05 nov 2014

SATURDAY

Sanctity Of Truth

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

/newtelegraph

Vol. 1 No. 260

@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

N10bn jet: ALISON-MADUEKE frustrating probe – Reps

N150

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AMCON nets N183bn from bridged banks’ sale

lSkye, Heritage await SEC’s approval Ayodele Aminu

T

he Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AM-

CON) made a total sum of N183 billion from the sale of two of the three bridged banks - Mainstreet Bank Limited and Enterprise

Bank Limited, New Telegraph learnt yesterday.

While Skye Bank, which bought Mainstreet Bank, paid N126.8billion,

Heritage Bank Limited that purchased Enterprise Bank, forked out N56.1billion on the deal.

Although the pair have

got all approvals, including that of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for the transaction, they are still awaiting the endorse-

ment of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), whose Director General, Ms Arunma CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Boko Haram renames Mubi, Madinatul Islam lAsks fleeing Adamawa residents to return home

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Quick Read Editorial

Nigeria’s drop in global gender ranking }19

Council of States confirms Suleiman IG }5 How Tambuwal deceived me, by House Leader }6

L-R: Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Martins Elechi; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio and Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, at the Council of State meeting in Abuja...yesterday.

Photo: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

Senators fight Jonathan over re-election bid

lThreaten to shut down government Chukwu David

P

eoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators are spoiling for a

fight with President Goodluck Jonathan for allegedly working to frustrate their re-election bid.

The senators yesterday accused the president of

conniving with PDP governors to undermine their re-election by allowing the states’ helmsmen to have their way in the party ward congresses, which

held nationwide last Saturday.

It was even learnt that the senators threatened to compile impeachable offences against the presi-

dent.

The leadership of the Senate last night met with the president to table the grievances of the senators CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

News

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

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Boko Haram renames Mubi, Madinatul Islam Ibrahim Abdul Yola

B

oko Haram, which has been in control of Mubi, one of the largest cities in Adamawa State, has renamed the town.

The terrorist group, which has brought the town, along other seized territories under its socalled Islamic Caliphate, said Mubi would now be known as Madinatul Islam, meaning the city of Islam.

However, it has appealed to Mubi residents and others in Adamawa State who have fled their homes following its capture of their towns to return home, assuring them that they will be safer in its caliphate.

A fleeing resident from the overran commercial border town of Mubi, Danladi Habu, told reporters yesterday in Yola that the insurgents had established their authorities over Mubi and had renamed the town.

“They could be seen patrolling the town while others at strategic locations brandished their rifles; but they asked us not to panic or run away.

They hold open court and preaching sessions, just as they changed the name of Mubi to Madinatul Islam,” he stated.

Some of the residents also said Boko Haram had asked them to return to their residences, with a promise that they will be more secured in the “Islamic Caliphate than in Nigerian territories.”

A resident of Uba town, Mr. Bello Baba Salisu, said normal activities had started picking up in the captured territories as Boko Haram called on residents not to fear and they should open their shops for business.

Baba added that the insurgents have assured them of security and freedom.

He said unlike other parts of the state where curfew was imposed and people were prevented from riding motorcycles, “the insurgents assured us of free movement anytime of the day and asked us to ride our motorcycles and go about normal activities.”

“They kept telling shop owners to open their shops, threatening that anyone who fails to open his shop will have the shop broken.

“Whenever the insurgents want any commodity, they pay for it. This encouraged meat sellers, tea sellers and others to open for business.

“They provided security during the market day of Uba town last Thursday while promising to continue to give traders and residents who come to the area utmost security as long as they comply with Islamic rules.

“They have opened one of the filling stations belonging to A.A Garba in Uba town as motorists’ troop to buy the commodity due to high demand,” he stated.

However, Mr. Sunday Joshua Wigra, who visited Maiha, a nearby town from Mubi, said despite the assurances by the insurgents, many trapped residents were still fleeing, including soldiers.

“Our country has

failed. We are fed up with the deception by our leaders who seem only to be concerned with their 2015 ambitions.

“I was in Maiha a few hours ago and the pathetic plight of the people I saw was simply beyond belief.

We were in a commercial bus when some fleeing soldiers said we must adjust for them to get a space in the bus to flee, which we objected. It’s unfortunate that even soldiers joined civilians to run away,” he told reporters.

Also yesterday, residents of Adamawa State protested the imposition of dusk-to-dawn curfew on the state by the government.

A cross-section of the

people who spoke on the development described the state government’s action as unfair and totally unnecessary.

The state government had on Saturday announced the curfew, from 9pm to 5am, to contain the worsening security situation in the state.

But residents said the curfew, just like the previous one, was not a solution to insecurity.

A resident, Joseph Dauda, said: “This rush to impose curfew here and there is not solving anything; they are just punishing the helpless people.

“We have been under various kinds of curfew since the imposition of state of emergency with

nothing positive to show for it. Madagali, Gulak, Michika and now Mubi and Uba towns were taken by Boko Haram in spite of the fact that the listed towns were under dusk-todawn curfew.

“Government should stop making things hard for us. If curfew is the only consolation they have to offer us, we say no thanks.”

Aisha Usman, Bello Idris, Ladan Ibrahim and Istifanus Musa also condemned government over the curfew.

Musa said: “Whenever they slam this curfew, what we always experienced is high cases of robbery and burglary of people’s shops. People were forced indoors while

criminals walk freely looting.

“You also need to know that many displaced persons from Mubi and other affected areas are trooping into Yola from Mubi. With this curfew, how do you expect them to cope if they arrived late?”

“Following the current security situation in the state, the Adamawa State Government has consequently reviewed the the current curfew ( 11 pm to 5am).

“The curfew will now commence from 9 pm to 5 am daily. However those on essential services and with permit will continue to carry out their duties.

“All citizens and secuCONTINUED ON PAGE 5

L-R: Executive Director, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr. Hewett Benson; Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Services, Mrs. Mofoluke Dosunmu; Managing Director, Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi and Executive Director, Credit, Mr. Abass Jega, during the presentation of AMCON Series V Bonds Completion meeting in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

N10bn jet scandal: Alison-Madueke frustrating probe, Reps tell court Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

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he House of Representatives yesterday told the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) have been frustrating the probe of the N10 billion chartered jet scandal.

Madueke and NNPC had approached the court seeking to stop the House of Representatives from

probing them over the alleged scandal.

The House, however, in its preliminary objection to the suit filed by its counsel, Aminu Sadauki, told the court that both Madueke and NNPC have refused to honour invitations by its various committees set up to probe the allegations against them.

In an affidavit attached to support the preliminary objection, the defendant averred that the main reasons that gave rise to the suit are that second defendant, House Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), invited the Group Managing Direc-

tor of the second plaintiff (NNPC) to appear before it on Wednesday, July 17, 2013 over proposed $1.5 billion NNPC loan.

The Reps also averred that letters written by the 2nd defendant to the plaintiffs dated March 26, 2014, inviting the plaintiffs to testify and tender evidence at the investigative public hearing of the 2nd defendant’s Public Accounts Committee which they proposed to hold into the charter of private aircraft for alleged non-official use by the plaintiffs.

It further averred that the plaintiffs are yet to

comply with the said invitation.

The House, however, asked the court to dismiss the suit on grounds that it amounts to abuse of court process.

The defendants also contended that the suit was premature and nonjustifiable, adding that the plaintiffs had similar suit between the same parties and on substantially the same ground, pending before Justice A.R. Mohammed of the same Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The Senate is yet to file any response to the suit.

Alison-Madueke and

the NNPC had through their counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), filed the suit marked FHC/ ABJ/CS/346/2014 seeking among others, a declaration that by law, both the Senate and the House of Representatives lacked the power to invite them without first obtaining the consent of the president.

The trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, however directed the plaintiffs to respond to the House of Representatives’ notice of preliminary objection.

He later adjourned adjourned till January 26, 2015.

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News

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Terrorism: Judges get special police protection Emmanuel Onani Abuja

I

nspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Suleiman Abba, has commissioned a Close Protection Unit, saddled with the responsibility of providing security cover for judges handling terrorism, political and other sensitive cases across the country.

The disclosure was contained in a statement signed yesterday by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Emmanuel Ojukwu, an Acting Commissioner of Police.

According to the state-

ment, the first batch of officers in the category were trained by the Royal Military Police of the British Army.

It added that the IGP, during the commissioning ceremony, assured judges of adequate security, to enable them dispense justice without fear or favour.

This is coming on the heels of a reported attack on an Ekiti State judge, a few weeks ago.

The statement reads: “The Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Suleiman Abba, has commissioned the first batch of the Close Protection Unit for judicial officers and judges trained by operatives of

the Royal Military Police of the British Army.

“The IGP, in his address, admonished the graduands to employ professionalism, discipline and courage in the discharge of their duties.

“He added that this Close Protection Unit has become necessary to reassure judges, especially the ones handling terrorism related cases of adequate police protection, to enable them discharge their duties without fear.

“The IGP used the occasion to thank the British Government and sought greater collaboration in areas of capacity building and intelligence sharing.”

Skye, Heritage await SEC’s approval CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Oteh, is currently out of the country.

Managing Director, AMCON, Mustafa ChikeObi, gave an update on the transaction on the bridged banks yesterday in Lagos at the presentation of AMCON series V Bonds Completion meeting, which had in attendance the registrars of the bonds and other experts hired by the corporation.

Skye Bank had on October 9 paid the mandatory deposit of 20 per cent for the acquisition of Mainstreet Bank. The payment of the 80 per cent balance was done last week.

Heritage Bank’s investment arm, HBCL Investment Services, had also paid 20 per cent out of the N56.1billion on October 5 and completed the payment of the 80 per cent balance of N44.8 billion on October 15.

Speaking on the bond redemption, Chike-Obi said the corporation had completed the scheduled redemption of the AMCON Series V N976, 042,060,000 Zero-Coupon Bonds (“the Series V Bonds”) due October 2014, at par.

Last December, AMCON had redeemed its issued Series I, II, III and IV Bonds totalling N1trillion.

With the redemption of these bonds, there is no other bondholder apart from the CBN and this has automatically reduced AMCON’s outstanding bonds due for redemption over 10 years to N3.8 trillion.

The AMCON boss said the corporation had fully retired a total of N1, 874,379,519,000 of all bonds issued since inception.

He said: “This puts it ahead of its planned redemption schedule, as all its publicly held bonds

have been redeemed before the end of its fourth full year of operations.

AMCON had issued zero coupon bonds with a face value of N5.67 trillion as Series I, II, III, IV and V between December 2010 and December 2011.

“The Series V redemption was financed utilising AMCON’s internally generated cash flows and the Banking Sector Resolution Trust Fund (“the Sinking Fund”). The Sinking Fund is funded by annual contributions from the Nigerian Deposit Money Banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). AMCON would like to note that the collaboration and support of the CBN was critical in ensuring the success of the process.”

An elated Chike-Obi, who noted that no financial institution in Nigeria has retired such a huge bond in such a short time, said every bond holder had received full value and confirmed the receipt of the funds.

Responding to the expected excess liquidity injected into the economy through the redemption of the bonds, Chike-Obi said the CBN had long being informed, stressing that the regulator has all it takes to put liquidity under control.

Besides, he explained that since most of the payments were made with treasury bills, he has confidence that the banking watchdog will manage the liquidity.

On the workers of the bridged banks that are kicking against the sale of the banks, he said AMCON was very sympathetic and would engage them but that would not hinder the sale of the institutions.

“We are very sympathetic to the workers. We will talk to them and listen to their concerns but

we don’t see them stopping the sale of the banks.

“When we came in, we said we will get out of these institutions as soon as possible. Remember that the sale of Enterprise Bank started about year ago,” he said.

Also speaking on the bond redemption, AMCON’s Executive Director, Finance & Corporate Services, Mrs. Mofoluke B. Dosumu, said: “The redemption represents a major milestone in the reduction of AMCON’s obligations, as it signifies the retirement of all AMCON bonds held by the public markets. We will continue to make good progress with respect to our obligations to the Central Bank of Nigeria, presently the sole holder of AMCON’s outstanding debt obligations.”

Three lenders - Mainstreet Bank, Enterprise Bank and Keystone Bank and were acquired by AMCON following the inability of the trio to recapitalise within a specified timeframe set by CBN. Mainstreet Bank was formerly known as Afribank; Keystone Bank was previously known as BankPHB while Enterprise Bank was before its acquisition, known as Spring Bank.

AMCON had injected N679 billion into the hitherto sick banks to meet the minimum capital base of N25 billion and the minimum capital adequacy ratio of 15 per cent, as stipulated by the banking watchdog.

And in a bid to recover these funds, which it raised through issuance of bonds, the corporation has sold two of the lenders, starting with Enterprise Bank and Mainstreet Bank. The sales process for Keystone Bank will be completed next year.

News

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

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Tambuwal, APC govs shun Council of State meeting lAbba confirmed as Inspector General of Police Anule Emmanuel Abuja

T

hirteen governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday shunned the Council of State meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa.

Also absent at the

meeting were former exmilitary Heads of State, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdusalami Abubakar.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, was absent at the meeting.

Tambuwal had announced his defection last Tuesday from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. Of all the APC gover-

nors, only Governor Adams Oshiomhole attended the meeting.

No reason was given by the governors for their absence.

The Council comprises of former Heads of State and governors of the 36 states of the federation.

The major decision taken at the meeting was the confirmation of appointment of the acting Inspector General of Po-

lice, Suleiman Aba. At the meeting, the Council also deliberated on the issue of discrimination across the country as well as the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which Nigeria has successfully contained.

Briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State said the council was briefed of the success recorded

by Nigeria in curtailing Ebola as well as the issue of indigeneship which had triggered discrimination across the country.

Also, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh had earlier accepted full responsibility for the recent setback recorded by the Nigerian military in the North-East while fighting Boko Haram insurgents.

The CDS spoke briefly

L-R: Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts and Justice, Auwal Jatau; Chairman, Solomon Adeola and Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, at a public hearing on a Bill for an Act to repeal the audit Act of 1956 in Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

Boko Haram asks fleeing Adamawa residents to return home CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

rity operatives are please advised to comply with these directives”, the statement said.

However, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has expressed concern over the annexation of towns and villages in the North-east

by Boko Haram, describing the situation as sad and worrisome.

He also called on the Federal Government to provide sophisticated gadgets, ammunition and equipment to security agents to combat the insurgency and ensure proper surveillance in the border areas.

The sultan, said in Sokoto yesterday at a seminar by Zonal Command Travel and Alien Control (TAC) that the security situation in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, where the insurgents have taken many towns and villages,

was worrisome.

Meanwhile, Boko Haram members yesterday bombed the Divisional Police Headquarters in Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe State.

The insurgents were said to have stormed Nafada during midday and started shooting sporadically.

After gaining some grounds within the town, the gunmen then proceeded to the Divisional Police Headquarters, which they bombed.

The attack forced many people to scamper to safety.

Though no life was lost in the attack, the police station was burnt as a result of the impact of the explosives used in bombing it.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Fwaje Atajiri, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), could not be reached for comments as his telephone line was switched off.

after he made an appearance at meeting in company of other service chiefs.

Those who attended the meeting were four former leaders including Generals Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo as well as Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Head of Interim National Government (ING), Chief Ernest Shonekan Governors present include Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Theodore Orji (Abia), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), Idris Wada (Kogi), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) Also present were Senate President David Mark; Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Mohammed and National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) Former Chief Justices of Nigeria (CJN) Mohammed Lawal Uwais and Idris Legbo Kitigi were at the meeting.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim and Chief of Staff to the President, Brig.-Gen. Jones Arogbofa were also present, as well as the service chiefs.

Senators threaten to shut down government CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

who have vowed to shut down the government.

A principal officer of the Senate confided in New Telegraph that a battle line had been drawn with the president.

“We have protected him all the while and if the best way to pay us back is by working with the governors to ensure that majority of us do not return to the Senate, we will also pay him back in his own coin,” he said.

One of the senators also said yesterday that his colleagues had threatened to shut down the government by frustrating executive bills pending before the Senate following the alleged surrendering of the party’s structures in the states to governors.

According to him, going by what transpired at the ward congresses, few of them might return in 2015.

He said in protest, senators were planning to boycott legislative businesses

and might give solidarity to the embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal.

He said: “We are going to show solidarity with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal. We will not sit again. There will be no consideration of the MTEF (Medium Term Expenditure Framework) and there will be no budget.

“We decided to adjourn and do no business and the APC (All Progressives Congress) senators are in solidarity with us. President Goodluck Jonathan has lost the Senate; he has left the PDP structures in the hands of the governors.

Let the governors also do our job. We are going to shut down the government.”

Another senator also lamented that even before the ward congresses, for about three months, no allowances had been given

to them, which he insinuated was deliberately done by the executive to starve them of funds for the ongoing congresses.

“Under this arrangement, if left unchallenged, none of the senators would come back in 2015. We are planning to boycott legislative businesses until further notice,” he added.

New Telegraph gathered that the senators were now lobbying for automatic return ticket, after being rendered helpless by the outcome of last Saturday’s ward congresses, where majority of them reportedly performed poorly.

It was learnt that the Senate yesterday abridged its plenary session to enable the PDP Senate Caucus to meet and fashion out means of surviving the attempts to stop them from returning to the National Assembly in the 2015 general election.

At the meeting, sources said, the senators considered several options to deal

with the situation.

Senators elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) told their colleagues that they will ensure that the leading opposition party hands them senatorial ticket and fund their campaigns if the PDP fails to give them the ticket.

The Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, moved a motion, suspending the business of the day immediately after the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, read the letter by Jonathan seeking the confirmation of Mr. Okwu Joseph Nnanna as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Meanwhile, the PDP is considering automatic ticket for its members in the lower chambers of the National Assembly to spur them to remove Tambuwal, following his defection from the party to APC last week.

News

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Fresh plot to unseat Mu’azu begins Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

F

resh plot to unseat the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, began yesterday as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja was asked to declare Mu’azu’s appointment illegal and void.

This will be the second suit challenging the appointment of Mu’azu in two months.

Cited as defendants are the PDP, its national chairman and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mu’azu was appointed by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to succeed Dr. Bamanga Tukur, who resigned as the National Chairman of the party on January 15.

In the fresh suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/729/2014, the plaintiff, Emmanuel Onu, who is a PDP member is praying the court for a declaration that the purported resignation letter of Tukur presented by President Goodluck Jonathan to the NEC is in clear violation of Sections 47(5)

and (6) of the 2012 Constitution of the PDP. He also wants the court to declare that the appointment of Mu’azu as the chairman of PDP is invalid and is in noncompliance with laid down procedure of Sections 45(1) and (2) of the 2012 Constitution of the PDP. On that premise, the plaintiff however begs the court to nullify the purported appointment of Mu’azu for non-compliance with the provisions of Section 85(1) and (3) of the 2010 Electoral Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Section 223(1)

of the 1999 Constitution.

He also wants the court to direct the immediate reinstatement of Bamanga Tukur as the national chairman of the PDP or in the alternatives order the deputy national chairman to pilot the affairs of the PDP until the due process of electing a valid national chairman is complied with.

The court is also asked to stop Mu’azu from parading himself as the national chairman of the PDP and to also order INEC to stop further correspondence with Mu’azu.

In a 15-paragraph affi-

davit, the plaintiff averred that the appointment of Mu’azu as the national chairman was premature and unconstitutional.

The plaintiff had earlier asked the court to decide whether the purported resignation of the former PDP national chairman at the 63rd NEC meeting of the PDP is compliance with Section 47(5) and (6) of the 2012 Constitution of the PDP. He also wants the court to decide whether the process and procedure that produced Mu’azu is compliance with Sections 47(5) and (6) of the 2012

Constitution of the PDP to become a sudden valid chairman.

Also, the court was asked to determine whether the appointment, emergence and continued stay of Mu’azu as the national chairman of PDP is in compliance with provisions of Section 85(1) and (3) of the 2010 Electoral Act and Section 223(1) of 1999 constitution.

It will be recalled that a lawyer and a member of the PDP, Ezionye Ndubuisi, had earlier asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to remove Mu’azu as the chairman of the party.

27o C 25oC Thunder Storms

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L-R: Programme Manager, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Mr Samson Adeniran; Country Representative, Mrs Hildergard BehrendtKigozi and Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole, at a workshop on security in Ibadan…yesterday

How Tambuwal deceived me, House Leader lSpeaker drives self to National Assembly without security

Philip Nyam Abuja

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IBADAN

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MAIDUGURI

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FIRST NATION AIRWAYS LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 06.50; 09:30; 11:45; 16:00 (SAT) 06:50; 11:45 (SUN) 11:45; 16:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 09:00; 11:30; 13:40;18:30 (SAT) 09:00; 13:40 (SUN) 13:40; 18:30 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 14:45 (SAT) 16:15 (SUN) 14:45 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:50 (SAT) 18:20 (SUN) 16:50 AEROCONTRACTORS LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 06:50; 13:30; 16:30; 19:45 (SAT/SUN) 12:30; 16:45 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 13:00; 19:00 (SAT) 12:30 (SUN) 15:30 MEDVIEW AIRLINES LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 07:00; 08:50; 12:00; 15:30 (SAT) 10:00; 15:00 (SUN) 17:30; 18:30 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 09:00; 14:00, 15:00; 18:30

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST LAGOS

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

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ajority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Mulikat AkandeAdeola (PDP, Oyo), yesterday stated that she was deceived to move the motion for adjournment to December 3.

Akande-Adeola said she was not privy to Speaker Aminu Tambuwal’s defection on that day.

She conceded that the long adjournment was “unusual” even though it was a collective decision of the House leadership at a meeting held at the deputy speaker’s guest house.

Explaining how she was kept out of the Tambuwal’s defection plot, the House Leader said: “Nothing was said about whether the speaker was moving or not. Even the meeting we had, nothing was said about that as to whether he was moving or

not, even though it was in the media and everybody was talking about it.

Asked if Tambuwal had deceived her, the leader responded: “I wouldn’t know.

I didn’t read his mind to know that was what he was going to do.

“At that point in the chamber I didn’t feel that way but when the Speaker announced his defection, I felt bad that he could keep such a thing from me. At least we are colleagues, although we represent different constituencies.

What is good for me may not be good for him. It was a personal decision that nobody could have prevented him from making. But as colleagues of cordial relationship, I felt bad that I would hear it on that day.”

Meanwhile, contrary to the postulation by the APC caucus in the House, Deputy Leader Leo Ogor has declared that the House can reconvene without

the consent of the speaker.

Ogor, who was reacting to the press conference addressed by the APC House caucus on Monday on the alleged plot by the PDP to reconvene the House before December 3 said: “Tambuwal cannot be a judge in his own case.”

He said because the matter was before the court, they will allow the full course of the law to run but insisted that in accordance with House Rules, leaders of political parties in the House can order for the reopening of the House without speaker’s consent.

According to him, Order 5, Rule 18 of the House Standing Orders gives the power to reconvene the House to leaders of the political parties that make up the House insisting that it was wrong for the APC caucus to conclude that only the PDP and APC are in the House.

Tambuwal yesterday

drove himself to the National Assembly.

Tambuwal, who performed his first official function after a Federal High Court ruling affirmed that he remains the speaker as well as barred the House from reopening before December 3, was accompanied by some of his colleagues and aides.

The speaker, who came to office at about 10a.m. drove out in his black Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) shortly after declaring open the public hearing jointly organised by the House Committee on Public Accounts and Justice on a bill for an act to repeal the Audit Act of 1956 and re-enact the Audit Act of 2014.

In his opening address, the speaker said it was not enough for parliamentarians to adhere to constitutional procedure and processes of enacting laws but such laws must be valid and legitimate.

OVERLAND AIRWAYS LAGOS-ILORIN (MON-FRI) 07:15 LAGOS-IBADAN (MON-FRI) 7:00 IBADAN-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:00 IBADAN-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:30 ILORIN –ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30 ILORIN –LAGOS (MON-FRI) 17:00 ABUJA-ASABA (MON-FRI) 10:00 ASABA-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 14:15 ASABA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 11:30 LAGOS-ASABA (MON-FRI) 13:00 ABUJA-ILORIN 16:00 ABUJA-IBADAN 15:00 ARIK AIR LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 07:00; 08:00; 09:00; 11:00 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00; 20:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 09:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 07:00; 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 (SAT) 07:00; 11:00; 15:00 (SUN) 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 09:00; 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 (SAT) 07:30; 11:30; 09:00; 13:00; 17:00 (SUN) 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 ABUJA-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30; 16:50 (SAT/SUN) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30 PORT-HARCOURT-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10; 18:30 (SAT/SUN) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10

NEW TELEGRAPH wednesday, november 5, 2014

7

national

Obasanjo visits Babangida, hugs Atiku solidarity

Visit to IBB ‘unites’ former president and his vice Dan Atori MINNA

F

or mer President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday visited for-

mer Military President Ibrahim Babangida, who just returned from a twomonth medical treatment in Germany.

It was gathered that Obasanjo was in Minna to visit the recuperating Babangida, while Atiku, who had visited the former military President was in the town to attend the Presidential declaration of Sam Nda-Isaiah of All Progressives Congress (APC).

Obasanjo met with his estranged Vice, Atiku Abubakar at the Minna International Airport where the two leaders buried their differences and hugged each other.

Obasanjo, who arrived in a plane with registration number G DOUR along with Senator Andy Uba, Chief Ayo Fashawe and an unidentified lady at about 4:30pm, was about to be conveyed to IBB’s house, when his at-

tention was drawn to the presence of Atiku at the airport.

The former Vice President, who was already seated awaiting clearance for his flight had to stop the pilot, alighted and headed straight for the waiting car to ferry Obasanjo out of the airport, where the two leaders hugged each other.

A black BMW car with registration number ABJ 01 RJ then took Obasanjo

to the uphill residence of Babangida in company with Mohammed, son of the former Military President.

At the IBB residence, journalists were barred from entering, but a source within told our correspondent that Obasanjo only came on a solidarity visit to IBB. The two leaders met only for about 30 minutes before Obasanjo left for the airport

L-R: Chairperson, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, South West Zone, Dr. Helen Kolawole; Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau; Rector, Yaba College of Technology, Dr. Magaret Ladipo and Chairman, Governing Council, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, during the Commissioning of building projects at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos…yesterday. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

Fishermen recover ‘missing Alpha Jet’ in Adamawa Okupe to Atiku: Stop making Ibrahim Abdul Yola

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arts of an aircraft suspected to be the Nigeria Air Force fighter jet, which got missing during routine operations in northern Adamawa on September 12 were seen in River Benue by local fisher men yesterday.

The discovery of the aircraft parts was at Kwa Ine Village of Demsa Local Government of Adamawa State, about 50

Kilometers away from Yola, the state capital.

A local fisherman in the area, Audu Vrati, said the discovered airplane parts may belong to the missing Alpha Jet, “because at the time it crashed, the level of water in the river was high, occasioned by the rainy season and the fishermen were able to see it now because the volume of water has receded’’.

The whereabout of the missing Alpha Jet has become a subject of conjectures following

the inability of Nigeria Air force to tell Nigerians what actually happened to the jet fighter which elicited heated debate in the country.

Boko Haram insurgents later claimed shooting the aircraft in a video in which they allegedly slaughtered one of the pilots of the missing Alpha Jet. Vrati said, already security operatives have cordon off the place and are preventing people from visiting the scene of the discovery.

political capital of security tragedy Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

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he Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has lambasted some leading members of the major opposition party, the All Progressives Congress(APC) for making political case of the current security tragedy facing the nation.

Okupe was irked that

desperate push by some leading figures in opposition party to assume leadership control of the nation has led them to uttering provocative statements capable of overheating the polity.

The SSS to the President on Public Affairs was responding to recent attacks on President Goodluck Jonathan by members of opposition party on the handling of security situation in some parts of the North.

Arraignment of NBC, Coca-Cola executives stalled Tunde Oyesina Abuja

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he arraignment of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and their Chief Executives before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for criminal breach of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) Act was stalled yesterday due to the absence of the accused persons.

The Federal Government had slammed a two

count criminal charge on the accused persons bothering on criminal breach of acts regulating consumers’ right.

At the resumed hearing, complainant counsel, Bayo Ojo, SAN told the court that the charge was ready for the accused to take the plea but was taken aback with absence of the NBC and Coca Cola.

Ojo had earlier told the court the Chief Executives of the two organizations have not been served owing to the fact

they have not been located.

He, however, prayed the court for order of substituted service on the Chief Executives to be pasted at a conspicuous place within the premises of their office.

He also prayed the court to issue a bench warrant on the Managing Directors of both NBC and Coca-Cola for not appearing in court even when their respective organizations have been served with court process. Counsel to Co-

ca-Cola, Godwin Elias, however, opposed to the application, adding that he has preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.

He contended that the issue of jurisdiction needed to be disposed off first before any other issue.

He however served the objection on the complainant in court.

Similarly, counsel to NBC and its chief executive, O. Opasanya, SAN opposed the complainant

application.

He however informed the court that he has preliminary objection as to the jurisdiction of the court.

In his short ruling, the trial judge, Justice Evoh Chukwu, granted an order of substituted service on the defendants but refused to issue bench warrant on the Managing Directors of the two organizations.

He later adjourned till November 9 for the defendants to argue their objections.

Shekarau in Lagos, says no more strike Mojeed Alabi

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gainst the backdrop of incessant industrial actions by workers’ unions within the nation’s education sector, the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau has said the era of strike action is gone in the industry. He saying his mandate was to bring dignity into the teaching profession in Nigeria.

The Minister stated this yesterday afternoon in Lagos, during his visit to three higher institutions of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Akoka; Federal College of Education, Technical, Akoka and the Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH. The visit was the first leg of the Minister’s Impact Assessment Tour of Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria, especially outside the Federal capital Territory.

He said he is committed to end industrial strikes in Nigeria, and that the resolution of the then prolonged ASUP/COEASU strike less than 24 hours he resumed office was a clear pointer to his commitment to fulfil that mandate.

UN gives N580m to Boko Haram victims

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he United Nations yesterday said that it has donated about N580 million to Nigeria to help cater for victims of the insurgents’ activities in the North-East of Nigeria.

According to online medium, Premium Times, the Head of the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, CERF, Valerie Amos, said the provision of $3.5 million (about N580 million) was based on the recent assessment by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA. NEMA, the Nigerian agency responsible for the management of emergency situations as a result of disaster, had reported that more than 740,000 people have been displaced by violence between Boko Haram insurgents and security forces in Nigeria since January 2014.

The agency said majority of the people affected have sought refuge within host communities where they face increasingly squalid health and poor sanitation conditions.

“The Humanitarian Country Team prioritized CERF funds to respond to protection, health and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs of the displaced people and host communities of North East Nigeria,” the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Daouda Toure, said.

8

News

wednesday, november 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

national

Okonjo-Iweala: We have reformed import waiver system

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inister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has stated that the Goodluck Jonathan administration has reformed the import waiver system.

She spoke yesterday in Abuja on the last day of the Presidential Public Affairs Forum organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, where she emphasised that the policy was selective.

She said prior to the advent of Jonathan as president, the import waiver system was characterized

by sharp practices.

“Before President Jonathan came on board, the import waiver system was bad. They were either issued arbitrarily, were lopsided and not good for any economic environment.

Three years ago, when I came on board as minister, the first issue the president put before the first meeting of the National Economic Management team was the import waiver, which he felt was selective, lopsided and led to the midnight visits. He said he wanted something done about it quickly. We are happy to announce that the policy has since been reversed and the import waiver

system reformed.

She said reform of the waiver system was not the only significant achievement of the Federal Government under President Jonathan. She noted that another key indicator of the positive transformation in the economy according to her was the rebasing of Nigeria’s economy, which she said has come after just three years of the present administration.

According to her, the positive transformation agenda as championed by the administration has led local and international investors to find the business environment in Nigeria

healthy, thereby leading into massive investments as exemplified by the likes of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, whom she said, has invested $16 billion.

The improvement in the economic situation of Nigerians based on concrete steps has led to a situation where about 40 million Nigerians are comfortable to have cars, pointing out that if the tempo at which the country is cruising at now is sustained in the nearest future, Nigeria will become one of the biggest 20 economies in the world.

She also disclosed that housing refinancing has also been put in place and many Nigerians have al-

ready benefitted from it with more to key into it in the near future where young Nigerians will be able to owe houses with payment spread across 20 years.

Also speaking at the event, Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said Nigeria had also made significant progress in the area of investments.

Aganga said that Nigeria had secured over N6.6trillion investment commitment over the last one year.

“The breakdown of the total investment commitment showed that expected FDI into the country stood

at N3.9 trillion while investment commitment from local investors stood at N2.7trillion”.

The minister also said that the ministry had held over 70 meetings in over 12 countries, resulting in the renewed investment interest in Nigeria. He said: “As a result of the on-going reforms and aggressive investment drive by the Ministry of Trade and Investment, investment commitments of over N6.6trillion over the next three years have been generated. To attract investment in these key sectors, the ministry has made trade and investment missions to key partner countries to develop interest in the Nigerian market, accompanied by Nigerian business leaders.

Agbakoba sues FG over religious discrimination Ndubuisi Ugah

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L-R: President, World Federation of Engineering Organisations, Mr. Marwan Abdelhamid; Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen and President, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Mr. Ademola Olorunfemi, at the official opening of the World Engineering Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure in Africa, held in Abuja …yesterday

Why the Catholic church opposes gay Synagogue: Court declines request to stop inquest the collapse of a guest October 28, filed a suit, marriages — Cardinal Onaiyekan Akeem Nafiu house at the Synagogue seeking an injunctive no way

Church rebuffs entretries from gay couples to be joined in holy matrimony Yekeen Nurudeen

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rchbishop of Abuja Diocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has said the Catholic hierarchy in Rome has stood firm against gay marriages because it clearly negates the original concept of God in building the family network.

Onaiyekan made the comments when he delivered a sermon on the occasion of the celebration of Feast of All Saints and thanksgiving mass of Holy Family Society at Christ the King Parish, Kubwa, Abuja.

He said various attempts have been made by some people, who indulge

in gay marriages to lobby the church and make it change its position on the issue.

While underscoring the significance of marriage in the Christian faith, he noted that the marriage between couples of opposite sex remains an essential element of the constitution of the church.

He said God prefers to relate with the family unit which He instituted through marriage of opposite sex rather than the gay practice.

“So far, the Catholic Church has stood firm against the issue of gay marriages in our society, which the devil is trying to use to destroy the world.

“During the last synod meeting, people made efforts to try to divert the church’s attention into accepting gay rights but you know something, even cardinals can become agents of the devil.

J

ustice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday turned down a request by a lawyer, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje to stop further proceedings in the on-going coroner inquest into

Church of All Nations(SCOAN).

Justice Buba, in a ruling on an oral application

by Ogungbeje, said nothing would stop the inquest until the case was heard on its merit.

Ogungbeje had on

PUBLIC NOTICE AMDASSADORS OF GOD TO MIDDLE-EAST MINISTRY The general public is hereby notified that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

The Trustees are: 1. Rev. Dr. Rotimi Olokodana - President 2. Mrs. Seyi Taiwo

- Secretary 3. Pastor (Mrs) Omolara Adesanya - Treasurer 4. Pastor Olugbenga Abosede 5. Pastor Timothy Afolabi AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To evangelize the lost soul and to raise standard lives & souls for Christ.

2. To spread the Gospel of salvation of Christ.

3. To carry out missionary work and give also to the needy.

4. To preach the word of God to all humanity.

5. To build orphanage homes 6. To evangelise the middle-east.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: FUNKE LALEYE- SOLICITORS & CO

order to restrain further proceedings at the coroner inquest pending the determination of a substantive suit at the Federal High Court.

Yesterday, the respondents’ lawyer, Mr. Akinjide Bakare,

ormer President of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has sued the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN) and National Assembly as 1st and 2nd Respondents in a fundamental rights suit to challenge the discriminatory position of the Marriage Act and Matrimonial Causes Act to his Christian beliefs in marriage.

The fundamental human right enforcement suit tagged No. FHC/L/ CS/1550/2014 and filed before the Federal High Court, Lagos Division is challenging the unconstitutional restriction and interference with his rights to religious freedom and freedom from religious discrimination by the state through the Marriage Act and Matrimonial Causes Act contrary to Section 38 and 42 of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

APGA appoints Obiano as Leader/BoT chairman Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

T

he All Progressives Grand Alliance has appointed the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano as its leader and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party.

This was among the resolution reached at the party’s National Executive Committee meeting that held in Abuja yesterday.

Obiano takes over from former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi,

who recently defected to Peoples Democratic Party.

The NEC also approved the guidelines for the conduct of the party’s primaries for the 2015 general elections.

In a press statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, Umeh said pursuant to the mandate given on January 18th, 2014 by the National Executive Committee to the National Working Committee to fill existing vacancies, the NEC also appointed Amujiogu as the Acting Deputy National Secretary.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

News

SOUTH-WEST

Again, Fayose, Fayemi bicker over Ekiti debt Adesina Wahab ADO-EKITI

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kiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose and his predecessor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, yesterday engaged each other in controversies over the debt profile of the state, with the former accusing the latter of incurring N86 billion debt during his tenure.

Fayose, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, in AdoEkiti, said despite the claim

by Fayemi, that his administration only borrowed N25 billion from the capital market and had repaid N15 billion out of the sum, the truth was that Fayemi, agreed to an obnoxious interest rate on the loan amounting to N13 billion.

“The development is that despite Fayemi’s claims and cries in the media that only N11 billion was left from the loan, the state is currently owing over N26 billion on the loans, no thanks to the obnoxious interest rates Fayemi agreed to,” he said.

However, the Director of Publicity of Fayemi’s

All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state, Mr Taiwo Olatubosun, at another press briefing, said the current government was only being economical with the truth.

He controverted Fayose position, saying he must stop playing the blame game and not give excuses for non-performance.

Fayose’s SA, who produced some documents to back up his claims, added that the ex-governor obtained another N5 billion loan from Ecobank last May for what was called “Project Financing,” using Fountain Holdings Limited.

“The loan was obtained through Fountain Holdings Limited so as to be able to avoid going through the Debt Management Office (DMO) in Abuja, because the state was already highly indebted to a level that its monthly income could no longer sustain additional liabilities.

“Our question is; is it part of the responsibilities of Fountain Holdings Limited to execute capital projects like road construction on behalf of Ekiti State Government?

“Fountain Holdings Limited, for your information is an investment company

owned by the Ekiti State Government. The responsibility of Fountain Holdings Limited is to manage and supervise all companies owned by the Ekiti State Government. The share capital of the company is N15 million, and we wonder how a company with N15 million share capital could be granted N5 billion loan

by Ecobank without any recourse to the DMO! “As at today, there is no single evidence of utilisation of the N5 billion, suggesting that the loan was taken to fund Fayemi’s botched re-election bid,” he said.

