11 binder222 thursday, june 25, 2015 by Newtelegraphonline

Sanctity Of Truth

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Vol. 2 No. 491

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@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

FG: AI’s silence on Boko Haram's atrocities worrisome L AW

N150

$8bn oil deal: Reps probe NNPC, Sahara Group

Discontent lSenate summons oil corporation over state of refineries over judges’ Philip Nyam and T appointment Chukwu David }21 policy Abuja

he House of Representatives is to investigate an alleged $8 billion discrepancy in an oil exchange deal, brokered by the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company

(PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved yesterday by Hon. Michael Enyong

(PDP, Akwa Ibom). The oil sector also engaged the attention of senators, who at plenary yesterday, summoned NNPC to brief the Senate on the CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

APC senators defy party, governors lAPC caucuses reject Lawan, Akume, endorse Ndume, Na'Allah, Adeyeye, Alimikhena lHouse N'Central, S'East caucus decry marginalisation }2 QuickRead

Wike: Amaechi can't escape probe }13

Why we restricted forex access to 40 items, by CBN }5

L-R: Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Sarah Alade; Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Dr. Joseph Nnanna and CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, at a press conference in Abuja… yesterday. PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

Robbers hit four Lagos banks lFCTA threatens to demolish banks

}10 & 12

Buhari sacks SSS from Aso }6 Rock Jega recommends INEC template to African countries }6

News

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

APC senators defy party, governors Chukwu David, Philip Nyam and Anule Emmanuel Abuja

he All Progressives Congress (APC) may have lost the battle to have its nominees emerged as principal officers of the National Assembly. Not even the intervention of the party governors that the lawmakers should respect the party by deferring to its position on those to emerge as principal officers seemed to have changed the minds of the lawmakers. New Telegraph gathered yesterday that of the four nominees sent to the Senate to occupy the offices, only one, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, scaled through. The party, in a letter signed by its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki, had nominated Senator Ahmed Lawan as Majority Leader, Senator George Akume as Deputy Majority Leader, Adeyeye as Chief Whip and Senator Abu Ibrahim as Deputy Chief Whip. But efforts by Senator Gbenga Ashafa (APC, Lagos) to make Saraki read out the letter for ratification by the Senate fell through as after a debate his point of order on the matter was ruled out. However, later after the plenary session, the various APC zonal caucuses in the Senate held shadow elections in which the party official candidates lost out to their rivals. Some APC senators, especially those sympathetic to Saraki, have insisted that the zonal caucuses, and not the party, should decide those to emerge as principal officers. The party is also facing a similar situation in the House of Representatives where the lawmakers have opposed its candidates for some of the positions, insisting on the zonal caucuses of having the final say. It was gathered that Adeyeye made it as chief whip as wanted by the party because he received unanimous endorsement from the South-West, which he belongs to. Further inquiries by our correspondent revealed that there was no dissenting voice recorded at the meeting of the South-West caucus when the issue was discussed on Tuesday. It was further gathered

that the senators from the South West met with the National Leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday night where he reportedly agreed with them to endorse Adeyeye. Former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmad Sani, at the NorthWest Caucus meeting of the APC senators, stepped down for Senator Bala Ibn Na'Allah (Kebbi South) to emerge as the Deputy Leader. New Telegraph learnt that the former governors from the North currently serving in the Senate persuaded Sani to step down for Na'Allah so that the leadership of the Senate would not be seen to be dominated by ex-governors. Before his election to the Senate in 2007, Saraki was governor of Kwara State. Also, contrary to the ranking rule, which has been a standing tradition in the Senate, the need to have a representative from the South-South zone among the principal officers, led to the emergence of Senator Francis Alimikhena (Edo North) as the Deputy Whip, despite being a first timer in the Senate. The party had initially nominated Ibrahim as the deputy whip but it was resolved at an enlarged meeting with the governors on Monday night that the only senator from the South-South should have the position in order to give the region a sense of belonging in the Senate leadership. A source at the meeting told our correspondent that allowing Ibrahim to emerge as deputy whip would automatically disenfranchise the SouthSouth from having a representative in the senate leadership. At the North-East Caucus meeting, it was learnt that 11 out of the 13 senators from the zone yesterday voted for Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South ) as the Senate Leader while two voted for Lawan, the APC 's favourite. The party had not only zoned the position to the North-East, it specified that Lawan (Yobe North) should occupy the office, a decision that has been vehemently opposed by senators from the region. Also, Akume was said to have been rejected by the North-Central Caucus of the party because since Saraki is from the zone and has emerged the president of the Senate, it would be fair and just to allow another zone to fill

the position. When contacted, Lawan, who was visibly downcast, dissociated himself from the election conducted by the NorthEast Caucus, stressing that he would only abide by the position of the party. He said: "I am not aware of any election. The party had spoken; it is now left for the Senate president to make the announcement." However, earlier yesterday, the Senate and the House had tacitly rejected the APC list of principal

officers of the legislature. After debating a motion sponsored by Ashafa that Saraki should read the APC's letter addressed to the Senate nominating Lawan as Majority Leader, Akume as Deputy Majority Leader, Adeyeye as Chief Whip and Ibrahim as Deputy Chief Whip, Saraki ruled the motion out of order. The same scenario also played out in the House where supporters of the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, prevented him from reading a similar

letter by the party nominating Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as Majority Leader, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa as Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Mohammed Monguno as Chief Whip and Hon. Pally Iriase as Deputy Chief Whip. Besides, the NorthCentral and South-East caucuses of the party in the House rejected the allocation of principal positions by the party. Yesterday's rejection of the party's nominees came hours after APC governors, after a meeting with

Buhari, urged senators to respect the party's position on the leadership crisis. But the governors' position may not have cut any ice with the Senate as it ruled that the letter from Odigie-Oyegun was contrary to its rule. The Senate, however, adopted its 2015 Standing Rule and declared all amendments therein valid. Earlier, Ashafa in his motion sought to compel Saraki to read Odigie-Oyegun's letter on the floor for CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Chief Executive Officer, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Parminder Vir (left) and Chairman, Heirs Holdings Limited, Mr. Tony Elumelu, at a press conference in Ota, Ogun State...yesterday.

Jonathan, govs, Anenih, Mark shun PDP BoT meeting lNational Chairman may emerge in August Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

ormer President Goodluck Jonathan, governors, immediate past Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih as well as former President of the Senate, David Mark, were absent at yesterday's BoT of the party. Also absent were former Vice-President Namadi Sambo and ex-Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha. No reason was given for their absence. Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, and Governor Ibrahim Dankwanbo, however, attended the meeting. The meeting, which

was the first to be held since PDP became an opposition party, was the first to be hosted outside the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The meeting took place at Wadata Plaza, the party's National Secretariat. The Secretary of the board, Senator Walid Jibrin, who spoke at the end of the meeting, called on members of the party to remain calm, assuring that PDP would soon come back to life again. "We are calling on all our members to remain calm and should not be disturbed. We are doing all our best to ensure sanity is brought to our party. Our party is going to pick up again," he said. Jibrin noted that party leaders need some time to bring back PDP to prominence. "The BoT is up to the task of providing guidance

not only to the executive of the party but to members of the National Assembly. That is why we have involved ourselves very much in the collaboration with the National Working Committee (NWC) to ensure that there is synergy with the National Assembly," he added. The BoT Secretary, who is also Secretary of the Post-Election Review Committee headed by Ekweremadu, said the committee was very careful in handling the issues that led to the loss of the PDP at the general elections. He said the committee has come up with a roadmap and has invited memoranda from members of the party on how to move forward. The committee was given three weeks to complete its assignment. But Jibrin said they have sought for

a four-week extension, which has been granted. He said the partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, will act as national chairman for three months according to the party's constitution before a new chairman will be elected probably in August. "The appointment of the Acting Chairman is for three months and after three months, we will sit again, because by our constitution, the BoT regulates its own activities. We will regulate our own activities when the time comes," he said. Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu resigned in May as PDP National Chairman. Acting BoT Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Bello, said the party will provide credible opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

Congratulations!

His Excellency, Simon Lalong, Executive Governor, Plateau State

My family and I wish to congratulate Your Excellency Simon Lalong on your election as the Executive Governor of Plateau State. The people of Plateau have spoken in one loud voice with your choice. We wish you a successful tenure in office. Signed

Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, MON Chairman,

Slok Shipping

Travel Advisory

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

International Flight Schedule Air France

Destination Abuja- Paris Paris-Lagos Paris-PHC PHC-Paris Paris –Abuja Lagos –Paris

Flight No. AF 513 AF 3822 AF514 AF513 AF514 AF3849

Departure 23.55hrs 10.55hrs 11:00hrs 21:20hrs 11:00hrs 23:55hrs

Arrival 6:05hrs 17:15hrs 19:15hrs 6:05hrs 17:00hrs 6:20hrs

Amsterdam-Lagos Lagos-Amsterdam

KL587 KL588

13:15hrs 23:05hrs

20:00hrs 05:50hrs

KLM

ARIK AIRLINES

Lagos-London London-Lagos Lagos-New York

W3 101 W3 102 W3 107 (Mon, Wed , Fri) New York-Lagos W3 108 (Tues,Thurs, Fri) Lagos-Johannesburg W3 103 Johannesburg-Lagos W3 104 Lagos-Douala - (Tues, Wed ,Thur) Douala-Lagos - (Tues, Wed, Thur) Lagos-Accra Accra-Lagos

Abuja-Accra Accra-Abuja Lagos-Freetown Freetown-Lagos Lagos-Banjul Banjul-Lagos Lagos-Dakar Dakar-Lagos

-(Tue, Thur, Sat, Sun) -(Mon, Wed, Fri) -(Daily) - (Wed, Fri, Sun) -(Wed, Fri, Sun) -(Wed, Fri, Sun) -(Wed, Fri, Sun) -(Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri,Sat) -(Tue,Wed, Fri,Sat,Sun)

BRITISH AIRWAYS

London-Lagos Lagos-London Abuja-London Abuja-London

07:00hrs 20:05hrs 20:10hrs 11:45hrs

Lagos-Cairo Cairo-Lagos

MS 876 MS 875

14:25hrs 08:30hrs

22:20hrs 13:30hrs

EGYPT AIR

KENYA AIRWAYS

16:00hrs

Lagos-Kigali

11:15hrs

16:45hrs

10:45hrs 09:35hrs 11:10hrs 13:25hrs 07:20hrs 17:00hrs 08:05hrs 13:35hrs 18:00hrs

hrs 14:44hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs

AWB 201 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) AWB 202 (Tue, Thur, Sat, Sun)

14:00hrs

17:30hrs

22:35hrs 15:10hrs

06:00hrs 21:20hrs

17:00hrs 06:00hrs 08:00hrs 17:00hrs 08:00hrs 15:20hrs 21:00hrs

hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs hrs

01:00hrs

hrs

3:00hrs 14:00hrs

8:00hrs 19:00hrs

EK 7821 (Sun-Sat) EK 7822 EK 7831 EK 7811 EK 761

21:30hrs 14:40hrs 07:35hrs 14:20hrs 23:55hrs

07:40hrs 01:05hrs 12:50hrs 19:45hrs 10:30hrs

Lagos-Doha Flight Doha-Lagos Flight

QR 1414 (daily) QR 1415

14:55hrs 07:20hrs

23:45hrs 13:35hrs

Lagos-Atlanta Atlanta-Lagos

DL053 DL 054

22:15hrs 5:15hrs

05:32hrs 16:15hrs

Lagos-Houston Houston-Lagos

UA 143 UA 142

10:10hrs 19:10hrs

6:05hrs 15.15hrs

Lagos - Addis Ababa ET900 Addis Ababa - Lagos ET901 Abuja - Addis Ababa ET910 Addis Ababa - Abuja ET911 Enugu - Addis Ababa ET930 Addis Ababa - Enugu ET931 Kano - Addis Ababa ET930 Addis Ababa - Kano ET931

13:15hrs 09:00hrs 13:40hrs 09:40hrs 12:00hrs 09:20hrs 14:05hrs 09:20hrs

20:25hrs 12:15hr 20:10hrs 12:20hrs 20:50hrs 11:15hrs 20:50hrs 13:20hrs

Lagos-Madrid Madrid-Lagos

IB 3337 IB 3336

22:55hrs 16:00hrs

5:25+1hrs 20:20hrs

Lagos-Casablanca Casablanca-Lagos

AT738 AT 737

06:25hrs 02:15hrs

09:55hrs 6:00hrs

air maroc

20.45hrs 09:50hrs 09.20 hrs 06:30hrs

12:30hrs

Lagos-Dubai Lagos-Dubai Dubai-Lagos Dubai-Lagos Abuja-Dubai

IBERIA

Abu Dhabi-Lagos

EY 0672 (Sunday) (Monday) (Saturday) EY 955

19:35hrs 23:45hrs

MEA 571 MEA 572

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

Lagos- Abu Dhabi

ETIHAD AIRWAYS

12:30hrs 18:00hrs

to Lagos)

