour-

nalists who were on inspection of projects under the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, (SURE-P), noted that abandonment of projects and poor project execution, are all products of non supervision of projects.

The chairman, represented by the vice chairman of the council, Emmanuel Ugeh, said the council had strived hard to make judicious use of the fund made available to the

council from SURE-P account.

He regretted that most of the projects are still on-going due to the dangerous terrain of the area, assuring that the projects will be completed when the areas become accessible. He commended NUJ for the tour, saying if those charged with the responsibility of holding public officers accountable carry out their job properly, the people will get value for tax payers’ money.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

zonal watch (North-Central) 63

project report

News Behind The News

The wife of Kwara State governor, Mrs Omolewa Ahmed; Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed; former military head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and the Kwara State commissioner for Health, Alh Yisa Kayode Abdul at the commissioning of the ultra modern Ilorin General Hospital recently. PHOTO BY Abdullahi Olesin

Kwara Spends N3.7bn On General Hospitals

BY Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

The Kwara State government has spent the sum of N3.7 billion on comprehensive renovation and equipping of five general hospitals in different parts of the state.

The hospitals are located in Offa, Share, Omu Aran, Kaiama, and Ilorin. Of the five general hospitals, those in Ilorin, Share, Offa and Omu-Aran have been commissioned.

The Share General Hospital in ifelodun LGA was the first to be commissioned. The commissioning of the hospital also witnessed the flagging off of the community health insurance scheme for the people of Share and its environs.

Under the community health insurance scheme, an enrollee is required to subscribe with only N500 and that will enable him to access health facility for a year.

At the colourful ceremony, Governor AbdulFatah offered to pay the subscription fee of the first 1,000 enrollees while political appointees from the area also offered to pay for another set of 1,000 enrollees. Four groups including members of the state executive council also offered to pay on behalf of another 800 enrollees.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ahmed said that the community health insurance scheme has recorded over one million people’s visits to designated clinics and hospitals since the programme commenced seven years ago.

Ahmed said the scheme is aimed at scaling-up to 600,000 low-income enrollees in rural communities by 2018 from the present 80,000 subscribers.

The governor who said the scheme involves provision of subsidised health insurance and accessible health care to the rural people as well as the upgrading of healthcare facilities, added that the premium subsidy was entirely paid by the state government.

He said 15 clinics and hospitals which have been upgraded are involved in the programme, adding that the government realised that modern health facilities across the state can only be meaningful to the people if they can afford the services available.

Also, as part of activities marking the third anniversary of his administration, Governor Ahmed commissioned the N600 million rehabilitated and equipped general hospitals in Offa and Omu-Aran in Offa and Irepodun LGAs of the state.

He said the hospitals were rehabilitated as part of the government’s effort to provide a health system that is modern, affordable and accessible.

Ahmed assured the people of the state that implementation of projects in all sectors will not be influenced by political partisanship but equity and fairness.

“My administration’s strides in the health sector testify to our recognition of quality healthcare as a precondition for sustained human capital development.

“We have demonstrated this commitment through the remodeling of Offa, Ilorin, Omu-Aran, Share and Kaiama General Hospitals as well as the distribution of drugs and equipment to 13 general hospitals and 43 primary healthcare centres”, he said.

The governor restated his administration’s resolve to build the state’s human capital development through functional education, entrepreneurship and access to quality healthcare.

However, the mother of all the hospital projects in the state was commissioned on Tuesday, June 10, 2014 when the comprehensively remodeled Ilorin General Hospital was commissioned. To underscore the importance attached to the commissioning of the hospital project, which has been hailed by all and sundry, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar was invited as the special guest of honour to the occasion.

Impressed by what he met on ground, including the physical structure as well as the facilities in the hospital, Abubakar gave Governor Ahmed a pat on the back when he unequivocally declared, “indeed, acts of good governance such as demonstrated by your government’s youth development efforts and today’s opening of this beautiful edifice as well as the entrenchment of equity and justice can hold the promise of restoring our people’s faith in this country and strengthening our preparedness to work together to build the Nigeria we all desire and deserve”.

While congratulating the beneficiaries of the hospital project, Abubakar urged them to make the best use of the facilities through effective patronage to meet their health needs, adding that “it is only in so doing that you can justify the government’s huge investment in the scheme.

“Let me call government at all levels to continue to implement programmes and projects that will provide our people with sustainable standards of living,” he said.

Development: Wada Harps On Agriculture

By SAM EGWU, Lokoja

Impressed by what he met on ground, including the physical structure as well as the facilities in the hospital, Abubakar gave Governor Ahmed a pat on the back

The Kogi State government has announced its resolve to continue to explore the state’s agricultural endowment in order to boost job creation and bring about buoyant economy.

The state governor, Capt Idris Wada, stated this recently when he received a delegation of CARGILL USA, at his office in Lokoja. The company is the major investor in the Crop Processing Zone at Alape.

The team was in Kogi State for an update on the successful take-off of the multi-billion naira Crop Processing Zone at Alape in Kabba Bunu local government area of the state.

The governor who was represented by his deputy, Yomi Awoniyi, described the establishment of Alape Crop Processing Zone as one of the major breakthroughs recorded by the state government.

He described agriculture as the mainstay of the state’s economy and said it would remain cardinal in his administration’s transformation agenda.

The governor noted that the state government is working assiduously towards providing the necessary infrastructure for the take-off of the project, assuring the investors of the state government’s political will in driving the project.

The governor disclosed that the issues of roads and water and other infrastructure needed for the smooth take-off of the project are already being addressed.

Earlier, Chief James Awoniyi, the federal government technical consultant on the project had said that the team was in the state in continuation of its consultation with relevant stakeholders of the area where the project is located. He said the idea is to carry along everyone in the project implementation.

Chief Awoniyi disclosed that the preparation for the arrival of machinery and the commencement of work by CARGILL USA has reached an advanced state and solicited the state government’s support in putting in place the necessary infrastructure.

Speaking on behalf of CARGILL, leader of the delegation , Peter Neilson, said they were in the state to carry out other feasibility studies that would guarantee the success of the project.

64 zonal watch (North-Central)

Sunday, June 22, 2014

news behind the news

I Ignored Male Advances To Make First Class – Folorunsho

By Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin

The 21–year-old best-graduating student of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Comfort Yemi Folorunsho was the cynosure of all eyes at the second convocation ceremony of the young university which took place on Saturday, June 7, 2014.

Miss Folorunsho did not only emerge as the overall best-graduating student but also made the first class degree from the department of Agriculture. She studied Animal production. Miss Folorunsho coasted home nine different prizes. The prizes were complemented in most cases with certificates and monetary rewards.

The ceremony was graced by eminent personalities including the former Nigeria’s permanent representative at the United Nations, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; the state governor, Alh AbdulFatah Ahmed who was represented by his deputy, Elder Peter Kisira; former governor, Muhammed Sha’aba Lafiagi; former minister, Alh Saidu Issa as well as other influential community and opinion leaders.

