Today

12.06.14

thursday

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

No. 2,204

N150

NIGERIA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL NEWSPAPER

Muhammad Timta Becomes New Emir Of Gwoza Tomorrow

By Chika Otuchikere, Abuja

The Gwoza Emirate Council in Borno State, yesterday, announced Alhaji Muhammad Timta as the new Emir of Gwoza.

The Gwoza kingmakers

chose the new emir after a crucial meeting in the town.

LEADERSHIP learnt that the new emir will be officially presented with his letter of

appointment by the Borno State government tomorrow.

Timta replaces his father, Alhaji Shehu Mustapha Idrisa Timta, who was killed

on Friday, May 30, 2014 by members of Boko Haram sect while on his way to attend the burial of the late Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu

OPEC Scribe: Protests Against Diezani In Vienna > Page 12

Abubakar.

The late emir was killed at about 9am during a bloody attack by the sect members along Tashan Alade on the way to Biu town, headquarters of Biu Local Government Area in Southern Borno State.

apc convention

G-5 Govs,‘Legacy Parties’ In Supremacy Battle 5

Sylva, Oyegun for national chairman, Kashim Imam for secretary

Peruvian shamans making predictions for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 in front of the National Stadium of Peru, in Lima yesterday. photo

by AFP

Emirship: Keep Off Kano, Kwankwaso Warns Jonathan > Page 5

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chibok diary 59

Thursday, June 12, 2014

DAY

Ms. Jolie at war summit "There is no disgrace in being a survivor of sexual violence. The shame is on the aggressor."

@Bar_Baric

Any excess security personnel shooting Ekiti campaigners, grounding jets, or obstructing coronations should be sent to #BringBackOurGirls

@allyoyedokun

I cherish my freedom and I grew up to realise that a day in captivity is longer than the normal 24 hours. Please, #BringBackOurGirls.

@elnathan

#BringBackOurGirls , ALL of them. The Chibok ones. The ones before Chibok. The ones after Chibok. And any boys that may have been taken...

@coommark

Since the #ChibokGirls, hundreds have been massacred by #BokoHaram.

This campaign must now focus on #EndBokoHaram! @ UN @BringGirlsBack @CIA

@Lubtis

“@BringGirlsBack : Nouveaux enlèvements de jeunes femmes au Nigeria

@choqlateskynne

By Kunle Olasanmi, Abuja

An Abuja High Court has held that the Nigeria Police lacks the powers to stop rallies being held in respect of the abducted over 200 schoolgirls of the Federal Government College, Chibok, Borno State.

In his judgment over a suit filled by a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Dino Melaye, Justice Abubakar Talba, held that the Public Order Act, Cap 382 Laws of Nigeria 1990, which the police purportedly relied on, "does not authorise men of the NPF to disrupt rallies or possession on the issue of the abducted Chibok girls."

Melaye had filled the fundamental human rights enforcement suit, challenging the disruption of May 9, rally he led in Abuja in support of the girls abducted by Boko Haram in Chibok.

The judge declared unconstitutional the arrest of, and assault on Melaye by men of the NPF during the

Commercial Farmers Gets N228.58bn INFOGRAPHICS BY Matthew Akhabue

THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN) SAID IT RELEASED A TOTAL OF N228.58 BILLION TO PARTICIPATING BANKS FOR DISBURSEMENT TO COMMERCIAL FARMERS UNDER THE COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE CREDIT SCHEME (CACS) FOR 307 PROJECTS/PROMOTERS AT THE END OF APRIL 2014.

Group Lauds Court Verdict

By Chika Mefor, Abuja

The BringBackOurGirls Campaign Group has lauded the judgment of the Abuja High Court over the case filed by a former member House of Representatives, Hon Dino Melaye involving the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Commissioner of Police, FCT Command.

The group had during its usual sit out at the Unity Fountain, yesterday, expressed hope that its court case involving the Commissioner of Police FCT Command, Joseph Mbu today at the Federal High Court in Abuja will be as successful.

The group had on Tuesday last week dragged Mbu before the court alleging a violation of its rights by banning protest in the FCT.

applicant and the threat to further arrest him in respect of rallies or possession is unlawful. The disruption of peaceful rallies and procession by agents of the 1st and 2nd respondents is illegal and unconstitutional".

May 9 rally in Abuja.

Melaye had named the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Commissioner of Police, FCT Command as co-defendants to the suit.

The judge said, "The arrest of the

307

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The nimber of projects to be executed

17,067

The number of states to benefit

The number of farmers under the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS) in the first quarter of 2014

A sub-sectoral analysis of the loans guaranteed indicated that: FOOD CROPS

CHIBOK TRENDING

LIVESTOCK

13,111 N440.8m beneficiaries

MIXED CROPS

N137.5m 1,318 beneficiaries

N129.5m 1,008 beneficiaries

FISHERIES N75.6m 714 beneficiaries

CASH CROPS

OTHERS

N79.2m 452 beneficiaries

464 beneficiaries

67%

This is my country, God! Nawa! CNN is on the Boko Haram menace on a daily while our stations mope #BringBackOurGirls.

Police Lack Powers To Stop Rallies - Court

2.9%

@rescueourgirls

Calling for a collective effort towards the war against terrorism and pursuit for peace, Momodu said, “A militant is anyone who takes up arms against his nation, fellow citizens and foreigners alike, we must act now and restore peace.

“President Jonathan should ignore those telling him not to negotiate; he should have done so from day one and save the nation this agony.

No president could be bolder and as stubborn as former President Olusegun Obasanjo; yet he climbed down his high horse to fly militants over to Aso Rock.

“President Umaru Yar’Adua did not allow ethnic consideration or opposition to negotiate to derail the amnesty programme we enjoy today. No price is too much no matter the motive behind terror and I pray Jonathan will achieve peace and unity.”

2.9%

"We will be free tomorrow" - It's not too much to ask.

Let's bring our girls home!" #BringBackOurGirls

Former presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP) in the 2011 election and the publisher of Ovation magazine, Mr Dele Momodu, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to put politics aside and negotiate for the immediate release of the abducted Chibok girls.

Momodu, who stated this in tweets to mark the 58th day since the abducted of the girls yesterday, prayed that God would enter the hearts of those who can liberate the schoolgirls, insisting that the only option was to negotiate their release.

According to him, it is clear that a military operation will expose the girls to terrible danger.

Urging Jonathan to act now Momodu said, “Let’s pray that God enter the hearts of those

who can liberate our girls; the only option is to negotiate their release. It is crystal clear that a military operation will definitely expose our girls to terrible danger; Mr President please act now.

“This is not the time to play politics with the lives of innocent young girls; we must all arise and encourage Mr President to act decisively. It is the height of cruelty for anyone to suggest that we should not negotiate with these militants; we’ve always done it and still doing it.”

He tweeted further that no price was too big for the lives of the over 200 vulnerable girls, stressing that it was a right automatically theirs as Nigerians.

“Truth is no decision has been taken because they are children of the poor; the IG of police was threatened when a minister’s mum was abducted.”

5%

@Abu_Aaid

By Ebriku John Friday, Abuja

5.3%

@SharonsRedShoes

#EndSexualViolenceInConflict #YesAllWomen #TimeToAct #Rape #NotForSale #BringBackOurGirls all relevant ...all connected. @ BringGirlsBack

Negotiate For Release Of Schoolgirls Now, Dele Momodu Tells Jonathan

16.9%

chibok tweets

Upcoming Events

N1.73bn

A TOTAL OF N843.03 MILLION WAS GUARANTEED TO 5,284 FARMERS UNDER THE ACGS IN APRIL, 2014.

THIS REPRESENTED A DECREASE OF 11.9 PER CENT BELOW THE LEVEL IN THE PRECEDING MONTH BUT WAS AN INCREASE OF 167.4 PER CENT ABOVE THE LEVEL IN THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD OF 2013

today Rally in Louisville,

Kentucky, USA

The sub-sectoral analysis of the loans guaranteed indicated that:

Tomorrow Rally in

Houston, Texas, Nigeria

COMPILED BY UGOCHUKWU IROKA

FOOD CROPS

Members of #Bring Back our Girls group in a village square meeting at unity fountain in Abuja yesterday.

PHOTO BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO

70.9%

LIVESTOCK 16.9%

MIXED CROPS 5%

FISHERIES 3.9%

CASH CROPS 2.6%

OTHERS 0.7%

3

our stand Thursday, June 12, 2014

Brazil 2014: Can Eagles Lift The Cup?

A

s the World Cup kicks off today in Brazil, expectations are high that the African champions, Nigeria, are on the threshold of history.

The preliminaries will be tough, no doubt. But making excuses will not be acceptable. Sitting uncomfortably at number 44 in the latest rankings recently released by world football governing body FIFA is unnerving for the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions. That the Super Eagles have slipped one place on the continent to seventh, behind Cape Verde and are ranked 28th among the 32 countries that will feature at the World Cup and the least side in Group F comprising Argentina (5), Bosnia (21) and Iran (43) is cause for much concern. The inability of the Super Eagles to improve on its previous rankings despite recording two draws against Scotland and Greece in recent friendlies attests to the fact that not much has been achieved technically by the Eagles squad handlers.

Notwithstanding, Keshi was upbeat as he insisted that he had to “take away emotions” before selecting his 23-man squad. He reassured sceptics that he was

thinking beyond Nigeria when he dropped seven players from his final squad. Critics say some of those dropped are better than some of the players on his final list. Defending his team list, Keshi said he had to do what he did, because of the bigger picture of capturing the World Cup for Africa. While many consider this boastful, Nigerians look forward to an improvement on Africa’s record of quarterfinal slots recorded by Cameroun, Senegal and Ghana in 1990, 2002 and 2010 respectively.

We need to point out that since no African team has ever reached the semi-final stage, Nigerians will be glad should Keshi’s team improve on Nigeria’s second

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

round ticket booked in USA ‘94 and France ‘98. With a 16-year break from World Cup finals and the fact that Nigeria has not won a World Cup match since beating Bulgaria 3-2 at the group stage at France ’98, Keshi and his team, in our view, should know that not moving beyond the quarterfinal stage will not wash with Nigerians.

In our opinion, it is also important the coach knows that beating Iran in the opening game is not part of the aspiration. Nigerians expect a better record and he should be guided by the fact that what rubbished his team at the Confederation Cup championship was his faulty selection.

That must be avoided at all cost now. The Super Eagles must concentrate on every match and be serious as each game comes. The team must be purposeful in the midfield and plug the fault lines in defence, while making the attack as pungent as possible.

We hope that the team will not be intimidated by the teams from Europe and South America and the big names they parade. The ultimate is for the team to meet the nation’s expectations and prove that it can do better than any African side has ever done before.

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

Leadership Holdings

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

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

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

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

4 news extra

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Group News Editor: Tony Amokeodo FG Signs MoU With Neighbours Over Terrorism The federal government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with some neighbouring countries to fight terrorism.

Coordinator of the National Information Centre on the rescue of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, Mr Mike Omeri made this known yesterday during the joint security briefing, where he also said that the MoU was signed in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on Tuesday.

Omeri also disclosed that the federal government has cautioned football lovers in the country to be security conscious while viewing the 2014 Brazil World Cup tournament from the viewing centres.

The coordinator, who stated that the signing of the MoU was part of the continuing efforts by the federal government to strengthen alliance against terrorism in the region, said the director-general of National Intelligence Agency (NIA) attended the ceremony.

Omeri added that the MoU was a follow up to the Paris Summit, adding that the minister of foreign affairs, Amb. Aminu Wali, was attending a meeting in London to build on the gains of the summit.

By Chika Otuchikere, Ejike Ejike, Patience Ihejirika, Abuja

L-R: Chairman, Aguene Art Foundation, Dr. Solomon Ogbonna, chairman of the ocassion, Sir William Park, the Guidance Counsellor in charge of Lagos State’s Special Educational Unit, Somolu Kosofe, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Williams, Lagos One Day governor, Master Olajuwon Badley, Chief Executive Officer/ Editor-in-chief, TEENS Connect Magazine, Mrs. Nkechi Ibeneme and special guest, Mr. Ayodele Adewale, at the inauguration of TEENS Connect Magazine in Lagos.

Gunmen Kill 19 In 2 Plateau Villages Rim, Jol Attack: STF confirms 3 personnel, 5 civilians dead

By Achor Abimaje, Jos

At least 19 persons have been feared killed and several persons injured in Rim and Jol villages of Riyom local government area of Plateau State by unknown gunmen in the area.

LEADERSHIP gathered that several homes were burnt by

the rampaging gunmen.

According to a source who spoke to our reporter on the condition of anonymity, the gunmen stormed the villages at about 1.30am yesterday and started shooting at any living thing on sight.

The source also said that amongst those killed were six members of the Special Task Force (STF) code-named Operation Safe Haven and 13 others.

The member representing

Riyom, Daniel Dem, confirmed the sad development to our reporter, describing it as unfortunate.

He said, “At about 1.30am, there was an attack on Rim and Jol villages. In Rim village, some persons were killed and houses were burnt while some security personnel were also killed.”

Dem appealed to the people of the communities to remain calm and not to take laws into their own hands.

LEADERSHIP recalled that Rim and Jol communities had recently raised the alarm that the Fulanis have a camp in Rim, where insurgents are being trained for possible attacks on Berom villages.

Confirming the attacks, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, STF spokesman, told our correspondent in Jos yesterday that three STF personnel and five civilians were killed by the gunmen who attacked the villages.

UNICEF Endorses Aregbesola’s Social Protection Policy

24-year-old Emerges Best Graduating PhD Student At UNILAG

United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) country representative in Nigeria, Ms Jean Goll, has said that the social protection policy and programmes of Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola should be emulated by other states of the federation.

The UNICEF representative, who spoke yesterday during a courtesy call on Aregbesola, described the school feeding programme and Agba Osun welfare scheme as policies that are adding value to the lives of pupils and elderly ones, as lasting legacies the administration would bequeath to the state.

Describing education as the foundation for development, Ms Goll said she was impressed by the infrastructure in the newly constructed schools she visited.

According to her, the school feeding in addition to serving as an encouragement and catalyst for pupils to stay in schools and learn, are very rich in nutritional values.

“Having gone round the schools, UNICEF is encouraged by the tremendous progress the state has made since the administration came on board,” she said.

By Joshua Dada, Osogbo

A 24-year-old student, Hallowed Oluwadara yesterday emerged the best graduating PhD student in the Department of Mathematics, University of Lagos, which describes him as one of the youngest Nigerians to attain such feat.

The graduand, who instantly became the cynosure of all eyes, thanked the general overseer of Deeper Life Ministry, Pastor W. F.

By Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, Lagos

Kumuyi, saying he had benefitted from the scholarship of the church, and that the scholarship also facilitated his return to Nigeria, and the choice of UNILAG as a place to study.

While also dedicating his achievement to God Almighty, he thanked his parents and many other individuals and organisations, especially the church, which he said made his academic journey a smooth one particularly with the provision of fund.

He said: “I did not have cause to

work because I was sponsored by the church and I lacked nothing which made my concentration much easier. This award particularly is a victory for the field of Mathematics especially as many people do not believe it is a field that could transform the world.

“I hope in the nearest future, I can achieve the goal of securing another PhD in Physics since my other degrees had always been in the two fields.”

Oluwadara, whose father is a cler-

gyman in the Central African Republic, had earlier completed two first degree programmes in Mathematics and Physics and two Master’s degree programmes in the same fields before returning to Nigeria to pursue his PhD. In a similar development, 21-yearold Bakare Oluwafemi Abubakar of the Department of Electrical and Electronics, Faculty of Engineering, emerged this year’s UNILAG Best Graduating Student with a cumulative gradient point of 4.86.

day held a valedictory session to pay tributes to its former member, late Professor Dora Akunyili, where some of the cabinet members fought back tears, while recounting her contributions to nation building.

President Jonathan who opened the special FEC session set the ball rolling for tributes from members of the council which shelved its usual business session to honour the late Akunyili.

Jonathan recalled how he first met with Akunyili when he was deputy governor of Bayelsa State, saying he had invited her for

breakfast during one of her NAFDAC engagements in the state.

The president said Akunyili had complained that the bread served at the breakfast table was not warmed and warned that it could contain germs, after which she summoned the cooks to tonguelash them for their neglect.

The spokesperson of the National Hospital, Dr. Tayo Haastrup, admitted that Akunyili’s body arrived the Hospital between 7:30pm and 8pm.

He said, “The corpse of Akunyili is with us and has been deposited at the National Hospital morgue.”

Akunyili’s Body Arrives In Abuja FEC holds special session for her

By George Agba, Abuja

The body of the late former minister of information and communication, Prof Dora Akunyili, arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport yesterday.

The remains of the former director-general of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) touched down at the airport at about 5:30pm accompanied by her husband, Dr Chike Akunyili, children, brothers and relatives.

One of the family members told

LEADERSHIP that the family in consultation with the federal and Anambra State governments will inform Nigerians of the date for the burial.

Prominent Nigerians who were at the airport to receive the body include former Anambra State governor, Mr Peter Obi, special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Ben Obi, former special adviser to the late Akunyili, Mr Francis Agbo.

The late NAFDAC boss died in an Indian hospital on Saturdayafter a battle with cancer.

Meanwhile, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) yester-

NEWS 5

Thursday, June 12, 2014

LIVING LIVING TOTO BE BE 100100

One health tip daily Ancient Formula Strengthens Your Essence

According to Chinese longevity philosophy, jing, or essence, is the basic substance of life. Innate essence is inherited from parentage and can be refined through practices such as tai chi, qigong, and meditation, while a second kind of jing, acquired during your life, can be replenished through diet, nutrition, and longevity herbs. A

formula for enduring youth passed down in our family medical tradion contains such essence-building herbs as Chinese wild yam, ligustri fruit, schisandra berry, sesame seed, eucommia bark, ho shou wu (fo ti) root, and cistanches root. Studies of all these plants confirm their positive effects on the hormonal, immune, and metabolic systems.

Emirship: Keep Off Kano, Kwankwaso Warns Jonathan

By DONALD OJOGO, Abuja

Jonathan

Kano State governor, Dr Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso yesterday warned President Goodluck Jonathan to keep his distance from the ‘already settled issue’ of the emergence of former Central Bank Governor, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the 57th Emir of Kano.

“President Jonathan does not know where his powers start and where they end; if not, he would not have induced the kind of crisis he and his party, the PDP precipitated by announcing the appointment of an Emir for Kano.

“The issue of the Emirship of Kano is already settled and we won’t go back to that; but the president should keep his eyes off Kano because he lacks powers to exercise in this regard,” Governor Kwankwaso told newsmen at the Kano Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

Sanusi’s emergence as the successor to the late Emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero, had elicited pockets of violent reactions from a section of the ancient city, raising concerns that an unpopular choice may have been made after all.

But defending the choice of the former banker, Governor Kwankwaso said Sanusi had what it took to be monarch of the city of Kano.

“I can tell you that Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has what it takes to be our Emir; he is well educated in western education as well as in Islamic education. He is a man who has the requisite knowledge of our culture and tradition and even the needed wisdom to pilot the affairs of the emirate.

“He is well-connected to the outside world and this is where we think a lot of good things could be derived from his vast wealth of experience of the wider world”, he explained.

Kwankwaso, who recalled that he was in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital for a retreat of the Progressive Governors’ Forum when the demise of Alhaji Bayero was communicated to him, dismissed any political consideration trailing the appointment of Sanusi.

“I was in Rivers state attending the retreat of the Progressive Governors’ Forum when the news was broken to me so I had to rush back home and immediately conferred with the kingmakers, four of them.

“You should also remember that this is a peculiar situation because out of the four kingmakers, only one participated in the choice of the late Ado Bayero so we needed to consult widely and I asked them to go and return at a later time after getting briefing from them.

“But surprisingly, even before the kingmakers got back to me, television stations and radio houses induced by the PDP had started to make false announcement that someone has been chosen as a new emir.

It took the cooperation of the commissioner of police to stop the nonsense,” he said.

The governor, who disclosed that the kingmakers presented to him three names with Sanusi’s name as number one on the list, however emphasised that it was within his powers as ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

G-5 Govs, ‘Legacy Parties’ In Supremacy Battle

By Donald Ojogo And Bayo Oladeji, Abuja

The struggle for political space and favourable power balance appears to have heightened ahead of tomorrow’s national convention as governors of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and founding leaders of the party are now engaged in Amaechi supremacy battle.

Specifically, a section of leaders of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)-now known as the legacy parties within the APC – has accused the G-5 governorsRotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Abdulfattah Ahmed (Kwara), Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) of Kwankwaso hijacking the party.

Tomorrow’s convention would, “I can tell you this- the eleven to a large extent, determine APC governors do not just whether or not the APC would understand politics and they have the required bite to wrest have been following the so-called power from the ruling People’s G-5 governors as if without them Democratic Party (PDP) in the they cannot move ahead.

2015 presidential contest as its “When the party was planning outcome will be a major party’s the convention, some of us determinant in the choice of the warned that the PDP forces presidential candidate. will over-run us but we were With none of the not less not taken seriously. Now, you than three power blocs within can see what has happened; the party ready to cave in, the the chairman of the convention emerging scenario is that a committee is one of them and direct contest for the national now, both the national chairman chairmanship is imminent and secretary are likely be between the APC governors- produced by them because the backed former governor of 16 governors have zeroed on Bayelsa state, Chief Timipre Sylva while they might likely Sylva and former foreign impose Kashim Imam to become minister, Chief Tom Ikimi who secretary. is believed to have been thrown “As I am talking to you now, up by forces loyal to former vice there is controlled tension president Atiku Abubakar. because no one in the legacy Curiously, the candidates parties is likely to hold either allegedly supported by the of the two most important duo of General Muhammadu positions in the party; it is Buhari(rtd) and former governor unfortunate that we are already of Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola in this kind of situation even Ahmed Tinubu, that is, John before 2015,” he added.

Odigie Oyegun and Nasir elLEADERSHIP gathered that Rufai for national chairman the decision to zone the position and secretary respectively, of national secretary of the APC appear to have lost out in the out of the northwest zone where scheming that has thrown up el-Rufai hails from was made to fresh permutations arising from whittle whatever hold Buhari and the APC’s zoning arrangement Tinubu have on the party. unveiled ahead of the convention.

In the zoning arrangement A member of the current released on Tuesday night, the interim national executive South-South will produce the committee of the APC who spoke National Chairman, Deputy in confidence told LEADERSHIP National Secretary, and Deputy that the current zoning National Legal Adviser; while arrangement was masterminded South West gets National by ‘PDP elements within the Legal Adviser, Deputy National APC’.

Chairman and National Financial “My brother, we now have at Secretary. hand a very dangerous situation For the South East are National whereby the PDP governors have Organising Secretary, National totally taken control of the APC Auditor, Deputy Financial machinery; a party we toiled to Secretary and Deputy Women put together when Nigerians Leader even as North Central were in need of a vehicle for ➔ CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 change in the country.

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Thursday, June 12, 2014

conference By joe dudun, amina alhassan and BODE GBADEBO

Agriculture, Panacea To Poverty – Delegates Say ‘bush meat’ eating depleting animal species

L-R: National Conference delegates, Ms Annkio Briggs and Col. Tony Nyiam (rtd), yesterday. PHOTO BY ADEFEMI ADEWUYI

Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards To Go – Confab As Religious Equity Commission comes on board The ongoing National Conference has resolved one of the contentious issues that have divided delegates.

The issue borders on a motion seeking the abolition of Pilgrims Welfare Boards for both Christian and Muslim pilgrims. The conference at plenary yesterday resolved that they should be phased out gradually.

Delegates also voted for the establishment of a specialised body to be known as Religious Equity Commission (RECOM), which is to be empowered to deal with the issues of religion abuse and promotion of religious rights of all Nigerians.

Both matters arose from the debate of the report of the Standing Committee on Religion co-chaired

by Bishop Felix Ajakaye and Ustaz Nurudeen Lemu, which was debated about two weeks ago. While the first was a motion by a delegate, Chief Shola Akamode, the second was a recommendation by the committee and both generated controversies during their debate.

The two resolutions followed a

behind-the-scene consultations and lobbying among delegates spearheaded by the conference leadership. The conference deputy chairman, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, who briefed delegates at plenary on the situation, said after interventions and submission endorsed by about 350 delegates, it became imperative to reconsider the unresolved matters in the committee’s report.

Akinyemi said it was progressive to adopt the report with its slight amendments, adding that matters of religion in Nigeria always attract emotive reactions.

“I must commend those who sat down to come to this position without rancour on a matter that is as serious as this,” he said.

Earlier the presiding chair had called on Lemu to throw more light on some of the contentious issues which necessitated the committee’s report to be put on hold.

The committee maintained that because Nigeria is a multi-ethnic society, there was the need for a body which will serve as an umbrella

body for all tendencies, ranging from investigation and enforcement of rights to prosecution of offences committed in the name of religion, religious discrimination and victimization.

“This underscores the need for a specialized legal/institutional mechanism in form of the Religious Equity Commission (RECOM) to check the abuse of religion and promote the religious rights of all persons in Nigeria as guaranteed by the Constitution,” he said.

Recalled that the committee had recommended that the apex religious organisations in Nigeria be allowed to handle pilgrimage affairs of their faithful through a commission to be managed by them under a law to be passed by the National Assembly which will regulate their functions and protect pilgrims.

The motion to scrap pilgrims’ welfare boards followed an earlier resolution by delegates against the sponsorship of pilgrims with public funds.

The motion to scrap pilgrims’ welfare boards followed an earlier resolution by delegates against the sponsorship of pilgrims with public funds

Delegates at the ongoing National Conference have tasked states and local governments in the country to revitalize the already existing skills acquisition and agricultural training centres in each senatorial district as a precursor to agricultural transformation of the country.

They said when this is done, agriculture would be attractive to the youths and would become a viable platform for job creation and poverty alleviation. These were submissions and resolutions of delegates while debating the report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources at plenary yesterday.

Government was also urged to ensure that all the isolated programmes set up to generate employment or create wealth that are working at cross-purposes or duplicating each other are harmonized and operated under a single national scheme to achieve a common objective.

In order to make farming attractive to the younger generation, Conference demanded a policy prohibiting any educational institution, from primary to secondary, from using farm work as a form of punishment for students’ misbehavior.

The National Conference condemned a situation where agriculture is associated with punishment and drudgery; adding, “it does not encourage young minds to be excited about, or look forward to the life of a noble farmer; a positive attitude towards agriculture is essential.

It was the position of the delegates that some animal species which are hunted as game and locally referred to as bush meat are being depleted and virtually making some animals becoming extinct except something was done about it and rapidly too.

It was therefore agreed that government should encourage and promote large scale breeding and domestication of these species of animals.

Conference also resolved that Bio-Safety Bill that will regulate trans-border movement of genetically modified drugs should be initiated and enacted by the National Assembly without further delay.

news extra 7

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Ekiti: APC Raises Alarm, Says Clampdown On Media Part Of Strategy To Capture State The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised an alarm on the desperation over the PDP-led federal government to capture Ekiti State at all cost, saying the ongoing clampdown on national media outlets is part of a grand strategy to silence Nigerians ahead of the plan to thwart the will of the people of Ekiti and indeed that of all Nigerians.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its interim national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the multipronged approach started with the harassment and intimidation of the people of Ekiti to prevent them from coming out to vote on June 21. ‘’The pre-meditated violence inflicted on innocent and harmless Ekiti people last Sunday by the police, which has now turned itself to PDP enforcers, is aimed clearly at signalling to the people of the state what they should expect before, during and after the forthcoming election,’’ he said APC said that was being followed up with a clampdown on all those who can challenge the federal government’s planned impunity in Ekiti, starting with the nation’s fiercely independent media.

By Olaolu Oladipo, Lagos

ICPC Helps 7 Widows To Get Late Husbands’ Entitlements The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) has provided succour to seven widows of some deceased workers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation by ensuring the payment of their long lingering pension entitlements.

Aside the widows, two other exstaff of the Corporation, Ogbe Valentine and Onwu Charles, were also paid their entitlements.

The intervention by ICPC followed a petition written by the Civil Liberties Organisation, Enugu Chapter, on behalf of the seven widows, against the corporation for non-payment of dependants’ pension entitlements and harassment from officers of the corporation.

The widows are: Mrs. Celestina Onyibor, Mrs. Roseline Obiekwe, Mrs. Comfort Okeke, Mrs Cordelia Ifechelobi, Mrs. Rose Okoye, Mrs. Teresa Ani and Mrs. Roseline Agu. The CLO had forwarded a petition dated September 8, 2011, and signed

by Michael Odiegwuto to ICPC, alleging among other things that officers of the corporation had stolen the money meant for the pension of their late husbands.

In the petition, the CLO, further claimed that all of the widows were forcefully evicted from the official quarters allocated to their late husbands pending the release of their pensions.

By Ejike Ejike, Abuja

L-R: Head of Service of the Federation (HOSF), Alhaji Goni Aji and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY REMI AKUNLEYAN.

2015: Mu’azu Calls For Unity Ahead Of PDP Primaries

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, , Abuja

National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dr Adamu Mu’azu, has called for unity as the party braces up to conduct free, fair credible primaries ahead of 2015 general elections.

Speaking at the weekly meeting of the national working committee (NWC) of the party, Mu’azu said, “We should be united to conduct free, fair and credible primaries, as that would enable the party to win elections.”

The NWC also celebrated

Mu’azu’s 59th birthday, taking turns to pay glowing tribute to him.

The national chairman also refuted reports that he intended to gag the press.

Mu’azu, in a statement by his senior assistant on ICT, Akin Oyegoke, said he was reacting to what he called “yet another misleading article” in one of the online media on June 9, 2014 in which it reported that Mu’azu said “he will not tolerate any negative report from the media when he resumes office”.

But the statement said: “We wish to state that the national chairman of the PDP, during his chat with the press corps covering the PDP, spoke on various issues affecting the party and the nation and gave a roadmap to reposition the party as is visible today in the current positive developments in the PDP.” He also applauded the contributions of the Nigerian press and denied ever making such a comment against the press.

“The chairman clearly understands the constitutional role of

the media as it is well spelt out and will always work to protect it, especially knowing the contribution of the press to the emergence of the present democratic institution in Nigeria.

We therefore wish to urge the media to abide by all ethics and privileges of the press in their reportage, and to continue to remain an unbiased umpire, show transparency, neutrality and above all remember that democracy is the only vehicle to actualize the freedom that we all enjoy today,” it said.

$620,000 Bribe: FG Re-arraigns Farouk Lawan, Emenalo

By Kunle Olasanmi, Abuja

Former chairman and secretary, House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo, have been re-arraigned before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja.

Both lawmakers were yesterday arraigned on a seven-count charge bordering on receipt of bribe and abuse of office in relation to the allegation that they received $620, 000 bribe from

the chairman, Zenon Oil and Gas, Femi Otedola, to exclude the names of Otedola’s companies - Zenon Petroleum and Gas as well as Synopsis Enterprises Ltd - from the list of companies found to have allegedly defrauded the federal government of billions of naira.

They were earlier arraigned on the same charges before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi who has now been elevated to the Court of Appeal..

The case was transferred to Justice Adebukola Banjoko of

the court shortly after Justice Oniyangi was elevated.

The two accused persons took their pleas yesterday before Justice Banjoko where they pleaded not guilty.

When the case was called yesterday, lead prosecution lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), told the court that the business of the day was for the accused persons to plead to the charge afresh.

When asked by the judge if there was any application pending at the Court of Appeal in relation to the case, he said no, a

position the lead defence lawyer, Mr. Olusegun Jolaawo, also confirmed.

Upon listening to the charge read to them by an official of the court, Lawan and Emenalo pleaded not guilty.

Jolaawo later applied to the court to allow the accused persons to continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted them by the former trial judge.

The prosecution lawyer did not object to the application. The case has been adjourned to July 7 for further hearing.

Stakeholders Seek Closer Monitoring Of Youths To Curb Social Vices

By Olaolu Oladipo, Lagos

Stakeholders have called on parents to ensure closer monitoring of their children and wards as a means of curbing rising deviant behavour amongst youths in the country.

At a magazine presentation in Lagos, speakers also canvassed the need for parents to bequeath a worthy legacy of good conduct on their children, saying it was when such is attained that the country will attain its God-or-

dained greatness.

These formed the consensus of opinion at the presentation of the magazine, Teens Connect, put together by Chalis Communications Ltd yesterday.

Chairman of the occasion, Sir William Igoni Park, praised the initiator, Mrs. Ikechi Ibeneme, for her efforts in putting the publication together, saying the move was a timely one that would curb rising decadence amongst youths in the country.

“At times like this, things get

a little on the way of attaining many positive things. In our clime, we the reading population fast declining. We have nothing really to hand over as legacies to our children but with interventions like this, their seems to be a ray of hope,” Park said.

Commissioner for education in Lagos State, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, lauded the efforts of the initiator, saying the move tallies with the thinking in her ministry, which was aimed at moulding children to be able to take up

leadership roles in the future.

Represented by an official in the ministry, Mrs. Williams, the commissioner stated: “This is good because we are taking care of our future. With this, we are nurturing our future because our children are our future.”

She, however, cautioned parents on the need to take more than a passing interest in contents that their kids are exposed to on the internet, saying laxity on their part will spell doom for the children.

8 NEWS

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Human Rights Leaders Testify Against Boko Haram Before US Congress

By ABIODUN OLUWAROTIMI, Reporting From Washington, DC

In continuation of the war against terrorism in Nigeria, United States-based human rights leaders on Wednesday testified against Boko Haram and the activities of the Nigeria’s terrorists, before the United States House SubCommitteeon Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organisations.

Testifying before the Committee during the hearing titled: “The Ongoing Struggle Against Boko Haram”, Mr. Emmanuel Ogebe, Special Counsel, Justice for Jos Project Jubilee Campaign, said that corruption was not the reason Boko Haram is fighting Nigeria, but noted that corruption was partly the reason the country had been unable to fight off Boko Haram.

He also said that the federal government had failed in its fight against terrorism by the use of military and police resources for political campaigns and

other activities such as the huge security deployments for the recently concluded World Economic Forum at the peak of the missing Chibok school girls.

The human rights leader pressed further that the US troop deployment to Chad was somewhat puzzling, stressing that it did not appear to be part of a definite strategy to rescue the kidnapped students.