UNITED AIRLINES

17:00hrs 4:40hrs

KQ 533 KQ 534

11:55hrs 5:50hrs 14:35hrs 06:00hrs

DELTA AIRLINES

11:00hrs 22:40hrs

Lagos-Nairobi Nairobi-Lagos

17:55hrs 00:00hrs 09:00hrs 22:40hrs

QATAR AIRWAYS

VS 652 VS 651

18:30hrs 05:15hrs 05:30hrs

BA075 BA074 BA 082 BA 083

EMIRATES AIRLINES

Lagos-London London-Lagos

12:00hrs 21:30hrs 23:50hrs

Middle East Airlines (Two flights weekly (Tues & Friday)

Lebanon-Lagos Lagos-Lebanon

VIRGIN ATLANTIC

RwandAir

Kigali-Lagos

Turkish Airlines

Lagos-Istanbul Nairobi-Lagos

332 333

Air Côte d'Ivoire Lagos to Abidjan Abidjan to Lagos

HF 851 (Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sun) HF 852 (Mon,Wed, Thurs, Sat)

ASKY AIRLINES

Destination Lome to Abuja Abuja-Lome- Kinshasa Kinshasa-Abuja Abuja-Lome Lome-Lagos Lagos-Libreville Libreville-Kinshasa Kinshasa-Libreville Libreville-Lagos Lagos-Lome Lome-Lagos Lagos-Libreville Libreville-Brazaville Brazaville-Libreville Brazzaville-Lagos Lagos-Lome

10:10hrs

10:50hrs

19:20hrs

21.50hrs

Flight No. KP 032 (Tue-Fri) KP 032 ( Tue-Fri)

Departure Arrival 14:00hrs 15:55hrs 16:30hrs 18:15hrs

KP 033 (Wed-Sat) KP O33 (Wed-Sat) KP O40 (Sun-Sat) KP 040 (Sun-Sat) KP 040 (Sun-Sat) KP041 (Tue-Sat) KP 041 (Tue-Sat) KP 041 (Tue-Sat) KP O44 (Tue-Fri) KP 044 (Tue-Fri) KP 044 (Tue-Fri) KP O45 (Wed-Sat) KP 045 (Wed-Sat) KP 045 (Wed-Sat)

8:20hrs 10:35hrs 13:00hr 14:40hrs 17:00hrs 7:15hrs 9:35hrs 11:55hrs 13:10hrs 14:50hrs 17:10hrs 07:00hrs 09:20hrs 11:40hrs

10:00hrs 12:20hrs 14:00hrs 16:30hrs 18:45hrs 08:55hrs 11:25hrs 12:45hrs 14:10hrs 16:40hrs 18:50hrs 08:40hrs 11:10hrs 12:30hrs

Local FLIGHT SCHEDULE 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

AZMAN FLIGHT SCHEDULE

WEEKLY SCHEDULE Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Abuja 10:30am Abuja-Lagos 12:40pm

Lagos-Abuja/Kano 4:00pm Abuja-Kano 5:45pm Kaduna-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kan 10:10am Kano-Abuja/Lagos 12:40pm Abuja-Lagos 1:00pm Abuja-Lagos 2:40pm Lagos-Kaduna 5:00pm WEEKEND SCHEDULE SATURDAY Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Abuja 10:30am Abuja-Lagos 1:00pm Lagos-Kano 4:00pm Kaduna-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kano 4:00pm Sunday Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kano 10:30am Kano-Abuja/Lagos 1:20pm Abuja-Lagos 2:40pm Lagos-Kaduna 5:00pm

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

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

News

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

Why we restricted forex access to 40 items, by CBN Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday defended its decision to place restrictions on some 40 items accessing its official window for forex market. CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, said the decision was borne out of the need to create more jobs for Nigerians, strengthen the value of the naira and defend the reserves. He spoke against the backdrop of reactions

trailing the bank’s latest policy action unveiled on Tuesday. The forbidden items restricted from accessing CBN official forex window include rice, cement, margarine, palm kernel/palm oil products/vegetable oil, meat and processed meat products, vegetable and processed vegetable products, poultry –chicken, eggs, turkey - private airplanes, Indian incense and galvanised steel sheets. The CBN warned banks and other official forex supply sources not to flout the directive prohibiting forex access to the listed items. Emefiele said Nigeria

would not develop if items it could produce locally were imported into the country. He said: “Sometimes, policy change are forced on policymakers as a result of exogenous shocks beyond their control while most people do not like to be forced to do something, one of the hallmarks of effective policy making is to be responsive when such a situation arises. "In the case of yesterday’s (Tuesday) announcement, I am happy to inform and underscore the fact that this policy change is in line with a long-held belief that Nigeria cannot attain its true potentials

by simply importing everything into the country. “At some point in our lives, we have to decide what we really want for our country and I believe that the time is now right for that deep and honest conversation. Most of you will recall that during my maiden press conference in June 2014 as the governor of CBN, I outlined my argument that central banks in developing countries like ours cannot sit idly by and concentrate on price and monetary stability. "I argued on that day that additional measures will be required towards identifying productive sec-

tors of our economy and channelling credit towards these sectors while imposing proper monitoring and performance measures in order to ensure that the goals of increased employment and poverty reduction are attained.” He said the country could produce most of the items such as rice, toothpicks and others. According to him, despite Nigeria’s relatively impressive GDP rate over the past seven years, it has not translated to a corresponding reduction in unemployment or poverty.

Zonal caucuses reject Lawan, Akume, endorse Ndume, Na'Allah, Adeyeye, Alimikhena CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

A cross-section of All Progressives Congress (APC) governors during their meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja…on Tuesday.

Chevron offers more Nigeria’s oil blocks for sale Adeola Yusuf

he United States oil company, Chevron Corporation, yesterday announced that it was selling its 40 per cent stakes in two shallow water offshore oil blocks, Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 86 and 88, in the Niger Delta. Reuters, which reported the new blocks on sale, blamed the selling spree of assets by International Oil Companies (IOCs) in Nigeria on oil theft, pipeline vandalism and uncertainty over taxes in the country's proposed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). The bill, according to the news agency, has been holding back billions of dollars in investment, especially in capital-intensive deepwater offshore blocks, leading some multinational upstream firms to sell them. The company had, in February, completed

the sale of its 40 per cent stakes in two Nigerian shallow water offshore oil blocks, OML 83 and 85, to First Exploration & Petroleum Development Company Limited (First E&P), an indigenous oil firm. Last year, Oando completed the acquisition of ConocoPhillips's upstream oil and gas business in Nigeria. Two oil blocks which Chevron wanted to sell for Seplat are still ravaged with controversy. There is ongoing legal battle between Chevron and Britania-U over oil mining assets OML52, OML 53 and OML 55. The Supreme Court has asked the two companies to maintain status quo and adjourned to October 6. Meanwhile, Nigeria has continued to lose investment opportunities valued at $500 billion to other emerging nations in

Africa due to the inability of the National Assembly to pass the PIB into law. The Nigeria Natural Resources Charter in a report maintained that the foot-dragging on PIB passage is also taken a toll on the exploration sphere of the Nigeria’s oil industry. The 191-page report called for the splitting of PIB for easy passage. Nigerian proven reserves has, according to the report, declined from 37.2 billion to 35 billion while Nigeria’s rig counts within the last two years dropped from 44 to 33. “Such performance when taken as proxy, indicated ineffectiveness of the exploration process. Moreover, it is yet to execute a sound strategy for gas despite that the product shows higher potential for income when compared to crude oil. Efforts to study reserves have been weak,” the re-

port noted. It observed that the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry has continued to decline in productivity despite the existence of four refineries which are not producing fuel, thereby leading to the importation of fuel in an oil-producing nation. The report further explained that inadequate information, insufficient audit and poor financial reporting standard for public enterprise such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) continued to undermine industry process. “While complexity and opacity in public revenue procedure also continue to undermine the oversight efforts of civil society actors. Oil account payments including remittance to the Federation Accounts are not publicly available,” the report further added.

Incidentally, amongst the items CBN restricted forex access to, some are in the category of items Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said on Tuesday it would remove from the ban list in line with Customs’ implementation of ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET). Items to be removed from the import ban list include textile, furniture and others. Asked whether the two government agencies, Customs and CBN, are not working across purpose, Emefiele said no.

adoption by senators. Ashafa, who cited rule 28(1) of the Senate Standing Order, had argued that the letter was proper because principal officers should be nominated by the majority party. But Ibn Na'alla urged the Senate to ignore Ashafa's position because it was not in tandem with the position of the rules guiding emergence of principal officers in the Senate. Na'alla said the rule of the Senate had no provision that its principal officers be nominated by a political party. He explained that what was allowed by the Senate rule was for the principal officers to emerge from the party with majority in the Senate. Ruling on the matter, Saraki said: "I have listened to Senators Ashafa and Na'alla. Going by the rules and what has been said earlier, I think I will just note what Senator Ashafa said and we will leave the matter at that. And in that case, I rule that out of order." Also yesterday, the Senate ratified the amendment to its standing rule after initial disagreements amongst members. Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara) had drawn the attention of senators to what he described as a serious breach of the Senate Rule through illegal amendment without his knowledge. He said that the Eighth Senate had been operating an amended version of the 2011 rule called "Rule 2015" without a valid amendment process as dictated by the rules. He added that there was never a time the Seventh Senate amended the rule to include secret balloting for the elections of Senate president and the deputy, as contained in the 2015

version. However, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said the 2015 Rule came into existence as a matter of standing legislative tradition and practice. Saraki, after considering the submissions, ruled out the point of order on that matter. Just like the Senate, the APC 's attempt to nominate candidates to fill some leadership positions in the House also suffered a setback yesterday. New Telegraph learnt that the speaker's supporters warned him against reading the APC letter nominating Gbajabiamila and three others for principal positions in the House. It was gathered that the party leadership had mounted pressure on the speaker to announce the choice of Gbajabiamila, Doguwa, Monguno and Iriase but his supporters warned him against complying with the directive. At yesterday's plenary, the Gbajabiamila camp was expecting the speaker to read out the letter, but their expectation was dashed as members of the Consolidation Group, on whose platform Dogara rose to the speakership, prevailed on him not to mention it on the floor. A member close to the speaker told our correspondent that "left to the Honourable Speaker, he would have read the letter; although that does not mean that he may have complied with the directive. But we stopped him because that would have created a crisis on the floor." Also rejecting the party's position, leader of the North-Central caucus, Hon. Ahman Pategi, said the caucus observed with dismay the position of the party leadership in excluding the zone in its distribuCONTINUED ON PAGE 6

News

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Jega recommends INEC template to African countries Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

he outgoing Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Nigeria have called on African countries to adopt election risk management (ERM) tool in the conduct of their elections. This is just as the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) paid tribute to Jega for his exemplary leadership qualities in the conduct of the 2015 general elections. At a workshop on ERM post-elections analysis yesterday in Abuja, they observed that the successful deployment of ERM tool by INEC in the conduct of the elections helped in mitigating election-related violence in Nigeria. The commission first adopted ERM during the August 2014 by-election in Osun State and extended it to the 2015 general elections. Jega stated that the tool has enabled INEC

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"to do electoral risk mapping to generate data and do analysis to support a range of activities targeted at either mitigating risks or taking proactive measures in ensuring the conduct of free, fair, credible and especially peaceful elections." He expressed readiness of the commission to share experiences and willingness to participate in whatever role it could, in order to ensure utilisation of its objective in expanding the organisation of the tool in the African continent. Jega expressed appreciation to the Embassy of the Netherlands, the African Union and International IDEA for their support towards deployment of the tool and also for the successful conduct of the general elections. The representative of the International IDEA, Prof. Adebayo Olukoshi, suggested that the Nigerian experience should

be used as a template to share with other African countries. On his part, represen-

tative of the Embassy of the Netherlands, Maurice Paulson, assured that his country would

encourage the deployment of ERM tool in other African countries. The workshop was

organised in collaboration with International IDEA and African Union in Abuja.

One of the four Nigerian recipients, Mr. Ahmed Adamu, with Queen Elizabeth of England, during the Queen's Young Leaders award at Buckingham Palace, Londonâ&#x20AC;Śon Monday.