L-R: Lagos State House of Assembly member, Hon. Yinka Ogundimu; National President, Anwar-Ul-Islam College Agege Old Students Association, Agege (ACAOSA), 1984 set, Mr. Lawal Pedro; former Principal, Alhaji Mohammed Olaniyan and Chairman, ACAOSA 1984 set, Mr. Shakiru Alabi Bello, during the set’s 30th anniversary/reunion celebration in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Amosun’s deputy, three senators set to defect to SDP Kunle Olayeni ABEOKUTA

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arring any last minute hitches, Ogun State Deputy Governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, is set to dump the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Adesegun, who has fallen out with his principal, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, in the battle of supremacy in the APC, is set to make a formal announcement about his defection ‘any moment soon.’

The state chapter of the APC had been polarised into two factions, with one loyal to Amosun and the other sympathetic to two-time former governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba.

Adesegun was produced by the Osoba camp during the 2011 general elections.

The deputy governor had, in a letter dated October 24, 2014 and addressed to Amosun, alleged that government

was starving his office of funds.

As part of the injustice against his person and office, he claimed that the governor allocated old vehicles to his convoy and denied him some of his due allowances.

Adesegun also revealed that electricity supply to his official residence had been cut in the past seven month because the state government owed the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

A highly placed source in the SDP, who spoke with New Telegraph yesterday, said the entry of the deputy governor into the party would be a “ground-breaking event” to launch the party for the 2015 political expedition.

The source added that Osoba and the three Senators from the state, Adegbenga Kaka, Olugbenga Obadara and Akin Odunsi, as well as six APC members in the House of Representatives would also defect to the SDP.

9

Ado varsity begs for fund Adesina Wahab ADO-EKITI

T

he Alumni Association of the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti has called on the State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, to take up the payment of the wage bill of workers in the institution.

Addressing newsmen in Ado-Ekiti on yesterday, President of the association, Dr Matthew Adedeji Ayeni, said the management of the school pays N380 million monthly as workers’ salaries, while it gets N260 million as monthly subvention.

“Your Excellency, the best way to start resolving the financial bottlenecks of the institution is for the administration of Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose to take up the total wage bill of the state university as it is being done in some state universities across Nigeria,” Ayeni said.

He added that with the management having to look for extra N120 million to augment the wage bill, it was affecting the provision of facilities and capital projects on campus.

The association also faulted the practice of removing the institution’s vice chancellor anytime there was a change of administration, saying the position of a VC was not political.

Kuku advises PDP members to embrace Mimiko’s leadership Babatope Okeowo AKURE

T

he special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta Affairs, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, yesterday advised aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State to agree with the leadership of the party on the consensus arrangement reached by the party.

Kuku, also told members of the old PDP, to embrace peace and join hands with the new leadership of

the party and the governor of the state, Olusegun Mimiko, for the party to record full success in the coming election.

This development came as aspirants of the party under the auspices of “PDP Aspirants Forum” met at the party secretariat along Oyemekun Road, Ondo state, to advance the position that all aspirants be allowed to participate in the party’s primary Vice Chairman of the group of the over 70 aspirants, Mr Tolu Babaleye,

asked the National Leadership of the party to intervene in the crisis rocking the state chapter to avoid the likehood of state losing to opposition political parties.

Babaleye, said they were not against the defection of Mimiko from Labour Party (LP), to the PDP, but said such defection should be done in accordance with the party’s constitution.

He said, “We are not against the defection of governor Olusegun Mimiko to our party, we

are aware that Nigeria is at the brink of an election where PDP is planning to return elected at all levels, so, based on the above premise we members of PDP aspirants Forum 2015 after an emergency meeting held at our party secretariat, resolved that governor Mimiko and his followers, defection to our great party should be done in accordance with the constitution of our party in Chapter two, part one, section 8 sub section two to 11 is sacrosanct.

Fashola urges Lagos resident to resist illegal task force Muritala Ayinla

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iqued by the attempt to take over traffic management in the state by some men engaged by the SURE-P Federal Task Force, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State yesterday called on all residents, to resist what he described as illegal taskforce, currently parading themselves as traffic officials on Lagos highways.

Fashola, alleged that

the emergence of the new traffic personnel on Lagos roads had a political agenda ahead of 2015 elections, which according to him, could only be explained by the sponsors.

The Governor, however, urged residents and motorists to only obey and recognise personnel of agencies authorised by law to manage traffic in the State, which are the Federal Roads Safety Corps (for Federal roads) and the Lagos State Traffic Management

Authority (LASTMA), insisting that the “illegal” Federal Task Force was constituted to create confusion in the State.

Speaking at the fifth anniversary of Uniformed Voluntary Clubs in Lagos State Public Schools, Fashola noted that the task force had political agenda.

He said, “In the times of elections, all manner of behaviours would be seen.

The report got to me and I think they are men of

FERMA. That is what we have done with our SURE-P money. It is now for Nigerians and Lagosians to ask the Federal Government and the president if they had been honest with us on SURE-P savings of over N6 trillion, without appropriation, on import of fuel. It was a savings to be used to improve our lives.

We can now see how it has improved our lives, setting up an organisation that has no law about two months to general election.”

WEDNESDAY, november 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

10

Metro Biodun Oyeleye, Muritala Ayinla, Camillus Nnaji and Esther Albert

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t least 26 persons reportedly lost their lives while property estimated to worth millions of naira were destroyed in accidents in parts of Kwara and Lagos states.

The accidents occurred on Monday night.

About 20 people were feared dead while others sustained serious injuries during an inferno that resulted from a lone accident involving a fuel-laden truck at Bode-Saadu, headquarters of Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The inferno also destroyed houses, shops and cows worth millions of naira.

The state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mary Wakawa, said only four people died while four others sustained serious injuries.

But the residents of the area put the figure at over 20, saying the accurate number would only be possible after the inferno had died down.

The University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Public Relations Officer (PRO), Oba Hassan Kadiri, said that four of those injured who were brought to the hospitals suffered about 85 degree burns and were already being transferred to different clinics after initial treatment at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital.

In Lagos, five persons were burnt to death while two others sustained severe burns in a motor accident on Ayobo-Aiyetoro Road, Igando.

It was gathered that the remains of the victims, who were burnt beyond recognition, were taken to Mainland Hospital, Yaba, by the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU).

The only identified body was released yesterday to the family for burial.

Others, who sustained severe injuries, were rushed to the Gbagada General Hospital for medical attention.

Taiwo Jimoh

A

group, Concerned Members of the Lagos State Taxi Drivers and Cab Operators Association, has called on officials of the Vehicle Inspector Officer (VIO) to stop indiscriminate arrest and seizure of commercial vehicles.

Speaking on behalf of the association, a lawyer, Mr Malachy Ugwummadu, asked the Commissioner for Transport, Mr Kayode Opeifa, to caution the officials of VIO and curtail ‘their recklessness’.

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

26 die in Kwara, Lagos accidents

Sympathisers at the scene of the Igando accident … yesterday.

It was also gathered that the accident occurred about 10pm when an articulated truck ran into a stationary truck loaded with beer. The impact led to an explosion.

A Honda car, with registration number BBG 638 BP, which was behind the truck, was hit by the explosion.

The driver of the car, identified as Mr Adebayo Ahmed, was said to be heading to Egbeda after closing from work.

He was said to be the manager of Ahbol Petrol Station in the area.

One of the victims was said to be a passer-by who was also hit by the explosion. His body was picked up from the gutter.

Confirming the incident, General

Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said that five persons died and were burnt beyond recognition.

Oke-Osanyintolu gave the registration number of the articulated truck as EP 896 SK. The GM added that two other persons who sustained serious burns were rushed to the Trauma and Burns section of the Gbagada General Hospital.

He said: “The articulated truck lost its brake and rammed into a stationary truck. The stationary truck is filled with alcoholic content which exploded when the truck hit it.

“Five unidentified persons were burnt beyond recognition. Our men, fire

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

servicemen and policemen from Igando were on ground. One of the bodies was picked from the gutter. The deceased have been deposited at the Mainland General Hospital.”

Also speaking, Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe, said one other person died in an accident involving a petrol tanker on Ayobo-Ayetoro Road, Itele.

He added that the accident resulted into inferno but officials of the state fire service responded promptly and put out the fire.

Fadipe said there was also a fire accident at a filling station at Agege.

He said: “Again, we responded to two fire calls at Total Filing Station at Ile Zik on Agege Motor Road.

Stop harassing us, cab drivers warn VIO The lawyer, who spoke at a press conference in Lagos yesterday, said that the association had been having problems with VIO ever since the Ministry of Transport and the chairman of the association, demanded N4 million for new vehicles which would be used to phase out the yellow cabs.

After negotiations, some operators accepted to deposit N250,000 as part payment for the new vehicles.

“Some members of the cab operators who paid the money were allowed to continue operation, while those who did not became targets of VIO. “In December 2010 alone, over 67 cars were seized from members who did not pay the imposed money, while the impounded vehicles were dumped at various VIO centres across the state,” Ugwummadu said.

The lawyer said the intimida-

Arogundade (left), Ugwummadu and Prof. Maurice Fangnon at the conference.

tion of the cab operators made his chamber to petition the state House of Assembly.

He added: “Because they impounded vehicles, about 100 of the drivers became jobless. They were also harassed and intimidated by officials of VIO.”

PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

The lawyer explained that when the matter was being investigated by the state House of Assembly, one Otunba Adetoro, the state chairman of the cab operators, wrote a petition to the police.

He also alleged that without

proper investigation, two members of the association were arrested and arraigned in court.

The former Vice-Chairman of Sholuyi Taxi Park, Gbagada, Comrade Adekunle Arogundade, said: “My colleagues and I were at our motor park at Gbagada when our state chairman sent someone to inform us that we were not going to be allowed to use fairly used vehicles as cab operators in the state except brand new vehicles.

“The chairman said that the new vehicle would go for N4 million. I asked if the idea was a new policy or law by the state government. Some of us rejected the idea.

“A few months later, I bought a fairly used Toyota Camry car, which I was using as a cab. The car was seized by VIO officials. I was asked to pay N50,000 as fine for using the vehicle. They said it was an illegal operation.”

Metro 11

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, november 5, 2014

NDLEA arrests 18-year-old orphan at cannabis farm l I need money for SSCE, says suspect Juliana Francis

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secondary school student, Monday Ogwugwa, has explained why he decided to work in a cannabis planta-

tion.

The 18-old orphan was among those arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as it embarked on destruction of cannabis farms valued at N15.8 billion in Osun State.

Ogwugwa said that he was brought to the plantation to work in order to get money to register for his Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

He said: “I lost my parents when I was a child. A man brought me from Delta State to this farm to work so that I could get money to register for SSCE. This is the first time I would work in an Indian hemp farm. It was here that I knew it was a hemp farm. I have nobody to help me.”

The NDLEAD Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, has called for maximum punishment for cannabis cultivators in the country.

Giade said drug barons must be financially incapacitated and made to face the wrath of the law.

Ogwogwa

He said: “In this operation alone, we successfully destroyed 2,260,800kg of cannabis. This is a clear indication that cannabis cultivators shall not be allowed to enjoy the proceeds of their criminal drug activities. Dispossessing drug barons of N15.8 billion in a single operation is a highly commend-

able feat.

“We shall continue to trace and destroy cannabis farms. The drug barons arrested in connection with the cannabis plantations shall be diligently prosecuted and I expect nothing but maximum punishment.

“A criminal act that generates so much money deserves serious attention of stakeholders. Nigeria will continue to win the drug war.”

The Director of Operations and Investigation, NDLEA, Mr Olugbenga Mabo, who supervised the operation, described it as timely.

Some of the cannabis farms were destroyed at Arinkinkin forest at Isokan Local Government Area while others were located at Ayedade Local Government Area both in Osun State.

“The operation was timely because the farmers had commenced harvest already. The good news is that both the harvested plants and the fresh plants were destroyed. We are currently processing some intelligence reports and more farms shall be completely destroyed,” Mabo said.

The NDLEA Joint Task Force Commander, Mr Adeniyi Muyiwa, said that officers made a lot of sacrifices in making the week-long operation a huge success.

He said: “Apart from deploying officers from the entire South-West for the assignment; we engaged the services of 80 labourers in the destruction exercise.

“I am glad that officers were enthusiastic in spite of the tasking nature of the operation. We were determined to work and I am glad that the entire plantation was destroyed.”

Herdsmen kill one, abduct five in Delta community Dominic Adewole ASABA

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n 18-year-old boy, Ossai Oluem, was killed when people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen invaded Umuachi-Afor community in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State.

Also, about five persons were abducted by the gunmen.

Those abducted were identified as Florence Onwuka, 42, Chukwudi Onwuka (15), Ugochukwu Onwuka (13), Innocent Ndego (20) and Nwabuaku Beninchukwu (24).

It took the efforts of Hon. London Onwuka and two others, who rushed

to the police station in Ashaka axis of the area to report the attack.

Confirming the incident at the command headquarters in Asaba yesterday, the state acting Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Roland Preston, said besides the dead and the abducted persons, the attackers also stole huge sums of money.

He said: “On receipt of the report, police detectives visited the scene of crime and removed the body to St. Luke mortuary Kwale for autopsy.

“Preliminary inquiry indicated that the attack was sparked-off by alleged seizure of a prohibited firearm from an unknown Fulani cattle breeder by one Frank Odili, an indi-

Borno records 92 fire cases Ahmed Miringa Maiduguri

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orno State Fire Service said it had recorded 92 cases of fire accident within Maiduguri metropolis and its environs since the beginning of the year.

The state Director of Fire Service, Alhaji Musa Hussaini, who disclosed this yesterday, said the 92 cases occurred between January and October with no loss of life.

He added that two persons were rescued in separate fire incidents.

According to him, the fire incidents were mostly caused by candlelight, illegal connection of electric wires and

Shettima

people’s nonchalant attitude in their homes.

Hussaini, therefore, called on the residents to be careful in using charcoal to warm their rooms, as harmattan season draws near.

He said: “People should be very cautious in using charcoal

to warm their rooms, more especially with the harmattan season setting in.”

The director explained that the agency had procured 61 fire engines, which would help the firefighters to promptly respond to distressed calls.

He added that plans were on to establish seven additional fire service sub-stations in the state capital.

Hussaini said the agency had concluded plans to employ 100 youths from the vigilance group popularly called Civilian JTF to work in line with the Governor Kashim Shettima administration’s agenda of creating job opportunities.

gene of Umuachi-Afor community.

“His refusal to return it to the unknown Fulani man made the attackers to invade their community. The attackers had informed the community that the abducted persons would only be released on the condition that if the seized firearm was returned.”

The PPRO, however, said the abducted persons had been rescued from their captors.

But, according to him, the whereabouts of the said Odili were still unknown.

He said: “Efforts are on to arrest the fleeing attackers while measures have been put in place to forestall break down of law and order in the affected area.”

Group moves to check violence during election

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Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Partners for Peace in Niger Delta (P4P), has designed a new strategy to use peace and conflict resolution as core value of elections in the country.

It is part of efforts to prevent violence before, during and after next year’s general elections.

Speaking at a five-day retreat organised for youths drawn from the nine Niger Delta states, the Leader of Fund For Peace, Washington D.C, Mr Michael Gonzalez, said the aim of the peace retreat was to share experiences and capture the success stories and challenges on peace building activities, as well as mapping election conflict assessment scenario and making the youth shun violence.

FRSC to prosecute unlicensed drivers Camillus Nnaji

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he Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has said that it would soon prosecute drivers possessing invalid driving licence and those driving without licence.

The Zonal Commander, Lagos/Ogun FRSC, Assistant Corps Marshal Godwin Ogagaoghene, told our correspondent yesterday that the commission had discovered that a good number of people were driving without valid driving licence.

He said: “We have found out many people are still patronising touts. Others are driving without valid licence.

“I want to state that we have set up strategies to apprehend and prosecute all those who have gone through the backdoor to acquire invalid licence. They shall face our mobile courts and when convicted, they will be sentenced.”

Ogagaoghene said that Lagos drivers had no excuse for driving with invalid or without driving licence because Lagos State had fully migrated to National Driving Licence databank.

This, according to him, makes it easier to check the validity of any licence on the spot.

On the bottleneck encountered by applicants of driving licence, Ogagaoghene blamed it on backlog caused by the National Assembly which made everyone to apply for the licence at the same time.

“Now everyone wants to get his licence at the same time thereby putting much pressure on the capturing centres,” he added.

Ogagaoghene said that consequent upon this, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, directed that multiple licencing centres be opened across the country.

He said: “In Lagos, we have 18 direct capture centres opposed to existing 12. Three more centres are to be added. If you visit these centres, you will notice that the pressure is now dropping.

“We have also begun to sensitise applicants because they add to the pressure. Many applicants do not know that they have capturing centres in their local governments, everybody must not come to Ojodu for his or her driving licence.”

Idi-Mangoro CDA launches community police Temitope Ogunbanke

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embers of Idi-Mangoro Community Development Association (CDA) in Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State have launched ‘Neighbourhood Police’ to curb crime and other social vices in the community.

Speaking at the launch, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Isokoko Model Police Station, CSP Mohammed Dankoli, promised to cooperate with the people to reduce crime to barest minimum in Idi-Mangoro and its environs.

Dankoli also charged the residents to support the police in making sure that the Idi-Mangoro community is non-conducive for criminals to operate.

Also speaking, the DPO of Isokoko Police Station, CSP Aliyu Lukmon, implored the residents to cooperate with the police to make their community crime-free.

He also urged the people not to harbour any criminal, adding that they should be bold to report criminal activities to the police.

In his address, the Chairman of Voluntary Policing Sector, Mr Omodele Morufu, appealed to the people to build a modern-day resolution centre for the Neighbourhood Police team, for effective performance of the police.

Morufu noted that no amount of money is too much as contribution to make the community a safe place for people to live.

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News

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

SOUTH-EAST

PDP aspirant warns against imposition Igbeaku Orji UMUAHIA

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L-R: Corps Marshal, Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Boboye Oyeyemi; Director General, National Identity Management Commission, Mr. Chris Onyemenam; representative of the Nasarawa State government, Alhaji Abdulhamid Kwara and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Edwin Igbokwe, at the university’s annual lecture in Nsukka, Enugu State …yesterday

MASSOB plans Dec 10 memorial for Ojukwu IKEMBA

To live in the hearts of those you love is not to die, Ojukwu remains an evergreen hero Peter Osondu ABA

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he Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), has shifted the memorial ac-

tivities in honour of late Biafran leader, Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, initially slated for November 26.

Addressing newsmen in Aba, Abia State, MASSOB acting director of Information, Sunny Okereafor said the new date is December 10.

Okereafor, stated that the shift in date became imperative as exigencies of duty would not allow the wife of the late Eze Igbo Gburugburu, Bianca Ojukwu who is Nigerian’s Am-

bassador to Spain to around on the earlier slated date.

According to the MASSOB spokesman, “We are shifting the memorial event from the original date of November 26 to December 10.

This is so because the wife of our revered late leader would not be in the country by November 26.

“As you all know, it will be out of place to hold such event for the memory of the man who gave his all for the

struggle to emancipate his people without his widow who stood by him till that last day, being around”, Okereafor said.

Okereafor informed that MASSOB has lined up many events for the celebration of the third anniversary of the death of the Eze Igbo Gburugburu which he stated would be held at the Ojukwu Library at New Owerri.

He said MASSOB was doing these to show the world that Ndigbo would never forget Ojukwu

Crisis in Enugu Assembly over member’s return bid Uwakwe Abugu ENUGU

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purported move to halt the second term bid of one of the Enugu State House of Assemly, Hon. Anthony Ogidi, representing Igbo-Eze North Constituency II in Enugu state House of Assembly momentarily threw the assembly and the constituency into crisis as the member vowed to fight his perceived detractors until he secured his place in the assembly.

Following last week’s

alleged position of a group Umunano Youths, Forum, in the constituency opposing the legislator’s return bid, owing to his alleged poor representation, there has been increased political tension in the area with deft moves by political contenders to outwit one another over who represents the constituent in the 2015 State Assembly elections.

The reaction of Ogidi, as well as the denial of a PDP youth leader, Kingsley Nweze, on the devel-

opment is said to have created more confusion in the area, prompting the lawmaker reel out his achievements since he was elected in 2011.

The group’s contented that it took the decision to halt the legislator’s bid for a second term because he failed its test following due diligence conducted on his performance a and his relationship with the people of Umunano, a political entity made up of the people of the IgboEze North Constituency

II of the state who have urged the PDP leaders in the area to find a replacement for Ogidi.

Ogidi, who is Chairman of the House committee on rural development and CSDP, said he attracted water borehole for Uroshi in Ezodo, attracted a 300kVA transformer for Umuogbo Ulo in Essodo and that during the last voter registration exercise in the state, his Ette area set the highest record in the local government by registering over 12,000 voters.

Address insecurity, NUJ tells South-East governors Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

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articipants at the second Edition of the South-East media summit, have called on the five state’s governments in the zone, to urgently tackle the issue of insecurity as a prerequisite to sustainable integration in the region.

This position was con-

tained in a communiqué, issued at the end of the two day summit organized by zone ‘C’ of the Nigeria union of Journalists(NUJ), held at the Michael Okpara Auditorium in Umuahia, Abia state.

According to the communique, the participants upheld that the region is endowed with abundant human and material resources.

Continuing, the com-

muniqué bemoaned the collapse of the cultural values of the people of the region which has given way for crisis in the value system urging for a quick resolution of the situation.

They noted that the media was ready to play its part as adjunct to integration process while rendering its corporate social responsibility, urging political leader

in the region to move towards contributing its fair quota to raising the standard of journalism practice to achieve the desired goals.

The summit also expressed regret that the south-east, has lost its past leadership role in setting the pace for the economic integration of states of the federation and called for the immediate return to the past glory.

who he said used his father’s wealth to fight in defence of the Igbo man.

“We are doing all this to immortalize Ojukwu’s name because we see him as the Moses of Biafra who led the people out of the wilderness before handing over power to Chief Ralph Uwazuruike who is the Joshua of our time.”

Okereafor assured that from next year, MASSOB would revert to the November 26 date which he said would be declared a public holiday.

chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and an aspirant representing Isiala Ngwa North and South in the House of Representatives, Dr Anthony Agbazuere, has warned the party against what he described as move to impose candidates by the PDP in Abia, a situation he said could spell doom for the party in the 2015 general elections.

Agbzuere, who said he was speaking from the position of a lawyer and human rights activist, warned that the crisis that would result from the undemocratic option would further heighten already frayed nerves resulting from the party’s recent doctored ward congress in the state and would be too much for the party leadership to handle.

He accused the national publicity secretary of the party Chief Olisa Metuh of fueling the crisis in the state and called on the national executive of the party to call him to order before the matter gets out of hand.

He said: “Olisa Metuh, has expressly declared war against Ngwa people.

The PDP national publicity secretary from Anambra State, has been unable to deliver the state to PDP, even his ward, yet he is arm twisting the powers that be to impose somebody who lacks the capacity to represent the people.”

Okorocha to Imo workers: No voter’s card, no salary Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

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eside the declaration of public holidays for the duration of the INEC Permanent Voters Card (PVC) distribution and Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the State, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state has stated that salaries would be paid only to those civil servants who are able to present their Permanent Voters Card.

Okorocha who made the disclosure when the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Prof Celina Oko and her team paid a courtesy call on the governor also hinted that markets and shops in all the parts of the State would be closed till 1pm everyday for the duration of the exercise, to enable Imo people participate fully in the INEC exercise.

While war ning against acts of sabotage against the exercise, the

governor frowned on the figure INEC recorded as the number of registered voters in the state, insisting that Imo people cannot be one million plus, arguing that the figure should be in the range of three to four million people. He warned that obtaining of the voter’s card in the state is compulsory for indigenes of the state.

Said he, “Workers will be paid their salary after showing their permanent voter’s card, and parents will be allowed to enroll their children in schools only after they have presented their voter’s card. Students of 18 years and above from the state would not be allowed back to school unless they show their permanent voter’s cards.”

The governor added that tricycle operators and commercial drivers would not be allowed to ply on the roads in the state unless they have their cards to show.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Governorship aspirants

Insurgency

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2015

Onwuegbu, Eze, Onu, Odo battle Ugwuanyi for Chime’s seat

Senate moves to rehabilitate displaced persons

Tambuwal’s long trek to the APC

16, 17

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Politics

PDP’s congress of crisis

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reparatory to the 2015 general election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last Saturday held its ward congresses across the states of the federation to pick delegates who will in turn elect candidates to fly the party flags in various elections, come 2015.

It was not all smooth sailing for the ruling party, as there were varying reports from different parts of the country, ranging from peaceful conduct to violence and snatching of electoral materials, as well as killings in some states.

There were also reported manipulations of the process to favour certain candidates, and in others, there were allegations that results and names of delegates surfaced, even though it was obvious that elections never took place in the affected wards, while party members waited in vain under the sun.

In some other occurences, electoral materials were snatched from the venues of congresses, creating a scenario of violence and panic. There were also reported cases of party officials and government either beaten up by suspected thugs or arrested by security officials.

In two states, the ensuing violence led to loss of lives, just as disenchantments were recorded in some states leading to boycott of the congresses by governorship aspirants. Already, a deluge of petitions have been submitted to the national headquarters of the party in Abuja.

New Telegraph correspondents report Irregularities, deaths mar exercise in Benue No fewer than three persons were feared dead and many others including the chairman of Ado Local Government Area

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY EDITOR, PoLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Vice-President Namadi Sambo addressing constituents during the Pdp ward congress at Kabala ward 05 in Kaduna

of Benue State, Mr. Alex Ogaba, were injured while allegedly attempting to snatch sensitive materials meant for the conduct of the ward congresses in the area.

It was learnt that the local government chairman, who arrived the venue of the congress in company of security aides, was accosted by irate youths who pounced on him and later recovered the materials from him.

The council boss was reportedly beaten to a pulp and stripped naked.

Our correspondent gathered that a similar incident played out in Otukpa, the headquarters of Ogbadibo Local Government Area as many party supporters sustained varying degrees of injuries when crisis ensued in the area.

Chairman of the PDP Ward Congress for Benue, Chief Chike Udenze, said the panel had already started receiving petitions from some aggrieved members of the party on the conduct of the delegate elections in some of the local governments.

Investigation by New Telegraph revealed that though sensitive materials meant for the exercise were available at the party’s secretariat, distribution of same commenced

The charade that took place in Abia had absolutely no remedial features.

It is a shameless caricature of democracy, a cruel stab on PDP’s legacy of internal democracy and a crude mockery of our great party’s assurance of a level playing ground

late and ended at about 6p.m., a situation that led to their late arrival at the destination points.

It was, however gathered that the exercise was smooth in some local governments like Logo, Katsina Ala, Otukpo and Oju. But in some other local government areas, names of delegates were reportedly handpicked by some politicians, who decide the political equation in the state, to be announced as statutory delegates.

In Ushongo Local Government Area, home of the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, money was reported to have exchanged hands together with cows to bribe delegates to support one of the governorship aspirants anointed by the seat of power.

Caricature of democracy in Abia In Abia, all the three senators, Uche Chukwumereije (North), Nkechi Nwogu (Central) and Enyinnaya Abaribe (South) rejected the ward congresses, describing it as a charade.

Also, some of the governorship aspirants including former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of

Diamond Bank Plc, Alex Otti, former Deputy Governor, Acho Nwakanma kicked against the congress.

Presenting their stand which they titled ‘No congress held in Abia’ to journalists in Umuahia, Chukwumereije said: “Our party members and delegate aspirants yesterday dispersed after 6p.m. when nobody came to conduct the congress elections.”

He said the Abia State Government did all its best to manipulate the congress.

“From about 8p.m. we noticed surreptitious movements of non-executive members of the party and government officials carrying pre-prepared fictitious result sheets of papers to the members of the Tony Ceaser Okeke-led panel in Damgrete Hotel, where they were huddled since their arrival after the meeting with stakeholders and aspirants which as earlier noted ended at 2:15p.m. Rumour has it that the panel spent most of the night compiling these fictitious results into their result sheets.”

According to the group “We insist on an election as scheduled by the constitution of the party be held as soon as possible within the timeline of the 2015 electoral schedule of our great CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

PDP: Congresses renew rivalry, power tussle in states C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

party.

“The charade that took place in Abia had absolutely no remedial features. It is a shameless caricature of democracy, a cruel stab on PDP’s legacy of internal democracy and a crude mockery of our great party’s assurance of a level playing ground.

“Finally, the gross aberration of yesterday is unprecedented in executive impunity and the ultimate in anti-democracy conspiracy and fascist fraud.”

Abaribe said the group insists that a proper ward congress in which there is a level playing field as promised by the party be conducted.

Nwogu said the problem was that the party executive in the state was sidelined in order to prosecute a predetermined plan by the congress committee. She said due process must be followed.

Akwa Ibom: One killed, council chairman detained Palpable tension enveloped in Akwa Ibom as PDP faithful in the state battled themselves in the delegates congress seen as a make or break exercise. One person alleged to be a strong supporter of former Deputy Governor Nsima Ekere was killed and several others injured in a fracas that broke out, after suspected thugs attempted to make away with election materials meant for Eastern Obolo chapter of the party in the state.

The police however denied that there was any death. Police Commissioner in the state, Gabriel Ochong, who confirmed the outbreak of violence in the state, however told reporters that if anybody had died, his men would have informed him.

Also, New Telegraph gathered that the police in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of the state arrested the council chairman, Ephraim Akpan and detained him till the early hours of Sunday.

However, Akpan who spoke with New telegraph denied being arrested or detained by the police. He dismissed the story of his arrest as part of the blackmail from politicians bent on running him down.

Meanwhile, the outcome of the congresses in the state indicates that Ekere and former Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, Udom Emmanuel are most favoured by the outcome. Cronies and political associates of both men are said to have successfully planted their supporters.

Oyo: Thugs disrupt distribution of materials The PDP ward congress in Oyo State was held amidst controversies and allegations of disruption from some leading governorship aspirants in the state. The discordant tune was most noticeable in some wards in Ibadan metropolis, while the exercise was relatively peaceful in other zones including Oyo, Ogbomoso, Ibarapa and Oke Ogun.

Among aspirants enmeshed in the allegations of disruption of the exercise were the former governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala; former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, and Engr. Seyi Makinde.

On Saturday morning, when the materials for the exercise were to be distributed, some politicians stormed the PDP secretariat located at Queen Elizabeth Road, Mokola, Ibadan and disrupted the distribution exercise.

President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, after obtaining their PDP membership cards in Otueke, Bayelsa State last Saturday

According to Adeola Alani, a party member, “the hoodlums stormed the secretariat and caused delay in the distribution of materials, but policemen stopped them from taking away anything.”

Alhaji Hazim Gbolarumi, a governorship aspirant and former deputy governor to Alao-Akala, said that the hoodlums were believed to be loyalists of his former boss.

Coordinator of Teslim Folarin campaign team, Sunday Babalola, also lamented the action of the thugs, whom he said were loyal to Alao-Akala On his part, Alao-Akala distanced himself from the disruption. A close associate of his, Dr. Kola Balogun, said that there was no basis for the former governor to have disrupted the distribution of materials.

Some of the governorship aspirants said congress was never held in the state because there were no election materials provided them, while others said it held even without the materials.

In his submission, Senator Ayo Adeseun said since no material was taken to the wards, there was no way that results would be declared. Makinde said his campaign office had representation in all the 351 wards and that the report was that no congress was held as party officials did not arrive at any of the venues.

Imo: Irregularities mar congress The ward congress in Imo State was extensively flawed across the state. From Owerri to Okigwe and to Orlu, the story was the same as party loyalists were denied the opportunity to elect delegates of their choice.

Former governor of the state, Ikedi Ohakim, was expected to have gone into the delegates’ election with a comparative advantage based on the fact he put in place the present leadership of the party at the local government and ward levels.

However, it was a free-for-all scenario as aspirants deployed desperate antics, subverting the process to gain political advantage.

In Ikeduru council area, the battle was between House of Representatives member, Bethel Amadi and Chief George Irechukwu, former Commissioner for Finance in the Ohakim administration.

The duo grappled for supremacy in Ikeduru with everything they had until most of the party faithful were denied opportunity of electing their choice delegates. At about 7p.m. Saturday, sporadic gunshots were heard in Akaboh area of Ikeduru.

In Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise and Ezinihitte Mbaise, the battle was between Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha and Senator Chris Anyanwu who described Ihedioha’s approach to the election as a ‘brazen criminal twist’ to party congress.

The battle between Ohakim and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, both from Isiala Mbano council area of the state, spilled over to Owerri, the state capital, where the duo came close to fisticuffs.

Senator Hope Uzodinma in Orlu was alleged to have had a field day appropriating the delegate list to his advantage while the likes of Chief Felix Idiga and

ThankGod Ezeani kicked.

In all, the story was the same; party members had come out in their numbers to vote as early as 8a.m. and had to wait under the sun till about 6p.m. without any electoral material in sight.

Interestingly, in the same areas where there were neither materials nor electoral officers; results were produced to the consternation of most party members.

Members from Oru West, EzinihitteMbaise and several other council areas marched on the state party secretariat to register their grievances.

Consequently, more than 14 of the PDP governorship aspirants operating under the platform of Coalition of Governorship Aspirants of PDP Imo State, have called for the cancellation of the exercise which they alleged was tilted to favour only one governorship aspirant.

They had further threatened to stand against any candidate thrown up by the flawed process.

The horse-trading and power play have since shifted to Abuja where the final decision on the congress will be made. Nearly all the PDP governorship

Mu’azu

Wike

Politics

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Governor Godswill Akpabio (2nd left middle line) queuing behind his candidate, Mrs. Imaobong Gregory Akpan during the PDP ward delegates’ congress at Ukana West Ward 2 in Essien Udim Local Government Area.

aspirants have since relocated to Abuja clutching one form of petition or the other.

Anambra: Police seal off factional PDP office As early as 8a.m. on Saturday, the Anambra State police command had sealed off the factional office of the PDP loyal to Prince Ken Emeakayi, apparently to forestall any confusion over the leadership of the party in the state.

This situation gave room for the Ejike Oguebego-led state executive of the party in the state to hold the ward congress across the state, peacefully.

Emeakayi’s tenure was said to have ended on October 24 and was consequently dissolved by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), which gave way for Oguebego to take over the leadership of the party in the state.

Police spokesperson in the state, Mr. Uche Ezeh, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told reporters that the issue of sealing off the office was because the command wanted a peaceful environment for the congress. And that it took over Emeakayi’s secretariat at Udoka Housing Estate, Awka to ward off impending danger from the opposition.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier written the national secretariat of the PDP over the leadership crisis in its Anambra State chapter, noting that it would only deal with the Oguebego state exco of the party.

Sequel to this, INEC had to monitor the ward congress across the 21 local gov-

Abaribe

ernment areas of the state organised by Oguebego.

INEC said the ward congress of the PDP in the state was conducted without hitches.

The exercise which started at about 10a.m. was carried out in the 326 wards in the 21 LGAs and for the first time, there were no fracas recorded anywhere, unlike in the past where violence used to trail such an exercise.

Inconclusive in Plateau The ward congresses was inconclusive in Plateau State following the cancellation of the exercise in Pankshin Local Government Area of the state Chairman of the party in the state, Hon. Raymond Dabo, who announced the cancellation of the ward congress in Pankshin to journalists in Jos said that the exercise in the remaining 16 other local government areas in the state was successful.

According to him, the cancellation was as a result of serious disagreement by stakeholders over the delegates’ lists during the congress in the LGA. New Telegraph investigations revealed that before the Saturday ward congress, some groups in the state had called for suspension of the exercise, accusing some stakeholders of the party of bulk purchase of delegate forms from the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.

Some members of the party, who were denied access to the delegates’ forms when they visited the party secretariat along Yakubu Gowon Way, Jos, alleged

Arise

that they were told that the forms had been exhausted.

Another group, which threatened to petition the national chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, also alleged that the state governor, Jonah Jang is desperate to install his own men to succeed him in 2015.

Rivers guber aspirants boycott congress In Rivers State, the exercise was marred by boycott as 16 governorship aspirants distanced themselves from it on the grounds that the Felix Obuah-led executive tilted the exercise to favour the immediate past Minister of State for Education, Barr. Nyesom Wike.

They have also written a protest letter to Mu’azu, faulting the process. They said that because Wike was contesting for the governorship, the Obuah-led executive favoured candidates that would cast their votes for Wike during the primaries.

Also, more than 2, 000 delegate-aspirants did not take part in the congress because they could not submit the nomination forms they purchased at the PDP national headquarters in Abuja.

In reaction to the complaints that trailed the exercise, the national leadership of the PDP quickly inaugurated a three-member committee to look into the grievances of the governorship aspirants, and the delegate-aspirants.

But the aggrieved governorship and delegate-aspirants shunned the panel.

One of the governorship aspirants, Nimi Walson-Jack, described the appeal panel as a sham, adding that nobody will appear before it. He said: “The appeal panel will listen to appeals from those who set it up. It is clear from the characters of those selected for the appeal panel that it has been compromised from the onset.”

Barr. Soalabo West, the Director-General of Major Lancelot Anyanya Campaign Organisation, while speaking on behalf of the 2,100 delegate-aspirants, also stated that none of the delegateaspirants will appear before the appeal because they lack confidence in the ability of the members to do justice to their complaints.

But the party’s state secretary, Opuene Ibibia Walters, stated that aspirants who shunned the appeal panel were not supposed to appear before it, because they refused to participate in it in the first place.

Confusion in Enugu With the confusion occasioning claims and counter-claims that trailed

15

the ward congresses of the PDP in Enugu State, even as political tension and fear of the unknown gripped politicians who have been playing their games along factional lines.

The split in the leadership of the PDP in the state was worsened by the contest for the Enugu West senatorial ticket between Governor Sullivan Chime and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

On Saturday, constituents waited all day without seeing electoral officials and electoral materials.

This situation was worsened by claims from a faction of the party loyal to Ekweremadu that it has successfully held the congress whereas the state publicity secretary of the party, Dr. Okey Eze, in a statement said no congress held anywhere in the 260 electoral wards in the state as the five-man panel from Abuja billed to conduct the exercise had not arrived.

Our correspondent saw no congress in Local Governments visited within the state. Whereas some political leaders went home frustrated at the end of the endless wait, others headed for the residence of Ekweremadu where series of briefings took place only for a news report to surface that the exercise went on well.

Reacting to the situation, a member of PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Ambassador Justina Eze, said it was “disgusting that some elective office holders were not man enough to return to their constituencies and face their people but chose to remained in somebody’s house in Enugu to claim the exercise held.”

The situation again became worse last Sunday when the camp of Governor Chime was jolted with a news item on Radio Nigeria, Enugu station, purporting that the exercise was peaceful in the state.

Senator, others reject Ekiti congress In Ekiti, a former member of the National Assembly, Senator Ayo Arise, and some other stakeholders in Ekiti North Senatorial District have rejected the outcome of the exercise.

According to them, the exercise was fraught with irregularities. Arise, who represented Ekiti North Senatorial District from 2007 to 2011, alleged that Governor Ayo Fayose, connived with some PDP leaders to manipulate the exercise.