He added that the deployment smacked of a political halfmeasure that was more aesthetic than effective, noting that it soothed the populist push for action while appeasing some Nigerian Muslim clerics who had warned about the effects of American troops in Nigeria. “Chad is more Muslim than Nigeria so this speaks volumes as to their sensitivities compared to northern Nigeria” he noted.

On the United Nations humanitarian assistance, Ogebe said that the world body rather than prioritizing victim assistance, was spending

scandalous sums of money to document human rights abuses.

Also testifying before the Sub-committee, former United States Ambassador to Nigeria and CEO FEEEDS Advocacy Initiative, Ms. Robin Renee Sanders, said that the Nigerian government needed to understand that Boko Haram was unlike the Niger Delta conflict, adding that the terrorist group was executing asymmetrical warfare.

She explained that the existing challenges in some of the security structures in Nigeria were more evident now as the country was finding it difficult to cope with the threats, noting that it was good that Nigeria had accepted international assistance to begin to address some of the structural challenges and gaps in capability.

Sanders said: “Nigeria is at the beginning of a long war or long conflict, and they have to realise this. This is no longer a localised conflict or insurgency. There is no easy fix and every attack in response to Boko Haram cannot

be viewed a death knell blow to ita long range security framework to terrorist threat is what is needed”.

In his own testimony, Dr. Peter Pham, Director, African Centre Atlantic Council, said that the emergence of the terrorist group could not be understood without reference to the social, religious, economic, and political milieu of northern Nigeria, adding that the passage of time between Maitatsine and Boko Haram could be marked by persistent corruption and relatively few improvements in the socioeconomic conditions of northern Nigeria which have made the region fall behind their counterparts in the South.

Dr. Pham also noted that: “Boko Haram had proved a useful instrument for the ambitions of certain politicians in northeastern Nigeria, including Ali Modu Sheriff, who availed himself of the support of the group’s leaders and their organization in his successful 2003 bid for the governorship of Borno State

Obama

and subsequently appointed a prominent Boko Haram member, Alhaji Buji Foi, to his cabinet as state commissioner of religious affairs during his first term, thus giving the sect access to not inconsiderable public resources.

He continued that the influence of foreign elements, especially AQIM, had been witnessed in the proliferation of kidnappingsfor-ransom in Nigeria, adding that a comprehensive strategy was required to respond to the burgeoning threat posed by Boko Haram.

20 Kidnaped Women: Boko Haram G-5 Govs, ‘Legacy Parties’ In Supremacy Battle Demands 40 Cows Per Hostage

By Kareem Haruna, Maiduguri

Boko Haram terrorists are reportedly asking for 40 cows as a precondition for the release of each of the 20 abducted Fulani women, whom they had held in captivity for about a week now, husbands of the abducted women and security sources have said.

The insurgents who picked up the women in Garkin Fulani, a nomadic settlement near Chibok town last week Thursday are now reaching out to the husbands of the kidnapped women with what could be described as ransom.

A police official in Maiduguri who spoke to LEADERSHIP under strict condition of anonymity said many Fulani herdsmen had reported cases of abduction to them in various police Divisional headquarters and outposts around Damboa and Kaga local government areas of Borno State.

The police source said, the husbands and fathers of the abducted women were not ready to part with even a single calf as ransom for the release

of their wives and daughters.

‘You know the Fulanis hold their herds more dearly, because without it they have no means of livelihood”, said the police Sergeant. “Most of them have come to report the incident at our offices but they are all saying such demands are not tenable”.

The officer said they were presently handling a particular case at the police Divisional Outpost in Jakana town of Kaga local government, about 50km away from Maiduguri, where the Fulani man said he would rather stay without his wife than giving out what he does not even have.

“This man in question has a son delivered to him by his abducted wife and presently the man and his son are at the police station in Jakana; he said he was asked to provide 40 cows as ransom for the release of his abducted wife, but the man said he has his son with him; and that if God wills that his wife would return to him, he doesn’t need to part with his means of livelihood to secure her back”.

The Fulani man’s concern was that “what if he gave out the cows, which are not even up to 40 and then his wife was not released; it means he would lose in both ways. So he would rather keep his herds and his son and pray that his wife returns safely home one day”.

There are a lot of concerns being expressed around Borno State as to the increasing impunity of the Boko Haram, whose activities were gradually becoming unchecked.

Borno State police command has hitherto not been able to officially issue any statement in respect of the abducted Fulani women, even though the police public relations officer of the state police command had on Monday promised to get back to journalists once he could confirm the veracity of the abduction itself.

Garkin Fulani is situated not very far from Chibok town, where the 219 schoolgirls still in the captivity of the Boko Haram were picked alongside 57 others that had escaped back on the 14th of April this year.

FROM PAGE 5

gets National Publicity Secretary, National Women Leader, Deputy Treasurer and Deputy Welfare Secretary.

National Secretary, National Youth Leader, and Deputy National Auditor are for the North East to produce while North West has the Welfare Secretary, Deputy National Chairman, National Treasurer and Deputy National Organising secretary zoned to it.

Each of the six geo-political zones is expected to produce the following- One Zonal National Vice Chairman, One Zonal Women Leader, One Zonal Youth Leader and One Ex-Officio.

Those who approved the new zoning arrangement were: Prince Abubakar Audu, Deputy governor Borno, Goveronor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Governor Murtala Nyako, Chief Segun Osoba, Ibikunle Amosun, Governor Rochas Okorocha, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, Timipre Sylva and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.

Others were Alhaji Kawu Baraje, Sen. George Akume, Sen.

Wamakko

Kanti Bello, Sadiya Umar Farouq, Sen. Aisha Jummai Alhassan, Sen. Danjuma Goje, Hon Kawu Sumaila, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, Gov. Umar Tanko Almakura, Sen. Ali Modu Sherrif, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Governor Babatunde Fashola, Sen. Lawal Shuaibu, Gov. Adams Oshiomhole, Hon. Bayero Nafada, Gen. Lawal Jafaru Isah, Sen. Bukola Saraki, Sen. Ahmad Sani Yarima, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Eng. Buba Galadima, Gov. Ibikunle Amosun, Mallam Nasir EL-Rufai, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Bisi Akande, General Muhammad Buhari, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari and Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Emirship: Keep Off Kano, Kwankwaso Warns Jonathan FROM PAGE 5

governor of the state to ignore the list and go for someone outside what the kingmakers

submit to him.

“As governor, the powers lie on me to either reject the list or accept; it does not mean that I must pick from the list,

but in this case, Sanusi’s name was number one on the list and coupled with the fact that he is eminently qualified for the emirship, I had no choice than

to pick him.

“So for those who do not like the choice of Sanusi, I think they are enemies of Kano, they are enemies of Kwankwaso and

enemies of the people and that was why they did all kinds of things to induce crisis in the city but we are ready for them,” the governor said.

News north-central 9

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Niger Spends N1bn On Students In 7 Years

BY ABU NMODU, Minna

Niger State government claimed it has spent over N1billion annually on all categories of students in post primary and tertiary institutions in seven years.

Giving the statistics to journalists after the state executive council meeting in Minna yesterday, the commissioner of agriculture, Professor Yahaya Kuta Mohammed who is the chairman of the cabinet committee set up to itemise the intangible achievements of the seven years old administration said of the N1billion, N600million was committed to the payment of WAEC and NECO senior school certificate examination registration fees.

He said all students in public schools benefited and the balance went to the payment of scholarships, allowances and bursaries to students of the

short news 2015: Plateau PDP Denies Asking Its Chairman To Resign The Plateau State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it had not asked the state chairman of the party, Dr Haruna Dabin to resign from his position.

The state publicity secretary of the party, Peter Shyepsuk in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Jos yesterday said its attention had been drawn to a write up in some dailies in which it was stated that the leadership of the party had asked its chairman , Dr Haruna Dabin to resign over his governorship ambition.

The statement reads in part, “ Let it be stated clearly that the leadership of the party did not at any point ask the chairman, Dr Haruna Dabin to resign his appointment .

By Achor Abimaje, Jos

state origin in institutions of higher learning within and outside the state.

Mohammed said the amount does not include the payment of over N45million as fees for students of preliminary studies at the Federal University of Technology, Minna.

The commissioner said the administration has been able to secure accreditation for most of the courses offered by the state owned Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University located at Lapai with the release of over N260million to upgrade its infrastructures and provide equipment in addition to the regular monthly release of subvention to the institution.

Professor Mohammed said, ‘The chief servant (Dr Aliyu) has been keeping faith with his oath of office to be fair and just to all manner of people without affection or ill will”.

Senator Adeyemi Gets Nod For Another Term The political atmosphere in Kogi State is gradually taking shape with the endorsement of the senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Senator Smart Adeyemi for another term in 2015.

Adeyemi who is the chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is now free to seek for a third term under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Rising from a meeting of the PDP Stakeholders Kabba/ Bunu/ Ijumu federal constituency, held yesterday it was agreed that “In view of Adeyemi’s achievements in terms of both physical infrastructures and human development in the past seven years we would support him for another term.”

The communique read at the end of the meeting explained that “ After extensive brainstorming on the forthcoming 2015 elections as it affects the Senate, it was unanimously resolved that Senator Smart Adeyemi remains our preferred candidate to be re-elected for the third term as the senator representing Kogi West during the next assembly election come 2015.”

By Sam Egwu,, Lokoja

short news Lokoja Among 10 Cities For UN Habitat Programme Kogi State capital, Lokoja has been selected among 10 cities in the world by the United Nations, under the UN-Habitat Programme to be provided with massive infrastructural development.

The state governor, Idris Wada stated this yesterday in Lokoja while interacting with leaders of Lokoja metropolitan area.

Wada disclosed that among the cities which are expected to be developed to meet modern development standard, Lokoja was the only non-capital city while the remaining nine were capital of countries in the world.

By Sam Egwu, Lokoja

L-R: First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan (left) receiving a bouquet of flowers from the president, association of spouses of heads of mission in nigeria (asohom), Mrs Mai Shoji, during a courtesy visit to the first lady in Abuja, yesterday. Photo By Nan

We Have Not Decided On Zoning Of Positions – Niger APC

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

The chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Isah Imam has stated that the party has not met to decide on zoning of governorship and other positions ahead of 2015 elections.

The chairman stated this yesterday while speaking with newsmen at the party’s secretariat in Minna after the new executives of the party was formally inaugurated.

Imam also stated that the party based on its manifestos would not promise the electorate and fail in its campaign promises; saying that, it was the reason why many govern-

ments fail.

He stated that the party has not met to decide whether there should be zoning of positions for 2015 elections but if there is going to be such an arrangement all stakeholders must meet and decide on it.

“We have not met to take any decision on that,” he said.

When asked if the APC will zone the governorship seat to Niger north like the PDP, he said, “ The chairman does not have the capacity to say, we don’t operate that way , we have some rules and regulations. It is very important to know that PDP met before they take decision, we have not reached where to take that decision yet.”

On the friction within the party , he said that every organisation operated with certain level of resistance and such resistance always bring the best out of the organisation to grow better.

He said, “There must be resistance in any organisation, resistance is not something bad, you need positive resistance to be able to move forward”.

The chairman therefore urged all aggrieved members to come together and ensure the growth of the party, assuring that, the party would make positive impact in the forthcoming general election based on constructive and empirical presentation of facts.

NGF To Odimegwu: Military Rule Not The Solution

By Pembi David-Stephen, Abuja

The Nigeria Governors Forum under the leadership of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has flayed the recent call for military intervention in Nigeria by the former head of the Nigeria Population Commission, Mr Festus Odimegwu, In a statement signed by the sole administrator of the forum, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, and made available to LEADERSHIP, Jang described Odimegwu’s utterance as ‘‘disturbing and surprising coming from

a self-described intellectual that ought to understand that military rule is not the panacea to the nation’s issues.’’

The statement wondered on what planet Odimegwu has ‘‘emerged from as the world has since moved on from regressive military rule adding that the former NBL boss’ examples of Egypt was misleading as the Egyptians were still reeling from the many decades of military rule.’’

Jang further said a comparison of the giant strides the nation has witnessed within fourteen years of

civilian rule was a sharp contrast to the under development of Nigeria which was the hallmark of decades of military rule in Nigeria which no Nigerian will like to experience anymore in the history of the country.

“We call on all Nigerians to resist every attempt to demagogue civilian rule, but instead do a personal evaluation and will find that civilian rule has been of immense benefit to all even though we still have a long way to go owing to the many years of zero investment in basic infrastructure” the statement said.

Nasarawa To Partner With Pakistan On Agriculture, Industry

By DONATUS NADI, Lafia

Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Tanko Al-makura has disclosed that in keeping with his administration’s untiring effort towards revamping the agricultural sector, his government has gone into partnership with the government of Pakistan to revive the sector.

Al-makura, who disclosed this after a closed door meeting with the president of Pakistan, Mamnoon Hussain, at the Transcorp

Hilton hotel in Abuja, said issues of mutual interest and benefit to Nasarawa State were discussed.

He said that Nasarawa State stands to gain tremendously in the areas of agriculture, industry, education, job creation, among others, adding that the Pakistani president has demonstrated uncommon passion on issues regarding unemployment and job creation which is fast becoming a global phenomenon.

The Pakistani ambassador to Nigeria, Lieutenant General Mo-

hammed Ashraf Salim (Rtd) described Nasarawa State as an agricultural and industrious state, stating that the Pakistani government would assist the state in developing its potentials in the areas of agriculture and agro industry.

In a related development, the Nasarawa State commissioner of agriculture, Danladi Madaki, has disclosed that the state government has taken delivery of fertiliser procured for sale to peasant farmers.

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stories of the Thursday, June 12, 2014

...NEWS WITH A HUMAN FACE

Crime: EFCC Arrests 3 Fraudsters For N73.8m Securities

By Ejike Ejike, Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested three suspected fraudsters involved in forgery, personation and fraudulent sale of shares to the tune of N73.8 million.

The suspects, Muhammed Rabiu Lawan (a.k.a Alhaji Shande Ako Dzungwe and Alhaji Isa Koto); Raphael Olorunfemi Okomoda, Adebgesan Theophilius and four others who are still at large, were arrested by operatives of the Commission following a report of fraudulent sale of shares of two deceased shareholders. The stocks originally belong to Alhaji Shande Ako Dzungwe and Alhaji Isa Koto (both deceased) but were fraudulently claimed, converted and sold by the three suspects.

Lawan allegedly forged spurious identity cards, drivers’ license; school certificates and international passports of both Dzungwe and Koto, to perfect the scam.

According to the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren,”investigations showed that Dzungwe died in1992 but before his death, he had shares in several blue chip companies including, Agip Nigeria Limited, Total Oil, Union Bank Nigeria Plc, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc and Nigeria Brewery Plc. The shares were on the record of First Registrars Limited and Union Registrar Limited. The value of his portfolio was N24, 779,998.

VIOLENCE: Cult Clash Claims 2 Lives In A/Ibom

By BERNARD TOLANI DADA, Uyo

Two persons lost their lives yesterday following a deadly cult war which occurred at Idua road by RCC junction in Eket South West, Akwa Ibom.

The body of one of the victims was found in a gutter early along the road with several machete cuts while the other was found beside an adjoining street.

Eyewitness report says the incident happened in wee hours of the night as members of opposing cult groups exchanged gun fire and singing war songs.

A resident of the area who did not want his name in print told our correspondent that the entire street could not even sleep a wink as the cult war intensified till early hours of the morning. ‘’We were all outside our compound when suddenly we heard an unusual noise and movement of some youths who were members of the cult group, not quite long another batch of young men in black beret with awesome look ran after them.

Suddenly we heard gunshot and there was pandemonium in the area as war broke out among the opposing cult groups while the entire street was deserted.

Two women taking a nap after struggling for their daily bread at Berger roundabout in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO

BY OKEKE JANE

Ritual Killers: Police Arrest Man With Fresh Human Head In Lagos

By NAN The Police Command in Lagos State has arrested a 38-year-old man for allegedly being in possession of a fresh human head.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Ngozi Braide, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

She said that the man, name withheld, was arrested on Tuesday at Orile, Lagos by antirobbery policemen, attached to the Orile police station. ``The police team that arrested the suspect

was led by one Insp. Bernard Oyinlade, while they were conducting a ‘stop and search’ operation near the white sand area of Orile.

“The team stopped the man who was walking along the road with a polythene bag having suspected him and immediately called for a search. ``He immediately took to his heels and was pursued“. He was arrested and during the searching of his bag, a suspected fresh human skull was found. ``The suspect is undergoing interrogation.

“He will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Panti, Yaba for further investigations,” Braide said.

Drug Trafficking: NDLEA Arrests Ghanaian, Beninese, Nigerian With Cannabis

By NKEM OSUAGWU, Lagos

The Marine Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has foiled attempt by a West African drug syndicate to employ the services of fishermen in smuggling 1,020.5kg of compressed dried weeds suspected to be cannabis.

The marine officers attached to the Apapa Port Command Lagos intercepted the drug on Nigerian waters during patrol. Five suspected fishermen comprising Beninese, Ghanaian and a Nigerian have been arrested in connection with the illegal importation of the drug from Ghana.

This is the highest single seizure of cannabis made by the Marine Unit since its establishment. The drug has a street value of N10 million The five suspects conveying the drugs in a motorized boat at the time of arrest are, Joseph Akpe, 36, Nigerian, Gabriel Fokito, 32, Ghanaian, Zutah Edward, 42, Ghanaian, Ameriato Tafe, 30, Beninese and Celestine Az-

arante, 27, Beninese.

NDLEA Apapa Port Commander, Mr Nse Jack said that the compressed cannabis originated from Ghana. “Officers of the Marine Unit, Apapa Port Command of the Agency intercepted a boat containing twenty-three consignment of compressed dried weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa concealed in white sacks and wrapped in black polythene. The shipment originated from Ghana through Benin Republic. Those under investigation include two citizens of Ghana, two citizens of Benin Republic and a Nigerian” Nse stated.

The suspects in their statements have owned up to the crime and will be charged to court soon. According to Joseph Akpe who led other suspects, “we were given N100,000 part payment for logistics. We would have collected a balance of 250,000 naira if not for the arrest” Joseph told investigators.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade commended the marine officers for their vigilance leading to the arrest.

Witchcraft: Housewife Offers Hubby For Initiation In Delta

By Kola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba

A 42-year-old housewife in Ekuku Agbor Delta State who allegedly offered her husband for witchcraft initiation over to get rich, is currently facing the wrath of the community’s gods with her two legs reported to have been paralyzed.

Reports said two months after the alleged initiation, two of her children mysteriously died while asleep before she was hit with strange ailment leaving her with two of her legs completely paralysed.

Confessing to her evil act, on Tuesday evening in the community the woman a mother of four children said, “I was introduced by the president of our meeting to a man in Kwale community who prepared a charm for me to put in the meal that was later served for my husband, after taking the meal I found myself and my husband in their meeting far away on top of the trees where it was decided that before I am giving what am looking for I should offer my two children for a sacrifice”.

It was reliably gathered that the woman identified as Awulika Igbenoba had been living from “hand to mouth” after the husband was allegedly sacked from a private company where he was working; a situation she sought the assistance of her meeting members who thereafter introduced her to a native doctor somewhere in Kwale community.

But this was not to be after she was allegedly given a prepared charm for meal which she later transferred to her husband a process they both suddenly found themselves in the witchcraft covens.

Reacting on the issue, an elder statesman in the community who did not want his name in the print said “the joy in the whole episode is that the charm returned evil back to the woman and her family, killing her two children who died in a mysterious way.

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STORIES OF THE DAY 11

Thursday, June 12, 2014

photo news

Fraud: Car Dealer Docked For Fraud In Osun

by JOSHUA DADA, Osogboa

A car dealer, Tokede Tunde yesterday appeared before an Osogbo Magistrate Court charged with fraud.

He was said to have collected #825,000 from one Adeyemi Gbenga with a promise to buy a Nissan Primera car for him.

The police prosecutor, Mr Oladoye Joshua, informed the court that the accused had failed to buy the purported car and refused to return the money to the

intending car user.

Joshua further told the court that the alleged offense was committed sometimes in August at Alabameta Area, Osogbo, Osun State.

Meanwhile, the accused person pleaded not guilty to the three count charges of fraud, stealing and conversion of money leveled against him by the police.

The counsel to the accused person, Mr L. S. Bello, prayed the court to grant his client bail promising that he will not jump bail.

L-R: Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, his wife, Bisi, his deputy, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, and Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, at a thanksgiving service in honour of the 51st birthday of the governor’s wife, at the Goverment House Chapel, Ado-Ekit. PHOTO BY GOVT HOUSE

KIDNAPPING: Anti-kidnapping Squad Foil Syndicate’s Attempt

By Kola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba

Operatives of the Special Anti- Kidnapping Squad foiled the efforts of a kidnapping syndicate along Benin-Asaba expressway a fortnight ago.

Police Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu, said the squad ran into the suspected kidnappers between Utulu junction and Ubulu Okiti where their Camry tyre got punctured and the group veered off the road and got stuck in the bush.

According to her, the suspected kidnappers fled with bullet wounds but the natives of the communities and the vigilante members were told to watch for the wounded hoodlums.

In furtherance of the search for the hoodlums, a combined team of policemen and vigilante recovered one FNC rifle with two magazines and thirty-nine rounds of live ammunition apparently abandoned by the fleeing kidnappers in the bush at Uhulu-Okiti.

The Camry car used by the culprits with blood stains has been recovered. The gang is said to have previously attacked one Apostle Moses Gradure and it is believed that the gang was also responsible for the kidnap of a Cuban national; one Emesto Mendez in March 2014. The victim is yet to be seen. Kalu, however, said efforts have been intensified to arrest the fleeing criminals.

L-R: Babatope Oluseun Ajakaiye, Mrs. Binta Adamu Bello, and Amb. Danjuma Nanpon Sheni, taking the oath of office as the new permanent secretaries during the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY REMI AKUNLEYAN

Illegal Possession: 3 Arraigned Over Alleged Possession Of Corpse

By NAN

Three men on Wednesday appeared before a Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, charged with unlawful possession of a decomposing corpse of a child.

The accused are Idris Nureni, 28; Nathaniel Omale, 27, and Friday Anifofun, 28.

They are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and illegal possession.

However, the trio pleaded not guilty.

The Prosecutor, ASP. Godwin Anyanwu, told the court that the accused, who reside at Ese-Offin Village in Shibiri Ajangbadi, near Lagos, committed the offence on April 7 at 6 p.m.

Anyanwu said that the accused were apprehended bearing the corpse of an unidentified child.

He said that the three men claimed that they found the corpse in a nearby bush and were conveying it to the palace of the Baale of the village for investigation. ``The men were accosted by some villagers who alerted the police. They were thereafter arrested,’’ Anyanwu said.

The prosecutor submitted that the offence contravened Sections 44 and 166 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

The Magistrate, Mrs Yewande Aje-Afunwa, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

L-R: Chairman, Nigeria-Czech Trade and Investment Council, Dahiru Mohammed; Minister of Youth and Social Development, Boni Haruna, and Czech Republic Ambassador to Nigeria, Pavel Mikes, during the ambassador’s meeting with the minister in respect to Nigeria- Czech Trade Investment Council in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO BY OGOH JOSEPH.

Cultism: Supremacy Battle Leaves 1 Cultist Dead, 1

Arrested, Others On The Run

By Kola Eke-Ogiugo, Asaba

Battle for supremacy between members of Aye confraternity cult group and a rival group, Vikings at Ogbeofu area of Asaba, has left one dead, one arrested and others on the run.

Acting Police Public Relations Officer, Charles Muka, said the body of the deceased, identified as Emmanuel Onore, was found by members of Asaba Community Vigilante group in Okwe forest who reported same to the DPO in charge of Head Bridge Police Station, Asaba.

Following the report, it was learnt that

detectives commenced investigation, during which it was discovered that the deceased was a notorious cult member who, with other members of his Aye cult group, had a bloody clash with rival Vikings at Ogbofu area of Asaba, during which he was shot and wounded.

It was further revealed that the deceased begged his members not to take him to the hospital that the Police would not arrest him but that he should be taken to native doctor.

But in the process of taking him to a native doctor he died and his corpse was dumped in the forest by his fleeing cult colleagues.

L-R: CEO/MD, Polo Luxury Group, John Obayuwana; CEO, Cartier Africa, Alessandro Patti; executive director, Polo Luxury Group, Jennifer Obayuwana, and Area Manager, Cartier Africa and Middle East, Pierre-Emmanuel Placette, during a press conference organised by Polo Luxury Group to welcome Placette to Nigeria, at Polo Towers, Victoria Island, Lagos. PHOTO BY Benedict Uwalaka

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Thursday, June 12, 2014

business news

‘Nebo Didn’t Admit Failure Of Power Reform’

BY Juliet Alohan, Abuja

The minister of power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, has debunked reports that he admitted failure of the power sector reform due to the huge number of Nigerians who have no access to electricity.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the minister’s special assistant on

media, Kande Daniel, stating that contrary to the report, the minister was talking about the unacceptable power situation in the country which the reform is meant to correct.

“To have admitted that the current reform is a failure is akin to throwing in the towel at one of the fundamental pillars on which the reform agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan stands. This

will not only be disastrous but will ultimately spell doom for the country and its aspiration of becoming one of the top 20 economies in the world by the year 2020,” she said.

According to her, the correct position of things, which is being celebrated not only in Nigeria but the world over, is that the reform is a huge success.

OPEC Scribe: Protests Against Diezani In Vienna By friday Atufe, Lagos

The bid by the minister of petroleum resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, to become the next secretary-general of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was yesterday dashed as the body decided to extend the tenure of the incumbent secretary-general, Libya’s Abdalla Salem el-Badri amidst protests against her bid.

The conference decided to extend El-Badri tenure for a period of six months from January 1, 2015, but gave no reasons for the extension.

LEADERSHIP gathered that Diezani was almost sailing through as the Secretary-General OPEC until a petition and protests of the alleged$20billion oil missing money in Vienna yesterday, spearheaded by the Director of Gatekeepers Nigeria, Mr Blessing Agbomhere, scuttled her bid. Without the protest and petition Diezani perhaps would have been the first female Secretary-General of OPEC. Speaking to exclusively LEADERSHIP, Agbomhere said he was in Vienna to ask Diezani to refund the missing $20billion or explain to Nigerians what happened to the money.

“I wrote a petition and distributed it to all the delegates at the conference, how could they nominate someone like her as the Secretary-General. She should at least tell them where the missing money went to,” Agbomhere said. “She then came to the podium and lied to the delegates that she was cleared by the Senate regarding any missing money, and I was forced to tell her that the Senate also reported some missing millions of dollars. That was when some of her aides attacked me and we were asked to leave the venue of the event. We decided to stay outside the premises on a public property and protest. It’s called the #bringbackourmissingmoney.

The Austrian police advised us on how to go about it and here we are.”

Speaking to Global Reporters Vienna (GRV) before the official opening of the conference, a journalist of Ekbariya News from Saudi Arabia emphasized that Diezani would definitely be the next OPEC scribe and did not see the protests stopping her.

NDIC Promises Greater Collaboration With CBN

By NSE ANTHONY-UKO, Abuja

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has reiterated its commitment to strengthen its collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) towards ensuring safe, sound and stable financial system in the country.

The managing director/ chief executive, NDIC, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, who led the senior management of the corporation to pay a courtesy call on the new CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, congratulated him on his well deserved appointment and expressed confidence in his ability to continue to transform the nation’s financial system.

Ibrahim observed that over

the years, the two institutions had played complementary roles in banking supervision, particularly in the aftermath of the 2008 banking crisis and the emergence of the Bridge Banking which was a novel initiative in Africa.

The NDIC boss pointed out the need for both institutions to continue to work more closely to ensure the vibrancy of the nation’s banking sector.

He recalled the various efforts and contributions of the Executive Committee on banking supervision, and other CBN and NDIC joint committees on critical issues affecting the financial sector, saying that the nation’s economy had always been better off for the collaborative efforts.

Blessing Agbomhere and Clifford Erin protesting against the minister of petroleum Diezani Alison-Madueke in front of OPEC building in Vienna while the OPEC conference was going on. PHOTO BY GLOBAL REPORTERS, NIENNA

CBN: Lagos Chamber, Others Welcome Employment As Policy Parameter

By WENESO OROGUN, Abuja

Businessmen and women under the umbrella of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) as well as other representatives of the business community have welcomed the decision of the new Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, to focus intensely on job creation in the country.

Rising from its meeting on June 4, 2014, under the chairmanship of its president, Mr Remi Bello, the council of the LCCI hailed the adoption of employment numbers as a key parameter in the determination of the direction of the monetary policy.

The council also commended the apex bank governor for his planned reduction in interest rates to stimulate growth and catalyse job creation.

“This is a position that the LCCI has canvassed for over the years because of the adverse consequences of persistent credit squeeze and high interest rate on the private sector performance,” the council stated.

The captains of industry and commerce also praised the decision of Emefiele to deepen the role of the CBN in development finance to promote the development of agriculture, industry, small

and medium enterprises (SMEs), and the power sector.

Similarly, the president of the Association of Small Business Owners (ASBON), Mr Femi Egbesola, commended the CBN governor’s focus to reduce the bloating unemployment rate, noting that the rate at which unemployment is increasing is detrimental to the economy. He pointed out that monetary policy tightening has hurt the economy and the heightening of interest rate in the last five years has killed businesses and jobs by extension.

“With the new business approach to funding SMEs, the kind of stability that is capable of driving growth and bringing SMEs into operation will be sustained,” he said. Egbesola urged the leadership of the CBN to roll out policies that make cheap funds available for small businesses and drive inclusive growth in the economy.

According to him, “We expect greater transparency and accountability in the management of the funds and policies of the CBN. There must also be clear policy implementation pathways that are not based on the rule of the thumb.

Accelerating infrastructure investment, the managing

consultant, Zenera Energy Services, Mr Meka Olowola, said he should develop an accelerated infrastructure fund to propel investment in the power sector. “I am aware that the CBN before now has an infrastructure development fund, but the new governor should be able to strengthen it and channel resources to the most marginalised sector of the economy – the power sector,” Olowola opined.

He said for this to bear fruit, the CBN must address the issue of interest rate because the cost of lending is forcing investors to increase tariff at the end of the day. He recalled that the bank has disbursed over N200 billion under the power and aviation fund but the bulk of the fund is boosting private investment into the Nigerian power sector.

Olowola urged Emefiele to ensure that a lot of fund is channeled to gas infrastructure development. “If we do not resolve the fundamental crises of gas availability, it will be tantamount to buying furniture for a house without laying the solid foundation.

Therefore we need to see CBN giving a lot more funding for gas infrastructure development,” he advised.

72 Thursday, June 12, 2014

Hearty

Cheers!

Gen. Abdulsalami

Abubakar Former Head of State, Federal Republic of Nigeria

As you add another year to your exemplary life today we join your immediate family, friends and well- wishers in rejoicing with you and to thank Allah for your very good health.

Your wisdom, surefootedness and Statesman’s approach to everything you handle makes you a lifetime example to emulate.

May the years ahead be full of cheer.

Happy Birthday Sir! Signed: The Management and Staff

13

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Thursday, June 12, 2014

Thursday, June 12, 2014

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16 NEWS/BUSINESS

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Train Vandalism: security beefed up in Lagos, ogun stations

By NAN

The management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has beefed up security in its stations in Ogun and Lagos state, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported.

A NAN correspondent, who monitored the development, reported that

the corporation tightened security from Ijoko Station, Ogun, to Iddo and Apapa Terminals in Lagos State.

This followed the attack on the corporation’s train and coaches at Itoki Station in Ogun on Tuesday by hoodlums.

The attack, NAN learnt, was in protest against the sharp hike in fares from

N150 to N230 for the old trains, while the new service cost N750. The new fares took effect from June 10.

The violence came a day after Vice-President Namadi Sambo launched two new diesel multiple units (DMUs) and six 68-capacity air conditioned coaches at the Lagos Terminus, Iddo.

NAN reported that the

CBN Directs Banks To Stop Charges on Excess Deposits

By Bukola Idowu, Lagos

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a circular to all deposit money banks in fulfillment of the resolve of its governor, Godwin Emefiele, to end charges on excess deposits imposed by the cashless policy.

Emefiele in his maiden speech where he unveiled his vision for the finance industry had mentioned customers’ complaints on the charges on deposits which has made many devise means to avoid the charges, such as opening

multiple accounts, a move he described as detrimental to the cashless policy.

Consequently, he had directed that all charges on excess deposits be stopped with immediate effect, while charges on withdrawals in view of their elimination will remain sustained at the current three per cent for individual transactions exceeding N500,000 and five per cent for corporate transactions exceeding N3 million.

The CBN made this

directive formal in a circular made available to the public yesterday directing all deposit money banks to stop charging for excess deposits. The circular also stated that the cashless policy which has been operational in some states of the country will go nationwide come July 1, 2014.

Meanwhile, the new CBN governor said going forward, only a percentage of the charges on the excess withdrawals will go to the bank while the rest will be remitted to the apex bank.

hoodlums attacked one of the corporation’s stations, vandalising trains and coaches before burning them.They also carted away money, tickets and phones belonging to staff of the corporation that fled from the scene.

No fewer than 100 persons were on Tuesday arrested by the Nigerian

Railway Police Command for the facilities’ vandalism.

Speaking on the development, the Lagos district manager of the corporation, Mr Akin Osinowo, described the attack as unfortunate, saying that the destruction of the station and train was carried out by hoodlums and not passengers.

Grand Towers Gets Payment Terminal Service Provider Licence ••• Rolls out 1,500 point of sales in July

BY NSE ANTHONY-UKO, Abuja

As part of efforts to support Nigeria’s move to adopt the nationwide use of electronic channels for cash transactions, the Grand Towers yesterday announced arrangements to execute its Payment Terminal Service Provider (PTSP) offering by July with an initial roll out of 1,500 point of sales terminals in Lagos and Abuja.

In a media chat with journalists in Abuja, the managing director (MD), Grand Towers Holdings, South Africa, Mr Udo Botha, and Grand Towers Asset (Nigeria) MD, Mr Ugochukwu Duru, outlined the company’s integrated strategy which centers on providing dedicated technical service solutions to the market through multiple e-payment/ mobile payment solutions.

Botha stressed that what is on offer are services which will be

rendered using the best and robust IT solutions and equipment that are efficient, cost effective and user friendly.