House N'Central, Buhari sacks SSS from Aso Rock S'East caucuses decry lWe're doing realignment, says presidency Anule Emmanuel marginalisation Abuja

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

tion of principal positions in the House. He said the caucus "rejects the purported selection by the party which we see as being in conflict with the principle of federal character as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic." Pategi, who spoke in the company of over 20 members of the caucus, said there should be fairness and equity in the selection of other principal positions of the House following the emergence of both the speaker and the deputy speaker. Also rejecting the APC's choice of principal officers, the South-East caucus of the party, led by Hon. Chike John Okafor and Hon. Chukwukere Austine Ikechukwu, at a separate news conference, said in the spirit of equity and justice, the zone should be given a principal slot. However, as the tussle for the leadership positions in the National Assembly deepens, Buhari and APC governors on Tuesday night met behind closed-doors to resolve the matter. The meeting, which was held inside the new Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, started about 11pm.

Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, which ended in the wee hours of yesterday, APC Governors' Forum Chairman and Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, said they discussed the leadership crisis in the National Assembly. The governor said they were worried by the development in the National Assembly and felt that something urgent should be done to resolve it. "We believe that our party, which we all came from, that everyone should respect our party and for that reason, we have decided that we are going to invite our senators and with them. We are saying that there shouldn't be a winner takes it all as we should carry everybody along, accommodate others as suggested by the party," he stated. Okorocha's counterpart in Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, also said the governors agreed at the meeting with the president that the lawmakers must adopt the position of the party in their decision since the party remains supreme. According to him, APC senators will soon be invited to make them understand the position of the party on the matter.

he are indications that President Mohammadu Buhari may have ordered the sacking of men of the Department of State Services DSS from the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja. New Telegraph investigations yesterday showed that the Aide De Camp to the president, Lt. Col Abubakar Lawal, has ordered personnel of the DSS out of the villa. He was said to have told members of the DSS at the president's villa to hand over to men of the Nigerian Army. The incident, which took place at the official residence of the President, was extended to all other points that had been manned by personnel of the DSS. Since the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29, there has been controversy on the agencies that would take charge of the security in the seat of power. Aside the Brigade of Guards, whose responsibility is to provide maximum security for the President and his immediate family, the Vice President and his immediate family, as well as protection of the entire Abuja city, other security agencies including the DSS have in the past provided support services

regarding securing the presidential villa. But the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina in a statement yesterday, said what happened was a realignment of security around the president, which entailed that members of the armed forces would man the inner perimeter of the President security, while operatives of the DSS would man the outer perimeter. Some members of the armed forces were drafted from the infantry corps to the villa after the inauguration of Buhari to man all the strategic points at the villa, a move that was resisted by the DSS personnel who had constitutionally provided close body protection to the president. The directive, however, almost caused an altercation between the army and men of the DSS, whose chain of command is different. It took the intervention of the Chief Security Officer, who directed his men to "stand down" a euphemism for complying with the directive of the ADC. According to a soldier, who was present at the incident, "the ADC directed that they should hand over to us and leave the Villa. We have now taken over fully as directed by the ADC and we are in charge". Already military personnel have taken over all

the strategic points at the Villa with a firm instruction that no DSS personnel should be allowed into the villa. This is the first time that the DSS, which has the professional capability and capacity would be stripped of its constitutional responsibility of providing close bodyguard protection to the president and his immediate family. According to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the action was part of a realignment of the security apparatus around the president. He said what happened is a realignment of security personnel from various services. "Rumours that personnel of the State Security Service have been expelled from the Presidential Villa are unfounded. "President Muhammadu Buhari has given no such order. "While it is true that a reorganization of security at the Presidential Villa which involves the realignment of personnel from various services is underway, the exercise does not translate to the expulsion of DSS personnel from the premises in any way. "The changes being made are routine adjustments which are not unexpected in any dynamic environment from time to time" he said

News

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

N’Assembly crisis won’t consume APC, says Oyegun Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

he National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, yesterday stated that the crisis in the National Assembly would not consume the party. The APC lawmakers at the National Assembly are enmeshed in leadership crisis. Oyegun, represented by the APC National Vice Chairman (SouthSouth), Hilliard Itah, spoke at the inauguration of the Coalition of APC South-South group. Also, Oyegun stated that President Goodluck Jonathan was a disappointment to the SouthSouth people because of his failure in governance. The APC national chairman, who spoke at the National Secretariat of the party, stated that those who are expecting the crisis to consume APC will wait for eternity. He said: "What is going on in the National Assembly is nothing but politics. Those who believe that this is the

beginning of the end of the APC should be prepared to wait for a long time, as the party will live from one dispensation to another. The APC will be here to give good governance to the people of Nigeria. "The truth is that most of us are in politics because of enlightened selfinterest, others may have a different view. But one of the vital ingredients of politics is contest and so there are offices to be contested for in the National Assembly. We should always expect this kind of situation to happen if the party have internal democratic principles in its operation." He said the difference between APC and the PDP is that the engineering of leadership has never been given to the people. "It has all been packaged and sent to them. Nigerians have been accustomed to this kind of politics, but APC has come to change all that. So, it does not seem to us as if there is anything amiss. In other climes, what is happening in the National Assembly is what takes place when offices are contested for. "The situation at the

National Assembly has given a lot of members of the APC some sleepless nights. Let me use this opportunity to tell each

and every one of you that what is going on in the National Assembly is mere politics. It is nothing other than politics.

Those who believe that this is the beginning of the end of APC have a very long time to wait. For indeed, dispensa-

tion after dispensation, the APC will be here to give good governance to the people of Nigeria,” he said.

L-R: Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa; Executive Director, Small and Medium Enterprises, Mr. Waheed Olagunju and former Speaker, House of Representatives/Chairman, Rumbus Industry, Alhaji Salisu Buhari, during BOI's visit to the company in Kano.

Senate summons oil corporation over state of refineries CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

state of the nation's four refineries. Enyong's motion was titled: "Urgent need for a forensic investigation of the contract known as "Refined Products Exchange Agreement or Swap Contract" between the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and oil trading companies.'" In his lead debate on the motion, the lawmaker said the investigation should focus on crude oil swap contracts to ascertain "that revenue from the nation's extractive industries is transparently managed in accordance with global best practices." He added that the swap contracts for refining 445, 000 barrels per day were awarded to nine companies, viz: Sahara Group, Aiteo, Duke Oil, Mercurial, Glencore, Taleveras Nig Ltd, Eterna Oil and Gas, Transfigura and Ontario Oil and Gas. According to him, Sahara Group received 90,000 barrels per day (BPD through an agreement with Societe Ivorienne De Refinage, Aiteo received 90,000 barrels per day and

Ontario Oil and Gas Nig. Ltd 30,000 barrels per day. "While one barrel of crude equals to 159 litres, the 445,000 barrels awarded to the above companies per day, when multiplied by 159 litres, would amount to 70, 755, 000 litres per day. Whereas Nigeria consumes 40,000,000 litres per day," he added. Enyong noted that the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), in its 2009-2011 and 2012 reports, had ascertained that there was a staggering revenue loss of $8 billion due to the discrepancy between the value of the crude oil given out and the refined products delivered. He said in 2011, there was a shortfall of 500,075,32 litres of refined products by some companies, including Transfigura (173,786, 600 litres), Vitol (654,440 litres), Taleveras (152, 308, 878 litres), Aiteo Ltd. (193,046,590 litres) and Ontario Oil & Gas (180, 278, 732 litres). Enyong stated that the request for the investigation of the oil swap deal was in conformity with the anti-corruption stance of the three arms of government of Nigeria "particularly the nation's

president, Muhammadu Buhari." The motion was adopted through a voice vote conducted by House Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara. However, before the motion was presented, there were attempts to scuttle it by some members, led by Hon. Leo Ogor (PDP, Delta). Coming under point of order, Ogor cited Order 50 of the House Rules, saying that the motion be suspended because it was not listed in the notice paper. But Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) countered the objection, saying that because of the importance of the motion, the relevant standing rules of the House can be suspended to take the motion. Ruling in favour of Gbajabiamila, Dogara said: "We should bear in mind that it was only yesterday (Tuesday) that the Committee of Rules and Business was instituted." He urged the committee to make sure that the House Rules are followed. Also yesterday, the Senate resolved to summon the NNPC to appear before its committees as soon as they are constituted to account for the state of the

refineries. The Senate also urged the Federal Government to revamp the refineries and create enabling environment for private investors to come in and invest in them. This, it added, is as a pragmatic way of proffering permanent solution to the recurring fuel crisis in the country. The Senate also urged the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to package regular training programmes for tanker drivers to reduce their recklessness in driving and curb the carnage they cause on the highways. The Senate made these resolutions, following a motion sponsored by Senator Gbenga Ashafa, which he entitled, "Fuel tanker tragedies on Nigeria's highways." In his lead debate on the motion, Ashafa noted the spate of fuel tanker explosions on the nation's highways, saying that the ugly situation raised the question about what had become of the rail line project of the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, as alternative routes to highways. "Within the space of

one week, four fuel tanker accidents occurred in Nigeria's two major cities, claiming lives and destroying property; the first incident was at Onitsha (the commercial nerve centre of Anambra State), which claimed over 70 lives at Upper Iweka. While the inferno raged, men of the Federal Fire Service (FSS), in their typical nature, arrived late at the scene to extinguish the fire. "As condolence messages were still being expressed to the victims and their families, another accident occurred in Lagos. Here, another tanker conveying 33,000 litres of petrol exploded at Iyana Ipaja and injured no fewer than 14 persons, gutting about 21 vehicles and razing down 44 shops. "As Nigerians were still lamenting the tragedy at Iyana Ipaja, another occurred at Idimu, in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos. The incident destroyed property worth millions of naira. No fewer than 34 buildings, 70 shops, one tricycle, one truck and other property were consumed by the fire ignited by the fallen petrol-laden tanker. "All the fuel tankers lifting fuel from the tank

farms along the ApapaOshodi Expressway have done tremendous damage to the highways, causing deaths, pains and gridlocks on the highways. Time has come for government to seek a permanent solution instead of temporal palliatives, as fuel tankers from all states in the North, South-East and South-West go to Lagos to lift fuel and besiege the highways causing the type of tragedies we have recorded recently in Onitsha and Lagos," Ashafa said. He, therefore, added that all the tankers in the country would not have any business going to Lagos to lift fuel, if the refineries were still functional. "Refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna would have taken care of the situation. The current road networks around Nigeria are grossly inadequate for the operations of trucks, tankers and the likes. Whatever would nail the menace in the nation's highways must consider the volume of tankers lifting fuel from tank farms along Apapa ports, which have crowded the roads in and around Lagos, and extended to other cities in Nigeria," he said.

News

Glo's fastest growing network — NBS

he National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has identified Nigeria’s telecommunications carrier, Globacom, as the fastest growing operator in Nigeria in the last twelve months in terms of subscriber acquisition. The bureau, in an analysis of the figures released by the Nigerian Communications Commission in its 2015 first quarter report, said Globacom recorded the highest number of new subscribers in the country with 1.63 million telephone users in the country joining the network from May, 2014 to May, 2015 to bring its total subscribers figure to 30.03million. The bureau stated that the monthly growth rate in GSM subscriber figures since May 2014 averaged 0.95 per cent, with Globacom driving the growth. NBS added that the greatest increase was recorded in December 2014 at 1.97 per cent and the lowest in July of the same year at 0.43 per cent. “The growth in subscribers was mainly driven by Globacom, which recorded an average rate of 1.45 per cent over the period, closely followed by Etisalat with 1.37 per cent and Airtel with 1.29 per cent, while MTN recorded the lowest average monthly growth in subscribers at 0.44%,” the NBS noted in its report.

national Mojeed Alabi

n response to the recent Amnesty International’s allegations of human rights abuse and recklessness against the Nigerian Military in the war against insurgency in the country, the Federal Government has queried the silence of the organisation on the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram sect. In a statement issued yesterday by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bulus Lolo, the Federal Government also accused AI of being vague in its report, saying

AI's silence on Boko Haram's activities worrisome, says FG by offering no clue on the sources referred to in its report, the organisation was making investigation into the matter difficult for the government. He, however, pledged the commitment of the government to the rights and the safety of its citizens, and reaffirmed its commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms, while also revealing President Muhammadu Bu-

lSeeks activation of response plan

ith growing fears over the possible spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-Cov) globally, the National Security Adviser (NSA) has raised an alarm over the possible spread of the disease in the country. In a statement from the National Security Adviser and signed by Brig General I. T. Waya, the NSA directed the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute to activate the response plan and

procedures to deal with an eventual outbreak of such a virus, and warned that the outbreak of the MERS-Cov in Nigeria would have obvious security and other implications. As at June 9, 2015 there are more than 108 confirmed cases of MERS-Cov, leading to nine deaths, quarantine of over 3,400 and closure of 2,400 schools in South Korea. Waya stated, “The occurrence of such large outbreak outside the Middle East is a new development and may likely spread to other

countries. “With Nigerians travelling all over the world for business and pleasure, the disease could likely be carried into Nigeria as it is transmitted through contact with an infected person.” On 20 May, 2015 Republic of Korea’s index case of MERS-Cov was confirmed. The virus was thereafter reported in China on May 29, 2015 when a confirmed patient in the Republic of Korea travelled to Guangdong. This outbreak has been adjudged by the World Health Organisation (WHO)as the largest outside the April 2012 in Saudi Arabia.