He also accused the Senator Ahmed Markafi-led team from Abuja of not distributing electoral materials to any of the five councils in the district.

Arise, who called for a new congress that would be in consonance with the PDP’s constitution, said he would officially lodge his complaints before the PDP Congress Appeal Panel.

He called for the reversal of the congress to prevent a backlash during the 2015 polls.

Other aggrieved House of Representatives aspirants, who rejected the results included a former member of the House of Representatives Hon. Ale Aribisala, former Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Patrick Ajigbolamu, former Ikole council boss, Mr. Wole Ayeni and Engr. Ayo Ogunsakin.

Describing the congress as an embarrassment to the party, Arise said: “Just like I alleged before the congress, Governor Fayose had succeeded in forcing the ward chairmen to write the lists of delegates in our district in favour of his preferred candidate, Duro Faseyi. One individual so anointed by the governor wrote the lists in all wards.”

Describing Arise’s allegations as the ranting of a bad loser, Fayose, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, absolved the governor of imposing any candidate, saying all the aspirants were given a level playing ground, CONTINUED ON PAGE 43

16 Politics

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

LEADING GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANTS

Onwuegbu, Eze, Onu, Odo battle Ugwuanyi for Chime’s seat

Ugwuanyi

Despite efforts by other political parties in Enugu State to make a good showing during elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to always have the upper hand. In this report, UWAKWE ABUGU reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the parties, as well as examines the governorship aspirants ahead of the 2015 general election

F

or more than one and a half decade, the political fate of Enugu State and its people have been under the firm grip of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has also remained the nation’s ruling party since the return of democratic rule in 1999. In the South East geo-political zone, Enugu State and its sister state, Ebonyi, carved out of it in 1998, have equally remained under the PDP’s rule since 1999.

The scenario in the two states has been different from changes experienced in Abia, Anambra, and Imo states at one time or the other, which have had governors elected on the platform of opposition parties.

Even with the 2015 governorship contest in Enugu State in sight, the possibility of the one-party scenario changing this time around still appears remote.

If anything, the gubernatorial fortunes of the ruling party during general elections in the state may not deplete at all in the coming contest, in spite of skirmishes arising at this early stage from the process of the state chapter of the PDP picking its governorship candidate, and the looming fight between Governor Sullivan Chime and Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, over the Enugu West senatorial seat.

Eze

The political parties In Enugu State, activities of political parties other than the PDP are usually at low ebb after any general election.

However, they peak gradually, wearing a semblance of seriousness a year to another general election, especially at a period like now when elections are few months away.

At the moment, only three parties could be said to be on ground, but at varying degrees of seriousness and readiness to make any meaningful impact in the coming contest. They include the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ruling PDP. At a time, the PDP has featured about 15 governorship aspirants currently reduced to five with the emergence of a consensus candidate, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, a member of the House of Representatives. Those to contest in the party primaries of the other two political parties remain largely shadowy but for Chief Okey Ezea, a financier of the APC in the state whose campaign posters have been seen in the past weeks mostly in Nsukka, his political strong base, where he has not even been able to successfully outwit the various machineries of the PDP. In the case of APGA, the state chairman of the party, Mr. Okey Nkolagu told New Telegraph that his party has its strategies and was working on “alignments and realignments.” He was, however, unable to name a governorship aspirant that would run for the election on the platform of his party.

The governorship aspirants The ruling PDP in the state, as of now, has four governorship aspirants.

In the past one month, they were no fewer than 15 on the platform of the party alone. However, the number has been reduced to this size in view of the consensus arrangement midwifed by Governor Chime and the leadership of the party in the state. Those still seen to be in the race include the consensus candidate, Hon. Ugwuanyi, Chief Anayo Onwuegbu, Senator Ayogu Eze, Mr. Chinedu Onu and the Speaker of the

Onwuegbu

State House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odo who suddenly returned from Abuja last Thursday to announce that he has already picked a governorship nomination form, a development that cancelled the understanding said to have been reached between him and Ugwuanyi.

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi Popularly known as “Gburugburu”, a word derived from the chieftaincy title of Dunu Gburugburu of Orba, conferred on him by his native Orba people in Udenu council area of Enugu State in 2002 before he ventured into partisan politics, Hon. Ugwuanyi, represents the Igbo-Eze North/Udenu federal constituency in the House of Representatives.

Now serving out his third term in the House, a journey he began in 2003 when he won his first election into the Green Chambers of the national legislature, his entrance into the governorship race which recently resulted in his emergence as the consensus candidate of PDP has several phenomenal features.

A professional who passed through the proverbial mills to become a chief executive officer in the private sector, he is today acclaimed among the people of his constituency as a legislator who has ministered to the needs of his people like no one has ever done in the past in that realm. In terms of philanthropy, Ugwuanyi rose to become the 16th president of the Rotary Club of Emene in 2000 where he imbibed the Rotary principle of selfless service to humanity.

This trait, he seems to have carried to his political career where he has been involved in quiet philanthropy. His goodwill, especially in his federal constituency, spans the scholarships to needy students at all educational levels, infrastructural developments in educational institutions and in churches, provision of electric transformers to several communities in the constituency, which he attracted from the Federal Rural Electrification Agency, as well as provision of boreholes to solve the water needs of some communities in his constituency, among many others.

As the longest serving National Assembly member in the present Enugu

North zone, he has clearly made his mark. He served as deputy chairman, House Committee on Public Service Matters; deputy chairman, House Committee on Pensions, and he is currently serving his second term as the chairman, House Committee on Marine Transport.

Under his leadership, the committee is undergoing a revolution to change the face of the sector, and usher in a regime of new legislations that would put marine transport in the country at par with what obtains internationally.

Besides, under his chairmanship of the committee, an institute of marine studies is currently being established at the Enugu campus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, a project said to be gulping no less than N5 billion. And there are many more developmental project said to have been linked to the lawmaker known to loathe publicity of his philanthropic activities. He holds a Bsc and Msc degrees from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and an MBA from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) and has attended so many professional courses within and outside Nigeria.

His emergence as consensus governorship candidate of the PDP is generally seen by those who read the real political pulse of the state as one of the best decisions taken by Governor Chime and the party leaders. Since he was pronounced consensus candidate, Ugwuanyi has garnered unprecedented support from people of all works of life.

Even some diehard critics stun inquirers who approached them to comment on the propriety or otherwise of the choice of Ugwuanyi.

In most cases, it has been a verdict in the affirmative, a situation that has assumed phenomenal dimension. It is generally agreed in most quarters that the consensus candidate has beaten all aspirants since 1999 in across-the-board popularity contests in the state, a reason a top aide to the state governor told New Telegraph in Enugu that “for Gburugburu, there is 90 per cent assurance that he would be governor.”

He is very popular and has the backing of the overwhelming majority of po-

Politics 17

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

LEADING GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANTS

Odo

Onu

litical leaders in the state. And on a daily basis, his support base seems to multiplying quite rapidly, with billboards donated by groups and individuals to promote his gubernatorial project springing up at almost every strategic location in Enugu and Nsukka areas.

rangement of his party, the politician told newsmen recently that he did not believe in zoning.

And he alluded to the fact that even when Chime contested and won, there were some aspirants and candidates from the North zone that ran against him in 2007 and 2011. It is not clear which political structure would actually power his electioneering, but he has thrown his hat in the ring. How far he would successfully swim against what appears an amazing current of support for Ugwuanyi would be seen as events uphold.

Ayogu Eze Born November 23, 1958 Eze was elected senator for the Enugu North Senatorial District on the platform of the PDP in 2007. A journalist, the senator has held offices as commissioner, special adviser to the governor, and special assistant to the governor. And in the Senate, he has served in committees on Police Affairs, National Planning, Information and Media and Federal Character and InterGovernment Affairs. Eze was re-elected to the Senate in 2011.

Since then, he has been seen to be an active legislator, especially in the area of being vocal on the floor of the Senate.

In the present political arrangements favoured by majority of the PDP and other opinion leaders in the state, the senator has continued to express ill feelings while continuing with his protest against the emergence of Ugwuanyi as the consensus candidate, claiming that his grouse was the process of the emergence of the candidate.

He told journalists that he was not perturbed by the news making the rounds that the state chapter of the party had endorsed a consensus candidate for the governorship election. He vowed to fight on till he wins or loses the ticket in the forthcoming governorship primary election this month.

He hails from the same federal constituency as Ugwuanyi as well as the Enugu North senatorial zone to which the governorship seat has been zoned by the PDP in the state. In his decision to fight on, he would be up in arms with a deluge of other daunting political forces in the face of growing popularity of his rival, Ugwuanyi. Without the support of the governor and party stakeholders, it is very unlikely that Eze will make it to the February 28, 2015 governorship poll.

Anayo Onwuegbu A business mogul and an engineer who has in the past years nursed a governorship ambition, Onwuegbu contested the seat against Governor Chime in 2011 and fought a legal battle for a very long time before apparently giving up.

Not countenancing the zoning of the seat to Enugu North senatorial zone away from his home base, the Enugu West zone which has held it since 2007, and disagreeing with the consensus ar-

Eugene Odo He has been Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly for three consecutive terms and is currently serving out his 12th year in the Assembly. He is one of those who have been eager to break loose into the field of politicking and it was gathered that at a point, that the governor called and asked him to tone down the vehemence with which he was effecting a consultation project during which time he moved from one part of the state to another at a time there was a coded understanding that all aspirants should hold on until a signal was given.

Trained as a lawyer, Hon. Odo hails from Ukehe, the home town of the Nwodos who have had a longstanding political dynasty that dates back to the First Republic. When Odo returned from Abuja last Thursday after making a political U-turn to pick the governorship form, he was welcomed by his supporters under the aegis of the Nsukka United Front (NUF), a political pressure group said to have been set up to power his ambition.

When asked what prompted his Uturn after he agreed to work with Hon. Ugwuanyi, he tacitly dodged the issue and said that as a lawyer, he was not to divulge the content of the discussion he held with the consensus candidate a day after the adoption was effected by the Enugu North senatorial zone caucus of the PDP. By the network he built in the past two years, he is believed to be capable of making an impact but whether that impact would garner enough steam to rattle a growing Ugwuanyi-bandwagon is a matter that would be revealed come November 29.

Chinedu Onu Onu, a member of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) is not new to the politics of Enugu State. He hails from the same Udenu council area of the state as Hon. Ugwuanyi. He is said to be enjoying a good relationship with Ugwuanyi but he is seen more as a po-

Ezea

He is known for his resilience and deep-rooted conviction to emancipate the good people of Enugu State.

litical son of Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu.

He had served as a commissioner under the Chimaroke Nnamani administration and even under the present administration of Governor Chime where he was a Special Adviser on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Special Adviser on Urban Renewal at different times. However, in the present dicey political situation in the state caused more by the rivalry between the governor and the deputy Senate President, he is clearly on the side of Ekweremadu. Pressure is believed to be on him from his home base where the consensus candidate has held sway as a formidable political leader for many years now. His challenge, however, is not seen as formidable.

Samuel Maduka Onyishi A transport mogul, who owns thousands of buses operating nationwide under the Peace Mass Transit Ltd, Chief Onyishi hails from Nsukka Local Government Area of the state and he is one of those who have picked the PDP governorship form after disagreeing with the Enugu North caucus of the party which endorsed the consensus candidate.

Popularly called Peace in Enugu, Onyishi was said to have had a rough time confronting Governor Chime, the day Enugu North zone where he comes from endorsed Ugwuanyi as the governor. He was said to have told him that he has to return to the party properly after his stint with the opposition APC,

Eze

a position he was said to have disagreed with, saying he never left the PDP. To prosecute a governorship election, the multi-billionaire transporter could muster a good war chest. However, whether he has the structure fit enough to tackle the political machinery of the more experienced and formidable aspirants, especially the structure of the state governor, is the big question starring him on the face.

The APC Challenge On the platform of the APC is Chief Okey Ezea, a lawyer and business mogul with interest in the marine sector and coming with what could be a deep purse that has enabled him finance the opposition party in about three past general elections in the state.

According to his campaign organisation, “Okey Ezea is known for his resilience and deep-rooted conviction to emancipate the good people of Enugu State. He is driven by passion to do well and believes that active bi-directional collaboration, synergy and sync with the good people of Enugu State will better their lives.�

He is known to be dogged and stubborn in the pursuit of actions that would power his political beliefs, and this disposition has been in his fight to realize his ambition during elections even though the ruling party has always overwhelmed him. Again, like his counterparts in the PDP, he may also face an uphill task dislodging the PDP consensus candidate who looks good enough to be called the man of the moment when the people go to the polls come 2015.

APGA, sitting on the fence So far, only one governorship aspirant has been seen publicly expressing interest in the race in Enugu. The aspirant, a youthful Mr. Cajetan Eze has had his campaign posters displayed in locations within Enugu metropolis and Nsukka urban town. However, attempts to locate or even get any clue as to his background were futile.

Even a top aide of a foremost chieftain of the party could not place his identity but merely acknowledged he has seen his posters. At best, he is seen generally as a huge joker in the race.

Pundits, however, think that the fallout of a possible implosion in the PDP could be reaped by APGA, a situation which could see bigwigs in the ruling party defect to APGA to pick the governorship ticket of the party.

MORE STORIES ON pageS 40-43, 48

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion

Obi’s move and South-East interest

Chukwuemeka Onyema

A

nambra State, indeed the entire Eastern Nigeria and certainly the entire country, was fortunate to have a governor of Peter Gregory Obi’s calibre. I lived in Anambra State from 2001 to 2006 and witnessed firsthand the state’s political, economic and social stagnation under Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju; the massive support for Obi and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2003 elections; the subsequent tragicomedy which threw up Dr. Chris Ngige; Ngige’s adventures in power and the first ‘return’ of Obi through the instrumentality of the courts.

When Obi stepped down earlier this year at the completion of his tenure, a recurring decimal in the global accolades he received was emphasis on his integrity. That integrity is now being questioned by some commentators and political adversaries because he left APGA for the ruling PDP to supposedly protect Igbo interests by working for President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid.

The comments of Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, wife of APGA’s founding icon, Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, on the defection need not be repeated here. The October 20 edition of ‘The Sun’ gave them wide currency. Obi’s response is also well known.

My concern here goes beyond these worthy children of Igboland. It is the Igbo people’s fate in the forthcoming dispensation heralded by 2015.

At the risk of being tagged an ethnic jingoist, I have always advocated a political platform that will promote and protect the interest of the Igbo and South-South minorities. Nobody has convinced me

that the APC is not inherently built on ethnic and religious interests which now seek to extend their tentacles to other components of Nigeria because of 2015. The ruling PDP’s umbrella is seemingly national in spread but the drama occasioned by Jonathan’s presidency indicates that the umbrella is badly torn. I had hoped APGA would achieve the above objective. Perhaps, I assumed too much by thinking that a party built around Ojukwu’s mythical personality in an intensely republican environment like the Igbo’s would speak with one voice. I failed to learn from history. After all, the defunct Action Group, built around Obafemi Awolowo’s formidable personality, cracked in its home Yoruba Western Region in 1962.

What is it about the Igbo political elite who do not recognize their people’s overwhelming interest, and by implication, their (elite) own aspirations lie in championing the good of Igboland within the context of a just Nigeria? If Obi, who was allegedly schemed out of a Ministerial post by fellow Igbo because of their jealousy and party affiliation despite his acclaimed administrative competence, succeeds in the pro-Jonathan presidency project, will it translate into a better life for the Igbo within Nigeria? On the other hand, how will the rest of the country’s political elite with whom the Igbo must work, perceive our political class? Agreed, political defections are not unusual. As 2015 approaches faster than an express train, political personalities and parties are collapsing into the APC and PDP. The Igbo should not follow this bandwagon mindlessly because we need our structure, our base, from which to engage the fiery furnace of Nigerian politics. We need a rallying-point. This does not

mean Igbo sons and daughters outside APGA cannot pursue their legitimate aspirations but with one caveat: how will it benefit the Igbo? Maybe, I am being idealistic because I cannot count on my ten fingers, members of the contemporary Igbo political elite who truly identify with their people.

Most of them are so ‘Nigerian’ to the detriment of the Igbo.

The way forward: perhaps the likes of Bianca Ojukwu and Peter Obi, with their tried and tested political and intellectual pedigree and uncensored association with the Ikemba’s ideals can help, but first, they should avoid a media war and reconcile.

Mrs. Ojukwu, in her late forties, and Obi, in his early fifties, can be the arrowhead of the new and principled Igbo political elite. Igbo patriots who are not necessarily politicians can be reached out to, for a sincere ‘ime obi’ conference. The pan Igbo group, Ohanaeze, should ideally set the modalities for such a conference but their political neutrality is doubtful. Igboland needs her own political structure developed from, if you like, a sovereign South-East/South-South Conference. Aspects of the Igbo condition must be urgently addressed. Tried and trusted Igbo elders like Chief Emeka Anyaoku, and Chief Mbazulike Amechi, just to mention a few, can work with these young arrowheads, which is not excluded to the ex-governor and the comely Nigerian Ambassador to Spain. This goes beyond backing or not backing a second tenure for Jonathan. It is the necessity of Igbo political survival in the Nigerian jungle.

• Onyema (henrykd2009@yahoo.com) is a Lagos-based historian, writer and teacher.

Tambuwal: Legacy of defection Mike Arayuwa Wilkie

T

he history of the political development of Nigeria will not be complete without the mention of the serial decampments and defection of politicians from one political party to another. It all started in the first Republic when the Action Group (AG) founded in Ibadan on March 21, 1951 by the legendary Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory with an agenda to serve as a platform to mobilizing Western Nigerians (present South West, Edo and Delta States) to ensure that the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) didnot win and take control of the Political Administration of the Region. The AG also intended to co-operate with other Nationalist political parties in the realisation of Nigeria’s Independence.

Thus, an election conducted later in the Western region saw the emergence of the AG as winner with the NCNC also winning some seats in parliament including a small Ibadan Local Political Part (IPP). The IPP eventually “crossed carpet” to the Action Group. It was said that some members of the NCNC also crossed to the AG. This enabled the AG to form the Government of the Western Region with Awolowo as its first Premier.

In the second Republic, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and other political parties did not experience crosscarpeting from one political party to another and if any, it was negligible and not pronounced when compared with the present generation of politicians who criss-cross from one party to another. It has become a political hurri-

cane, the end of which is not predictable.

The cross carpeting, for now, has become a weekly affair in which members of the majority PDP and the opposition APC align and re-align and in the process, decamp at will for selfish ends.

Even some Governors had also engaged themselves in this shameful political interest. Members of the House of Representatives have made decampment a daily routine, especially the APC in which about 37 of them crossed carpet from the PDP within one day. Those who crossed from APC to the PDP may not be much, but they are also decamping.

The recent, but not too shocking, was the cross-carpeting of Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the fourth citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from his PDP to the APC. He was born on January 10, 1966 in Tambuwal village, Sokoto State. He is a lawyer by profession. In 2003 he won a seat as the Representative of the Kebbe/Tambuwal constituency on the platform of the ANPP. In 2007, he defected to the DPP and somersaulted back to the ANPP when the former denied him a ticket to run for a legislative seat to the House of Representatives. However, the ANPP was magnanimous enough to give him a ticket for the race. Thereafter, he defected along with Governor Wammako of Sokoto State to the PDP. Tambuwal had variously occupied the positions of minority leader of the House, Deputy Chief Whip, member of several committees on rules and business, communications, Judiciary and water Resources and an ad hoc committee on constitution review. He also functioned as member of other various ad hoc committees within and without Nigeria. He rose to the pinnacle of po-

litical power as Speaker of the House of Representatives on June 11, 2011. After months or years of political horse-trading and deft pretences, he defected to the APC on October 28, 2014. Tanbuwal gave two reasons for defecting to the APC as: in the interest of his political future and the political consideration of his State.

On the said date, Tambuwal presided over the plenary session of the House.

He ensured that a motion was already moved for adjournment and seconded which signified the end of the session for the day. It was at the end of the plenary session that Tambuwal announced that he had decamped from the PDP to APC. By this stroke of political dribbling, the young man only succeeded in fooling the entire members of the House especially the PDP. His political profile, at a glance, has revealed that he has been a smart defector consistently from one political party to another since the advent of his political dispensation. In some cases, he will make a u-turn via an acrobatic formula and land on the very political party which he previously rejected. Tambuwal, is by any definition, a meandering politician who has preferred not to toy with his political interest and ambition.

Even when his former party, the PDP, zoned the speakership of the House of Representatives to the South West, he became sensitively maradonic, pulled the rug from the feet of the Yoruba and got the top job in the House.

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) ought not to have trusted Tambuwal in view of his glaring antecedents. Such a young man can do anything in order to realize his political interest. For a very long time, the speaker was only in the PDP in body and not in soul. For

instance, he stopped attending meetings and occasions of his party. He tactically withdrew himself in a gradualist manner until he defected. The speaker can be regarded as sleek and a dribbler in politics but what is fundamental about him is his ability to hold the entire House members together without problems.

The House members have seen peace and involved themselves in robust deliberations during plenary sessions.

Now that Tambuwal has defected, there are still some salient issues at stake. At the moment, the PDP has a comfortable majority in the House with 179 members as against APC’s 159. As a result, he can no longer preside over the House as speaker in view of the fact that he now belongs to a minority opposition party in the House. This is a conventional burden on Tambuwal.

He does not need to be told or reminded to resign with effect from October 28, 2014, the day he decamped to the APC. It is the only sane thing in this circumstance. Should he decide not to resign, the PDP has no alternative than to show him the way out via impeachment. This will enable the PDP and the APC to elect a new speaker from the majority political party. It has become so clear that his ambition is to be the next governor of Sokoto, his State. The man, certainly, does not intend to contest the presidential primaries and election in his new party because the APC is loaded with political heavy weights capable of scaring any aspirant. I must wish him the best of luck and safe journey to Sokoto State, perhaps, to replace Governor Wammako.

• Prince Wilkie (pmikky1950@yahoo.com) wrote in from Warri.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

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Nigeria’s drop in global gender ranking

N

igeria has continued its streak of wobbly performances on major development indicators against other countries of the world. Once again, it has performed woefully, dropping in the latest global gender ranking. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2014, the country has dropped 12 appalling places to 118 out of 142 countries, despite the implementation of the National Gender Policy of conceding 35 per cent of public appointments and office holding to women. More worrisome is that while Nigeria dropped this much in the latest ranking, the three best countries that the continent featured among the top 20 performers in the report were formerly troubled spots of Rwanda, Burundi and South Africa.

The ninth edition of the report shows that the gender gap is narrowest in terms of health and survival, among the 142 countries measured.

The report asserts that the gender gap for economic participation and opportunity now stands at 60 per cent worldwide, having constricted by 4 per cent from 56 per cent in 2006 when the Forum first started measuring it. At this rate, going by this trajectory, with all else remaining equal, it is estimated that it will take 81 years for the world to close this gap completely.

Nine years of statistical informa-

tion from the Global Gender Gap Report – first published in 2006 – show a pattern of change across the world relative to countries’ own past performance and in relation to others.

Saadia Zahidi, Head of the Gender Parity Programme at the World Economic Forum and lead author of the report noted that “much of the progress on gender equality over the last10 years has come from more women entering politics and the workforce.” And in the case of politics, globally, there are now 26 per cent more female parliamentarians and 50 per cent more female ministers than nine years ago. “These are far-reaching changes – for economies and national cultures, however it is clear that much work still remains to be done, and that the pace of change must in some areas be accelerated, ” Zahidi said.

The report further shows that progress has not been even across the four pillars of economy, politics, health and education. Although many countries have already reached parity on educational attainment and health and survival, the trend is actually reversing in some parts of the world. In fact, nearly 30 per cent of the countries covered have wider education gaps than they did nine years ago, and over 40 per cent of countries have wider health and survival gaps than they did nine years ago.

The guiding principles as indicated within the National Gender Policy seek to achieve the objective of making gender analysis an integral part of all policy articulation, implementation and evaluation undertaken not only by government at all tiers and within all arms, but also by all stakeholders. It also envisages an environment where all stakeholders, including government, the private sector, civil society and community-based organisations, development partners and individual women and men have a role to play in the achievement of gender equity and equality in Nigeria.

A cultural re-orientation that will be supported by policies and programmes of gender education, sensitization, dialogues, incentives, motivation and responsiveness, rather than only through legislation will be considered integral to the achievement of gender equality. Ditto for transformation of the policy environment within which gender equity programmes are to be implemented, supported by resources – financial and technical, reforming of the existing structures of the national gender management system with a view to strengthening their capacity for a more robust mandate, promoting the empowerment of women through the bridging of existing gender gaps and using policies and legislation of affirmative action if necessary.

But translating these policy

strategies into reality remains a major challenge that must be meticulously addressed by all, including the women whose interests they seek to promote.

This is why we draw attention to the value inherent in the Strategic Development Results Framework, designed for implementing the Nigeria National Gender Policy and to revivify action and build momentum in its implementation. Strategic Development Results Framework is the product of an intensive consultative process and hard work by several individuals and institutions. The process lasted for eight months, after the approval of the National Gender Policy by the Federal Executive Council in 2006. The development of the Strategic Results Development Framework commenced in January 2008 with a series of consultations that culminated in a survey which assessed the level of preparedness of government institutions to implement the gender Policy as well as to identify gaps in programming around gender issues.

The time-span of the National Gender Policy Strategic Framework (Implementation Plan) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2008 – 2013 may have expired but lessons and challenges from its designing and implementation must be made useful in crafting and implementing policies for years ahead in the effort to improve the lot of the womenfolk.

Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief n Eric Osagie Deputy Managing Directors n Gabriel Akinadewo

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Managing Editor n Suleiman Uba Gaya

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20

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Arts Celebrating Archival Collection

of dramatist, poet, Onwueme O Tony Okuyeme

ne of the most important Nigerian female playwrights, poet and scholar, Prof. Tess Onwueme, was recently honoured in U.S. The event tagged “Celebration of the Archival Collection of Professor Tess Osonye Onwueme, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, United States of America, was marked with lectures and the stage production of her play The Reign of Wazobia.

The event, held at the University of the Wisconsin, Eau Clair, was particularly significant given her contribution to not only literature, but also scholarship, and particularly, to national development through her plays with themes of social justice, culture, and the environment, and against all forms of oppression, including gender discrimination and environmental exploitation in the Niger Delta.

In his address, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was represented by the Special Assistant to the President on Documentation, Molara Wood, congratulated Prof. Onwueme and encouraged her to continue to churn out more and more literary outputs to reshape our world which is in dire need of pedagogy from nurturers of global civilization in her mould.

He said the honour is befitting, stressing that very few playwrights are candidates for the canon with their very first works. Prof. Tess Osonye Onwueme, the President noted is one of those rare

TONY OKUYEME tony.okuyeme@ newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Celebrating the Archival Collection of Dr Tess Osonye Onwueme

few. “From the beginning, her work stood out with a striking poise; and three decades of prolific literary production have only confirmed, with copious proof, her original promise.

“Prof. Onwueme’s career is characterised by a trajectory of consistency, range, beauty and energy. Among her most memorable works are: the epic dramas ‘Tell It To Women’ and ‘What Mama Said’; ‘Then She Said It’ (a play) and ‘Riot In Heaven’ (drama for the voices of colour). She has engaged the environment in every sense of the word. She has explored gender relations, and has created a fresh paradigm for performance aesthetics. Her works have also helped revive a dimension of that unity of conception and performance that the world is in danger of forgetting.

Describing Onwueme as a great woman of letters and internationally acclaimed scholar and poet who earned her place in the globe writing plays with themes of social justice, culture and the environment, he said Onwueme belongs to the distinguished community of conscience for whom art is not for its own sake but rather for the sake of life. In her various literary exploits she has used her art to give loud voices to traditionally silenced views such as African Women, life in Africa, the youth and the global poor.

Iwuchukwu of the National Open University (NOUN)

According to him, this special recognition by the university where she has distinguished herself as a Professor of Cultural Diversity and English is the icing on the cake on her too numerous recognitions and awards over the years.

“It is also my wish that this great icon will continue to serve as a figure of expression of the great bond between Nigeria and the United States of America.

We the people of Nigeria are proud of her and her accomplishments, just as we cherish the monument Wisconsin University has erected in her honour. Prof. L-R: Schmidt, Onwueme and Wood at the event.

Onwueme is one of the most important playwrights that that engaged in the daring our country Nigeria has proquest for a better Nigeria.” duced. She is, without doubt, President Jonathan the most published and celfurther stated that Onebrated female playwright to wueme’s works have beemerge from the continent come canonical, saying, of Africa. We are most proud “We in Nigeria are proud of her exceptional achieveof her achievements. Her Onwueme ments and outstanding conenergy remains a source of tributions to Literature and belongs to the inspiration to generations Drama, and the world of letof young men and women distinguished ters as a whole. at home and now, evidently, “Having emerged as one in the rest of the world. Her community of the most vibrant voices commitment to her art has of conscience of the radical theatre tradialso inspired a new dimention in the Nigeria of the sion of respect for both arfor whom art 1980s, Onwueme went on to tistic and scholarly excelis not for its become a leading voice of lence. We are blessed that politically committed drama God gave us an artist of the own sake but in our country. She was one calibre of Prof. Onwueme, rather for the of the ‘Cock Crow Voices’ in and we are proud to share what is now known as the her gifts with the world.” sake of life ‘Alternative’ tradition of NiOther speakers at the ocgerian letters during our Seccasion include Dr. Sonja ond Republic, fearless artists Darlington (Beloit College,

Wisconsin), who delivered a paper on the work of Tess Onwueme; and Dr Onyeka Iwuchukwu (National Open University of Nigeria), who spoke in commendation of Dr. Tess Onwueme.

Artistic Director, Theatre Embassy, The Netherlands, Berith Danse, also spoke in honour of Dr. Onwueme; while the Chancellor, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, James C. Schmidt, delivered remarks on why the university was honouring the Playwright and her works. Highlights of the event also include the performance of The Reign of Wazobia, a play written by the celebrant, Prof. Onwueme.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

21

Climate Change

Interview

Expert advocates renewable energy to mitigate climate change

Nigeria needs industrial parks to aid meaningful researches —BELLSTECH VC

23

24&25

Education Varsity unions’ road map for education WAY FORWARD For five days last week, various workers’ unions in the university system converged on Abuja for a fresh move that will reposition the ailing education sector Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

F

or the umpteenth time, key stakeholders in the nation’s education sector, comprising university eggheads, members of the civil society organisations, top officials of federal and state ministries of education, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), gathered for five days in Abuja to engender a new roadmap for the ailing education system.

The forum, which took place at the Top Rank Galaxy Hotel, Utako, Abuja was organised to also galvanize efforts at redirecting the fortune and focus of the sliding sector.

It was at the National Education Summit, tagged: “Towards a System of Education for Liberation in Nigeria,” and which was facilitated by the four workers’ unions in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

They are: the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).

Setting the tone of the summit, Emeritus Professor Pai Obanya, in his keynote presentation identified bad politics as the main cause of dysfunction in the nation’s education system.

kayode olanrewaju Editor, education

kayode olanrewaju@ newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Jeyifo and Fashina at the summit

While emphasising the need to reverse the trend the don noted that it should begin by addressing the demon of bad politics.

“We need a radical behavioural shift to good politics that would be the springboard for good policies, good governance, and good processes to good products,” he added.

What is needed, according to him, is a breakthrough strategy which will focus on thorny issues that have over the years contributed to the persistent dysfunction of Nigerian education.

Meanwhile, Obanya, who listed 11 action forward areas to tackle the problems, stressed that concerted actions on several fronts would be required to break the vicious circle of dysfunctional in the system as a viable step towards positioning Nigeria’s education on the world map.”

While saying that overloading curriculum in schools should be eliminated, Obanya said relevant stakeholders should be allowed to involve in curriculum development and promotion of the 21st Century skills in the system.

Towards this end, he spoke of the urgent need for genuine assessment of the sector in order to nip educational failure in the bud.

However, with these words: “The Nigeria project appears

We need a radical behavioural shift to good politics that would be the springboard for good policies, good governance, and good processes to good products

to be failing and at the root of this failure is the lack of liberating education etched on sound philosophical framework and endogenously designed delivery practice” the former Director of Distance Learning Centre of the University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Francis Egbeokhare summed up the problems facing the country and its education system.

Hence, the five-day talk-shop, held between October 27 and 31, which came after several others and attempts before it, provided the platform for scholars to refocus on the multi-dimensional challenges facing the education sector, with a view to charting a new direction for the system.

In his submission, the Chairman of Summit Planning Committee and former ASUU National President, Dr. Dipo Fashina, while dissecting the nation’s education system as it concerns the federal government’s developmental efforts, however attributed federal government’s over-reliance on what he described as neo-liberal policies postulated by the West to under-development in the nation’s education sector.

Fashina, who also lamented that Nigeria thrives on ignorance, noted that 54 per cent of the nation’s 160 million population is stark illiterate, while only 15 per cent have managed to attain higher education since independence, 54 years ago.

While decrying the inadequate deployment of material resources at the country’s disposal to education development, the union leader traced the crisis in the education sector to 1986, when the Ibrahim Babangida military regime adopted the neo-liberal model for the development of the sector through the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) which sought to run education on market principles.

“This explains why public expenditure on education has never gone anywhere near the UNESCO prescription that each country should earmark at least 26 per cent of its national budget on education,” Fashina argued.

While re-emphasizing that an estimated sum of 600 billion US Dollars had been looted from the Nigerian treasury between independence and 1999, he said Nigeria holds the unenviable position as the second most corrupt nation in the world.

Also, a don at Harvard University, U.S.A, Professor Biodun Jeyifo, who chaired the summit, practically condemned the educational module which Nigeria still adopts, insisting that such were the reasons why Nigerian universities produce graduates that are unemployable.

To him, corruption and policy somersault were the core factors limiting the education potentials of the country.

Education Minister, Ibrahim Shekarau, who spoke through a Deputy Director of Institutional Support in the ministry, Haruna Ann, described the week-long programme as timely and apt especially as it would serve as guide for rebuilding and freeing the system from things which has held it moribund in the past.

Worried by the numerous challenges facing the sector, participants collectively admitted that the current educational system is characterised by chronic underfunding, bad leadership and infrastructural decay, poor conditions of learning and service, promotion of mediocrity, entrenchment of orthodoxy, parochialism and chauvinism.

They also faulted all the national policies on education and promised to evolve a revolutionbased national policy on education as a product of the summit.

Lamenting that 54 years after political independence, Nigeria has continued to grapple CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

22

Education

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Saving varsity education from endemic rot CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

with the challenges of transformation and development, they said whereas the Nigerian state appeared to be failing, other nations in its league have overcome the initial problems of transforming their socio-economic and political environment for sustainable development.

They noted that there is a state of emergency in the education sector and there is a need for urgent and radical action to address it.

As part of way forward, they noted that the sector should be reconceptualised in a manner that it would make it capable of performing its transformative functions for the individuals, groups and the nation at large.

According to the summit, the nation’s social, economic, political ethical, scientific and technological transformation should be driven by a revolution in the education sector.

But, they identified that some of fundamental problems bedeviling the system, are located within a philosophical and political economic system which emphasises a personal selfenrichment and aggran-

dizement, rather than emphasising knowledge acquisition geared toward public good and national development.

“The current philosophy of education does not address the realities, identities, values, customs and aspirations of the Nigerian people,” the summit argued.

In a six-point communiqué issued at the end of the talk-shop, participants resolved to produce a chatter to liberate education which will reflect the aspirations, culture and realities of the Nigerian people within the context of a dynamic world.

The chatter, they argued will be based on a philosophy of education geared towards public good, national development and equity in place of the existing policy which promotes self-enrichment and personal aggrandizement.

The summit also rejects what it called the ongoing systematic privatization of education and the selling-off of public institutions, even as it noted that education is a public good and cannot be left in the hands of private individuals who are driven solely by profit motive.

The communiqué also cautioned against the use

Okojie, NUC scribe

Obanya listed 11 action forward areas to tackle the problems

of public funds such as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF), among others, to fund private education institutions and associated enterprises.

The summit condemns outright corruption, lack of professionalism, poor and opportunistic leadership, unethical conduct and such other behavious that impinge on the learning environment and the integrity of teaching and research.

Besides, the summit in

its communique, called on all members and branches of workers’ unions in the education sector to rid the system of these ills.

As part of strategies to move the system forward, Fashina suggested political will that will eliminate shadow-chasing syndrome in larger society, which means, returning the country to the politicking that thrives on good governance.

Besides, he sought the promotion of lifelong education and life-wide education for all, as well as turning policy-making into a participatory process, rather than an isolated event by handpicked specialists.

Therefore, he advocated for genuine investment in education such that funds could be targeted to that which really matters in terms of positive multiplier effects on the system, even as he made a case for a national habit of strategic development planning that would provide new direction for education sector strategic planning.

The don of the Institute of Education, University of Ibadan also called for professionalised and streamlined educational management.

KWASU trains lecturers on TETFund grant Biodun Oyeleye ILORIN

T

he Kwara State University (KWASU) Centre for Sponsored Projects has sharpened the skills of the university lecturers and researchers on guidelines to access the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) institutional research intervention.

The Fund has allocated N3 billion to the state university as research grants from which the lecturers could tap for their research works.

The training tagged: “Lunch and Learn Session on Research and Innovation,” took place at the Conference Room of the university College of Engineering and Technology.

In his keynote address, the Chairman of the University Research Council and guest speaker at the event, Professor Deboye Kolawole, identified creativity and good proposal writing skills as key ingredients of winning TETFund institutional research grants.

He advised the participants to seek local relevance by undertaking research that would solve local problems, rather than seeking international relevance at the expense of their immediate environment.

Kolawole, who is also the Provost, College of Pure and Applied Sciences underscored that plagiarism and poor proposals are the major factors inhibiting some Nigerian researchers from being considered for research grants.

He, therefore, urged the participants

L-R: Deputy VC, Covenant University, Ota, Dr. Taiwo Abioye; Registrar, Dr. Olumuyiwa Fadugba; VC, Prof.

Charles Ayo and representative of the Chancelor, Dr. David Oyedepo, Bishop Thomas Aremu at the 13th Matriculation ceremony of the university at the weekend.

to be original as well as pay adequate attention to details in their research proposals, so as to be considered for grants by the funding agency.

In his presentation, the Coordinator to the Vice-Chancellor on Research, Industry and Community Development, Professor Funsho Oluleye, spoke on the need for Nigerian researchers to have a rethink on how to address local problems.

He said they needed to make efforts to be relevant locally before seeking global recognition, since “charity begins at home”, adding that their efforts at addressing local problems would eventually pave the way for international recognition.

The Provost, College of Engineering and Technology, Professor Leo Daniel, noted that while seeking local recognition, researchers should equally strive

to be acknowledged in the international academic reference index.

Speaking on the “Guidelines for TETFund Resource”, the Director, Centre for Sponsored Projects, Dr. Killian Ikwuakor, described research as an “investment” to improve the standard of living of humankind, even as he added that “innovation is an invention; and the best of which is the one that could be commercialised.”