When LEADERSHIP Sunday approached the simply dressed first class graduate after the ceremony, she disclosed why she was able to concentrate on her studies which eventually culminated in her emerging the overall bestgraduating student.

According to her, “I ignored several advances from males as an undergraduate to make a first class. I set a personal goal of graduating with a first class immediately I gained admission into the institution.

“I had a dream to be a first class graduate from the onset and I did not want to be distracted by advances from my male colleagues, because I believe you can’t handle two things at a time.

“I have a lot of them as friends.

Some of my colleagues were into it but for me, I think I definitely have age on my side and more so, it was never my priority.”

On his part, the second first class graduate, Olatunji Mustapha AbdulKadir who studied computer science, said that he was able to achieve the feat through hard work and prayer.

“I studied hard as I read at least four hours daily and I observed my daily prayers”.

At the convocation, 349 graduated with Bachelor’s degrees from five colleges and 25 departments.

College of Humanities, Management and Social Studies have the highest number of graduates with 184, ICT 67 and College of Pure and Applied Science 52. College of Education and College of Agriculture have 36 and 10 graduates re-

Comfort Yemi Folorunsho, the best graduating student of the Kwara State University, Malete

spectively.

Speaking at the event, the chancellor of the university, Prof Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, congratulated the new graduates for having the courage, perseverance and resoluteness to complete their degree programmes and charged them to prove themselves as worthy ambassadors of their Alma mater wherever they find themselves.”

He thanked the state and local governments, individuals and corporate entities for their contributions to the uplifting of the university.

Also speaking, Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed who doubles as the visitor to the university, commended the feat the institution has been able to achieve in the last five years of its existence and restated the commitment of his administration to continue to develop the school.

Ahmed who was represented at

the occasion by his deputy, Peter Kishira, congratulated the graduates and charged them to brace up for success over challenges ahead in the life after school while also congratulating their parents for investing on their future.

Also, the pro chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Mohammed Sha’Aba Lafiagi, said the university solely depends on the state government and 16 local governments for funding with the state government providing 70 per cent while local governments provide 30 per cent of its subvention to pay staff salaries and other overhead costs.

Lafiagi added that the internally generated revenue of the university had also assisted in carrying out capital projects and solicited collaboration with other stakeholders to enable the university achieve a lot and fulfill its mandate.

The vice chancellor of the university, Prof AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, also in his address, congratulated the graduates and charged them to make use of the entrepreneurial training they received in the school to be self-employed instead of seeking for jobs that are not readily available.

“This is the time to be creative and innovative just as you have been trained in KWASU to be employer of labour rather than job seekers. These days, no one sympathises with a graduate who can not be of use to the society.

“You have no business roaming the street and it will be a dishonour to your university if you are found not using your entrepreneurship skills to create wealth for yourself and your community whenever you do not take employment from government and industry. You are your own industry,” he stated.

I did not want to be distracted by advances from my male colleagues, because I believe you can’t handle two things at a time

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Sunday, June 22, 2014

Pastor W.F. Kumuyi The Study Of God’s Word info@deeperlifeonline.org

The Power Of Proper Fasting

Leaders, prophets, kings, queens, people and even nations have prayed to God with earnestness, fervency and fasting in times of great difficulty and danger

Proper fasting with prayer of faith is mighty and powerful in its awesome effect. The believer is yet to see the awesome power of faith, prayer and fasting.

What seems impossible in the affairs of men becomes possible and extraordinary things happen as God responds to the prayer and fasting of the righteous. Personal problems are solved, powerful enemies are conquered, imminent judgement is averted, yokes and curses are broken and destroyed, families, cities and even nations are delivered, demons and evil spirits are cast out and their captives are set free, the expectations of the wicked are disappointed, miracles happen and the Holy Ghost moves in extraordinary power, mighty revivals with great harvest of souls are experienced unhindered, uninterrupted, unrestricted as faithful believers and the righteous fast and pray. In these last days, as we face overwhelming challenges, individual believers, led by the Holy Spir-

it can arise to seek the Lord and experience the untapped power of prayer and fasting.

Christ’s Teaching On Prayer And Fasting Fasting is not new or peculiar to the New Testament. It has an abundant record in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It has a long history that spans thousands of years. From Moses to Paul, from the exodus of Israel from Egypt to the present day fasting has been part of believers’ communion with God. The record of God’s Word shows that many great intercessors in different dispensations have sought God’s face with fasting. Leaders, prophets, kings, queens, people and even nations have prayed to God with earnestness, fervency and fasting in times of great difficulty and danger. Moses, David, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Paul are among the great intercessors in the Bible that prayed and fasted, thereby experienc-

ing great supernatural breakthroughs for themselves and for others. John the Baptist and his disciples fasted often and what a great ministry John had! What a life! What a ministry! What impact he had on a corrupt and perverse nation! Our Lord, Jesus Christ, began His ministry with fasting - waiting on God without eating or drinking - and no one has equalled His influence or power on the world. Paul started his Christian journey and ministerial duty with prayer and fasting; the world is yet to see anyone else like him.

Scriptural Pattern Of Personal Prayer And Fasting Fasting has been a constant feature in the believers’ communion with God. Many men and women of God have fasted when they were burdened with some spiritual or physical problems. Fasting is not to be done to make a good impression upon people, to attract or win the praise of men (Matthew

6:16-18). Driven by the prevailing need of one’s life or led by the Spirit of God when we are confronted with overwhelming challenges of life, we seek God’s face with fasting, laying our petition before the Lord.

For a fast to be beneficial, it must be done in a spirit of reverence toward God, in which we acknowledge our dependence on God and worship Him as a covenant-keeping Redeemer. In its strictest sense, fasting meant (to believers in Bible times) and still means today going without food and drink for a designated period of time. Times of fasting are special times of prayer, in times of personal distress when we humble ourselves before God as we seek divine intervention.

Recorded examples of effective prayer and fasting in the Scripture reveal the connection of fasting with personal humility, confession, restitution, obedience and absolute dependence on God. ➔ TO BE CONTINUED

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

God, Restore My Productivity The world is in existence as a result of God’s productivity.

Man, made in the likeness of God, ought to be productive as well.

Meanwhile, productivity in this context is not restricted to the factory which deals with the speed at which goods are produced and the amount that is produced.

Productivity occurs in different sphere of human life, be it business, religion, academics, among others. As a believer, you could be deemed productive in your spiritual life, given your level of commitment in the house of God, the time you spend praying and studying your Bible, how often you talk to people about Jesus, as well as your knack towards acknowledging the devices of the devil.

When suddenly, a Christian who prays on a regular basis, even for other brethren and family members can no longer pray for at least once in a day, it

means that your level of productivity has declined and you need to quickly cry out to God to restore your productivity.

Productivity also has to do with your level of impact in the lives of your fellow human. The Bible says, “above all, love”. You are meant to be a blessing to your generation. Life is not just about acquiring wealth and anticipating all the good things of life; it is about making impact in the house of God, in your environment, in your family and affecting people’s life positively.