FAO, SON seek sustainable agriculture in Africa Amadi Nnamdi Abuja

he Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON)

hari’s promise that there will be no cover-up on the matter. The statement reads; “We find it nonetheless very worrisome that Al has yet to comment on the horrendous, mindless, and ruinous activities of Boko Haram. Indeed, the victims of Boko Haram's despicable activities deserve justice and sympathy. The Government of Nigeria is deeply con-

cerned about the rights and the safety of all Nigerians. Even if Al does not see fit to report on the acts of atrocities of Boko Haram, the Government of Nigeria will ensure that the culprits are brought to book. “In the meantime, the Government of Nigeria reaffirms its unflinching commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms. In this regard, Nigeria

with continue to work and count on the support of its neighbours as well as its international partners. It would be recalled that the Amnesty International had on June 3 published an article which it titled; Stars on their Shoulders, Blood on their Hands: War Crimes Committed by the Nigerian Military. The report indicted the Military of rights abuse and recklessness.

L-R: Members, House of Representatives, Hon. Ajana Mohammed Kabir; Hon. Aliyu Petegi; Hon. Ahmad Idris; Hon. Princess Adedoyin and Hon. Zakari Mohammed, during a press briefing by the North- Central caucus of the House agitating for leadership positions in the House in Abuja...yesterday. PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

NSA raises the alarm over possible spread of MER virus to Nigeria Appolonia Adeyemi

thursday, june 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

have added their voices to the call for the development of sustainable agriculture and food security in Nigeria and Africa at large. According to FAO, based on the continued increase of human popu-

lation in Africa, by 2030, Africa will need to feed about 1.5 billion people and close to 2 billion by 2050. It said therefore, agriculture needs to be more recognized for inclusive economic growth and food security in Africa.

Lagos to Buhari: Withhold assent Protesting staff shut down AIT on Sexual Offences Bill 2014 Muritala Ayinla

issatisfied with some of the provisions of the Sexual Offences Bill 2014 recently passed by the 7th National Assembly, Lagos State Government yesterday faulted the bill for 'trivialising' the criminal offence, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari not to assent to the bill in the interest of Nigerian children. The state government, under the aegis of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, described the Sexual Offences Bill 2014 as offensive, obnoxious, inconsistent and likely to increase incidences of sexual abuse in Nigeria. Briefing journalists at the state secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro, said that the bill seeks to introduce a strange defence based on the innocent act of a child (referred to as deceit) and belief of the perpetrator that a child is above 18 years when he committed the act of defiling a child.

He also faulted Section 10 (5) of the Bill, which provides for the sum of N20,000 for the offence of indecent assault, saying no amount can ever be sufficient for the victim. This, Lawal said, would serve as a shield for perpetrators to escape justice, saying there should be excuse for anyone to, assault, defile, or rape child under the guise of ignorance or deceit. According to him, "Section 7(5) of the proposed Bill provides that: “ It is a defence to a charge of defilement of children under the section if (a) It is proved that such child, deceived the accused person into believing that he or she was over the age of 18 years at the time of alleged commission of the offence: and; (b) The accused person reasonably believed that the child was over the age of eighteen years.” These provision of the Bill, Pedro, who is also the state Solicitor -General said, are apparently inconsistent with the interest and welfare of children and contradict the Child's Right Act.

stations in Edo

Cajetan Mmuta Benin

ngry staff of the African Independent Television and Bronze FM stations (DAAR Communications) located in Benin, Edo State, yesterday shutdown the two stations in protest over refusal by management to pay the 11 to 17 months arrears of salary owed them. The staff with placards, had locked the entrance gate leading to the premises along Iqueniro on the dual carriage Benin-Lagos bypass for several hours, alleging high handedness, intimidation and undue neglect by the management of the station. They also lamented being subjected to untold hardship and in absolute penury while some of the management staff live in affluence to the ridicule of other staff. Members of the staff who chanted anti-management slogans, further frowned at the plot by their employers to lay off

NEW TELEGRAPH thursday, june 25, 2015

News

national

Yekeen Nurudeen

Group faults Buhari on ‘empty treasury' claim

Wale Elegbede

Wike should focus on governance, says Parker Abuja

he immediate past Commissioner for Health in Rivers State, Dr. Sampson Parker, has cautioned the Governor of the state, Barrister Nyesom Wike, to moderate his utterances, temperament and behavior to suit that of a governor and that he should think more and speak less. He advised the governor to settle down and focus his energy on the business of governance in the state, rather than embarking on witch-hunting the past administration in the state. This is against the backdrop of recent utterances made by the governor in the state in the past few days on former GovernorAmaechi-led government. He stated this while responding to questions from journalists in Abuja, yesterday. According to him: “Chief Nyesom Wike is the governor of Rivers State now. I have always said that he is our friend. He is a member of the Amaechi family. So, I am very cautious when I talk about my brother. “It is not that because things are not good that you start pouring insults on each other. I try to avoid being pulled into that kind of thing."

l Demands publication of Jonathan’s handover note

political action group, Move on Nigeria, has faulted a statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari that he inherited

an empty treasury from former President Goodluck Jonathan. In a statement issued yesterday in Lagos and signed by its national coordinator, Mr. Clem Aguiyi, the group described the statement as mislead-

ing and uncharitable, wondering why the All Progressives Congress (APC) government will continue to lie on virtually every issue. President Buhari had said on Tuesday that he inherited a virtually

L-R: National Coordinator, Non-Communicable Diseases, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Anthony Usoro; Permanent Secretary, Mr. Linus Awute and Head/Director, Department of Public Health, Dr. Bridget Okoeguale, during a forum to mark World Sickle Cell Day in Abuja. PHOTO-NAN

Travel agents generated $2.3bn in 2014, says NANTA Wole Shadare

rom travel agents came the disclosure that the travel agencies in the country generated $2.3billion in tickets sales and tour packages underscoring the importance of the industry to Nigeria’s economy. This is coming as travel agents under the aegis of the National Association of Travel Agencies (NANTA) have concluded arrangements to meet with Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and top officials of banks to alert them of the danger of the banks taking over their jobs by engaging in the sales of airline tickets, thereby, jettisoning their core banking roles. At a press conference yesterday, NANTA’s National President, Alhaji Aminu Agoha, lamented that banks in Nigeria have become ‘jack of all trades’ and are gradually and consistently encroaching on all businesses includ-

empty treasury, adding that it was a disgrace that Nigeria cannot pay salaries of its workforce. Aguiyi challenged the president to rise above partisan politics by making public the handover notes he received, the

ing specialized areas such as ours. His words, “Are they licensed to act as Airline agents? Travel agents undergo a rigorous accreditation process before they are allowed to sell airline tickets. Why are airlines colluding with banks to sell tickets by offering Banks Commission and offering agents none? Agoha stated that recently, the general public had been inundated with adverts by banks in this country making ridiculous offers to the general

public for the purchase of air tickets from such banks. He noted that this growing trend portrays a dangerous situation whereby the banks have abandoned their core business of providing financial services to the public and delving into a business venture that they are not legally licensed to perform. Speaking on infrastructure decay at most of the country’s airports, Deputy National President, NANTA, Mrs. Tinuke Nwakohu, said the body

was very worried about the current state of most of our airports, particularly the Muritala Muhammed Airport, Lagos; Mallam Aminu Kano International airport, Kano and the Port Harcourt International airport, Omagwa. These airports, according to her, have suffered serious neglect and infrastructural decay over the years, stressing that this has led to the withdrawal of operations by major foreign airlines operating in this country.

Group kicks against call for Oyegun's resignation Chukwu David ABUJA

group of professionals operating under the auspices of Change Nigeria for Greatness Initiative, yesterday condemned the call by Governors of the All Progressives Congress, APC, that the national Chairman of

the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun should resign. The group, which made its position known through a communique signed by its President, Mr. Donald Okogbe and the National Secretary, Mr. Abubakar Abdulsalam, after its emergency general meeting, observed that the call for Oyegun's resignation

was uncalled for, saying that the Chairman had done well in stabilizing the party. The group, therefore, reaffirmed its confidence in the leadership of Oyegun, warning those calling and working for his ouster to desist from such inordinate ambition, so that the current crisis rocking the party could abate.

same way President Jonathan publicized the PWC report on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). In faulting the claims made by President Buhari, the group said the former administration as at May 29, left behind the sum of US$29billion in Foreign Reserve and $2bn in SWF, adding that the sum would have been higher if not the governors insistence led by then Gov. Rotimi Amaechi, the factional Chairman of NGF and Buhari’s campaign DG on sharing the fund. He said, “The APC government at the centre today can’t tell us that there is no Excess Crude Account(ECA), Sovereign Wealth Fund(SWF) or are we saying the Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIR) and related agencies had not in the last one month been generating revenue? “Until they are able to prove they had no receipts from these government agencies in the last one month before Nigerians can now buy into their frivolous claims of an empty treasury. “The inability of some 22 states to pay salaries has nothing to do with President Jonathan as it is left for each state of the federation to set her priorities and manage her finances. President Jonathan was not a military Head of State and has no business controlling the purse of any state,” the statement reads.

Court fixes date to hear case between Rivers and council chairmen Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt has fixed July 9 to hear the issues of jurisdiction and abuse of court processes in the ALGON case with the state government. Justice B. O. Quadri said he observed that there were issues of abuse of court processes and jurisdiction, based on the fact that the 22 LG chairmen went to an Industrial Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State for an injunction. He also made it clear that the counsel that went to Bayelsa court was not the same counsel in the matter at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, and therefore urged the parties to properly file their processes to the court. Counsel to the 22 local government chairmen, Abiodun Owonikoko, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had earlier argued that his clients did not err,

and that he was yet to be briefed on the Bayelsa High Court injunction. But Rivers Attorney General, who is also counsel to the state, Emma Aguma, countered that the conduct of the chairmen in filing the same process in another court in Bayelsa violated court process, and should be looked into. Meanwhile, the elected 22 local government chairmen have unanimously asked the security agencies to investigate the alleged assault of one of their members by suspected thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in front of the premises of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt. The spokesperson of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), in the state, Samuel Eyiba, who is also the chairman of Ahoada West chapter, said: "We have resolved to take this unpopular instruction to the appropriate quarters should they go on with their plans, including petitioning the EFCC and related agencies."

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Metro BANK HEIST

Again, armed robbers launch vicious attacks on four banks in Lagos, steal millions of naira and injure scores of residents

Girl leads gang to rob four Lagos banks

Camillus Nnaji and Muritala Ayinla

robbery gang led by a teenage girl yesterday ransacked four banks at Ipakodo, EbuteOgolonto area of Ikorodu, Lagos State. The robbers went away millions of naira and inflicted gunshot injuries on many civilians. The lady, described as a female ‘commando’, was issuing orders to the men during the operations. Witnesses said that the robbers operated for over two hours without any challenge from the police. Ironically, two of the affected banks are located opposite Ipakodo Police Station. The robbers, made up of 15 and the teenage female leader, were said to have arrived Ikorodu in three Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs). They were armed with sophisticated guns and explosives. The robbers arrived the area around 8a.m. and waited for the banks to begin operations. After they were through with their operation, they removed the number plates of the vehicles, set them ablaze and escaped through speedboats. One of the residents said: “It was after the robbers had operated for over two hours, carted away money and escaped through the lagoon that the police finally came. It was almost as if they were waiting for the robbers to rob and leave before they came.” The bandits attacked three new generation banks and one old generation bank. It was gathered that the at-

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com

The vandalised door of one of the banks

tack, which took place directly in front of Ipakodo Police station, caught the police, residents and banks unaware. Although no life had been confirmed lost, a good number of people were injured as a result of stampede and gun injuries. They were taken to hospitals for treatment. A female witness said: “The operation started around 8:30a.m. The robbers left many people injured as a result of pandemonium which ensued. “I’m a school teacher at Junior Secondary School, Majidun. I came to the bank around 8a.m. to withdraw some money. It was not up to 30 minutes I left the banking hall that the robbers came in three cars. “They opened fire all around the two banks in front of the police station. They also sprayed bullets at the entrance of the Ipakodo Police Station to scare policemen. They gained entrance into the two banks without any confrontation. They blew open the doors leading into the banking halls. They attacked two banks simultaneously. After that, they went to other two banks.” As heavy shootings rocked the area, commercial activities were abruptly halted.