Ikwuakor, who was the facilitator of the training, explained that such training programme was necessary to improve research and proposal development skills of the participants, as well as stimulate their interest in research.

He urged them to always follow the guidelines which he described as the most important part of any research proposal, and key to accessing the N3billion TETFund institutional research fund.

Unions set for showdown with Oshiomhole over salaries Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

T

ertiary institution workers, under the aegis of the Coalition of Unions of Edo StateOwned Tertiary Institutions, are poised for another showdown with the state government over non-payment of their four-month salaries and other sundry worrisome issues in the state institutions.

The Chairman of the coalition, Comrade Fred Omonuwa, who disclosed this in Benin City, the state capital, said the strike was inevitable following the refusal of the state government to meet the workers’ demands.

Omonuwa said there was no going back on the job boycott if the Governor Adams Oshiomholeled administration failed to resolve the issues affecting the welfare of workers and the needs of the various institutions in the state.

The tertiary institutions affected include the College of Education, Ekiadolor; College of Education Igueben, College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi and the Institute of Management Technology, Use, respectively.

He said the workers have not been paid their monthly salaries from July to October this year, even as the workers have remained united over the unpaid arrears of salaries owed them by the state government.

He explained that the workers have resolved to embark on protest rally on Wednesday to the Dennis Osadebay Government House to press home their demands.

Further investigation revealed that the meeting between the workers and Governor Oshiomhole slated for October 24 was inconclusive following disagreement over the payment of the 16 months arrears of salaries owed the workers arising from the new salary structure (CONPCASS and CONTEDISS) between July 2009 and October 2010.

Oshiomhole

Education 23

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Kayode Olanrewaju

N

igerians have been advised to explore renewable energy options as part of measures to mitigate adverse impact of climate change and improve power generation in the country.

The Chief of Party of the USAID Nigeria Renewable Energy Efficiency Project, Mr. Segun Adaju, gave the advice at the second seminar series of Africa Climate Change Adaptation Initiative, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (ACCAI-UNN).

According to him, Nigeria could harness its potentials in renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, hydro, biomass, biofuel and geothermal, to improve electricity generation.

EKSU commends ex-VC on national award

T

he Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Prof. Oladipo Aina on behalf of management, staff and students of the university has commended the former Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Israel Olatunji Orubuloye for the national honour.

Orubuloye was one of the recipients of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) bestowed on him by President Goodluck Jonathan inrecognition of his sterling contributions to development of education and the country at large.

Aina, who said the honour was well deserved, pointed out that it was a reward for Orubuloye’s hardwork and commitment towards the overall good of the nation.

A statement by the Deputy Registrar, Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs, Mr. Ajibade Olubunmi, said: “The Vice-Chancellor and the entire members of Ekiti State University community are proud of the achievement of Prof. Israel Orubuloye, who made immense contributions to the growth of the Ekiti State University and left behind a strong foundation upon which succeeding Vice-Chancellors have continue to build upon.”

Expert advocates renewable energy to mitigate climate change “Because of high temperature in Nigeria, the country has the best solar radiation to power solar farm, since solar is more economical and health-friendly compared to generators which many people rely on for electricity supply,” he said.

Adaju, who spoke on the topic: ‘Renewable Energy Project Life Cycle and Associated Research Opportunities’, regretted that despite the country’s potential in taping solar energy, Nigerians still patronise more than 50 per cent of generators manufacturers across the globe.

According to him, the carbon dioxide produced by the generators makes the

environment unhealthy and contributes to climate change.

He challenged scholars to come up with research findings that would provide guideline to investors on the viability of renewable energy options in different parts of the country.

UNN Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Edwin Igbokwe, who represented the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Benjamin Ozumba, reiterated the university’s readiness to always support ACCAI-UNN in its effort to enlighten Nigerians on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Explaining the reason for the event, Director of ACCAI-UNN, Prof. Antonia

Achike, said the research seminar series was an integral component of the Centre’s trans-disciplinary programme on research, education and outreach on climate change adaption, which is supported by the Open Society Foundation of the United States of America.

“The seminar is an avenue for intellectual conversation and expert exploration of research opportunities and challenges in cross-cultural responses to climate change”, she said.

Prof Achike added that the seminar would help Postgraduate students develop problem solving trans-disciplinary research initiative in climate change adaptation.

Participants at the seminar

Crisis looms in Plateau varsity over VC’s suspension Musa Pam JOS

A

ll is not well with the Plateau State University, Bokkos, as crisis looms at the institution following the suspension of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Danjuma Sheni, by the Visitor to the university and Governor of the state, Mr. Jonah Jang.

Already, the students have vowed to resist the newly-appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Stephen Malo from resuming into office.

Besides, they also vowed to boycott their final examinations until the embattled Vice-Chancellor (Sheni) was recalled, this is as the lecturers are heading to the court to stop what they described as incessant interference in the affairs of the institution by the governor.

Sheni was said to have been suspended over what the governor described as “inappropriate conduct”.

But, the students expressed disappointment over the action, regretting that the Jang’s administration had not allowed the uni-

versity to grow more than eight years after it was established.

A students’ union leader, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said this would be the second time the administration is suspending the headship of the institution, saying: “Imagine, for eight years the university has been in existence, it has not graduated one student, none of the courses have been accredited and yet we have had the record of having four vice chancellors in eight year, under one administration. This is a record yet to be surpassed by any university.”

The former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof.

Shedrack Best, who had earlier resigned his appointment to contest for an elective position, was hurriedly recalled to sign the Vice-Chancellor’s suspension letter.

However, members of academic staff of the institution, under the aegis of the Academic Staff Forum, have denounced the action of the governor, describing it as a direct affront on university autonomy.

Addressing journalists in Jos, the Chairman, Mr. Gilbert Yalmi, said that the suspension

Gov. Jang

of the Vice-Chancellor was the culmination of a running battle between him (Sheni) and the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Prof. Sam Ale, who is an in-law to the governor.

The lecturers said that the suspension was contrary to the law setting up the university because the university council was not duly consulted on the matter.

They also argued that the action was not based on any investigation more so as a visitation panel constituted by the government is still sitting and had not submitted its report.

The forum also alleged that another cause of disagreement was the reappointment of a Deputy Vice-Chancellor for the institution in violation of the university’s law.

According to the Forum, the Vice-Chancellor’s suspension was a confirmation of the long threat by the governing council to take over the administration of the institution.

It said: “The suspension order does not stipulate a time frame within which it remains effective, nor did it specify any process of investigation for its cause, more so that the suspen-

sion order while the release by the government were contradictory. While the latter makes claim to alleged ‘inappropriate conduct’, a news item on a television station alleged ‘financial misappropriation’.

“It is on record that within three years the university had had three VCs as opposed to the possible 15 years of the cumulative tenure of the three VCs. This raises serious questions: how could the three different vice-chancellors be the problem of a university under one administration.”

“Contrary to the norm, PLASU has not gone for accreditation two years after the assumption of academic activities. This is not unconnected to the breakages in the chain of the university administration by the Jang-led administration. We are equally aware that the VC Prof. Sheni inherited the process of accreditation from Prof. Nenfort Gomwalk and has vigorously pursued it, leading to a successful mock accreditation and unfortunately the government is yet to release the funds that will guarantee the successful execution of the main accreditation.”

24

Education | Interview

Prof. Isaac Adeyemi is the ViceChancellor of Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State and currently the Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of Private Universities in Nigeria. Adeyemi, who believes that universities are in a better position to redirect Nigeria’s economy, spoke with MOJEED ALABI about the need for industrial parks in the country, and why private universities lean on public ones to survive.

Excerpts.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Nigeria needs industrial parks to aid meaningful researches, says BELLSTECH VC vision.

Still on research, universities usually claim they have capacity to redirect Nigeria’s economy through research, but what we see as research output in many of the campuses are either bottle water or loafs of bread. What is your take on this?

In reference to bread or water, those could not be categorized as real research outputs. They rather serve two purposes of raising IGR and for teaching. Now, as to redirecting our efforts to commercialized research findings, I am happy that in the last couple of years efforts are being directed towards setting up industrial parks. That should be the best avenue for the commercialization of research in Nigeria because lecturers and students could go there to experiment and exhibit their talents on a large scale. The other view is that we can have different industrial parks in different zones and this could be owned by individuals or different institutions pooling resources together.

Without such industrial parks, there is little any academic institution could offer in terms of cutting-edge research.

Could you give us background into the foundation of the Bells University of Technology?

The Bells University of Technology was established in 2005, specifically as a university of technology. We got our licence in June and we took off the same year with about 55 students. We started with about three main colleges – Colleges of Food Sciences, Natural and Applied Sciences and Information and Communication Technology. Our departments include Biotechnology, Food Science and Technology, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences and Chemical Sciences, while in the ICT College we have Computer Science and Information Technology. Later, other programmes came on board such as Management Sciences that was introduced in 2009, and later we added the Colleges of Engineering and Environmental Sciences.

What is the enrolment status presently?

Currently, we have about 2,170 students comprising the undergraduates, postgraduate and pre-degree students.

It will surprise you to know that the mandate we have is that at our full capacity, our student enrolment will not be more than 5,000 because we prefer quality to quantity. Many candidates wish to come here but we have limited space.

Within the last nine years of its establishment, what would you say has distinguished BELLSTECH from other universities in the country?

If not any other, one major strength that we are proud of is the fact that it is the first private university of technology in Nigeria. Unlike other universities which offer broad programmes and so lose focus in the long run, this university is uniquely established to address specific area of interest with the sole purpose of solving societal problems and build national economy. And this is paying off.

Paying off in what manner and what have been the achievements so far?

Well, in terms of achievements, we can look at it from different perspectives particularly the students’ performance. Our students from ICT College have participated in different competitions both locally and nationally and they have excelled. In 2009, we started participating in programming competition and throughout Nigeria we came third. The following year we came first. Just last week, students in the Mechanical Engineering Department participated in the World Robotic Competition, in which they have qualified to represent the country in Russia this month. Not only that, we have also

Prof. Adeyemi

introduced several novel programmes which include Mechatronics Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. Very few institutions offer these courses in Nigeria. When we actually set out, the two programmes were not really sought after, but today, the interest has increased dramatically. Our interest is how to drive Nigeria’s economy through technology and I think gradually we are getting there.

The quality of a university is identified through the quality and output of researches. What is the situation in BELSTECH? In the university system the quantum and volume of researches are dictated by the strength of postgraduate school and the quality of staff. Here, we have competent hands but when it comes to research, this has been limited to undergraduate level and a handful of research works have been published in both local and international reputable journals. However, our postgraduate school is just a year old and definitely the few postgraduate students currently here, have formed the bedrock of our research activities.

We have a project being sponsored by IBM Computers, which was sourced by one of our graduates who made First Class in Physics with Electronics. We employed him as a Graduate Assistant and he had his Master’s programme at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). The research work is going on very well especially as the first report

Without such industrial parks, there is little any academic institution could offer in terms of cuttingedge research has been submitted and IBM has expressed satisfaction, and as a result it sponsored a workshop at the university towards achieving the target goal. We are laying the foundation for a resultoriented postgraduate school with quality research output.

Does the university earmark specific budget for research annually?

Presently, I think what we do is to fund undergraduate projects and now that we have postgraduate school, our concentration has been on the building of standard laboratories for research and we have continued to support many of our staff members with partial funding for their postgraduate programmes.

Their doctoral research works will also be supported by the university as part of our efforts to build the required human resource capacities. We are working both on immediate and long-term

Many believe private universities are parasitic to public ones by engaging their lecturers on part-time basis or by absorbing retired professors who are said not to be in tune with modern tools of learning.

As the Chairman of the Association of Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of Private Universities in Nigeria, how do you react to this?

Well, I beg to differ on this. To give the right answer, I will go down the memory lane. When the University of Ilorin was to be established, it was an offshoot of the University of Ibadan.

The University of Jos today used to be the Jos campus of UI. Even when UI itself started, it was University of London campus. Also, as a living witness, when the University of Uyo was to start, Obafemi Awolowo University, where I was a lecturer was the parent institution and the foundation Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Okon happened to come from the then OAU’s Department of Zoology. Lecturers would be conveyed from OAU to Uyo and would spend about one or two weeks before returning to OAU. Even the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) started as a campus of the University of Lagos (UNILAG). Not anywhere in the world can any new university stand on its own right from inception because you cannot make your own professors overnight. So, experienced hands are usually needed to nurture new institutions and so private universities cannot in anyway be different.

And talking about the retired lecturers, they are like wine, the older they become the sweeter they are. You cannot buy experience. I am not talking about all, but some of them are doing well. Some of them are daily in touch with modern trends. For instance, one of our senior colleagues, who is currently the President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineers, Prof. Raifu Salawu is with us here. Also, Prof. Laide Abass just retired from the University of Lagos, and he is now with us. He is CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

Education | Interview

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Sola Adeyemo IBADAN

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ormer Education Minister and Vice President, World Bank, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, has attributed the dismal condition of the nation’s education sector to shortage of quality teachers expected to put into effective use the infrastructural facilities in schools.

She wondered how Nigerian leaders had continued to place unnecessary budgetary premium on how to provide tangible facilities in schools at the expense of quality teachers to impart sound knowledge on the students.

Ezekwesili spoke at the University of Ibadan (UI) during the annual lecture of “Dorcas Oke Hope Alive Initiative (DOHAL)” organised in memory of the late daughter of Bishop Francis Wale Oke of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, who died about a decade ago due to wrong medical prescription.

The lecture entitled: “Good Governance and the Challenges of the African Child,” which took place at the Law Lecture Theatre of the University of Ibadan, was chaired by Professor Bolanle Awe, with the Bishop’s wife, Victoria Tokunbo in attendance.

While advocating the need for children who could face the challenges of life in an enabling environment, the guest speaker however noted that “providing budget for education is different from investing in education.”

Ezekwesili added: “Seventy per cent of what determines the quality of education has to do with the quality of teachers. Irrespective of structures and other provisions therein without quality teacher, it is naught.

“Budget on education should therefore not be basically focused on structures alone because it will eventually build schools with people not making anything out of the system”.

The former Minister also bemoaned what she described as the retrogressing status of the 104 Unity Schools in the country, as well as the poor performance of students, reiterating the need for the Federal Government to grant autonomy to the schools.

She was of the belief that if the run-

Ezekwesili bemoans lack of quality teachers in schools l Seeks autonomy in running unity schools

Ezekwesili

ning of the unity schools could be devoid of bureaucratic bottlenecks from the Ministry of Education, and placed in the care and supervision of old students association and the ParentsTeachers Associations (PTAs), the performance of the schools would change for the better.

Ezekwesili said that the quality of brilliance associated with students of unity schools had been eroded due to government mismanagement of the system, as well as corrupt tendencies manifested in bribe-taking that has made admission into the schools far beyond the reach of children of poor

parents.

Meanwhile, Ezekwesili recalled the proposal she developed for the sector as Minister and sent to the Federal Government on how to reposition the unity schools, but which was thrown away immediately she was out of government, saying as Minister, she was of the concern as to how the unity schools would show the signpost for redemption of education.

Her words: “I made three proposals of three options: which the first one was that states should take over the running of unity schools. The second is that the private sector should take them over; and thirdly that autonomy should be granted the schools from being run through the bureaucracy of the Ministry of Education.”

“We settled for the third option which was autonomy for the schools.

The autonomy was not to stop the government from financing them, but to be run by School Management Organization, comprising the old students associations as well as the Parent-Teachers Associations.

“We also considered the PublicPrivate-Partnership (PPP) option as relevant with empirical evidence, believing that we would tie the funding of each of the schools to performance to encourage healthy competition, but the reform was thrown away immediately I was out of government and that is the reason the unity schools are in the sorry state they are presently.”

According to her, several students fail their WASSCE because many of their teachers are not qualitatively trained and equipped to contain the series of educational challenges in the country. While insisting that education in private schools is too costly beyond the reach of the poor, Ezekwesili urged the Federal Government to make public schools stronger as it was in the good old days years past.

‘Nigeria needs industrial parks’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24

such a respected professor and UNILAG just launched a festschrift in his honour.

What do you have to say about the proliferation of private universities today, which has continued to raise question about the standard of university education?

We do discuss it at our forum of private university managements but the question has always been; do we even have enough universities for the teeming population of candidates who are seeking admission yearly but cannot secure admission to universities.

What of many of our students who are in various substandard higher institutions outside the

country? We understand the need to build a knowledge-based economy but standard must not be jeopardized. We commend the NUC and the ICPC for making efforts to shut down some of these substandard and illegal institutions. Today, there are about 50 private universities and considering the number of willing applicants and the shortfall in space, hence we will understand the need for more standardized universities.

But there is an argument that instead of creating new institutions, why is government not empowering the existing ones to accommodate more candidates?

Well, I will simply ascribe that to lack of proper planning on the

Prof. Adeyemi

Can any new university stand on its own right from inception because you cannot make your own professors overnight

part of government. We seem to be in haste all the time because there is pressure. But regardless of pressure, there should be strategic planning before any implementation.

There is nothing wrong in creating additional universities, but we could have projections putting into consideration the nation’s population and the number of aca-

demic staff that would have been created. And whenever this question arises, I always think of what Gowon did when he was the head of state. He offered scholarships to all graduates with First Class and Second Class (Upper Division) up to doctoral levels for between three to four years.

And if the course any of the beneficiaries choses to study is not available in any of the universities in the country, then he or she was allowed to go abroad. Some of us who were fading out of the system benefited from it and I wonder why such is no longer given priority.

But there is the President Scholarship for First Class graduates?

How many have benefited? I think it should be extended to second class upper class category because when you consider the present lecturer-student ratio in our schools then you would understand that there is urgent need for more graduates to be sponsored.

25

Entries for DStv Eutelsat contest extended

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he deadline for submission of entries for the 2014 edition of the DStv EutelSat Star Award has been extended till Wednesday November 12.

The competition is for students between 14 and 19 years old.

The students are expected to write an essay or design a poster on the topic “Imagine you are a Satellite, orbiting high above your own country or even above your own home or school.”

They are to answering the following questions in the essay or poster design: What would you see? What would you like to tell the people below about what you see from up there? What would you like people to know? What would you like them to think about?

If you could send them a message or an image, what would you like to say or show?

MultiChioce need in a statement said: “Due to popular demand, MultiChoice and EutelSat are pleased to announce that entries for the competition have been extended until Wednesday November 12, 2014.”

While stressing that the competition is open to secondary school students or students in combined schools in Africa where MultiChoice Africa maintains operations, it added that entry forms could be obtained from any MultiChoice Resource Centre and the nearest MultiChoice offices to interested students.

Iyorchia delivers AAUA convocation lecture today

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or mer President of the Senate, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, will deliver the fifth convocation lecture of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), billed for today.

The lecture expected to take place at the university Multipurpose Hall, is entitled: “The Break Up of Nigeria: Myths, Realities and Implications.”

The university in a statement, said the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie will chair the event.

According to the ViceChancellor, Prof. Femi Mimiko, the theme of the lecture was chosen in line with the mood of the nation.

26

Education

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

VC tasks student leaders to shun wasteful spending A dekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State Student leaders have been advised to desist from squandering the funds entrusted in their care by their fellow students.

In fact, they were challenged on how to use such funds judiciously for the common good of the entire students and the university.

The Dean of Faculty of Arts, Prof.

Oluyemisi Adebowale gave the advice in her keynote address at the maiden edition of the university’s “Leave a Legacy” programme, organised by the University Advancement Office for leaders of students’ associations and societies on the campus. This year’s theme is: “The Dynamics of Impacting the University Personally and Corporately.”

Prof. Adebowale said: “We have instances of student leaders who waste funds in their care to buy rickety and sometimes unserviceable buses at exorbitant prices, and share the remaining funds among members of the executive.

None of such vehicles serves the purpose for which it was bought. This trend of wasting resources should be discouraged among our student leaders.

“I charge all student leaders to take this issue of contributing to the university seriously. I also admonish student groups to maintain sense of purpose, make sacrifices and present projects that they can look back at and feel fulfilled.

“While it is good to use student funds

and contributions to wine and dine as well as produce notebooks, carrying the pictures of the executive members during the annual day/week celebrations, it will be more honourable if a significant part of such funds is used to institute a project that will stand the test of time.”

The guest speaker, who noted that the Prof. Femi Mimiko-led administration has been making significant and remarkable developmental progress in the university since 2010, advised the students to join hands with the management in a concerted effort to sustain the progress of the institution.

She acknowledged the contributions of some students’ association, such as the Law Students Society, the Environmental and Sanitation Group of the Akungba Law Clinic, even as she urged other groups and associations to contribute to the development of the university.

While welcoming guests to the event, the Acting Director of the University Advanced Officer, Prof. Francis Oyebade, praised the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Femi Mimiko for initiating the programme.

The Director noted that the Mimikoled administration is playing a tremendous role in leaving a solid legacy for future builders of “the 21st Century University.”

“We are inviting you to pioneer such a vision towards the future, as university student leaders such that those coming after you will interconnect with,” he said.

LCU graduate frowns on dearth of facilities in varsities Adeniji

A

graduate of Lead City University (LCU), a private university located in Ibadan, has said the country has a long way to go in its quest to provide qualitative university education, giving the state of infrastructural development of the system.

Adeniji Oluwatomi, a 2011 First Class graduate of Mass Communication, who has just returned from a Turkish university for his Masters Degree, said though the standard of Nigerian university system could not be totally discarded.

He, however pointed out that a lot still needed to be done in terms of infrastructure development, provision of modern facilities and laboratory equipment, Information Technology (IT), welfare of lecturers, adequate learning tools, enabling environment, which are the required path way for the right knowledge to take place.

Adeniji, who particularly expressed worry over the exodus of Nigerian students to abroad yearly in search of quality university education and when quantified in US Dollars, urged the government to concentrate more on education sector delivery in terms of provision of facilities, research equipment, infrastructure and remuneration of lecturers to make the universities centres of excellence in

teaching, learning and research.

Meanwhile, Adeniji stressed that the quality of education imparted on the students at Lead City University has gone a long way to prepare the products of the institution to favourably compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world, adding that the Ivory Tower is adequately equipped with necessary teaching and learning facilities in an academic ambience that aided knowledge acquisition.

According to him, the motto of the university, “Knowledge for Self-Reliance” encapsulates the essence, purpose and vision of the institution geared towards students’ self-reliance in all spheres of knowledge.

“With the motto of the university and the combination of the quality of the lecturers who are mainly professionals in different perspectives of academic endeavour, I can boldly say the university parades students who are ready to learn and excel,” he said.

Adeniji, who noted that he won a scholarship for his Masters programme in Turkey, based on his outstanding academic performance, added: “Lead City University students, right from their entry point were well screened before they were admitted.”

Recounting his experience in Turkey, Adeniji, who said he dominated his class in Turkish university, attributed this feat to the knowledge and quality of education he acquired at his undergraduate level.

EDUPEACE

with Mahfouz A. Adedimeji (08066372516, sms only)  Dr Adedimeji is a Senior Lecturer and Director, Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, Unilorin

Three magical expressions

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t is an open eyesore that Nigeria, as a microcosm of the world, is increasingly becoming Hobbesian where life is now “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, short” for a vast majority of people. Evils that could not be contemplated a few decades ago are being perpetrated with impunity by both deaf leaders and blind followers.

In this mutually assured destruction (MAD) mode the world is on, we are truly obsessed with madness. Thomas Paine wrote the “Age of Reason” in 1794 and 1795.

The world has changed.

By 1989, Charles Handy wrote his own, countering him that this is “The Age of Unreason”.

The world has turned full circle. The world is flat. You have to be unreasonable! To succeed, you have to be “thinking the unlikely and doing the unreasonable” as Handy counsels us. How chronically unreasonable are our leaders who play deadly politics with our lives to retain or gain power!

However, despite the prevailing madness, we can choose to be sane.

This sanity lies in three magical expressions that never fail. We can live in peace and harmony and avoid much conflict and confrontations if we seek refuge in the simple expressions. These expressions are 1) “Please”, 2) “I am sorry” and 3) “Thank you”.

“Please” is a marker of politeness and there is need to be polite in dealing with people and phenomena. Being polite in the right measure never hurts anyone. It only makes people to feel good towards one. The politeness principle, according to author Geoffrey Leech in his “Principles of Pragmatics” (1983 p.81), is this: “Minimize (all things being equal) the expression of impolite beliefs, and …Maximize (other things being equal) the expression of polite beliefs.”

To be polite, three things are involved: don’t impose, give options and make your receiver feel good. In other words, when you cultivate the habit of saying “please”, you are likely going to please your interlocutor or addressee.

Then, “I am sorry” is a sign of humility. Anyone that is haughty, naughty

To succeed, you have to be “thinking the unlikely and doing the unreasonable and arrogant finds it difficult to say the magical three-letter word statement. At the end of the day, thousands of words are wasted and valuable time is lost to explanations, which largely aim at justifying the unjustifiable. If somebody says you have wronged him or you have wronged someone, the heavens would not fall if you say, “I am sorry”. As a matter of fact, no one is known in history to have choked to death for swallowing their pride!

Even if you are right, it is better to lose arguments and win friends than the other way round.

The mercurial poet, T. S. Elliot, tells us in immortal words, “The only wisdom we can hope to acquire/ Is the wisdom of humility: humility is endless.” Those who are humble are unlikely to stumble. Dear reader, if I have offended you in any way, I am sorry. Life goes on.

Then, there is need to inculcate the habit of saying “thank you” even for things that appear inconsequential. There is no doubt that receiving “thank you” makes an average person feels good.

An adage says whoever is thoughtful is always grateful.

When a person does you a favour, thank him as a matter of duty. The mere fact he says “don’t mention it” does not mean you should not mention it. Though it is bad habit to expect appreciation, it is part of good character to express it.

Express you.

I agree that this is the Age of Unreason and people have reasons to be unreasonable. But for our own peace, let us take the pains to be reasonable, like Paine. Part of this desideratum includes imbibing the culture of living and being powered by the three magical expressions: “Please”, “I am sorry” and “Thank you”.

Thank you.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

27

The Mega City ...for the love of Lagos

MEGA CITY EVENT

MY CITY, MY WORLD (Omotayo)

LIFE IN THE CITY

Nike Akande’s 70th birthday bash

Omo Eko hardly goes out –Omotayo

Ijede: A settlement in need of social amenities

A town on the fringe of development It is like a virgin, waiting for her first man. Epe, one of the rural towns in Lagos is waiting for her date with the government.

It is a typical village that is just waking up to the reality of modernisation. OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI visited the community and reports.

C

alm and peaceful, the ambiance and aura of this community exude peace, love and tolerance.

It is devoid of the usual hustle and bustle that is associated with Lagos. Yet, this community is part of Lagos State. Epe is one of the five divisions of Lagos State. It is surrounded by water. The overview of the ocean from Epe atop a hill is panoramic, blue and serene. It is very beautiful especially when it’s getting dark. Even the breeze of the ocean is relaxing and therapeutic. Many say that Epe, if well developed, could be the Dubai of Nigeria.

Incredibly, residents here claim that there has not been electricity light for past three years. In fact, the town is in perpetual darkness. There are no basic amenities and the available facilities beg for touch of upgrade and or renovation.

Some look like that of abandoned properties. Some part of the Lagos General Hospital, Epe for instance, is a sorry site to behold. It looks like an unkempt village public toilet. The prayer would be that patients should not go for health solution and go back home with health complications. It is in total neglect and reeks of insensitivity to the people. The youth grumble for lack of job. The three major industries that could serve as employment platform for most, if not all the youth are dead. The plywood industry, which used to be the pride of the community, is now taken over by weed and long grasses with rust steel. The boat yard has also been taken over by religious clerics and students while the fishing industry

OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI CO-ORDINATOR

tosin.omoniyi@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Epe town sorrounded by the ocean

is highly underutilized for lack of money and government intervention. Graduates from the community go into fishing as that is the major occupation aside touting, coucil and motor bike riding jobs.

Joke Osanyipeju, a Biochemistry graduate, has been at home since two years that she finished her NYSC. According to her, after searching for job in the urban part of Lagos, she resolved to come back home and apply for the council job, which is about the only white collar job in the town but wasn’t strong enough to get employed into the system. She then resorted to fishing.

The fishing job, she said, is just to keep body and soul together. “It’s not as if there is big money in it. At least, I make N3, 000 daily from commissions of being an intermediary between the fish sellers and buyers. I am still hopeful of getting a befitting job soon,” she said.

Kazeem Igbayemi, a Yaba Tech graduate resorted to commercial motor-bike riding, otherwise called Okada. He said after spending about two years in the city with no improvement, he went back home-Epe, with the hope of getting a council job but he wasn’t lucky enough to get employed. “Instead of waiting long without doing anything and becoming a nuisance, I decided to go into okada business. I am proud to say I feed myself, wife and child out of the business. At least, I am not begging to feed,” he said.

Shafar Kamorudeen, a Vulcanizer told New Telegraph that business can never thrive in Epe Town as long as there is no light. He said he trained as a Vulcanizer three and half years ago, but luck ran out on him as the day he graduated as a Vulcanizer trainee was the last day the town saw light. “Since, I couldn’t afford a generator for my business; I decided to join in cutting ticket for okada

riders at T-junctions in order, to get commission. I hope to buy a small generator for my business soon,” he said.

The present standard of living in the community probably accounts for the simplicity of the people. They are not as aggressive as the common man on the streets of Lagos city. The drivers do not curse as easily as most Lagos drivers do. No much blasting of vehicles horns.

The indigenes are friendly and willing to help. But beneath their smiling faces lie the pains of their heart, yearning for the share in the Mega City in terms of infrastructure, development, water and light among many other basic facilities. The cost of a three bed room flat goes for N220, 000 per annum while it is N150, 000 for two bed room flats per annum and N60, 000 for mini-flats per annum. Reason, the town is now home to most people working in

the Lekki-Ajah axis, especially those who cannot afford the cost of living there. A plot of land, depending on location ranges from N500, 000 to N2.5Million The irony of this underdeveloped Epe Town, is that the community has produced quite some big wigs in the city. The likes of late Michael Otedola, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Leke Pitan, Akinwunmi Ambode, Femi Hamzat and others. These men are believed to be doing well in Lagos, to the extent they are vying for governorship position. The general question of Epe indigenes and residents is that if they had the interest of the state as a whole at heart, it should have started from their base which is their community-Epe. They would have CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Our IPP will save lives, boost economy- Fashola ...Inaugurates 8.8MW Mainland Independent Power Projects Muritala Ayinla agos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Lministration Fashola, SAN has said that his adremains committed to

saving lives and improving the economy of the state with stable power supply through development of Independent Power Projects The Governor who spoke at the State Electricity Board, Old Secretariat, Ikeja, shortly before commissioning the 8.8 Megawatts Mainland Independent Power Project, said uninterrupted power supply is feasible if only the government at the centre was committed to providing it.

While stressing that the IPP would

not only conserve energy in the state but also save lives and boost the state’s economy, he described the successful completion of the Mainland Independent Power Project as a demonstration of the present government’s commitment to fulfilling its promises.

According to him, the Mainland Independent Power Project would serve agencies like the Lagos State Electricity Board, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Area F Police Command, the High Court, the Office of the Chief Judge, the Code of Conduct Bureau, the State Water Corporation, the Old SecreCONTINUED ON PAGE 29

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News | Mega City

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Badagry: Historic site, moaning town From its coastal source at Gberefu, an agrarian settlement running across the lagoon, where the natives practiced fishing and farming, Badagry was believed to have been founded around 1425. ELIJAH SAMUEL and EZEKIEL ADESAWE, who just returned from the ancient town, report.

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t rose into ascendancy as an interface community during the slave trade that existed between European slave traders and their West African cohorts. However, from this eventful 15th century, Badagry has been in the global spotlight, having secured many firsts in notable fields of life.

With a heterogeneous population, historic Badagry is peopled mainly by the Ogu of Whydah, Whra, Wheme, Ga/Ewe, who migrated from the former Dahomey and the Awori-Yoruba. The congeniality that exists between these ethnically incongruous components created a convivial atmosphere for the streaming visits of Europeans: the slave merchants and the missionaries. Thus, Badagry was bequeathed the privilege as the custodian of landmark achievements as the era of the influx brought accompanying beneficial innovations and civilization. Expectedly, Badagry should occupy a prime place in the socio-economic and political landscape of not only Nigeria but globally. Now, whither the place of Badagry?

Apparently, not a few residents are disenchanted with what they referred to as corporate neglect of an area, which obviously generates the highest Customs duties income for Nigeria till date. With its strategic site on the transit corridor to the West African coast, Badagry, they claim, should be a haven for desirable standard of living. Almost 600 years after its foundation, and

its early contact with civilization, Badagry begs for a lift out of its confined socio-economic and political doldrums.

Chief Sehubo Ajose-Harrison, the Counsellor- Special Service to His Majesty De wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi , the Akran of Badagry Kingdom, lamented the continual relegation of Badagry in the scheme of things both in the state and the country as a whole.

“Badagry has not been fortunate enough to be properly developed; previous governments have not paid sufficient attention to the development of this place. It is part of the fact that the first storey building was built in Badagry and Christianity was first preached openly on September 24th, 1842,” he said.

Citing the peaceful disposition of Badagry people as likely reason for its continual neglect by those in the authority, he said, “We have been too quiet, not demanding or asking the government, not using force for what we request. Those who are in government felt these people are satisfied, and we are almost forgotten in terms of development.

Otherwise, I would have thought that those in authority would one way or the other think about us.

“I understand that in Lagos, government has rated Alimosho as the largest place where you can catch your vote, but that is not the answer. It’s not all about population. Think about culture; we have a culture of peace and love, a culture of togetherness, which we wish to sustain. I think, in fact,

The intersection at Badagry roundabout

Chief Ajose-Harrison

this has assisted the country.”

So many things, he said are involved when you talk of the culture of peace. He cited an example of When you holding a stick in one hand and commanding a child to do something: that’s that you are applying. By so doing, “we have not properly groomed our kids to be proper leaders of this country; and that is not where we ought to be culturally. Our kids must be groomed so they don’t become gladiators or area boys,”he said.

He maintained that the community would remain absolutely patient, hopefully that help will come forth. According to him, God is able and he will turn the table to the side of their people to make them comfortable. The

Epe: Patiently waiting for development CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

developed their community to an enviable position. They could have prevailed on the ruling government to extend some basic amenities like electricity supply and portable drinking water to the Town. In fact, New Telegraph discovered that most of them have no home (building structure) in the Epe that they claim to be their home. Little wonder, there is no sense of attachment to the place. Hence, no development at all.

Bola Adeyemi, the council manager, told New Telegraph that Epe is a traditional community that is in wait of modern touch, at least by 50 per cent. Majority of the people, he said, move from Epe to Lagos for white collar jobs. He added that electricity supply has been a very peculiar problem in the community. “We have not been having light since February. We

rely mostly on generator but we have been assured by the state government to give us a power generating company will ensure power supply in the community,” he said. Adeyemi described life in Epe as that of rural but that government is trying to improve the indigenes in different ways.

Peasant farming for instance, which is one of the predominant occupation in the community, he said, that the state government has promised to make it mechanized farming for them. “Various types of artisans, he said, have been encouraged by the state government. “The state government gave them working tools like telephones for phone operators, generators, provisions, food stuff and in some cases, cash to go start up businesses,” he said.

All of these effort, he said, is to stop the mass movement of the youth to urban area.

Alaiyeluwa Oba Kamorudeen Ishola Animashaun, the

Oba of Epe land attributed the underdevelopment of the town to lack of electricity. He stated that that is the major need of the town. He listed the needs of the town as roads, industries enterprises and basic amenities.

All these, he believes would improve Epe and make it become an enviable town. He added that the indigenes of Epe are proud of the community because they are peace loving people.

Oba Sefiu Olatunji Adewale, Olu Epe of Epe Kingdom, told New Telegraph that the major challenge of Epe, which he described as an ancient town, is the light which they have not been having for three years on.

He, however, pleaded with the state government to improve electricity supply as that would aid small scale businesses in the community. “They should also try to resurrect the dead companies so that our youths can be gainfully employed,” he said.

Badagry Local Government secretariat

government alone will not do it.

Though it might take 50 years but it will surely come,”he said.

While keeping hope alive, Ajose-Harrison showed that there is a prospect of a bright future, given the conducive environment that the area parades. This, he said, is possible only if the government will be strong-willed to come and do the needful in the ‘forgotten’ local government “Talking about inhibitions, we have none because we have a good reputation about peace, security, good neighborliness.

We need industries to come but we won’t force anyone of them to come, and if they come, let them come in peace.

“Whoever will come as the governor next election should come and think of Badagry. We have been very loyal to the government in power and we pray that those in government will think about Badagry and change the skyline of Badagry,” he said.

A prominent community leader, who preferred anonymity tersely dismissed with a wave of hand the socio-economic status of Badagry.

“What is there to be celebrated in Badagry apart from the historic ascription of being the trading point of the abolished slave trade which went on centuries ago,” he said.

“Let’s be objective: If you look around, what commensu-

rate development can you find in Badagry with its strategic economic location? None. The people are really striving individually to see what reasonable investment they can make to affect and lift this place economically.”

Baale Samuel Owolabani, another traditional leader in Ajara axis of Badagry, bemoaned the abandonment of responsibilities at the local government level. He declined to make categorical comment citing political reasons. “It is very hard for me to say anything, we are traditional rulers and I have been on this throne for many years,” he said. But Teslim Durowoju, a resident of Vlekete quarters in Badagry acknowledged the state government development strides in the Town. “We appreciate the innovations being made to make this area a pride of all residents. You can see that in the quarters that make up Badagry Town, Fashola has really tried. He is making all effort to see that most of the projects, some of which are historic are completed before he leaves. “With the ongoing redevelopment of historic sites and provision of infrastructures like the drainages and roads, I can tell you that Badagry is a haven for investors.

This has also boosted property appreciation in Badagry.”

Life | In The City

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

29

Ijede: A settlement in need of social amenities Ijede is a Local Council Development Area in Ikorodu Local Government Area. The community boarders Ipakan, and Egbin, but residents in the area are in pains. EZURIKE UGOCHUKWU and MOSES KADIRI who visited the place report.

One of the drainages in Ijede community

The main Ikorodu roundabout

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he blaring of horns from both private and commercial vehicles to have access to the road persisted; it is exacerbated with the noise from bus conductors calling passengers to board buses from different motor parks scattered around the vicinity.

The cacophony of the noisy atmosphere seems to be saying ‘welcome to lkorodu’.

The settlement is becoming beautiful by the day; the ongoing construction work on the road apparently in its final stage brings out the beauty on the long stretched road whose construction began about a year ago. The landscape is adoring; indeed the inhabitants of lkorodu are already feeling the impact of The Mega City, but life in the rural area is not that pleasant compared to those in urban settlement.