He also highlighted the integral part played by the collaboration with the NIBSS and some select commercial banks to which they expect to provide support and maintenance services, in addition to merchants using POS terminals. All parties are confident about the intended roll out.

Duru explained that the total investment in the solution is about five million dollars; “these systems are market ready and despite challenges that are reportedly associated with the POS systems, clients can be assured that what we have chosen will meet the needs of the Nigerian business market and will be supported by dedicated technical, administrative & training support & maintenance service.

Stock Market Index Appreciates By 0.29%

By Olushola Bello, Lagos

Equity transactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday closed on an upward trend as the market indices improved by 0.29 per cent.

The market capitalisation appreciated

by N4 billion or 0.29 per cent to close at N13.750 trillion, when compared with the N13.710 trillion posted on Tuesday.

Equally, the All-Share Index increased by 121.13 basis points or 0.29 per cent to close at 41,642.55, against the 41,521.42 achieved on Tuesday.

Mobil led the gainers’ table with N5.05 to close at N131.05 per share.

Dangote Cement came second with N3.40 to close at N230, while

Conoil appreciated by N2.85, to close at N59.85 per share.UAC Property advanced by 75 kobo to close at N18 and Beta Glass gained 59 kobo to close at N16.59 per share.

On the other hand, Nestle topped the losers’ chart by N10.01 to close at N1,070 per share.

Lafarge Wapco trailed with a loss of N2.29 to close at N109.70, while Unilever dropped N1.05 to close at N49.60 per share. Guinness dropped N1.01 to close at N179, while Nigerian Breweries lost N1 to close at N179 per share.

However, the volume of shares traded dipped by 66.81 per cent as investors staked N3.85 billion on 468.91 million shares transacted in 5,344 deals.

GSK Shareholders Raise Concerns Over Board’s Composition

BY Olushola Bello, Lagos

Shareholders of the GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc (GSK) are worried over foreign directors’ domination of the board of the company as retired Nigerian directors were replaced.

Speaking at the 43rd annual general meeting of the company yesterday, the general secretary of Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr Adebayo Adeleke, expressed worry over the board being filled with foreign directors.

Another shareholder, Nornah Awoh, pointed out that the current structure of the board shows no Nigerian director, demanding that “come next year the company should present Nigerian directors to represent the Nigerian shareholders on the board.

Addressing the shareholders at the meeting, the company’s out-going chairman, Olusegun Osunkeye, announced the appointment of Eddie Onuzo as the company’s new chairman. Onuzo joined the GSK in 1990 as a sales controller and rose to the position of sales director in 2001 until his retirement in December 2005. He was appointed to the board as a non-executive director on June 1, 2006.

An executive director, Mansur Ahmed, also retired with Osunkeye.

Since the resignation of Mr Chidi Okoro as the managing director of GSK Nigeria, the company has not appointed a replacement, rather it announced that a South African, Mr Justin Korte, who was appointed to the board as director and general manager in January, this year, has been presiding over the management. Mr Jonathan Girling and Mr Chinedum Okereke were also appointed as executive directors of the company.

Earlier in his address to the shareholders, Osunkeye said that despite all the challenges of 2013, the company’s performance was impressive.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

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18 BUSINESS/AGRICULTURE

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Agribusiness Group Assures Of Support For FG agric focus

Less than six months of its establishment, the Nigerian Agribusiness Group (NABG) seems set to fully assume the status of a legally recognised private sector corporate entity.

The chairman of the NABG, Sani Dangote, made the disclosure in Lagos, during the visit of the minister of agriculture and rural development, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, at the Institute of Directors, Ikoyi, Lagos State.

“We are laying a foundation,” Dangote said, explaining that the group is “coming up with a framework and institutional draft and vision statement of the association.”

He underscored these decisions on the basis of the increasing realisation “that agriculture is the mainstay of the economy.” According to Dangote, the NABG is “very well positioned for the task,” as a “custodian for all agribusiness issues in Nigeria.” He noted that the NABG will have a databank on produce, agriculture processes and information” and can become “a reference point for agriculture development in Nigeria.”

Adesina, while corroborating Dangote, noted that “we cannot go far on agricultural transformation in Nigeria without the private sector.” He added that the private sector is the engine of growth, stressing also that the foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction into this country, “needs the big business people to engage.

“What we are doing now,” Adesina continued, “is making sure that government does what it should do, to unlock potentials, give incentives that can make things work with an objective to grow together.”

He said he looked forward to the members of the NABG to identify particular agriculture commodities that can be given attention to, “so that we can unlock their potentials.”

The minister assured that President Goodluck Jonathan will be persuaded to convene a meeting of the Agricultural Transformation Implementation Council (ATIC) to enable stakeholders raise issues of interest in agriculture investment. He advised the NABG to have its own corporate persona and be the face of agriculture in Nigeria.

Going forward, the minister said, the government is going to further harmonise its functions and be better streamlined. He challenged the private sector also to demand for critical agencies to work with. “The association should be built around institutions and right regulatory framework that can influence the government to act in specific desirable ways.”

Adesina agreed that there are challenges in infrastructure, land security and finance. He emphasised that everyone needs access to finance, particularly in terms of interest rates and disclosed that the new governor of the Central

By OLUKAYODE OYELEyE

Adesina

Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was excited about the agriculture sector.

Adesina added that the commercial agricultural credit scheme has to be done based on evidence and listening to people who are involved.

As part of the efforts of the federal government at the ministry, the minister stated, “what we’ve done was to set up a $100 million fund domiciled

with Sahel Capital,” a company that was “chosen on a competitive basis.”

The fund, named Fund for Financing Agriculture in Nigeria, was set up by the federal government in partnership with the KfW, Germany. Adesina urged the NABG to take advantage of advocacy and investment opportunities afforded by

the Staple Crops Processing Zones (SCPZ) and stressed the need for public and private sectors to co-develop the SCPZ as a game changer. To get commercial farms growing in Nigeria, he said we need to have larger commercial farms for economies of scale and of scope.

To grow agriculture in Nigeria, the minister said he was not open to “any tariff regime” that will make Nigeria dependent on import. “We need a private sector engagement” and branding of agriculture in Nigeria. According to the minister, “we have begun the professionalisation of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC). You are going to have a different kind of NAIC to deal with compared to what you had before.”

On the private sector stakeholders’ perspective, Dangote promised that the NABG will enhance its values through stakeholders’ engagement. “We will run independently and will not be seeking to depend on government; but we will support government.” He stressed that long-term funding is a challenging issue.”

We look forward to friendly and conducive atmosphere of operation.”

Asking further, Dangote requested for a 100 per cent presidential support of policy guidelines, emphasising on customs/tariff system and infrastructure.

Some Elements Of Agricultural Revolution Food reserve: To further build the resilience of our food system, we completed a total of 10 new silos for strategic food reserves within one year, expanding our silo capacity by 400 per cent. Nigeria now has a total silos capacity of 1.3 million MT. These silos are now being provided under concessions to the private sector, for the establishment of world-class agricultural commodity exchanges.

Export commodities: We are revamping our export crops, to return to global dominance in agricultural commodity markets. In cocoa, our target is to double production by 2015. We are distributing 114 million seedlings of high-yielding cocoa hybrids to farmers – free of charge – and we are providing support for production inputs.

Nigeria’s cocoa production grew from 250,000 MT in 2011 to 370,000 MT by

2013, and our cocoa exports earned over $900 million. The cocoa revolution in Nigeria is receiving global attention, as a global company has invested $20 million to procure cocoa from over 20,000 certified cocoa farmers. We are boosting our capacity to produce high quality cocoa through a $1.4 million support by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, to the World Cocoa Foundation, to train thousands of farmers in good production practices.

Agriculture has become the new buzz in Nigeria, with vibrant, young graduates moving into the business of agriculture. President Jonathan, in 2013, launched the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP) to create a new generation of young commercial farmers and agriculture entrepreneurs (“Nagropreneurs”). This will develop a total of 760,000 ‘Nagropreneurs’ within

five years. Today, young graduates and bankers are leaving the banks and heading for agriculture. The new millionaires of Nigeria will be in agriculture. It is a new dawn.

Private sector investment accelerates: Private sector investments are expanding fast in the agriculture sector. In the past two years, over $4 billion in private sector investment commitments have come into the sector. Large corporate players such as Cargill, Syngenta, Unilever and others are establishing in Nigeria.

Private sector seed and fertiliser companies are rapidly responding to the bold policy reforms. Within the past year, Nigerian private sector firms such as Dangote, Notore and Indorama committed $US 5 billion to build fertiliser manufacturing plants to expand domestic fertiliser production.

The number of private seed

companies rose from 5 to 80 within two years. Global seed industry leaders such as Syngenta and DuPont-Pioneer have now set up operations in Nigeria. Nigeria will soon become the largest producer of fertiliser in Africa - a positive development for Nigeria and other African countries.

The development finance institutions, especially the World Bank, Africa development bank, IFAD, USAID, DFID and others are ramping up support.

Over $3 billion have been leveraged from them in support of the agriculture sector.

Without any doubt, agriculture is now Nigeria’s new oil. Just look at the returns on the Nigerian Stock Exchange: agriculture stocks like Okomu and Presco Plc were among the best performers for the past two years.

Our local investors are getting into agriculture massively, including Dangote, Elumelu, Transcorps, Flour mills of

Nigeria, Multitrex etc. Our youths are now excited about the business of agriculture.

We are now witnessing an increasing shift by young professionals into agriculture and agribusinesses, away from banking and even telecoms industry. What a new dawn!

Food import bill declines: Within two years, national food production increased by 15 million MT, well ahead of the four year target of 20 million MT by 2015. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, food imports declined from N 2.9 trillion ($19.02 billion) in 2011 to N 684 billion ($4.35 billion) in 2013. Agriculture exports expanded by N720 billion between 2011 and 2012. Agriculture has revived the economy. Inflation is at its lowest since 2008 due to accelerating food production.

According to the reputable independent economic research house.

19

Thursday, June 12, 2014

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20 BUSINESS/ENERGY

Thursday, June 12, 2014

ENERGY REPORTS

GE’s Turbines Return Refinery To Refining Capacity

Power for all Nigerians still elusive

Solution Diversity: Towards Resolving Nigeria’s Teething Power Crises Stories By Chika Izuora, Lagos

Market discipline and enforcement needs to be established under the new regime and the Regulator needs to demonstrate to the Nigerian Electricity Market its capability to regulate the sector

When in 2010 the present administration made the Reform of the Power Sector its cornerstone to advance the course its transformation agenda, it was anticipated that the energy crises would have been over by now.

The government also set out to create an action plan to effect this reform, and later the same year, the roadmap for the power sector reform was officially launched.

President Goodluck Jonathan clearly presented his administration’s agenda on power which is to fully implement the Electric Power Sector Reform.

In developing this roadmap, the government was to build on the foundation laid down in 2001/2002 by adopting the National Electric Power Policy, and in 2005 with the promulgation of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act. The government understood that decades of having a verticallyintegrated, government-run power company has impacted the psyche of many both within and outside of the sector, from customers to contractors, and, therefore, new patterns of behaviour need to be established if the market is to be established, developed and grown.

They were also going to address certain misconceptions by ensuring that consumers, including the government, understand that bills are to be paid. Also market participants need to understand that they have both technical and commercial rights while the regulator needs to understand

that a market needs to be grown and developed and that a firm hand and discipline are critical in establishing this. In addition, market discipline and enforcement need to be established under the new regime and the regulator needs to demonstrate to the Nigerian electricity market its capability to regulate the sector.

Although seen as a developmental necessity to be provided to all citizens, access to reliable affordable power appears to be a luxury. For this reason, it is necessary that a proper market structure is established to ensure long-term sustainability.

The reform had also anticipated promoting the design of solutions to allow the supply of electric power at pre-agreed prices and service levels to willing consumers, and the culture of zero tolerance at all levels of the market for payment for defaults of goods and services delivered.

The reform further considered that cost reflective tariffs need to be established and if subsidies are to be required, intra-market solutions should be considered before external or government solutions.

Policy issues Having considered all of the issues, there still appeared some huge challenges of realising the dream. For instance with the large gas reserves available in Nigeria, there has been a focus on power generation on gas-fired power plants.

Unfortunately, recent problems with vandalism and attacks on crude and gas pipelines has revealed a significant risk point

of the reform in this regard.

For the chairman, Presidential Task Force on Power, Mr Beks Dagogo-Jack, part of the solution to the seeming problem is for government to consider ‘solution diversity’ to increase the energy mix, promote energy security and maintain system robustness to fuel supply volume and price shocks.

Dagogo-Jack, who presented this position in a paper on “The Power Sector in Focus,” to the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) also noted that options that now need to be considered from a policy and regulatory view point and commercially-developed must focus on hydro-power solutions, especially small-to-medium hydro in northern Nigeria.

He said that from over 300 agriculture dams, approximately 40 have been identified for retrofitting to supply power to local consumers.

The chairman further identified solar-power solutions as an alternative power that could be tapped to solve outages, especially in Northeastern Nigeria which being the farthest away from any network generation point is complicated by network stability and power quality issues. But he identified wind-power solutions as a required investment for Northwestern Nigeria.

However, there is already a 40 mega watts wind-power project in Katsina State and a coal-fired power solution, especially in the coal regions of Eastern and Central Nigeria, although the Nigerian coal like its crude is of ultra-low sulphur content.

General Electric (GE) has installed three 25 mega watts (mws) mobile aero derivative gas turbines that will guarantee stable power supply to the Port Harcourt refinery.

The project which was undertaken by the GEL Utility Limited of GE’s mobile gas turbines will ensure the country’s largest oil refinery produce the power it requires to overcome chronic grid outages and possibly return to full capacity for refining.

Before the intervention, outages have reduced the refinery’s output to 30 per cent of its total maximum capacity of 210,000 barrels per day.

The outages and other factors have compelled the government to resort to massive import of refined petroleum products to meet local demands.

To fully address the power crises, an independent power producer and one of the owners of the GEL Utility Limited, Genesis Electricity Limited, signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in November 2013 for the installation of GE’s TM2500 units to boost power supply to the 49-year-old refinery.

Heritage Oil Production Averages 9,216bpd In Q1 The United Kingdom-based Heritage Oil Plc has attributed an increased oil production and improved earning to its Nigerian operations despite certain identified challenges.

The company said its production went up to 9, 216 barrels per day (bpd) and its revenue went up to $48.1 million (about N7.696 billion) in the first quarter of 2014.

The amount contributed by its Nigerian operations is 95.44 per cent of its total first quarter revenue of $50.4 million.

According to its interim management statement for the first quarter financial result, the company said this result was driven by its OML 30 licence in Nigeria. The company disclosed that production for the first three months of 2014 from the OML 30 averaged about 9,216 bpd net to Heritage, 33 per cent higher than the same period in 2013.

The company, however, noted that revenue from the OML 30 was impacted negatively by an enforced shut-in at a third party terminal where the crude is exported and there was an under lift at quarter end, resulting in an inventory build-up.

Investors Partner To Raise 250mws Plant For Industrial Clusters Some industrial clusters in Lagos and Ogun states are being considered to be linked to a 250 mega watts (mws) power project being promoted by Bresson AS Nigerian Limited Aggreko, a company that specialises in emergency power solution.

The 250mws expected to come on stream in nine months would be split into various stages of 10mws, 15mws and 20mws and deployed across industrial clusters in places like Ogba, in Lagos state and some parts of Ogun State.

Also a memorandum of understanding (MoU) is said to have been signed in Paris by the chairman of Bresson, Gbenga Olawepo, and the regional director of Aggreko, Christopher Jacquin, who signed respectively on behalf of their two companies.

BUSINESS/mines & steel 21 mines & steel REPORTS

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Community Calls For quick Harmonisation Of Agreement Stories by Ruth Tene Natsa, Abuja

Mines factory

Stakeholders Envisage Revival Of Ajaokuta Steel Company The cry by many Nigerians that the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, which is the greatest industrial investment Nigeria has, is moribund is giving way with the launch of the nation’s industrial revolution. As hope beams like a beacon again, Ruth Tene Natsa writes on what is new.

At inception in the late 1970s, the Ajaokuta Steel Plant was Nigeria’s foremost largest industrial investment, conceived as a project that would lead Nigeria to an enviable position on the world map of industrialised nations.

The project has, however, had a jinxed history occasioned by an interplay of forces that has made the integrated commissioning of the plant elusive till date.

Efforts to get to the root cause of the problem has remained elusive as many have blamed the failure to complete the integrated plant on international and local conspiracies, lack of political will as governments have come and gone and none has been able to complete the gigantic project.

The launch of the nation’s industrial revolution in February

by President Goodluck Jonathan, headed by the minister of trade, industry and investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, has given a new lease to the struggle of the minister of mines and steel development, Mr Musa Mohammed Sada, whose zeal for the guided operations of the plant has kept the massive plant in operationable condition.

“I have been here several times and each time, I see the plant coming alive one step at a time,” said the governor of Kogi state, Captain Idris Wada, when he received a delegation which was comprised of Sada and Aganga on a courtesy call to the government house. Sada, who led the group, said that the purpose of the visit was to review the activities of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL) while showing his

counterpart the huge opportunities which exist in Ajaokuta and the nation’s steel and metals sector towards helping Nigeria win the industrial revolution war launched in February 2014.

From the governor’s house, the delegation was led to the steel plant where the sole administrator of the plant, Mr Isah Joseph Onobere, led the delegation on a guided tour of the gigantic plant which found the machinery in good condition and well maintained by the staff who had shown uncommon patriotism in defending and protecting the plant facilities against decay, consistently ensuring regular preservation, conservation and idle running of critical equipment while keeping an eye over the plant to secure its equipment against pilferage and wild fires.

Speaking on their efforts, Onobere said, “the intergrated steel plant with series of plant units, 41 of 43, is partnering with investors to reactivate and operate such units even with zero budgetary allocation and has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 3D Hitech systems for the reactivation and operation of our 110 mega watts (mws) thermal power plant.”

He assured that with such activities, among many others, they had been able to duly reposition the plant as an investment destination of great promise. The guided tour of the plant revealed that the giant plant has four rolling mills which still have their machinery in viable or repairable working conditions.

As the tour progressed to the light section mill which is for the production of rods of various sizes

various signs showed the amount of money lost on a second basis due to lack of operations. An example is that with “a one-minute stoppage of the mill, N30,000 is lost” and we “lose N2 million with a onehour stoppage” and yet this same machinery have stopped working for eight years.

Leadership findings revealed that production in that part of the mill stopped since 2008, but it showed a clean and in a readyto-work with condition should it be reactivated. According to Onobore, “As at 1994 when active construction activities came to a halt on account of funding problems, the steel plant equipment erection had attained 98 per cent completion status; today 20 years running, the plant is still in a very sound and serviceable condition.

Being a plant from the defunct Soviet Union, it is robust and rugged,” adding that similar plants had been in steady operations for over 100 years in Russia and Ukraine.

A visit to the ASCL leaves many wondering at the massive investment that has been left to gather cobwebs and rust. Aganga said, “I am surprised at the facilities we have here. This is a wonderful strategic asset for Nigerians. I have not seen anything as comprehensive and strategic as this with such strong visionary plans.

“Ajaokuta has become more important today than ever before as we work at moving the country in a new direction. The president in February launched the industrial revolution plan, yet there is no way we can attain this without a strong Ajaokuta Steel Plant to provide the solution.

“The size of the plant is massive enough to generate opportunities for money making. The federal government’s role is to provide the right enabling environment for the economy to thrive while the private sector drives the economy,” Aganga said.

The Oworo community, a settlement on the Agbaja Plateau, Lokoja, Kogi state, have called on the federal government to ensure a quick harmonisation of the community development agreement(CDA) between the host community and the KCM mining company towards the commencement of activities.

Speaking when the community hosted a delegation of the minister of mines and steel development, Mr Musa Mohammed Sada, who was on a working visit to the company on June 10, 2014, the Olu of Oworo, HRH Mallam Muhammed Baiyerohi, said, “the harmonisation of the CDA will enable the company to begin the project in earnest and the quick take-off of the project will ensure the development of the community through job creation and provision of other infrastructures that will aid the living standards of the community.”

He also called for the support of the federal and state governments in developing of the community through the provision of road, adding that “the only motor able road into the community was that provided by the KCM mining Company, with the support of the state government.”

Reminding the minister of an application made for exploration licence (EL16998), he said, “It is our believe that the addition of the EL16998 will add more value to the present expected yield on this project. I am looking forward to the public review of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and hope that every means and strategy would be adopted to ensure that the company’s operations meet internationally accepted standards.”

Steel Workers Rejects Return Of Group

A visit to the ASCL leaves many wondering at the massive investment that has been left to gather cobwebs and rust

The Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ISSSAN), National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) branch, and the Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria (SEWUN), have rejected the proposed re-engagement of the Global Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (GINL).

The union rejected the re-engagement of the GINL, describing the group as questionable investors who have no relevance to the nation’s achievement of the Vision 20:20:20 and incapable of adding any value to the industrial revolution and development of Nigeria.

In a joint statement delivered by the chairman of union to the minister of mines and steel development, Mr Musa Mohammed Sada, Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada and other dignitaries on an assessment visit, the union queried the seriousness of the federal and state government for the industrialisation of the nation.

He said, “We have heard of the coming back of the GINL. We are simply not comfortable with this development and with all sense of humility, we wish to ask these salient questions: of what relevance will the coming of the GINL be to the much anticipated vision 20:20:20? What added value can a questionable investor like the GINL bring to the country? Is Nigeria ready for the proposed industrial revolution promised by the president?”

The workers, who lamented the poor salary of staff as a result of the concessioning of the NIOMCO to the GINL in 2005, called on the support of the FG to ensure the restructuring of their salaries, inclusion of the NIOMCO in the capital and overhead budgets as well as the completion of rehabilitation work before contemplating handing over the NIOMCO to viable investors among others.

22 commerce/BUSINESS

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Nigeria Partners Cameroun On Products Standardisation Stories By Kingsley Alu, Abuja

The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the standards and quality agency of Cameroon(ANOR) in order to battle the import of substandard products into the two countries and foster closer working relationship that would bring the two countries together in standards administration.

The director-general and chief executive of the SON, Mr Joseph Ikem Odumodu, signed the agreement on behalf of Nigeria while his ANOR counterpart, Mr Charles Booto, signed for his country at an event held in Abuja, yesterday.

Speaking at the event, Odumodu said that the partnership would help the economies of both nations to relate better by removing all technical barriers to trade and thus, improve trade volumes. He said that the MoU is exemplary for other National Standards Bodies(NSBs) to emulate.

“Today is marks a turning point for our business men who desire the removal of hindrances to free flow of goods and services. Beyond signing this MoU, a faithful implementation of all aspects contained therein is expected to benefit our countries, fostering regional integration using standards,” he stated.

Odumodu, who is also the president of African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) explained that the MoU was meant “to foster a closer working relationship that would bring the two countries together using standards.”

According to him, the agreement would help improve both countries’ economies by removing all technical barriers to trade and also enhance trade volumes.

The director-general, who said a cordial relationship exists between the two countries contrary to negative reports in the media, disclosed that

commerce REPORTS

Tobacco Firm Boosts Economy With 500,000 Jobs

The British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) has reduced the unemployment situation in the country by employing more than 500,000 people through direct and indirect jobs.

The director, corporate and regulatory affairs, West Africa, BATN, Mr Freddy Messanvi, made this known during an interactive meeting with journalists in Lagos, saying that the company has been into training and retraining of its over 600 farmers who have become millionaires by virtues of growing all crops, including tobacco.

Likewise, the head, Corporate Unit, BATN, Mrs Oluwasoromidayo George, said that the company has played a big role in boosting the economy.

On the recent law passed by the Lagos State House Assembly on tobacco regulation which will be taking effect from August 17, 2014, Fredrick and Soromidayo said, “The BATN is known to have opposed strict regulation on tobacco business and smoking culture in Nigeria for decades.

Nigeria Accounts For 60% Of Manufactured Drugs In W/Africa

Odumodu

over eight million Nigerians presently live in Cameroun officially and stressed the need for both countries to harmonise quality standards issued by their standards bodies in accordance to international and regional specifications so as to remove technical barriers to trade.

Odumodu added that his focus as the ARSO president is to ensure the integration of Africa regional economies through the common language of standardisation, adding that this is expected to be ratified during the forthcoming general assembly of the organisation in Kigali.

Also speaking, the director general of ANOR underscored the common desire to facilitate and upgrade mutual technical cooperation in the fields of standardisation and conformity assessment activities between both countries.

Booto, who maintained that the SON and ANOR would not compromise standards, noted that the signing of the

The agreement would help improve both countries’ economies by removing all technical barriers to trade and also enhance trade volumes

MoU would help the agencies to pursue and achieve their targets.

In his remarks, the Cameroonian Ambassador to Nigeria, Saloa-Heddine Abass, said Nigeria is the biggest trade partner of Cameroun, and expressed anticipation that the implementation of the agreements reached would enhance the trade volumes between them within a short time.

Abass said the success of the MoU would be measured in terms of the volume of trade that would be recorded between both countries, expressing hope that this would further boost trade and investments between them.

The envoy noted that Nigeria was a strategic country to Cameroun’s business interest given its population and geopolitical relevance in Africa, pointing out that successful implementation of the signed agreement would benefit the entire continent.

NAHCO Free Trade Zone To Attract $500m Investment

Olushola Bello, Lagos

The chairman of the National Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc, Mallam Suleiman Yahyah, has said that the establishment of a free trading zone at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, by the company would attract over $500 million investment to the nation’s economy within five

years.

Speaking at the national executive council (NEC) meeting of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Yahyah said when the free trade zone is fully operational, the project would create employment opportunities for a number of Nigerians and the economy

would feel the impact of the operation of the free trade zone.

The Nahco Aviance chairman, who reiterated the importance of making Lagos the aviation hub in the West Africa sub-region, said that both Senegal and Cote d’ Ivoire are making good progress towards developing their aviation infrastructure and to be designated the West African hub.

The Nigerian pharmaceutical industry is responsible for the manufacturing of 60 per cent of drugs sold in West Africa.

This was disclosed by the chairman, organising committee, Nigeria-Pakistan Pharma Investment Forum (NIPIF 2014) and managing director/ chief executive officer, Pharmaplus (Nig) Ltd, Ahmed Yakasai, while addressing the media on the forthcoming NIPIF 2014 which is organised

by Pharmaplus Ltd and Pakistan Export Company (PECO) in collaboration with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and Board of Investment (BOI), Pakistan.

He revealed that “according to the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), there were 128 registered drug manufacturers, 1,534 retail pharmacies, 724 drug distributors and 292 drug importers in Nigeria in 2010.”

He said that the estimates of the size of the pharmaceutical market would be over $1 billion and the sector contributes to nation building with aggregate investment in excess of $2 billion, adding however, that the sector needs more investment.

ABUCCIMA, S/African firm plan Nigeria’s biggest mall The Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA) has concluded plans to build a multi-million dollars shopping mall in Abuja, believed to be the answer to the numerous malls springing up in Nigeria.

The president of ABUCCIMA, Mr Solomon Nyagba, who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, said a group of companies from South Africa is partnering with the chamber on the project.

Nyagba said construction work at the site would soon commence on seven hectares leased from the chamber’s 21 hectares at its complex along Airport Road, Abuja, and would be completed in record time.

He added that the ABUCCIMA is also set to build a 7-star hotel and exhibition centre in Abuja that would boast of modern facilities, saying the project would be funded through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.

According to him, a committee headed by the vice president of the chamber, Adetokunbo Kayode, has since been set up for the execution of the project aimed to further boost commercial activities in the country.

23

job search

Thursday, June 12, 2014

INTERVIEWS NETWORKING PERSONAL BRANDING JOB SEEKER PROFILES

According to Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” They are the words that are invoked when people think of you—your skills, values, and talents. Your brand is what people can expect from you. If you lack tenure and are just entering the job market, you need to create a strong brand that tells employers why to hire you.

Developing Your Brand Your brand will tell employers why you are a perfect fit for the job and their company: how you meet their needs. Your brand must be evident in your resume and cover letter, as well as your online presence (when you Google yourself, what do you find?).

Your brand must match the requirements in the company’s job posting, as well as the company values that you find on their website. As an aside, matching the job posting will also help you get through the company’s applicant tracking system, which is designed to screen out poor keyword matches.

Through the job posting and website, and any other online searching you do (for example, of staff LinkedIn profiles), you’ll learn some general characteristics the company looks for in its employees. It could be people who can work in an aggressive, multiple-priority environment, or people who function best in a process-driven government organisation. You’ll learn about the “personality” of the company.

The closer your brand is to their personality, the better your chances of joining that company.

Know that even companies

INTERVIEWS

Why Personal Branding Is Essential

Why Personal Branding Is Essential For Getting A Job in the same industry may have different personalities. For example, two accounting firms will not necessarily embrace the same values. A small, local accounting firm that helps clients file their taxes will have a stronger requirement for customer service than an auditor in a global accounting firm who doesn’t have any direct customer contact.

Strengthening Your Brand Always live up to the promises of your brand. Imagine that your resume says you are a high-energy person who loves working in a fastpaced environment. Now, suppose HR calls you, and you answer the phone sounding half-asleep. Just like that, you’ve hurt your brand.

To avoid the damage, answer the

phone professionally at all times, even after normal working hours.

If you do not have your resume and the company job posting in front of you, then ask HR when you can call back, then get organised.

Read the employer’s website so you can orient yourself to match the employer’s brand, and know what they expect from your brand.

Brands Develop Over Time The more experience you get, the more opportunity you have to create and reinforce your brand because you will have a track record that employers can rely on. Follow these tips to develop a better brand: 1. Honour your commitments.

When you say you will complete a job, then do it.

2. Always deliver the best work.

Your results from previous jobs will follow you to the next one. Make sure you always deliver top results.

3. Be ethical. When people know they can trust you, they will present you with more opportunities.

4. Get LinkedIn testimonials.

Let other people do the talking for you. What’s more believable: self-praise or other people detailing your accomplishments?

5. Build an online presence. Get a LinkedIn account for starters.

Share your knowledge in online discussions and give to your network. Don’t do anything online your grandma wouldn’t be proud of.

1. Developing Your Brand Your brand must match the requirements in the company’s job posting, as well as the company values that you find on their website.

2.Strengthening Your Brand Always live up to the promises of your brand.

3.Brands Develop Over Time The more experience you get, the more opportunity you have to create and reinforce your brand because you will have a track record that employers can rely on.

What’s The Best Way To Follow Up After An Interview?

Being a part of a technology-driven society that regularly encourages electronic communication, it makes sense a job seeker would feel justified in handling any part of a job application process in this manner. However, after a job interview, it’s important to note the rules change a little bit. So, what’s the best way to follow up after an interview?

It Depends When it comes to choosing whether to follow up after an interview with a phone call or an e-mail, it may be best to go with the phone call if you can. This may leave you feeling a bit confused

after you’ve handled virtually every other part of the application process electronically (except for the interview itself). But there are inherent benefits for you in calling after the interview.

First, you have an opportunity to have a quick and open dialogue that could take hours or days to complete via e-mail.

Second, you have an opportunity to add personality to your communication, which is more difficult via e-mail. And third, you increase your chances of learning how you fared in the interview sooner—as opposed to waiting for an e-mail that may not be returned for days.

However, chances are good that you may not receive a return call or be able to reach the hiring manager. In which case an e-mail is always appreciated as a way of saying thank-you for your time.

Personally, I still prefer to receive a hand written thank-you note over a phone call or e-mail. Call me old-fashioned but a thank-you note says you took the time and you appreciated I took my time to meet with you.

Are There Exceptions To The Rule?

Of course, as with any other rule, there could be exceptions to the post-interview follow

up phone call. One is if you have already been advised to communicate via e-mail because, for example, the interviewer will be traveling and won’t be able to answer the phone.

The world of job interviewing can be a tough and sometimes confusing one, so don’t feel bad about things you don’t know. By taking time to educate yourself before you act, you will find your application process will flow smoothly. I think the most important key to note here is – no matter how you choose to follow up, it is important you do so!

Compiled by Olujide Olusola

24 JOB SEARCH

Thursday, June 12, 2014

job seeker profiles Obidike Vivian Anulika is the right choice She is a graduate of Psychology from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology. She is a serious, reputable and challenging organization and attains a higher level of professional and personal development. She is a fast learner, diligent and persevering with good interpersonal communication skills, hardworking and adapts easily to any working condition, result oriented and able to meet set goals with minimal or no supervision. She can be reached via doradykas@yahoo.com

Omie-Benson is the right man for the job Fabia is a humble and highly motivated graduate of International Law and Diplomacy with a 2nd class degree. He is highly proficient in written and oral communication and possesses great interpersonal skills. He is equally flexible, proactive and can work under pressure whilst maintaining a calm exposure. He is goal oriented and have been known to set personal goals in order to meet and exceed high expectations. Fabia is ambitious, always eager to learn and work well as part of a team and loves to seek an experiencedlevel role in which he would be given the opportunity. He can be contacted via fabiabenson@ gmail.com Umekwe is the experienced one Umekwe, Kingsley Chijioke is a self-motivated goalgetting individual with over 3 years’ experience in Finance and Management. He is very proficient in Financial Analysis, Recording, Accuracy, Reporting, Forecast, Compliance and Fiscal Management. He is available to effectively and efficiently contribute to the uplift of any organization his services are required of through research and innovative ideas while articulating your vision and goals towards success. He can be contacted via kc_kingzo@ yahoo.co.uk Chinedu is a brilliant and intelligent one Onwumaegbu Gospel Chinedu loves to be associated with a leading and progressive organization as well as contributing to the social and economic growth of the organization; to work assiduously towards the realization of the organisation goals, vision and missions.

He has good communication, inter-personal and analytical skills; highly proficient in leadership and Resource

Management with time and people management, motivation and team spirit. Chinedu is swift adaptability to new frontiers, result-oriented, working with minimal supervision without compromising standards, sound reasoning and an analytical mind. He is a graduate of Political Science. He can be contacted via edumiyaken@yahoo.com Omale Mary is an asest Mary is a valuable asset, who employs all mental and physical abilities to the growth and development of any establishment, and of course the nation at large. She is well equipped for the rigours of modern labour market as she is proficient in the use of Microsoft office suite. She has the ability to work under minimum or no supervision; ability to multi – task and meet up with deadlines.