One of the burnt vehicles

Shops were shut and buses deserted the roads. A vulcanizer, who gave his name as Uche, said he was already at his shop when the robbers stormed the area. He said: “They started spraying bullets at the entrance of the police station. The gunshots were intimidating. There was no way I could run out of the shop. All I did was to hide inside one of my tyres in my shop.” A banker from one of the new generation banks, said: “All the money in the bank, running into millions of naira were carted away.” The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, who visited the scene of the incident along with some military officers, assured that the command would not leave any stone unturned in investigating the attack. He said: “I got to know about this incident this morning. On the receipt of that, I called our operatives to come down to the scene. I am here with other security chiefs to have a joint coordinated approach to this incident and we are working together on it. “We are very positive we

are going to get to the root of the matter. Just give us time to go through it. We are still at the preliminary stage. We have accessed the banking hall. We are working seriously on it and we are going to address it. “The timing and conduct of the men (policemen) are also going into investigation. We are going to take a holistic look at the operations for these jetties; the vulnerability of our waterways and we are going to address it in a very comprehensive manner. Nobody died.” Aderanti, who drafted over 100 policemen, including officers from Anti-bomb Unit, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and Ipakodo police officers to the scene, ordered them to cordon off the banks. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said the police swung into action after being alerted. He said policemen were still on the trail of the robbers. The PPRO assured Lagosians of adequate security, saying they should not panic as police were on top of the situation. Nwosu said N5 million would be given to any individual who

could avail the police with useful information to ensure the arrest of the gang. He said: “The command will reward anybody with useful information towards the arrest of the bank robbers with N5 million.” Commenting on the incident and the general security challenge lately, the Secretary to the Lagos State Government (SSG), Mr. Tunji Bello, said the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode would respond promptly. According to him, the robbers and other criminals are only catching in on the transition in government and other security apparatuses to strike. He said: “Believe me, we will respond, they won’t go scot-free. Government will beef up security across the state. There is no cause for alarm, we will react and respond swiftly. Lagos is nogo area for criminals. Lagosians should not panic. “You can see what is happening at the federal level too with Boko Haram striking in recent times. Whenever there is transition in government, criminals exploit the moment to carry out their atrocities. We will deal with the situation.”

Metro 11

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

Suspected baron held for producing drugs Taiwo Jimoh

he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday said it had arrested a suspected drug baron who specialised in sponsoring drug couriers to China, Malaysia, Turkey, Italy and other foreign countries. Addressing journalists at office of the agency at Ikoyi, Lagos, the NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, said the 37-year-old suspect, Sylvester Chukwunwendu, was also a producer of methamphetamine in Anambra State. Giade said that Chukwunwendu was arrested at Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State based on intelligence report received by the agency on April 23, 2014. The suspect was said to be deeply involved in unlawful exportation of illicit drugs and running a methamphetamine production laboratory in his house at No. 2, St. James Close, Ajao Estate, Isolo, Lagos. Chukwunwendu, aka Blessed, was alleged to be the owner of the laboratory and leader of an international drug trafficking organisation which recruits and sponsors drug couriers to foreign countries. Giade said that sufficient evidence had been gathered to ease the prosecution of

Mechanic in court over N420,000 fraud Caleb Onwe Abuja

A The drug found in the lab

the suspect. He said: “The Special Enforcement Team (SET) of the agency has concluded a model investigation of an international Drug Trafficking Organisation (DTO), after 13 months intense surveillance on the suspect before he was finally arrested.” According to the chairman, the suspect hides under the cover of different businesses in running his drug business with international affiliation. Some of his companies include Blessed Benita Global Limited, Ideal Motorcycle Company Limited and God’s Special Enterprise Limited. He added: “Some of his couriers to China, Malaysia, Turkey and Italy were usually paid an average of $5,000 per trip.” It was further gathered that the suspect hired one Raphael, a professional

The suspect flanked by NDLEA officials

methamphetamine cook, to work for him. The said Raphael is paid N500,000 for his service and N700,000 for the purchase of precursor chemicals per production cycle. Items recovered from the suspect’s residence include 2.615kg of liquid methamphetamine found inside a yellow plastic jug, 250 grams of crystallised methamphetamine concealed in a white polythene bag and some laboratory equipment. Also recovered are two Nigerian international passports, one Ghanaian passport all bearing Chukwunwendu’s photographs,

with different names. There are also one measuring scale, six heating filters, six giant conical flasks, industrial tubes and cups of sodium hydroxide. Giade disclosed that in another development, 23kg of methamphetamine was intercepted along Badagry Expressway, Lagos, en-route Cotonou. The suspect, identified as Azubike, is standing trial at the Federal High Court, Lagos in respect of the seizure. In his confessional statement, Azubike said he was sponsored by Chukwunwendu.

Anambra govt agents beat evangelist to death Okegwo Kenechukwu Onitsha

55-year-old evangelist with a Pentecostal church popularly known as Chosen Church, Okechukwu Onwuamaegbum, has been allegedly killed in Onitsha by thugs suspected to be agents of a private contractor collecting revenue for the Anambra State Government. It was gathered that trouble started when the man, who was driving an 18-seater bus belonging to the church, was flagged down at Upper Iweka axis of the EnuguOnitsha Expressway by the ad-hoc staff numbering about 20. But while he was negotiating to park by the roadside, the young men clutching long sticks swooped on him, demanding evidence of payment of his Anambra State Transport emblem. A source said that while he was still talking with them, about five of them pounced on him, snatched the key of the vehicle with registration number XB501UKP. They drove the bus, taking along with them two members of the Sisters Fel-

City Briefs

Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano

lowship of Nigeria, who were with the man, to the Old Onitsha North Local Government Ministry of Works Office at the Waterside near the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Catholic Church. The source added that while the man was struggling with the two of the thugs, he slumped and was abandoned by the agents who took to their heels. They were, however, intercepted and arrested by a police patrol team from

the Onitsha Central Police Station. Onwuamaegbum, who was bleeding profusely, was later rushed to Toronto Hospital about 1.30pm. He was confirmed dead about 2.45pm by medical doctors at the hospital. Confirming the incident, the Medical Director and Chief Executive of the hospital, Dr Emeka Eze, said “the man was brought here about 1.30pm and he died just an hour after, exactly at 2.45pm”.

When our correspondent visited the office of the revenue agents at the Ministry of Works, the leader of the group, who did not disclose his name, said the man died of hypertension. The relatives of the deceased, who hails from Nnewi Ichi in Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state, said the late Okechukwu left eight children. According to them, his wife died 10 years ago. At the Central Police Station, the Divisional Police Officer, Isa Abubakar, was said not to be around. However, the Divisional Crime Officer in charge of the station, who did not disclose his name, simply said he was not authorised to speak to the press. According to him, the matter has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka. He said: “You should call the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO). He is the only person authorised to speak for police; that is all I can tell you.” However, the PPRO, ASP Emaka Eze, did not respond to calls put through to his phone.

Chief Magistrates’ Court in Karu, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has remanded a 38-year-old auto-mechanic, Semiu Abiodun, for vandalising his client’s car and converting N420,000 belonging to the same client for his personal use. Abiodun was arraigned on a threecount charge, bothering on criminal breach of trust, cheating and mischief. According to the prosecutor, Francis Udofia, the alleged offence contravenes sections 312, 322 and 327 of the Penal Code. Udofia added that the client, Gregg Ikiachele, came to Karu Police Station on June 18, 2015 and reported that he gave N390,000 to the accused to procure a new engine for his car and another N30,000 for sundry expenses. He also said the accused, instead of fixing the car according to the agreement he purportedly reached with his client, vandalised the car and converted the said money for his personal use. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge before the court, though he allegedly confessed to the crime during police investigation. Magistrate Bashir Alkali granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 and adjourned the matter to August 3, for further hearing.

Rotary Club deworms 800 pupils Muritala Ayinla

he Rotary Club of Omole has dewormed about 800 primary school pupils of Oba Ogundimu Primary School at Iju-Isaga area of Lagos State. Its President, Chris Alabi, said the gesture was part of the humanitarian projects embarked on by the club under his leadership. According to him, the club has donated sanitary items to communities, markets and schools during the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease. Alabi added that in line with its commitment to contribute its quota to the development of the society through provision of life-changing facilities, Rotary Club had donated incubator to the Children’s Ward in Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital.

WAEC registrar loses brother

he proprietor of Mid-West Secondary School, Benin, Edo State, Hon A. I. Uwadiae, is dead. Uwadiae, who died on June 7, at the age of 83, was a member of the defunct Bendel State House of Assembly. He is survived by 12 children, many grandchildren as well as eight siblings. His children include Dr. Enobakhare Uwadiae of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and Mr. Sylvester Uwadiae, who is based in the United Kingdom. Among his siblings are Dr Sam Uwadiae, who is also based in the United Kingdom and Dr Iyi Uwadiae, Registrar of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

12 News Emmanuel Onani ABUJA

he Nigeria Police Force and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), have begun a partnership that will culminate in the joint training of personnel from both establishments. The joint training will be undertaken at the Police Intelligence College in Enugu. The offer was made yesterday, when the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, paid a courtesy visit to the the Chairman of the

national

thursday, june 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Corruption war: Police, ICPC partner on joint training ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, at the Commission's headquarters in Abuja. His words: “I decided to come and pay this courtesy visit because I believe most sincerely that we are children of the same parent. The Nigeria Police Force had contributed immensely towards the birth of the ICPC and all along, there have been able to cooperate and to seek for further collaboration to ensure that we are able to

drive our anti-corruption crusade to its logical conclusion. "When I came on board, I felt like it is time for us to start changing the narratives about the Nigeria Police Force. The perception about my boys on the highway sometimes could be very rash and they could do things that most Nigerians find very uncomfortable; I have come up with some broad policy trust to reverse that trend.

“The ICPC, this is where you also come in, I believe that our collaboration should be both horizontal and vertical not only at strategic levels, but also down there. “And one of the areas I think we can further cement our relationship is if we are able to encourage joint training in our various training institutions. “I have an intelligence school which I set up

about three years ago. it is based in Enugu, and I think I have extended a hand of fellowship to some of your officers; it is an imperative ground for us to train each other, because if they train together, then they get to know themselves better.” Earlier, the Commission's chairman had commended the IGP over his innovations in the force, saying: “I do know that the case-tracking analy-

sis that was introduced by him, I have also deployed the same platform in ICPC and when I was negotiating the UNODC in Vienna, they always mentioned his passion for that platform and we have been receiving the same training from the same consultant and I can tell you that closing of ranks between ICPC. “But with the changes that are going on, I am sure that men and officers will be very proud to work under you. “We, of course, rely extensively on Police Commissions all over the country during investigations and arrests. Anywhere we go to, the first person we call upon is the Commissioner of Police or DPO, as the case may be. “We have the AntiCorruption Academy of Nigeria, and I will ask the head of that body to liaise very closely with us, and I also promise that at the hierarchy, I will always maintain close and personal touch.”

Head of Service tasks civil servants to be creative Yekeen Nurudeen ABUJA L-R: Chief Financial Officer, APM Terminals, Bansal Sumi; Deputy Managing Director, APM Terminals, Femi Ransome-Kuti; Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Hassan Bello and Director, Inland Transport Services, Suliat Adeagbo, during NSC’s visit to the APM Terminals office in Lagos. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

Covenant varsity to graduate 104 First Class, 1,346 others tomorrow Mojeed Alabi

ll is set at the Covenant University, CU, Ota, Ogun State for the conduct of the 10th edition of the institution’s annual convocation ceremony tomorrow where a total of 104 candidates of the total 1,450 will be graduating with First Class degrees in various programmes. This was revealed yesterday by the university’s Vice-Chancellor,

Prof. Charles Ayo while addressing a pre-convocation media briefing on the campus. According to Ayo, at the undergraduate level, 610 candidates, amounting to 46.39 per cent will be graduating with second class (upper division); 510 with second class amounting to 38.78 per cent (lower division) and that 30 candidates, amounting to 91 per cent, will be leaving the ivory tower with third class degree certificates.

Oyo pensioners protest huge arrears Sola Adeyemo IBADAN

yo State pensioners under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) yesterday stormed the Agodi Government House to protest nonpayment of their pension arrears. Chanting solidarity songs, the pensioners who trooped out in their thousands, displaying placards bearing various inscriptions such as 'We reject NLC,TUC and

government MOU', 'Muhammadu Buhari, bail pensioners out before we die', 'Stop avoidable deaths', 'Please pay us immediately' among others. Led by Mr. Gbade Akande who spoke on behalf of the Oyo State Chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Alhaji Ganiyu Azeez, the retired civil servants complained that the state government was owing them six months pensions while the primary school teachers were being owed between 8 and 25 months.