The Bible says, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your works and glorify the name of your father in heaven.”

The Things That Could Affect Your Productivity 1. The Distraction of the Eyes: There is no doubt that the eyes are indeed precious, but are capable of either leading you to heaven or earth. No wonder, the Bible says, “Who is as blind as my

servant.” To excel in your heavenly race, you must close your eyes to certain things to avoid fault finding.

2. Complains and Murmuring: The Israelites were meant to spend 40 days in the wilderness, but they ended up spending 40 years because of their murmuring.

3. Lack of Time Management: Time does not wait for anyone; so, it is for your benefit to use your time wisely.

4. Procrastination of Vision: Nothing kills or shatters a dream like procrastination. It is the life of a child of God 5. Carnal Ideal in Camparism with Divine Order: The Bible says, “A carnally-minded blind cannot understand the things of the spirit.”

6. Allowing Environmental Laws and Conditions to Determine Divine Calling: Absenting yourself from church activities because of the rain or sun is only an expression of your immaturity in

Christianity.

7. Lack of commitment and disobedient.

8. Self love.

How To Know People Who Are Productive 1. Good Initiators: These people are relevant in wherever they find themselves; they bring in good ideas to move the society, church of God forward.

2. Good Motivators: They motivate people in a positive way.

They are never hooked in a situation: they do not allow the devil to pull them down through any means. They are as bold as David.

3. Good Encouragers.

4. Creative and Industrious: People who are helpers and are faithful to their commitment.

Genesis 1:26-30, Deuteronomy 32:15, Psalm 126:1, Genesis 3:6, Matthew 25:14-end, Act 10:38, Luke 2:49, Act 20:35, Romans 16:1-6, Romans 15:4, Numbers 14:19, Act 9:36-end, 2Timothy 4:1.

Life is not just about acquiring wealth and anticipating all the good things of life; it is about making impact in the house of God... and affecting people’s life positively

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Sunday, June 22, 2014

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opinion Sunday, June 22, 2014

Cement: Nigerians, Go To Court!

By Richard Anyamele Like crude oil, cement is dirty business that ruins host communities and environments if strong control measures are not set up, enforced. Lately, cement gained undue attention in national business debates, especially with the multitude litigations and accusations flying.

Are there cement standards?

Are they absolute or discretional? Should manufacturers inform consumers on products potency, limitations and lapses or overrule such details? Should operators maintain the status quo or move up with revolutionary strides in the midst of daily fatalities until empirical evidence prove that something is wrong with indiscretions? And more fundamental, is whether government has rights to modify the rules or the operators may decide when, where and how changes should apply, if any.

The foremost and biggest cement manufacturers in Nigeria up to 2011 are Lafarge and associates (Group), representing the status quo. Dangote Cement (Group) emerged and changed the face of cement business with its Ibese Plant, Ogun State, and since became revolutionary in more senses than one. Ironically, both Lafarge and Dangote are full-blooded oligarchies. It happens that Dangote is slightly more pro-people!

Before the current tango, cement was just cement and importers and manufacturers were having a ball. Nigerians did not know that cement has grades signifying different strength, i.e., capacity to carry load. Of course, it should stand to reason that some cement types cannot

carry certain loads. For instance, the materials used in building high rise structures should be stronger than what one needs for a bungalow.

On Lagos roads and most Nigerian cities are drainages (where they exist) eaten by the rains or rodents within one year of construction, but piles on the Apapa and Lagos coastlines that are daily bashed by high sea waves are only slightly affected year after year.

Improper cement categorisation was raised by a group of professionals who stated that most Nigerians use cement indiscriminately, that is, for all manner of jobs, because they are not properly advised or educated by manufacturers. And their protest bases on the hypothesis that manufacturers must inform users adequately as of duty. This could not be a frivolous protest given the serial injuries brought by numerous building collapses that have claimed hundreds of lives. And thereupon, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) was drawn into the fiasco.

Consequently, a technical committee was set up and several interests manifested, but whatever their method, national health was the issue that could not be buried beneath their plots.

Nobody denies the fact that Nigeria has among the world’s worst cases of building collapses. Sometimes, soil condition was the culprit, whereby builders ignore good foundation conditions. Sometimes, deficient skill was to blame. But most importantly, core building materials, iron rod and cement, are the chief culprits. SON has duty on the quality of building materials and needed no extraneous advise

to know that proper products labelling entails adequate user information as part of its duties.

With this development, Lafarge and associates want the court to stop the “new standardisation” order from being implemented. No one can pretend to do the work of the court other or better than the court.

The court of public opinion and public interests has moral duty also, and here, we try to represent the matter in the lights of business ethics, national values and respect for the larger citizenry and national interests.

The protesters, among them UNICEM Nigeria Limited, claim that the 32.5 grade is licensed for all purpose users. They further claim that the production is in public interest, because the buyers demand it! Lafarge claimed that the Malaysian Towers was built with the 32.5 cement grade as well as some globally renowned structures. Now, what utter deceit! That some Nigerian cement manufacturers are determined to misinform cement users and lead them to ruin for selfish ends is no longer doubtful. The Malaysian Towers cited

by Lafarge is masterpiece in steel works. There are similar structures in Nigeria, including the largest church building on earth: the Winners Church, Ota, Ogun State. Cement use in the facility and similar others is not for load-bearing. Fibre could have been used without endangering the facility or life. The main works: walls and floors are steel and that is it.

Professor Taiwo Osipitan, representing Lafarge, said his clients have a licence to continue producing the 32.5 grade until 2016 and SON must respect this.

I was in Imo State late May to early June and observed some construction works in progress: A soak-away pit being raised with UNICEM 32.5 grade cement. The contractor said it was what they had and had been using even in storey buildings. Some cement dealers said the UNICEM 32.5 grade is all they have.

There is an assumption that Lafarge and Dangote are at war to serve Nigeria, but both are business hawks eager to consume any and every other prey.

Nigeria is the first prey and already taken care of. Experts say that cement can sell below N1,000 per bag and the manufacturers and importers still smile big to the banks, but they take their advantages to the limit. Surely, it is not ethical business to inflict injury on unsuspecting consumers. And that is what manufacturers who fail to inform users adequately about products power, limitations and lapses have exploited to maximum effect over the years.

Dr. Joseph Odumodu, the director general of SON, has positively affected several sectors of the economy. But getting values for hard-earned money is primarily the turf of the Consumer Protection Council. Unfortunately, CPC is not yet there; not in the class of the new SON or Dora Akunyili’s NAFDAC. No one has said that the 32.5 grade is substandard. Government (SON) is saying that it will now be limited to plastering works only. Dozens, if not hundreds, of lives have been lost in Nigeria over the last decade from building collapses. In saner societies, not only the builders would by now be having a rethink, but the materials producers and sup-

pliers. Unfortunately, this is Nigeria where any and every impunity is borne by the populace without mitigation or recompense.

Indeed, CPC should have since risen to the occasion and taken actions against building materials manufacturers nationwide.