Mary is confident, fearless, honest, hardworking and eager to learn. She can be contacted via ufedolove90@gmail.com Felicia is your ideal staff Ayeni Oluwagbemisola Felicia, a graduate of Science in Industrial Chemistry would like to join an organization where she can add immense value and also have the opportunity to learn new and interesting skills on the job.

She has excellent interpersonal skills; communication skills; good computer skills. Felicia has the immense ability to work in a team as well as under tight schedule. She can be contacted via gbemigy@yahoo.com Adaobi can be relied upon Izunwa Karen Adaobi, a graduate of Economics, is willing to join a company that offers her a stable and positive atmosphere and inspires her to enhance her skills. She is willing to constructively offer her services to the company or organisation she works for. Adaobi has good leadership skills, can communicate fluently. She is patient and has good leadership skills. She can be contacted via adaobizunwa92@gmail.com

Send your curriculum vitae (CV) to olusola.olujide@leadership.ng

Top 25 highest rated companies hiring interns (4)

17. Procter & Gamble Procter & Gamble Co., also known as P&G, is an American multinational consumer goods company headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, founded

by William Procter and James Gamble, both from the United Kingdom.

18. CISCO Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, that designs, manufactures, and sells networking equipment.

19. Broadcom Broadcom Corporation is an American fabless semiconductor company in the wireless and broadband communication business. The company is headquartered in Irvine, California.

20. Deloitte Deloitte is the largest professional services network in the world by revenue and by the number of professionals.

Deloitte provides audit, tax, consulting, enterprise risk and financial advisory services with more than 200,000 professionals in over 150 countries.

21. JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational banking and financial services holding company.

It is the largest bank in the United States. It is a major provider of financial services.

4 Ways To Edit Your Resume Like A Professional Resume Writer Professional resume writers take on the mind-set of the employer and recruiter when crafting and editing resumes. To edit your resume like a professional resume writer, you have to develop a fresh mindset. If that means taking a break from your resume for a day or two before going back to it, that’s what you will have to do.

Candidates often spend so much time on their resume they can no longer give it an objective review. Many candidates are also challenged with writing their own resume because they are so involved in their own experiences. They are unable to offer a macro view of their experience and achievements – and rather than focusing on information that is important to a potential employer, they are stuck focusing on mundane daily tasks of the job that are less impactful on a resume.

To tackle your resume like a professional resume writer, have an open mind and think like the employer or recruiter you are applying to. Here are some general rules to follow: 1. Show What You Do Well Identify the top five skill sets that an employer wants in the perfect candidate.

Then, focus your resume on how you’ve achieved great things leveraging these skills. For instance, if you are applying for a sales position, your focus should be on quota achievement, account penetration, prospecting, and closing techniques. Don’t sway from focusing on the core skills an employer wants.

2. Remove what’s Irrelevant In most instances, a hiring manager makes a decision of whether you are an appropriate candidate for a call back after reviewing your resume for only a few seconds. Rarely is every line on your resume read in its entirety. The more information on your resume that is relevant, the quicker the hiring manager will come to the conclusion that you are a candidate for call back.

However, if your resume includes information that offers some relevance and some things that aren’t, you just increase your chance of being dismissed. So, in the end, the less an employer finds irrelevant

on your resume, the more impactful it is.

You are better off leaving information that doesn’t offer much to an employer than including it.

3. Don’t Be Afraid To Market Yourself For a resume to have impact, you have to market yourself. Every aspect of what you put on your resume should sell. Take all of your experiences, skills, and capabilities, and position it in a manner to sell. The information on a resume should present itself in a manner that says, “This is what I have achieved before, and this is what I can do for you.” Many resumes don’t sell simply because they are poorly focused.

For instance, just because your job was to bag groceries does not mean that is the information you put on your resume. You can make it more marketable by indicating how your customer relation skills helped maintain customer satisfaction, resulting in returning customers. Your statement is not a lie. It is simply repositioning information in a way that shows more relevance for the job.

4. Look Out For Common Mistakes Minor mistakes such as misspelling, punctuation, grammar, and alignment are avoidable. However, many resumes that are not carefully proofread contain such mistakes that are cause for dismissal by the employer. Of all reasons for a resume to be dismissed, don’t let these easy fixes be one of them.

Ask a friend or family member to give it a review. You need another pair of eyes or at the very least, a fresh pair of eyes. Remove yourself from your resume for some time before giving it a good review. When you stare too long at a resume, you lose sight of important matters.

Reviewing and editing your resume like a professional resume writer can make a significant impact. It is often the difference between actually securing interview opportunities for jobs of the quality and spending valuable time continuously searching and applying for new opportunities to only receive no response in return.

Compiled by Olujide Olusola

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Thursday, June 12, 2014

New Business Officer In Workforce Management Centre (WFMC), Adamawa Degree: 1 - 3 years Visit: http://jbng.me/352116 Workforce Management Centre (WFMC) - Our Client, a Leading Multinational Financial Bank in her pursuit of Excellence and Expansion is looking to hire Sales Executives responsible for new business opportunities.

Responsibilities • Engage with potential new customers to open new deposit accounts and build relationship with the Bank • Identify and understand the product needs of the customer • Ensure accuracy of all bank forms and documents executed by the customer • Maintain accurate records of all sales activities, budget achievements and cross-sell referrals • Cross-sell opportunities identified should be referred to the Direct Sales Manager Qualifications and Requirements: • First Degree or its equivalent from any recognized polytechnic (HND or OND) in any discipline with a minimum of Second Class Lower and Lower Credit Respectively.

• Minimum of 1 year post-graduate experience in sales and marketing • Strong organizational and team building skills, attention to detail and ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

• Proficient in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint) • Excellent Written and Verbal Communication Skills.

Sales Representative In L D Communications, Adamawa OND: 1 - 3 years Email: 31769@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352601 L D Communications, a media company that publishes National Review Magazine and a research oriented magazine that reviews the relevant national issues as well as issues discussed in the mass media requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position Job Summary • Marketing special reports and adverts for candidates and political parties.

• Getting clients to place advertisement in the magazine.

Qualifications and Requirements: • A minimum of OND in a relevant field • 1-2 years experience • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Sales Representative In Bethany Publishers, Adamawa NCE/OND: Entry Level Email: 31811@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352769 Our client, Bethany Publishers requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position Job Summary: • Candidate will ensure books are distributed to book shops and other points of sale • Candidate will be required to carry out marketing campaigns • Also use all available channels to create awareness for the company books • Report back to the office based on Progress and challenges Qualifications and Requirements: • A minimum of NCE/OND in a relevant field • Entry level • Experience is an added advantage • Must have good selling skills

Sales Officer In Datum Recruitment Services, Adamawa Degree: 5 - 7 years Email: 3186a@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352858 Our client is an Indian Multi-National FMCG company with very popular range of FMCG products Summary: To interact with the stockists to ensure meeting of monthly sales target and effective maintenance of stocks.

Job Description: • Managing sales distribution • Meeting the monthly target with wide spread distribution • Covering all A class and B class localities • Making the required number of sales calls • Checking , visiting all display outlets • Increasing the standards of display and merchandising • Visiting and attending customer complaints • Ensuring the service levels of stockist.

• Ensure collection of Payment from Stockist as per Norms • Ensuring Market Hygiene • Stockist Management • Ensuring the infrastructure of the stockist - unit, quality of salesmen, delivery boy etc.

• Physical Stock Checking • Reviewing Interim Sales • Briefing the stockists on month’s activities • Ensuring stock receipt from transporters • Administrative • Preparing statements- monthly/Weekly/daily reports • Preparing claims • Preparing damages and shortages claims • Ledger maintenance • Maintain up to date files • Proper utilisation of company budget • People Management • Training of SSMs and ISRs • Briefing ISR and SSM on month’s activities, set targets and action plans Qualifications and Requirements: • Experience: Minimum of 5 Year(s) and maximum of 7 Year(s) • Education: Any Graduate Level Program • Industry Type: FMCG / Foods / Beverage

Marketing/Sales Representative In Stellani Virgin Coconut Oil, Adamawa OND/HND/BSC: Entry Level Email: 318e3@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352979 At Stellani, our aim is to make pure, virgin coconut oil and other coconut related products that is comparable with the best and vastly superior to most. Contrary to what you have read on some other sites, it is not easy. It takes a considerable amount of time to make premium quality Anistel Coconut Oil, Milk and Water. It takes passion and it takes patience.

The aim is always to make the next batch better than the one before. Our products have the finest quality, because we won’t accept anything less. We expect to build our business by recommendation as we expect anybody who tries our products to make a further purchase and referrals. We are in total control of the production process and we manage every stage of the production ourselves. We stand or fall by the quality of our coconut products.

Responsibilities: • Market and sell company products within his/ her state • Enlarge sales force for the company • Serve as a brand representative and spokes person for the company • Develop and implement marketing strategies • Ensure that sales targets are met and exceeded

Qualifications and Requirements • A minimum of OND/HND/BSC in a relevant field • 0-2 years experience NB: Commission of 5-10% is available on sales

Mathematics Teacher In Pen Resource Academy, Gombe Degree: 5 - 7 years Email: 315c1@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352177 Pen Resource Academy is a school seeking the services of a qualified candidate to fill this position Responsibilities: • Will teach relevant subjects to secondary school students.

• Will teach physics, further mathematics and mathematics as a combination if necessary.

Qualifications and Requirements: • Should have experience as a teacher.

• Should reside in Gombe town, Gombe state.

• Must be sharp, intelligent • Good communication and organizational skills • Should be agile and motivated

Sales Manager In Ok Foods, Kano Degree: 3 - 5 years Email: 31897@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352903 Ok Foods seeks a competent individual for this position Job Description • Meet Monthly and Annual sales Target. Both Volume and Value as set by the company and deliver growth both topline and bottom line • Meet customers regularly and work collectively with the customers to take business forward. Understand their concerns and issues and focus on customer satisfaction • Identify gaps and appoint new customers basis the population census and market dynamics • Work with Logistics team to ensure prompt delivery to Customers • Work the Retail market daily and identify gaps and areas of improvement • Appoint merchandisers, train them and review daily, weekly and monthly sales with them • Submit weekly and monthly sales reports • Identify training needs of Sales Officers.

• Suggest incentive structure for the sales force and Customers • Monitor completion activities and come back with counter plans and suggestions Qualification and selection criteria’s • Post graduate degree in Business administration preferred • Excellent Communication skills • Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Power point • Passionate individual with a zeal for growth and learning • Exhibit Leadership skills Emoluments As per industry standard

Researcher In Premise Data Corporation, Kano Diploma: Entry Level Visit: http://jbng.me/352940 Premise is looking to hire a great person in Kano to conduct market research on consumer goods and services. The research will be conducted using a camera-enabled smartphone. The parttime position offers solid payment for only a few hours of work per week.

Premise software and mobile infrastructure

collects millions of discrete data points every day from thousands of local sources, enabling our clients, who are among the world’s largest institutions, to understand and navigate unprecedented volatility in global inflation, industry competitive dynamics, and food security. We are based in San Francisco with a presence in 30 countries.

Responsibilities: • Develop research protocol • Abstract Data from patient charts • Validate quality of data elements/data editing • Evaluate consistency of medical data • Ad-hoc programming, as needed • Diagnose and solve system/software problems, install applications software as related to research needs • Provide computational research support • Perform studies as related to research project Qualifications and Requirements: • Must have a Diploma in relevant discipline • No experience required

Graphic Designer In Ola’S Place, Kwara SSCE/OND: 1 - 3 years Email: 31701@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352497 Ola’s Place, a computer training center located in Kwara state requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position Job Summary: • Prepares work to be accomplished by gathering information and materials.

• Plans concept by studying information and materials.

• Illustrates concept by designing rough layout of art and copy regarding arrangement, size, type size and style, and related aesthetic concepts Qualifications and Requirements: • A minimum of SSCE/OND in a relevant field • 1-3 years experience

State Coordinator In Hand of Help Charity, Kwara HND: 1 - 3 years Visit: http://jbng.me/352953 Hand of Help Charity is a non-governmental, non-political, non-profit, non-religious organization that is focused on assisting charity homes across Nigeria meet their immediate needs and also increase their capacity to do more. The charity homes we support include; • Orphanage homes • Old people’s homes • Homes/schools of the blind and • Homes/schools of the deaf.

Responsibilities: • Creating and maintaining a database of all charity homes in the state • Organizing fundraising events • Executing projects/programs on schedule and within budget • Representing the organization at events/ programmes • Producing weekly/monthly report of activities in the state Experience: • Minimum of HND in a social science discipline • Previous experience with an NGO is not compulsory • Previous experience as a Volunteer is an added advantage Required skills: • Analytical and problem-solving skills • Oral and written communication skills • Presentation skills

Programme Officer: HIV/AIDS/OVC In Community Life Advancement Project (CLAP), Nassarawa

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Degree: Entry Level Email: 31795@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352645

The ideal Babban Gona candidate must have strong operations experience and ability to “roll up sleeves” with can-do attitude.

Community Life Advancement Project (CLAP) an NGO working to reduce HIV/AIDS, Hunger and III-health requires for immediate employment qualified candidates o fill this position

Responsibilities: • Manage the inventory of multiple warehouses • Perform on-site audits and train personnel on proper practices and procedures • Monitor, report and review warehouse inventory adjustments and changes • Prepare monthly reports on warehouse inventory • Oversee routine warehouse maintenance procedures • Manage, coordinate and lead fulfilment orders from warehouse to client site • Lead all internal communication regarding warehouse inventory and order fulfilments • Assist in generating inventory plans and budget inputs • Recommend process, policy and procedure changes to Managing Director • Work with organization’s internal audit team to resolve quality control issues • Design and implement systems to efficiently manage labour and equipment • Comply with all safety requirements • Perform other duties as required or assigned

Requirement: With minimum of First Degree, relevant experience and proficiency in the use of Microsoft word, Excel and Power point.

How to Apply: Interested applicants should submit their application and CV before dose of work on Tuesday 18th June 2014. Also ensure you indicate your state of interest.

Secretary In Floatlink Media Educas, Kaduna SSCE: 1 - 3 years Email: 31714@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352516 Floatlink Media Educas is a media company that offers services in event management and music production as well as educational training.

Job Summary: • Completes requests by greeting customers, in person or on the telephone; answering or referring inquiries.

• Maintains customer confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.

• Prepares reports by collecting information.

Qualifications and Requirements: • 1-2 years experience • Should be able to use a computer and possess a minimum of senior secondary certificate (SSCE).

• Must be a female and able to communicate clearly in English and any other major Nigerian language.

Sales Representative In Bethany Publishers, Kaduna NCE/OND: Entry Level Email: 31821@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352785 Our client, Bethany Publishers requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position Job Summary: • Candidate will ensure books are distributed to book shops and other points of sale • Candidate will be required to carry out marketing campaigns • Also use all available channels to create awareness for the company books • Report back to the office based on Progress and challenges Qualifications and Requirements: • A minimum of NCE/OND in a relevant field • Entry level • Experience is an added advantage • Must have good selling skills

Inventory Supervisor In Doreo Partners, Kaduna Degree: 3 - 5 years Email: 3188f@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352895 Babban Gona is an agriculture franchise, developed by Doreo Partners, an Impact Investing Firm with a proven track record of exclusively investing in profitable, high growth, early stage businesses that improve the livelihoods of Nigerian smallholder farmers.

Babban Gona inspires and enables hardworking small scale farmers reach their full potential by providing a private sector channel for cost effective delivery of enhanced agricultural technologies and end-to-end services that optimize yields and labour productivity, while simultaneously improving market access.

Qualifications and Requirements: • Minimum of a degree in a relevant discipline • 2-5 years warehousing/inventory management experience • Must have the ability to multi-task, prioritize and manage work in a fast-paced environment with minimal supervision • Experience in warehouse management with the ability to manage assets, equipment, and labour • Ability to budget, program, manage, schedule • Must have strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to prepare written reports • Must be detailed and results oriented • Must possess strong initiative and negotiation skills • Must have the ability to adapt to new technology

Class Teacher In Collins Computer Technologies Limited, Kogi B.Ed/BSC: 1 - 3 years Email: 31361@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/351569 Collins Computer Technologies Limited is an ICT company located in kogi state. Collins Computer Technologies Limited seeks a qualified and energetic candidate to fill in this position Responsibilities: • To facilitate learning by establishing a relationship with pupils.

Qualification: • Minimum of B.Ed/BSC in any related course • 1-2 years experience • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills • Must be competent in mathematics

Graphic Designer In Legend Wap, Kogi HND: 1 - 3 years Or Visit: http://jbng.me/351764 Email: 31424@jbng.me Legend Wap, a web hosting and internet service provider requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position.

Responsibilities: • Prepares work to be accomplished by gathering information and materials.

• Plans concept by studying information and materials.

• Illustrates concept by designing rough layout of art and copy regarding arrangement, size, type size and style, and related aesthetic concepts.

• Obtains approval of concept by submitting rough layout for approval.

• Prepares finished copy and art by operating typesetting, printing, and similar equipment; purchasing from vendors.

Qualifications and Requirements: • Minimum of HND in a relevant field • 1-2 years experience

Executive Director In Michael Stevens Consulting, Abuja HND: 10 - 15 years Email: 3173c@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352556 Our Client is an Abuja based infrastructure engineering company involved in a number of engineering and water resources development projects across the country. In line with our client’s decision to ensure key roles are filled by suitably qualified candidates who have hands-on experience, the company is looking for exceptional individuals with proven integrity to fill this position Job Summary Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and interfacing with Departmental Heads and the company’s external stakeholders. The Executive Director will oversee the implementation of policies and annual strategic plans in order to achieve the company’s mission, as well as managing personnel and financial resources. S/ He will oversee entire organization including personnel, facilities, communication and fiscal management. In addition, the Executive Director will insure effective associate organization and use of financial resources.

Duties • Proven successful leadership and experience in marketing, administrative management, team building, • Financial management and organisational development are essential.

• The Executive Director will oversee all day-today operations • Be responsible for leading the execution of strategy • Lead the growth of core capabilities and platforms • Be responsible to set the vision, practices and measures that enable the delivery of quality solutions to clients Qualification and Requirements • The ideal candidate must be ready to have a long term commitment to the company • The ideal candidate should not be more than 35 years old • The ideal candidate should preferably be an Expatriate • Experience in Engineering/Technology and Management • Minimum of ten to fifteen years working experience • Ability to establish and maintain effective relationship with clients, government organisations and • professionals • Must be a confident and assertive team player with good communication skills and high proficiency in computer use and multimedia applications • Must possess strong leadership skills • Paying critical attention to details, and must have excellent quantitative analytical skills and be able to approach problems logically and creatively

Front Desk Officer In Michael Stevens Consulting, Abuja B.A/B.Sc or HND: 3 - 5 years Email: 31744@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352564 Our Client is an Abuja based infrastructure engineering company involved in a number of engineering and water resources development projects across the country. In line with our client’s decision to ensure key roles are filled by suitably qualified candidates who have hands-on experience, the company is looking for exceptional individuals with proven integrity to fill this position Duties • Call management in respect of all incoming and outgoing calls & Messages.

• Data basing for critical Clients, vendors, suppliers and service-providers.

• Stationery management, dispatch & courier database management.

• To receive and attend to Clients/Visitors and handle all reception related activity independently.

• Provide word-processing and secretarial support and administrative services • Overseeing daily cleaning and general maintenance of the office.

Qualification and Requirements • Minimum of B.A/B.Sc or HND. • Minimum of 3 years experience in the same or similar position.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Must be computer literate, fast typing speed isan added advantage.

• You must have a warm and pleasant personality.

• You must be presentable and smart.

• You must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills Method of Application Interested and qualified candidates should forward their applications together with detailed CV and a recent passport photograph via email not later than two weeks from the date of this publication. Applicants should state the position they are applying for as subject of the mail.

Business Development Executive In Eden Solutions and Resources, Abuja B.Sc /HND: 1 - 3 years Email: 318d0@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352960 An ICT company specialized in the sale and installation of Inverters, Solar Panels, electrification of estates, computer accessories etc requires for immediate employment the service of a Business Development Executive for its Abuja office.

Responsibilities • To handle marketing and business development of the companys products and services.

• To ensure that the company boosts and maintains its online presence.

Qualification and Requirements • B.Sc /HND Computer Science, Marketing or any related field.

• A minimum of 2 years marketing experience.

• Sound knowledge of web administration.

• Must be passionate about marketing.

• Must be a resident of Abuja or willing to relocate

School Principal In Be Better Consulting, Abuja Degree: 7 - 10 years Email: 3189f@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352911 Our client is a reputable educational institution looking to bring on board an experienced professional with sound experience in the Educational System to head our school.

Responsibilities: • Establish and promote high standards and expectations for all students and staff for academic performance and responsibility for behavior.

• Manage, evaluate and supervise effective and clear procedures for the operation and functioning of the school consistent with the philosophy, mission, values and goals of the school including instructional programs, extracurricular activities, discipline systems to ensure a safe and orderly climate, building maintenance, program evaluation, personnel management, office operations, and emergency procedures. Ensure compliance with all laws, board policies and civil regulations.

• Establish the annual master schedule for instructional programs, ensuring sequential learning experiences for students consistent

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with the school’s philosophy, mission statement and instructional goals.

• Supervise the instructional programs of the school, evaluating lesson plans and observing classes (teaching, as duties allow) on a regular basis to encourage the use of a variety of instructional strategies and materials consistent with research on learning and child growth and development.

• Establish procedures for evaluation and selection of instructional materials and equipment, approving all recommendations.

Basic Requirements • Sound experience in running a boarding house • Minimum qualification - Degree • A Masters or a PGD in Education will be an added advantage Skills Required • Excellent leadership skills • The ability to communicate effectively • Excellent organizational and analytical skills • Excellent interpersonal skills • Creativity & Innovation • The ability to multitask effectively • A proactive leader • Sound knowledge of ICT in Education • The ability to develop and implement the budget efficiently

Marketing Executive In Epic Moments, Abuja Degree: Entry Level Email: 3160e@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352254 Epic Moments is a newly established souvenirs/ promotional gifts making and media company located in the heart of Abuja. Epic Moments offers opportunities for growth, training and development. The company is seeking innovative, committed and goal-oriented candidates for immediate employment as Marketing Executive.

Candidate for this position must possess: • A degree in any related field of study.

• A strong inter-personal and communications skills.

• Strong oral, writing, negotiation and networking skills.

• Goal and result-oriented.

• A strong drive and ability to achieve set goals and projections.

• Confident, self-motivated and committed.

• Approachable and like-able personality.

• Must be well-groomed.

General Manager In Hotel De Bently, Abuja Degree: 7 - 10 years Email: 31614@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352260 Hotel De Bently, a prestigious hotel requires the expertise of a skilled and competent professional to fill role.

Summary The ideal candidate will oversee the day-to day management of the property with responsibility for leading all aspects of the Hotel operation, include sales/marketing, employee, guest satisfaction, financial performance, sales and revenue generation, and delivering a satisfactory return on investment to ownership.

Requirements • A good degree • At least 7 – 10 years’ experience • Good communication and interpersonal skills

Law Office Librarian In Abuja HND or BSc: 1 - 3 years Email: 3165b@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352331 Our client, a foremost law firm requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position Responsibilities: • Will be responsible for library organization

and management • Will be responsible for keeping records of all publications, law reports as well as check-in and checkout of books.

• Will be responsible for updating and sourcing updated copies of law report and publications Qualifications and Requirements: • Minimum of HND or BSc in Library and Information Science • Applicant must be Computer literate.

• 1 - 3 years in a similar position • Applicants should reside in Abuja.

Chef In Abuja OND: 1 - 3 years Email: 3165f@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352335 Our client, a foremost law firm requires the services of a qualified candidate for this position Responsibilities: • Determine how food should be presented, and create decorative food displays.

• Determine production schedules and staff requirements necessary to ensure timely delivery of services.

• Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.

• Inspect supplies, equipment, and work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.

• Instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of food.

• Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.

Qualifications and Requirements: • OND preferably in catering and hotel management or related course • 1-2 years as a chef • Must be a 4 Star Chef • Applicants should reside in Abuja.

Auto Workshop Manager In Pilgrims Konsult, Abuja Degree: 5 - 7 years Email: 3168f@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352383 An ultramodern Automotive Workshop in the heart of Abuja requires the services of a qualified candidate as a result of expansion.

Job Purpose Statement: Manages and motivates all services’ staff and other personnel involved in delivering high level, quality service, and on time delivery of service vehicles in order to ensure growth and expansion to achieve targets.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: • Analyze current procedures and activities to identify and present opportunities for improvement of the workshop.

• Ensure that the department is adequately staffed to achieve objectives, and that technicians are aware of procedures for using new products and equipment.

• Facilitate the orientation of new team members in collaboration with the Workshop • Supervisor by familiarizing them with work surroundings, explaining work hours, procedures, use of equipment and job expectations and ensure that new team members understand their respective duties.

• Maintain good relationships with customers.

• Ensure adequate maintenance of tools, equipment and other materials in the Service Area.

• Facilitate the training and development of team members in the department, by providing feedback and coaching to support improvements in their job performance.

• Conduct annual Performance Appraisal for Workshop Personnel.

• Provide advice and technical assistance to team members.

• Evaluate the impact of work delays, interruptions or changes in plans to develop appropriate course of actions.

• Monitor workflow to anticipate impact of delays due to team members being absent for

leaves, holidays or sickness.

• Review customers service orders and inspect the quality of a technician repairs before the release of vehicles.

• Review work orders to ensure that all actions have been documented according to Service Workshop policies and procedures.

• Plan and adjust the workloads of department personnel to match their skills and abilities.

• Plan and prepare annual budget for the department and facilities, scheduling expenditures, analyzing variances and initiating corrective actions.

• Follow up closely during implementation.

• Coordinate with sales department and arrange for delivery of equipment to customers.

• Maintain communication with CEO to obtain security information, report unusual concerns and share new ideas that may contribute to improved Workshop operations.

Skills • Experience in the automotive industry • 5 years experience managing an automotive workshop • P&L experience • Familiarity with most vehicle brands) • Automotive systems (vehicle layout, function and location of parts) • Knowledge of mechanical issues, warranties, service and general repairs • Organizational ability • Detail oriented • Technically competent with ability to train others • Customer service ability • Energy and drive.

• High integrity and professionalism.

• Good communication ability both verbally and in writing.

Strong interpersonal skills • Fluency in English and other Nigerian languages will be an advantage • Computer skills: Microsoft Office Package • Leading & Supervising • Team Orientation • Customer & Quality Focus Education Preferably Mechanical/Electrical Engineering degree or degree with strong technical background.

Sales Representative In City Square Networks, Abuja OND / HND / Degree: Entry Level Email: 3169b@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/352395 City Square Networks & Facility Managers - We are the nation’s leading IT Solution Company driven by high quality professionals and managed by matured processes. City Square Networks help forward-thinking companies achieve and surpass their business goals with web solutions that boost their business on the Internet.

Our time tested and emerging technology solutions are backed by the highest level of quality assurance.

City Square Networks is recruiting to fill the position of Sales Representative Job Description • The Sales Representative is responsible for developing new sales relationships with potential high value corporate clients.

• The role will be responsible for coordinating inbound sales opportunities and coordinating outbound new business development through the creation of sales propositions for new target clients.

Requirements OND / HND / Degree qualification in relevant discipline

Senior Website Administrator In Nigerian Peoples Post, Abuja BSc: 1 - 3 years Email: 313ff@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/351727

Our company is an online journal seeking to hire a very creative and highly skilled candidate with deep knowledge and passion for developing and managing web and mobile sites. He/she will focus on both front-end as well as back-end development and administration, and will work in a deadline driven environment. This position is for a candidate with strong analytical and problem solving abilities.

Duties and Responsibilities: • Responsible for website administration and management.

• Lead & train members of staff on web basic tools and skills required for website management.

• Translate business requirements into solutions.

• Design sub websites, applications and functionality.

• Create and manage social media accounts, newsletter and sms accounts of the online journal.

• Customise open source solutions to suit specific requirements.

• Administer Unix and Windows servers for email, DNS & CPanel.

• Debug issues that arise with the performance of website.

• Manage content, links, order flows, registration flows, transaction logs.

• Plan for future changes, like improvements, software and hardware reviews and updates.

• Circulate efficient and accurate reporting, detailing results of web and mobile marketing campaigns and possible improvement using social media, and related technologies.

Qualification and requirements: • BSc Computer Science or related related field.

• Minimum 2 years experience in Developing Joomla.

• Flexible attitude with proven experience working as team player.

• Excellent communication skills and attention to detail.

• Cpanel Admin with basic IP (Internet Protocol) & DNS • Project management skills.

• Linux and Unix hands on experience.

• PHP, Joomla, WordPress (Gimp) Designer/ Developer • Ability to customise open source solutions.

• Basic to intermediate software development and programming skills.

Office Assistant/Secretary In BREGSTEIN LTD, Abuja OND/HND: 1 - 3 years Email: 3142e@jbng.me Or Visit: http://jbng.me/351774 Bregstein is a firm of multi-disciplinary engineering firm and is part of a design and build consortium registered in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. We specialize in the planning, design, construction and management of engineering projects with a high level of professional competence and unrivalled excellence. Our teams of erudite professionals is pioneers of engineering excellence and are experts in value engineering with unrivalled experience to meet the ever dynamic industry and individual needs.

Responsibilities: • Serving as a primary receptionist (answering and directing incoming calls and greeting, directing, and assisting visitors) • Coordinating incoming and outgoing mail, packages, and deliveries • Compose letters and bills (weekly/monthly) independently for each customer under instructions of senior management • Stocking and distributing office supplies • Provide information to callers about company services and products Qualifications and Requirements: • A minimum of OND/HND in a relevant field • 1-3 years experience • Must Have an Accounting background • Good communication skills, Trainable, Multi tasker,

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DR. IBRAHIM SHEMA’S FORWARD LOOKING DEVELOPMENT STRIDES IN KATSINA STATE A look at Katsina State Primary Health Care Development Agency c.

DR. IBRAHIM SHEMA

Executive Governor, Katsina State Katsina State Primary Health Care Development Agency has embarked on a number of activities all of which were aimed towards achieving the objectives of establishing the agency. These include:1. Reviewed the current status of health care and identified the major issues needing attention.

2. Development of Work plan – The agency’s developed work plan to provide the basic background information as regard to health care delivery policy in the state, and the strategies for achieving the desired objective. Major Agency Intervention Priority Areas identified are: • Improved access to quality primary health care (Infrastructure, Equipment, skilled personnel and service delivery).

• Improved Routine immunization coverage • Improved maternal and child health care services • Improved staff recruitment (Midwives, Community Health Officers), capacity building and development.

• Improved social mobilization, communication and community participation.

• Improved supervision, monitoring, data analysis and usage.

• Prevention and control of epidemics • Mobilization for PHC funding • Improved collaboration/coordination with all partners 3. Improved access to quality health care through: a.

Purchase and distribution of clinic equipment and instruments. b.

Completed the projects initiated by the previous administration for Construction of New Comprehensive Health Centre in Danmusa; and upgrading/renovation of Comprehensive Health Centres in Batagarawa, Bakori, Danja and Kusada LGAs.

Construction of 6 New Comprehensive Health Centres in Jani, Rimaye, Jibia, Babban Mutum, Jikamshi and Kurfi. d.

Renovation, Upgrading and Equipping of 14No. Comprehensive Health Centres in Katsina (MCHC K/Kaura, MCHC K/Marusa, MCHC K/Sauri, and MCHC K/Guga), Funtua, Bindawa, Sandamu, Sabuwa, Dutsinma, Dandume, Yandoma PHC, Shema PHC in Dutsin-ma town, Zango, Charanchi and Kaita. e.

Construction of additional office block & conference room at the Permanent Site of Agency’s Headquarters 4. Enhancement of referrals with procurement of 9No. Ambulances.

5. Improved routine immunization coverage in the State with improved immunization centres from 549 in 2005 to 1501 as at October 2013, outreach immunization sites increased from 20 in 2005 to 3136 in October 2013 and consequently Penta/DPT3 coverage increased from 28% in December 2005 to 97% as at October 2013.

6. On Polio Eradication Programme, we conducted several rounds of IPD’s (Immunization Plus Days) with appreciable results. The cases of polio have declined from 179 cases in 2006 to 34 cases in 2012 and now no case of polio reported so far this year (as at April 2014) - Taskforce on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunization was established and is being headed by His Excellency the Deputy Governor - Regular and timely provision and release of funds for both Polio Eradication Initiative and Routine Immunization in the state - Provision of 30No. of 20KVA standby generators and 34No. computer laptops to LGAs in the state.

- Construction of 4 boreholes to address felt needed and resolve non compliance to polio vaccination in some communities - In collaboration with National Primary Health Care Development Agency we conducted free corrective surgery to 53 polio victims across the state - Provided 23 tricycles to polio victims in the state and provision of 68 motorcycles to LGAs for supervision.

- We have also provided 82No. Solar Refrigerators to LGAs cold stores towards improving vaccine storage capacity.

- Monitoring of the IPDs by top government functionaries.

7. Improved disease notification and surveillance with the containment of gastroenteritis and cerebrospinal meningitis being experienced in the state. The state purchased and distributed epidemic emergency drugs. The agency participated in the prevention of Avian Flu outbreak among birds. Data base for effective disease monitoring and following of trends is being put in place.

8. Enhanced coordination, collaboration and partnership with LGAs, Donors and NGOs in preventive health care in the state through regular meetings and communications.

9. Improved knowledge and skills of staff of the LGAs and agencies in various health care programmes particularly immunization, maternal and child health and programmes monitoring. Collaborated with all LGAs and recruited 24 medical Doctors. Recruited additional 43 health care personnel in 2013.

10. Conducted various nutritional health education programmes to the mothers and care givers with information on exclusive breast feeding, complementary feeding habits and intake of good food of various sources.

11. Communication equipment were procured for professional public health education and promotion, including a public address van. Many programmes are being developed and aired in the electronic/ print media with emphasis on key household practices for behavioral change.

Several sessions of community dialogues have now been conducted with very useful outcomes and reduction of noncompliance to polio. Have reached to over 2,000 Mallams and Ulamas on the advocacy and sensitization for polio and Routine Immunization.

12. Improved monitoring and supervision of projects and monthly meeting with LGA officials. Procured 4 Toyota Hilux for programme monitoring.