Five banks, others face demolition in Abuja Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

he Federal Capital Territory administration is wielding the big stick against some commercial banks and other outfits in the nation’s capital for violation of Land Use Act. Following this, branches of Diamond Bank, FCMB, Keystone, Fidelity and FinBank Insurance, as well as other commercial outfits, such as Chicken Republic, Banana Republic, Samsung situated on the popular Gana Street, Maitama were served notice yesterday to vacate their respective offices. A team of officials of FCTA Department of Development Control stormed Gana street yesterday as early as 10am marking all the affected houses with notice to revert to the original use within 48hours. The exercise, which was carried out under the watchful eyes of heavily armed military and mobile police men, saw many buildings on the street which were said to have allegedly converted to commercial use marked with red paint to revert to

original use. While speaking with journalists during the exercise, Public Relations Officer of the Department, Kalu Emetu, said the area was designed to be a low density for residential purpose on the Abuja master plan but has been converted to commercial use by banks and other business outfits. He explained that the presence of businesses on the street has overstretched facilities in the area, adding that the contravention fee that hitherto was being charged defaulters to serve as deterrent is no longer serving the purpose. Emetu said failure to revert to original use within 48hours would lead the FCT administration to seal off all the affected premises, while they would further be charged to court. "This is a low density area. When you commercialize it, you bring pressure on the facilities. Look at the road; it is already being overstretched. Even if they have approval, that must have passed underhand. We are not charging them contra-

vention fee again because that seems not working again. The original plan is for this place to be low density for people to live." He said. Efforts to talk to owners of the affected businesses were abortive as they declined comments. However, a resident of the area, Dr. John Akpoeri, a former director of National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), who said he has been resident on the street for the past 12 years, lamented the sudden presence of businesses on the street. While commending the FCT administration for trying to instill sanity in the place, he said Nigerians should learn to obey law and order. "I think as one who obeys the law and a responsible citizen, rules are meant to be obeyed. I think if the area is not approved for businesses, they should revert to what they were meant for. No country can ever develop without obedience of the rules of the law. We thought that this was a residential area but it is being commercialized and that is not good for healthy living."

ead of the Civil Service of the Federation, Danladi Kifasi has said the harsh economic realities on ground should spur civil servants in the country to think critically and proffer solutions, rather than waiting cap in hand for government to meet their demands. Apparently speaking against the backdrop of some states which are bankrupt and owing their workers’ salaries, Kifasi said the era when civil servants approach their jobs with lackadaisical manner and expect to draw salaries at the end of each month was over. He made these remarks Yesterday in Abuja, at an interactive forum with workers as part of the commemoration of the 2015 Nigeria Civil Service Day. According to him, the civil service system was now poised to help the new administration in its reform programmes, especially reduction in the cost of governance and public accountability. “Everybody is aware of the several challenges facing Nigeria and Nigerians currently, but the ability to think critically to solve problems that we are not usually accustomed to is what I meant when I said civil servants must think critically now.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

Interview

Governance

Allowances

Buhari should scrap amnesty programme – Aduwo

Jonathan disgraced Niger Delta – Kokori

Mahmud: N’Assembly budget is opaque

Politics

The NYESOM Wike Interview

Amaechi can’t escape probe Since he took over the reins of government on May 29, Governor of Rivers State, Barrister Nyesom Wike has been in the news for several controversial issues arising from the activities of his predecessor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi. In this chat, Wike bares his mind on a wide range of issues including his relationship with Amaechi, the state of Rivers finances, his alleged pact with former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, as well his current efforts to unravel the perceived plundering of Rivers’ resources in the last eight years. ONWUKA NZESHI brings excerpts: You took over a few weeks ago and since then Rivers State has been in the news. The latest is the move by your government to recover vehicles and other assets of the state from some officials of the last administration and this has created a lot of uproar in the media. What exactly is happening? If you can recollect, after our inauguration, we went into Government House and we told the whole world that first of all, there

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY EDITOR, PoLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

Wike

was no handover note. If there was a handover note, that would have guided us in knowing where the last administration started and where it ended. These are the things that we have given to some people as a kind of parting gift. We later learnt that Government House was looted. It was shown to the whole nation. But officials of the last administration said it was not correct and that I was showing those pictures in order to create an avenue to award fresh contracts to furnish the Government House. I told them that I don’t need to carry away anything before I award contracts. As somebody coming into government, there were certain things one expected from the outgone government. Take, for instance, before the presidential inauguration, the former President (Goodluck Jonathan) packed out of the Villa for renovation work to be done and some properties were removed and replaced with

You can’t believe it that $202 million was paid in December last year but as at April this year, nothing was left in the coffers

new ones. So, if I come into Government House and I find out that the chairs are bad and I don’t like them, I can request for new chairs. It is not a personal property. So, the issue of removing those ones already there so that I will go and award contracts is neither here nor there. It is not correct. The most recent controversy is your administration’s alleged highhandedness in the recovery of government property said to have been confiscated by some officials in the last administration. What is actually happening? We got information that most of the vehicles belonging to the government of Rivers State were scattered here and there. We also got information that some of these vehicles were parked somewhere along Trans-Amadi and we sent security men to check. By and large, we discovered that some of these vehicles were parked there and the security men helped us to

recover them. It was all over the place. Specifically, we got an information that a Lexus bulletproof Jeep 570 was packed in the house of a former Commissioner for Information in the state. We reported to the Police that we have discovered one of the Government House vehicles. It was not a vehicle she was using in her office. As a commissioner, she cannot use a bulletproof vehicle and Lexus for that matter which is about N60 million or N70 million. So, we sent in the security men, to go and retrieve the vehicle. Initially, she said on phone that it was given to her as a parting gift. I have no problem with that but there should be record to show that the car was given to you as a parting gift. We didn’t have such records because they didn’t hand over anything to any person. Later, she told us that it was her CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Politics | Interview

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

husband that bought the vehicle. If it was her husband that bought it, we have no problem. We said, you can come with the particulars of the vehicle that your husband bought to prove that the vehicle recovered from your house was your husband’s vehicle. When I came in here (Abuja) last week, I went to the Bank of Industry building, the former Liaison Officer here, not knowing that I was around, we saw one of the vehicles we were looking for here. So, we sent the ADC to go and retrieve the vehicle and come here with the man. I asked him, why do you have to go away with government vehicle? Is there any document to show that it was sold to you? It might be easy for you to go to the media to divert attention but it is not correct. What is the essence of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry which you have set up. Your predecessor has accused you of plotting to witchhunt him. Is that the motive? We have a right to ask one or two questions to find out what happened during the last administration. So, I am saying again that the job of the commission has nothing to do with witch-hunting anybody but to unravel certain things that we may not have understood because nobody was there to explain anything to us. If they had worked with the transition committee, we would have asked one or two questions. But no transition committee was set up by the last administration. You are also aware that it was our state that never had a transition committee to interface with the incoming administration. My transition committee communicated with the government, wrote several letters but nobody agreed to listen to them. These are Rivers State funds. These are Rivers State assets. Let us see how these assets were sold or purchased. You say it’s a witch hunt. According to my predecessor, he ran a transparent government; so what is the problem? Who is going to witch hunt you? What I am trying to say is that there is nothing like witch hunt at all. I read in the papers where he said that he will use all constitutional and legal means to stop the investigation. Fine. The commission that has been set up is a legal and constitutional process. You have lawyers who will present your case there. Nobody has indicted you. What we are saying is let the panel look into these matters. Even the vehicles, the ceremonial vehicles, the governor denied us. We had to go to Ondo State to borrow their ceremonial vehicle. Where in this country have you seen that inauguration ceremony was not funded by the outgoing state government? Government is not a personal thing. As you leave today, some other person will come and that other person will also leave tomorrow. So, there is nothing like witch-hunting anybody. We know your relationship with the former governor, Amaechi. You were his Chief of Staff until a time. Where exactly did things go wrong in your relationship with him? I don’t know where it went wrong. All I know is that at a point he joined another party. The point is that somebody said he won an

election and that you denied me my mandate and the person went to court. The next thing you did was to go and revoke the person’s Certificate of Occupancy and that you will use his hotel as school, simply because he went to court. Judgement was given to the person, you came to a local council and dissolved the council. What has all these got to do with the man who went to court and said that he won the party’s chairmanship election? I said this is wrong. So, when people ask: what went wrong? As far as I can remember, I don’t see anything personal about the whole matter. Yes, all of us were in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and at some point, some decided to go their separate ways and there was nothing personal. Politics is a game of interests. It could suit me here and might not suit me there. That is all that I can say. You have told us that there was no handover notes from the previous administration, but we learnt that the Permanent Secretary, Government House took custody of everything in Government House including the handing over documents and those things were handed over to you. Is there anything constitutional about who should do the handing over? Did the Permanent Secretary, Government House hand over any document to you? Now, let’s leave the legal angle and look at what even happened at the federal level. When the former President was leaving office, did he not handover the entire system from one ministry to the other to his successor? The essence of handover documents is to show the new person where an administration started and where it stopped. This is the debt profile and these are the assets of the states. The Permanent Secretary never one day handed over any document to me in respect of Government House or any other place. When we asked for explanations on what was available or not in Government House, the Permanent Secretary said he knew nothing because they never allowed him to come into the residence. He said that when they called him to give him the keys, he refused to take the keys because, according to him, he doesn’t know what they may have been removed from there. You know that in Government House, you have the office and the residence. What the Permanent Secretary did was to brief us on the office. What we have been talking about is the residence. We showed it for the whole world to see. So, when you say he handed over, I am not a governor of Government House; I am the Governor of Rivers State. We wrote them a letter telling them that time was running out and we expected them to set up a transition committee to interface with our own transition committee but they sent back the letter to us. We went through e-mail, there was no response. We called the Permanent Secretaries, but they told them nobody should respond to our transition committee. It was when we took over that we now summoned all the Permanent Secretaries to brief us. Now those who refused to give us information before, had no choice but to give us the information. It was based on these information that

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

I’ve no pact with

Wike

We have a right to ask one or two questions to find out what happened during the last administration

we started to track government assets in the hands of private individuals. Even at that, many of the Permanent Secretaries said they were not aware of many transactions entered into by the previous government. So, what do you want us to do? We are working from nowhere. In every system, there ought to be some order. Maybe a handover note may not have added so much, but it could have served as a guide to the person who is taking over from you. Who is the person that handed over to me? Let them tell you the person they claim handed over to me. How could you have handed over to me after I had been inaugurated? Even on the day of inauguration, was there anybody who came and said this is the document the last administration was handing over to me? We were inaugurated on a Thursday and after the ceremony, I went straight to Government House and on Monday, I went to the office where I swore in the Acting Chief Judge and Acting Chief Judge of the Customary Court of Appeal. I never saw anybody from the past administration with anything to handover to me. In fact, when I got in there, the Permanent Secretary said that there was no diesel to power the generator. I was the one buying diesel for Government House. You see, it looks funny, but it’s a reality. It’s unfortunate! But I also did say

that I know it would get to a situation where some people would try to divert the attention of the public from the real issues. Nobody has pronounced anybody guilty. We are only investigating to know what transpired during the last administration. For instance, we learnt that they sold our assets in the power sector. The Permanent Secretary never knew about the transaction. When we heard the story, we called the Permanent Secretary and he denied knowledge of it. He said he was not a party to the deal and did not append his signature to it. I am telling you that 70 per cent of our power assets have been sold at $302,400,000. You can’t believe it that $202 million was paid in December last year but as at April this year, nothing was left in the coffers. From the briefs you have received so far, is it possible for us to have an insight into the finances of Rivers State? The last administration claims it left N7 billion for your administration. How true is this? The Permanent Secretary didn’t brief me. They had to go and meet the transition committee who now submitted their final report last week Friday. From what the Accountant General gave me, from all Government Account, the main account where monies from federal allocations are paid and that account was zero. The

Politics | Interview

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

Jonathan’s wife – Wike and the banks had to stop some of the cheques in order for us not to be angry with them. In fact, there was one cheque of N700 million which didn’t go through because we raised alarm. Maybe, what they are counting were some of the monies they wanted to move through the ministries and the banks stopped them. As at May 28, monies were still being taken away from the accounts. How do you justify that kind of a thing? Then you are saying somebody is witch hunting you. How? Frankly speaking, looking at the contracts they awarded, the debt portfolio in the Ministry of Works alone is not less than N150 billion. But the loan he said he is owing Zenith Bank is about N15 billion. We are discussing with Zenith Bank on how that could be resolved. The bank said they will be deducting N1.5 billion every month but we said that would be too much for us. What is our monthly allocation that you want to be taking N1.5 billion? I have set up a small committee again, to look at the report of the transition committee and advise us on what to do.