According to Odumodu, incidents of building collapse rose from 2006 when local producers took control of the market. Between 2004 and 2006, the bulk of cement was imported and all the importers imported the same 42.5 grade. It was with increased local production that the 32.5 grade swayed its growth.

The greed of Nigeria’s cement industry is excessive and must be redeemed. Experts say that ten percent marginal cost is needed to upgrade and produce the 42.5 grade from the 32.5 production line. But ignorant Nigerian consumers pay about same price for both and that is part of the ploy: if 32.5 sells at same price as 42.5 and the manufacturers label both of them All Purpose, how can anyone say there is a world of difference?

Now will CPC file action, or do we wait for the civil society groups? Here is an opportunity for discerning lawyers to make their name and fortune. Perhaps, it will take years and decades, but ultimately justice will be done.

The Nigerian cement industry purposely misled the buying public by failing to give details about their products strength and limitations under the guise of all-purpose to cause users to apply products wrongly, causing the death of many.

–Anyamele wrote in from Lagos.

news

Those Undermining Our Cohesiveness Through Terrorism’ll Not Succeed – Jonathan

Nebo Says Power Generation’ll Hit 6000mw Before December

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

By nan

President Goodluck Jonathan has vowed that those who want to use terrorism to undermine Nigeria cohesiveness would not succeed, even as he said it was a trying time for the country.

The President, who was speaking yesterday at the 21st, 22nd and 23rd combined convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology FUT Minna, said that the trying period is occasioned by the challenges of terrorism leading to killing of innocent persons.

The President stated that, “Innocent lives are being wasted by some people who have chosen to undermine our cohesiveness as a people, they will not succeed”.

The President who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, John Nwaobiala urged the people to be vigilant as the war against terrorism could only be won with the cooperation of all Nigerians.

On the forthcoming 2015 general elections, the President also admonished youths for a responsible engagement and participation; while encouraging them to vote for credible candidate of their choice.

“I would also like to point out especially to our youths, that the general elections are fast approaching, this calls for responsible engagement and participation”, the President declared.

He stated that the youths must shun all invitations to political thuggery or acts that could undermine free, fair and credible election, while maintaining that the vibrancy of youths must be invested in meaningful enterprise.

According to him, his administration has reinforced the federal scholarship board to expand access to scholarships to many Nigerian students both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, within and outside the country.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, says electricity generation in the country will hit 6,000 megawatts before December.

Nebo said this in Nsukka on Saturday at the 15th Herbert Macaulay Memorial Lecture organised by the Faculty of Engineering, University of Nigeria Nsukka.

The lecture was titled; “Revitalising an Effective Power System for Sustainable Development in Nigeria”.

Nebo said the present administration had invested much in the power sector having known that electricity was a catalyst to the realisation of vision 20:2020.

“This is one of the catalysts which can make the country to become one of the top 20 economics in the world.

“When Jonathan assumed office, the power generation was 2,250 megawatts, but today it is 4,000 and by December this

year the country’s generation will hit 6,000.

“The transformation agenda of the present administration has helped to transform every sector of the economy, especially the power sector,” he said.

The minister said vandalism of gas pipelines, distribution, transmission and infrastructure of the sector were greatest threat facing the sector, and urged stakeholders to assist in eradicating these sabotage. ``Nigerian stakeholders and civil society should increase advocacy crusade against this major act of sabotage against the power sector. ``Realisation of the dream of the present administration in power sector will help to reduce unemployment as well as boost national economy development. ``Government plans to diversify the energy sector through the exploitation of renewable source of energy in solar, wind, coal and small hydropower,’’ he said.

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Sunday, June 22, 2014

Ado Bayero: His Reign And Travails

By Ado Umar Muhammad, Lagos The first time I saw the late Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Bayero, the 13th Fulani Emir of Kano, was as a child in 1961. My family house was just a stone’s throw from Kwalli Police Station, then the headquarters of the Native Authority (NA) Police, where he was the Wakilin Doka, or Chief of Police. As inquisitive children eager to catch a glimpse of the popular prince, I remember we would go and start fiddling with a water tap near the main building of the police headquarters. The window of Wakilin Doka’s office was overlooking the tap, and we took delight in sighting him with fondness.

Alhaji Ado Bayero was a man who loved children. Because of his legendary humility and friendliness, sometime if he walked by and we were close enough, he would look at us with a smile, and that was enough to make our day.

We would then savour the gesture for weeks on end. No wonder when two or three years later he was named as the new emir, we enthusiastically joined the multitude that celebrated the news.

Some of the early events in his reign that I still remember witnessing are the formal presentation of staff of office to him at the then Festival Stadium (now Sani Abacha Stadium), and the opening ceremony of Waje Mosque at Fagge in the metropolis. The first event was special to the people because it was graced by the great Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, first and only Premier of Northern Region.

The second was particularly special to the emir himself as I recall him saying at the occasion that it was his long-standing ambition to

build a big mosque in Kano, in emulation of his late father, the 10th emir, Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero.

“Sarki Alhaji,” as he is fondly referred to, built the famous Central Mosque in Kano City.

In the almost 51 years that he reigned as emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero had his triumphs and tribulations.

Generally speaking, his reign witnessed peace and tremendous development in Kano, and as the years rolled by, he was able to endear himself to the people because of his devotion to his traditional functions, his love and care for them. Before our eyes, Kano transformed from a semiurban area to a sprawling city of commerce, industries and learning, with contrasting features of ancient and modern architecture adorning its landscape.

His travails included the queries issued to him and his bosom friend, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, for visiting Israel without obtaining permission from the Federal Military Government. Nigeria had no diplomatic ties with Israel at the time. The wide publicity that was given to the query by the national and international media must have tormented the two royal fathers.

Before that, in the Second Republic, there was an attempt to whittle down his powers by the first executive governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi. The governor created three more emirates from Kano for Gaya, Rano and Dutse and appointed firstclass emirs for them. He did same for Auyo in Hadejia Emirate, and promoted the emirs of Hadejia, Gumel and Kazaure, who hitherto were under Kano Emirate, from second to first-class status.

There was also an apparent move to remove him, but the pro-

Bayero

tests that this prompted resulted in acts of brigandage and arson.

Rimi’s political adviser, Dr. Bala Mohammed, an ace broadcaster and lecturer at Bayero University, was killed by a mob on July 10, 1981. Valuable documents and buildings were touched and destroyed at Audu Bako Secretariat, state House of Assembly, and the new building of Triumph Publishing Company, where a new Rondoset publishing machine was burnt to ashes.

There is no denying also that the late emir had had a running battle in recent years with the incumbent governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, which snowballed and came to a head with the governor’s rejection of the emir’s choice of new Waziri of Kano, Sheikh Nasir Muhammad Nasir. Both leaders stood their grounds as they tussled over the issue. According to the Peoples Daily newspaper of 03/06/2014, the governor consequently sent a letter to the emir, threatening to either dethrone him or create two more emirates for Gaya and Karaye, a la Governor Rimi in the past. The emir had never liked the idea of anything that would reduce his area of authority, whether it was emirates or states creation, and the govern-

ment was certainly aware of this.