There is only one road after the diversion from Odokekere that links Ijede, Ogijo, Egbin, Ipakan, Imota, and other communities; the road is not so fantastic, potholes dominate most of the roads. The social life of the settlement of ljede community is a far cry from what is obtainable in the urban area of the state; a small market in the centre of the community sandwiched between Power Field

Secondary School, the only secondary school in the community; most of the houses are old architectural pieces; with few population in the community. “This is Ijede; you are welcome,” Mr. Sunday Adimabua said.

He has been living in the community for more than over 25 years. “Not much has been done to develop the community; we need some basic amenities in the community; we are lacking lots of things here. We do not have water; you can see the pipes for yourself. We do not have standard market where we go and buy things,” he said.

He reiterated that the entire place when he came was still bush. “Our drainages are blocked; the gutter that you see was done by communal efforts but it has being washed away.

There is nothing that we are enjoying here. There is no sanitary condition; the local government tried digging this drainage up to the canal but abandoned it here, and it has gone worse because of the continuous rain fall; in other places there is no drainage. We are hoping that the government will notice us and come to our aid,” he prayed.

Life in the community is peaceful; some of the youths engage in riding motor bike to

Though the electricity has really improved in this area, but government should come to our aid to give us some of the basic things in the community

make ends meet, while the elderly play the game of draft to ease themselves. “We are peace loving people, and accommodating in this community; the indigenes like sharing what they have with one another,” Adimabua said.

The occupation of the settlement in the community is fishing. “We are not farmers; we fish for living. Most of the people living here are immigrants, majority of people living in Ijede community are mostly the Ijaws,” he disclosed.

There are special festivals in ljede community that lighten the community with fun fair, merriment. “Lots of people take part in the celebration,” Adimabua said.

He continued: “We have so many carnivals and festivals in Ijede community; there’s the Remireke Festival, Agemo Masquerade, and the Egun among others. The celebration attracts lots of people to our community to merry with us, people really like coming here during the festival period,” he said.

Mr. Temitope Samson another indigene in the community, who is in his 50’s, laments the state of development in the community. He urged government to provide some basic amenities for the community that will ease the life of the people. “We really need water, the roads are not tarred, during raining season if you come here, you will know what l am talking about.

There’s no drainage. Though the electricity has really improved in this area, but government should come to our aid to give us some of the basic things in the community.”

Counting the pains in the community is Mr. Bayo Samuel who is living in the community.

He said the community is un-

derdeveloped. “Is this not part of Lagos? Why are we not enjoying the same things with others in Lagos? The road leading to our community is not okay; this has made business in the community very slow. We really need help in our community.” He added: “The borehole is not working; we also need government school in our community to enable our children get decent education. This community is popular. Hardly will you tell someone that you are going to Ijede that they will not know the place, mostly when you mention the popular power plant Egbin. You will first get to Ijede before you get to Egbin; then you know how popular the place is like. We want government to remember us by coming to our aid,” he said.

There is a story that the name lkorodu was derived from ‘Oko Odu’ and was later changed to Ikorodu. The early settlers in the area were those from Sagamu, who came to hunt and to farm. The leader of the contigent was ‘Oga’ a prince of Remo, who was said to have been the founder. The most notable plant on the farm was ‘Odu’ which grew plentiful. ‘Odu’ was used for cloth dyeing, no wonder the earlier traditional trade of Ikorodu was cloth dying. The sons of Akarigbo named their settlement Oko Odu meaning the farm of Odu (Oko meaning the farm) Odu means something that blackens and since the plant was used to blacken and dye it, the name Odu became appropriate.

A contingent of Benin immigrants joined the sons of Akarigbo in this massive ‘Odu’ forest. The leader of the contingent was a wealthy and powerful man called Eregbouwa from the family of Oliha in Benin City.

Our IPP will save lives, boost economy CO NTINUED FRO M PAG E 27

tariat complex, the State Ministry of Housing Estate and Eko Engineering Limited.

He added that other areas to be powered by the IPP include street lights covering a stretch of 20 kilometres from the Old Secretariat, the Ikeja Flyover, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Agege Motor Road, Ikorodu Road, Jibowu to Maryland, Palm Avenue in Mushin and Ikeja GRA.

Pointing out that there are many lessons to learn from the success which Lagos State has made of its Independent Power Plants, Governor Fashola noted with regrets, that Nigeria is the only country with oil and gas that is without steady electricity.

According to him, nations like Gabon, Ghana which also have oil and gas in Africa do not have electricity problem just as the whole of Europe depends on Russia for her gas

supplies but has never experienced electricity difficulties.

He reiterated that when the administration gave a commitment that the Mainland Independent Power Project would be commissioned in 2014, it was conscious that the dream must be accomplished since the promise was made from an informed position.

He called on Nigerians not to accept any excuses for the inability of the government

at the centre to provide stable electricity, saying it was unfortunate that Nigeria as a oil producing nation could not boast of steady power supply.

He noted that those who promised steady power supply in the past four years had shown that their best is simply not good enough having failed to deliver on the promise.

“If tomorrow, the National Assembly legislates that States should generate and distribute

power, a state like Lagos will conveniently generate its own electricity and distribute same to its residents”.

Noting that some politicians would soon approach the people seeking their votes, the Governor said the possibility of steady power supply would not be achievable if the political mandate is given to a set of people who could not make steady power supply possible after so many years of promises.

30

The Mega City

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

UPCOMING EVENTS

Education UK Exhibition Nigeria 2014 – Lagos

Organiser: British Council Nigeria Date: November 8, 2014, 11:00 -17:00 Venue: Intercontinental Hotel Lagos, Plot 52A Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Fast Track: Making Career Transitions

Organiser: elev8impact Date: November 6, 2014, 6:00 PM -9:00 PM Venue: Eko Hotel Banquet Hall, Plot 1415 Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Franchise Business Opportunity Under N200K. Free Information

Organiser: Organo Gold Nigeria Date: November 5, 2014, 7:00 PM-10:00 PM Venue: Lagos, Nigeria

Trevo 3rd Anniversary Africa Triology Gala Organiser: Trevo Africa LLC Date: November 8, 2014, 1:00 PM - 11:00 PM Venue: Eko Hotels & Suites, Sanusi Fafunwa St., Lagos, Nigeria.

My City, My World Omo Eko hardly goes out –Omotayo Oluwatosin Omoniyi

MEGA CITY EVENTS Faces @ former Minister of Industry, Dr. (Mrs.) Onikepo Akande’s 70th birthday celebration held @ Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island on Saturday, November 1, 2014

lhaji Shakiru OmoACommunity tayo, director of Devel-

opment, Ifelodun LCDA, Lagos, said he loves everything about Lagos but proud of it being the commercial nerve centre of the country. He said further that Lagos is unique in the sense Omotayo that it is a cosmopolitan state. “All the tribes in the country and even outside the country are represented in here,” he said. The economy and population makes Lagos unique, according to him, adding that there is a huge market here in Lagos. He said that Lagos is about 10 per cent of Nigeria population.

Another unique value of Lagos State and it’s city, according to Alh. Shako as he is preferably addressed, is that there is no too much cultural Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun (left) and former Inspector Mr. Fola Adeola; Chief Olusegun Osoba; Mrs. Yinka G.O.K. Ajayi; abomination, “unlike other states of the country, General of Police, Mr. Musiliu Smith. elder statesman, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Pastor Tunde Bakare. like Benin, Edo and Osun states where you see fetish calabash of sacrifices at every junction or corner.”

Aside the unique qualities mentioned above, he said that Lagos is a tourist attraction centre with diverse cultures and festivals, where anybody in Lagos can participate. “Indeed, Lagos is accommodating and is home to everybody but I don’t subscribe to the slang that Lagos is no man’s land. There are the original settlers like the Aworis and co,” he said.

Alh.Shako further said that Lagos goes beyond the metropolis, it is extended to Badagry, Epe and Ikorodu. He explained that Lagos has five administration divisions whose acronym translate into IBILE. IBILE, stands for Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos and Epe, and each division has local governments. Ikeja for instance has more than 10 local governments.

Alh. Shako said it has the largest local government L-R: Former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Tunde Mr. Macaulay Iyayi (left) and Senator Udo Udoma.

among all the divisions while Badagry has 10 LGA.

PHOTOS:GODWIN IREKHE Lemo; Prof. Oladapo Afolabi and celebrant, Mrs. Akande.

Ikorodu has six LGA, Lagos has 12 LGA and Epe has five LGA. “You see that Lagos goes beyond metropoWedding reception between Cynthia & Chikelue @ Oriental Hotel, lis. It is actually large,” he said. Not for all the money Lekki, Lagos in this world would he consider living outside Lagos, according to him. He said, it would be a big problem adapting elsewhere for him. “Omo Eko hardly goes out,” he beamed.

Lagos is a blessing to the country unle Adewale, director KAffairs, of Chieftaincy title Alausa Lagos,

The couple Cynthia & Chikelue

Chief Goddy Uwazurike, Sir Tony Ezenna, Nollywood actor Kanayo.

O. Kanayo and Adamu A. Musa

Wedding engagement between Oyindamola & Robert Onikhona, Lekki Lagos

Couple, Oyindamola Alicia & Robert Onikhona

Senator Olorunnibe Mamora (left) and his wife, at the engagement ceremony of Oyindamola Alicia & Robert Onikhona in Lagos.

PHOTOS: ADEYANJU OLOWOJOBA

believes that Lagos is a combination of everything. He said it is unique because it is the melting point of the country and combination of everything. In Lagos, he said, there is healthy competition which is for Adewale the advancement of the state. “There is competition with different segment that made up the state,” he said. The noise and bustle of Lagos city is exactly what makes Lagos tick and unique, according to him.

More reason, he can’t stay outside Lagos beyond two weeks comfortably. “Everything about Lagos intrigues me especially the social life,” he said. By weekends in Lagos, he explained that there is always parties, “We plan party here as if our lives depend on it.” It is through the party that Lagosians unwind and by that, he believes Lagosians look younger and are lively.

However, Adewale believes that Lagos State could be improved by spreading the development from the metropolis to the rural areas of the State. “I hope to see Lagos gradually becoming America,God’s own country,” he prayed.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

The Investor

Economy

31

Maritime

Time to diversify as revenue shrinks

Taming forex risks through regulation

Shippers’ Council appoints consultants on tariffs

34

35

36

Business What's news

Nigeria, Ireland, others’ trade to reach 24bn euros Trade between Ireland, Nigeria, Ghana and other African countries is expected to reach 24 billion euros by the end of the decade.

p.32

17 ships discharge maize, palm oil, tokunbo at Tincan Used vehicles, 18,200 metric tons of maize and 18,000 tons of crude palm oil are among the imported consignments being discharged at various port terminals in Lagos this week.

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The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Godson Ikoro

Asst. Editor (Money Market)

Dele Alao

Industry & Agric Editor

Dayo Ayeyemi Property Editor

Adeola Yusuf Energy Editor

Wole Shadare Aviation Editor

Chris Ugwu

Capital Market Editor

FG mulls full fuel subsidy removal by Q2 2015 CLOSED DOOR

• Embargoes announcement till after elections

Okonjo-Iweala and Executive Secretary of PPPRA meet fuel importers behind closed door

which has now accumulated into millions of Naira, he said, took the centre stage.

“The minister told us that government’s spending on the subsidy is becoming too

much to sustain. Specifically, we have been told that the subsidy claims from the third quarter is being looked into and it would be paid. But what we were made to believe is that

government is no more interested in subsidy.

“The announcement of the removal has, nonetheless, CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Adeola Yusuf

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he Federal Government will announce complete removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol in the second quarter of 2015, New Telegraph has gathered.

However, its announcement has been embargoed till the second quarter of next year, checks revealed, as a result of the effects it will have on the forthcoming 2015 general elections.

Government had yesterday rallied fuel importing and marketing companies (FIMC) to a closed-door meeting where issues relating to this grand plan were discussed.

The meeting, which was earlier scheduled for Monday held yesterday between the Coordinating Minister for Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, who led government’s delegation and the Chief Executive Officers of the FIMC in Abuja.

“The meeting was initially called to discuss issues on the pending fourth quarter allocation, but it later turned to assessment of subsidy claims by the fuel importers,” a source at the meeting told this newspaper.

The subsidy claims on substantive and supplementary third quarter allocation,

L-R: Ernest Obi, Head E-bizness & Channel, Keystone Bank Limited; Sally Mbanefo, DG, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and Omobolanle Osotule, Head, Brand Management, Keystone Bank Limited, at the on-going World Travel Market (WTM) in London.

US gripes as Russia, others grab Nigeria’s wheat market Bayo Akomolafe

E

xporters from the United States of America are grumbling, as wheat suppliers from Russia, Australia, Canada, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and others are beginning to re-

duce the US market share in Nigeria.

Nigeria is one of the top three global markets for US wheat with exports averaging three million tons. The US wheat is considered a high quality product and sells at a premium. A ton costs $300.

The country exported

N145.8 billion ($900 million) wheat to Nigeria in 2013 But statistics from the US Department of Agriculture has revealed that wheat exports were down about 200,000 tons in 2013 compared with the previous year. It was learnt CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Abdulwahab Isa Finance Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE September 2014.....................8.3% August 2014............................8.5% July 2014.................................8.3%

LENDING RATE InterBank Rate....................11.57% Prime Lending Rate...........16.93% Maximum Lending Rate...25.83%

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at Oct 31)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N170.50 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N278 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N217

l Foreign Reserves – $38.76bn as at 29/10/2014

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Official As at Oct 31)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N156.76 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N252.02 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N199.32

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Business | News

COMMERCE

Consumer demand in Africa to outpace the booming Asian market Bayo Akomolafe

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rade between Ireland, Nigeria, Ghana and other African countries is expected to reach 24 billion euros by the end of the decade.

Ireland’s Trade and Development Minister, Sean Sherlock, has declared that exports

by Enterprise Irelandsupported companies to some countries in Africa last year totalled 550 million euros and would increase to 800 million euros by the end of 2016.

The minister spoke at the Africa-Ireland Economic Forum attended by over 300 businessmen, diplomats and members from some African countries.

Sherlock explained that several Irish companies are already operating in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and other African countries.

He revealed that in the last three years, Irish goods’ exports to sub-Saharan African jumped by a quarter and was up 27 per cent for the entire continent.

The minister listed some of the companies to include Kerry Group, Guinness, ESB International and Glanbia Nutritionals.

“There is an increasing number of Irish chief executive targeting Africa as a potential

Nigeria, Ireland, others’ trade to reach 24bn euros export market,” experts said at the forum.

Sherlock said that government wants to complement Ireland’s traditional commitment in Africa, which has been focused largely on aid and development, with an economic commitment focused on boosting access and opportunities for Irish companies.

Enterprise Ireland’s Kevin Sherry, also told the forum that Africa had been home to eight of the world’s 15 fastest growing economies since 2000, with GDP on the continent hitting $2 trillion (1.6 trillion euros) last year, more than India’s.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast that Africa would repeat 2013’s growth rate of 5.1 per cent this year and then accelerate next year as infrastructure investments boost efficiency and the service sectors and agriculture flourish.

The 2015 forecast was an improvement on the 5.5 per cent growth for the overall region projected by the IMF in April.

It added: “This overall positive outlook is overshadowed by the dire situation in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, where the current Ebola outbreak is exacting a heavy human and economic toll.”

US gripes as Russia, others grab Nigeria’s wheat market CO NTINUED FROM PAG E 3 1

that the US market share slid to reach about 80 per cent of the Nigerian market from 90 per cent.

Although, Nigeria still remains a strong growth market for the US, it was learnt that the country’s demand for wheat-based foods is huge and growing.

It also emerged that market share is expected to rebound as Nigeria continues to demand high quality wheat-based foods and the market continues to grow.

Data from the United States’ Department of Agriculture revealed that Nigeria’s domestic wheat production was small and had dropped 20 per cent from 100,000 tons between 2011 and 2012 to 80,000 tons in 2013.

In 2012, government

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

introduced a 15-per cent levy on imported wheat grains, thereby raising the total tariff from fiev to 20 per cent in 2013.

Government also announced cassava inclusion requirement in wheat flour. The policy mandates cassava flour inclusion in wheat flour, starting with a 10 per cent cassava flour inclusion rate, to increase steadily to 40 per cent by 2015.

But this has not yielded significant success due to low production.

The low-level of production was traced to the unfavorable local climatic conditions requiring expensive irrigation and the continued threat by terrorists in some states within the country’s wheat growing belt.

Nigeria’s consumption for wheat remained high, reaching 4.1 million tons in 2012 and 2013.

L-R: Managing Director/CEO, UNIC Insurance Plc, Mr Friday Orjieh; Acting Chairman, Suleiman Abdulkadir and Director, Mr Adeboye Shonekan, at the 48th Annual General meeting of the company in Lagos.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

17 ships discharge maize, palm oil, tokunbo at Tincan IMPORTS

There is a surge in importation of maize, rice and wheat at Lagos ports Bayo Akomolafe

U

sed vehicles, 18,200 metric tons of maize and 18,000 tons of crude palm oil are among the imported consignments being discharged at various port terminals in Lagos this week.

Already, 7,050 units of old and used vehicles have arrived at the Port and Terminal Multi-services Limited (PTML) and Five-Star Logistics, Tincan Island Port.

The vehicles were ferried to the port by 17 ships. At the Five-Star Logistic terminal, MV Fermament Ace will

berthed with 1,100 units, Galaxy Ace, 350 units and Prestige Ace, 900 units.

Also at PTML, MV Grand Marocco ferried 350 units, Grande Africa , 350 units; Grande Brasil, 300 units; Grand Argentina, 300 units; Grande Congo, 300units; Grand Guinea, 300 units, Rep Argentina, 350 units; Grande Benin, 350 units, G. osta da Vorio 350 units and Grande Atlantico, 350 units.

Others are Grand Lagos, 350 units and G. Seirra Leone 350 units.

Also awaiting berth at the Lagos pilotage district are vessels laden with bulk wheat and rice.

They include MV Ocean Brother laden with 27,000 metric tons, MV Alithia 22,6000 tons, MV Captain Yannis 16,835 metric tons and MV Trenta 51, 338 metric tons of rice.

Meanwhile, three ships have been moored to dis-

charge 52,000 metric tons of rice this week at the ENL Consortium.

Meanwhile, MV Lark started discharging 20,000 tons of the commodity at the weekend. MV Vega Lea and MV Asian Wind will berth this week with 21,000 metric tons and 11 356 metric tons respectively.

In September, only one vessel, MV Hoegh Kunsan, berthed at the PTML with 465 units of used vehicles.

Imports of new vehicles into the country crashed 43 per cent in the first six months of the year.

It was learnt that auto dealers preferred to ferry their vehicles through the neighbouring ports in order to cut cost.

The Nigerian Ports Authority’s (NPA) records revealed that only 154, 846 vehicles were shipped through Nigerian ports between January and June.

FG mulls full fuel subsidy removal by Q2 2015 CO N TI N U ED F RO M PAGE 31

been suspended till after elections,” he said.

Government had, for the umpteenth time, expressed dissatisfaction with the fuel subsidy payment, which has greatly affected revenues and expenditure.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke told delegates at the last Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) that subsidising the prices of petroleum products imported into the country by marketers can no longer be tolerated.

Subsidising petroleum

products, she explained, was benefiting a few people who she accused of impoverishing the poor in the country.

The minster stated that the Federal Government would soon reform the downstream sub-sector of the petroleum industry, adding that the continued regulation of the downstream sector has multiple impacts on the economy.

She said: “But the negative effect is more than the positive. The subsidy policy cannot be sustained any longer.

This is because the subsidy payment did not benefit the poor it was targeting, but

rather it is benefiting the rich.

The industry needs to move to the next level by increasing revenue and curbing oil theft and pipeline vandalism.”

The minister explained that deregulation of the downstream sub-sector was germane in view of the need to attract investors who are willing to invest under a deregulated regime.

“The need to balance government policy and the needs and aspirations of Nigerians makes it imperative to attract investment into the downstream sub-sector through deregulation,” she stated.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

33

FCT Business Watch Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

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o eliminate default associated with pre-paid meter and enhance improvement in power distribution, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) is overhauling the platform for the production of credit card for pre-paid meter.

The present platform for producing credit card for pre-paid meter poses a challenge for consumers, making it practically impossible for card produced in one location to be loaded into another pre-paid meter in another location.

Speaking with New Telegraph yesterday, AEDC spokesperson, Ahmed Shekarau, said that the process for reviewing default platform to enhance seamless loading of credit irrespective of where such card is bought, is in progress.

According to him, the subsisting default platform was inherited by the new owners from PHCN and it makes it practically impossible for card purchase from Garki to be loaded in pre-paid meter in Asokoro, noting that works were already in progress to correct the default and enthrone a seamless loading process.

Ahmed told our correspondent on phone that the Abuja power firm has also finalised

Abuja Disco to overhaul per-paid credit card platform arrangement to begin phase distribution of 100,000 pre-paid meters from January. He said that the process for supply of free-pre paid meter is structured in batches.

Managing Director and Chief Executive of Abuja Disco, Mr. Neil Croucher, had hinted of plan to supply free meters during a joint briefing with Nigerian Electricity Regu¬latory Commission (NERC) and the CEOs of electricity companies in the country recently in Abuja Croucher said that the company was targeting about 8,000 meters a month which sums up to about 96,000 meters in a year.

According to the AEDC boss, the meters are being rolled out on a solid platform to encourage easy payment systems.

“Yes, our intention on meter roll out is about 8,000 meters a month, which is about 100,000 a year. Again, following today’s discussion, and in about four to five months that we’ve been here, we’ve recognised that metering is an absolute key area.

We would be looking at ways that we could increase the rollout. We have to make sure that

FCMB offers auto loans to Abuja, northern customers Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

A

buja customers of First City Monument Bank have been offered unique opportunity to own brand new cars at affordable prices through a partnership alliance between the bank and Dana Motors Limited.

Tagged, auto alliance loan, any FCMB depositor in Abuja and the entire northern zone is entitled to own a Kia motor by accessing FCMB consumer loans.

Speaking in Abuja at the lunch of auto loan scheme, a partnership between FCMB and Dana Motors, Executive Director, Abuja/Northern Region, FCMB, Mr. Adam Nuru, said that the initiative was part of the bank’s way of identifying with customers’ aspirations while delivering flexible payment packages for car acquisition.

For instance, he said that currently, the consumer loan portfolio in the region stood at about N1.5 billion, adding that before the end of the year, the target would be to provide at least N1.8 billion for the acquisition of 1,000 Kia vehicles.

Nuru described the provision of N1.8 billion loans for the scheme as an ambitious target, noting that with the increase in demand by Nigerians to own new cars, the target would be achieved.

He said: “This event is borne out of an alliance between FCMB and Dana Motors Limited with the initiative to offer unique consumer products to the market.

“FCMB has been a well acclaimed industry leader in consumer loan offering. Today’s package is a viable alliance aimed at furthering the frontiers of delivering an exceptional customer experience.

“With the auto loan alliance, qualified customers will be able to own brand new Kia for as low as N47,400 monthly repayment plans.”

Also speaking at the event, the Head of Communications, Dana Motors, Mr. Peter Aiyewo, said that apart from flexible repayment, the scheme offered other benefits such as free insurance, registration and five years warranty. He said that the company had keyed into the auto policy of the Federal Government as it had commenced the assembling of its Rio and Cerato car brands in Nigeria.

those meters are rolled out on a solid platform,” Croucher said.

He also said that the company will also be exploring ways of

increasing metering to ensure that every customer is properly metered. He lamented the high level of electricity loss due to

theft, even as he called on all stakeholders to work with relevant authorities to nip theft of electricity in the bud.

L-R: Area Head, Corporate Affairs, British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN), Dayo George; Area Head of Treasury, Bisola Adefarati; Sustainability Manager, Seyi Ashade; Export Manager, Uchechi Havor and Area Program Manager, Maureen Adeiye, at the 2014 Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) conference in Lagos

City Sightseeing seals partnership deal with FCDA Kenneth Tyohemba Abuja

A

tourism firm with strong presence in Abuja, affiliated to ABC Transport Company, City Sightseeing Limited, has sealed partnership deal with the Federal Capital Territory (FCDA) to deepen tourism business in Abuja metropolis.

The firm said it is promoting a newer concept in tourism promotion in FCT that will enable both the residents and visitors desirous of assessing the beauty and serenity of Abuja to tour leisure spots in exotic buses.

Speaking with New Telegraph, Country Manager, City Sightseeing, Princess Ijeoma Onyeanusi, said the project will place Nigeria on a high pedestal of tourism, as it become the first country in West Africa to have attracted such investment.

Onyeanusi maintained that the tour buses will contribute directly or indirectly to the country’s GDP, as revenue will be generated through sales of tickets and other support services.

“When people come to tour Abuja city on City Sightseeing, they make budgetary provision to take care of lodging in a hotel, shopping at different malls.

So, by the time you go round the city, you are spending money

which will boost the economic status of those support businesses. It is also adding value to the 14 tourist stops by renewing the status of some deserted monuments like the National Park and Zoo Garden.

“People are getting value for their money, they are getting the fun they desire in the first place and the economy is being boosted. Above all, jobs are being created, because people have been employed to run and administer the City Sightseeing business,” she stated.

The City Sightseeing manager also spoke of plans to expand the business to Lagos in the future. She enjoined Nigerians to embrace tourism as a way of life and business, noting that the best way to tour Abuja in style is through City Sightseeing.

“With a ticket purchase of N2,290 and N1,500 for adults and children respectively, you can enjoy the comfort services of the dual decker-open roof bus across 14 designated tourist sites in the FCT with comparative advantage.”

When New Telegraph visited Silverbird Galleria, venue of the take-off, drivers of the vehicle were courteously waiting for tourists.

Speaking to New Telegraph, the tour bus driver who gave his name simply as Sunday, said that the bus operates on

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, usually taking-off every one hour beginning from Silverbird Mall, at 10am.

The 14 tour stops designated include, Silverbird Mall, Arts and Craft Market, National Mosque, National Church, ICC, National Stadium, and Wonderland Park. Others are Ceddi Plaza, National Assembly, ECOWAS Secretariat, National Park and Zoo, Millennium Park, Transcorp Hilton and Eagle Square while tickets are purchased from the driver in any of the tour stops or at City Sightseeing headquarters at ABC Transport Secretariat.

A Chinese, Yung Chu, who hoped down from the bus at the Arts and Craft Market shortly after take-off from Silverbird Mall, said city tour project is an opportunity for a visitor to get exposed to the beauty of Abuja.

Chu said he was so amazed by the sight of cultural stuffs at the Arts and Craft market, even as he bought a crocodile bag and had to join the bus to other stops.

City Sightseeing, the worldwide city tour brand with operations in over 90 top tourist cities across the world has recently commenced operations in Abuja, making Nigeria the second country, after South Africa, to brace up with the concept on the African region.

34

Business | Economy

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Time to diversify as revenue shrinks Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

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igns of possible hitches are obvious. Aside the fact that the nation’s oil price has taken a steep fall lately, the body language of state governors whose agents shuttle Abuja cap-inhand for monthly allocation is very instructive.

Indeed, the alarm raised

by Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, turned out to be the prodding bell indicating an economy waiting to tumble.

Fashola, the whistle blower Speaking recently in Lagos at an occasion to mark Worlds’ Food Day, Fashola blew the whistle that the Federal Allocation Accounts Committee (FAAC) meeting – a forum where money accruing to states is decided - failed to hold in Enugu due to cash crunch.

“As I was coming to this event, I received a message that the monthly Federal Allocation Accounts Committee, (FAAC) meeting where states are told how much the country earned in the last 30 days and the money is distributed among the three tiers of government - federal, state and local governments - scheduled to hold in Enugu State today (Thursday) was postponed because there was no enough money in the Federation Account,” the governor said. He stressed that no country can function without effective tax policy.”

“So if we are to wait for the monthly federal allocation, we will not be able to provide the dividends of democracy to the residents of Lagos State. It was through the money we realise from taxes that we used to provide the empowerment materials for residents of the state,” he added.

Expectedly, Fashola’s wake– up call had triggered chain of reactions and attentions are focused on managers of the nation’s resources.

Days after Fashola’s disclosure, questions were being asked whether Nigeria’s purse was liquid enough to enable the states’ organs discharge their responsibilities.

Fashola statement got the fillip of All Progressives Congress (APC) governors’ colleagues. At Ilorin, venue of their meeting, they resolved to protest the dwindling revenue from the Federation Account, which had hampered states from discharging their financial obligations to President Goodluck Jonathan.

The decline in federal allocation accruable to them, they said, had put them in a dire strait and since there was nothing to suggest that Nigeria was broke, the president need to explain the nation’s finances to them.

Jonathan

Is Nigeria broke?

With the array of questions seeking to establish the nation’s financial status, government officials were kept on their toes. Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, could not escape the question weeks during her ministry’s press briefing.

She told Nigerians that the economy was growing positively despite the reduction of oil price at the international market. As far as OkonjoIweala was concerned, there is no cause for alarm.

“If you look back two years ago, that title “is Nigeria broke” was written in a newspaper article; it is like people are trying to force Nigeria into brokerage. I think since two years, we have managed to keep things going, let me explain these; Nigeria is a country that depends on a stream of income. That income is being able to collect taxes from companies, individuals and our income is also based on selling a product and that product you take to market and you take whatever price a buyer is willing to pay.’’

According to her, government is doing everything within its power to ensure economic stability in the country.

She said that presently, government had been budgeting below the existing oil price to help build buffers in case of uncertainty.

“We are operating an economy that depends on a product that fluctuates with oil price and we don’t have the right to control the price. Just like you have in your own household, when the quantity diminishes or the price drops, you remember in 2007 to 2008, the price of oil dropped from $140 to $38.

At that time, nobody asked if the country was broke be-

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

cause we had saved 22 billion dollars in the Excess Crude Account and we were able to continue spending and to stabilise the economy.’’

The minister said that presently Nigeria was faced with fluctuations in quantity and price of oil, adding that it had affected the amount paid into government coffers.

“Does that mean that the country is broke? We still have resources that we depend on; we still have the ability to tax.

“Sometimes, things need to be a little tighter, easier and we just have to weather it and manage ourselves, but that does not amount to the country being broke.’’

The finance minister said that if government was not able to pay salaries to people and continue to manage, “then we can say that the country is broke, but we have not gotten to that.’’

FAAC and its discordant tune Setback surmounted, FAAC met and signs that figures were not adding was also obvious to some journalists conversant with the forum.

Hours into the closed-door plenary session, commissioners of finance came outside of the conference room for brief meeting. They kept a safe

Our income is also based on selling a product and that product you take to market and you take whatever price a buyer is willing to pay

distance from journalists. A source privy to argument that transpired at closed-door session disclosed that hot argument bordering on transfer to the Excess Crude Account (ECA) and remittances of NNPC unpaid debt caused split between states as represented by their commissioners and government.

Specifically, government wanted N2.7 billion to be transferred to ECA to buoy its savings, a decision countered by the commissioners who insisted that the fund be shared, apparently in response to the mood of the governors.

Aside ECA issue, the commissioners also picked hole in the manner NNPC remittances in respect of N700 million outstanding debt is being handled.

ECA was opened in 2004 to save oil revenues above a base amount derived from a defined benchmark price. Its objective is primarily to protect planned budgets against shortfalls due to volatile crude oil prices. By delinking government expenditures from oil revenues, the Excess Crude Account aims to insulate the Nigerian economy from external shocks.

During Nigeria’s harvest of good season oil surge in crude prices, the Excess Crude Account increased almost fourfold from $5.1 billion in 2005 to over $20 billion by November 2008, accounting for over onethird of the country’s external reserves at that time. By June 2010, the account had fallen to less than $4 billion due to budget deficits at all levels of government and the steep drop in oil prices. In 2010, Nigeria’s National Economic Council approved a plan to replace the Excess Crude Account with a national sovereign wealth fund, but it met a stiff resistance by governors.

Although, both the Minister of State for finance, Am-

bassador Bashir Yuguda and Chairman of Commissioners of Finance forum (Ebonyi State) Mr Timothy Odah, denied that sharp agreement ensued at the session over ECA. “We went out to put heads together. You would have heared cacophony of voices if there was such. I want to tell you, when we rose up and clap our hands you didn’t hear that one - that we passed vote of confidence on the minister and Chairman of FAAC for how he has been able to carry us along and the way NACOFED was successfully held.”

On ECA, he said: “It was N2.7 billion and it is right there. There was no argument against any of such thing.

We looked at certain issues that government should look into which include borrowing. At states, we would like to have the banks unencumbered because some of the banks are complaining that they have some instructions and we have asked the minister to look into that. And we appeal to the minister to do much in order to ensure the coast of the market is cleared because it is only from the capital market that you can have easy fund and much more transparent, especially when you look at coupon rate.

The banks now, being money market, give only short term loans and if you take short term loan, you can’t use that to develop long term project,” he said Way forward The warning was foretold.

Experts, including technocrats in government, have sounded it loud and clear that the development in international oil market has put Nigeria’s cash cow - oil - in a precarious situation; hence there is urgent need to diversify the economy from oil.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo–Iweala succinctly declared recently the way forward: “We must shift the economy to non-oil revenue and we are already working hard on non-oil. Our revenue to GDP ratio is below that of other countries. We need to work very hard to deliver on non-oil sector. The global economy is volatile, oil prices are falling and as a matter of priority, we are developing a contingency plan to bring stability to the economy.”

Conclusion With the decision by the US government, the nation’s hitherto major buyer, to stop buying Nigeria’s crude oil, due to the impact of the shale revolution and the sharp drop in oil prices, it has become imperative that the country may find it difficult to meet its major expenditure responsibilities if other channels of incomes are not espoused fast.

Business | The Investor

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

35

Taming forex risks through regulation

NSE building

Chris Ugwu

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hallenges of high interest rates and difficulties encountered in assessing funds from other financial institutions have left most companies, especially the banks, with the option of sourcing for funding outside the shores of the country.

Currently, there has been a growing interest among banks in Nigeria to embark on sourcing capital from international markets through Eurobond issuances.

These banks, which are beginning to find their feet after a long-drawn banking sector crisis that began in 2008, need to amass funds to grow their businesses into stronger entities, hence the penchant for the issuance of Eurobonds.

A Eurobond is an international bond that is denominated in a currency not native to the country where it is issued.

It is normally a bearer bond, payable to the bearer. It is also free of withholding tax. The bank will pay the holder of the coupon the interest payment due.

According to reports, as at May 2014, the amount of outstanding Eurobonds floated by Nigerian banks had hit $2.55 billion with the issuance by Diamond Bank. This is up from negligible levels five years ago, even as lenders are expected to increase offshore capital raising in the future in a bid to expand their loan books.

Financial analysts believe that that the Eurobond capital raising exercise by some Nigerian lenders make the industry vulnerable to foreign exchange risks.

According to them, by issuing foreign currency denominated debt instruments, Nigerian banks are exposing themselves to foreign exchange risk.

They noted that despite the fact that foreign bonds offer lower rates, it is not devoid of risk, which according to them, may expose banks to foreign exchange risk over the life of the bonds when issued.

This is why the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in its regulatory capacity recently noted with concern the growth in foreign currency borrowings of banks through foreign lines of credit and issuance of foreign currency denominated bonds (Eurobonds).

CBN puts the breaks Though the lower interest rate on foreign debt has created an incentive for banks to borrow abroad, this has the advantage of providing fairly stable and long term funds to extend credit facilities in foreign currency and enhance their capital base, but also exposes banks to foreign exchange risks and other risks.

Therefore, to ensure that these risks are well managed and avoid losses that could pose material systemic challenges, the apex bank pulled the breaks on banks through a circular. It said that the aggregate foreign currency borrowing of a bank excluding inter-group and inter-bank (Nigerian banks) borrowing should not exceed 75 per cent of its shareholders’ funds unimpaired by losses.

Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, CBN Director of Banking Supervision, signed the circular titled ‘Prudential regulation for the management of foreign exchange risks of banks’.

The CBN stated that the introduction of the limit was prompted with the concern of the growth in foreign currency borrowings of banks through foreign lines of credit and issuance of foreign currency denominated bonds (Eurobonds).

The banking watchdog said: “The 75 per cent limit supersedes the 200 per cent specified in Section 6 of our Guidelines for Foreign Borrowing for on -Lending by Nigerian Banks issued on November 26, 2001.

“The Net Open Position (long or short) of the overall foreign currency assets and liabilities taking into cognizance both those on and off-balance sheet should not exceed 20 per cent of shareholders’ funds unimpaired by losses using the Gross Aggregate Method.”

“Banks whose current NOP exceed 20 per cent of their shareholders’ funds are required to bring them to prudential limit within six (6) months; Banks are required to compute their monthly NOP using the attached template.

“Banks should borrow and lend in the same currency (natural hedging) to avoid currency mismatch associated with foreign currency risk,” the statement noted.

Operators’ perspectives

In spite risk associated with foreign exchange risks, it is popular believe among financial analysts that the quest to raise funds from the international market is as a result of the collapse of the Nigerian capital market and the prevailing high interest rates in the bond market.

However, market watchers opined that the new measure by the CBN protect lenders in Nigeria.

Speaking to New Telegraph, The Managing Director Perfecta Securities, Mr. Emma Eze said the new guideline on the prudential regulation for the management of foreign exchange risks of banks was a welcome development to save the economy from what happened in the past especially now that the oil prices are dwindling.

“The dwindling oil prices are certain to affect the stability of exchange rate.

Despite the fact that foreign bonds offer lower rates, there are risks involved.

According to him, these banks are going to be faced with foreign exchange risk over the life of the bonds when issued. In the long run, it is not in the best interest of the economy,” he stressed.

Chief Executive Officer, Lambeth Trust & Investment Company Limited, Mr. David Adonri, said that by issuing foreign currency denominated debt instruments, Nigerian banks are exposing themselves to foreign exchange risk. He expressed skepticism about the ability and preparedness of the lenders to manage the risks associated with seeking funding from the international market.

According to reports, as at May 2014, the amount of outstanding Eurobonds floated

by Nigerian banks had hit $2.55 billion with the issuance

by Diamond Bank

“By issuing foreign currency denominated debt, Nigerian banks are exposing themselves to foreign exchange risk. There are benefits attendant to issuing foreign debt but because repayment is in foreign currency, it is suited for enterprises that earn substantial portion of their income in hard currency.

If exchange rate stability is assured, the banks can actually make fortunes by just using the cheap foreign debt to finance the high-yielding domestic debt the government is insatiably issuing,” he said.

Adonri however, noted that more foreign denominated bonds would reduce the current excessive pressure on the domestic debt market with positive impact on interest rate.

He argued that it will encourage foreign investment flow to equities, as a result of hard currency inflow that will ultimately strengthen the naira.

“Any foreign currency denominated corporate bond issued by a local company imposes exchange rate risk on the issuer. However, due to the high cost of issuing debt in Nigeria, there is justification for a local issuer to take advantage of the lower interest rates prevalent in the international capital market,” he said.

According to him, the quest is consistent with normal banking business because most of the banks are issuing the foreign bonds to finance domestic infrastructure development with potential for profitable returns.