other ones are accounts of the ministries. I can tell you that in the Ministry of Works, two days to our inauguration, some people were collecting N10 million each to go and paint kerbs on the roads. So, I called the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and I said to him: You mean you people gave somebody contract and you paid him cash of N200 million? He denied knowledge of the transaction. It’s so funny. What we are trying to say is that many people may not be precise but when you sit down to reflect on it, you will know what we are talking about. So, it will be wrong for anybody to say that we are victimizing them and they are defending themselves. They said they kept N8 billion. How could you have kept N7 billion and you were owing salary for several months? What is N7 billion doing there? Two months (April and May) they didn’t pay civil servants. Our soccer teams, Sharks, Dolphins and Rivers Angels were not paid for eight months. How could you say, you kept N7 billion and for months, refuse contractors were not paid and the whole Port Harcourt had refuse everywhere? Our pensioners have not been paid since February till now. So, whom were you keeping the N7 billion for? Does it make sense? If you even find any money in any place now, it was because we started raising alarm by May 26

Now given the issues you have enumerated, what do you intend to do? Are you going to invite the antigraft agencies to come and help you recover these monies? No. It hasn’t come to that yet. I have set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry, let us see what they will come up with before one begins to talk about anti-graft agencies. Let’s ascertain what has actually happened. Let them make recommendations. It doesn’t make sense to write anti-graft agencies when you have already set up a commission to investigate the issues. You have presented a troubling scenario but in spite of all these challenges, you have electoral promises to keep and obligations to the people of Rivers State. How do you intend to do this? We know there are problems and one did not seek the mandate of the people to come and just celebrate. You went to seek the mandate of the people because you want to come and solve their problems. Now, we cannot continue complaining but we must let the people know what is on ground. We have to move ahead to work. This is why I said there is nothing like witch hunting anybody. We have sat down with the Accountant General of the state and other officials to chart a new course. We have asked ourselves: What do we do? The roads in Port Harcourt are in very bad shape. There are no roads in the city. We have decided to put politics aside and get some reputable construction firms to take up the challenge of giving these roads a facelift. But we need money to do it. How do we do it? I called the Accountant General to give me an idea of the state’s average monthly income from Value Added Tax (VAT) and he said N900 million. So we decided to talk to a bank to give us money and we will use VAT as a collateral. So, we agreed the bank should give us

N10 billion to collect N500 million every month so that we will still have N400 million from VAT at the end of the deal. There are some road contracts which the previous administration awarded that are very important to the state. We would not say because the contracts were awarded by another regime, we will not complete them. We have decided to allocate some funds to these projects in order to complete these roads. Some of these roads need just a little more funding and when completed, they would decongest the existing roads in the entire Rivers State. I also made sure that the contractors signed an undertaking with us to complete these roads on schedule and we gave them the funds to resume work on site. Rivers State conducted elections into its local government councils shortly before the handover. What is the fate of these council officials? You will recall that we went to court to stop that election and the court actually gave an order stopping it. The court said all actions should be suspended but they still went ahead to conduct it. INEC also said they cannot release the register of voters because the matter is in court, but they went ahead to conduct the election. If we were to be rash, I would have dissolved those councils as soon as we came in but we want to follow due process. Let the court decide one way or the other before we know what to do. How do you react to the allegation that you had a pact with the former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, to support your election and that you will be remitting a part of the resources of the state to her? In this country, we don’t have respect for leadership. It is so ridiculous for anybody to say that the former First Lady and I had a pact to be remitting money. It is really unfortunate that some persons will sit down and fabricate such lies. It’s really unfortunate. What can I give to the former first lady? How could her support now means there must be a pact? She is from Rivers State and she wanted her husband’s party to win in Rivers. She looked at all the people who were running for the election to see who actually can win that election for the party. It then becomes a pact. I can’t understand this country. You were here when they said I was giving her $2 million every month. It is so ridiculous. That is why I said we don’t respect leadership. Can you say that to wives of other presidents? Can you say now that because Buhari’s wife expressed a favourable opinion about your candidacy in an election, so she wants you to pay her some money? This is a country where people say whatever they like about others. Our own democracy is unlimited freedom of speech. So, let me state here that there was no pact between me and her. No pact at all. Some people say that the way you are going about recovering govern-

ment assets is too loud. Is there no way you could have done it differently? How am I handling it? Don’t you think you could handle it maybe better by following due process in the recovery of the cars and other assets? What is due process? Is the Judicial Commission of Inquiry not due process? Like now, they said you are using a task force. Who said I am using a task force? I told you we reported to security agency and the security had to go to the place to recover the cars.

It is so ridiculous for anybody to say that the former First Lady and I had a pact to be remitting money... What can I give to the former first lady?

Your critics said some of the cars recovered were discovered to be the property of private individuals and not that of the government. How do you know that it does not belong to government? I told you they recovered a bulletproof Lexus Jeep which one former commissioner claims is her own but has not been able to prove till now. You see, part of the problem we have is you (the media). How do you know that the information you have is correct? You see, I know she is a former commissioner, your colleague and you have a right to protect her. But please, you owe the society a duty to give the right information. Who determines the quiet way to go about recovering government property? Which one is quiet? Which one is noisy? To you now, we have done this and it is not quiet. Maybe all we should have done is to write to EFCC to invite her to return government property. Recently you sacked some staff of the Rivers State Polytechnic. What actually happened? It is not correct. Now, this is why I keep saying that it is good to get this information right. There should be a limit to partisanship and propaganda. Let me tell you, immediately I was announced as the winner of the election, we started hearing rumours of employment of people. I heard about Rivers State University of Science and Technology and Rivers State Polytechnic. I asked, how can they start employing now? I invited the Vice Chancellor and the Rector as well as the Chairmen of the governing councils of these two institutions. I interacted with both of them and they explained the position of things. In the case of the polytechnic, the Rector told me that he got approval to recruit since 2012, started the process 2013 and started employing in April 2015. Unfortunately for him, the chairman of his board had a contrary information. When I inquired further if the new people have started working, the Rector said no, that they had just started issuing letters of employment. I told him, stop! Don’t issue those letters any more, we will investigate this recruitment exercise. So, when you said we sacked people, it is as if those people were already working in the institution as staff earning salary and we terminated their jobs. It is not correct. In any case, you have not been able to pay salary for two months and now you are employing more workers. How do you pay them? It was just to compound problem for the incoming administration. It is not right at all.

16 Politics | Interview Mr. Femi Aduwo, National Coordinator of Rights Monitoring Group (RMG) and one of the accredited observers for the 2015 general elections, speaks on the state of Nigeria’s electoral system, the amnesty programme and the insolvent position of some states. WALE ELEGBEDE reports What is your take on the hues and cries trailing the salaries and allowances of National Assembly members? First, let me clarify something, the salary of a serving senator is about N2 million monthly, but the so-called allowance is about N20 million. So, what they take home monthly is about N22 million monthly. But they always tell us that they have legislative assistants who they pay and constituency offices which they service. But their assistants are being paid by the National Assembly Service Commission. Some of them even collect legislative assistant’s money and pocket it. So, they are two separate things but they don’t tell us the truth. They want to kill Nigeria with these outrageous allowances. President Obama’s salary is $400,000, but here they are collecting tea allowance, newspapers allowance and all these are excluding other leakages they are exploiting that we are not aware of. Go and find out, 95 per cent of our legislators have no job; they are political contractors. I think we should experiment the South Africa’s model for its lawmakers, they should come for sitting from their constituency and go back. In South Africa, they give you your train ticket as a lawmaker to travel to the assembly on the day of sittings, if you like you can enter plane, you pay from your own pocket. How can you build such a monumental legislative quarters and they cornered it at the end of the day paying peanuts all in the name of monetisation. Legislative duties should be part time. What is your general assessment of the 2015 general elections? By Nigerian standard, the elections were free, fair and acceptable. When there is a contest, a winner emerges and the losers agreed that a winner did emerge. That is the beauty of the whole game. Regardless of the few skirmishes in terms of people not being properly registered and some disenfranchised, apart from the June 12 election that was not announced, the 2015 election will be the second credible election we have ever had. However, this is not to say that we have gotten to the state of Eldorado in electoral process because we still have a lot to do in terms of civic and voters’ education, security, information management and others. I believe that Nigeria should have a compulsory legislation that makes voting to be compulsory for those above 18 years. Election apathy is becoming an issue around the world because we are now see-

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Buhari should scrap amnesty programme – Aduwo ing minorities voting parties to power in the name of democracy. By and large, it was a wonderful electioneering process but there is room for improvement. Would you say that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has stabilised the electoral system and as such should be considered for another term? You will recall that the immediate past electoral chairman in Ghana, Dr. Afari Gyan, who just retired this month, was in office for roughly 26 years and was able to build and ensure confidence in the system. In fact, one of the candidates was his course mate but the guy still lost the election. Jega has done two elections now, 2011 and 2015, but for me it is not a question of whether Jega should stay or go but we must focus on building strong systems instead of individuals. If the system becomes credible, regardless of who occupies the office, you will dance to the tune of what you met on the ground. Jega has done his beat based on the outcome of this last election regardless of the various accusations in terms of the voters’ cards and the way it was distributed. Some people believed that some areas were marginalisd, some still query the volume of Kano State voting strength of over 1.9 million voters, and they still ask if that number really voted or they are imaginary voters and whereas Lagos State where you have sophisticated and enlightened people have less than that. Don’t forget that in the first election in Nigeria in 1951, it was Western Nigeria that first embraced adult suffrage; in the North, it was a special arrangement; in the East, you have to produce your tax certificate. So rig-

Aduwo

This amnesty is a waste and Buhari should cancel it with immediate effect... These guys have, through this amnesty programme, turned to overnight billionaires

ging of elections does not happen any longer on the day of election but who and who registered to vote and their voting cards provided.

by the oil companies. We can’t continue paying these billions of dollars to people who are less than 20,000; it’s a complete waste.

Do you support calls for the proscription of amnesty programme? From day one, I have tagged the amnesty programme as a waste because it is a sign of weak leadership from those who concocted it. I am from the Niger Delta, from Ilaje oil-producing area of Ondo State. How could some people carry guns, destroy the pipelines and then you say you laid down your arms, these are kidnappers and criminals and you are paying them billions of naira and yet the same pipelines are being destroyed on a daily basis, what is the justification? Go to Bayelsa, you will see young men doing nothing but tying wrappers around the waist in the morning and in the afternoon they go to the ATM machines to withdraw money they didn’t work for. You need to see the way these people have feasted on these amnesty programme stuff and living large on it in Dubai and across Europe. If I have my way with Mr. President, that Ministry of Niger Delta should be scrapped because the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has enough wherewithal to take care of the region. This amnesty is a waste and Buhari should cancel it with immediate effect. They should stop this idea of threatening and go and meet their governors who collect billions monthly without doing anything. These guys have through this amnesty programme turned to overnight billionaires. If anything, we must also create Poverty Amnesty Commission in the North as well. These guys are miscreants who don’t want to work even when they are offered employment

What can be done to ameliorate the paucity of funds that has made many states unable to pay salaries of their workers up to six months? I have heard in some quarters that Buhari should appoint technocrats as ministers and special advisers. But a simple definition of a technocrat is someone who is skilled in his profession. But for me, that push for technocrats is irrelevant at this point of our national life. We need people who can give purposeful, effective leadership and not those who will be concocting unrealistic paper policies for us. The Awolowo’s of this world didn’t go to Harvard to get PhD in Applied Economics but he remains the best Minister of Finance Nigeria ever had. During the civil war, we never borrowed a kobo. Go and see the record of Aminu Kano as Minister of Health, he was only a teacher. But we have seen a lot of funny PhD holders. The state of this economy before this new government came in was managed by people who graduated from Harvard. The economic team was deceiving us all along, they told us that we are saving for the rainy day, now that the rains are here there is no umbrella. We had our economy run by funny, useless and abandoned theories. First, the cost of running government is too expensive. Why should we still be talking about 42 ministers in the federal cabinet? Why should we still have Ministry of Women Affairs? What is the duty of the Ministry of Police Affairs when we already have in the constitution a Police Council that has a duty of appointing Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission has a duty to appoint from Deputy Inspector General (DIG) to Corporal, takes charge of promotion, discipline within the force among others. What then is the duty of the Ministry of Police Affairs? Also, we must streamline many agencies, what are we doing with over 800 government agencies with each having a governing board. By and large, we need to restructure Nigeria in a way that the states will not be dependent on the Federal Government. What do you make of the leadership tussle in the National Assembly? For me, it’s a sign that democracy is growing fast and we are seeing now that democratic lifestyle is developing in us and that is the beauty of democracy. But some leaders of the APC are so self-centred that they allowed personal interest to override national interest. As far as I know, the APC constitution did not appoint anybody as the national leader, in fact by Nigeria system, the sitting president is the national leader of a party. But the same APC forgot how the Tambuwalisation issue happened in 2011. The difference between APC and PDP senators is nine, and as such, the PDP cannot be ignored.