Even though the intervention of a representative of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Hassan Danbaba, seemed to have settled the matter as it was resolved that the appointment of Sheikh Nasir be reversed, a later event proved that it was not assuasive enough for the emir.

The misunderstanding between Kwankwaso and the emir escalated shortly after Kwankwaso returned to power in 2011 after failing to do so eight years earlier. Those eight years witnessed the reign of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau as governor during which the emir was accused by the then “PDP Kwankwasiyya” of identifying with Shekarau’s government and getting involved in its programmes.

They pointed to the fact that the emir personally went to almost all the 44 local government areas to launch Shekarau’s flagship programme, known as “A DAIDAITA SAHU,” and ginger the people to accept its message of moral rejuvenation by adapting to the tenets of the Sharia. At a point, the spokesman of a PDP Kwankwasiyya delegation that visited the emir openly expressed their displeasure with the emir’s action.

As a sign of respect, hardly did anyone ever disagree with the emir’s actions in public. But the man told the emir point-blank that they considered his actions as getting involved in partisan politics. It can then be assumed that the clash might have its genesis in the protracted political feud between the governor and his predecessor. However, it must be pointed out that Alhaji Ado Bayero’s patronage of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, whom he knew as a child, and his government stemmed from the fact that

the emir considered him as his son, having worked closely with his father, the late Malam Shekarau Giginyu, who was one of his lieutenants when he was Wakilin Doka.

Chief Inspector Shekarau Giginyu was third or fourth in rank to the Wakili. The emir himself cited this reason shortly after conferring the then governor with the coveted title of Sardauna of Kano on January 21, 2010. He said late Shekarau was obedient, dedicated and loyal to him. The late emir’s attitude towards Shekarau Jr. and vice versa can therefore be understood only if it is viewed from this angle. It is wrong to assume that it had anything to do with politics.

The most serious of his travails, of course, was the last of the three attempts on his life. The first two were by individuals who foolishly thought they could eliminate him through sheer physical force. The last in January, 2010 was blamed on Boko Haram elements. They stopped his convoy in the street and sprayed it with bullets, resulting in the killing of three people including one of his bodyguards who shielded him from the bullets.

Finally, while congratulating Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II on his appointment as the 14th Fulani Emir of Kano, I pray that Allah will grant him long life, good health and the will to offer meritorious services to the people of Kano. May I also pray that, in the vital interest of the state, he will use his good offices to reconcile the incumbent governor and his predecessor once and for all? Indeed, the emir is dead, long live the Emir!

Muhammad is former Editor-inChief, Triumph Newspapers, Kano

opinion

Baraka Sani, A Personification Of Agricultural Transformation

By IZZUDDEEN MUHAMMAD YAKASAI

“Only small minds criticise big ideas” – proverb.

I want to first of all say well-done to the proponents of the notion that says, what a man can do a hardworking woman can do even better. Dr. Baraka Sani was the first female commissioner for agriculture and natural resources in Kano State, if not in the whole northern region or the nation. No doubt, Dr. Baraka Sani has brought about tremendous achievements in the agricultural sector during her stay as commissioner for agriculture for the last three years.

It’s a common fact among Nigerian farmers that agriculture is a male-dominated affair. Thus, for any woman to break this jinx and comes out with flying colours has to be large-hearted, bold and intelligent.

The only female commissioner for agriculture in the history of Kano, Dr. Baraka Sani has successfully steered the affairs of the ministry for agriculture, leaving behind

indelible marks that will be difficult to erase.

It could be recall that her appointment as commissioner for agriculture in 2011 by the present Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, had generated mixed feelings, considering her gender position and the task ahead of her to manage the sector which is so large and remains the mainstay of the economy of the state.

To the surprise of many, Dr. Baraka Sani has done a spectacular job and within a short time silenced her critics. She has brought about new developments and initiatives that change the sector for good with accuracy and efficiency.

The former commissioner was the first to establish farmers club as she revived about 900 State Secondary Schools Young Farmers’ Clubs and where they didn’t exist, new ones were established.

It was also her initiative; the establishment of the farmers’ radio, the first of its kind in sub-Saharan African broadcasting on AM frequency. This avails farmers of the

state and beyond the opportunity to access information on new production techniques, increased farmers’ access to information, and transfer of technology.

In her urge to ensure adequate and timely supply of quality production inputs, especially seeds and fertilisers which are key to agricultural productivity, Dr. Sani remained committed to the implementation of the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES) of the federal government.

In 2013 wet season alone, the former Kano commissioner ensured that over 450,000 farmers were registered and had benefitted from the programme.

In her watch, the state government expended the sum of over N1.7 billion being 25 per cent of the total cost of inputs received by the state’s farmers in rice, maize and groundnuts.

Under her watch, Kano State government had expended millions of naira in the administration of annual CBPP, PPR and AR vaccination under animal health care

programme.

She also ensured that the state government also upgraded and improved grazing reserves through boundaries demarcation and pasture development to reduce farmer/pastoralist conflicts.

Dr. Baraka Sani has in the last two and half years, either independently or in partnership with international agencies, launched farmers and rural-based projects which have increased food production, averaged farmers’ income, and ensured self-sufficiency as well as poverty alleviation, among others.

Her laudable programmes of empowerment have seen over 10,000 butchers trained on meat-handling and hygiene. Many more women were trained on various skills acquisitions.

The giant stride of Dr. Baraka Sani in commercial crops has driven her to initiate the Kano Commercial Crops Development Initiative (KCCDI) programme, aimed at promoting the development of commercial crops production and processing in the 44 local govern-

ment areas of the state with the assistance of notable research institutes as well as reputable organisations worldwide.

As part of her revolutionary approach towards promoting agricultural development, Dr. Baraka Sani led the way to the creation of seven agricultural capacity-building and skills acquisition institutes in Kano State. They were established principally to train youths and women in the lucrative business of agriculture, thereby creating jobs and reducing the impact of poverty among the most vulnerable groups in the society.

However, these are the least of the achievements of Dr. Baraka Sani when she was the commissioner for agriculture in Kano. With her new appointment as Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Agriculture, if given the greater opportunity, she is going to champion the cause of one cardinal goal of transformation agenda, which is agriculture.

Yakasai wrote in from Kano

69

Sunday, June 22, 2014

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

Asari’s Mouth Runneth Over!

“The price of peace is often cheaper than the cost of war” Dele Momodu.

What a couple of weeks it has been. Many had been riveted by the events in Kano with baited breath, hoping for a positive outcome. In the end it ended well with the new emir gaining access to the palace and calm returning. There is no doubt that the traditional institution in Nigeria is one to be revered, honoured and respected, whether it is ruling from the East, West, North or South. It is an institution that is here to stay.