13. Conducted baseline survey on drug requirements in 34 LGAs which was used to develop a Frame work for the implementation of Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) in PHC and adapted the PHC essential drug lists for Katsina State. Sum of N20,000,000 released for DRF. We have sustained implementation of free medicare scheme for all Maternal, children under 5, malaria, and RTA patients with N60,000,000 annually since inception to date.

14. To improve the number of mid-level health care personnel, the present administration has upgraded the two schools of Health Technology and the School of Nursing, Katsina and the School of Midwifery, Malumfashi, to the status of a college of health sciences.

Additional Tutors have been employed and modern teaching materials were provided; as a result

DEPUTY GOVERNOR ABDULLAHI GARBA FASKARI IMMUNISING A CHILD

more health care personnel are now being graduated from the college 15. To improve accessibility to health care services, the State Government is providing free health care services through our comprehensive health centres such as: • To all pregnant women from conception to delivery • Free Ante Natal Care (ANC) including health education • Free ANC drugs • Free delivery services • Free Caeserian Section (Surgery) • Free treatment of malaria to all category of patients • Free treatment for accident victims for the first forty eight hours.

16. Purchased and distribution of clinic equipment and instruments across the state.

17. Distribution of two pieces of long lasting insecticidal treated nets (LLINs) to every woman in the state in 2010 and continuing same at Routine Immunization/ANC clinics. This helped a lot in reducing malaria burden particularly among the most vulnerable (pregnant women and children under the age of five years). Over 2,700,000 nets have so far been distributed to households in the state.

18. We have recently conducted a mass campaign against Meningitis where about 4.7 million people in Katsina state were vaccinated and protected against the deadly disease, cerebrospinal meningitis. The vaccine used will confer immunity for ten years as against the traditional one that gives immunity of three years. The aim of this campaign is to prevent the annual periodic outbreak of Meningococcal meningitis in the state.

19. Distribution of free child spacing commodities in accordance with the regulation from the Federal Ministry of Health.

20. There is also the recently introduced bi-annual Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week during which commodities that help in improving the health of both mother and her unborn or born baby are been distributed.

21. Provision of nutritional support in 13 LGAs with high incidence of child malnutrition) to address issues of malnutrition particularly to children under the age of five years. This also provides an avenue to create awareness to the mothers on the various activities available that better the life of their children as well as themselves e.g. routine immunization and ANC services. Under this services, the government is providing N2,500,000 monthly to 10 LGAs monthly to run the programme. With these funds each LGA supports the nutrition programme with drugs, supervision, distribution of commodities, etc.

22. Provision of free mistoprostol tablets for treatment of Post Partum Hemorrhage 23. Mobile ambulance: Provision of integrated PHC services by the use of mobile ambulance was also introduced in February 2008. A total of 34 mobile ambulances, one to each LGA were provided.

All have been stocked with basic equipment, essential drugs and 4 personnel (including a female staff for ANC provision). Each ambulance provides free INTEGRATED S/C services to hard-to-reach and underserved rural areas with a view to increasing accessibility and coverage of services to the communities. From inception in 2008 to November 2013, the mobile ambulance services treated 2,318,525 patients for various ailments, they attended to 298,653 women for antenatal care, 81,421 were immunized and the received delivery of 1,415 women.

24. Almajiri Mobile Ambulance: Provision of Almajiri Mobile Ambulance for 3 pilot LGAs Katsina, Daura and Funtua, for the treatment of Almajirai. The program recorded remarkable achievement. From January – December 2013, the ambulances visited 1,701 schools and they treated 73,213 patients for various ailments e.g Malaria, infections, Diarrhea & vomiting and skin diseases, etc.

AN OLDMAN RECEIVING TREATMENT VIA THE MOBILE AMBULANCE SCHEME

ALMAJIRI MOBILE AMBULANCES

IV MAJOR OUTCOMES 1. There is gradual improvement in the health seeking behaviour of our people particularly in rural areas.

2. Hospital deliveries(skilled birth attendant) increased to 43% 3. Percentage of women attending ANC increased to 68% 4. Availability of Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics Care (CEOC) and Basic Emergency Obstetrics Care (BEOC) is 12 and 48 facilities respectively in the state 5. Sustained Essential Drug availability in all major health facilities across the state 6. The maternal health care services are now more accessible, available, qualitative and have wider coverage in the state 7. Remarkable reduction of maternal mortality due to post partum haemorrhage (bleeding) by more than 90% 8. Remarkable reduction of maternal mortality due to Eclempsia by more than 95% 9. Total containment of Maternal Deaths to zero level for 2 years in Unguwar Agage Community of Danja LGA, through community engagement efforts.

10. Reduction of vaccine preventable disease in the states eg no single case of polio so far this year as at June 2014 in Katsina State.

This translates to 19 months of polio-free status in Katsina State. The establishment of Katsina State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA) is indeed a road map for improving the health care and acceleration for the attainment of MDGs in the state. The state is now a role model in PHC in the country. As a result, over 22 states of the federation from North and the Southern parts of the country have visited the state to study the SPHCDA model with a view to establishing a similar agency in their states.

30

Thursday, June 12, 2014

BAUCHI STATE GOVERNMENT

The great

Chairman is

59 You are the great National Chairman of Africa’s largest and greatest political party.

You have changed the game within a short time.

Your tenure has brought peace, consolidation and rapid expansion.

You are leading our great party to the Promised Land.

You are only 59; 59 more years to go!

Happy birthday, Chairman of all Chairmen.

Alhaji Ahmadu

Adamu Mu’azu National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party [PDP]

Signed:

MALAM ISA YUGUDA, Mutawallen Bauchi Governor of Bauchi State

Walin Bauchi

education

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Thursday, June 12, 2014

104

candidates were given PRESSID award

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

L-R: Executive secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Julius Okojie, minister of education, Chief Nyesom Wike and the executive secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Dr. Oluwole Oluleye, during the award ceremony for the 2nd Edition of the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development (PRESSID), held in Abuja .

PHOTO BY OKEKE JANE

Presidential Special Scholarship Awards And Matters Arising The controversial letters for the Presidential Special Scholarship for Innovation and Development (PRESSID) award were given to the beneficiaries last Monday. This is in spite of the suspension order on the exercise by the House of Representatives. In this report, Kuni Tyessi takes a look at the development

If it has been accepted that not all institutions run all of the programmes advertised and shortlisted for the competition

Despite the ongoing concern about the presidential special scholarship award and the contention by key players, including members of the National Assembly under the umbrella of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the National Universities Commission (NUC), the federal government on Monday went ahead to announce winners of the scheme and give out letters to them.

The bone of contention had been the issue of non implementation of federal character in the award process with the ACF alleging that the north was not properly represented and the NUC stressing that the award was done on the basis of merit and not any other consideration.

For this, reports showed that while states like Ogun

and Osun have 17 and 15 beneficiaries respectively, some others have none and states in this category include Bayelsa and Kaduna which are home states of President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo.

Some stakeholders complained that the north was not adequately represented.

The courses that were invited for the entries include Sciences (nuclear physics, operations research, industrial chemistry, quantitative genetics, etc), Basic Medical Sciences (anatomy, physiology, medical biochemistry, etc), Special Aspects of Biology (biometrics, molecular biology, etc).

Others are Economics (econometrics, development economics, etc), Engineering and Technology (aeronautical engineering, mechatronics,

material science and production engineering, nanotechnology, cyber security, software engineering, etc) and Medicine (oncology, human genetics, hepatology, nuclear medicine, geriatrics, etc).

In the first place, the argument that there are more brilliant students in the south than in the north does not and should not arise. It is important to state here that the non implementation of the federal character policy in the award process could be as a result of the choice of disciplines and institutions.

If it has been accepted that not all institutions run all of the programmes advertised and shortlisted for the competition, what is the overall percentage of students that go for the programmes in both public and private institutions? What is the ratio of northerners to southerners and how many of them put together made first class honours?

The universities, be they public or private must be recognised and must have been accredited by NUC. The list show that most of the

beneficiaries of the award are from private universities which are mostly in the south. Compared to the public institutions, these schools have no business with incessant strikes and disruption of their programmes and the students have nothing to worry about other than their academic work.

They (the students) are not at the mercy of their lecturers as harassment of any kind is not only unheard of, but strange.

The teaching and learning aids in these institutions are not obsolete as in public schools and lecturers are paid as at when due.

The NUC boss, Prof Julius Okojie, at the presentation of the award letters, said those behind the selection cut across the six geo-political zones and are all professors of equal standing. He said as academics, merit was their watch word and they could not have compromised on the altar of what may be considered not in the best interest of the country.

Not even the professors from the north east and north west whose zones are educationally

32

32 EDUCATION/NEWS

Thursday, June 12, 2014

FG Repositions FSEC Ijanikin To Train Laboratory Technicians The Federal Science Equipment Centre, Ijanikin, Lagos is being repositioned to provide inservice training course for laboratory assistants and technicians in post primary institutions with a view to enhancing their skills in repair, care and maintenance of school science equipment. To this end, a multi-purpose building block and a 300 KVA transformer have been commissioned to boost the centre’s operation.

Speaking at the project commissioning event which also doubled as the 3rd graduation ceremony of 2012 set of the in-service training course, the director, technology and science education department, Federal Ministry of Education, Engr. Michael Kalu Ofor who represented the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief (Barr.) Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, saidthe reactivation of the centre was in line with the present administration’s commitment to promote technical and ecience Education, seen as critical factor in the attainment of national development .

Jumia Holds Career Open Day For Children

By Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, Lagos

Jumia Nigeria has organised a career placement open day for children to experience and learn more about the technology space and see a career path in the industry. The children were from Dansol Secondary School.

The students had maximum exposure as they took tours around the largest e-commerce campus in Nigeria and also engaged in key activities and tasks during the Children’s Day celebration.

The idea, according to Jumia, is to empower the upcoming generation, who are the future leaders as they are growing in the technology age. The students had the opportunity to become Jumia chief executive officer (CEO) for a couple of hours and see the decision making process.

short news ASUP Strike: We Share Pain Of Students- TUC

By Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, Lagos

Students in Lagos protesting alledged governments refusal to meet demands of Academics Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), which led to the protracted strike. photo by nan

JAMB Coordinator Applauds AUN’s CBT Centre In Yola The Joint Admissions & Matriculation Board (JAMB) has applauded the ICT infrastructure at the American University of Nigeria for administering stressfree Computer Based Tests (CBT) for candidates seeking admission into universities in Nigeria.

JAMB’s Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Buba I. Gashua, said during last week’s CBT exams that the University’s facilities at its African Center for ICT Innovation & Training (AICT), in Yola and Jimeta, fully met the expectations of the national examination body.

The coordinator confirmed the initial submission of the JAMB accreditation team from Abuja which rated the AUN Center as

excellent.

The AUN-ACIT hosted six sessions of the JAMB CBT exam which began on Saturday, May 17 and ended on Friday, May 23. Looking forward to next year’s exercise, the Zonal Coordinator was optimistic that AUN authorities would consider JAMB’s request to expand the facilities at the ACIT. The Zonal Coordinator also applauded the University’s free IT training for at-risk youths in the surrounding communities, from which over 2,000 have already benefited, and advised on ways that it could be more effective.

AUN authorities announced that they were hosting the exam in their facilities free of charge

as part of their contribution to youth education and community development throughout Adamawa State and the North East. AUN’s Chief Information Officer, Mr. Julius Ayuk Tabe, explained that by making available its resources for use by the community, AUN as an institution was playing its part in shaping the lives of people.

ACIT Manager and JAMB CBT Coordinator (ACIT Center), Mrs. Priscilla Abdul, said the exams were successful and that there were no hiccups. “We all worked to make this a success; we made sure all our systems worked very well, and also made sure that the network and security aspect were secured according to JAMB specifications.”

The President General of Trade Union Congress, Comrade Bala Bobboi Kaigama has disclosed that the organised labour feels the pain of both students and lecturers of Polytechnic and Colleges of Education.

Reacting from Switzerland yesterday in a telephone interview, he said the lecturers of tertiary institutions are very difficult to deal with, when it comes to dialogue.

According to him, “the strike by the Academics Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) has been our concern but what we can do is to encourage them because they are very difficult to deal with

Presidential Special Scholarship Awards And Matters Arising

31

disadvantaged thought otherwise, he added.

About 2000 candidates applied for the scholarship which is meant to develop and train young Nigerians in the area of entrepreneurship, skill acquisition, job creation and wealth generation. Reports have it that after electronic portal was developed for the scheme, 629 candidates were invited for a computer-based test after thorough scrutiny by all the university dons

described as first class honours materials. “Considering that the test was electronic based, the results were released instantly and the candidates saw their scores and also got text messages showing their overall scores, thus leaving no room for manipulation. The overall score was determined by using the sum of the test score and the O’level subject weighting,” he further said.

The young Nigerians with a total of 28 females and

2000 candidates applied for the scholarship

76 males (an improvement over last year with only 20 females and 81 males) will study for their Masters and Doctorate degrees in the top 25 institutions of the world which are in the US, UK, Canada and Australia and are expected to return to the country to take up jobs in either the public or private sector and contribute their quota to the development of the country.

Looked at from all angles, the truth is that if the north must

make progress and compete favourably in a dynamic world in which merit cannot be exchanged for religion or ethnicity, there is need for the establishment of more private universities and quality institutions in the north which can be accessed by as many students as possible. It is hoped that northern leaders will take note of this and do what is in their power to ensure the region compete favourably with the rest of the country.

FEATURE/EDUCATION 33

Thursday, June 12, 2014

SCHOOLS REPORTS

Katsina College Budgets N10m For Roads

By Muazu Elazeh, Katsina

The Yusuf Bala College of Legal and General Studies, Daura, Katsina State has a budgetary provision often million naira (N10, 000,000) for construction of roads.

The amount is part of the two hundred and eight million naira (N208, 000,000) capital budget provision for the school, captured in the 2014 budget.

Although the college is grappling with shortage of manpower, there is no budgetary provision for the recruitment of staff even as the sum of ten million naira (N10, 000,000) is budgeted for accreditation, affiliation and recognition.

It would be recalled that a special committee constituted by Katsina State House of Assembly revealed that the college is grappling with shortage of manpower.

Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Rangaiah Ghanashyam, Niger State governor Babangida Aliyu and the ViceChancellor of the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, Prof Riskuwa Shehu, during a courtesy visit on the governor at the Government House, Minna, yesterday. photo by Government House Minna

Cowbell’s Mathematics Competition: 68 Students Sit For Final Exam

by Kuni Tyessi, Abuja

A total of 68 students drawn from 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory wrote the second and final stage examinations of the 2014 Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC).

Of the 68 students that wrote the final examinations, 34 were for the JSS3 category and the rest was for the SSS2 category.

It would be recalled that 216 students passed the stage one examination, but only 68 of them scaled the screening hurdle and qualified for the final stage examination held at four different centres on Saturday.

Fourteen of them, two each from Ekiti, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun,

Ondo, Osun and Oyo; sat for their examinations at Adna Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos State; while the candidates from the 16 northern states were gathered at Grand Ibro Hotel Annex in Abuja for theirs’. The northern states represented at the final examination are: Bauchi, Benue, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Nassarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto,Taraba, Zamfara and Abuja. Each state had two lucky candidates present.

Similarly, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States were equally represented at the Enugu Centre, Allen Suites, where two students each from those states wrote their examinations. Danic Hotel, Port Harcourt, Rivers State was the venue used for the successful candidates from Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, Cross

River, Delta, Edo and Rivers States.

Commenting on the examinations, Mr. Andrew Enahoro, Head of Legal and Public Relations of Promasidor, said the stage is set for the national winner to emerge. He said the management was pleased with the level of commitment shown by all candidates pointing out that the competition has been keenly contested.

According to him, the final prizegiving award ceremony is scheduled to hold at the prestigious Le’ Meridian Hotel, Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State on Thursday June 26, 2014. At this occasion, the best 10 students from each category at the second stage examination will be celebrated as Cowbell Mathematicians in the presence of all stakeholders including the Honorable Minister of Education.

TRCN To Restore Values, Dignity Of Teaching In Nigeria The Registrar/Chief Executive, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, (TRCN), Prof. Addison Mark Wokocha, (FNAE), has reiterated the Council’s commitment to ensuring strict adherence to professional ethics as a paradigm for the restoration of values and dignity in the teaching profession.

Speaking recently at the maiden induction of 157 graduate teachers of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, he noted that the TRCN, aside from registering,certifying and licensing teachers across the country, has a responsibility to ensure that the status of the nation’s education is enhanced

through quality education and world class welfare package for the Nigerian teachers.

In this light, he commended the Ekiti State government for the bold decision to pay teachers in the state the 27.5 percent Teachers Salary Structure (TSS), starting this month end. He used the opportunity to call on other state governors who are yet to implement the special salary structure for teachers in the states to do so without further delay.

The TRCN boss further noted that a special housing scheme was also in the pipeline for professional teachers who have been duly registered, licensed and certified by TRCN. He

further informed the inductees that TRCN was empowered by Decree 31 of 1993 now TRCN Act Cap T3 of 2004, to mount, monitor and supervise mandatory continuingprofessional development (MCPD) programmes and most importantly, maintain discipline among teachers at all levels of the education system.

His words: “In line with our mandate, we are out to promote excellence in education through effective registration, certification and licensing of teachers; and promoting professionalism through accreditation, monitoring and supervision of teacher education programmes.”

OAU Explains Increase In Students’ Charges

By JOSHUA DADA, OSOGBO

Authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife yesterday disclosed that the recent increment of students’ charges was to maintain its status as the best university in the country.

Addressing a press conference at OAU, Ile-Ife on the increase in charges in the institution, the vice chancellor, Prof. Bamitale Omole explained that the newly introduced charges were in line with the economic realities of the moment.

According to him, the newly admitted students in the faculties of Law/Arts/Social Sciences/ Administration and Education are to pay N43,700, faculties of Science/Environment Design and Management/Educational Science/Technology and Agriculture are to pay N54,700 while faculties of Medicine/Pharmacy/Health Science are to pay N57,700.

He further disclosed that the new charges for returning students are as follows: faculties of Law/ Arts/Social Sciences/Administration/EducationArts: N19,700, Science/Education Management/ Education Science/Technology/Agriculture are to pay N30,700 while Medicine/ Pharmacy/ Health Sciences are to pay N33,700.

Indian Varsity To Offer Admission To Nigerian Students

By Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, Lagos

Indian universities plan to organise on-thespot assessment for Nigerian students and offer the qualified candidates admission into the best institutions in the country.

This was disclosed by the director of operations, EduSoft Associates Limited, Mr. Badri Prasad.

According to him, “on-the-spot assessment would be done, and if the students qualify, we are going to offer provisional admission. With this process, qualified candidates could fast-track the admission process and commence their university education by September 2014.

“Indian universities look to attract the best brains from around the world and if such people are discovered at the two-day expo we want to organise, they could very well enjoy some form of scholarship offered by the best universities in India,” added Prasad.

34 OPINION

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Procurement Audit: A Panacea For Infrastructural Deficits by emejuwe victor

Nigeria currently grapples with infrastructural deficit despite the huge commitment of funds deployed annually to provide infrastructural facilities across the country. The present administration through the Ministry of National Planning Commission had recently announced a long term plan to address the gaps. The plan known as National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) is a 30-year master plan for accelerating infrastructure development in the country. It focuses on core infrastructure, including energy (power, oil and gas), transport (roads, rail, ports and airports), housing, water and ICT. Other areas of interest include agriculture, mining, social infrastructure, vital registration and security.

To fill the infrastructural gap, the sum of $2.9trn would be required over the 30 years period. Nigerians suffer both social and economic loss as a result of the infrastructural gaps.

According to the study on road sector performance (2009-2013) carried out by the Center for Social Justice, it cited the CBN report which states that; the annual loss recorded from bad roads in

Jonathan

Nigeria is estimated at N80.bn.

The motorist plying the roads also suffers vehicle operation cost of N53bn due to bad roads. This loses include travel time and man hour loss, including perishable goods. The infrastructural deficit also affects the housing sector, with about 17.5 million houses needed to be completed with N55.5trn. The scenario cut across provision for modern facilities in agriculture, health, education etc.

We may be pushed to ask, does it mean that the government has not been allocating funds to these sectors over the years? The reason for infrastructural deficit in Nigeria is not in the appropriation

The reason for infrastructural deficit in Nigeria is not in the appropriation of funds but in the utilisation of such funds

of funds but in the utilisation of such funds. It has a lot to do with the performance management of projects. Several billions of Naira has been allocated for projects in works, housing, transportation, agriculture, health etc. but the problem is that, the performance of these projects cannot be measured with the expected outcome. The expected outcomes in any project are measured in terms of cost, durability, quality, timeliness and fitness for purpose.

To achieve this, the procurement process must mainstream a performance management benchmarking in the entire circle of the project.

The PMB is a control measure that is required in every project to monitor the performance stages and outcome of a project; this will help to determine if the project is meeting up with the required expectation. The PMB is made up of key performance indicators, process performance reviews, trend analysis and project evaluation.

From the conception of a project, the expectation of the project must be creatively analysed and measured with a performance management benchmark.

– Victor is of the Centre for Social Justice, Abuja

Bogoro And The Challenge Of Repositioning TETFUND

BY LAMBERT OPARAH

Bogoro

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

Text: 08116759791.

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

Fax: 09-2345360

Professor Suleiman Elias Saidu Bogoro, was recently appointed executive secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND)

by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Until his appointment, Bogoro was at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) where he was also in the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University chapter.

Professor Bogoro takes over the baton at TETFUND at a time of great expectations from the public especially members of his constituency who have been agitating for better funding and is expected to run at top speed to deliver the dividends of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda through the TETFUND. TETFUND was established by amendment Act of 2011 as an intervention agency to assist government fund the development of infrastructure in all tertiary institutions in a sustainable manner.

Originally known as Education Trust Fund (ETF) until its amendment, the Fund remains the most pragmatic source of funding education in the country.

It derives its revenue from the 2 per cent Education Tax from companies collected on its behalf by the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

TETFUND provided in 2013 the sum of N18.52 billion for Tertiary

Institution’s Staff Training and Development including sponsorship for Masters and PhD programmes; over N6 billion for local and international conference as well as N100 billion as special intervention fund to upgrade universities which was part of the ASUU/FG agreement. In 2013 alone, the Fund disbursed a total of N366 billion for tertiary education. Although a lot has been done under the present administration to expand access and provide more Nigerians with greater access to tertiary education, the reality however is that the carrying capacity of the existing institutions is still grossly inadequate when placed against the huge number of young Nigerians seeking admission into these institutions.

The resultant effect is the exodus of many young Nigerians seeking admission into tertiary institutions in neigbouring West African countries, Dubai and other parts of the world.

There is no doubt that this situation poses a huge challenge and stretches existing infrastructure in our universities and other institutions of higher learning.

Professor Bogoro therefore has a big challenge addressing these issues.

But the man is not a greenhorn. He is coming to TEFUND with a lot of experience. As chairman Board of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri (2005-2007) his tenure witnessed tremendous achievement.

Over 25 projects were initiated and

commissioned. It was a turning point for the people of Imo State whose main industry is education. In appreciation of his great performance, Professor Bogoro was honoured with the title ‘Ekwueme’ (The man who lives by his words) by the host community of Nekede Polytechnic.

As a product of the university system, Professor Bogoro knows where the shoe pinches. He however should know that transformation of the tertiary education requires not only huge budgetary allocation but a bold and radical departure from the management concept.

Professor Bogoro has the enormous challenge not only to allocate the funds but the responsibility to monitor the usage by the benefitting institutions. TETFUND remains one of the major tools (alongside UBEC) of achieving the president’s transformation agenda on education.

With over 270 tertiary institutions to cater for, the new executive secretary must be focused to deliver better outcomes and value for money. He should work closely with relevant anti-graft monitoring agencies like ICPC to institutionalise management accountability and transparency among benefitting institutions.

Professor Bogoro has a date with history to engrave his name in the sand of time and replicate those attributes he is known for in the past at TETFUND. – Oparah wrote from Garki II, Abuja

Inside Out

KUNLE SOMORIN Feed back: kunlesomorin@yahoo.co.uk 08023339626 (SMS only)

APC On The Threshold Of History

B

y President Goodluck Jonathan’s open admission, the All Progressive Congress (APC) is the only party in the country that can give him a fight for his return to office next year. The other 57 parties are mere passengers in the political train. They may not even produce presidential candidate like in the last general election.

This weekend the APC will have a baptism of fire. Its national convention will make or break the emerging behemoth. Many have seen the gladiators from the legacy parties as strange bed fellows who have a common enemy in those who hold power at the centre. If the only reason for cohabiting is to wrestle power, then they have to make that their first call and their personal ambitions next. That in itself is a legitimate aspiration. The leaders are also known to be individually selfish in their aspirations.

Given the chance that incumbents have, some of them will do worse perfidies than those at the centre.

APC has benefitted from the crises in the PDP. The last was the convention where seven governors led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar staged a walkout. Feelers from the states where APC rule indicate that the leaders are at cross purposes.

First the rebel governors split from G7 to G5 and G2 and those incumbent governors’ side-stepped leaders in the legacy parties because the party apparatchiks decree that governors of states should drive the process. Their progressive credentials are being dimmed by how they have been conducting their affairs. Imposition became the hallmark of ascendancy in worse proportion than the PDP which had the notoriety for such mischief. Elections are won in the landslide pattern and devoid of internal party democracy.

In Ogun State, for instance, the governor Ibikunle Amosun and his “leader”, Chief Olusegun Osoba had parallel congresses at the wards, local and state levels but have been operating at different realms since Amosun joined the defunct ACN. It has been SIA group vs the mainstream. The camps they lead have become sworn enemies. While the National Assembly members are loyal to Osoba, the governor has peopled all the apparatus of the government with his loyalists. He cares no hoot about the feeling of the people he met in the ACN. No state is immune. The candidacy of Akin Ambode is tearing Lagos apart. Kano and Sokoto states are other hotbeds of horse-trading. The ouster of the state former governors Ibrahim Shekarau and Attahiru Bafarawa from the legacy ANPP is indicative of unfinished hostility and inappropriate immersion course of the APC. Edo State has been embroiled in a war of attrition with the comradegovernor Adams Oshiomole being in the eye of the storm and the State House of Assembly splitting into two – pro and anti. These are recipes for a faulty national congress. APC protem chairman Ize Iyamu has commited class suicide and jumped ship back to the PDP. The zoning formula for party position is equally contentious. Some party chieftains feel the national chairmanship should go to the South-west to pave way for a northern presidential flag bearer. There are fears that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Gen Muhammadu Buhari have without saying so are jostling for presidential or vice presidential tickets.

The younger e-savvy Turks like Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, Nasir el-Rufai and Nuhu Ribadu feel their generation should carry on the soldiering. Already, Femi FaniKayode, also in league with the Turks have had to spite his nose to save his face by a fresh romance with the PDP, purportedly as a protest against the plot for a Muslim-Muslim ticket in APC.

ISSUES 35

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Senate Pension Probe: Who is Hiding What?

By Mathew Bosede Babatunde

The trend is worrisome. It is disturbing. Indeed, it calls for serious national concern, among the reasonable, sensible and right thinking members of the society.

A situation where millions in tax-payers’ money is spent to carry out investigative hearings, public hearings, probes or fact findings into issues of serious and utmost national importance and at the end, such investigative hearing(s) are jettisoned or abandoned midway, or for the report of recommendations of such to be dumped or kept under the carpet, after submission to those that authorised such, can certainly not be an acceptable thing any longer. Simply put, it is untenable.

Apart from the resources that are usually committed into such exercise(s), the manpower and energy dissipated into same are different matters entirely. This trend happens not only at the executive arm alone but also the legislative arm of government.

Between May 1999, when Nigeria, once again, joined the league of democratic nations, following the military handover of power by the then Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, to the then democratically elected president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and now, many of such reports of hearings and investigations, particularly from the National Assembly, have actually been submitted.

The question that logically and readily comes to mind is what has happened to these reports or why were some of those probes aborted midway?

One of such investigative hearings is that of the Senate committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters, under the chairmanship of Senator Aloysius Akpan Etok, which is popularly known or referred to as Pension

Mark

Why did the Senator Etok-led committee suspend the Pension Task Force team in the first instance?

Report Investigative hearing. It was a hearing that elicited a lot of interests from within Nigeria and outside. This was so because of the issue being discussed – Pension.

It would be recalled that the first public hearing on this matter of pension scam was held on March 6, 2012, during which the Senate committee handling the probe, announced the immediate suspension of the pension task force team led by Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina, despite the fact that the task force had

neither made any submission nor be listened to.

The task force, duly set up by the federal government, was saddled, primarily, with the responsibility of restructuring the nation’s pension system. Its membership was drawn from the various anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC and the State Security Services, SSS as well as other para-military agencies.

The offices of the AccountantGeneral of the Federation and the Attorney-General of the Federation were also represented on the team. Ordinarily, considering the membership composition of the task force, it would have been logical, sensible and appropriate to have listened to the team and allowed it make its presentation, at least, for the sake of fair hearing, which emphasises that all sides in any matter should be listened to, attentively.

Hardly had the task force finished its assignment than it was ordered suspended by the Senator Etok-led committee, thus suggesting that the Senate committee was set up to achieve a pre-meditated objective of working from the answer to the question instead of the other way round.

The whole matter became shocking and intriguing when allegations began making the rounds, everywhere, that the committee allegedly demanded and got bribe from the task force team for the purpose of a cover up.

Accusing fingers were specifically pointed at the committee’s chairman. Although Senator Etok denied this allegation, but some members of the task force team are insisting that he (Etok) has not told Nigerians in particular and the world in general, everything he knows about the pension scam.

One of the accused persons in the pension saga, Dr Sani Shuaibu Teidi, who is currently standing trial, had alleged in an interview that N3 billion bribe was given to the Senate Committee and that the money was contributed by all the accused persons for the purpose of being given a soft landing.

This amount is different from the initial N2billion which was said to have been demanded from Alhaji Maina by the Senator Etok-led committe, the request which was turned down by him (Maina).

The committee chairman, aside

from denying the allegation of bribe taking, went further to ask the EFCC, the Police and the SSS to investigate him. Nothing concrete has, however, been heard about it so far.

The more the committee attempts to extricate or exonerate itself from this allegation of bribe, the more suspicious and unbelievable its members become. The questions that are now begging for answers, on daily basis, from the chairman of the committee and its members are; Why did the Senator Etokled committee suspend the Pension Task Force Team in the first instance? Was that the rightful thing to do at that time?

Was there any law or rule that allows such to be done? Was the step in tandem with the rule of fairness and natural justice? These questions and many others have not been responded to.

Senator Etok had in a recent interview said, “My job at the Senate is quite challenging and interesting. We oversee recruitment, promotion and discipline of civil servants. We also deal with pension matters of the civil, public, military and the police services. It is a very sensitive and challenging assignment”.

The question then is, has Senator Etok fairly and justly dealt with the pension matters of the concerned people as claimed in the interview? The answer, surely, is not in the affirmative. It is NO. Many Nigerians are still waiting eagerly to see how this issue will be resolved. It is not just the credibility of the committee chairman and the members that are at stake. That of the Senate is at stake. The nation’s integrity is at stake, especially in the eyes of the international community, where Nigeria is a key player.

– Babatunde, a public analyst wrote in from Wuse, Abuja

We Don’t Need Rotational Presidency By edozie okeiyi

We have suggested originally the downsising of the federating units to six to reflect the current six geo-political zones

According to the renowned American political scientist, politics is who gets what, when and how. This captures the emotions in Nigeria regarding the office of the presidency. The agitation for rotational presidency has become a regular issue in our national political discourse. This is owing to the fact that many people feel marginalised when someone from another region is in power. Therefore there is a strong feeling and view that if the presidency rotates among the zones, it would alleviate the marginalisation of the zones.

We have studied this theory carefully and our conclusion is that we do not need rotational presidency. Rotational presidency would promote mediocrity and would reduce the office of the president to a mere regional institution.

Rotational presidency at best can be likened to using a problem to solve a

problem. We need a system that can enable the best candidate to emerge.

For example if it is the turn of Zone A to produce the president, and we have the best candidate from Zone B, we would then have to elect a mediocre president at the expense of a more qualified candidate. Mediocrity should not be promoted or celebrated in any shape or form. A mediocre president cannot deliver at the level required and the whole nation would suffer as a result.

However the best solution we have is to decentralise powers to the federating units in the spirit of true federalism. We have suggested originally the downsising of the federating units to six to reflect the current six geo-political zones. This would form the basis of the federal arrangement where powers would be sufficiently devolved to the units. What we have at the moment is more unitary than federal.

The centre is too attractive that the

scramble for it is unacceptably high. In the first republic when Nigeria practiced true federalism, the three regions were viable and the centre was less attractive.

As a result something unconventional in parliamentary democracy happened.

The 1959 general election that ushered in independence in Nigeria was won by the Northern People’s Congress (NPC).

By parliamentary standards the leader of the NPC Sir Ahmadu Bello was supposed to be the prime minister. However Sir Ahmadu Bello preferred to remain in his job in Kaduna as the premier of the Northern Region, and rather sent his deputy Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa to Lagos to serve as the prime Minister.

The central government in Lagos was not too attractive to him, coupled with the genuine love he had for his people, so he chose to remain in his position as premier of the Northern region in Kaduna. In fact the regions funded the

centre. That was federalism at work until 1966 when the military struck.

The military by command and structure operated a unitary style. All powers and resources were centralised. The 1979 constitution which later metamorphosed to the 1999 constitution was an offshoot of military rule. Therefore these constitutions are only federal in name, in reality they are unitary constitutions as powers were centralised. The task before the confab is to make recommendations that would promote federalism. The federating units should be downsized to the six geo political zones. More powers should be devolved to the units to make the centre less attractive. Every region would have the opportunity to develop at its own pace without holding other regions to ransom. Then we can achieve unity in diversity.

– Okeiyi is director, Media and Strategy, Leadership Rescue Initiative

36 issues

Thursday, June 12, 2014

APC: National Convention And Wamakko’s Spirit

By Mohammed Umar

When Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko defected to the All Progressives Congress, it became unmistakably obvious that the party was on its journey to a reverberating victory come 2015. Wamakko was invited to join the Party by its national figures as he was deemed capable of changing its fortune for the better in Sokoto State.