“This type of capital aggregation and subsequent inter-mediation by banks is consistent with the normal course of banking business,” he said.

Conclusion The current high interest regime, however, makes sourcing funds locally less appealing, as it translates into raising money at rates ranging from 18 per cent to 20 per cent; which is not in the interest of the fund raiser.

However commendable the new regulation might be, the Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, of the CBN should also endeavour to look into the downward review of the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), which currently stands at 12.00 per cent. This would create positive development for the economy.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

36 Customs collects N68. 7bn in Onne Port p.37 The bid to stop arbitrary charges at the ports has been an age-long battle.

In 2010, the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) published a list of 40 unapproved port charges. A few days ago, the council took a bold step to reverse the Progressive Storage Charge (PSC) and other tariffs introduced by the terminal operators in violation of the approved rate by the Minister of Transport in May, 2009, BAYO AKOMOLAFE reports

Maritime

Shippers’ Council appoints consultants on tariffs lReverses storage charges at port

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he Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has appointed four world class consultants to work with as it consolidates its statutory new role as the Ports Economic Regulator.

These consultants include CPCS, a Canadian company with experience in marine transport; Nafith (Trident N Tel Group), Jordanian, American Logistics company and Mark Analytics under the aegis of Lagos Business School.

Technical adviser It was learnt that the CPCS would serve as in-house technical adviser and will guide the council on tariffs and generally in its role as commercial regulator in the ports.

The company participated in the concessioning of the ports to the current terminal operators in 2006.

Nafith, the Jordian-American logistics company, will guide the council in terms of port processes, port access flow system and freight analytics.

On the other hand, Mark Analytics is to work in the area of manpower development and also internal adjustment in structure.

Illegal charges Also to check the excesses of the service providers, the NSC has also formally reversed the Progressive Storage Charge (PSC) introduced by the terminal operators in violation of the approved rate by the Minister of Transport in May 2009.

In a notice to terminal operators and shipping companies, it announced major reviews of some controversial levies and charges, for which importers and clearing agents have often protested.

The interventions which took effect from November 3, 2014, include: Progressive Storage Charge and Free Storage

Customs agents oppose pre-shipment inspection of vehicles p.38

Executive Secretary, Shippers’ Council, Hassan Bello

Haastrup

It was noted that where a terminal operator does not position a container for examination by the scheduled date, storage charges must not be charged for any day(s) thereafter and up to the date when the container is positioned for examination.

Period for terminal operators.

It also came hard on Shipping Line Agency Charge, Container Deposit, Container Cleaning and Maintenance Charge, as well as Container Demurrage, for shipping companies.

Approval rates The terminal operators were asked to revert to the old rate approved by government in 2009.

The approved rates were between N750 and N5,000 (for 20feet containers) and N1,500 and N10,000 for 40-feet containers, depending on how long the container spends in the terminal.

In the arrangement, the council increased the free period for importers who have containers at the ports to seven days in line with international average as against three days by the terminal operators.

The charges are rated beginning from the second period which include N750 and N1,000 for 20 feet containers, while the rate for 40 feet container is N1,500 and N2,500.00.

The rate under the third and fourth period are higher as it ranges from N1,500 to N5,000 for 20 feet container as against N8,000 and N10,000 for 40 feet containers.

Council’s position The council said that the terminal operators must position their containers for examination not later than 36 hours after appointment has been made for it.

Importers/ exporters are still subjected to paying other charges like the one per cent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme, seven per cent port development levy, 0.5 per cent ECOWAS liberalisation scheme, rice levy, cigarette levy, port surcharge and sugar levy

Directive The council also directed terminal operators to operate an examination bay where all containers confirmed for examination can be positioned in one layer and not stacked.

Part of the notice reads: “Once a consignee or a clearing agent submits necessary documents and makes a request for an invoice from the terminal operator, such invoice must be issued on the same day.

“When a consignee or his clearing agent/transporter presents a terminal Delivery Order (TDO) to the terminal operator, the terminal operator shall locate the container without undue delay. If any delay occurs, storage shall not be charged for the period of such delay.”

Also, the council increased the container storage free days’ grace to seven, up from three that the terminal operators had been allowing and pegged maximum charge for storage to N10,000, irrespective of the number of days during which imported containers stay at the terminal.

The council ordered that as from November 3, 2014, the deposit must be refunded to the

importer or the clearing agent within 10 days after the return of the container or pay interest rate on such deposit for the number of days the refund was not made.

Similarly, container demurrage-free period has been increased from five days to 10 days, while it pegged the controversial ‘container cleaning and maintenance charge’ at N1,500 only for any category of containers.

Explaining, the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) Chairman, Princess Vicky Haastrup, has said that terminal operators found it difficult to sustain their investment at the port due to epileptic power supply and inflation.

Haastrup added that they sourced their electricity from generator daily.

The chairman noted that terminal handling and storage charges were not commensurate with the inflationary trend in the sectors.

In 2011, the council made some efforts to reduce the cost of doing business in the Nigerian ports, by abolishing service charges, bank charge, commission on turnover, concessionaires service charge, abolished port administrative charge and sorting charge.

The Ministry of Transport also made efforts to review port tariffs in order to eliminate arbitrariness and ensure parity with other ports, particularly those of neighbouring countries.

Illegal tariffs Apart from the statutory charges like import duty, fees, common external tarrif levy and the value added tax paid into the coffers of the Federal Government, importers/exporters are still subjected to paying other charges like the one per cent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme, seven per cent port development levy, 0.5 per cent ECOWAS liberalisation scheme, rice levy, cigarette levy, port surcharge and sugar levy.

These include terminal handling charges, container deposit, container clearing, shipping company charges, demurrage charges, cost-on-turnover, transfer documentation charges, transfer charges, rent charges, equipment charges, manifest amendment charges and tally clerk charges. The discovery prompted the former Minister of Transport to issue an order for the cancellation of about 12 of the unofficial charges.

Business | Maritime

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

37

580 Nigerians to benefit from NLNG’s training MANPOWER Oil and gas shipping company trains Nigerians on ship building and construction Stories by Bayo Akomolafe

A

subsidiary of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), Bonny Gas Transport (BGT), has commenced the training of 580 Nigerians in different aspects of ship building and construction in Nigeria and South Ko-

rea.

It was learnt that the trainees would be trained in various aspects of ship building which include electrical, mechanical, welding, painting and ship design.

Of the figure, 400 would be trained in Nigeria while the remaining 180 will be trained in South Korea in partnership with Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).

In 2014, the company succeeded in sending 60 trainees to Korea for a three-month programme; another 35 left Nigeria at the weekend for the continuation of their training,

while another 120 Nigerians will be trained by Samsung in batches of two, starting from this month.

The Head of Ship Management Knowledge Transfer Project of NLNG, Mr. Henry Agbodjan, explained that the company embarked on a new project to build six new vessels and they signed a contract of $1.6 billion with Hyundai and Samsung Heavy Industries to execute the project.

Agbodjan said that Nigerians were being trained to acquire quality skills in ship building and ship construction, as well as the use of goods manufactured in Nigeria to

apply in building of the new vessels.

He noted that the training would help in reviving Nigeria’s shipping industry as a result of the new competencies and skills by the youths, thereby driving the nation’s shipping industry to the next level.

He said: “The aim of the project is to empower Nigerians, develop skills because there are many marginal fields in Nigeria today that use experts from abroad to do the mechanical, welding and other jobs that are supposed to be done by Nigerians. That is why we are getting Nigerians

An aerial view of Lagos Port, Apapa

Court stops Shippers’ Council from reversing port storage charges

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Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has stopped the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) from implementing an order reversing storage charges at the nation’s seaports.

Ruling on an ex-parte motion brought before him by the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Justice Ibrahim Buba granted an injunction restraining the NSC and/or its agents from implementing the reversal order pending determination of the substantive suit.

He adjourned the matter till Monday November 10, 2014, for further hearing.

It would be recalled that

N

last week, NSC announced the reversal of storage charges at the ports which was in force as at May 1, 2009.

NSC also ordered an increase in the free storage period at the port from three days to seven days.

The council equally directed shipping companies to reduce their shipping line agency charges from N26,500 to N23,850 per TEU and from N48,000 to N40,000 per Forty Equivalent Unit.

It also directed shipping agencies to refund container deposits to importers and agents within 10 working days after the return of the empty containers.

igerian Indigenous Shipowners Association (NISA) has declared a three point agenda, aimed at bringing back the elusive jobs of the indigenous operators in the Nigeria maritime sector.

The newly elected President, Capt. Dada Olaniyi Labinjo said that he would keep what he plans to do secret, even now that he has, against all

ready to take over these jobs.”

He stressed that a lot of efforts were being made in the maritime and shipping industry to get the country ready for take-off of a dry-dock facility.

He said, “There is currently a feasible study project ongoing for the development of a dry-dock facility in Nigeria and that is also part of this project. Once that feasibility is completed, the project will be made known to the public and there are other maritime companies trying to develop one thing or the other.”

Hyundai will train 60 students in Korea, and in Bonny Vocational Centre where they are also running a programme in Welding and Advanced Welding, 180 Nigerians will be trained. The first batch of 30 has graduated and they are currently running a second batch of 30.

Agbodjan explained: “In terms of local content, all we need is to get ourselves prepared and what the BGT project is doing is to develop people and get them ready for the opportunities that to come.”

Shin Evnsoo, representative of Hyundai, applauded NLNG for its support to the operations of HHI in Nigeria, saying the company would take care of the trainees.

NLNG produces liquefied natural gas (LNG) and natural gas liquids (NGL), and the products are being transported to its customers in different parts of the world using ships that are managed by BGT, which currently owns 13 vessels.

Customs collects N68. 7bn in Onne Port

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he Nigeria Customs Service, Port Harcout Area II Command, generated N68.7 billion between January and September this year in Onne, Rivers State.

The Command also made seizures, ranging from football, choice lace materials, pistons and turbo chargers to dry cell batteries.

Some of the items impounded included 20 bales of velvet lace materials, 20 bales of choice lace materials, 700 units of football, five cartons of pistons, 50 cartons of dry charger batteries, 10 cartons of sledge hammers,

bags of rice and cartons of turbo charger pumps.

Its Area Controller, H. K. Gummi, said that within the period, the command collected a total sum of N68,684,698,903.74, as compared to N61,013,422,930.56 generated between the same period in 2013.

He said: “It is worthy to mention that an increase of N7,671,275,973.20 was recorded due to the successful operation of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR).

“The new revenue collection procedure under the PAAR regime, made possible

NISA declares agenda to bring back shipping jobs odds, won the election he campaigned vigorously for.

Labinjo said: “The truth is that I have never kept my plans secret. I have made my plans open as to what I was coming to do. During the campaigns and particularly, both at the debate session and at my post election statement, I have openly indi-

cated that I have a single mission: to bring back the jobs of our members.

“So, it is the strategy to bring back our jobs that we are fine tuning. We need to have all our members’ ships engaged; and that is my immediate concern, and that will start manifesting, the moment we are inau-

gurated.”

He identified the second aspect of his agenda as the strategy to energize a new regime of functional ship-repair and ship yards.

“Our second agenda is the strategy to get our ship yard and ship repair-yard functional.”

by the Comptroller General of Customs, aimed at trade facilitation, assisted in no small measure to bring an improvement to the command’s revenue profile. It is my belief that the present revenue profile can still be improved upon, if the present bad road leading to the port is attended to.”

Gummi pleaded that the command be linked to the national grid, to relieve their total operations being dependent on generators, as such could come with a positive multiplier effect on revenue generation.

The controller said that the command’s anti-smuggling drive made a total of six seizures, consisting of a 40-feet container, and five 20 footer containers, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N71. 2 million. One suspect was also apprehended.

He noted that this year showed an encouraging performance of N7.8 billion in July, August N8.7 billion and September N10.3 billion.

38

Business | Maritime

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Global container volume to hit 1bn TEU by 2020 Lloyd’s List explained that to reach the one billion TEU mark during this period, transhipment volumes are expected to contribute a large chunk to the total, increasing by 140 million TEU, or 83 per cent, from 175 million TEU at present to 320 million TEU. Sharma explained that Asia would continue to play a vital

TRADE Transhipment volumes are expected to increase by 140 million TEU, or 83 per cent Stories by Bayo Akomolafe

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ontainer volumes handled by ports worldwide is expected to increase up to one billion Twenty Equivalent Unit (TEU) by the end of the decade, up from 623 million TEU in 2013.

Speaking at a seminar in London, Drewry Maritime Research Senior Manager, Dinesh Sharma, explained that exponential growth anticipated in Asia, and in particular China, would help drive throughput by an average 5.5 per cent or 40 per cent in total, between now and 2020.

Last year, Nigerian Ports Authority’s (NPA) Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr Iliya Musa, said that container traffic at the ports amounted to 1,010,836 Twenty Equivalent Units (TEU), showing a growth of 15.2 per cent over the 2012 full year figure of 877,737 TEUs. The current edition of

ustoms agents under the aegis of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA) have threatened to withdraw their services at the nation’s seaport if the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) go ahead with the implementation of the N20,000 fee it proposed to collect on all imported used vehicles into the country.

They feared that importers may lose N5.7 billion to vehicle pre-shipment verification exercise if the policy is implemented by SON. Already, SON had, last month, appointed three companies including Cotecna -Inspection Limited, Quality Assurance Projects Limited and Medtech Scientific Limited- to verify Nigeria-bound vehicles before shipping into the country with an inspection fee of not less than N20,000 per vehicle.

Director General of the organisation, Mr. Joseph Odumodu, explained that the move was part of effort aimed at ensuring the successful implementation of Federal Government’s new auto policy.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Tin Can Island Port Chapter Secretariat, National President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, opposed the move, saying that “if the vehicle pre-shipment verification exercise is implemented, importers will lose a total of N5.7 billion

Meanwhile, China, home to seven of the world’s top 10 largest container ports, will increase its own share from its current 30 per cent to 40 per cent during this period.

Sharma, according to agency report, warned that ports both big and small will come under increasing pressure to provide the necessary in-

frastructure to facilitate this rapid growth in demand, with particular regards to shipping lines upsizing vessels.

Sharma said this will not only require investment in larger cranes, longer berths and yard space, but also berth productivity and efficiency must be improved to meet the requirements of these larger ships.

LNG vessel sailing to port of destination

Customs agents oppose pre-shipment inspection of vehicles

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role in this volume growth with the demand for cargo continuing to grow from not just the region but also from a rising number of countries that rely on its export trade.

Sharma forecasts Asia’s share in global traffic will increase from its current 56 per cent to as much as 65 per cent by 2020.

as the amount that would be paid to the agency based on an average of 250,000 vehicles imported into the country annually.

“I learnt that the Standard Organisation of Nigeria wants to be charging N20,000 per vehicle that is imported into Nigeria. When we calculate that based on an average of 250,000 vehicles per annum, they will be collecting N5.7 billion. It is not going through the National Assembly, it is not going through appropriation and this is the same organisation that government pays money on the budget every year.”

He said that SON would only be allowed to enforce the policy if the Federal Government, through the customs, agree to pay agents 10 per cent of its total revenue collection, maintaining that it would be the only yardstick for negotiation.

Shittu noted: “So this is our money for them to share, we don’t want to share with them and we are not going to give them. The day SON says they are forcefully collecting that money, we will stop work.

“The negotiation is ‘you can collect 20, but give us 10 per cent of our revenue.’

That will be the yardstick for our negotiation. We have tried to keep peace in the port for over four years, we have never gone on strike because we are a professional body.”

Stakeholders identify challenges of PAAR M aritime stakeholders industry have identified dishonesty of clearing agents and importers, incessant server breakdown and the absence of full automation of the Nigerian trade hub to link critical stakeholders into the Nigeria Customs Information Systems (NICIS) platforms as challenges that have militated against the effective implementation of the PreArrival Assessment Report PAAR) of the Nigerian Customs Service so far.

At a one-day workshop organised by Port Gist on the appraisal of PAAR in the last 10 months in Lagos, National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Eugene Nweke, said that connivance to cheat by importers, banks, customs agents and corrupt customs officers, were snag that have been working against the PAAR regime.

He noted that high rate of discrepant, non-compliant importation, infrastructural challenges, regulatory requirements, uncoordinated procedures and issuance of frivolous demand notices, among others, had all bedevilled the laudable scheme.

But the president stressed

that despite all the challenges facing PAAR, the regime had helped in no small measure to facilitate trade in the country.

He said: “I make bold to state that PAAR remain a capable modern trade facilitation tool, compliant to international best practices.”

Nweke also sought urgent solution to some of the problems facing the scheme.

Echoing him, National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, said that PAAR had been a success despite the challenges it faced at its early stage.

Shittu added: “PAAR is regarded as the best system by the World Customs Organisation (WCO), World Bank and other countries are coming to Nigeria to learn.

“Our association has never lost confidence and faith in the efficacy of PAAR and we are happy that we are partners in the success of PAAR of today.

“Nigerians don’t like change. We like saying we should continue managing even when things are not working and that is the teething problem of PAAR. “PAAR is working unless for those who want to shortchange the system.”

The ANLCA boss also said that a PAAR document could be queried because of the dishonesty of importers who under declared when making declaration to Customs.

Shittu said: “PAAR can be queried on anything because it is based on your declaration, those in the ruling centre don’t know what was imported even you as a custom broker don’t know and importer only gave you document to do documentation for him.

“So, when there are discrepancies, there will be query. PAAR was working except that it was being queried on value. Though, I have doubt on the success of PAAR from the onset but later, I was proved wrong and later knew that PAAR has been successful.”

The Customs Comptroller General, Alhaji Dikko Abdulahi, who was represented by Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, Comptroller Charles Edike, said that transparency and honest declaration were required from agents for the success of the new clearance system.

He said the training of agents is key in assisting PAAR work more effectively.

Business | Insurance

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

STRENGTH The country’s underwriting sector has all it takes to excel

Sunday Ojeme

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he Minister of Finance, Prof Ngozi OknojoIweala, has advised insurance practitioners in the country to work harder so as to fully exploit the potential that will make the sector emerge the biggest in the continent.

She said although the industry had recorded some strides in the last couple of years having moved from fifth position to number three, there was still need to

39

Minister to insurers: Explore potential for sector’s growth prop it up considering the fact that Nigeria is now the biggest economy in Africa.

According to her, “This industry is growing at a pace not as fast as we desired but there has been remarkable improvement over the last five years, where the industry was ranked number five in Africa.

“Today, we are number three, trailing behind South Africa and morocco. Our economy is the largest in Africa, thus we have the potential to be the largest insurance industry in the continent

sooner than later. We can only achieve this by remaining cohesive and focused.”

Iweala, who also faulted the sector on its weak link in the financial inclusion arrangement of the government, pointed out the need for the operators to join hands with the Federal Government’s quest to ensure Financial Inclusion in all spheres of the community.

She said, “This task will entail conducting yourselves in a manner that would help deepen insurance which argu-

ably is the weakest in the chain of financial services.”

“We cannot add value to this noble objective with a decimated insurance industry, no matter the personal urge to satisfy private ends. I would therefore enjoin you all to avoid any journey in self-destruction, no matter the temporal benefit that may be perceived as attainable.

“It is the expectation of the Federal Government that the insurance industry will propel economic growth. We shall therefore continue to support

the National Insurance Commission’s on-going efforts to instil market discipline and international best practice.”

Speaking on the growing incidences of disasters across the country and their impact of loss on human and material assets, she affirmed that he primary role of insurance was to restore the policyholder back to business whenever the risk insured crystallises.

According to her, insurance is the confidence entrepreneurs need to embark on any significant venture. Natural catastrophes affect all sectors of business, both directly and indirectly.

Disasters can cause operational and supply chain disruptions through the physical damage to property and/or loss of critical resources and infrastructure, which can cripple an entire operation.

The minister faulted the erroneous belief by some entrepreneurs who perceive insurance as a cost, saying it was an error.

She said, “In reality, insurance is probably one of the biggest value additions to any business. We have experienced devastating events such as natural disasters without any prior warning. Insurance is the only effective mechanism to minimise the loss caused by these unforeseen events, which in some instances can mean saving an entity from having to close shop.

There had been incidences in the country of fire disasters, collapsed buildings, flooding and storms and fatal accidents. Without insurance cover foe these losses, individual is immediately reduced to poverty while victims are left without compensations.

NHIS: Mobile phone format comes on stream soon

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L-R: Group Executive, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), Mr. Patrick Akinwuntan; Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ben Akabueze, and Mr. Jibril Aku, Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, at the investiture of Akinwuntan as Honorary Senior Member of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos recently.

LASACO increases gross premium income by 12%

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ASACO Assurance Plc has recorded a growth of 12 per cent in gross premium income generated in the business year 2013 ended. Compared to N4.43 billion in 2012, the company made N4.96 billion in 2013.

It also witnessed a positive performance in net premium earned, which increased from N3.3 billion in 2012 to N3.6 billion in 2013, an eight per cent increase.

It equally recorded a 10 per cent growth in underwriting profit, which stood at N1.40 billion as against N1.28 billion in 2012. Furthermore, the company bounced back from a loss position of N180 million in 2012 to profitabil-

ity in 2013 with a net profit of N412 million.

Speaking with journalists on facts behind the figures on the company’s performance in 2013 business year in Lagos recently, the Group Managing Director of LASACO Assurance Plc, Mr. Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi, explained that the company was able to perform the feat despite unfavourable business operating environment particularly in the insurance subsector of the economy through business ingenuity and pragmatic approach.

He stated that in order to take the performance to another level in the current business year, LASACO As-

surance had fashioned and was already deploying appropriate offensive business strategies to navigate and win in the face of harsh business environment in the country.

“The strategies are directed at our business model as well as marketing approach with a view to ensuring optimal utilisation of resources for the purpose of good returns on investment”, he disclosed.

“Deliberately we have taken this year’s annual general meeting (AGM) to Ilorin, Kwara State, which is a fall out of our strategic business expansion drive,” he added

ederal Gover nment’s desire to ensure a larger number of Nigerians benefit from the National Health Insurance Scheme is gaining ground as President Goodluck Jonathan moves to inaugurate the mobile phone format of the scheme.

More than 20 million Nigerians are expected to be covered by the mobile scheme, which will be extended to cover pupils in public primary schools nationwide before the end of the year.

While disclosing this, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said President Goodluck Jonathan would soon launch a new National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) registration format.

The minister said that under the new registration format, Nigerians could enroll for the scheme using mobile telephone technology.

He said, “I want to announce to this gathering that Mr President will soon launch the mobile phone format of registration for the NHIS. “It will reduce the difficulties associated with queuing up in offices to be registered for the NHIS and it will improve health insurance coverage for Nigerians.

“We want every Ni-

gerian to enjoy a form of health insurance and this we want to do in a number of innovative ways.’’

He said the aim of the new registration format was to upscale healthcare financing and improved health insurance coverage beyond 30 per cent targeted by the Federal Government, adding that about 24 million Nigerian children had been scheduled to be enrolled under the new registration format as part of the strategic plan for universal health coverage.

He assured Nigerians that registration for the scheme would be made easier when the new format was inaugurated by the Federal Government, stressing that scaling up healthcare financing had been one of the achievements of President Jonathan’s administration since 2011.

The Executive Secretary of NHIS, Dr Femi Thomas, said government was planning to assist Nigerians to access subsidised healthcare in both public and private facilities around them.

He said 700 healthcare facilities had been registered to run the insurance scheme, while 300 more facilities would be accredited before the end of the year to increase the figure to 1,000.

40 Politics In spite of the efforts of the Federal Government to crush the Boko Haram sect and restore order in the North East, the activities of the insurgents have brought a lot of devastation to the people of the region. CHUKWU DAVID examines the deepening agony of the people of the affected areas and the recent resolutions of the Senate to ameliorate the sufferings of the displaced persons through cash donation and policy direction.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Insurgency: Senate moves to rehabilitate displaced persons

Some of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in one of the camps in the North-East

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onsequent upon the ongoing insurgency in the North-East, the Senate Tuesday last week came up with three major resolutions on how to assuage the excruciating agonies being currently experienced by the residents of the affected communities.

Over two million people were reportedly displaced from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states and scattered as refugees in the neighbouring states and countries.

The first decision taken by the Red Chamber was to urge the Federal Government to involve the international community, particularly the United Nations in the provision of relief materials for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Boko Haram ravaged northern states.

Similarly, the Senate also implored the federal and state governments to double their efforts towards the rehabilitation of the IDPs by providing more relief materials for the refugees scattered across some northern states and the neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Also, from a humanitarian angle and in practical demonstration of their empathy towards the sufferings of the affected people, the lawmakers resolved to donate the sum of N20 million towards the rehabilitation course.

The Senate made these resolutions following a motion of urgent public importance brought to the Chamber by the senator representing Bauchi Central on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who is also the Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Abdul Ningi Ningi, who was deeply agitated by the seeming deteriorating state of affairs in the North-East, had come under

Order 42(2) of the Senate Standing Order 2011 (as amended) to move the motion on what he described as unabating activities of the terrorist sect and the attendant increasing number of refugees in the near desolate political enclave.

He drew the attention of the senators to the fact that about five months ago, when the National Assembly approved the extension of the emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, the item seven of the Senate’s resolutions on the approved document urged the Federal Government, in conjunction with state governments to come up with an Economic Marshal Plan to revive the economy of the retarded states of the country.

He lamented that he had not seen serious efforts by the two levels of governments towards the implementation of that particular resolution, noting that the affected zone and the displaced citizens had been passing through horrifying experiences since the insurgency in the area degenerated to a critical point.

He further accused the international community of negligent and abandonment of Nigeria in her present moment of woes occasioned by the insecurity in the country.

Ningi, who observed that the insurgency in the North-East had provoked emergence of large scale refugees in Bauchi, Benue, Taraba and other neighbouring states, claimed that he had not seen love, care and positive results in terms of containing the terrorism in the area by the Federal Government.

His words: “This entire motion is about seeking the attention of the international community in particular, and the federal and state governments in general, to the inhuman situation, people of Adamawa, Yobe

We are in a war situation and in every war situation, one of the key areas that you must worry about is refugees

and Borno states are finding life almost impossible to exercise.

As I speak to you, we have over two million internally displaced persons from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

“These IDPs have found refuge in Bauchi, Jigawa, Benue and Taraba states. These persons have also found refuge in Chad, in Niger and in Cameroun. But the most painful aspect of these crises, is the lack of attention by the international community to this particular unfortunate human tragedy. We have seen how the international community has performed excellently in other climes.

“The citizens of the NorthEast have found themselves in this situation and there is nowhere for them to go. They were able to escape the domination of Boko Haram in these areas that have been taken over and where they escaped to, people are not paying adequate attention to their survival. The second most important town in Borno, being Barma, is still in the hands of Boko Haram. The fifth most important town, being Gwoza is still in the hands of Boko Haram and people will choose to do something in this country as if the lives of other people are not important because of the belief that ‘my brother is not the one involved’, but I must tell you that it is a circle,” the embittered Ningi concluded.

Supporting the motion, the Leader of the Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, acknowledged that the situation in the North-East was pathetic and needed urgent, concerted attention of all and sundry for sanity

to be restored in the country. In his contribution, Senator Ali Ndume (PDP, Borno), decried the deplorable conditions of the refugees, stating that many of the men, women and children had been infected by diverse sicknesses as a result of poor or no sanitary care.

Ndume lamented that the United Nations could not come to assist in the rehabilitation of the displaced persons because the world body claimed that the Nigerian government had not invited it to intervene.He appealed to the Senate to prevail on the Executive to invite the international community to assist in the rehabilitation of the IDPs in the North East.

Ndume also noted that over one million people from Borno had been displaced as a result of the insurgency.

He said: “As I speak to you, over one million people have been displaced from Borno State alone. The whole of my town, Gworza, is occupied by the Boko Haram. Traditional rulers in the villages and local government areas are all internally displaced. Many Nigerians who ran to Cameroon and Niger are saying that they prefer to be refugees in those countries.”

On his part, Senator Ita Enang stressed the need for the Federal Government to do more in rehabilitating the displaced persons, saying, “we have an obligation under the international convention to care for the refugees.”

Also contributing, the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, said: “We are in a war situation and in every war situation, one of the key areas that you must worry about is refugees. It is not just to fight the war and fight the various battles but you must also worry about refugees. It is an integral part of every plan that you make when you go to battle or when you go to war.”

Mark implored the National Commission for Refugees and the National Commission for Rehabilitation to wake up from slumber and rise to their primary responsibility of assisting to rehabilitate the displaced persons in the North-East and any other parts of the country where there are refugees. He lamented that the two commissions had not done sufficient work with respect to handling the present situation in the country.

After making these remarks, Mark put the motion to a voice vote and it was unanimously passed.

The three resolutions passed by the Senate on the insurgency and the rehabilitation of the displaced persons are seen as a right step in the right direction.

Politics 41

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Tambuwal’s long trek to the APC PHILIP NYAM reports that the defection of the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was well planned over a period of time and was marked by suspense and shock

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ince his emergence as speaker of the House of Representatives in June 2011, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal started exhibiting some political behaviour that tended to expose his affinity to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). As a speaker who was elected with the tacit support of the opposition parties, he hobnobbed with them to the chagrin of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Although, he was hobnobbing with the opposition, Tambuwal handled it with utmost carefulness and tact that the PDP found itself in a difficult position to lead any offensive against him.

Tambuwal’s affection for the opposition was unavoidable because he was partly a product of the opposition so in order to give Caesar’s what belong to him; he extended his appreciation full scale. The opposition lawmakers voted enblock for him and he could not have turned his back on them.

He courted them with their leaders such as former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as well as former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. His closeness to the opposition became an open issue when the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), a faction of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) merged to form the APC. What however gave up the speaker was the defection of the five PDP governors including Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State to the APC. At this time, Tambuwal had no option but to openly embrace the APC because he needed to show his allegiance and loyalty to secure his 2015 ambition. Right from the onset, Tambuwal had his eyes on the Sokoto governorship but as his popularity grew in leaps and bounds, he also toyed with the idea of taking a shot at the presidency on the platform of the PDP in 2015. However, as the PDP was gradually closing its doors against any aspirant that wished to challenge President Goodluck Jonathan for the prime post, he redirected his attention to his home state.

Tambuwal with the symbol of his new party, the All Progressives Congress (APC)

Fortunately, his political soulmate, Governor Wamakko had always had him at the back of his mind. So, Tambuwal being a shrewd and deft politician knew that it was dangerous to distance himself from the man with overwhelming control over the choice of who succeeds him come 2015.

Hence, with Sokoto becoming an APC state, Tambuwal discovered that in order to realise his ambition, he needed that platform and finally decided that it was time to go full blast with the APC and damn the consequences. Of course, he continued testing the waters and watching the reaction of the PDP. When the first 37 PDP lawmakers in the House defected to the APC, Tambuwal used the scenario as a litmus test to measure the aftermath that would accompany his movement. The PDP kicked and shrugged but the matter ended in the courts and almost one year after that development, no decision or final judgement has been heard on the case. As such, the defected members still maintain their seats in the parliament.

Following that development, speculations became rife that Tambuwal would be joining his colleagues in the APC. Sometimes, his political associates would fly a kite and watch the reaction. It was part of the ground testing that resulted in the widespread stories of that fateful Tuesday, October 28th, as almost all national dailies and online publications were awash with his planned defection to the APC. The stories were planted by his political think tank. But Tambuwal acted like a ‘Maradona’ and dribbled his colleagues and those who watched the day’s plenary by keeping them in suspense before making the long awaited confession.

Tambuwal’s journey to the APC will certainly continue to be rough, but the Speaker has also plotted a road map that may make it near impossible for the PDP to truncate the trip half way

How he defected The days plenary was delayed from 10a.m. and began at 11:05a.m. and was presided over by Tambuwal himself. The gallery was filled to capacity as Nigerians from different walks of life thronged the lower chambers to witness his defection, which had been widely reported by most national dailies and online media. The Speaker however kept everyone in suspense and waited until the end of the business of the day.

But it became obvious that Tambuwal was going to defect when after handing over to the deputy speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, when the House dissolved into the committee of the whole. Instead of leaving the chambers as it has been the practice, Tambuwal took his seat on the floor and waited for the deputy speaker to finish the consideration of reports, which was not done anyway.

The plenary was unusual in many ways as most of Tambuwal’s aides were present at the gallery. His chief of staff, Hon. Sada Soli, who hardly comes to the gallery was present and held discussions with the special adviser on media and public affairs, Mallam Imam Imam.

On the floor, over 50 members had gone to confer with Tambuwal at different times while he was presiding. It was also noticeable that Tambuwal was not as composed as he tends to rush the items on the order paper.

When the House reverted to plenary from committee of the whole, Tambuwal came back to his seat and announced the decisions. He immediately called upon the House Leader,

Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola to move for adjournment. At this point, many spectators who came to witness his reported defection started leaving the chambers including members of the House concluding he had shelved the plan. But when the motion for adjournment was seconded by the Deputy House Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor, instead of adjourning the House, Tambuwal brought out a piece of paper from his pocket and said: “Before I hit the gavel, I want to say this. My dear colleagues, pursuant to the extant provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and having regards to development in my home state of Sokoto, I wish to hereby formally notify you of my membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Let me register my profound appreciation to all of you my colleagues for the unflinching support you have continued to extend to me and the great sacrifice you are making in the pursuit of the overall national interest and the development of constitutional democracy.

“May the Almighty God continue to guide us all in the exercise of the people’s mandate entrusted in us. The House hereby stands adjourned till December 3.”

Aftermath There is no gain saying that Tambuwal knew and anticipated the hostility that would trail his defection and has planned on how to counter the offensive from the PDP. He is aware that the PDP was only tolerating him because as a speaker elected on the ticket of the PDP, Tambuwal for sometime boycotted major party functions but was always seen attending opposition party’s events. As a Speaker, Tambuwal avoided partisan decisions and almost always acted without putting into consideration the interest of the party. Instead, national interest has been the hallmark of his resolutions.

Before his eventual defection, Tambuwal had analysed and pre-empted the reaction of the PDP. His lawyers had enumerated the likely attacks that he would witness and plotted on how to keep them at bay. Therefore, his going to court last Friday to challenge the withdrawal of his security aides as well as seek for an injunction restraining the PDP from impeaching him or effecting recall against him were well anticipated.

Tambuwal’s journey to the APC will certainly continue to be rough but the Speaker has also plotted a road map that may make it near impossible for the PDP to truncate the trip half way. June 2015 may seem near but it is indeed going to be a long journey and perhaps only the courts and lawmakers can decide the destination.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Politics 43

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

George, Obanikoro’s feud deepens C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 5

particularly the assembly aspirants.

Jigawa: Guber aspirants call for cancellation Three gubernatorial aspirants in Jigawa have called for cancelation of Saturday’s party congress in the state.

The aspirants, Alhaji Abba Anas, Alhaji Danladi Auyo and Alhaji Amin Kani, in a joint news conference in Dutse, the state capital, on Monday said the congress was a sham.

The aspirants, who briefed journalists in Dutse, the state capital, said Governor Sule Lamido and his loyalists manipulated the process for his anointed candidate, Malam Aminu Ringim.

They complained of not having access to the delegate forms because they were hijacked by a candidate.

According to the aspirants, there was no evidence that a congress took place in the state.

Reacting to the situation, the PDP Secretary in the state, Alhaji Ali Gantsa, said the allegation was false and there was no manipulation during the congress.

Gantsa said the aspirants were Abujabased politicians and had no grassroots supports.

Lagos congress escalates Bode George, Obanikoro’s feud As expected, the ward congress in Lagos wasn’t seamless as the battle of wits between a former deputy national chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George and a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, clearly set members of the party on two different divide.

Obanikoro, who before now was counting on block votes of members to get his candidates elected at the ward level of the party, was shocked to the marrows to find out that the game plan changed along the line. His supporters, mostly the party’s local government chairmen, were said to have turned the tide against him and queued behind the George group.

Venting his anger via social media, the Lagos gubernatorial aspirant wrote on his Twitter handle a notice of complaint to the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’Azu, that George unduly interfered with the conduct of the congress.

The former minister, through his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Ohimai Godwin-Amaize, also noted on Twitter that the congresses held across the state were far from being free and fair, though he didn’t mention any specific ward where such irregularities occurred.

A leader of the party, who craved anonymity, told New Telegraph that the outcome of the election reflected the wishes of the party members, adding that in the 245 wards, the process was smooth sailing.

He said: “Don’t mind the former minister, he is only fighting a lost battle, we told him that he will still come back to meet us in Lagos after the 2007 governorship election. Here is it now, he is crying foul where there is none. George did not interfere in any congress as being speculated; the people have decided and there is no second thought.”

Ebonyi PDP tears apart Prior to the ward congress, there was confusion over the control of the party structure following the resignation of the Ebonyi State PDP chairman.

The party had on Friday October 31 after an emergency State Executive Council (SEC) meeting at the party’s sec-

George

retariat in Abakaliki nominated Hon. Ben Akpa as the substantive chairman of the state chapter. Some of the members kicked against this, insisting that the deputy chairman takes over when the chairman resigns. This resulted in some party members holding parallel meetings at all levels in the state.

The ward congresses held in the state were marred with irregularities in Ebonyi South and North senatorial zones.

In Onicha Local Government Area, violence erupted with three people sustaining varying degree of injuries.

In Okposi and Ohaozara local governments, but for the quick intervention of security agents, it would have been bloodbath. However, in Abakaliki area of the state, it was peaceful, except that there were some allegations that materials for the congresses arrived very late.

Congresses renew rivalry in Ogun The cleavages that existed within the PDP in Ogun State prior to its recent unification rally widened last Saturday as the party held delegates’ congresses.

Across the 236 wards of the state, the jostle for power and relevance among the rival groups in the party reared its head.

Four main camps – former Governor Gbenga Daniel, former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye, Prince Buruji Kashamu and remnants of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s group – are battling to gain the upper hand in spite of the directive by the PDP national leadership to forge unity and reconciliation in the state chapter.

Signs that the delegates’ congresses were anything but rancour-free was evident from the tension that enveloped the PDP state secretariat in Abeokuta.

There, party members loyal to former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, and Kashamu clashed and engaged in shouting match. The bone of contention was the inability of some delegates to submit their forms, leading to protest and subsequent deployment of mobile policemen to the party’s secretariat.

Supporters of Bankole, who is a frontline governorship aspirant in the state, accused the Chief Adebayo Dayo-led state executive committee of the party of frustrating their bid to submit forms of delegates. Dayo, whose leadership is widely acknowledged as the product

Obanikoro

Publicity Secretary Musa Danbirni, said consensus arrangement was adopted in the selection of the delegates.

Don’t mind the former minister, he is only fighting a lost battle, we told him that he will still come back to meet us in Lagos after the 2007 governorship election.

Here is it now

of Kashamu, denied the claim. But he chided Bankole for allegedly working with some chieftains to hijack the party primaries through manipulation of delegates.