I literally gasped for breath when I saw the online comments of Asari Dokubo of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force describing the new Emir of Kano, HRH Sanusi Lamido Sanusi in the most unpalatable terms, as a turbaned canine and using visuals to further illustrate his point. I felt thoroughly incensed and sick to the pit of my stomach, simply because I put in perspective the thought that if any of the revered South-South title holders were described in such terms by any person of notable

notoriety from the north, all hell would have let loose in the creeks.

Let me state here that I am not from Kano State, neither do I know the new emir and have never met him. I am a Muslim, Asari is a Muslim. We are both Nigerians.

That is where the similarity ends.

‘How dare he’, was my thought. This man is being allowed to get away with spouting much nonsense.

It is the same Dokubo that put up exploitative online pictures of young Muslim girls, probably his daughters, holding up banners stating that no girl was abducted in Chibok. Such effrontery must surely come with consequences.

When young militants, under his leadership ran amok in the Niger Delta region destroying the commonwealth of Nigerians, while being enriched in the process, many did not cry foul. Nigerians agreed with the leadership to end the siege on our collective wealth by empowering the militants. Now, Mr Dokubo has had his fill of “our oyel

(oil) money” and no doubt feels that is the requisite license to mouth-off at perceived enemies of the state.

Of course, we have those that made sacrifices to the nation to ensure our freedom. With freedom of speech also comes responsibility. I often say that as a country, we have such diverse cultures and backgrounds that it sometimes makes it difficult for us to understand each other.

Asari Dokubo just does not get it. He has benefitted financially from the resources of Nigeria with unfettered access to our nations coffers and so can assault our sensibilities. The more our leaders remain silent in the face of untruths and injustice, the more divided our country will be and the more people like him will feel they have the right to say anything.

As far as I am concerned, Asari is not in the best position to defend Mr President or this administration.

He must decide if he wants to be a mouth piece or a militant fighter for

resources. There are more refined ways of defending his kinsman. All he needs to do is showcase all the achievements of the administration and leave the rest for the people of Nigeria to decide at the ballot box.

With all the resources at Dokubo’s disposal, I would like to know if he has bettered the lot of his people.

How many more have been educated or have made an impact in the region? Fighting someone else’s battle is not what we need.

Fundamentally, we need peace in Nigeria. We need peace to understand each other. We need peace to develop. We need peace to ensure we support the leaders we elected and ensure they succeed. We certainly do not need any bellicose militant, armed with a sense of selfimportance telling us anything or insulting our leaders after feeding fat on the state. It is time Mr Dokubo acted like the leader he believes he is, to promote peace and security and to ensure his people grow and succeed in one Nigeria.

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

It is either the government is not interested in implementing its industrial blueprints or its agencies are sabotaging efforts at implementing them

I ask if the federal and FCT governments are content with making Abuja and Nigeria a contract-pursuing, civil service country. My question is informed by the way business owners, industrialists and estate developers are discouraged from doing business in the federal capital through unwholesome and obnoxious illegally duplicated taxes and levies.

Last week, an acquaintance, whose company is developing an estate in Abuja, drew my attention to one of those criminal ploys deployed by government agencies to fleece any form of investment one tries their hands on in Abuja. Before construction work commenced on his site, they had sought and secured all necessary approvals from concerned government regulatory departments.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) had been carried out and vetted by the development authorities. However, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) served them a letter two weeks ago, mandating them to pay a “review charge of N500, 000 and an administrative charge corresponding to the cost of your project”. In addition, it would be the exclusive prerogative of AEPB to appoint a consultant for the job from a pool of their “accredited consultants”! In fact, the letter’s complimentary open started with: “You are requested to stop work immediately...”

Double Jeopardy If this isn’t daylight robbery, then I wonder what name to call it. I was made to understand that the site had received nothing less than eight similar letters from government agencies threatening to obstruct work on the project which already has all the regulatory approvals and environmental impact analysis, from no less than the Development Control Unit of the FCDA. Has this happened to you too? My advice to the demoralised investor was for him to continue work and make all relevant documents available and be ready to view whenever AEPB feels like coming to actualise its threat. He should also take the threatening letters to Development Control, for their comments on this and as a last resort to take the matter up in court.

The situation is almost as if these agencies are set up to obstruct, using strong-arm tactics to enforce the use of their often non-existent services. It appears that the poor are made to bear a disproportionate burden for the lack of capacity or the unwillingness of government to provide what should by right be our due. The Idu Industrial Estate, which normally should be the flagship of Abuja’s industrialisation, is nothing but a junkyard. Infrastructure at the Industrial Estate is deplorable; electricity supply is erratic and

incapable of powering industries located there. Communication is a challenge as no masts have been erected there and road construction has been abandoned. Yet, businesses are threatened with illicit levies and taxes. Most recently, trucks have refused to ply Idu Yard because at the entrance is a gang of armed tax force agents, arm-twisting truck drivers into paying an unspecified freight levy on behalf of government.

It is clear that it is either the government is not interested in implementing its industrial blueprints, such as the National Industrial Skills Development Programme and the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan, or its agencies are sabotaging efforts at implementing them. Either way, we are killing businesses that we expect to create jobs.

We lack the urge to propel our country’s industrialisation drive.

This is why the relevant officials of industry and job creation-related departments sit on their made-inChina furniture and draft onerous letters to the same businesses they are supposed to support for greater output. There are Nigerian factories performing nothing short of wonders without government’s support in Kano, Abuja, Lagos, Aba, Port Harcourt, etc. Mr

Director would do well to visit these companies and ascertain how to encourage and not cripple them.

Funny enough, the same government officials would be quickest to claim the glory when something good is said about the Nigerian economy. Like the recent rebasing of our GDP, which every public servant attributed to their ‘oga at the top’. But we all know that it is the undying spirit of Nigerians that keeps the flame of the Nigerian economy burning.

Left to the uninformed statisticreeling ministers and special advisers, our economy would be in shambles, because government is not doing enough. A government that has not adequately invested in human capital and infrastructure is frustrating and averting enthusiastic investors who are risking all to run their businesses in such unfriendly circumstances. Of course, many are content with our importation culture; it affords inflated contracts and kickbacks. It also ensures that their fronted concerns get the exclusive importation licenses and accompanying waivers! This adds zero value to our economy and only fuels that of others.

If you are experiencing these challenges, as an industrialist, a manufacturer, an employer of men, please do not take it sitting down.

Rise up and rally your neighbours.

We must not collude with our silence.

The more our leaders remain silent in the face of untruths and injustice, the more divided our country will be

Leadership sunday

DAY With

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Ishaku Kigbu

11

World Cup Television Coverage Breaks Viewing Records – FIFA

By Salifu Usman, with Agency report

Television coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup has broken a whole host of viewing records during the first round of group matches in Brazil, highlighting the growing popularity of the competition and football around the world.

Cote d’Ivoire’s clash against Japan was one of the most viewed games of the 2014 World Cup with television coverage shattering a host of records during the first round of group matches, FIFA said yesterday.

The viewing figures also revealed an impressive increase in the United States, Canada and Australia, where the World Cup is helping to drive interest in the game to new levels.