It is worth recalling here that, before Wamakko’s defection to the party, the APC was an obscure party without visible presence in the State so much so that the party had no befitting office accommodation anywhere in the state. With his joining the party, Wamakko breathed life into it all over Sokoto State with colorful party offices across the 23 Local Government areas of the State and the over 240 wards.

He came into the APC with all the serving local government Chairmen, their Councillors and all the notable politicians within the local government areas. That feat was a solid demonstration

of his tenacity of purpose and the fact that, the average Sokoto man will always go for Wamakko irrespective of what party he belongs to.

Governor Wamakko has over the years proved himself to be a politicians’ politician, a go-getter, an achiever par excellence, a master strategist and a sagacious mobilizer.

History is still evergreen with the truth that, before he joined his last party, that party merely existed in name only, as we knew the exigencies that made him its candidate in 2006. Immediately he joined, of course, he revived the then comatose party, the PDP, and delivered all the elective offices at all levels 100%.

Recently, when the state congress was held, Sokoto State was a blueprint of where consensus really worked out well. The elections into the wards, Local and State Executive Councils of the APC were held in remarkable harmony as they were rancor–free. Governor Wamakko’s personal charisma as a dependable and reliable leader worked wonders in

making the Sokoto State elections unique without any rumpus.

As I write this, many State Chapters of the APC are mired in post-election rumbles as there are complaints of either imposition of leadership or something of that nature which are, however, being addressed.

It is therefore appropriate to hail Governor Wamakko for midwifing rancor-free elections into party offices in Sokoto State. It is discernable that his unwavering commitment to whatever task he embarks on must have made the Sokoto elections flawless.

Now that the APC at the national level has appointed Governor Wamakko to head its National Convention, what else do we expect? Your guess is as good as mine; we expect impeccable results, a rancorfree convention, a remarkable exercise that would go into the annals of Nigerian political history.

His emergence as the convention chairman is an ample testimony of the conviction of APC’s top echelon that

Governor Wamakko is steadfast; dependable, and reliable and a committed party leader who could always brave the odds and break records.

Back home in Sokoto, the Governor is at peace with the citizens and at peace with his party men and women. His residence is a mecca of some sorts to all who go there. The doors are opened as he interacts directly with especially the common men.

This is as a result of his allembracing disposition, humility and approachability, and these same traits are what all party members see in him at the National Convention.

We are confident that, Governor Wamakko by God’s grace will replicate the Sokoto example of rancor-free and acceptable convention. It is normal to urge all the party membership to have faith in the APC, shame its detractors by putting the interest of the party above all other interests.

The promise of the Rainbow is that, the Sun will shine again, Governor Wamakko will by God’s blessings conduct an acceptable and transparent

Wamakko

convention that will further enrich and solidify APC on its way to changing Nigeria’s misfortunes into fortunes come 2015.

— Umar is the president of Sokoto Liberal Democrats Media Foundation

Pope Francis’ Pilgrimage To the Holy Land: The Courage To Remake History

By John Cardinal Onaiyekan

In the weekend of May 31st to June 1st, 2014, Pope Francis was in the Holy Land on pilgrimage.

He stressed the fact that he was going on pilgrimage as a religious exercise, to visit the Holy Places associated with the events of the Holy Bible, and especially with the life, death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Like other pilgrims, he visited Nazareth in Galilee, Bethlehem in Judea and the holy city of Jerusalem.

During his pilgrimage, he undertook a series of important and historic encounters. He was not just an ordinary pilgrim: he was the Pope. He was not visiting just any sacred place but the Holy Land of Israel, a land of great spiritual significance to three main religions of the world; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It was also a land of thousands of years of history of tumult and conflict, glory and splendour. Each of his encounters was fraught with danger and opportunities. Some Roman journalists said he was walking into a diplomatic land mine. With simple but powerful words and gestures, he walked his way safely through the land mines. He also successfully drew the attention of everyone to the crucial need to pursue the common objectives of

peace and solidarity in a land that has become almost synonymous with conflict and sectarianism all across the board. At the end, he achieved the awesome feat of bringing the presidents of the states of Israel and Palestine to a “joint prayer session” in the Vatican gardens, an event that took place this past Sunday of Pentecost. This was indeed history in the making.

The declared main purpose of the pilgrimage was to celebrate 50 years of the historic embrace of Pope Paul VI with the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras in Jerusalem in 1964. That meeting started the journey towards the reunion of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, after about one thousand years of separation. The meeting of Pope Francis with Patriarch Bartholomew marked a major stage forward in this journey of faith and love. A history of separation was being remade along the way of unity and common witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. A significant positive fall-out of this new era of rapprochement was the gracious presence of the Patriarch at the Vatican gardens in support of the Pope’s initiative of prayer for peace, along with the presidents of Israel and Palestine.

In his visit to the Kingdom

Pope Francis

of Jordan and to the states of Palestine and Israel, Pope Francis seized on every opportunity to meet with the Muslims of the Holy Land, culminating in his encounter with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in the building of the Great Council on the Esplanade of the Mosques. This is quite a long way from the bloody history of Christian-Muslim struggles for the control of the Holy Land.

The Second Vatican Council already called for a healing of the sad and bitter memories of the past. Furthermore, this also gave him an opportunity to draw much needed attention to the precarious plight of the indigenous Christians of the Holy Land. We tend to forget that they too share the same fate with their Arab brothers and sisters of the Muslim faith in the tragic drama

of the Arab-Israeli conflict, whether they are under Israeli or Palestinian state.

His visit to the state of Israel was perhaps the most delicate part of his “pilgrimage”. The program clearly laid emphasis on the religious dimension of his visit, with prayer at the Western Wall and courtesy call on the two Chief Rabbis of Israel. But what captured the attention of the world media was his handling of his outreach to the political leaders of Israel. In simple but well calculated words and gestures, he succeeded in winning the admiration and trust of his Hebrew hosts without letting down the Palestinian Arabs. The Holy Spirit was certainly at work.

But even the Holy Spirit works through human beings ready to be used as agents. In the momentous event of the prayer for peace in the Vatican gardens on the evening of Pentecost Sunday, we all saw the Spirit of God working in everyone involved in the historic event, especially the Pope and the Patriarch, and the two presidents of the Holy Land. This was not just another “peace talk initiative”. The two presidents were not facing one another in confrontation or debate. On the invitation of the Pope and the Patriarch, they both lifted

up their faces to God in heaven in prayerful supplication for peace. It is most refreshing to see religion at its best, calling on the One God to rescue his children from self-destruction.

All this speaks volumes to the situation of our nation, Nigeria.

Whatever the past may be, we can always remake history, seeking common grounds on which to build a better future for those coming after us. Pope Francis reminds us that it requires more courage to build peace than to foment conflict. President Shimon Perez says that to build peace is a duty we owe to our children. We should not allow ourselves to be discouraged by the difficulty of making a new history of mutual recognition, acceptance and respect. In the Vatican gardens, Jews and Arabs, Christians and Muslims, Catholics and Orthodox have sincerely embraced and prayed together. May the God of history grant us the courage and wisdom to reach out to one another beyond our historical baggage of mutual suspicions and across our present diversities of creed and culture!

— Onaiyekan is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Abuja. This piece is the sixth in the series of his “Letters from Rome.”

politics today Thursday, June 12, 2014

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REPORTS ANALYSES REVIEWS INTERVIEWS

All Those Indicted By Ombatse Panel’ll Be Punished –Gov Al-Makura Recently, Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura marked three years in office. In this interview with DONATUS NADI, Al-Makura highlights the developmental challenges he faced especially in the areas of security and provision of infrastructure.

The commission of inquiry into Alakyo killings did submit its report and government has issued a white paper but we have not heard much about implementation, when will you begin to apprehend, arrest or prosecute those indicted?

There are so many people that have been put in distress and dispersed by these criminals

It needs to be said that from the day we issued the white-paper, that very day the process of implementation of the white paper commenced and what may not be visible in the eyes of people outside the state is the fact that some of the processes of implementation are not necessarily such that attract so much publicity.

This is because if one can categorise them, they have three categories. We have those implementations that are administrative, we have those that are purely security issues and we have those that are legal issues.

Those that are administrative and civil we have been able to implement quite a number of them.

That is like reprimanding those that ought to be reprimanded.

Asking some people to leave certain farm lands that do not belong to them and asking certain people who were claiming certain responsibility to revert back to the status quo.

So they have to do their own investigation again over and above the one done by the judicial commission of inquiry and we have since set all the necessary instruments to urge the security operatives to commence that security aspect.

I am very much aware that they have gone quite far in achieving some of the results that such investigations aim to achieve and that, at the appropriate time, they will take their findings to the right places.

On those that require litigations, we already have an independent prosecutor who is known to be a hard nut to crack because the case we have at hand will actually give confidence to the en-

REVIEW

Issues As FG Plans To Spend On Private Varsities By george agba, Abuja

Al-Makura

tire citizenry on how we handle people who have been identified as criminals. This is a case within the state and we have to take it very seriously because the people that have been found guilty or indicted are trying to use all kinds of ways to abort such process.

May be they have a lot of money or they want to protect certain interests.

What have you done to ameliorate the sufferings of the victims of Ombatse attacks?

There are so many people that have been put in distress and dispersed by these criminals. There are different categories of people that need some kind of relief, that need some kind of assistance from the situation the Ombatse has put them into.

The first are the security operatives. I feel pain that a secu-

rity operative on a national duty should be killed. All lives are equal, whether you are a civilian or a security person. But I feel more pain when a security man is killed because that is the person that gives confidence to the ordinary man.

The pain the people will feel when a security man is killed is many times over the pains if the ordinary man is killed because security is an embodiment of confidence, is an embodiment of peace.

Once you have the security parading around you, you have a good sleep, you will be sure that nobody will come and accost you and cause any harm to you but when the thing goes to the security then what are you going to ➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 38

President Goodluck Jonathan last week confirmed federal government’s plan to offer assistance to private tertiary institutions in terms of infrastructural development. In this report, GEORGE AGBA examines concern raised by stakeholders in the educational sector that the move might only favour the rich to the exclusion of poor Nigerians who cannot afford to send their children to these expensive private schools.

What President Goodluck Jonathan did last week was to state an already existing plan by the federal government. The idea of assisting the 60 private universities in the country in terms of infrastructural development had since been hatched.

At a ground breaking ceremony of Eagle Heights University in Omadina community Warri, Delta State, the president noted that since education is a bedrock for national development, the federal government was ready to assist private tertiary institutions with infrastructures to engender rapid development of the sector.

Federal government’s move to provide financial support for private universities and other tertiary institutions in the country was one of the recommendations made at the National Conference on Transparency, Accountability and Ethical Values in tertiary institutions for sustainable development held from May 20 to 21, 2014 at the Ladi Kwali conference hall of the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja.

The conference was convened jointly by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values agreed that this has become necessary because of the useful contributions of this private citadels of learning to the economic and technological development of the country.

The conference declared open by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim also decried the high level of corruption in tertiary institutions across the country. It also resolved that, henceforth, appointment of Vice Chancellors, Provost, Rectors, Registrars and Rectors and other accounting officers of tertiary in➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 38 Donald Ojogo, Group Politics Editor

38 POLITICS TODAY

Thursday, June 12, 2014

All Those Indicted By Ombatse Panel’ll Be Punished –Gov Al-Makura ➔ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

Issues As FG Plans To Spend On Private Varsities

do? You are not a security person.

It is on record that the very week these people were killed the state government provided about N100 million for the widows and relations of the seventy three security operatives that were killed.

Apart from that, we sent a lot of relief materials to them. This is the little we have been able to do and we are trying to see what more we can do in providing more succour to some of their family members by way of employment, by way of some jobs and things like that.

➔ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

Given how strongly you feel about those indicted by the commission of inquiry, are you telling us now that you will do all within your power to ensure that they are prosecuted?

I want to be very frank with you, if there is any challenge I have as a governor in Nasarawa State, is not just the physical infrastructure that I want to accomplish before the end of my tenure; the most challenging thing I now face as governor is how I stand up to these criminals, how I stand up to Ombatse and no matter how they run, no matter how highly placed are their leaders.

Could you give us in summary some of the highlights of what you have achieved in the last three years?

Sorry, I always run away from the temptation of scoring myself because apart from being immodest I also consider that, I might probably not be objective. I would rather prefer that somebody far away from me assess and determine whether I have made any achievement.

Old states have all got some of these infrastructures in place for them. So, all the new administrators come, they build on those infrastructures and these infrastructures are the fulcrum upon which any development could flourish. If you don’t have those infrastructures you cannot develop.

So I had to provide physical infrastructure by the way of city roads and rural roads. I had to provide potable water, to at least reduce water borne infections.

Then power which I consider very important, is the heart of any development. Without power, you cannot do anything.

So in my first 100 days in office, I brought an initiative; power in 100 days. I made sure that most places that used to have transformers that are off, have access to power and many other places that could generate power through some alternative energy.

I went straight into power provision and provided more than 54 communities with power; some through reactivation or provision of transformers, some by linking

REVIEW

Al-Makura

with the national grid and some by providing solar energy.

So, these are the little things I did as far as physical infrastructure is concerned because I feel we cannot have any more advanced development without these three basic infrastructures in place. I am happy that we are keying into it. We are now going to provide rural electrification to all the eighteen development areas and before the end of the year some of the areas that never dreamed of electricity because of their hinterland location will benefit soon.

It’s been in the budget and we are going to implement it.

On rural roads, we have constructed more than 250 kilometers of rural roads to provide our farmers with the means of conveying their produce to the market. The other is social infrastructure. When I came, I discovered the blunder in the education sector. You see, there was this very big mistake by the National Council of Education way back in the 80s where they made it mandatory that for anybody to qualify to teach in the primary school, he has to be an NCE holder.

That decision was suicidal to the education system, because it was so ironical while there was exposure in education, there were more people going to school and the agency is now reducing the number of teachers by putting a fresh hold to the complication.

You cannot teach unless you have NCE. So virtually all the schools have to comply and go without teachers and this is the time when there is blossoming of education in virtually all places. So, if you insist that education must be tied down to NCE, then you

can be rest assured that in a place like Nasarawa State you will have more than 30 per cent of the schools without teachers.

That is why I am now trying to interface with the National Teachers Institute that I am going to provide teacher training colleges, whatever their role is. I want to embark on that; a teacher training college in every local government that will train its teachers.

For instance, we have a Teacher Training College in Keffi, in Wamba we will have one, in Keana, in Doma and in Awe. The purpose of establishing such teachers college is to make sure that we train the teachers that will man the schools. It doesn’t really matter if they don’t have NCE, once they have the principle and practice of education they will man the schools before the better days when we will be able to have NCE holders.

So, that to me is very fundamental and I am taking it as a major plank of my decision to move the education sector forward.

In addition to that, the schools infrastructure was in shambles. If I show you some of the pictures of the schools that I inherited, children were just seating on bare floor, the cement floor have been washed away, they are seating on dust and some of them will just go to the corner of the class and visit nature.

I have evolved a new initiative in the education sector. I want to challenge and compete with private schools, so that children attending public schools would raise their heads and would be proud that they are attending public school and they would have a better infrastructure, better teachers, better equipment.

We have constructed more than 250 kilometers of rural roads to provide our farmers with the means of conveying their produce to the market

stitutions, as well as members of their governing councils must be revisited if corruption must be weeded out of the country’s institutions of higher learning.

According to a communique issued at the end of the confab, underfunding constituted a serious challenge to the development of tertiary institutions and a possible source of certain corrupt practices in these institutions. The conference further recommended that the issue of “cost sharing (payment of tuition) by beneficiaries of tertiary institutions in government owned institutions should be revisited and government may wish to make a categorical statement on the matter”.

The communique jointly signed by chairman of ICPC, Barrister Ekpo Nta; chairman of TETFUND, Dr Musa Babayo and special adviser to the president on ethics and values, Dr (Mrs) Sarah N. Jibril noted: “The existence of private higher institutions complement the efforts of the federal and state governments to provide access to tertiary education as well as cutting edge research for national development.

“Hence, participants believe these institutions should be supported because of their valuable contributions to the economic and technological development of the nation. Specifically, government should consider support for these private tertiary institutions especially universities, in the areas of staff training and development, research and innovation, and library development. Government may also wish to consider granting these institutions access to loans at single digit interest rates for infrastructure development, equipment procurement, etc”.

President Jonathan confirmed this last week Tuesday when he performed the groundbreaking ceremony of Eagle’s Height University owned by president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. He said since private universities, especially the ones owned by religious bodies also employ non conventional method in their curricular, including moral training, it is certain that there would be little or no irregularities and vices recorded by both the lecturers and students in such environment.

Noting that government is quite passionate about universities being built by the private sector investors, especially religious bodies because they uphold high standard of discipline, the president said, “Without the private sector coming in to assist, we cannot provide enough spaces for our children.

That is why government is quite passionate about universities being built by the private sector, especially religious bodies because one advantage is that universities owned by religious bodies have discipline and moral education.

“This is quite weak in terms of conventional universities owned by government. These universities owned by religious bodies, we have seen high degree of discipline more on the academic staff. You cannot be in the university here and you talk about sexual harassment; that will not exist here because there will be no space for it”.

Announcing that the federal government was putting robust plans in place to assist private universities, Jonathan said, “We will encourage the private universities and I am quite pleased with the governor of Delta State who has made it very clear that the state government assists private universities. At the federal level I am not sure we have a robust plan. But we must encourage private universities.

POLITICS TODAY 39

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Wamakko And The Burden Of APC National Convention In this piece, ANKELI EMMANUEL examines the burden on the governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko as he presides over the preparations for the national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A

Be that as it may, the most pronounced and more disturbing factor that may make or mar the forth coming APC national convention however remained the religious interest as observed by analysts

gainst the backdrop of the fact that Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto State was not among the founding members of the All ProgressiveS Party, (APC), his dramatic chairing of the party’s long expected national convention was not a big surprise to many political analysts within and outside Sokoto State.

If not for anything, his political dexterity and his much cherished consultation style has attracted to him much admiration.

Bearing this in mind, it is believed that key players in APC found a soft landing by bringing in Wamakko as a broad-minded and convincing consultant capable of pacifying the varied interests that formed the APC. After all, Wamakko was believed, and remained not just a political force to reckon with in the state and the north but even in the nation’s democratic history in view of the fact that he has been very successful in virtually every sphere of his political endeavours.

Reasons for his successes according to pundits stem from the fact that, Wamakko was not just a grassroots mobiliser of unimaginable dimension, but also an individual who can go all out to achieve a cause, which he believes in. Little wonder, former governor, Attahiru Bafarawa went for him in 1999 as his deputy.

Though as expected of most political marriages, the relationship went sour along the line thereby forcing Wamakko to resign a year to the end of their second tenure. He however contested against the candidate of incumbent Bafarawa and won the governorship of Sokoto State overwhelmingly in 2007 under the platform of the PDP. Wamakko remained in the PDP for seven years and pulled out again to join the new APC a year to the end of his tenure.

Agreed, Wamakko cited several cogent political grey areas as his basis for dumping the PDP, these grey areas according to some political observers were among the odds, which the APC sought to correct, should it get to power at the centre come 2015.

With this discontentment already being expressed by Wamakko, wooing him into the APC fold was a less herculean job for the gladiators. The fact that he had already shared common political ideology with some of the APC’s gladiators made it easy for him to

Wamakko

blend with the party.

His presence in the party yielded result in no distance time as virtually all the PDP faithful moved with him to the APC. While in the APC, the governor brought in a political paradigm known as the “Wamakkoism Consensus Model” which was used in peacefully getting both the ward, local as well as state executive committee members of the party.

The ease with which the consensus was achieved viz-a-viz the corresponding non resistant atmosphere that chronicles the ‘Wamakkoism Consensus Model’ in the state could be succinctly adjudged as the bases why he was given the chairmanship slot of the national convention of the APC, pundits observed.

Diagnosing Wamakko’s political dexterity, political observers within and outside the Seat of the Caliphate therefore asked if this assignment of chairing the national convention of the APC was a simple twist of fate or a calculated attempt at testing his prowess in leading a spirited struggle.

Assessing the weight and magnitude of the job, a social critic and political analyst in Sokoto, Alhaji Bello Isa, said the assignment would simply serve as a litmus test for Governor Wamakko to convincingly validate his consultation proficiency which he hitherto used in arriving at the ‘’Wamakkoism Consensus Model’’ in the state APC convention.

Much as the governor is evidently doing the consultation, es-

pecially, with barely few days to the D-Day, pundits however express fear that, divergent interests might militate against the successful conduct of the APC’s first national convention.

Among such interest, political observers believed to include but not limited to regional, religious, ethnic, perceived patent right of legacy parties as well as dominance of the APC’s current gladiators wish over the collective aspiration of its common members.

Be that as it may, the most pronounced and more disturbing factor that may make or mar the forth coming APC national convention however remained the religious interest as observed by analysts.

“Moreover, this singular sensitive factor if not properly handled has 80 percent potency of ensuring a crack in the party hence the party has already been blackmailed as a Muslim agenda front” Muhammad Shaibu stressed.

Collaborating Muhammad’s position, northern APC Christians allegedly met recently in the house of the Senate Minority Leader, Sen George Akume and in their jostling for space and influence, rolled out certain conditions that must be admitted should the APC want to discontinue the branding as an Islamic party by some of its members and sympathizers alike.

Similarly, another group of the northern APC Christians allegedly met in Minna (Niger State) where they gave their own conditions to the party (APC) should it want to

dispel the fears of northern Christians who are in the party on a test-running demeanor.

Among the conditions spelt out by the northern APC Christians, include, a deliberate attempt at correcting the branding of the APC as an Islamic party by both the PDP and other detractors through consenting some of its key positions to the northern Christians to synergies its harmony not only in the region but nationwide.

The request of the northern Christians in that meeting simply holds that, 10 out of the 20 Working Committee members of the party would surely go to the north.

Therefore, should the national chairman of the party emerge from among the southern Muslims, then they (northern Christians should be given national secretary, (north east) national treasurer (north west) one vice chairman (north central), national welfare secretary as well as national legal adviser.

They further presumed that, should the national chairman becomes a southern Christian, then they are requesting that the deputy national chairman should come from north east, national treasurer from north central, one vice chairman, national welfare secretary, national legal adviser as well as deputy national secretary from north west and central respectively.

Given reasons for their request, a member of the northern Christian who was in the meeting but speak with LEADERSHIP on condition of anonymity said; should what happened in the composition of the party’s interim executive committee repeat itself, then they would left with no option than to simply believe that the party has a sinister motive as been peddled by its detractors.

“And you know what that means; a leeway to believe all the lies that was said about the party (APC). The consequence therefore is that, we would have nothing else to say and convince them into believing what the party stands for. Resultantly, we might lose a good number of our members to other parties including the PDP”. The source said.

Bearing this agitation and many more in mind, pundits are now expressing concern over how the national convention chairman of the party, Governor Wamakko can work out the mediating magic to probably arrive at a consensus or conduct a convention that would not tear members apart at the end of the day.

As the days roll by gradually, pundits are waiting to see how Wamakko would repeat the Sokoto feat of Mr. Consultation and fix it up for good of the APC.

40 interview How did the ‘BringBackOurGirls’ campaign start?

I have been following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls since April 14 and I have been concerned and consistently worried about the huge number of girls that were abducted in view of the fact that we’ve seen continued pockets of abductions. I have been worried following up the story and two weeks after that, exactly April 24, I just decided there was no need for me to sit and keep wondering what could happen. We should engage our government to find out the status of the rescue operations. So, on the 24th I called Maryam Uwais, who is a human rights lawyer that I am familiar with. I called her and I said ‘I will like to come and see you aunty Maryam, I want us to talk about these Chibok girls, am very concerned, and it bothers me’. She said ‘okay come tomorrow’ and the next day, which was Friday I drove to Maryam Uwais’ office.

I went in and said ‘Aunty Maryam you a human rights lawyer, you do advocacy for women and I am coming here to talk to you about Chibok girls, we can’t sit and just be quiet. I am concerned about our values as human beings and Nigerians’. She said ‘okay’ but she wasn’t sure if protests will be effective. She was quite concerned that there have been protests Interestingly and about the same time, Aunty Oby Ezekwesili had already tweeted ‘bringbackourgirls’ and without knowing of the tweet, on the 24th I went to Aunty Maryam Uwais’ office and said ‘Let’s give this thing a definition and purpose’, I wasn’t aware of Aunty Oby’s tweet and emails kept building up. I sent emails to a few journalists that I know asking them to join us. For me it is not about the number but the symbolism and this is really the evolution of the genesis of how we started the underground protest of bringbackourgirls.

What inspired you to take up this challenge?

I was inspired by the fact that a little group, a small local government area somewhere in Borno State is crying out for help, their daughters have been abducted and nobody was saying anything. I was moved as a woman and mother. When I imagined those mothers going to sleep every night without knowing where their daughters are. I was moved as a Nigerian, especially the fact that our security apparatuses are not doing what we expect from them as citizens. We have put in their hands the protection of our lives and property and here we as a people are scared to go to the market, scared to go to the motor parks. So, that really moved me I have been privileged to have education, I know the impact of education on the girl child, I know what education in the North is and I know how challenging and difficult it is for females to go to school and even go to the point where they are writing WAEC exams. This is such a huge thing in the North because half-way through secondary school a lot of girls are

Thursday, June 12, 2014 and you witnessed when the microphone packed up and someone came up with a new one.

Bala Usman

How I Started #BringBackOurGirls Movement – Hadiza

Unknown to many, the initiator of the popular #BringBackOurGirls campaign for the release of the abducted over 200 Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State, Hadiza Bala Usman, has activism running in her veins. Hadiza was born to the fiery late historian and university teacher, Dr. Yusuf Bala Usman of the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. In this interview with BODE GBADEBO AND DAYO ODUNSI, she bares her mind on the genesis of the movement, her motivation and their plans for the escaped schoolgirls, among other issues. dropping out, they are married off, they don’t allow them to go to school, they are making them go into trade.

So, for a girl to reach the SSCE stage writing her WAEC exams, her family must have given up a lot to nurture her to that level. And at that critical time when she is writing exams and then she is snatched away, abducted by terrorists and we do not see our government taking up this task seriously, it is for me a great challenge.

There have been various BringBackOurGirls rallies nationwide, what is your relationship with these other groups?

What we have done is to encourage everybody to go out to have a single issue. Ours is a single issue campaign, we want to sustain the discourse of ‘bringbackourgirls’, we want to sustain the fact that we want our government to do everything possible to bring them back, we refused to be distracted, we refused to allow any-

body bring political or religious connotation into what we are doing and in the same manner we encourage all other groups that are spilling out of this to maintain independence, we do not want anybody to take on the message and convey it in such a manner that would depict any politicisation.

This is the message we’ve been telling everyone that have been supporting the movement so that we don’t get confused. Look at what is happening now, we started it and some others with different motives have sprung up and to the extent of attacking us.

What is the source of your funding?

We are independent people. If you come to our meeting, you will see someone walk in with a carton of water, someone will donate a microphone, and someone will bring mats.

Someone will go and make photocopies of the agenda, so this is being done by individuals contributing financially, I am glad you were there

Are you interfacing with the parents of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls?

Oh yes! Some of the parents have come to Abuja. We interacted with them, they told us the extent which this abduction has traumatised the community. Even after the abduction, terrorists have gone to the village and razed down houses, carted away foodstuffs from people’s stores. At a point the community moved away to the bush and allowed the insurgents have a field day. Interestingly one of the parents whose two daughters were abducted told us that Boko Haram were kind to them because if Boko Haram wanted they would have killed all of them in that village because all of them ran out of their homes and ran into the bush to hide.

So, we have interacted with them.

These girls that escaped are very traumatised and we are keen to ensure that they are protected and their identities are safe because we all know the type of stigmatisation that could be associated with a girl that has been abducted by insurgents.

We are trying to ensure that these girls are shielded, we are working on ensuring they have trauma counseling. Some of their parents are very careful, they don’t want people to see their children, and they want to hide them. But we have implored them to allow the children have access to counseling of post-trauma and at the same time we appreciate the fact that their identities need to be protected.

Beyond the victims, what are you doing for the parents against the backdrop that some of them have died in the circumstance?

The parents need a lot of counseling because the trauma they’ve been through is beyond reason. One of the mothers, whose two daughters were abducted, has passed away. Also, a father too passed away and you see beyond even the abduction that happened to them, this is a society that has been traumatised for two years.

Boko Haram has been actively terrorising the area and interestingly what really come to the fore in this discourse is that they are scared talking about it.

If the Chibok girls are finally rescued, what will happen to #BringBackOurGirls movement?

We intend to sustain advocacy on abduction of girls, we intend to sustain advocacy on girl-child education in the North-East and Nigeria as a whole, we intend to sustain advocacy on security of the lives of Nigerians, we have a document which is ‘Citizens’ Support on how to end Terrorism’. We intend to sustain dialogue in that manner, we have shared the document with the office of the National Security Adviser and they are some of the things we want to discuss with Mr. President.

I was moved as a Nigerian, especially the fact that our security apparatuses are not doing what we expect from them as citizens

Thursday, June 12, 2014

41

42

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Congratulations on your

Bauchi State Members in the

National Assembly

th

anniversary We, members of the Bauchi State in the National Assembly heartily rejoice with His Excellency Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Mua’zu on his 59th anniversary.

Within this short period, you have demonstrated true leadership and commitment toward human and physical development of our party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

We will continue to partner with you to provide good governance in order to achieve the desired aspirations of our nation Nigeria.

As you get a year older.

Our prayers are that Allah (SWT) gives you good health and guidance in the service of our father-land.

Once more, congratulations.

His Excellency Alhaji

Ahmadu Adamu Mua’zu (Walin Bauchi) National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party

Signed: Hon. Umar Abubakar Sade Hon. Muhammed Tukur Adamu Hon. Ahmed Madaki Gololo Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau Hon. Abdul-Razak Nuhu Hon. Abubakar Ahmed Misau Hon. Hassan Isa Mohammed

Thursday, June 12, 2014

ZAMFARA STATE OF NIGERIA

Congratulations!

I have received with utmost joy and gratitude to Almighty Allah the news of your coronation as the 14th Emir of Kano, by the King Makers of the Kano Emirate Council.

To all those who have had the privilege of coming in contact with you, your appointment did not come to us as a surprise because of your wealth of experience and track record of service which should certainly warrant your elevation to the well deserved position of 14th emir of the Sullubawa ruling dynasty.

On behalf of my humble self and my entire family, I join the millions of well wishers to congratulate you and heartily wish you the very best of luck, Allah’s guidance and protection in discharging the giant responsibly attached to the office of the Emir of Kano.

I would also like to congratulate the government and people of Kano State on the choice of His Royal Highness, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (CON) as the Emir of Kano.

ONCE AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS AS THE

PRINCE TURNS EMIR!

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS

MALLAM SANUSI LAMIDO SANUSI CON Signed: His Excellency,

MALLAM IBRAHIM WAKKALA MUHAMMAD (Sarkin Malaman Gusau)

Deputy Executive Governor Zamfara State

43

44

Thursday, June 12, 2014

ISLAMIC TRAINING CENTRE, MADALLA

Model Islamic Nursery/Primary/Boys & Girls Secondary Schools English - Arabic Speaking - Government Approved

No. 11 & 13 Islamic Crescent, Madalla, Suleja P.M.B. 4141, Suleja Niger State; P.O. Box 4141, Garki - Abuja, Nigeria.

Tel. No: 08035893538, 08067234155, 08187294026, 08135709151, 08065606418 & 08030915319, 08188831835, 08055144154

e-mail address: itcmadalla91@yahoo.com, itcmadalla91@gmail.com: web site: www.itcmadalla.sch.ng

RC 739236

APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION 2014/2015

ITC., Madalla humbly notifies the Muslim Ummah and the general public that application for 2014/2015 session admission into its separate Boys & Girls (Day & Boarding) Nursery, Primary & Secondary schools has commenced. Admission forms are now obtainable in the School Bursary at the rates of N4,000.00 for Nursery/Primary Schools and N5,000.00 for Junior and Senior Secondary Schools respectively. For online registration, Admission f o r m s c an be d o w nl o a d e d f r o m o u r we b si t e .

ADMISSION EXIST IN BOTH DAY AND BOARDING

The Examinations consist of written and verbal aptitude tests.

All applicants will be examined to demonstrate their strengths in communication (written & verbal) and technical competence.

FACILITIES & OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED * Comp rehensive system that provides the highest quality of teaching, character building and life skills learning through holistic assessment within the frame work of the Qur'an and Sunna h. * Curriculum covers National Policy on Education completely. * Cond ucive learning environ ment with adequate facilities well equipped, separate-gender science, Computer & Language Laboratories, Work shop s, Libr aries a nd Fin e Art S tud io. * Qualified, dedicated, experience & specialist teachers. * Fluen cy in E nglish , Frenc h & Arabic. * Overall winner of 2013 Olympiad Mathematics Competition. * Best approach to recitation and memorization (Tarteel and Tahfeez) of the Holy Qur'a n. * Opportunity to study abroad including International Islamic University, Malaysia, Africa International University, Sudan, Islamic University of Med ina etc . * Opportunity for free admission to study @ Nig. Turkish Nile University with disc ounted tuition fees. * Oppo rtunity to stud y Scien ce, Engineering and H umanities within & outs ide th e country. * Opportunity to visit Egypt, Dubai and Saudi Arabia on Excursion and to p er f or m u mr ah . * Conducive b oarding system for bo ys and girls separately. * 6 functional boreholes for all round treated water: * Power Supply back up with 5 giant generators and Solar Energy. * Separate boys & g irls schools. * Above all ou r scho ol fee i s moderate.

All application forms should be duly completed and returned to the VP Acad./Deputy H/Teacher’s Office on or before Friday,20th June, 2014 C.E. (23rd Sha’aban, 1435A.H.)

KANO ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANY CUSTOMER SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

ILLEGAL SALE OF ELECTRICITY IN KANO

O

CAVEAT EMPTOR

ur attention has been drawn to the menace of the practice of illegal sale of electricity through private generation using personal electricity generators within Kano metropolis.

This has led to the death of at least two persons within ten days only (June 1st to 10th June 2014). The victims were exposed to naked live wires of electricity due to the wanton disregard of safety procedures by the ‘power providers’.

The new business of illegal private generation called “merger” in local parlance seems to be gaining currency among the Kano citizens who were lured by the promise of cheap and adequate electricity as an alternative to KEDCO only to be exposed to all manner of hazards by the illegal operators.