Consensus in Nasarawa, Kano The ward congress was generally peaceful in Nasarawa State as delegates in all the 147 electoral wards emerged through consensus.

The exercise which began at about 10a.m. took place simultaneously across the 147 electoral wards of the 13 local government areas in the state without complaints or rancour from any quarters.

In Kano, the PDP was not able to hold its ward congresses, as leaders agreed on consensus arrangement between the party ward’s aspirants.

After a marathon meeting of over three hours, involving all the major stakeholders of the party including the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, his Foreign Affairs counterpart, Ambassador Aminu Wali and other top party officials, the state

Adamawa adopts old delegates Adamawa State chapter of the PDP adopted the old delegates ahead of the 2015 general election.

Sources at the stakeholders’ meeting said members agreed to adopt the old delegates with a little modification in some local governments to meet the yearnings of stakeholders due to the security situation in the state.

Another source at the meeting told reporters that virtually every stakeholder agreed to the adoption of the old delegates with the exception of former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and former Minister of State for Health, Dr. Idi Hong.

Jubilation as Imoke’s loyalists win It was a celebration in Cross River as loyalists of Governor Liyel Imoke emerged during the ward congress.

The ward congresses held in all the 196 wards except in Ikom where materials arrived late.

Even though Imoke is not contesting for any elective position, thousands of his loyalists trooped out to major streets on Sunday to celebrate the outcome of the congress.

The governor’s loyalists saw the outcome of the exercise as a re-affirmation of Imoke’s leadership of the party in the state.

Expressing happiness over the outcome, Hon. John Owan-Enoh, representing Obubra/Etung federal constituency, said the process shows there was internal democracy in the party and commended the leaders for encouraging politicians to go back to their people.

For the member representing Yakuur/Abi Federal Constituency, Hon. Bassey Ewa, he said: “I can tell you that the PDP members in Abi/Yakurr federal constituency are very happy at the outcome because they were given opportunity to file out and queued behind their delegates.”

Unity in Ondo The PDP ward congresses in Ondo State was peaceful with party members turning out en masse to elect the three delegates each from all the wards in the state.

44

Business | Money Line

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

EFCC probes N500m e-fraud cases in five banks PARADOX

Increased access to the Internet creates opportunity for cyber criminals

Kunle Azeez

T

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it is currently investigating the mystery surrounding the transfer of N5 million from a state’s funds within three minutes.

The fund was subsequently transferred into over 250 accounts residing with five commercial banks in the country.

Director of Operations at EFCC, Mr Olaolu Adegbite, disclosed this at the annual electronic fraud conference organised by the Electronic Payment Providers Association of Nigeria (E-PPAN) in Lagos yesterday.

He, however, refused to disclose the identity of the five banks nor the state government involved in the case.

Adegbite, who was represented by the Head, Lagos Zone of EFCC, Mr

Iliyasu Kwarbai, said the Commission was also collaborating with the Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) to get to the root of the e-fraud case.

According to him, the illegal transfer took place sometime this year between 4.29p.m and 4.31 p.m.

Adegbite said the case is a complicated one as the fraudsters deployment multiple channels of e-payment to perpetrated the ‘deed’.

According to him, “Processes used include Point of Sales (PoS) machines, National Instant Payment (NIP), Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), cash withdrawals, fund transfers and NIBSS Electronic Fund Transfers (NEFT).”

The increased access to Internet and the opening up of multiple channels of electronic payments is also providing ‘undue’ opportunities for online fraudsters to perpetrate a range cyber criminalities.

“There is no denying the fact that the cases of e-fraud are on the increase in Nigeria. Banks, most especially lose so much money to e-fraud annually, but they always try to shield it in secrecy

for image reasons. But e-fraud is happening every other day,” said Chief Operating Officer, Digital Encode Limited, Mr Adewale Obadare.

“The increased access to the internet is also benefiting cyber criminals who leverage the low-cost and multiplicity of e-payment channel to

launch their nefarious activities.”

For instance, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in the second quarter of this year, announced that commercials banks in Nigeria lost N40 billion to different cases of electronic frauds in the country, suggesting the huge

Godson Ikoro

H

ope that some oil and gas companies planning mergers and acquisitions will get support from local banks to support their upcoming deals has dimmed following the capital constraint on banks occasioned by the recent Central Bank of Nigeria‘s capping of foreign exchange borrowing by banks.

The Vice-President, Banking Analyst (SSA) Equity Research at Renaissance Capital (RenCap), Mr. Adesoji Solanke, disclosed this in a report issued by Renaissance Capital (Rencap) yesterday.

In a report issued on “Nigerian banks: Thoughts on CBN restrictions on foreign currency exposures,” RenCap said in terms of sector lending, the oil and gas players planning M&A deals were likely to bear the most brunt of the new CBN rules

Economic Indicators As at M2* CPS* INF IBR MPR 91-day NTB DPR PLR Bonny Light Ext Res**

N14,737,618.7m N16,509,472.5m 8 0.0000 12 10.899 7.96 17.01 US$109.9 US$42,604,781,796.6

Description

TTM

4.00% 23-Apr-2015 13.05% 16-Aug-2016 15.10% 27-Apr-2017 16.00% 29-Jun-2019 16.39% 27-Jan-2022 10.00% 23-Jul-2030

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 2/5/2014 1/20/2014 11/6/2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 1/20/2014 2/5/2014 Source:CBN

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

Offer Yield 13.01 13.40 13.47 13.49 13.44 13.59

Price 90.35 99.40 104.40 109.65 114.45 76.90

Tenor (Months) 1 2 3 6 9 12

Rate (%) 12.1827 12.2737 12.3744 12.8521 12.8535 13.8443

Treasury Bills Maturity Date 08-May-14 07-Aug-14 22-Jan-15

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

FX

Bid Spot ($/N) 163.28 THE FIXINGS –NIBOR,NITTY and NIFEX of February 6,2014

NITTY

Yield 12.86 13.33 13.35 13.42 13.38 13.53

Money Market Offer 11.85 11.85 11.80 Offer 163.38

Open-Buy-Back (OBB) Overnight (O/N)

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

loss being recorded by the lenders even though the banks are always reluctant to announce they were facing such losses for image reason.

Meanwhile, Adegbite has noted that today’s global law enforcement community is coming to terms with the severity of the sage of ICT, as

a tool and medium by organised criminal networks in diverse spheres of unlawful activities ranging from the more sophisticated cyber intrusion attacks to ATM fraud, counterfeit card fraud, identity/personal information theft, card skimming, advance feed fraud scams and so on.

Banks’ capital constraints dim support for oil sector over time, as many companies were looking to the local banks to support them in their upcoming deals.

According to the experts, the banks’ capital constraints and increased risk in upstream oil/gas loans in light of falling oil prices further underlines this point.

Going by the new rules on net open position for overall foreign currency assets and liabilities (on and off balance sheet), which has now been capped at 20 per cent of equity, RenCap said it was still awaiting some clarifications particularly WRT the off-balance sheet exposures where there is generally not much published detail.

Given the Foreign Currency Trading Position, which remains capped at one per cent, the experts said that based on RenCap’s understanding of the regulations, if it simply looks at net on-balance sheet FX assets and liabilities to determine the banks’ net open position (long or short) for on-balance sheet items, UBA exceeded the 20 per cent cap (net long) based on its FY13 results for the Nigeria banking business, while Access exceeded the 20 per cent cap (net short) based on its published 1H14 results for the

Nigeria banking business.

Access Bank’s management, however, noted that its net short position had reduced to 12 per cent as at 9M14, while UBA said its net long position had reduced to 7.2per cent in 9M14.

Furthermore, he said the regulations gave the banks six months to comply with the 20 per cent cap, net long or short for both on and offbalance sheet items, where there is a breach.

Also looking through the numbers, he said the 75 per cent cap appeared to have minimal impact for most banks.

RenCap believes that the new rules limit the room for additional FX lending going forward, as it gives the bigger banks more room to play in the FX lending space.

“Only Skye looks to be immediately affected by the 75 per cent cap on FX borrowings as a percentage of equity as it was at 99 per cent in 1H14. The bank should shrink the balance sheet or refinance the excess with local currency liabilities, in our view,” Solanke said.

It would be recalled that the CBN recently released regulations capping Nigerian banks’ FX borrowings at 75 per cent of shareholders’ funds.

NDIC bags award Abdul Wahab Isa

T

he Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has won the 2014 International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) award as the Best Deposit Insurance Organisation of the Year under Category 2 of the IADI Core Principles on Compliance and International Collaboration.

Established in May 2002 with the vision of “sharing deposit insurance expertise,” IADI is a standard setting organisation, which, among others, issues guidance on international best practices in deposit insurance and fosters collaboration among deposit insurance institutions in the world.

IADI has over the years been promoting international collaboration among deposit

insurance organisations and recognises commitment to excellence through the presentation of annual awards to deserving member institutions in specific categories.

The NDIC, being one of the founding members of IADI, identifies strongly with the ideals of the association and is therefore deeply honoured by the award out of 77 member institutions across the globe. The Corporation is also the first to win the award in Africa since the association initiated such awards five years ago.

In his acceptance of the award, the NDIC Managing Director/Chief Executive, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, said that the Corporation considered the award as a wake-up call and a spring board towards improving its deposit insurance services.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Business | Financiel Market News

45

Business | Financiel Market News

46

RETREAT

Drop in oil price depresses value in equities Stories by Chris Ugwu

T

he Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index

Nigerian bourse now the laggard –FBN Capital (NSEASI) has become the laggard of the three leading stock markets

Flour mills’ H1 profit down by 21.2%

F

lour Mills of Nigeria Plc has reported a 21 per cent drop in pre-tax profit for the halfyear ended September 30, 2014.

In a filing with the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the company’s profit after tax fell by 21.28 per cent to N5.77 billion compared with N7.33 billion recorded during the comparable year of 2013.

Revenue also dropped to N165.54 billion as against N167.98 billion last year.

Flour Mills’ pre-tax profit for the first-quarter had fallen by 24.5 per cent to N3.54 billion from N4.69 billion a year ago.

The company also said Turnover declined to N9.71 billion in the three months to June 30, compared with N10.49 billion in the same period of last year.

As part of growth strategy, FMN had said that it invested $250 million in Golden Sugar Company Limited.

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Paul Gbededo, disclosed this at the company’s “Facts behind the Figures” at the Exchange in Lagos.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

‘‘For Golden Sugar, a $250 million investment, the first time was a very difficult year, we only operated for about nine months,’’ he said.

On the business of sugar production in Nigeria, Gbededo said before FMN ventured into that area last year, it was selling at N9,000 a bag. ‘‘Before we came on board, sugar was selling in the Nigerian market at N9,000 per bag, as soon as we came in, it dropped to N5, 500,’’ the FMN CEO affirmed.

He affirmed that due to the entry of FMN into the sugar market, Nigerians were now benefitting because of the drop in prices, saying, ‘‘it’s a business that will help Nigeria not for only local consumption; but for the whole of the sub region.’’

Explaining why Golden Sugar didn’t impact much on the Group’s profit for the year he said when the Nigerian government enacted the sugar master plan which was launched last year, willing investors were mandated to go back to the land to invest in cultivation of sugarcane.

in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), FBN Capital has said.

The analysts at the FBN Capital in a report obtained by New Telegraph stated that the stocks fell the previous day for the eighth successive trading session, and its year-to-date (ytd) losses were now close to double-digit.

“The short-lived boost from the increase in the country weighting in the MSCI frontier index with effect from 30 May now belongs to the distant past. The start of tapering by the US Federal Reserve in Q1 2014 saw

a sell-off on all three exchanges,” they noted.

The analysts said now that the process (of tapering) was formally completed, which had seemed highly likely for several weeks, the only loser has been Lagos.

According to them, the NSEASI was last in positive territory ytd on September 01, and the culprit has to be the rapid slide in the crude oil price.

“Investors know full well the impact of such a slide on the forex market, the reserves and the public finances, given the pivotal role of oil

revenues in the macroeconomy.

“The relative underperformance of Lagos can also be traced to stretched valuations.

The NSEASI soared by 47 per cent in local currency terms in 2013, and the number of “screaming buys” is much reduced, particularly for non-financials. In Nairobi, valuations for the same stocks (non-banking) are far more attractive, the experts said.

In a related development, according to Bloomberg News stocks in Nigeria, Africa’s largest crude producer,

dropped for a ninth day to their lowest level in more than a year, joining a selloff in oil-exporting nations’ shares as the price of the commodity retreated.

The Exchange’s AllShare Index fell 1.4 per cent to 36,804.76, the lowest since October 2013.

Shares in Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), including Kuwait and Indonesia, fell as West Texas Intermediate and Brent declined.

“The oil price has a direct impact on the naira, so the slide is affecting interest in Nigerian stocks. It doesn’t seem oil will be anything strong this year as demand to OPEC is not increasing,” Mike Nwanolue, an analyst at Lagos-based Greenwich Trust Group Limited, said.

Investors lose N198bn in bearish market

O

verall market performance indicators, the NSE ASI and market capitalization declined by 1.63 per cent each yesterday– extending losses to the ninth consecutive trading day.

Sell pressure forced the values of equities lower across board, resulting in dip in market capitalisation by N198 billion.

Consequently, the All-Share Index dipped 599 basis points or 1.63 per cent to close at 36,744.46 as against 37,343.85 recorded the previous day while the market capitalisation of equities depreciated

by N198 billion or 1.63 per cent from N12.368 trillion the previ-

ous day to N12.170 trillion, as market sentiment remained on the southwards trajectory.

Meanwhile, a turnover of 752.7 million shares worth N4.1 billion in 4,997 deals was recorded in the day’s trading.

The insurance sub-sector of the financial services sector was the most active during the day (measured by turnover volume); with 496.7 million shares worth N251.3 billion exchanged by investors in 226 deals.

Volume in the insurance sub-sector was largely driven by activities in the shares of Linkage Assurance Plc. The banking sub-sector was activated with the shares of GTB and Zenith Bank Plc

followed with 131.9 million shares valued at N1.8 billion in 1,934 deals.

On the gainers’ chart, Cutix Nigeria Plc rose by 4.61 per cent to close at N1.56 per share while shares of Costain West Africa Plc advanced by 4.44 per cent to close at 94 kobo per share. NPF Micro Finance Bank Plc dropped by 4.35 per cent to close at 96 kobo.

On the losers’ chart, Ashaka Cement Plc, Lafarge Wapco Plc and UAC Property Plc declined by five per cent each to close at N28.88, N99.28 and N13.30 per share respectively while Presco dropped by 4.98 per cent to close at N27.49 per share. PZ Cussons shed 4.97 per cent to close at N20.45 per share.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 Daily Summary as of 04/11/2014 Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015

Daily Summary as of 04/11/2014

Business | Capital Market

47

Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at November 4, 2014 Daily Summary (Equities)

Daily Summary (Bonds)

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Activity Summary on Board DEBT Federal

Bond Name 16.39% FGN JAN 2022 Federal Totals

Symbol FG9B2022S1

DEBT Board Totals

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 118.80

1

Bond Activity Totals

1

Quantity Traded 1,500 1500

Value Traded 1,850,146.21 1,850,146.21

1,500

1,850,146.21

1500

1,850,146.21

Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production Daily SummaryFTN as of 04/11/2014 COCOA PROCESSORS PLC OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015 PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

Symbol FTNCOCOA OKOMUOIL PRESCO

No. of Deals 1 6 20 27

Current Price 0.50 31.35 27.49

Quantity Traded 1,000 5,620 183,940 190,560

Value Traded 500.00 167,419.80 5,057,944.60 5,225,864.40

Symbol

No. of Deals 8 8

Current Price 2.84

Quantity Traded 114,480 114,480

Value Traded 325,123.20 325,123.20

305,040

5,550,987.60

DailyLIVESTOCK Summary (Equities)

Activity SummaryTotals on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © JOHN HOLT PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals

35

Symbol AGLEVENT JOHNHOLT TRANSCORP UACN

No. of Deals 2 1 279 85 367

CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals Daily Summary as of 04/11/2014 Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015 Real Estate Development

UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST Real Investment Trusts (REITs) Totals ActivityEstate Summary on Board EQTY

367 Symbol COSTAIN

Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. JOS INT. BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. PREMIER BREWERIES PLC Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Daily Summary as of 04/11/2014 Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015 Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC ActivityNATIONAL SummarySALT on Board EQTY CO. NIG. PLC CONSUMER GOODS Published Food

by TheProducts Nigerian Stock Exchange © N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. Food Products Totals

Quantity Traded 5,000 Page 600 33,333,411 768,427 34,107,438

Value Traded 6,956.20 1 of 14 588.00 130,257,505.96 38,278,562.40 168,543,612.56

34,107,438

168,543,612.56

Quantity Traded 577,309 577,309

Value Traded 539,453.90 539,453.90

No. of Deals 20 20

Current Price 0.94

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 6 6

Current Price 67.20

Quantity Traded 41,500 41,500

Value Traded 2,649,360.00 2,649,360.00

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 15 15

Current Price 13.30

Quantity Traded 95,760 95,760

Value Traded 1,273,662.00 1,273,662.00

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals Current Price

Quantity Traded 2,200 2,200

Value Traded 19,800.00 19,800.00

UPDCREIT

1 1

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC Automobiles/Auto Parts Totals

Current Price 1.45 1.03 3.92 49.50

9.00

42

716,769 Page

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 5,000 5,000

Value Traded 2,500.00 2,500.00

Symbol CHAMPION GUINNESS INTBREW JOSBREW NB PREMBREW

No. of Deals 2 55 53 1 176 2 289

Current Price 13.49 161.10 31.51 2.12 155.94 3.98

Quantity Traded 20,143 240,430 2,102,616 200 2,827,576 500 5,191,465

Value Traded 258,233.26 38,768,044.95 66,258,190.11 404.00 439,591,914.21 2,085.00 544,878,871.53

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 77 77

Current Price 155.00

Quantity Traded 1,664,151 1,664,151

Value Traded 262,238,495.08 262,238,495.08

Symbol No. of Deals DANGFLOUR 9 DANGSUGAR 61 Daily Summary (Equities) FLOURMILL 31 HONYFLOUR 27 NASCON 29

Current Price 6.55 6.65 61.40 3.85 7.70

Quantity Traded 12,128 1,003,670 71,014 263,791 354,823

Value Traded 71,952.76 6,675,625.50 3,937,260.88 988,897.85 2,748,799.53 3 of 14 Value Traded 198,600.00 14,621,136.52

Current Price 20.90

Quantity Traded 10,000 1,715,426

Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals

Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

No. of Deals 113 65 178

Current Price 40.60 980.00

Quantity Traded 618,588 108,572 727,160

Value Traded 24,246,664.12 102,297,013.23 126,543,677.35

Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. VONO PRODUCTS PLC. Household Durables Totals

Symbol VITAFOAM VONO

No. of Deals 17 1 18

Current Price 4.28 1.23

Quantity Traded 811,050 1,000 812,050

Value Traded 3,372,095.50 1,220.00 3,373,315.50

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

No. of Deals 42 64 106

Current Price 20.45 33.00

Quantity Traded 354,164 880,465 1,234,629

Value Traded 7,244,225.00 28,906,367.95 36,150,592.95

11,349,881

987,808,588.93

FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. ActivityUNITED Summary onFOR Board EQTY BANK AFRICA PLC

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals

Symbol ACCESS DIAMONDBNK ETI

No. of Deals 166 147 163

Current Price 8.50 5.60 18.70

Quantity Traded 14,312,484 13,006,358 16,628,373

Value Traded 120,993,559.12 73,265,462.18 312,565,437.29

Symbol No. of Deals FIDELITYBK 81 GUARANTY 513 Daily Summary (Equities) SKYEBANK 157 STERLNBANK 28 UBA 188

Current Price 1.90 25.31 2.70 2.30 4.94

Page Quantity Traded 5,223,468 33,086,986 8,756,604 1,180,023 13,843,905

4 of 14 Value Traded 9,844,715.32 839,527,718.89 23,333,521.10 2,698,529.55 68,795,471.04

Daily Summary (Equities)

No. of Deals 63 2 37 389 1,934

Current Price 7.90 0.50 0.95 21.66

Quantity Traded 2,340,211 5,000 7,410,363 16,110,195 131,903,970

No. of Deals 1 38 12 11 2 12 2 79 4 2 22 3 10 2 (Equities) 1 2 1

Current Price 0.50 0.81 0.95 0.50 0.50 0.51 0.50 0.50 3.00 0.52 0.72 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded 300 751,187 1,324,900 721,628 2,100 697,671 30,000 482,575,100 122,750 2,100 4,264,401 57,000 448,500 500,000Page 100 2,100 3,000

Value Traded 150.00 613,356.41 1,260,441.56 360,814.00 1,050.00 350,695.90 15,000.00 241,287,550.00 368,332.50 1,050.00 3,066,433.98 28,500.00 224,590.00 5 250,000.00 of 14 50.00 1,050.00 1,500.00

Symbol UNIVINSURE WAPIC

No. of Deals 2 50 256

Current Price 0.50 0.67

Page Quantity Traded 57,000 5,225,910 496,785,747

6Value Traded of 14 28,500.00 3,521,950.70 251,381,015.05

Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals

Symbol NPFMCRFBK

No. of Deals 5 5

Current Price 0.96

Quantity Traded 407,900 407,900

Value Traded 389,834.00 389,834.00

Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services ABBEY MORTGAGE BANK PLC ASO SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC UNION HOMES SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC. Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Symbol ABBEYBDS ASOSAVINGS UNHOMES

No. of Deals 1 1 1 3

Current Price 1.30 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded 200,000 6,000 6,250 212,250

Value Traded 260,000.00 3,000.00 3,125.00 266,125.00

Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC DEAP CAPITAL MANAGEMENT & TRUST PLC FBN HOLDINGS PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. NIGERIA ENERYGY SECTOR FUND ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS DEAPCAP FBNH FCMB NESF ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 44 28 1 513 89 2 14 58 81

Current Price 2.90 3.65 0.79 11.02 3.69 552.20 0.53 29.62 1.73

Quantity Traded 2,393,432 4,264,256 2,000 27,748,321 16,313,486 20 250,069 3,329,364 1,447,167

Value Traded 6,940,793.70 15,651,578.51 1,520.00 306,906,037.96 61,913,357.01 11,580.00 133,030.89 100,036,275.85 2,542,659.74

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AFRICAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CORNERSTONE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC. EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC MANSARD INSURANCE PLC Daily Summary as of 04/11/2014 MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015 N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. Published by SOVEREIGN The Nigerian Stock Exchange © TRUST INSURANCE PLC STANDARD TRUST ASSURANCE PLC STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC. Activity Summary on Board UNIC INSURANCE PLC. EQTY

FINANCIAL SERVICES Published by The Nigerian Stock Brokers Exchange © Services Insurance Carriers, and UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Symbol UBN UNITYBNK WEMABANK ZENITHBANK Symbol AFRINSURE AIICO CONTINSURE CORNERST EQUITYASUR INTENEGINS LASACO LINKASSURE MANSARD MBENEFIT NEM NIGERINS PRESTIGE SOVRENINS Daily Summary STACO STDINSURE UNIC

Page

Value Traded 18,612,245.80 2,500.00 6,957,980.05 357,771,377.06 1,834,368,517.40

7

of

IT Services NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. Totals Published IT

by Services The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Quantity Traded 55,748,115

Value Traded 494,136,833.66

685,057,982

2,580,542,325.11

Quantity Traded 5,000 636,990 1,995,681 48,406

Value Traded 10,450.00 2,115,967.30 102,348,202.26 80,186.00

3,028 Symbol EVANSMED

No. of Deals 1 13 16 19

FIDSON Daily Summary (Equities) GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER

Symbol NEIMETH PHARMDEKO

No. of Deals 17 3 69

HEALTHCARE Totals ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC Computer Based Systems Totals

Current Price

Current Price 2.20 3.35 51.35 1.64

Current Price 0.95 2.61

Quantity Traded 273,140 31,260 2,990,477

Value Traded 258,006.00 77,524.80 104,890,336.36

2,990,477

104,890,336.36

69 Symbol COURTVILLE

No. of Deals 5 5

Current Price 0.53

Quantity Traded 5,310,000 5,310,000

Value Traded 3,018,300.00 3,018,300.00

Symbol NCR TRIPPLEG

No. of Deals 4 1 5

Current Price 12.83 1.86

Quantity Traded 30,530 1,000 31,530Page

Value Traded 372,263.00 1,770.00 8 374,033.00 of 14

Symbol CHAMS

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 1,001,000 1,001,000

Value Traded 500,500.00 500,500.00

6,342,530

3,892,833.00

Current Price 28.88 8.00

Quantity Traded 605,999 2,684

Value Traded 17,501,251.12 20,398.96

12

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals ASHAKACEM BERGER

16 3

Page

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

No. of Deals 1 158

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC Activity Summary on Board EQTY ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED Daily Summary as of 04/11/2014 FINANCIAL SERVICES Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015 Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Banking

HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC. Pharmaceuticals Totals

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC EQTY Activity Summary on Board

No. of Deals 1 1

827

No. of Deals 830

ICT Totals

Symbol NNFM

Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Daily Summary as of 04/11/2014 Personal/Household Products Totals Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015 CONSUMER GOODS Totals

HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Processing Systems

Symbol DUNLOP

Page

Symbol

FINANCIAL Daily Summary as ofSERVICES 04/11/2014Totals Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015

CHAMS Daily Summary as of PLC 04/11/2014 Processing Systems Totals Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015

4,482,275.90 of 14

2

FINANCIAL SERVICES Other Financial Institutions Other Financial Institutions Totals

9

of

14

Symbol CAP CCNN DANGCEM PORTPAINT WAPCO

No. of Deals 11 19 12 2 21 84

Current Price 40.40 12.16 208.89 5.23 99.28

Quantity Traded 33,230 228,441 93,474 1,100 1,007,745 1,972,673

Value Traded 1,279,487.20 2,782,252.56 19,529,630.36 5,470.00 100,048,923.60 141,167,413.80

Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

Symbol CUTIX

No. of Deals 10 10

Current Price 1.59

Quantity Traded 280,958 280,958

Value Traded 439,493.12 439,493.12

Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC. Packaging/Containers Totals

Symbol BETAGLAS

No. of Deals 6 6

Current Price 21.00

Quantity Traded 54,000 54,000

Value Traded 1,188,000.00 1,188,000.00

2,307,631

142,794,906.92

Quantity Traded 5,000 5,000

Value Traded 2,500.00 2,500.00

5,000

2,500.00

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals Daily Summary as of 04/11/2014 Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015 NATURAL RESOURCES Mining Services MULTIVERSE PLC Mining Services Totals

100 Symbol MULTIVERSE

No. of Deals 1 1

Daily Summary (Equities)

NATURAL RESOURCES Totals Activity Summary on Board EQTY OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Energy Equipment and Services Totals

Current Price 0.50

1

Symbol JAPAULOIL

No. of Deals 5 5

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 86,500 Page 86,500

Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 223 223

Current Price 20.75

Quantity Traded 3,396,833 3,396,833

Value Traded 70,095,325.14 70,095,325.14

Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

Symbol CONOIL ETERNA FO MOBIL MRS TOTAL

No. of Deals 9 18 83 28 3 21 162

Current Price 49.23 3.48 208.15 170.50 56.00 157.71

Quantity Traded 4,624 309,071 378,967 64,551 300 30,987 788,500

Value Traded 216,264.48 1,080,427.08 79,685,461.27 10,617,612.25 15,960.00 4,910,695.64 96,526,420.72

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 12 12

Current Price 544.59

Quantity Traded 4,625 4,625

Value Traded 2,392,836.25 2,392,836.25

4,276,458

169,057,832.11 Value Traded 156,619.74

Daily Summary as of 04/11/2014 Exploration and Production Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015 SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals

OIL AND GAS Totals SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Activity Board EQTY R TSummary BRISCOE on PLC.

Daily Summary (Equities)

402

Value Traded 43,250.00 of 14 43,250.00

10

Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 16

Current Price 0.78

Quantity Traded 200,333

Symbol

No. of Deals 16

Current Price

Page Quantity Traded 200,333

Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals

Symbol REDSTAREX TRANSEXPR

No. of Deals 11 1 12

Current Price 3.82 1.29

Quantity Traded 1,843,020 500 1,843,520

Value Traded 7,340,725.00 615.00 7,341,340.00

Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC. Employment Solutions Totals

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 101 101

Value Traded 50.50 50.50

Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals

Symbol IKEJAHOTEL

No. of Deals 29 29

Current Price 2.78

Quantity Traded 1,300,902 1,300,902

Value Traded 3,556,848.93 3,556,848.93

Media/Entertainment

Symbol DAARCOMM

No. of Deals 3 3

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 36,000 36,000

Value Traded 18,000.00 18,000.00

Printing/Publishing LEARN AFRICA PLC Printing/Publishing Totals

Symbol LEARNAFRCA

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 1.51

Quantity Traded 3,000 3,000

Value Traded 4,320.00 4,320.00

Symbol ABCTRANS

No. of Deals 13

Current Price 0.65

Quantity Traded 1,157,934

Value Traded 752,677.10

Symbol

No. of Deals 13

Current Price

Quantity Traded Page 1,157,934

Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals

Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

No. of Deals 3 18 21

Current Price 1.83 5.09

Quantity Traded 42,200 216,411 258,611

Value Traded 79,380.00 1,050,959.79 1,130,339.79

Support and Logistics CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC Support and Logistics Totals

Symbol CAVERTON

No. of Deals 16 16

Current Price 4.20

Quantity Traded 511,101 511,101

Value Traded 2,131,301.00 2,131,301.00

SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers© Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals

DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Daily Summary as of 04/11/2014 Media/Entertainment Totals Printed 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015

Road Transportation Activity Summary on Board EQTYPLC ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY SERVICES

Road Published by The Transportation Nigerian Stock Exchange © Road Transportation Totals

Daily Summary (Equities)

SERVICES Totals

EQTY Board Totals Daily Summary as of 04/11/2014 PrintedActivity 04/11/2014 14:48:15.015 Summary on Board ASeM OIL AND GAS Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CAPITAL OIL PLC Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

Daily Summary (Equities)

Symbol

Equity Activity Totals

Value Traded 12 of 14 752,677.10

113

5,311,502

15,091,497.06

752,770,708

4,182,657,695.55

Quantity Traded 100 100

Value Traded 50.00 50.00

No. of Deals 1 1

Activity on Board ASeM OIL ANDSummary GAS Totals

156,619.74

4,996

Daily Summary (Equities) CAPOIL

ASeM Board Totals Published

by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

11 of 14 Value Traded

Current Price 0.50

1

100

1

100 Page

4,997

50.00

752,770,808

13

of50.00 14

4,182,657,745.55

Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund

Name NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals

Symbol NEWGOLD VETGRIF30

No. of Deals 1 2 3

Current Price 1,884.00 16.49

Quantity Traded 10 10 20

Value Traded 18,840.00 164.80 19,004.80

ETF Board Totals

3

20

19,004.80

ETP Activity Totals

3

20

19,004.80

14

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Page

14

of

14

48

News

There is no zoning in PDP, says Utuama Gabriel Choba Utuama

D

elta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Agbe Utuama, yesterday said that there is no zoning in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as regards the governorship election in the state next year, just as he vowed to consolidate on the gains of democracy when elected as governor in 2015.

Utuama, who spoke at his family compound in Otu-Jeremi while accepting the nomination form procured for him by a group known as ‘Network for Utuama’, thanked them for deeming him fit to contest the election.

Utuama said: “I am going to consolidate on the gains of democracy since 1999 and add to that and move the state forward for the good of all. Anything good that has happened in Delta shall be consolidated.

I want to assure you that I will fulfill my vow on this.

“I want to also assure you that by the grace of God and your total support, we shall get to our destination. I have never served in any capacity with the intention to profit myself. I was in the university for 17 years before becoming a professor of law.” Utuama added.

SOUTH-SOUTH

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

‘Wike’s guber ambition poses no security threat’ Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

P

eoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders from the Kalabari area of Rivers State have dismissed as untrue comments made by Nigeria’s former security chief, Albert Horsfall, that the candidature of the immediate

past Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, poses a threat to the peace and security of the state.

They said that the fears being expressed by the former Rivers State Rehabilitation Committee was misplaced, because the PDP did not zone the state’s governorship seat to any ethnic group or senatorial district.

The group said only the people have the right to decide who governs the state in 2015, and that the only way to do that is through the ballot.

The forum’s leader, Precious Elekima, who stated this, said Wike was eminently qualified to contest the governorship election, and urged Horsfall to concentrate on the

job assigned to him by the government, and leave politicians to do their work.

He also said that Wike has the capacity to govern the state successfully if he wins, he also dismissed the fears expressed by Horsefall that Wike’s guber ambition has the potential of causing security concerns.

The group’s spokesman, Somina Elekima,

described those criticising the candidacy of Wike as crybabies and losers who lack political value or relevance.

He said: “What is fair and equitable is to make the race open for every qualified and competent aspirant, and ultimately allow the people of Rivers State speak through their votes at the polls.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant and former Chairman, Presidential Committee on Power, Mr. Bekinbo Dagogo-Jack (2nd right), during a political rally in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State

APC stakeholders pay tribute to late Edo lawmaker Maritime union’s strike cripples Bayelsa Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

Chris Ejim Yenagoa

S

ocio-economic activities in many parts of Bayelsa State have been grounded in the last five days, following the indefinite strike embarked upon by Maritime Workers Union in the state. The strike was declared over the rising wave of sea pirate activities along the waterways of the state.

The strike action, New Telegraph learnt, disrupted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ward congress on Saturday in Ekeremor, Southern Ijaw, Brass and Nembe Local Government areas that are not connected to Yenagoa by road.

When our correspondent visited the popular Swali Market Boat Terminal in Yenagoa and Ayama Jetty, commuters were seen hanging around the waiting shade at the jetty with no hope of getting to their destinations any soon.

Chairman of the union, Comrade Lloyd Sese, told New Telegraph that the maritime workers embarked on

the action due to state government’s inability to combat sea pirate activities, which has hampered marine transportation in the state.

He said when government eventually made an attempt to tackle the situation, it set up a task force led by those sponsoring the activities of the pirates, leaving maritime workers out of the entire process.

He added that the union is also demanding for inclusion into both the federal and state government’s Subsidy Re-investment Programme (SURE-P), stressing that they have not benefitted from the programme since its introduction.

“This time we are embarking on an indefinite strike, because government has decided not to live up to its responsibilities. Cases of sea pirate attacks on our waterways are increasing by the day.

“We went on a 21-day warning strike and midway into it, the commissioner transport pleaded that we suspend the strike with the promise that in two weeks, government would meet our demands.”

T

he leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State yesterday lamented the death of the lawmaker representing Etsako East constituency of the state, Hon. Peter Aliu, describing his death as a great loss to the party and the state.

Chairman of APC, Mr. Anselm Ojezua, said the

late Aliu was a pillar and a stabilising force both in the House of Assembly and the APC in Etsako East constituency.

Speaking when he led the executive members of the party on a condolence visit to the family of the deceased, Ojezua bemoaned the lawmaker’s sad exit, saying that members of the party “are weeping because we have lost one of the most dedicated party members.”

This came as the senator representing Edo North senatorial district, Domingo Obende, said the party would miss the late lawmaker.

He said: “It is a painful situation because this man was a very peaceful man and nice to everybody and everybody called him Erama in the sense that he was just a father figure to everybody, sometimes you start to wonder how old is he really that we all

call him Erama; it is because of his disposition and the way he handled things. You really can see that he had that native intelligence and what can really bring the people together irrespective of the situation.”

Also, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Uyi Igbe, also described the deceased as a titan of principle, who exhibited an unwavering loyalty to his party, the APC.

Nurse, others, beaten to stupor over use of Ebola kit Gabriel Choba Ughelli

A

nurse and other non-medical staff of government-owned hospital in Bomadi, got the beating of their lives yesterday for insisting on the usage of protective hand gloves before

administering treatment on a patient.

The incident occurred around 8.15pm at the female/children ward of the hospital, when a nurse on duty asked a 46-yearold man identified as Mr. P. Ebitonmo, whose son was on admission to provide hand gloves to enable

her change the infusion.

According to a dependable source, the request by the nurse generated heated argument and in the ensuing circumstance, Ebitonmo pounced on the nurse, throwing punches at her while the nurse scampered for safety.

The source said, the inci-

dent threw the hospital into confusion as two other nonmedical staff, who attempted to restrain Ebitonmo from further attacking the nurse was also beaten up.

He said the man later took to his heels, when he heard that the Joint Task Force had been informed and were on their way.

Jailbreak: New Koton Karfe prison ready in two weeks –Moro Emmanuel Onani Abuja

T

he Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, has assured that construction work on the

new Koton-Karfe prison in Kogi State, will be completed in two weeks.

The move is to prevent a recurrence of Sunday’s jailbreak at the old facility, where 144 inmates

were said to have escaped.

Moro gave the indication during a visit to assess the extent of damage from the attack.

He further noted that the incident, had the po-

tential of exacerbating the insecurity in the country.

According to the Minister, “the prison, when completed in two weeks, will effectively house criminals.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

News 49

NORTH

Gaidam condemns attack on Potiskum Hassan Jirgi Damaturu

Y

obe State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, has condemned the attack on Potiskum, describing it as unfortunate as majority of the victims were women and children.

Gaidam spoke during a condolence visit to the scene of the attack, the Fudiyya Islamic School and the General Hospital in the town, where survivors are receiving treatment. He prayed for

3,706

an end to the crisis.

He also regretted that the attack came at a time when peace was returning to the town and Yobe State in general.

He described those behind the attack as criminals, who want to fan the embers of religious discord, adding that people should remain calm and vigilant.

Gaidam also directed government hospitals in the area to provide immediate treatment to victims free of charge, urging all such hospitals screening the injured, some of them with complex cases, to do their

best to save lives.

Also, the Youth Leader of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Yobe State, Alhaji Adamu Ado Bamboy, yesterday commiserated with the government and the people over the bomb blast that occurred on Monday.

Adamu described the attack as heinous, barbaric and unwarranted.

Leader of the movement in Potiskum, Mallam Mustapha Lawan Nasidi, told New Telegraph that a total of 30 people were confirmed dead while 80 others were injured.

Meanwhile, reports

0.34%

The number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) The percentage share of passenger air cases of Sierra Leone as at October 19, travel of Ibadan airport of Nigeria’s total air 2014. passengers in 2013.

Source: Who.int Source: National Bureau of Statistics

from Damaturu yesterday said the All Progressives Congress (APC) may lose the governorship election in the state if Gaidam would re-contest for a second term in office.

Speaking to newsmen in Damaturu, Alhaji Muhammed Gaskanta, said majority of the youths in the state and other APC leaders and stakeholders are not in support of the House of Assembly members in any attempt to present Gaidam for a second term, which he said will lead to the party’s failure in the forthcoming general elections.

4.1m

The total population of Liberia (rep. 0.059% of world’s population) in 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

But a former Treasurer of the APC, Alhaji Muhammed Gaskanta, said Yobe remains a stronghold of the APC, assuring that APC presidential aspirant, General Muhammadu Buhari, will get one hundred percent of the state’s votes in the 2015 elections.