As many as 34.1 million viewers in Japan watched the team’s 2-1 defeat by the Ivorians on the NHK channel; while 42.9 million in Brazil saw the hosts beat Croatia 3-1 in the tournament’s opener on TV Globo.

The match between the U.S. and Ghana was

Blatter

watched by 11.1 million on ESPN in the United States, setting a new record for ESPN coverage of a men’s World Cup match.

England and Italy’s opener attracted 14.2 million on BBC1 in the UK and 12.8 million on RAI 1, the highest TV audiences in both countries in 2014, while Germany’s win over Portugal reached 26.4 million on ARD in Germany, the biggest 2014 TV sports audience.

“These record-breaking figures show just how popular football and the FIFA World Cup are across the world, from Japan to Argentina,” said Niclas Ericson, Director of FIFA TV. “We are seeing highly encouraging growth in interest in markets such as the United States and Australia.”

“The FIFA broadcast production of all World Cup matches makes this competition truly global and accessible for fans all over the world.

It therefore plays a crucial role in supporting FIFA’s core mission to develop football everywhere, and for all.”

Niclas Ericson, Director of FIFA TV Record-breaking figures show just how popular football and the FIFA World Cup are across the world, from Japan to Argentina. We are seeing highly encouraging growth in interest in markets such as the United States and Australia

Today’s Matches • Belgium vs Russia • Korea Republic vs Algeria • USA vs Portugal

Rooney Wants England’s Pride Restored England striker Wayne Rooney said yesterday that his side were “hurting” after their early World Cup elimination and urged his team-mates to “restore pride” against Costa Rica on Tuesday.

“Obviously we’re hurting,” the Manchester United striker told a press conference at England’s Rio de Janeiro training base. “It’s really disappointing to be out of the tournament, so I’m sure you can imagine it’s quite tough.

There’ll be a long few days for us now and we have to try and pick ourselves up for this game on Tuesday, go out fighting and show our pride.”

England lost their first two Group D games 2-1 against Italy and Uruguay and were eliminated on Friday after the Italians lost 1-0 to Costa Rica in Recife.

It is the first time England have gone out in the first phase of a World Cup since the 1958 tournament in Sweden.

However, English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has confirmed that England manager Roy Hodgson will stay on until UEFA EURO 2016 and Rooney says the squad were fully behind him.

Injury Sends Von Bergen Home Switzerland’s Steve von Bergen will miss the rest of the FIFA World Cup after fracturing his left eye socket in the 5-2 defeat to France, the Swiss FA confirmed yesterday.

The 31-year-old centre-back was accidentally kicked in the head by France striker Olivier Giroud after seven minutes of their Group E clash in Salvador on Friday and had to be helped off with a deep cut over his left eye. He was taken to hospital where a scan revealed the extent of the injury.

“He will be repatriated as soon as possible to Switzerland, accompanied by Dr Roland Grossen,” read a statement from the Swiss Federation. “He will then be cared for by specialists.”

Yesterday’s results • Argentina 1 - 0 Iran • Ghana 2 - 2 Germany • Nigeria 1 - 0 Bosnia

Rooney

Messi

Messi Magic Takes Argentina Through To 2nd Round

Our Pride Still At Stake – Spain

By Salifu Usman, Abuja

Napoli defender Raul Albiol believes Spain will be motivated to avoid the embarrassment of exiting the World Cup without registering a single point when they face Australia on Monday.

The world and European champions have already been eliminated thanks to defeats to Chile and the Netherlands, bringing to an end a wonderful six-year run in which they won three consecutive major tournaments.

“We are at a World Cup, we may be eliminated but we need to win and take some points so that we are not last in the group,” said the former Real Madrid man.

A stunning injury-time goal by Lionel Messi has taken Argentina through to the Round of 16 with a 1-0 win over Iran in Belo Horizonte’s Estadio Mineirao. The Barcelona star’s late winner keeps La Albiceleste top of Group F on six points and leaves the Iranians stuck on one.

Prior to Messi’s timely intervention, the match had been a tale of domination and frustration for Alejandro Sabella’s side, with a goal remaining elusive due to Iran’s determined defending. Gonzalo

Higuain had been promoted to starting line-up and he started the game well, setting up first Angel Di Maria and then Sergio Aguero for efforts on goal, the second of which forced an acrobatic save from Alireza Haghighi.

Messi again looked subdued during the opening 45, with his only attempt coming on 33 minutes when he curled a free-kick just over the top right-hand corner. The Argentina captain then set up his team’s best chance of the half four minutes later, crossing for Ezequiel Garay, who headed wastefully over from inside the six-yard-box.

Iran, meanwhile, spent much of the match with all 11 players behind the ball, although they did offer a threat at set pieces. They could, in fact, have gone into the interval 1-0 only for Jalal Hosseini to head inches over after rising highest to meet Ashkan Dejagah’s outswinging corner.

Carlos Queiroz’s side also carved out a golden opportunity at the start of the second half, when Reza Ghoochannejad’s header forced an excellent reflex stop from Sergio Romero. However, their efforts became increasingly desperate as Iran’s defence held firm.

sports 71

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Commonwealth Games: Performance Director Unveils Strategy For Gold Medals Drag stories By Salifu Usman, Abuja

Eric Campbell, Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), high performance director has revealed that strategies were being worked out to ensure Team Nigeria excelled at the next month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

He said efforts are underway to select formidable team that would do the country proud at the quadrennial sporting fiesta.

“We are assisting with camp-

ing, with coaching, nutrition, the things that come along with high performances as well as the structures of the national championships and the selection process.

“Those things can have impact on such short period of time from now to the games. We are putting every efforts in making sure that correct team is being selected and are being properly prepared,” he said.

According to him, National sports Commission (NSC)’s 15 gold medal can be surpassed once

the athletes adhere strictly to instructions. “The DG is our leader, so if he wants 15 gold then hopefully we can exceed that. I don’t think you will be going for a competition expecting a warning to lose.

“To be specific and say gold medal is one thing, for us we want a new way of thinking by the country to understand that every single medal is important. Obviously to get the gold is to say that you are the best of the best; that is what we want to happen but our goal is to go in and get more medals.”

New Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games action

Kano Pillars Resumes Training Tomorrow

Para-Power Athletes To Embark On Foreign Training Tour

Nigeria league champions, Kano Pillars will resume training tomorrow ahead of the second phase of the Nigeria Professional Football League after a two week break. The defending champions ended the first round topping the table with 34 points.

According to the media officer of the club, Rilwanu Idris, all the players and technical crew of the team are expected back in Kano today before the commencement of the training tomorrow at Kano pillars stadium, Sabon Gari, Kano.

Idris noted in the statement that it’s necessary for the team to call up the break consider-

The Nigeria Para-Powerlifting Federation (NPPF) is to embark on a training tour of South Korea or Germany in preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Samuel Ekeoma, technical director of the federation disclosed this while speaking to newsmen.