We wish to state categorically that neither KEDCO nor the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has authorized anybody

to engage in this practice.

It is therefore illegal to generate and sell electricity whether or not the conventional distribution lines are used in the process.

Anybody caught will be prosecuted in accordance to the relevant laws. Both buyers and sellers are warned to steer clear.

For the buyers please do not take a poisoned chalice. Therefore, caveat emptor! Buyers beware!

KEDCO…. YOUR POWER OUR CARE Signed:

MANAGEMENT

news north-East, north-west 45 Kaduna APC Chieftains, Aspirants Reject State Congress Results lives and properties.”

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Stop Extrajudicial Killings, Yero Tells Military As Northern Elders Tackle Elite

By MIDAT JOSEPH,, Kaduna

After a critical review of the military operations in the North, Kaduna State governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero has told the military to stop extrajudicial killings and destruction of properties of innocent civilians during its operations.

Governor Yero, who spoke in Kaduna at a two-day conference on security and human rights in Northern Nigeria, also said the military must avoid civilian casu-

alties during its operations.

This is just as the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) yesterday asked northern elites to stop being hypocritical about the problem bedevilling the region.

Deputy chairman of the forum, Dr Paul Unongo, blamed the region’s elites for its present woes and insecurity.

Paul Unongo said the elites who themselves are products of past focused and visionary leaders, turned out to be self-centred, acquiring every available wealth for themselves and their families, leav-

ing the masses in abject poverty.

Unongo said his heart bleeds for the unnecessary killings and political madness ravaging the North, adding “The time has come for the northern elites to stop being hypocritical about the problem bedevilling the region, because doing that will only give those interested in destroying the region the upper hand.”

Governor Yero on his part said security of lives and properties is the responsibility of government, adding that “government exists primarily to provide security of

Represented by the secretary to the state government, Alhaji Ishaq Damahawai, Yero said large numbers of security personnel cannot guarantee peace in any region.

“It is imperative that the military cannot win the present war against insurgents without the support of the people. Our security forces must endeavour to build confidence in the people by respecting their rights during operations. That will engender popular citizens’ action against insurgency,” he said.

L-R: Bauchi State chairperson, National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Hajiya Kaltume Shall, Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Adamu and the newly elected Northeast NAWOJ zonal secretary, Hajiya Halima Dimis, when the association visited the emir, yesterday. PHOTO NAN

Insecurity: Adamawa Orders Closure Of Football Viewing Centres As World Cup Starts Today

By MOHAMMED ISMAIL, Yola

Football lovers in Adamawa State are currently in a quandary as the state government ordered that all football viewing centres should be shut down as the spectacular World Cup fiesta commences in Brazil today to avert looming danger.

The directive has dampened the spirits of football lovers who said the government’s action will rob them of the chance of watching the thrills and frills of the round leather game which comes

up once in four years.

But the state government gave security concerns as reason behind its action, saying it was tailored to safeguard lives and properties of citizens of the state.

The director of press and public affairs to Governor Murtala Nyako, Mallam Ahmad Sajo, who defended the government’s action, said the decision was sequel to the advice of the commandant of the 23rd Armoured Brigade who advised the state government to take the action to avert loss of lives and properties.

Sajoh said, “The government deemed it fit to issue the order following advice by the military authorities which emanated from intelligence report that some of the viewing centres may come under attack during the football mundial”.

He appealed to all football lovers in the state to reason with the government, saying it took the action in the best interest of the people to secure lives of innocent citizens who may be killed or maimed by the Boko Haram insurgents while the competition lasts.

Borno APC Chieftain, 6 Others Killed In Ghastly Auto Crash

By Kareem Haruna, Maiduguri

A ghastly auto crash near Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, yesterday claimed the lives of seven passengers, among whom was an All Progressives Congress (APC) female politician.

The accident which occurred along the Damaturu-Potiskum road about 10km away from Damaturu town, was caused

by two over-speeding vehicles which had a head-on collision.

LEADERSHIP reporter who was travelling along the busy road was at the scene of the accident minutes after it took place.

Witnesses said the vehicles involved - Volkswagen Golf wagon car and a Honda Accord Perfection model rammed into one another on the busy route.

short news Borno Lawmaker Donates 30 Cars To Victims Of Insurgency Alhaji Idrissa Jidda, the majority leader in the Borno House of Assembly, yesterday donated 30 cars to victims of insurgency in Ngala local government area of the state.

Jidda, who presented the vehicles to the victims in Maiduguri, said that the gesture was to assist persons whose cars were burnt during the recent attack by the Boko Haram insurgents in the area.

He noted that the assistance would go a long way in cushioning the effects of the losses incurred by the victims.

By NAN-

Aspirants of various offices and chieftains of Kaduna State APC have said that the results of the Congress elections held recently do not in any way reflect the wishes of the voters. They, therefore, described the elections as a sham and a monumental fraud of unimaginable proportions.

A statement signed and read on behalf of the other aspirants

by Barrister Joshua Danladi Ephraim, said, “This fraud must not stand, and its perpetrators must fail. It has made what happens in the PDP a child’s play.

Kaduna State APC and the whole of its admirers oppose this manipulation in the name of congress elections. We hereby reject it in its entirety. Even the PDP will not do what the Congress Committee and its agents have done.”

“We call on the National Headquarters of our great party to reject the results as well, punish those who are found to have compromised their positions and dissolve the present Congress Committee and order a re-run of the entire elections for all the offices of the party in Kaduna State. It is still possible before the National Convention”.

By Isaiah Benjamin, Kaduna

Taraba APC Set To Sweep Polls In 2015 The Taraba State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Hassan Ardo, has said that the party is set to sweep the polls in 2015.

Speaking at the inauguration of local government executives of the party in Jalingo yesterday, the chairman explained that with the caliber of politicians in the party across the country and the goodwill it enjoys from the electorate, APC is the party to beat in the forthcoming general elections.

He observed that with the high level of poverty and backwardness being witnessed by the people of Taraba as a result of neglect and misapplication of resources, he is positive that the APC will provide the desired alternative that will improve the living standard of the people.

Ardo, who said the Taraba delegates to the National Convention of the party are fully mobilised for the exercise, called on the newly inaugurated local government executives to ensure that they spread the gospel of the APC at the grassroots to mobilise the people for change come 2015.

“You should carry the people along and ensure transparency in your dealings so as to have their confidence in this journey of change,” he said.

By Andrew Ojih, Jalingo.

46 news south-west Ekiti Guber: Vote Wisely, Fayemi Urges Residents The wife of the Ekiti State governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi has urged the people of the state to vote wisely in the June 21 for the sustainance and consolidation of the ongoing democratic gains in the state.

Describing Dr Kayode Fayemi as an “extraordinary leader’’, she said her husband had done creditably well to uplift Ekiti in all facets.

Mrs Fayemi stated this yesterday in Ado Ekiti while presenting a cheque of N3 million to the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ekiti State Council for the completion of the council’s press centre.

She said “I am not saying this because Dr Kayode Fayemi is my husband, he is an extraordinary leader and he has done extraordinarily well as the governor of Ekiti State”.

By Alo Abiola, Ado-Ekiti

2015: Group Calls For Free, Fair Elections A group, Democracy Vanguard, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), politicians and Nigerians in general to channel their resources towards a free, fair and credible elections in 2015.

This charge was contained in a paper delivered by the national coordinator of the group, Adeola Soetan, at the Iwe-Iroyin Press Centre in Abeokuta yesterday to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Adeola, in the paper entitled,“Attack on the Nigerian press is a threat to democracy”, said election was a contest of ideas and not violence and advised politicians to shun all acts that could engender violence.

By Gbenga Adeboye, Abeokuta

‘I’ll Prioritise All Labour Matters’ The governorship candidate of Labour Party in Ekiti State, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele has assured workers in the state that labour matters will be given priority if elected governor.

Bamidele gave the assurance during a meeting with Ekiti State Council of Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) and all its 26 affiliated unions present in the state.

The House of Representatives member who also promised to integrate the body into his government said such will put a stop to the recurring disagreements and disputes between trade unions and governments at all levels.

While stressing the need to reverse the dwindling fortunes of ordinary workers in the state,he said workers would have better welfare package and unhindered access to his administration.

According to him, “I need more than just your votes, I also need your prayers since I’m one of you.”

By Alo Abiola, Ado-Ekiti

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Osun Declares Today Democracy Day

By Joshua Dada, Osogbo

Osun State government has declared today, June 12, 2014 as public holiday in commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day. A statement signed by the commissioner of information and strategy, Sunday Akere stated that Osun State acknowledged the influence of the June 12,

1993 election to the enthronement of democracy in the country and set aside the day for residents of the state to celebrate the victory of truth over falsehood.

It would be recalled that June 12, 1993 was the day the presidential election that has been adjudged the freest was conducted in Nigeria.

The statement disclosed that

over 14 million Nigerians spoke with one voice during the poll which was later annulled by the then military government.

Akere said any attempt to bury the importance of the day by anyone would fail.

He then urged residents of the state to use the opportunity of the holiday to reflect on the state of the nation and work

hard to ensure the sustenance and strengthening of the present democratic structure in the country.

It would also be recalled that beside the May 29, public holiday declared by the federal government observed in the state, no activity took place to commemorate federal government’s Democracy Day in Osun.

short news 2015: Oyo PDP Has Challenges – Aspirant A governorship aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Professor Olusoji Adejumo has admitted that the party has internal crisis but said it will not affect its chances in 2015 governorship election.

Speaking while featuring on “Aspirant Forum” organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of JournalL-R: Osun State deputy governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Country Representative, United Nations International Children’s ists (NUJ) in Ibadan Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Ms Jean Gough, and Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola, during UNICEF’s courtesy visit yesterday, he admitted that the to the governor, in Osogbo, yesterday. PHOTO BY GOVERNMENT HOUSE. party had two factions.

According to him, the factions emerged from the

By Alo Abiola, Ado-Ekiti person by Selenkere and his un- Party(PDP) and All Progressives congresses held at lawful detention by the police.

Congress(APC)during which both Liberty and The commissioner for integraThe suit, filed at an Ado-Ekiti Governor Kayode Fayemi was Olubadan Stadia. tion and inter-governmental High Court was brought pursu- assaulted by mobile policemen While notaffairs in Ekiti State, Funminiyi ant to Order 11 Rules 123 and led by Selenkere. ing that both Afuye has sued the state com- 5 of the Fundamental Rights In his reaction to the suit, the congresses were missioner of police, Mr Felix Uy- (Enforcement) Rules 2009 and attorney-general of Ekiti State, not perfect, the anna, and the mobile police com- sections 6, 34, 41 and 46 of the Olawale Fapohunda, has indicat- former chairman, mander, Gabriel Selenkere over Constitution of the Federal Re- ed that the Directorate of Citi- SUBEB said that unlawful arrest and detention. public of Nigeria 1999 as amend- zens in the Ministry of Justice there were issues The commissioner who insti- ed. is interested in the suit. He said that could not be tuted the civil rights suit yesterAfuye, a lawyer, was one of that the state government was resolved. day was asking the court to grant the people arrested during last committed to the protection of

By Adebayo him damages in the sum of N1 Sunday’s clash between mem- the rights of all those living in Waheed, billion for physical assault on his bers of Peoples Democratic Ekiti State.

Ibadan

Ekiti Commissioner Sues Police, Demands N1bn Damages

Ogun Students Protest Hike In Fees

By Gbenga Adeboye, Abeokuta

Students in Ogun State higher institutions under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun State chapter have called for reduction in their school fees.

The students in their hundreds stormed the Oke Mosan office of Senator Ibikunle Amosun yesterday to register their

displeasure over the fees.

Their leader, Falola Ahmed in a statement condemned the current fees saying it was outrageous and illogical for government to be charging hundreds of thousands in fees.

“Presently, Ogun State tertiary institutions’ fees are outrageous, absurd and illogical. We cannot keep mute pretending all is well. Any Ni-

gerian government that does not pursue free education at all levels is Nigerian students’ enemy number one,” Falola said.

The student leader wondered why those that benefited from Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s free education policy would turn around to implement anti-students policy.

“It is highly sympathet-

ic that those who benefitted from Awo’s free education policy are inflicting pain on us today,” he said.

Responding to the grievances of the students, the secretary to the state government, Taiwo Adeoluwa appealed to the students to remain calm saying machinery was in motion to address some of the concerns of the students.

news Lagos 47

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Over 150,000 Children Born With Sickle Cell Annually The chairman of the Sickle Cell Foundation in Nigeria, Professor Olu Akinyanju has said that over 150,000 children are born each year with the sickle cell disorder.

Akinyanju made this statement at a media workshop on sickle cell reporting and advocacy held in Lagos yesterday.

He said, “There is no other known inherited disorder present at such high frequency in a large population and of comparable severity as sickle cell anaemia in Africa”.

He stated that over 40 million Nigerians are carriers of the Hb AS genotype, adding that this makes genetic counselling to intending couples the easiest way to reducing the incidence of the sickle cell disorder.

Akinyanju emphasised the need for genetic counselling, warning that coercive selective mating has never reduced the incidence of any inherited disorder anywhere in the world.

The representative of the Lagos State commissioner of health, Dr Jemilade Longe, also urged members of the press to be willing to collaborate in the fight against prevalence of the disease.

Fashola Approves 60% Reduction In LASU School Fees

by GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos

As part of measures to resolve the lingering crisis rocking the Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola has approved a reduction in the school fees of the institution.

Addressing a press conference in Lagos yesterday, the special adviser to the governor on education, Otunba Fatai Olukoga said the state government headed by Governor Fashola has ordered the University Governing Council to implement 34 - 60 per cent school fees reduction without delay across the board.

Flanked by the state

commissioner for information and strategy, Mr Aderemi Ibirogba, special adviser to the governor on information and strategy, Mr Lateef Raji and special adviser on media, Mr Hakeem Bello, he said the government decided to reduce the fees after extensive deliberation on the report of the ad hoc committee.

He said, “The ad hoc committee has recommended and government has accepted that the fees and charges payable by students for incidental services and materials are amendable to a downward review for two main reasons: 1.

Some of the fees components have been applied to students across all

levels when in fact, they can be justifiably limited to students at a particular level only; 2. Some of the charges included can still be reduced on compassionate grounds.

“On the basis of these principles, government agrees that with the subsidised tuition fees and appropriate moderation of the incidental fees, a reduction ranging from 34 per cent to 60 per cent is possible across the different faculties and courses.

“Government has, therefore, approved the reduction and, in accordance with the law setting up the university, forwarded its approval to the Lagos State

University Governing Council for consideration and implementation.

“Pursuant to its mandate, the University Governing Council will issue details of what is now payable by students in each department and deal with all other management matters of the university. All individuals and groups within the community are advised to relate to the university council accordingly”.

Olukoga explained that notwithstanding the approval of reduced fees for students in the university, the government will retain and continue with its enhanced scholarship and bursary provisions.

short news Insurance Coy Builds Best Badminton Complex In Africa For Police

By Aronke Olayiwola, Lagos

2015: ‘Police Will Ensure Credible Election’ The Nigeria Police Force has guaranteed credible election in 2015, saying it plans to deploy sufficient manpower in every state during election.

Speaking during the foundation laying ceremony of Oasis Centre, Ikeja in Lagos State yesterday, the deputy inspector general of police in charge of works, Mr Kachi Udeoji, said the police will deploy enough policemen on ground to avoid violence during the election.

He assured Nigerians that the police are adequately prepared for the election.

Udeoji boasted that the Oasis Centre when completed would be better than all the hotels in the area, adding that the centre would consist of a modern shopping mall and hotel.

He said the project would generate income for the police and help the force to move forward.

He stated that the project was developed by the Nigeria Police Cooperative Society Ltd and Mall D Oasis Shopping Centre Ltd. Udeoji said while the project is sponsored by the company, the police only contributed land for the project.

He said the gigantic project would take 18 months to be completed, adding that the inspector general of police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, is doing everything possible to improve the standard of the Nigeria Police.

By Matthew Dike, Lagos

L-R: Senator Oluremi Tinubu, a beneficiary of Tinubu’s Empowerment Programme, Mrs Bola Badmus and secretary to the Lagos State government, Dr Oluranti Adebule, at the 11th Sen. Tinubu town hall meeting in Lagos, yesterday. Photo By Nan

Court Refuses To Set Aside Lagos APC Congress Results

by OLUGBENGA SOYELE, Lagos

Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday refused to grant a motion exparte seeking to set aside the results of the local government and state congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Apapa, Lagos.

The judge ordered instead that the plaintiff, Bamidele Avoseh, a member of the APC in Lagos, should put the party and other defendants in the suit on notice, to enable them file their responses.

Avoseh had filed the suit on June 5, praying the court for an order, setting aside the congress-

es for being irregular.

The plaintiff also wanted the judge to declare that the refusal of the APC to submit his name as a delegate duly listed to contest the State Delegates Congress election was contrary to the Electoral Act. Listed as defendants in the suit are: APC, Mr Joseph Ayodeji, Mr Tayo Sanyaolu, Hon Tunde Balogun, chairman of APC in Lagos, national chairman of APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, counsel to the plaintiff, Aruwayo Omoniyi informed the court of his motion

exparte, and urged the court to grant his request.

But Justice Tsoho, in a short ruling, held that he could not move the exparte motion until the defendants are put on notice, stating that it would be tidier to do so.

He then adjourned the case to July 11 for further hearing.

In his affidavit in support of the suit, the plaintiff averred that the APC guidelines bestowed on the State Congress Committee the responsibility of displaying the names of candidates vying for party positions in Ward, Local Government and State Congresses.

Fashola Declares Today As Public Holiday In Lagos

By GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos

The Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has approved today as a public holiday in Lagos in commemoration of the June 12, 1993 annulled presidential election won by the late business mogul, Chief Moshood Abiola.

The approval was contained in a circular issued yesterday by the head of service, Mrs Oluseyi Wil-

liams.

The circular read, “In commemoration of June 12, 1993 as significant in the actualisation of democracy in Nigeria, it is hereby notified for general information that His Excellency, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, the governor of Lagos State, has approved Thursday, 12th June, 2014 as a work-free day.”

The circular further enjoined

all workers in the state to attend events organised by various government agencies and groups to commemorate the day, and resume work on Friday, 13th June, 2014.

On June 12, 1993, Nigerians participated in what has remained arguably the nation’s freest and fairest presidential election, which the military government of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida annulled.

Mutual Benefits Assurance PLC has built the best badminton complex and an Olympic standard swimming pool for the Nigeria Police.

Commissioning the multi-million naira project built at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, the inspector general of police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, who was represented by the assistant inspector general of police in charge of Zone Two, Mr Mamman Tsafe, showered encomiums on the company which partnered the police to achieve such excellence.

Abubakar said the badminton complex was built and donated to the Nigeria Police by the company.

Abubakar said the police force has produced national and world class sportsmen and women.

By Matthew Dike, Lagos

The military action scuttled Nigeria’s second attempt at democratic governance after gaining independence from British colonial masters in 1960.

Piqued by the annulment of the election, activists, civil servants, students and the media literally shut down the country with daily street protests, just as prolonged strikes by workers in critical sectors paralysed the economy.

48 news south-South south-East Dickson Approves 480 Students For Online Studies On Bayelsa Scholarship The Bayelsa State governor, Hon Seriake Dickson, has approved the expansion of the State Scholarship Scheme with the introduction of online studies into the undergraduate category with an enrolment figure of 480 indigent students.

According to Dickson, though the programme is expected to take off by September this year in Yenagoa, the online studies programme for the 2014/2015 academic session with various degree awarding universities will spread across universities in six continents including Australia, America, Asia, Africa, Eastern and Western Europe.

Governor Dickson, who disclosed this at an interactive forum with scholars on Bayelsa State government scholarship scheme in London, United Kingdom, said the greatest legacy any government can bequeath to the next generation is education.

By Osa Okhomina, Yenagoa

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Rivers: Amaechi’s Supporters Protest Okocha’s Resumption As Admin Judge Rivers Assembly amends High Court law

By Anayo Onukwugha, Port Harcourt

Business and commercial activities were brought to a halt for several hours yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, when thousands of supporters of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi took to the streets on a peaceful protest following Justice Daisy Okocha’s resumption of duty as the administrative judge of the state.

This is as the state House of Assembly passed into law, the

State High Court (Amendement) Bill 2014, making it possible for the chief registrar of the High Court to assign cases and carry out other administrative duties in the absence of a chief judge or an acting chief judge.

LEADERSHIP observed that traffic was at snail speed along major roads in the state capital, especially Moscow Road, Station Road and Azikiwe Road, as well as Forces Avenue and William Jumbo Street, due to the protest.

The protesters made up of mostly youths and politicians, alleged that Okocha, who was

recently appointed the administrative judge of the state by the National Judicial Council (NJC), forced the office of the chief judge open on Tuesday, and held a secret meeting with some judges of the State High Court.

Addressing the protesters in front of the State High Court complex, which is currently under lock and key as a result of the indefinite strike action embarked upon by the state chapter of the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), the senator representing Rivers South East senatorial district in the National Assembly, Magnus Abe, won-

dered why Okocha would force the office of the chief judge open.

Abe alleged that the six antiAmaechi lawmakers in the State House of Assembly, led by the member representing Ogu/Bolo Constituency, Hon Evans Bipi, in connivance with the embattled administrative judge, were plotting to impeach the governor.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State House of Assembly has said that it cannot succumb to any intimidation or harassment from antidemocratic forces in its efforts to carry out its constitutional duties.

short news War Against School Dropouts: Delta Expands Edu Marshals to Units, Zones

Ebonyi APC Declares Support For Oyegun Stakeholders, youths and party faithful of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ebonyi State, yesterday declared their support for the former Edo State governor, Chief John Oyegun as the national chairman of the party ahead of the party’s National Convention slated for tomorrow.

The stakeholders and other party faithful who stormed the party secretariat at about 12noon yesterday were seen chanting solidarity songs for the former governor while others displayed the former governor’s posters and carried placards with inscriptions, ‘Oyegun is the best candidate’, ‘He will lead us to the promised land’, ‘Oyegun respects party constitution and he is a man of honour’, ‘You have our full support; ride on our National Chair’, among others.

By Obinna Ogbonnaya, Abakaliki

Ex-Imo Speaker Joins Race For Reps Seat The immediate past speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Goodluck Nana Opia has declared his intention to represent his people of Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta/Oru West Federal Constituency at the lower chamber of the National Assembly.

Opia who said he decided to contest following the inability of previous representatives to correct the injustice done to the area noted for its oil and gas, also warned the electorate in the area to beware of impostors who claim to be what they are not in order to attract their votes in the 2015 election.

The former speaker also vowed to defeat the incumbent representative of the constituency at the House in the forthcoming primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

By Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

L-R: Rivers State Government House Chief of Staff, Tony Okocha, Senator Magnus Abe, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and communication, Mrs Ibim Seminatari and Hon Asita O. Asita, yesterday, at the gate of the Rivers State High Court during a protest against the directive of the NJC for Justice Daisy Okocha to take over as Chief Judge of Rivers State.

Okorocha Demolishes State Library

By Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, yesterday demolished the age-long state library in spite of warnings by the state National Labour Congress (NLC) and other bodies which had kicked against the governor’s proposal when the idea was originally muted.

Angry residents of the state

watched the library, adjacent to the Government House in Owerri, as it was reduced to rubbles with a bulldozer.

LEDERSHIP gathered that the relocation of the state library to another site at the New Owerri has attracted criticisms from citizens of the state considering the distance and its obscure environment.

Sources told LEADERSHIP

that the demolition was for the library’s location to serve as car park to the ongoing Government House Chapel because of its proximity to the library.

Some unions have widely condemned the idea of the demolition from the onset when it was being considered, and the NLC even threatened the state government with a strike action if it went ahead to execute its plan.

Determined to eradicate all forms of school dropouts, Delta State government has said that it has concluded plans to expand the Edu Marshal Task Force to all the units and zones in the state.

A statement signed by the secretary to the state government (SSG), Comrade Ovouzorie Macaulay, stated that the communities in Zone ‘B’ constitute Warri Unit I, Udu Unit II, and Agbaru Unit III while Effurun Egbokodo, Itsekiri, Ode Itsekiri, Omadino Effie, Osubi, Orere, Ajigba, Obodo, EgbokodoUrhobo, Orugbo, Okwokoko Ukpokiti, Ovwian, Ekete, Orhworun, Ujewu, Ekpan, Agbarho and Aladja are also under Unit III.

By Kola EkeOgiugo, Asaba

Universal Energy Workers Shut Down Operations In A/Ibom

By Bernard Tolani Dada, Uyo

Workers of Universal Energy Resources Limited (UERL) in Akwa Ibom State, an indigenous oil exploration firm and operator of the Stubb Creek Marginal Oil Field, yesterday embarked on a mass protest over what they described as arbitrary retirement of their members.

The workers chanted solidarity songs and displayed placards with inscriptions such as: ‘Another Chibok tragedy in AKS’; SEPTA Energy, bring back our Universal Energy for Akwa Ibom Youths’; ‘SEPTA Energy is on a mission to enslave Akwa Ibom people’; ‘JOT is for Universal Energy and SIPEC and not SEPTA Energy’; ‘Respect our CBA’; ‘SEPTA Energy,

don’t short-change our members’; UERL has only Stubb Creek project,’ among others.

The workers under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), expressed displeasure over its management’s in-

sensitivity to their welfare.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Uyo on behalf of the unions, assistant secretary general of PENGASSAN, Port Harcourt Zone, Comrade Tamuno Dappu, said it was very annoying that their sacrifices to sustain the company over the years were being treated with disdain by the management.

news NATIONAL 49

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Ex-Militants Storm Illegal Bunkering Sites, Destroy Stolen Crude

Ex-militant youths yesterday caused a stir along the creeks and waterways of the Ekeremor local government area of Bayelsa State when they invaded illegal bunkering sites and destroyed over 10,000 metric tons of stolen crude.

The ex-militant youths, operating under the aegis of the Crusaders against Oil Theft (COT),moved in a military style and ambushed illegal bunkerers and oil thieves in canoes and boats.They swooped on illegal bunkering sites and set them ablaze.

The indigenes of the coastal communities applauded the action of the youths and called on the federal government to support the new initiative. Attempts by the oil thieves to launch a reprisal attack was checked.

The Coordinator of ex-militant Youths,”General” Felix Timilaemi,who yesterday confirmed the development,said COT fighters seized the illegal refineries at night and destroyed tanks containing over 10,000 tons of crude oil.

By Osa Okhomina, Yenagoa

Mu’azu Is A Game Changer – Olejeme

By Michael Oche, Abuja

The chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Dr Ngozi Olejeme has described the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu as a game changer who has transformed the fortune of the PDP and ensured stability in the party since his assumption

of office as chairman of the ruling party.

Olejeme who is also the chairman U and I Development Foundation, an organisation established for the less privileged, vulnerable group, and widows in the society urged the PDP chairman to keep up with his good work as he steer the ship of the largest party in Africa.

The NSITF chairman who spoke

through her media aide, Benjamin Atu in a birthday message to the PDP chairman described Mu’azu as the architect of the serenity which the party now enjoys.

He said through Mu’azu’s hard work, commitment and dedication, the PDP had now become very attractive adding that his passion is what is needed to transform the party and make it more formidable.

The statement added that Mu’azu has been able to prove by performance that politics is to be deployed not just to capture power but to improve on human condition.

The NSITF boss described the national chairman as an outstanding personality whose influence has turned PDP into a people based political party.

short news Patience Jonathan Lauds Global Efforts On Abducted Chibok Girls

We’ve 4,000 Uncompleted Projects – NNDC Boss ,

Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), yesterday lamented that over 4, 000 uncompleted projects worth trillions of naira were currently scattered all over the nine mandate states of the agency.

The agency also disclosed that it has perfected an enduring arrangement with multinational firms and corporate organisations in the country on the execution of development projects in the oil producing areas to avoid cases of abandoned projects by contractors.

The chairman of the board of the commission, Senator Ewa Henshaw disclosed this during the defence of the agency’s N322.6billion 2014 budget before the Senate.

By Uchenna Awom and Jonathan Nda-Isaiah

Global Aid To Education Down 10% Since 2010 – UNESCO A report released by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has revealed that aid to education has fallen by just over 6per cent between 2010 and 2011, and a further 3 per cent in 2012.

The report further reveals that the two countries with the largest cuts in aid to basic education from 2010 to 2012 were India and Pakistan, even though both sit among the top five countries in the world with the most children out of school.

According to the report released

by UNESCO’s EFA Global Monitoring Report ahead of the Global Partnership for Education’s Replenishment Pledging Conference in Brussels (25-26 June)asked donors to help raise a much-needed US$3.5 billion for education in the poorest countries.

By Ruth Tene Natsa, Abuja

L-R: President of Miners Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Sani Shehu; director general, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Dr Hussaini Ibrahim, and sales director, SBM-China, Mr Martin Feng Zhiyuan, during a standisation of local gypsum production for wealth creation in Abuja, yesterday. Photo BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO.

Osotimehin, Others Seek Action Against Sexual Violence

By Abiodun Oluwarotimi, New York

Executive director of the United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA), Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, together with top officials of the world body yesterday called for urgent and decisive action against sexual violence.

Osotimehin who spoke at the start of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in London noted that at least 20,000 women and girls, or two women every hour would suffer sexual violence if an immediate action was not taken.

The four-day Global Summit which is being co-chaired by the United Kingdom foreign secretary, William Hague and Angelina Jolie, special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, is the largest gathering ever brought to-

gether on the subject.

The former health minister also said that 35 per cent of women had experienced either intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence globally, stressing that it was the most pervasive, yet least reported, human rights abuse worldwide.

He noted that gender-based violence did not discriminate according to nationality, ethnicity, education or class, adding that it happens everywhere. “But we know too well that in conflict situations its occurrence increases because of insecurity”, he added.

On the incidents of sexual violence in DR-Congo, Osotimehin said, “According to data compiled by the Congolese government, with technical and financial support from UNFPA, 18,795 cases of gender-based violence were reported in the DRC in 2012 but, the scale of

the problem is likely much larger. Even in normal situations, sexual violence often goes unreported. In a conflict like in Eastern Congo, we know that cases are often not reported because of fear of retribution or shame.”

Also, Hollywood actress, activist and United Nations Special Envoy, Angelina Jolie called for concerted action to end once and for all the use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war.

Speaking in her opening address at the Summit, Ms. Jolie said it was a myth that rape is an inevitable part of conflict. She added that, “There is nothing inevitable about it, it is a weapon of war, aimed at civilians. It has nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with power. It is done to torture and humiliate innocent people, often very young children.”

The First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, yesterday lauded the global efforts to secure the release of the abducted Chibok girls from the Boko Haram insurgents.

Jonathan said this when she received members of the Association of Spouses of Heads of Mission in Nigeria (ASOHOM) in the State House in Abuja.

The association was led by its president and wife of the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs Mai Anh Shoji. ``May I take this opportunity to commend your various home governments for the support towards efforts for Boko Haram to release our abducted young school girls from Chibok. ``Your visit is not only a clear testimony of your support and solidarity, it is also a manifestation of the long standing relationship between your countries and Nigeria. ``As mothers, we are very much worried because what concerns one concerns all, hence we are calling for Boko Haram to release the girls.”

By NAN

Combating Terrorism Is Everyone’s Task – Gusau

By Bayo Oladeji, Abuja

The minister of defence, Lt.- Gen Aliyu Gusau (Rtd), yesterday said the task of combating terrorism should be the responsibility of all right thinking Nigerians.

He made this known in Abuja at the three days Defence Headquarters’ 2014 National Security Seminar, with the theme`` Na-

tional Security Challenges and Contemporary Threats in Nigeria’’.

The minister who was represented by the permanent secretary Ministry of Defence, Alhaji Aliyu Ismalia, noted that the challenges were natural phenomena and necessary aspects of national development. ``Therefore, it is reasonable

to come together with positive mind and objective to contribute to the way forward in tackling current security challenges. ``My word to all of us is that, you should always remember that this country has given us so much and so much is expected of us collectively. Always bear in mind that the task of national security is the responsibility of

all men and women of goodwill,’’ he said.

Gusau urged the members of the Armed Forces to remain focused and not relent, so as to sustain momentum in the fight against the insurgency.

According to him, ``It is a matter of time; the forces against the state will be brought to their knees.

50 DEFENCE FOCUS

Thursday, June 12, 2014

When Military Bared Its Fang Against The Press

T

he last few days have been difficult to some media houses, Newspapers vendors and distributors, in most of the states, as the military literally declares war on the media as part of the on-going operations against the Boko Haram insurgents.

Justifying the unlawful action, the Defence Headquarters last Friday, in a statement issued and signed by its Director of Information, Major General Chris Olukolade disclosed that the search of distributing vehicles was as a result of intelligence reports in its possession.

“Troops this morning (Friday) embarked on thorough search of vehicles conveying newspapers and newsprints across board.

This followed intelligence report indicating movement of materials with grave security implications across the country using the channel of newsprint related consignments.

“The Defence Headquarters wishes to clarify that the exercise has nothing to do with content or operation of the media organizations or their personnel as is being wrongly imputed by a section of the press. The military appreciates and indeed respects the role of the media as an indispensable partner in the on-going counter-insurgency operation and the overall advancement of our country’s democratic credentials. As such, the military will not deliberately and without cause, infringe on the freedom of the press”.

Not a few disbelieved the excuse and to add insult to the injury, the Presidency which disowned the action turned round to justify the same.

The Presidency faulted stories suggesting that the Federal Government ordered a clampdown on media houses as a result of some isolated incidents of security checks carried out on some newspaper delivery lately.

Doyin Okupe, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, in a statement, described the reports as

defence focus

untrue, unfair and totally not in line with the posture of the president on issues concerning press freedom. He said the media, as

By BAYO OLADEJI the fourth estate of the realm, is held in very high regard by the president and this has been practically demonstrated in various ways by this administration in the last three years.

“Gentlemen of the Press will recall that it was President Goodluck Jonathan who signed the very contentious Freedom of Information Bill into law immediately on assumption of office and has consistently espoused the principles of openness, accountability and liberalism in its relationship with the Media at all times.