He said: “In view of the fact that there is widespread disenchantment in the state APC and in Yobe State, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, cannot claim to have the capacity to single handedly deliver the votes of Yobe to the president in 2015.”

267

The ratio of NCD age-standardized deaths per 100,000 male inhabitants of high-income countries in 2008.

Source: Who.int

L-R: Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda; state’s Patron, Justice Suleiman Darazo and Security Adviser to Kano State Governor, Dr. Ali Yakasai, during the investiture of Yuguda as the Grand Patron of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Bauchi State chapter, in Bauchi …yesterday

Benue congress panel receives 32 petitions Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

T

he Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ward Congress Committee for Benue State, Chike Udensi, yesterday said that his committee has received over 32 petitions, which would be handled by a three-man appeal panel led by Umar Nadada.

Udensi, who said this during an interaction session with journalists in Makurdi also acknowledged that there were certain hiccups in the conduct of last Saturday’s wards congress in the state, maintaining that party members had preconceived notion that the congress would be hijacked.

He said there were clear cases of irregularities in Konshisha Local Government, which led to the cancellation of the exercise, while in Okpokwu one person was allegedly killed for disrupting the exercise.

He said: “There was apprehension, but we did our best to calm nerves. We tried to accommodate all shades of opinion. In spite of the distractions, we remained focused. I believe that in good conscience, we have done a good job and the end has justified the means,” Chike boasted.

In another development, however, 145 PDP aspirants have so far picked their Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms to contest various elective positions in Benue State.

PDP members circulate delegates’ list in Kwara Controversy trails Adamawa ward congress Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

M

embers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State were yesterday seen circulating the official delegates’ list derived from last weekend’s congress of the party.

The development, according to findings by our reporter, was sequel to what some party loyalists described as a desperate attempt by some aspirants, especially gubernatorial aspirants to ‘doctor’ the list, so that it would favour them at the eventual dele-

gates congress, where the party’s flag bearers would be picked.

“I can tell you, most of them are not the saints they tell us they are,” one of the aspirants from the northern part of the state told our reporter on phone yesterday.

He said each gubernatorial hopeful has perfected a ‘Plan A’ to influence the delegates’ list, but that in many instances they were outsmarted by the people, who also resorted to the use of technology to guard the voting process.

“What we did in our

own case was that once you came out with your supporters behind you, we take the pictures and we can count them,” one of those involved in the process, but who pleaded not to be identified, also said.

He added that his own team had to accompany the final list to the party’s secretariat. It was gathered that some aspirants ensured that ward chairmen from their constituencies also came to the secretariat to authenticate their respective lists, which were thereafter photocopied and circulated among members.

ABUJA

F

ormer Chief of Staff to Niger State Governor, Umar Mohammed Nasko, yesterday said the peace being enjoyed in

the state was as a result of measures put in place by the state government.

Nasko, who is an aspirant to the Niger State governorship seat, promised to sustain the peace elected governor next year.

Yola

C

ontroversy yesterday continue to trail the results of the Adamawa State ward congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is yet to be released, just as the Chairman of the Congress Electoral Panel, Senator Abdullahi B. Adamu, attributed the controversy to what he

“I attended several security council meetings as Chief of Staff and I know the various strategies that were taken to tackle the different insurgencies that happened in the state, which were nipped in the bud.

described as “the cumbersome nature of the work.’’

Three days after the ward congress was conducted, expectations from the people that the ward congress results would be released was rife, but the committee chairman while briefing the press at the state PDP office, said the results would be released in Abuja in company of the state Chairman, Chief Joel

Hamanjoda Madaki.

During the briefing, one of the PDP gubernatorial aspirants, Dr. Dahiru Ahmed Modibbo, said he was speaking on behalf of all the governorships aspirants under the platform of the party that participated in the congress and were duly satisfied with the outcome even though the actual results are yet to be released.

‘I will revitalise agriculture if voted into office’ Dahiru Suleiman Dutse

A

Nasko: How we made Niger peaceful Onyekachi Eze

Ibrahim Abdul

n All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial aspirant in Jigawa State, Ubale Hashim Yusuf, has promised to revitalise agriculture in the state if voted into office in next year’s election.

Yusuf spoke while picking the APC Expression of Intent and nomina-

tion governorship forms yesterday. He assured the people that if given the mandate, he would accord priority to agriculture in order to strengthen the state’s comatose revenue sector and boost industrialisation.

“We are going to revive the agricultural sector through transforming our old age farming system to modern, mecha-

nised agriculture, where our farmers would produce in large quantities.”

Speaking further on his declaration, he said: “We are here today to publicly show our yearnings for change, a change for a better and prosperous Jigawa State, as well as to demonstrate our determination at securing a permanent and durable solution for our future,” he added.

50

News

WORLD | News

Ahmed: Kwara won’t retrench workers Biodun Oyeleye

Ilorin

K

wara State Governor, Alhaji AbduFatah Ahmed, has promised to ensure that workers are not retrenched due to the continuous reduction in federal allocation to the state, saying his administration will continue to create a viable environment for workers to thrive.

Ahmed, who made the pledge after civil servants in the state endorsed his second term bid at an interactive session, assured the civil servants and other public sector workers in the state that their salaries

would continue to be paid promptly despite the drastic shortfall in the monthly Federation Account Allocation to the state.

While describing the civil service as the most important instrument of service delivery for any government, the governor asserted that “no matter how low the allocations from the federation account may be, salaries of workers will be paid as at when due. As long as I sit here as Governor of Kwara State, I will ensure that your planning processes as civil servants are not distorted through irregular payment of salaries”.

He added that despite the shortfall in federa-

tion account allocation, workers would not be retrenched, stressing that the welfare of workers would continue to be accorded upward review explaining that while earning from federation account has slided to about N2.4billion monthly, the state’s monthly commitments including salaries stand at about N2.7bn.

In his response, Chairman of the Trade Union Congress in Kwara State, Comrade Kola Olumoh, said in view of the outstanding performances of Ahmed and being the only aspirant who has presented himself to the civil service, the governor truly deserves their support.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Shiites mark holy day in defiance of jihadists

H

uge crowds of Shiites gathered in Iraq and Lebanon yesterday to mark a key holy day in defiance of jihadists from the Islamic State group. Police and troops were out in force as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims massed in the Iraqi shrine city of Karbala to commemorate Ashura.

Tens of thousands more rallied in Beirut, where the head of the Shiite militant Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, pledged “victory” against the Sunni extremists of IS. This year’s mark-

ing of the day has taken on new meaning after IS seized control of large parts of Iraq and Syria.

The jihadists consider Shiites heretics and have targeted them in deadly attacks, including bomb blasts in Baghdad on Sunday that left at least 18 dead.

This year’s commemorations are “about defying (IS) because they declared their hostility and made threats to kill Muslims and bomb the cities and holy shrines,” said Saad Jabbar, 54, who came to Karbala from Dhi Qar province in the south.

The commemorations mark the killing of Imam

Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, by the army of the Caliph Yazid in 680 AD, which helped solidify the divide between what would become the Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam.

A small minority of Shiites mark the day with a self-flagellation ritual called “tatbeer”, cutting their heads with swords and spears in mourning for the imam.

Hundreds were seen on the streets of Karbala with blood flowing down their heads and over their white robes after the ritual self-harming, which has been condemned by some Shiite clerics.

Group flays Obanikoro’s attack on Bode George

F

ormer Minister of State, Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has been told to forget his ambition of governing Lagos State in 2015.

He was also told to apologise to a national leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, for his uncomplimentary remarks.

The Coordinator, La-

gos Integrity Watch, Olarinde Onitolo, in a statement, said: “We read with alarm and disgust the outrageous claim of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro alleging that our National Leader, Chief Olabode George, was somehow partisan in last Saturday’s Ward Congress held in Lagos State. “This is outrightly unfair. It is crude, illogical and foul. The fact of the

matter is that Obanikoro is a rejected aspirant. The stakes are too high, the option of a rejected character to fly our party’s flag this time around is quite unforgiving. We will not allow anyone to sell and mortgage our destiny to the highest bidder again.

Obanikoro should apologise immediately to our party and Chief Bode George for this gross indiscretion”.

Power: Owie blasts Obasanjo over comment Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

F

ormer Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Rowland Owie, yesterday blasted ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo over his comment that his successors were behind the crisis in country’s power sector following the alleged abandonment of the vital area of the economy.

Owie, who stated this in Benin, Edo State capital, seriously frowned at the comments by former President Obasanjo, de-

scribing it as misleading and untrue, as well as his attempt to play to the gallery.

He noted that it was the former President who created the problems in the power sector, which the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan is battling hard to tackle.

According to Owie: “It is shocking that Obasanjo won’t stop playing to the gallery after ruining Nigeria in his years of administration. How can Obasanjo say that his successors abandoned power sector when he

actually laid the foundation for the crisis in that sector today”.

He lamented that it was an outright blackmail and hypocrisy for Obasanjo to resort to self help after his government frittered away over $16 billion on power during his eight years tenure in office; yet the huge sum was never accounted for.

“What blackmail?

What hypocrisy? Has the former President forgotten that he wasted 16.5billion dollars on power during his tenure? Yet no power!”, he said.

Kaduna governorship aspirants reject ward congresses Ibraheem Musa Kaduna

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our gubernatorial aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have rejected the outcome of the ward congresses that was held last week throughout Kaduna state, describing it as a sham. The aspirants, who addressed a press conference yesterday,

called on the National Working Committee (NWC) to cancel the congress and order a fresh one in accordance with the party’s guidelines. The group of aggrieved aspirants included Hon. Felix Hassan Hyat, former Minister of Aviation; Senator Haruna Zego Aziz and Alhaji Lawal Samaila Abdullahi, former Secretary to Kaduna State government.

Others are Hon. Jimmy Dung and Air Commodore John Ajeye (rtd).

Dung, who read their position to newsmen said that ‘’the guidelines and time table for the conduct of congresses for the 2015 general elections issued by the NEC of PDP stipulate that ward congresses to elect ad hoc delegates would be held in all the wards of the states on 1st November, 2014.”

Iraqi Shiite men performing during reenactment of battle of Karbala as part of the Ashura commemorations,marking the killing of Imam Hussein.

Pistorius prosecutors file appeal papers

P

rosecutors filed appeal papers yesterday against the verdict and sentence in the Oscar Pistorius case, the initial step in a process that could see the Olympic runner convicted of murder for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority said it had filed for leave to appeal, which are papers filed to Judge Thokozile Masipa to request permission to appeal her decision. Masipa acquitted Pistorius of murder for shooting Steenkamp multiple times. She instead found the doubleamputee athlete guilty of a lesser charge of culpable homicide, or man-

slaughter.

Prosecutors said the appeal against that verdict was “based on the question of law,” meaning they think Masipa made a mistake when she acquitted Pistorius of murder. Prosecutors have said they believe Pistorius should have been found guilty of murder for shooting four times through a toilet cubicle door in his home, hitting Steenkamp in the head, arm and hip. The 27-yearold Pistorius would face a minimum of 15 years in prison if convicted of murder on appeal.

The papers were filed yesterday at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, where Pistorius’

seven-month trial murder trial was held, the NPA said in a statement.

Prosecutors started their appeal exactly two weeks after Pistorius was sentenced to five years in prison for killing Steenkamp. The terms of his current sentence mean he could be released from the hospital wing of a prison in Pretoria, where he is being held, after 10 months to complete his sentence under house arrest.

Judge Masipa will consider the appeal and rule in a court hearing if it should be referred to the Supreme Court of Appeal. The NPA did not provide any date for the appeal hearing.

Thousands of Gaza civil servants strike

A

bout 20,000 civil servants in the Gaza Strip went on strike yesterday to protest the Palestinian unity government’s refusal to pay military and security employees of the Islamist movement Hamas.

All ministries and other institutions run

by Hamas in Gaza were shut and gated, except

for schools, after the walkout by mostly administrative workers, an AFP correspondent said.

Thousands of military and security workers caught up in a row between Palestinian rival factions, Hamas and Fatah in the war-ravaged territory have not been paid for several months.

Hamas hired more than 40,000 people after

it seized Gaza in 2007 following deadly clashes with militants of Fatah, the party of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. But after reconciliation deal with Abbas that led to the formation of a West Bank-based national unity government in June this year, Hamas relinquished responsibility for paying salaries.

} P 53

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Sports News

International Sport

Musa promises Man City hell

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Ballon d’Or snub surprises Suarez

Sport

53

Did you know?

That on Sunday, November 2, 2014, history was made as three players - Shuaibu Ibrahim (Giwa FC), Peter Ebimobowei (Bayelsa United) and Fidelis Saviour (FC Taraba) - all netted hat tricks on the same day in the Nigeria Premier League.

National Sports Festival postponed till 2015

Charles Ogundiya

T

he proposed open National Sports Festival billed for Calabar, Cross River State, has been postponed till April 2015.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the festival was postponed due to the forth coming elections with several states planning to pull out of the

event.

Speaking with our correspondent, a source that craved anonymity said there was a meeting of the Main Organising Committee on Monday where it was concluded that the festival be postponed to give room for the completion of some of the facilities earmarked for the festival.

“Some of the indoor halls and other facilities are still under construction,

but the major reason for the postponement was because of the elections.

“To me it was a wise decision to postpone the festival because of the elections. In fact some of the states are already thinking of pulling out hence the need to move it to 2015,” the source said.

When contacted on the telephone, the Special Adviser on Media to the Sports Minister, Patrick Omorodion, said the festival has been postponed to allow for the

state to complete the remaining facilities.

“Yes the festival has been postponed till April next year with the preliminaries slated for March. Hopefully the remaining facilities will be completed before then,” he said.

Meanwhile in a release by the Local Organising Committee, the festival hitherto scheduled to commence on November 23, now starts on April 9, 2015 with the closing ceremonies holding on April 19, 2015.

Raise your game, Keshi warns Mikel Mikel in action for Nigeria Vincent Eboigbe

R

The Sport Team

Adekunle Salami l Deputy Editor, Sports Emmanuel Tobi l Assistant Editor, Sports

Ifeanyi Ibeh l Sports Correspondent

Ajibade Olusesan l Sports Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya l Sports Correspondent © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Mikel (left) and Keshi

eturnee Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, had warned Mikel Obi to raise his game or risk being left out of subsequent invitations for national engagements, New Telegraph can authoritatively reveal.

Mikel’s game, which lacks intensity irrespective of the urgency of the situation, has long rankled Nigerian football fans who continue to wonder why the Chelsea fringe

player not only gets invited, but plays in all matches and for the entire duration.

An impeccable source close to the Eagles camp, who pleaded not to be named, said that Keshi himself had become disenchanted with Mikel’s lacklustre showing in Nigerian colours and had challenged him to pull his weight during the 2015 AFCON qualifiers before he (Keshi) was relieved of his job by the new board of the Nigeria Football Federation led by Amaju Pinnick.

However, following the intractable crisis in the administration of the game in the country, President Goodluck Jonathan intervened to resolve the issue while also ordering that Keshi be recalled.

The source said: “Keshi had become tired of Mikel’s scant contribution to Super Eagles matches and had specifically told him to raise his game or would be left out of future national team invitations.

“It had got to that extent, so it is not correct to suggest that Keshi is not responsive to the observations of fans with regard to Mikel or that the boss tends to favour the Chelsea midfielder.”

The source, howbeit, absolved Mikel of the accusation of not doing enough, adding that the mere presence of the midfielder in the Eagles line up sends panic into opposing teams and that his reputation alone was enough to engage the attention of two players thereby giving a player like Ogenyi Onazi more latitude to operate.

Keshi leads Nigeria into the last round of games for the AFCON qualifiers later in the month against Congo and South Africa. Nigeria takes on Congo on November 15 in Pointe Noire and South Africa on November 18 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Musa promises Man City hell Ajibade Olusesan

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they have got some incredible talents in their squad but that does not mean that they are unbeatable. We are very ready to show them our stuff.

“The first leg was difficult for us because we had to come from behind to level but that shows the spirit in the squad. we were determined to fight to the end and if not for ill-luck

SKA Moscow star, Ahmed Musa, has said that his Russian side is capable of upsetting their Champions League opponents, Manchester City, when the two sides clash in a Group E tie on Wednesday.

The Russian champions are at the bottom of their group and could revive their chances of moving to the next round if they manage to beat the English champions at the Etihad Stadium.

The two sides met two weeks ago in Moscow but Man City surrendered their two-goal lead as the match ended 2-2.

And in an interview with our correspondent, Musa said that his side was capable of getting the results against the Manuel Pellegrini side even on City’s home soil.

He said that City were vulnerable especially at the back and they could easily be punished by an organised side.

“I am looking forward to that match; we can go out there and shock them. Manchester City are a top club, Musa (right)

Charles Ogundiya

C

hairperson of the Nigeria Women League, and a member of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mrs. Dilichukwu Onyedinma, has applauded the rare show of patriotism of Falconets star, Courtney Dike.

Dike, one of the girls that represented Nigeria at the FIFA U-20 Women’s Championship in Canada (scorer of the competition’s fastest goal), rejected all the money given to her in the form of allowance and bonus at the championship.

Speaking with our correspondent, Dilichukwu said the patriotic gesture came as a surprise to the team

South Africa unveils squad for Sudan, Nigeria

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rilliant Khuzwayo and Siyabonga Mpontshane were called up as replacements for Bafana Bafana skipper Senzo Meyiwa on Tuesday, as Shakes Mashaba announced South Africa’s squad for their remaining two 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

South Africa play against Sudan in Durban on November 15 before travelling to Nigeria for their last group match on November 19.

we could have come out victorious. Now, that is what we want to do in Manchester, to go out there and pick the points.

We cannot afford to rule ourselves out now, we still have the chance of making it to the next round and I hope that our supporters will stick by us, they will keep giving us the backing,” he said.

P

resident of Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Pinnick, on Tuesday heaped encomiums on the immediate past Director General of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Patrick Ekeji for the extensive research and general painstaking efforts that he invested in his book, Odyssey Of A Green Eagle – From The Pitch To The Summit.

Speaking after going through a copy of the book at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja, Pinnick pointed out that Ekeji was a rare breed to have successfully traversed the spectrum as a of player, coach, teacher and administrator with astounding success.

“Odyssey Of A Green Eagle is written in very simple language and in story form, for all to enjoy. The accounts of how our own Dr. Ekeji rose from a secondary school player to the senior national team, and then became coach, lecturer and then through the ranks at the NSC to Director General,

Ifeanyi Ibeh

T

he Ghana Football Association has dispatched a list of 18 players and nine officials of that country’s Olympic team, Black Meteors, to the NFF for Friday’s international friendly to commission the brand–new Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo. The Leader of delegation is Kweku Abaka Eyiah, a member of the GFA. Wahab Rahaman

and Charles Kojo Ntim, members of the management team, are also in the delegation.

The 18–man playing squad includes Richard Ofori, Eric Ofori Antwi, Emmanuel Nti Mensah, Benjamin Agyari, Lawrence Lartey, Vincent Attinga, Kwasi Quansah, Richard Yamoah, Kojo Poku, Kennedy Ashia, David Osei Opoku, Isaac Oppong Osae, Abedel Latif Amadu, Enoch Kumi Frimpong, Samuel Afful, Noah Mar-

m a ke s i n t e re s t i n g reading and is recommended to all budding football players, aspiring coaches, dedicated teachers and ambitious administrators.”

The 185 –page book details Ekeji’s playing career from Holy Ghost College, Owerri, to St. George’s Catholic School, Falomo, to St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, to recruitment attempt into the Biafran Air Force, to stint with P&T Vasco da Gama Football Club and onto the senior national team.

tey, Abdul Ganiyu Ismael and Elvis Opoku.

The head coach is Alhaji Malik Jabir, with Abdul Karim Zito as assistant coach and Andrew Ayim as doctor. The physiotherapist is Albert Kwadwo Evedzi, Adjei Adjettey is masseur and Kwabena Agyemang Agyin is equipment manager.

Officials have suggested Nigeria’s FIFA and CAF match commissioner, Paul Bassey as match commissioner for Friday’s game.

Squash Classics: Players battle for main draw Eagles feel Uyo turf,

W

ith the foreign players already in town while the Nigerian players are also in shape, all is now set for the main draw of the Lagos International Squash Classics holding at the Molade OkoyaThomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

The women will take centre stage by noon on Wednesday while the men’s event will hold later in

the day.

According to the chairman, Lagos State Squash Association Sanya Akindele, all arrangements for the competition have been concluded while most of the foreign players have arrived. The only player still being expected on Wednesday is women’s number one seed, Egypt’s Heba El-Torky, who has a bye to the second round of the tournament.

Uduaghan, others to storm Okagbare’s wedding Emmanuel Tobi

D

Ekeji

Ghana delegation hits Uyo for Eagles

Dilichukwu hails Dike for rejecting Falconets’ bonus

officials.

She revealed that when she (Dike) was paid the outstanding 10 days’ allowances that amounted to seven thousand dollars, she turned it down.

“It was a surprise to us and it is highly commendable. We have told the minister of sports, Tammy Danagogo about it and we hope the president will hear this too.

“When we were trying to convince her to collect the money, she asked us to speak with her parents and it was the same story,” Dilichukwu said.

According to her, the parents insisted that she must not collect the money because representing her country was enough.

Pinnick commends Ekeji’s Odyssey of A Green Eagle

elta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, is expected to lead top government functionaries to Sapele as the current Commonwealth Games sprint double gold medalist, Blessing Okagbare, gets married to former Super Eagles player, Igho Otegheri, this weekend.

New Telegraph also gathered that the Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo and Athletic Federation of Nigeria President Chief

Solomon Ogba are some of the other dignitaries being expected.

The ceremony begins with the traditional wedding on November 7, at No 5, Adidi Street, off Ikomi Road, Sapele, by 12.00pm while all roads will lead to St. Patrick Catholic Church at No. 107, Yoruba Road, Sapele, for the white wedding the following day, with the reception billed for the Sapele Athletic Club.

Otegheri played in the domestic league for Wikki Tourists of Bauchi, Rangers International of Enugu, Dolphins F.C of Port

Okagbare

Harcourt and Heartland FC in Owerri before seeking greener pastures with Beitar FC in Israel.

ready for Meteors he Super Eagles of Nigeria’s T team for next Friday’s inauguration game of the ultra-modern

Uyo Stadium, began training in the Akwa Ibom State capital, Tuesday morning but they could not have a feel of the new arena that has received accolades from all and sundry because it was being marked.

The team made up entirely of stars from the Nigerian league trained at the Uyo Township stadium under the watchful eyes of assistant coach, Dan Amokachi. He was assisted by coach Valere Hyandonou and goalkeeper’s trainer, Ike Shorunmu. The team was scheduled to have a feel of the much talked-about Uyo Stadium later on Tuesday evening.

Head Coach Stephen Keshi was still away in Abuja on some personal issues and he’s scheduled to join the team soonest. The training proper, which featured all 24 players lasted for over two hours with some of the players having a first feel of the rigorous regime of training in the Super Eagles camp.

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS 53

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Ballon d’Or snub surprises Suarez

Pistorius verdict challenged

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rosecutors say they have filed appeal papers against the verdict and sentence in the Oscar Pistorius case.

The prosecution is appealing against Judge Thokozile Masipa’s decision to acquit Pistorius of murder for shooting girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Judge Masipa found the Olympic runner guilty of a lesser charge of culpable homicide, or manslaughter.

South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority said it had filed initial appeal papers, exactly two weeks after the double-amputee athlete was sentenced to five years in prison for killing Steenkamp.

Prosecutors must first apply to Judge Masipa for permission to appeal against the verdict and sentence.

West Brom boss open to Ideye talk

W

est Brom manager Alan Irvine has revealed he is willing to talk to Brown Ideye regarding his decision to drop the striker for the match with Leicester.

Irvine insists the £10m record-signing was left out of the team for tactical reasons as he included Victor Anichebe and Georgios Samaras on the bench at the King Power Stadium, for a match which Albion won 1-0.

Ideye has netted once since his recordbreaking Baggies move from Dynamo Kiev in the summer, in the 3-2 Capital One Cup win over Hull in September.

The Nigeria international picked up an ankle injury in the process but has since recovered and Irvine is happy to speak to Ideye if the forward so wishes.

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arcelona striker Luis Suarez has admitted his surprise at not being included on the shortlist of 23 players for this year’s Ballon d’Or. However, the Uruguay international has vowed he will not make an issue of his snub, which has been described as “political” by former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard’s comments

relate to the disciplinary problems that resulted in Suarez being suspended for four months after biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup. Speaking for the first time about the issue, Suarez hinted he was frustrated, but stopped short of criticising governing body FIFA. “Everyone brings it to attention, as Gerard Pique said, and what he told me is that they voted me as the best player in

the most difficult league in the world, or one of the most difficult,” Suarez told Spanish radio station RAC1.

“I was also the highest goalscorer of all of the European leagues.

But I prefer to keep quiet before saying things because every time that I speak there could be a problem.”

Suarez is preparing to face his former club Ajax in Amsterdam on Wednesday night.

Champions League

Suarez

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES Bayern Munich v Roma

8.45pm

Man City v CSKA Moscow

8.45pm

Ajax v Barcelona

8.45pm

PSG v APOEL Nicosia

8.45pm

Maribor v Chelsea

8.45pm

Sporting v Schalke

8.45pm

Athletic Bilbao v FC Porto

8.45pm

Shakhtar v BATE Borisov

8.45pm

Nigerian League Rendezvous

Lampard to miss CSKA clash

M

anchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that Frank Lampard will miss Wednesday’s clash with CSKA Moscow in the Champions League.

The midfielder has missed City’s last four matches after picking up a thigh injury while in action last month.

However, the 36-yearold is expected to be in contention on Saturday when the Blues travel to Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Lampard, who is currently on loan from MLS side New York City FC will reportedly stay at Manchester City for the remainder of the season.

Lampard agreed to join the American club, which is owned by City chief Sheikh Mansour, after leaving Chelsea on a free transfer during the summer.

The former England international’s loan agreement with City will expire on January 7. How-

ever, City and Lampard have already signed an option to extend the initial loan deal until the end of the season, according to The Express.

Lampard

with charles Ogundiya

charlesog2001@yahoo.com,

08098042287

The magic of November 2

N

ovember 2 will continue to be a significant day in the history of the Nigeria Professional Football League.

On the day, November 2nd, 2011, Jude Aneke became the first player to score 20 goals in a single season in the Glo NPFL when he netted a hat trick for Kaduna United against Niger Tornadoes.

Fast-forward to 2014 on same day, Mfon Udoh of Enyimba, became the first player to score 21 goals in a single season in the league.

Enyimba’s Udoh added his

story to the history book while scoring the equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Dolphins in Port Harcourt.

With a game to go against Kano Pillars in Aba, the former Akwa United striker will be looking forward to scoring more goals in the league.

Speaking with League Rendezvous, Udoh said he has achieved his target for the season and that the remaining was just icing on the cake. He also appreciated his teammates for the feat.

“At the beginning of the season, my personal target was to

score 20 goals which I have succeeded in doing and I am happy that I was able to break Aneke’s record. Really it was a dream come true for me,” he said.

On setting a new NPFL record on November 2 like Aneke did three years ago, Udoh simply said; “Wow! What a coincidence.

That sounds good as I never knew this before.”

Again November 2 is a day three players scored a hat trick across three different centres in the league.

The date November 2 will continue to be remembered in the NPFL.

My move to Pillars not in vain – Abawula K ano Pillars defender, Anthony Abawula, has said his moving to Kano Pillars is not in vain after winning the league title with the team.

Abawula joined the team from Bayelsa United during the mid-season transfer and already has a trophy to show.

Speaking to League Rendezvous, the defender said it was a dream come true for him and that he was very grateful to God for making it possible for him and his

teammates.

“When I was joining the team I had a target of winning the league and I am so happy that it has come to pass.

“Kano Pillars is one of the leading teams in the country and they have been the champions for three years running now; so being part of the team is a source of joy to me,” he said.

Commending his teammates, Abawula said; “We really worked hard as a

team for this trophy and I am using this opportunity to appreciate my teammates for the success. Dedication, hard work and prayers have been our secret and we are not going to relent, the target now is to win the CAF Champions League,” he said.

Kano Pillars on Sunday won the Nigeria Professional Football League for the third time in three years with a match to go in the 2013/2014 league season.

Kano Pillars midfielder, Rabiu Ali (left) against Obasi Okoro of Abia Warriors

Fans,players fault LMC on clubs’indebtedness

T

he League Management Company has been faulted for some clubs’ continuous indebtedness to their players in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

Players of the three football clubs owned by the River State government, Dolphins, Sharks and Rivers Angels on Thursday October 30, marched to the government house for the umpteenth time to protest the non-payment of their two-year outstanding sign-on fees.

The protest took another twist when the furious footballers passed the night at the Rivers State Government House.

Despite the protest, the players failed to get their demand.

River State is not the only state indebted to their players in the league, players of Crown FC of Ogbomosho went on strike at the beginning of the second half of the season to press for the payment of the backlog of salaries owed them.

Players of Nembe City FC, Kaduna United, Bayelsa United and some others have all cried out during the season over the inability of their management to pay their dues.

Speaking to our correspondent, one of the players of Dolphins who craved anonymity said; “The LMC is just a toothless dog that can only bark and not bite, because if they are serious, they are supposed to have done something about our predicament and that of other clubs.”

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

News 55

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Tambuwal would have scored a huge moral victory if he stepped down The

Gauntlet

LAURENCE ANI

laurence.ani@newtelegraphonline.com 0803 811 4560 (sms only)

Tambuwal

A

lthough House of Representatives speaker, Aminu Tambuwal’s defection last week to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party has been preceded by several others, it was two incidents in the United Kingdom, ironically, that lend the best perspective to the issue. The incidents in question are the defection of Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless, two Members of Parliament who recently quit the Conservative Party on whose platform they were both elected for the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP.) Apart from defecting, both MPs actually left the Commons so they could take part in by-elections in their respective constituencies.

Carswell won in his constituency, giving UKIP its first seat in the House of Commons with strong hope of earning a second as polls suggest a victory for Reckless in the November 20 by-election.

Contrast that scenario with the situation in Nigeria and what emerges is a bizarre picture that defies commonsense. The Speaker defects, holds on to his seat and adjourns sitting to stave off any push by members of his former party to oust him even though the constitution requires him to stand down. Leaders of his new party are in fact amused at suggestions that Tambuwal ought to lose his position. They point to another section in the constitution which seemingly creates ample room for defecting politicians to wriggle out of what should ordinarily be a

straightforward obligation. But there is just some other reason that fuels the APCs confidence which may be situated in their knowledge that the PDP is equally culpable. It’s hard to see how citing the deliberate misdeed of others to justify one’s own debauchery can ever be considered extenuating circumstances.

By his insistence to hold on to the Speaker’s seat despite having quit the platform that gave him that ascendancy, Tambuwal has caused his party to suffer another woeful dip on the moral scale. Let’s not even talk about the self-serving adjournment which gives off the Speaker - an otherwise mild-mannered gentleman - as a politician who has no qualms preserving his political fortunes at the expense of public good which a House in session could foster.

There is another instructive point to note about the defections in the British House of Commons: no constitutional provision compels the two MPs to stand down and go for a byelection if they intend to retain their seats. This is despite the fact that ballots in the United Kingdom carry the names of candidates - not just party names and logo as is the case in Nigeria. So the defecting MPs could simply have exploited such technicality without breaching any law or assailing the democratic sensibilities of British voters. But they chose not to, preferring rather to subject themselves to the electorate whose validation obviously count more for them, than the red carpet treatment their new party had thrown. It’s worthy to note that UKIP had no Member of Parliament prior to the defection

and subsequent triumph in the byelection.

There’s no doubt that the PDP would be rejoicing as well if they were not at the receiving end this time. The celebration over Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s defection from the Labour Party still echoes, and recalling the comment by the PDP’s national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, that his party will prove more adept, in comparison to the APC, at enticing the opposition’s members to defect, still boggles the mind. “We will show the opposition that although they are master poachers, we will beat them to it,” Mu’azu said earlier this year in reaction to series of defection by PDP legislators and governors to APC. There is nothing ennobling in these. They share the same badge of infamy as the dog-in-a-manger attitude of the Speaker. So wherein lies the difference between the ruling party and the major opposition party? Finding one would be like hoping to find a needle in a corn field.

The example here is self-evident: The PDP secures victory in all the elections conducted in states it controls; the APC replicates the feat and even goes further by notching victories in councils that are typically PDP enclave, as was the case with the outcome of Eti-Osa Local Government Area election which the electoral officers had called in favour of the PDP’s candidate. That result was eventually nullified by the court, but many voters remain sceptical. And why shouldn’t they be? The State Independent Electoral Commission in almost all states seldom puts out results which the governors who appoint them may consider offensive.

So, it’s all about self interest.

The squabbling has got nothing to do with the desire to protect our “hard won democracy” as the lawsuits filed by APC legislators suggest. You could further decode that in APC national chairman, Chief Jonn Odigie-Oyegun’s description of Tambuwal as a “big catch” and his glib comment that PDP members in the House cannot possibly remove the Speaker because by the time they reconvene, everyone would be preoccupied with their re-election bid.

Odigie-Oyegun’s comment may be callous, yet it mirrors a frank summation of politics in Nigeria. Well, the PDP legislators may be pre-occupied with campaigns for the next elections, but I wager it won’t be to such an extent that it blunts the will to regain control of the House. That is the most tragic part. Members are likely to spend virtually all time fighting for control of the Speaker’s seat than they would realistically devote to making laws. And it’s thanks to Tambuwal. Is the APC comfortable with this looming chaos? The party may denounce insinuations that it discreetly spawns disorder in the polity, but a party whose legislators had dropped hint that it would impeach the president - even without the requisite number of votes - if the PDP members in the House attempt to remove the Speaker shows a party just as willing to swim in the murk like the ruling party it vilifies.

Again, that is a perception that should really worry leaders of the party.

And The Final Word

... The Bizarre The sacking and re-engagement of Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, is another chapter to the endless drama that the Nigeria Football Federation has become. There can never be any incompetence worse than giving an indulgent treatment to a professional who acts like he is doing a favour to his employers in taking up a job for which he had lobbied. It’s not just with regard to his attitude and the many unseemly utterances he has made, it’s also about his output which has by no means justified his recall.

... The Ominous There is a feeling of deja vu evoked by the uprising in Burkina Faso culminating in the resignation of Blaise Compaore who had been in the saddle for 27 years.

As you watch the bold display of people power, you’re still overcome by sadness in the certain knowledge that the enthusiasm on the streets will be swarmed soon by a feeling of anti-climax.

Here is how it may happen: the new military head - desperate to placate ECOWAS leaders and also get protesters off the streets - announces a timetable for elections to return the country to civilian rule. As the date draws near, he resigns from the army so he could be a contestant. You guessed right - he wins and is sworn-in as president. That’s a more tolerable outcome. The other dire scenario is that the two military officers claiming to be in charge of the country’s affairs may both launch a violent campaign to forcibly gain control of the reins of power. The guess this time, too, is uncanny - the country is plunged into an interminable conflict that may take decades to abate.

... The Thriftless It’s a problem everyone would like to have; to be so awash with funds that you could conveniently rebuff opportunities to make more. But “everyone” here doesn’t include the PDP. The report that the party has earned N2.6bn through sale of nomination forms to governorship aspirants left me wondering how the fellows at Wadata Plaza could have been so silly to print just one nomination for the presidential election. It’s not an entirely sad tale though. That indiscretion has been corrected and the coffers would still swell even if the intent behind the ridiculous decision remains the same.

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Sanctity of Truth

On Marble Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth.

– Albert Einstein

Laurence Ani

Tambuwal would have scored a huge moral victory if he stepped down

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

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N150

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014

The shameful ceasefire shambles

D

id anyone actually believe the Nigerian government two weeks ago when it announced a ceasefire with Boko Haram and a deal to release the 219 abducted schoolgirls who are still thought to be in their grasp?

Even the most naïve newcomer to Nigeria would have scrunched their forehead quizzically at the bizarre claim from Abuja that somehow they negotiated an agreement with the bloodthirsty Islamists. And they would have been right to be sceptical: just this weekend, militant group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau laughed off the assertion in a video sent to Agence France-Presse. He also ruled out future talks with the government, adding that the girls had converted to Islam and been married off since being kidnapped more than six months ago.

It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the Nigerian authorities could come off looking more ridiculous. Or any other authority.

Indeed, you have go back to the Iraq War of 2003 and the antics of former Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf to find a government so laughably contradicted by reality: al-Sahhaf, nicknamed ‘Comical Ali’, claimed at a press briefing that American soldiers were committing suicide “by the hundreds” outside the city, even as American tanks could be seen approaching over his shoulder. But then, as now, the absurdity made for very dark humour.

This is especially puzzling since there is previous for inflated claims about the schoolgirls.

Early on in the kidnap ordeal, the government said that soldiers had rescued them, and they were coming home. This turned out to be a cruel mistake – the army had done no such thing, and the girls remained under Boko Haram’s gun.

The obvious question is, why would the government say something that could be so demonstrably refuted?

The most charitable explanation would be to give the benefit of doubt to Nigeria’s military chief, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, who made the claim on October 17 – maybe he has simply misinterpreted events. He says officials met with Boko Haram in Chad twice during talks mediated

by Chadian President Idriss Deby.

But even entry-level negotiators would know not to trumpet such a breakthrough without being absolutely sure that it could be confirmed. To have messed it up so spectacularly requires a quite remarkable incompetence.

Adding to the mockery is that Boko Haram’s broadcast was made by Shekau, who the Nigerian military says it killed several times. A more reliable indicator

World View

The obvious question is, why would the government say something that could be so demonstrably refuted?

LEO CENDROWICZ Bureau Chief, New Telegraph, Brussels

Abducted Chibok girls

Badeh

of his status should have been the fact that the United States has not removed a $7 million ransom on the head of the extremist leader.

Spare a thought, at this moment, to the families who are caught in the middle of this. Pogo Bitrus, the head of the Chibok Elders Forum, has admitted they were sceptical about the talks to release the girls and never took the ceasefire seriously because since the announcement, they have never stopped attacking

Shekau

communities.

The situation has, if anything, gotten worse. Last week, Boko Haram militants seized control of the northeast town of Mubi, killing dozens of people and forcing thousands to flee.

While there is some eye-rolling to be had at the sheer stupidity of the situation, there is of course a grimly serious side to this. The truth is that more than six months have passed since the kidnapping, and precious little has emerged

since then to suggest the government is any closer to resolving this horrendous situation.

With every passing day, the Chibok girls slip into an ever more dire predicament. They have become a symbol of numerous failings in Nigeria, and the waning public interest in their fate should not release the authorities from their responsibility. Nigeria should feel humbled and ashamed as long as the schoolgirls remain in captivity.

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by Banex Junction, Mabushi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Advert Hotline: 01-8541248, Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: YEMI AJAYI.