He, however, clarified that the training tour would depend on the choice of the National Sports Commission (NSC). “We can only suggest but the National Sports Commission (NSC) knows the best for us and I know they are working towards it,” he stated.

He said their tour of South Korea in preparation for the Lon-

Kano Pillars

ing the plans of the team to do well in this year’s federation cup which round 32 would hold in two

weeks’ time. Pillars will face National League side, Gateway fc at the Lokoja Stadium in Kogi State.

don 2012 Paralympics was fantastic and the team made good use of the opportunity by excelling at the London Paralympic.

“In London 2012, we were in South Korea and Korea was so good. So, I don’t know where they will take us to. The only thing we know is that they have all the techniques to know where will be suitable for us; so, wherever they keep us for the fact the facilities are intact, we will adapt.

“We have suggested to be in Korea or in Germany; so everything depends on what is at their own disposal and what they are able to afford at this moment.”

AMUSEMENT PARK

i have never killed a man, but i have read many obituaries with a lot of pleasure — Clarence Darrow

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

22.06.14 No. 437 N300

Aniebo Nwamu

The Sunday Column aniebo@leadership.ng

T

Nobody will accept the outcome of an election that has already been rendered illegitimate

here may still be a country called Nigeria on December 31, 2015. What is not certain now is the composition of that country and its leadership. I don’t begrudge the optimists, but I always face reality. A few years ago, we had forewarned of the grave dangers the country might face. The optimists insisted that “nothing will happen”. Of course, nothing happens so long as the names of the president and state governors do not change and the money-guzzling legislators remain untouched. But a lot has been happening: 17, 000 people murdered, 219 girls kidnapped, 20 Fulani women missing, the economy on the verge of collapse, a large part of the country isolated, policemen and soldiers going on strike, polytechnics closed for one year.

I’m yet to see how Goodluck Jonathan would carry this baggage into 2015 and come out unscathed. When he announced that he would inaugurate a national dialogue, I thought he had devised an escape route – a conference that would make a new constitution he would faithfully implement and quietly leave power. Judging by the attitude of the hawks that seem to have held the president hostage and the way the National Conference is proceeding, however, I no longer hold that view. Yes, the confab has taken a few popular decisions. But how will they be implemented? Who will implement what?

The president should show leadership. By now, he ought to have decided to declare a state of emergency throughout Nigeria effective July or just at the end of the confab. Nigeria is at war and, to end this war, tough decisions have to be taken. With a state of emergency, the national and state assemblies would be on forced vacation and the president would rule by decree.

The commander-in-chief of the armed forces would then proceed to accommodate all the decisions reached at the confab in a new constitution that would take ef-

Nigeria In 2015

fect from October 1, 2015.

I don’t see any better way of rescuing Nigeria from destroyers. Nothing good can come out of a conference that would depend on a referendum to be decided by this National Assembly. Are we condemned to talking without doing? Why this endless waste of scarce resources?

As I have stated before, this may well be Nigeria’s last chance.

All indicators point to 2015 as the year Nigeria will either disintegrate or mend itself. For one, I don’t see an election taking place under the current atmosphere.

For another, nobody will accept the outcome of an election that has already been rendered illegitimate.

I urge the National Conference to throw a challenge to President Jonathan by making good recommendations. When it requested memoranda from the public, some of us felt they should have listened to the suggestions we’ve made in recent times. I have canvassed the following ideas on this page on October 6, 2013, and on March 16, 2014: Citizen identification: Nobody knows the population of Nigeria or the human population in the various states today. Our borders are the most porous in the world. No proper census has ever been conducted here. Therefore, I recommend that every Nigerian’s identity be captured in one document that would serve as his voter card, tax information card and national identity card. No one should be able to open a bank account, attend tertiary school, go to hospital, vote at elections, get a job, board an airplane or enjoy other privileges without this “catch-all” card.

Back to regionalism: The only people’s constitution Nigeria has had is the 1963 Constitution. We can go back to it and make a few amendments.

We don’t need 36 states, all but three distressed. If we had a sixor seven-region federal structure today, each region would manage its scarce resources better. Each would have no need of a bicameral legislature that contributes

little but guzzles a quarter of national resources. A part-time unicameral legislature would be more attractive. Certainly, the FG won’t afford to pay an idle lawmaker N20m per month, nor would any region that values its resources. The FG won’t need more than 40 lawmakers who would work on part-time basis. Also, it would be “no work, no pay”: civil and public servants would be paid for only their time and service, strike or no strike, recess or no holiday.

Better resource management: This is what federalism is all about. The current system is unjust. Allocation for derivation could be increased to 25 per cent now and 50 per cent after 5 or 10 years. Each region would be expected to develop its raw materials, electricity sector, railways and roads with oil funds within the grace period. Under a new revenue allocation formula, the FG should take less than 10 per cent and the regions, the rest. Each region will determine whether to have local governments or not as well as the structure of its armed forces and police force.

New tax administration: There is hardly any rich Nigerian who has not stolen public funds or sabotaged the nation’s economy. To let the loot return so that wealth could be redistributed, a law should enable the state to seize assets whose sources their owners cannot explain. All private jets, for example, should be seized.

Neighbourhood watch: There would be not just state police but local police, community police and, where necessary, family police. The bottom-line is security. What we call vigilante now could be transformed to an efficient neighbourhood watch.

What has happened to intelligence gathering? Why don’t we have security in spite of the myriad of agencies and the trillions appropriated as security vote?

Option A4: A brilliant idea invented by Humphrey Nwosu in 1992 has inexplicably been abandoned. Why? We can get our electoral system right by going

0805 410 0220 (sms only)

back to it. With Option A4, good leaders would emerge at very little cost. INEC wouldn’t demand N120 billion (or spend N500 billion every four years) to conduct a farcical election. Emerging from their polling unit or ward where they are well known, all aspirants would proceed to the other levels to select candidates for LG chairman, governor or prime minister at electoral colleges.

If there is political will on the part of incumbent officeholders, it will be possible for us to have a transformed country by 2015. All it requires is a legislation extending the life of the current regime to October 1, 2015, the day a new constitution would take effect. During the period of transition, the regions and the federal government would have selected or elected their leaders using different methods convenient for them.

It’s possible. A few people sat down for a few days and produced the 1999 Constitution; it won’t take rocket science to produce a better one within one year. Those opposing change because they wish to retain the privileges they enjoy now are being myopic: if things continue like this, their assets, their life and the future of their descendants won’t be assured. To save tomorrow, let’s reason together today.

GHANA MUST GO Polls: IGP relocates to Ekiti to forestall violence — ­ News

Doesn’t he know the way to Sambisa Forest?

• LEADERSHIP (ISSN 0331-328X) is published in Abuja by LEADERSHIP GROUP LIMITED, 27 Ibrahim Tahir Lane, Off Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Way, Utako District, Abuja P. O. Box 9514, Garki II, Abuja. Lagos Office: 34/36 Adegbola Street, Anifowose, Off Oba Akran, Ikeja. E-mail: info@leadership.ng, advert@leadership.ng, newsroom@leadership.ng