“The reported incidence of checks being carried out by the Military on major Nigerian roads and cities is not targetBadeh ed at Newspaper vans because of Jonathan the contents of the publications He reunas insinuated in the reports. minded that Nigeria is a demreasonable siege on newspapers ‘Rather, the Military had exocratic nation, and freedom of across the country by security plained that those routine the press is a non-negotiable agencies, warning that the Jonchecks were being carried out component of democratic govathan Administration, by tamfollowing intelligence reports ernments. pering with press freedom, has on the possibility of some eleAccording to him, since the taken on a battle it cannot win. ments within the society using In a statement issued in Lasuch vehicles to convey “materi- military is not above the law in any democratic society, they gos on Sunday by its Interim Naals with grave security implicashould not be the law onto tional Publicity Secretary, Alhaji tions across the country”. themselves and recklessly inLai Mohammed, the party said fringe on the rights of citizens. the President failed to learn the Okupe said for avoidance of He explained that if the news- lessons of history that the Nigedoubt, President Jonathan has papers are engaged in any illerian media can neither be intimnot and will never give any orgal activities that breach nation- idated nor suppressed by anyder capable of hampering the al security, there are avenues one, and that all those who tried smooth running of any media of dealing with such situation to do so in the past lived to reorganization or harass media without brazenly violating the gret their actions. practitioners in the lawful perrights of citizens.

It wondered why a governformance of their duties.

“The military and other secument that is being asked to dilIn his reaction to the clampigently prosecute the war on down, former Vice President Ati- rity personnel should work harterror is instead vehemently ku Abubakar has condemned the moniously together in times of national crises. Security requires waging a war on the media and clampdown on media houses, sacrifices and understanding using the security agencies to invendors and seizures of newsfrom all Nigerians, and the Press terfere with the country’s depapers in transit for delivery by are no exception. Our media mocracy. military personnel nationwide. men and women should at every ‘’Had the government purIn a press statement issued turn, weigh the implications of sued the insurgents who are killby his media office in Abuja on everything they intend to pubing and maiming Nigerians with Saturday, the former Vice Preslish, especially sensitive stories the same vigour with which it ident expressed worry at what that could undermine national had descended on the media, the he called the “humiliating treatsecurity,” he said. war against terror would have ment of media houses and venIn its own reaction, the All been long over,’’ APC said, wondors in the course of conducting Progressives Congress (APC) has dering what kind of weapons their legitimate businesses naunreservedly condemned the that the small newspaper distritionwide.”

PROFILE: Marilyn Ogar

Ogar

Marilyn Ogar is the Deputy Director, Public Relations, State Security Service, SSS, and a member of the Presidential Committee on Security Awareness. The Spokeswoman for the DSS has no background of the job that has taken her to the global scene except that her father had worked in the Forestry Depart-

ment of the Ministry of Agriculture. She became an intelligence officer by divine arrangement. After her NYSC, unemployment started creeping in. She got the invitation to report in the training school for the intelligence work, that same week also, she also got an offer from the UBA but she opted for

intelligence service for job security.

Marilyn has been playing prominent role in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast. Her presence has been a source of headache to the insurgents. She has good working relationship with the media and spokesmen of other security agencies.

bution vans could be used to ferry that cannot be conveyed by other, bigger vehicles that move around the country undisturbed.

The party described as disingenuous and ridiculous the explanation that an intelligence alert was responsible for the shameful and unacceptable clampdown on the media, and the platitude that the Jonathan Administration holds the media in high esteem.

Despite these reactions, among others, the Nigerian military continued the clampdown on some Nigerian Newspapers as it confiscated several thousand copies of LEADERSHIP and DAILY TRUST newspapers in Minna, Niger State, and Sokoto State.

A publisher and former presidential candidate, Dele Momodu, said, “It is very tragic under a civilian administration. The Commander-in-Chief must call them to order urgently before they drag our country down”.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said that the on-going harassment of newspaper vendors, seizure of newspapers, arrest of circulation drivers of several newspaper publishing companies and the reading public’s denial of access to information by operatives of the Nigerian military and other security agencies is absolutely unacceptable and clearly out of place in any democratic society.

The union also said the war against the media should not only be stopped immediately, but all those who suffered losses especially vendors and publishers must also be compensated while the officers involved in the attacks must be apprehended and adequately punished as enemies of democracy.

The labour union said the military and all the security agencies ought to know that all fundamental rights are germane to democracy and, therefore, they lack constitutional and legal rights to unilaterally order the circumscription of freedom of the press or any freedom in any form.

Top 3 DEFENCE STORIES ➊ Gunmen kill 5 in attacks near Chibok village ➋ Chibok LG boss denies abduction of 20 Fulani women ➌ NLC demands compensation to media for the harassment

L-R: Pakistan President, Mamndon Husain and President Goodluck Jonathan during the Husain’s visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

PHOTO BY REMI AKUNLEYAN

THE NATION’S CAPITAL 51

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Local Manufacturers Flay AMAC Over Double Taxation

By Chika Okeke

A meat butcher at work at an abattoir in Gwagwalada, Abuja. photo by ogoh joseph

Police Disperse Protesting Traders With Teargas

By Chika Okeke

The police yesterday fired tear gas to disperse traders in Dutse market who were protesting the proposed demolition of the market.

Some of the eyewitnesses, who spoke to LEADERSHIP, said that what was meant to be a peaceful protest turned violent, with the protesters refusing to adhere to the police directive to clear the road for free vehicular movement, adding that the police started firing teargas which prompted the protesters to disperse immediately.

In a chat with

LEADERSHIP, the vice chairman of the Dutse Market Traders Association, Mr Nicholas Mgbemena, however, alleged that the protesters were not traders from the market but hoodlums who have come to disrupt and cause havoc in the market.

He explained that some officials from the Bwari area council came on Monday, June 9, 2014 and gave the traders 48 hours to vacate the market, adding that though they were aggrieved, they had wanted to use dialogue to press home their cause.

Mgbemena said, “We went to the office of the

chairman yesterday and met his absence; we still went back today but didn’t meet him. We also went to register our complaint with the chief of the community but he wasn’t around as well. We also went to the police station where we were advised to see the chairman of the council which we agreed.

But unfortunately, we were still on our way when the police started firing teargas. We didn’t plan on a protest. It was hoodlums that hijacked it.’’

Mgbemena explained that the market was shut down in order to register their grievance peacefully,

lamenting that the cost for the new shops were expensive and that the traders needed more time to make arrangement on what to do with their wares.

He, however, said the peaceful protest was however hijacked by hoodlums.

In his remarks, the secretary of the association, Mr Chibuzo Akunna, said that the traders were not against the upgrade of the market, adding that the council had promised to give them a temporary place to relocate untill the new market was ready, even though they were yet to fulfill their promise.

Education, Panacea For Development – Zhin

By Igho Oyoyo

The immediate past chairman of Kuje area council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Hon. Danladi Zhin, has said that education is the key to the societal development of any community.

Zhin, who is also a PDP aspirant to the House of Representatives in the FCT, disclosed this at a dinner and award night organised by the Nigerian Universities Education Student

Association (NUESA), University of Abuja Chapter, with the theme “Youth for peace and unity” in Abuja.

Zhin maintained that he will never compromise on President Goodluck Jonathan’s education for Nigerian Youth programme, saying he believes in the concrete development of youths through qualitative education.

“Some political opponents say that youths are the leaders of tomorrow, but they still turn around to frustrate the

education sector which is targeted at the youth. I vow to maintain the path of destiny of the youth, because it rests on the hands of leaders to make it work. So, I want to urge the youth to be law abiding citizens in their entire endeavour,” he said.

In his remarks, the special adviser to the President on Ethics and Values, Mrs Sarah Jibril, said that the only legacy parents can give to their children is sound education, adding

that the youth can be empowered through sound education and involvement in political activities, as well, as embarking on various projects that can benefit the society at large.”

The event also witnessed presentation of award to outstanding students and distinguished Nigerians, among whom were Pro-chancellor of the Institution, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia; Mrs Sarah Jibril and the ex-Kuje council boss, Hon. Danladi Zhin among others.

The secretary of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Abuja Branch, Mr Sunday Okpe, has criticized the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) for initiating double taxation aimed at crippling locally manufactured products in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He disclosed this at the joint committee meeting of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and FCT local manufacturers, on ways to increase the sale of local products in Abuja, yesterday.

Okpe said, “we must register our grievance with AMAC if we want manufacturers in Abuja to survive, because they still use technical partners to collect taxes; these tax consultants charge their own tax separately and also charge for the government.”

In his remarks, the managing director of Punkinosis Chemical, Mr Kalu Ijomah, called on AMAC to re-examine their mode of tax collection and further appealed to the FCT minister to assist the local manufacturers on land acquisition.

He said, “AMAC should examine their mode of tax collection because the collectors come in large numbers which makes it difficult to challenge them. We also appeal to the administration to assist us in land acquisition.”

On his part, the CEO of Ivado Universal Properties, Mr Chukwu Matthew Onyeabor, noted that double taxation was a serious problem militating against the growth of local manufacturers even as he regretted that products with certified MANCAP number attracted less patronage due to the activities of illegal manufacturers.

Sanitation: Council Blames Kuje Residents Over Dirty Environment

By Igho Oyoyo

The leadership of Kuje area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has attributed the growing heaps of garbage in some parts of the council to the nonchalant attitude of residents to a clean and sanitised environment.

Speaking to journalists during the evacuation of blocked drainages in the council, the head of environmental department, Mr Abdulrazaq Abdulkarim, said that the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in some areas in the council can be attributed to the laissez-faire attitude of residents to environmental sanitation.

Abdulkarim said: “Despite the effort of the present administration, led by Hon. Shaban Tete, to ensure a clean and sanitised environment, some residents of the council are still shying away from their constitutional responsibilities of assisting the council to maintain a healthy environment. What they have failed to understand is that the government cannot shoulder the responsibility of maintaining a clean and healthy environment without the cooperation and affective participation of the residents.”

He maintained that the council was effective doing its best, in terms of creating awareness, lamenting that when they cleaned up an area, the residents would start disposing refuse on the same spot almost immediately.

He reiterated the importance of a regular sanitation exercise, stressing that a sincere approach to sanitation was the panacea to a clean and healthy society.

52 the LAW

Thursday, June 12, 2014

ICAMA Charts Future For Arbitration In Africa Legal pundits have argued that there is the need for stakeholders to articulate the advantages of arbitration in resolving disputes and the imperative of making use of arbitration centres in Nigeria and other African countries. TONY AMOKEODO reports.

F

oremost arbitration centre in Africa, the International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, Abuja (ICAMA) recently collaborated with the Ministry of Justice to chart the path for growing practice of arbitration in Africa. The two-day event in Abuja provided an opportunity for the stakeholders in attendance to celebrate the successes of arbitration in Africa, dissect the challenges facing it and project its prospects as arbitration takes firmer root in law practice in the continent.

Given the growing popularity of arbitration in Nigeria and the leading role ICAMA has been playing, the gathering was of who-iswho in the legal circle in Nigeria, with their counterparts in other parts of the world joining them to speak to a fitting theme “Promoting Arbitration in Africa.”

ICAMA Chairman and Convener of the roundtable, former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) while welcoming participants to the first biannual roundtable noted that, “The dilemma facing arbitration in Africa is that most disputes, even those involving African states or parties, are arbitrated in the major cities of the West. Most contracts choose London, Paris or New York as the venues for arbitration.

Even when domestic venues are chosen, which is rarely, Western rules and arbitrators are almost always chosen. This does little to promote the African cities as arbitral venues”.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) in his admonition to the gathering, urged the participants to proffer workable solutions to the myriad of challenges facing arbitration in the continent, while pledging government of Nigeria’s deep commitment and interventions when and as required.

Given the important roles that judges play in arbitration, senior justices like the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, Chief Judge of Lagos, Justice Ayotunde Philip, Justice Edward Torgbor from Kenya among others chaired different sessions where germane questions were posed by participants who were made of senior lawyers like Chief Duro Adeyele (SAN), Mr. Babtunde Belgore (SAN) and judg-

es like the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Nasir Ajanah and Justice Folashade Ojo. Doyens of arbitration in Nigeria like former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mrs Hairat Balogun SAN, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi (SAN) were on ground to deploy their wealth of experience in tackling posers raised by the participants.

An arbitration expert, Jimmy Muyanja speaking from Uganda perspective, noted that Ghana and Kenya had gone a step further by including customary law under the purview of arbitration, with Ghana having an impressive 25 sections in the Part III of the Act, while Kenya on the other hand, entrenched applicability of arbitration by recognising it as constitutional right.

On the usual collision of legislation in the application of arbitration, he informed that African countries are applying different solutions, with Uganda and Kenya opting to enact specific subsidiary legislation addressing court procedure, with the effect, being to inhibit application of the generic law of civil procedure code to arbitration cases.

He concluded by saying, “I have drawn on experiences within Africa to show the wealth of material of the diverse approaches to court intervention. I hope you agree with me that the overall thrust of all these initiatives is to put arbitration on the centre stage and most beneficial for the users.

In a paper delivered by Prof.

Khawar Qureshi QC, from United Kingdom, he noted that “the English courts have refused to take an “all or nothing” approach to the enforcement of awards, and will allow for recognition and enforcement of all or part of an award. The rationale for this is given on the grounds that the alternative would be inconsistent with the purpose of the Convention and a barrier to the effective and speedy enforcement of arbitration awards, for example, if a small part of a large award was challenged, with the effect that the application of the entire award was suspended (see National Nigerian Petroleum Corporation v IPCO (Nigeria) Ltd [2008] EWCA Civ 1157).”

Speaking on the American experience, he stated that “The US Supreme Court has also noted the

Ojo

pro-enforcement nature of the New York Convention. In Scherk v. Alberto-Culver Co., 417 U.S. 506, 520 n. 15 (1974), the Supreme Court held “the goal of the [New York] Convention, and the principal purpose underlying American adoption and implementation of it, was to encourage the recognition and enforcement of commercial arbitration agreements in international contracts and to unify the standards by which agreements to arbitrate are observed and arbitral awards are enforced in the signatory countries.”

“In Bergesen v. Joseph Muller Corp., 710 F.2d 928 (2d Cir. 1983), the Second Circuit, in interpreting the meaning of foreign awards, held that it preferred a “broader construction because it is more in line with the intended purpose of the treaty, which was entered into to encourage the recognition and enforcement of international arbitration awards.”

Fedelma Claire Smith, from Netherlands and Legal Counsel, Permanent Court of Arbitration, spoke extensively on the fate of the New York convention, emphasising that its objectives were to make “States parties to avoid discrimination against foreign and nondomestic arbitral awards, States Parties to ensure such awards are recognized and generally capable of enforcement in their jurisdiction in the same way as domestic awards and National courts of States Parties to give full effect to arbitration agreements by denying the parties access to court in contravention of their agreement to refer the matter to an arbitral tribunal.”

Speaking on the final stage of award, she submitted that “Before signing any award, the arbitral tribunal shall submit it in draft form to the Court. The Court may lay down modifications as to the form

of the award and, without affecting the arbitral tribunal’s liberty of decision, may also draw its attention to points of substance. No award shall be rendered by the arbitral tribunal until it has been approved by the Court as to its form.”

Sami Houerbi, from Tunisia and Director, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle-East and Africa, international Court of Arbitration asked Africa and Asia to make their continents attractive as favoured places of arbitration, instead of complaining about neglect. He listed what they must ensure to be there, which included, “Conducive legal frame work, supportive crop of trained and qualified personnel to serve as arbitrators, mediators, conciliators, experts, transcribers, etc, top class hotels with modern facilities. e.g. Recreational, conference, telecom, etc, Regional/National institutions and professional groups with primary focus to train, disseminate information and knowledge of arbitration law and practice, security/ political stability, Infrastructure, strong and supportive judiciary and high ethical standards of conduct of all participants, arbitrators, counsel, parties/ respect for the process.”

He pointed out that the forum of choice in the Middle East is Dubai due to easy connectivity, being a leading aviation hub with ease of visa procurement, while Singapore is forum of choice in Asia.

The conference was not all about law and arbitration as participants were treated to a night of buffet, wine, cultural dances and goodwill speeches, while a visit was also made to ICAMA headquarters at the Education Tax Fund (ETF) building, with all the participants acknowledging the centre as a world-class in all requirement and obviously primed to take arbitration to the next level in Africa.

The dilemma facing arbitration in Africa is that most disputes, even those involving African states or parties, are arbitrated in the major cities of the West

Thursday, June 12, 2014

53

54 WORLD NEWS/business

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Emirates Cancels Order For 70 Airbus A350s

Dubai’s Emirates Airline has cancelled an order for 70 of Airbus’s A350 wide-bodied aircraft, the planemaker says.

Airbus said the cancellation had followed “ongoing discussions with the airline in light of their fleet requirement review”.

In 2007, Emirates placed 50 orders for the A350-900 and 20 for the A350-1000, with deliveries due from 2019.

UK engine maker Rolls-Royce said the cancellation would lead to a £2.6bn hit to its order book.

“While disappointed with this decision, we are confident that the delivery slots which start towards the end of this decade vacated by Emirates will be taken up by other airlines,” Rolls-Royce said.

A spokesperson for Emirates said the airline was “reviewing our fleet requirements”.

Airbus said it was confident that new orders “in the coming months” would compensate for the Emirates cancellation.

“There’s no impact on the programme as deliveries were scheduled to start at the end of the decade,” a spokesman said.

In a statement, the company said it was “very confident” in its A350 XWB programme, adding that it had 742 firm orders and it expected the order book to continue growing in 2014.

“Interest in the game-changing A350 has always been very high with customers,” it said.

Airbus added that Emirates had recently “reiterated its confidence in Airbus products, particularly by praising the A380”.

The airline ordered an extra 50 A380 superjumbo planes at the last Dubai Airshow.

However, investors took the news of the cancelled A350s badly, with Airbus shares closing down more than 3% in Paris.

—BBC

GAS DEAL Russia-Ukraine Talks End With No Deal Winner

of the day

➔ David Brat The littleknown economics professor defeated US House majority leader, Eric Cantor in Virginia’s republican party primary election

Ukraine and Russia have failed to break through a deadlock on gas price that threatens to leave a number of European countries without Russian energy supply.

Latest round of EU-brokered talks finished in Brussels on Wednesday with no deal as Kiev refused to accept an offer of $385 per 1,000 cubic meters.

Yuriy Prodan, Ukraine’s energy minister, said the deal was unacceptable because the price depended on a Russian discount of $100 which could easily be withdrawn if Moscow changed its mind.

Ukraine wanted a price set by the market laid down in a commercial contract, Prodan said, but “unfortunately Russia proposed a way of fixing the price which I would call political.”

Despite the failure to ink a deal during the talks

in Brussels, there is still hope of progress until the new deadline set by Russia for cutting off gas supply to Ukraine.

“We should use our remaining days [until Monday] to our advantage,” Guenther Oettinger, EU Energy Commissioner, said, adding that all parties, including at head-of-state level, would remain in contact in an effort to reach an accord.

“We are still in negotiations,” he said. “I can see movement on both sides and both sides will need to continue to move.”

Oettinger said in his opinion the talks had established some common ground on price, delivery volumes and duration into 2015.

Alexander Novak, Russian energy minister, said Gazprom had made an important gesture in giving the talks extra time to Monday to reach an agreement, failing which the company would then demand pre-payment for gas.

“We are now waiting for action from Ukraine,” Novak said.

Russia had also laid out a payment schedule to cover Ukraine’s outstanding bills and future payments, he said, and this was “sufficient for an accord that would allow us to continue supplying gas.”

—Al Jazeera

Apple, Starbucks Face New Tax Dodging Probe ➔ Alaa Abdul Fattah One of Egypt’s most prominent pro-democracy activists, he was yesterday sentenced to 15 years in jail for illegal protest and attacking a police officer by an Egyptian court.

European officials are investigating whether Apple and Starbucks are dodging taxes under arrangements with the Irish and Dutch governments.

A unit of automaker Fiat (FIADF), and its tax affairs in Luxembourg, are also covered by the in-depth probe announced by the European Commission on Wednesday.

“In the current context of tight public budgets, it is particularly important that large multinationals pay their fair share of taxes,” said European antitrust chief Joaquin Almunia.

Based on a preliminary analysis, the European Commission is concerned that transfer pricing arrangements in each case could underestimate taxable profits, potentially giving an unfair and illegal

advantage to the companies.

Transfer pricing allows companies to move taxable profits from one part of the group to another, often in a different country, by charging for goods or services provided internally.

Apple (AAPL, Tech30) and Starbucks (SBUX), as well as Google (GOOG) and Amazon (AMZN, Tech30), have come under fire from lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic for taking advantage of such arrangements to minimize their tax bills in major markets.

Apple, for example, has paid as little as 2% on profits attributed to its subsidiaries in Ireland, where the top rate of corporate tax is 12.5%.

—CNN

French President Francois Hollande welcoming president Goodluck Jonathan during the recent security summit on Nigeria held in Paris, France.

TERRORISM Security Summit On Boko Haram Starts Today In UK

By Ugochukwu Iroka, Abuja

The London Ministerial Summit on Boko Haram will kick off today in London, UK, where the security situation in Northern Nigeria in view will be addressed by representatives from Nigeria, Benin, Chad, Cameroon, Niger, UK, US, France, Canada and the EU with a view to continue the coordination necessary to defeat Boko Haram.

The summit is in the margins of the World Summit on Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict which started in London on Tuesday and is also a continuation of the May 17 Nigeria Security Summit in Paris.

According to a statement made

available to journalists yesterday by the US embassy in Abuja, US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Sarah Sewall will represent the United States at the summit.

The statement called for a holistic approach to countering terrorism and laid emphasis on human rights.

“Peace and security in Nigeria is one of our highest foreign policy priorities in Africa, and this summit will underscore the need for a comprehensive, regional approach to countering terrorism, while emphasizing civilian security, respect for human rights, and efforts to address the underlying causes of the conflict,” it read.

LAWSUIT Doctors Sue StarTimes S/Africa Over Pornographic Channels

By Catherine Agbo, with Agency report

Chinese-owned television company, StarSat is currently the target of growing discontent in South Africa over its On Digital Media (ODM), which is on Star Sat’s paytelevision platform. So intense is the anger towards StarSat that an application has been filed in court for the revocation of ODM’s licence for a pornographic bouquet.

ODM, supported by its Chinese financial backer StarTimes, began broadcasting two pornographic TV channels – Private Spice and Playboy TV – in a separate StarSat sex TV package last November 2013. This was shortly after being granted a licence by the South African broadcasting regu-

lator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).

Subscriber figures for the four year old South African pay-TV operator, currently in business rescue, have dipped to between 100 000 and 120 000 from 150 000 a few years ago.

Leading the opposition to the porn broadcast is the group, Doctors for Life, which represents 1,400 doctors. The non-governmental body, which submitted a court application at the High Court in Pretoria, has now seen its application being joined to the applications of the Justice Alliance of South Africa (JASA) and the Cause for Justice organisations that submitted their applications in the Western Cape High Court.

Nigeria Partners Spain Towards Combating Human Trafficking

By Ruth Tene Natsa, Abuja

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP) has revealed that it has began discussions towards brokering a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) between Nigeria and the Spanish government towards effective eradication of human trafficking.

In a statement to Leadership yesterday by the head,media and communications Arinze Orakwue it further revealed that the partnership will

also target trafficking networks in both countries.

The statement revealed that the partnership started at a high level discussion which held at the Campillo Del Mundo, Nuevo, Spain which had in attendance, the executive Secretary of NAPTIP, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba,among other imminent Nigerian stakeholders.

Mr Arinze said the partnership was part of efforts between both countries in the area of joint Intelligence, investigation, forensic science, capacity building, as well as victim protection and assistance.

55

Thursday, June 12, 2014

FG Delegation Arrives Brazil By onjewu dickson, Abuja

The Federal Government’s delegation to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil arrived Sao-Paulo, Brazil for the opening ceremony of the tournament on yesterday ahead of today’s ceremony.

The delegation which is headed by the Senate President Da-

vid Mark, arrived the Guarulhos International Airport, Sao Paulo, Brazil, at about 5pm local time.

Other members of the delegation are Sen. Liyel Imoke, governor of Cross River State; Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema, governor of Katsina State; Sen. Adamu Ibrahim Gumba, Chairman Senate committee on Sports; Hon.

Godfrey Ali Gaiya, Chairman House Committee on Sports; Alhaji Bala Mohammed, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT); Chief Nyesome Wike, Minister of state education, among others.

The delegation is expected to visit the team in Campinas, this morning.

High Expectations From Eagles As World Cup Kicks Off Today

By ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

As the 2014 World Cup kicks off today in Brazil, there are high expectations that the Super Eagles would surpass Africa’s highest point of quarter-final, reach the semis and go for the trophy.

Chairman House Committee on Sports, Honourable Godfrey Gaiya expressed this shortly before jetting out to Brazil in the Presidential Jet alongside other presidential team members 8am yesterday at the Presidential Wing of

the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja.

According to him, Cameroon are the only African team to have reached the quarter final stage of the mundial and Nigeria being African champions will be out to surpass that record and make Africa proud.

“Because we want to achieve this, the president has mandated us to represent him at the opening ceremony.

We will also be on ground to welcome the Eagles to Brazil and present Mr. President’s pep talk ahead of the Eagles’

Eagles with supporters

opening match against Iran on June 16,” he said.

Speaking further, Gaiya said that for the first time, the Eagles’ chances of making the nation proud would not be by funds as every necessary budget for a successful execution of

the campaign has been made available.

“As against the 5,000 dollars they got during the qualifiers, they would be getting 10,000 dollars for the group stages and 20,000 dollars if they progress from the group stages.”

Eagles Threaten To Boycott Iran Game Over Allowances The players had protested to the NFF chairman Alhaji Aminu Maigari, in the United States (US) demanding their own share of the money and threatened that should the federation refuse to pay them the money they were not going to play in the opening match.

BY ONJEWU DICKSON, Abuja

The Minister of Sports Dr. Tammy Danagogo has waded into the brewing crisis between the Super Eagles and the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the world football governing body’s $8 million allocation to the federation.

The players had protested to the NFF chairman Alhaji Aminu Maigari, in the United States (US) demanding their own share of the money and threatened that should the federation refuse to pay them the money

they were not going to play in the opening match of the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

But the NFF it was gathered claimed that they have only received $1 million from FIFA out of the $8 million with which they have been organising friendlies and pre-world cup preparations.

It was also gathered that in addition to the FIFA $1 million, the Federal Government has made available to the NFF N850 million out of the N1.4 billion total budget for the tournament.

In a meeting held between

Why We Released Uzoenyi For Brazil - Rangers

Uzoenyi

Enugu Rangers forward Ejike Uzoenyi has left the shores of the country to team up with his Super Eagles mates for 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil, Goal can report.

The Most Valuable Player of the 2014 African Nations Championship was recalled to replace Elderson Echiejile who was ruled out of the competition following his injury in the international friendly against Greece on June 7.

Rangers management had threatened not to let the player leave for the World Cup following the Nigeria Football Federation inability to write to them formally.

Foster Chime the media officer of the Coal City giants

told Goalthat the player was granted permission because of national interest.

“We have allowed him to go after much persuasion,” Chime told Goal.

“He left on Tuesday and we can’t hold on to him because of national interest.

Our country is bigger than any individual or group.

“He has gone to join his Eagles colleagues and we wish him the very best in Brazil,” he concluded.

The former Rennes of France player departed for Brazil on Tuesday evening at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja in Lagos.

With this development, Keshi boasts of four local league players in his fold.

Dr. Danagogo and Alhaji Maigari, at the Maksoud Plaza Hotel, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Monday evening, the minister charged the NNF boss to negotiate with the team to be able to reach an agreement so that the players’ morale would be boosted during the tournament.

The minister was of the view that the welfare of the team should be paramount during the tournament adding that “ if we do not treat them well and make them happy, they may just go into the tournament and perform badly and ensure that we pack our bags and return.

Joseph Yobo, Eagles captain

NOC Boss, Ndanusa Tips Eagles For Glory not just the semi final but possibly winning the cup. Stephen KesPresident of Nigeria Olympic hi has a good team and all of us in Committee (NOC) Engr. Sanni the Olympic family are praying for Ndanusa has expressed confidence them to conquer the world in Brathat the Super Eagles will do well at zil,” Ndanusa stated. the Brazil 2014 World Cup which The NOC boss commended both kicks off today in Sao Paolo, Brazil. the National Sports Commission Ndanusa in a statement made (NSC) and the Nigeria Football available to the media in Lagos said Federation (NFF) for ensuring his optimism stems from the sol- that the Eagles prepared well for id preparation of the team ahead the World Cup, even as he charged of the tournament and the pedi- Nigerians to support the Eagles gree of the Eagles as African cham- with prayers. pions.

“I want to commend the NSC “The Super Eagles are going into and the NFF for ensuring the team the tournament as African champi- prepared well for the World Cup. ons and there is no doubt they will As the competition gets underprove do not just Nigeria proud, way, I urge Nigerians to pray for but Africa. I see them becom- the success of the team, Ndanuing the first African side to reach sa stated.

Follow these reports on leadership.ng/sports

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12.06.14 www.leadership.ng

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

No. 2,204

lhaji Ado Bayero, the 13th Emir of Kano under the dynasty established by the late reformer and revolutionary Shehu Usman Dan Fodio and the 56th ruler of Kano since Bagauda established the city, died in the early hours of Friday June 6, 2014 in his palace. Born on July 25th 1930 to Emir Abdullahi Bayero, Sarki Alhaji, the death of San Kano Ado Bayero is in so many ways the end of an era. Before his ascension to the throne of his forefathers, Sarki Ado was a banker, an administrator, a police chief and Nigeria’s ambassador to the Republic of Senegal. He succeeded his uncle and father in law, Emir Muhammadu Inuwa Abbas in October 1963, when he was just 33 years.

It tells a lot about the values and integrity of the public service of the past when we consider how Ambassador Ado Bayero came to be the Emir. He arrived Kano to condole the family over the demise of Emir Inuwa. He picked his hand luggage and proceeded through the arrived hall of the Kano airport. Just then, his lawyer friend, Michael Agbamuche who was at the airport to receive some arriving visitors immediately prostrated before Ado Bayero, saying “Ranka ya dade (May you live long). Ado Bayero was baffled, “what are you doing Mike?” he asked his friend Mr. Agbamuche. “Have you not heard it? You are the new Emir of Kano. It was announced on the radio” Agbamuche replied.

Such was it before: no lobbying, no bribing, no campaigning for the revered public office.

Sarki Ado had an eventful, largely peaceful and very prosperous reign. He brought uncommon charisma and aura to the institution. He personified the best of the Hausa cultural elements of Mutunci, Zumunci, Karimci, Aminci. He personalized the best of

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The Thursday Column

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the Fulani Pulaaku code of conduct. Kano, one of the few cities in sub-Saharan Africa that is over one thousand years, became the custodian of the Hausa – Fulani culture; the cosmopolitan melting pot of Nigeria; the quintessential nerve of commerce and industry which it has been since the era of trans- Saharan trade of old; and one of the greatest centers of African tradition, learning and hospitality.

Alhaji Ado Bayero loved children. He had 32 daughters and 30 sons and over 300 grand children of his own as well as thousands of others within the extended family, orphans and wards spread across the length and breadth of Nigeria. He liked to keep the company of children – listening to them, playing with them and generally impacting his wealth of experiences and wisdom to the next generations. Sarki Ado was a father to all who instilled discipline and love of learning to the younger ones.

His Highness Ado Abdullahi Bayero loved education, encouraged learning in both western and eastern senses and promoted the development of schools and colleges throughout his reign. No wonder his period saw the unprecedented expansion of education in Kano. There are thousands of primary and secondary schools established by both government and private citizens in Kano. There are many tertiary institutions and technical colleges established during his time. Above all, there is the famous Bayero University, Kano as well as the Kano State University of Science and Technology, Wudil and the Northwest University, Kano.

During his time, Sarki Ado served with fifteen different state governors in Kano as well as thirteen different Nigerian Heads of State, both military and civilian ones. He has witnessed

and endured a lot of changes that the traditional institution has undergone. This was how he put it during a radio interview: “Before we were the actors; after that others will act in consultation with us; now they act and then inform us” (Da mu mukeyi; aka zo ana yi damu; yanzu sai an yi sannan a gaya mana).

Kano became the centre and hub of West African aviation in his time. Two of the sons of Kano- General Murtala Mohammed (1975 -76) and General Sani Abacha (1993 – 98) became Heads of State in Nigeria.

Kano produced so many world renounced professors in different fields of learning during his time. Kano became a major centre of agriculture, textile industry, traditional dye pits and a major financial/economic centre of Nigeria. During his time, the richest African and one of the richest people in the world Alhaji Aliko Dangote is from Kano.

Late Alhaji Ado Bayero was a pillar of national unity which saw him making friends across ethnic, sectional and religious divides in Nigeria. He was a friend of late Chief Odimegwu Ojukwu. He was a friend of the Obi of Onitsha. He was particularly close to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade. Within Kano and across Nigeria, he was intimately related to many families through marriages and other intricate networks of social relations. The business class, the religious class, the traditional and modern scholarly class and ordinary people high and low, all had access to the late Emir. Among his greatest gifts are the attributes of patience, endurance and perseverance in the service of the common good of all.

Sarki Ado was a man of great nobility; he was a man great integrity; he was an uncommon royalty; and he was a man endured with great humility. Late Ado Bayero was very passionate

about Nigeria; he was very passionate about Kano and he did every thing to build on the legacies of his great forebears especially Emir Dabo, Emir Abbas, Emir Abdullahi Bayero, his illustrious father and Emir Sir Muhammadu Sanusi his elder brother and grand father of the new Emir Sanusi Lamido. He kept the royal family of Kano united and cohesive. The Senior Councilor, Wamban Kano Alhaji Abbas is the son of his elder brother, Emir Sir Muhammadu Sanusi, just as his private secretaries, Ujudud Sanusi and Isa Sanusi are also his nephews.

Nigeria has lost a great pillar in the demise of Emir Ado Bayero.

Kano has lost a just and fair ruler. We have lost a loving and caring father. Sarki Ado Bayero will be remembered in history as someone who has lived for the people and died in the service of the people. His vacuum is very difficult to fill. We wish his successor, His Highness Sanusi Lamido a peaceful and prosperous reign. May the Almighty Allah forgive Alhaji Ado Bayero his mistakes and grant him aljannah Firdausi. Allah yajikan Sarki Ado Bayero. Amin

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