Politics 17

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

Jonathan disgraced Niger Delta – Kokori Chief Frank Kokori, former SecretaryGeneral of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG), speaks on the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, former President Goodluck Jonathan and the state of the naion. GABRIEL CHOBA reports What is your take on the emergence of Mohammadu Buhari as the President of Nigeria and what are your expectations from his government? All my aspiration and struggle is to have Nigeria of my dream and it eventually came like on a platter of gold through Buhari’s revolution which was the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the presidential poll that proved bookmakers wrong. The “CHANGE” slogan would have been meaningless if the individual who championed it is a different man from Buhari because people like the president are disappearing from the Nigerian space. Buhari is a man I appreciate a lot and he appreciates me too; he is the man that can rescue this country because his philosophy of self-denial is what some of us have lived on. So, I became very happy that he won the presidential election and I know that he will bring this country back to life. What is our major problem? People talk about power; that Nigeria does not have power, refined products, good roads, good hospitals, our so-called secondary and higher institutions are even rated lowest in the world and even Africa. That even countries like Ivory Coast, Senegal, Kenya and Ghana are rated higher in terms of education standard than our schools these days. If you remember the standards of Nigerian universities like University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Nigeria and Ahmadu Bello University and if you remember the standard of University of Ibadan Teaching Hospital which was rated one of the best hospitals in Commonwealth at that time, when you have countries like Canada, British, Indian, Australia, Ibadan was rated number four, but today you will weep for Nigeria. Today when you talk of 1,000 universities in the world, you don’t see any Nigerian university in the list. The recent rating placed UI in number 20 in Africa. So, you could see the level we are in all spheres of life. It is not that we are not favoured by God, but our problem is mismanagement and corruption. So, when people talk about fighting insecurity and corruption, I am happy that Buhari was able to talk to the military that they should be ashamed the way they

lSays ‘Buhari’ll bring Nigeria back to life

Kokori

fought the ragtag Boko Haram. At the end of the day, even the Generals became part of the corruption, the judiciary became part of the corruption. So, if you have a country where the judiciary which is supposed to be the last hope of the common man and the police cannot help, what do you do? How do you feel with the development? I started being a nationalist when I was in the primary school reading newspapers. Actually I believe by 55 I should have become the president of this country, but I could not. On the basis of that, I contributed my quota in the enthronement of democracy. If not that God placed me in a position to confront the Nigerian military at a stage in this country in 1993 using the oil workers with steadfast leadership, there would have been no democracy today. My satisfaction is that if I die today, I know I have played my role in reshaping this country. I was really excited that Buhari came to power and we expect so much from him in the Niger Delta. Nigerians should just give Buhari time because the country has been driven aground by past leaders in the last 16 years. All the institutions have been destroyed; the judiciary, media, labour and students’ unions, and Police have been compromised. These are the institutions that shape a country and if you destroy the institutions that call the government to order, what is then left? The legislature which is supposed to check the

If former President Goodluck Jonathan had stayed for another four years, there would have been no country called Nigeria

executive arm had been heavily compromised and over-pampered with heavy remunerations. If former President Goodluck Jonathan had stayed for another four years, there would have been no country called Nigeria. The high level of unemployment and corruption in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government is unprecedented in the history of this country. Boko Haram took some parts of the country, yet the PDP government had no solution to it. But just the announcement of Buhari’s victory, corruption rate dropped immediately and the Naira appreciated. Do you see the Buhari administration fighting corruption headlong? Nigeria is broke, but we will recover all money stolen by the PDP agents in government. Nobody is going to forget the past. If you are going to deal with the future, we can’t forget the past especially when the past is rotten. We will dig into the past and recover the stolen money and some people will be dealt with. They should be jailed. People should be punished when they commit offences. To me, Jonathan disgraced the Niger Delta because I have high expectation and I voted for him in 2011. One of our first meetings with APC, most of them were speaking negative that PDP is planning so big to do a lot of things and I said they should not be afraid in the South because the votes Buhari got in 2003, 2007, 2011 were all Northern votes and in the South, they just allowed ev-

erything to be rigged and allocated every vote to Jonathan. Buhari did not even have polling agents. Though, I never thought they will still go ahead and write figures in the South-South and South-East in 2015, we did our best to checkmate the PDP. But at the end of the day, you saw what happened; that even Jonathan lost in the Middle Belt states like Plateau, Benue and Nassarawa. That shows the level of mediocrity and incompetence he managed the affairs of the country for six years. Nigerians saw it and the people of Niger Delta saw it themselves. I was happy that he behaved like a statesman when he lost, because those parasites around him wanted war so that they could continue the destruction of the country. That was one of the greatest things Jonathan did for this country and I know history will never forget him. He was statesman enough to let Nigeria be in peace, so that this country can be a better country. I expect him to go to his village and rest quietly. Jonathan was not really born to be a president, but God in His wonderful ways gave him that opportunity from nowhere but he mismanaged the opportunity. We thank God he has governed in the highest position in Nigeria and he has left in peace. Actually, Jonathan had lots of hawks around him. I commend him and I knew he never told anybody that he would concede defeat to Buhari, because if he had told his wife and his close aides, they wouldn’t have allowed him to do that. The man wanted the country to be at peace to enjoy his retirement. He lives as a statesman. Do you see Buhari tackling corruption which has impeded the country’s development? The APC government under Buhari will sweep out the dirty. Jonathan will not be persecuted, but all the people around him and all the stolen monies will be recovered. Buhari is not a man that will say forget the past, especially about corruption. You cannot tell me that because you are a man of God, you will forgive thieves. They will be punished. So, we will expect so much from him and Nigeria will move forward. The destruction had been so primitive and it will take so many years to rescue Nigeria from the mess. I am happy that the fear of Buhari is the beginning of wisdom. People are now taking their time, even the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that has been toothless has woken up. Boko Haram has been given a warning signal. Forget about the panic measures the terrorists are just taking now to cause confusion. All those things will come to an end. If Buhari does not go after the looters, of which I know he will do, people will not take democracy serious. The APC is made up of a lot of people even those of them in PDP who became disgruntled. But when you are in a party that is serious, you have to be serious yourself.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion Rising rate of matrimonial battering Fred Nwaozor

attering is a pattern of behaviour used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, which usually includes the use of violence. In the same vein, matrimonial battering is a situation whereby a woman is battered by her legitimate husband. Battering, which is indeed a criminal act, takes place when a person believes he/she is entitled to control another. In recent times, the most worrisome form of battering is the one that happens between married couples, which has degenerated into an alarming state. Battering of a family member can take many forms. It may include emotional, economic and sexual abuses as well as isolation, use of male privilege, employment of threats and a variety of other behaviours used to maintain fear, intimidation and power. In all cultures, the perpetrators are most commonly the men of the family; suffice it to say that, women are mostly the victims of matrimonial battering or violence. Among all forms of battering, it could be classified into two major types namely, physical battering and psychological battering. Physical battering is a situation where the abuser employs physical attacks or aggression, while psychological battering involves verbal abuse/harassment, excessive possessiveness, segregation of the woman from friends and family, deprivation of physical and economic resources, and destruction of the woman’s personal property. It is worth noting that physical battering, which is prevalent in most African, particularly Nigerian homes, can also lead to psychological trauma. Battering, which has taken a different dimension

in several families in Nigeria, can be attributed to immaturity, alcoholism, hot temperament, infidelity or lack of love. Other causes include lack of male child, alleged barrenness, selfishness, influence and ignorance. Among these, the most prevalent factor that leads to battering is lack of love because if one truly loves his wife/partner, he can never make any attempt to hurt her even when he is under the influence of alcohol. Survey shows that battering remains the major cause of the ongoing high rate of divorce or estrangement among married persons in Nigeria. Needless to say that if an adequate and drastic measure/approach is not taken towards curbing the anomaly, it is likely to render millions of our children vulnerable in the near future thereby affecting their upbringing. Acknowledging that marriage is the most intimate relationship two human beings can experience, second only to a relationship with God and that it is the only intimacy that brings out the best in someone, there is no gainsaying that everyone has a responsibility towards preventing or eradicating battering or any form of domestic violence against women. We can individually or collectively join in the crusade aimed at ending domestic violence or abuses against women, which has brought a colossal upheaval in various homes, by challenging any thought or attitude that allows such act to prevail in our respective societies. Let’s be conscious of the fact that, a woman who is suffering from matrimonial battering can do anything to protect herself with a view that such aberration would continue to repeat itself. In one of her books titled ‘Trauma and Recovery’, Judith Lewis Herman – an author and psychiatrist stated that, “The guarantee of safety in a battering relationship can never be based upon a promise from the perpetrator no matter how heartfelt. Rather, it must be based

upon the self-protective capability of the victim…” She went further to state that, “Until the victim has developed a detailed and realistic contingency plan and has demonstrated her ability to carry it out, she will remain in fear and danger of repeated abuse.” Considering the aforementioned primary attributes of marriage battering, it is obvious that anyone irrespective of status or age is liable to patronize the monster. To this end; first and foremost, parents or guardians must ensure that their children or wards as the case may be have attained a reasonable maturity stage before they would be encouraged to settle down or get married. In view of this, we ought to acknowledge that maturity is not only based on the age of the parties involved but including their level of exposure or experience. As regards child bearing, acknowledging the tradition or desire of most men from this part of the world that a marriage that is yet to boast of a male child or a child at all is useless, our men must be meant to understand that a child is a gift from God and not by the making of their wives as they presume. In other words, anyone who is yet to have a male child should remain steadfast in his faith in God, and must note at all times that a woman cannot be confirmed or proven to be barren unless it is stated by her creator. Inter alia, we ought to always have it at the back of our minds that marriage is “For better, for worse” as written in the Holy books. Religious organisations have a very vital role to play in this regard. Above all, there is an urgent need for the law makers to enact a law that would assign capital punishment to anyone found guilty of matrimonial battering or any form of violence/abuse against a woman. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine. • Nwaozor ( frednwaozor@gmail.com) is a Public Affairs Analyst (+2348028608056)

States’ inability to pay salaries Mike Arayuwa Wilkie

enerally, workers across the globe work stressfully through a certain period, perhaps, for a month and ought to be paid for work done. There are also some instances where some workers are paid their wages on weekly basis as the case maybe. In the civil service, payments of salaries, as and when due, constitute the basis for the required smooth and cordial relationship between the workers and such Institutions. Anything short of this is contrary to the laid down principles of the International Labour Organization (ILO) of the United Nations. Surprisingly, we are being told that 18 of the 36 States in Nigeria are suffering from financial paralysis and therefore unable to pay the salaries of workers. According to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), such States include: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Ekiti, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers and Zamfara. More worrisome is the fact that Imo and Abia are said to owe their workers up to eleven and eight months salary respectively as at the end of May, 2015 while that of the rest 16 States ranges from one to seven months. The reasons adduced for the glaring inability of the aforementioned States to honour this commitment, are in my opinion, unacceptable and loaded with

serial moral questions. That the State Governors who are the Chief custodians of the peoples’ finances can now open-up to admit bankruptcy is a clear indication that actually, there is a problem in Nigeria. If, for instance, Mr. President can also declare that the centre Government is broke and can no longer pay the Federal workers and especially the civil servants, of course, government and the federating states would be grounded. This will certainly lead to civil unrest and other spontaneous reactions from workers, a scenario, which is capable of announcing the preamble to the country’s imminent collapse. The failed Governors of the affected States ought to appreciate the fact that workers have their nuclear and extended families within the African context of family structure and responsibility. For these workers, it is a compulsion that they are financially committed to the welfare of their loved ones. And, when such workers are not paid their salaries for several months or almost a year, it is firmly and really difficult for them to cope with these obligatory and mandatory functions of bread –winners. Why would these incompetent Governors refuse to pay workers when there is no evidence that it equally affected them in terms of their salaries and highly disturbing allowances. Are the various political office holders also affected? We have also, not been told that members of the legislative arms did not receive their salaries and allowances. If the Executive and the Legislative de-

partments of Government are regularly paid, then for the purpose of equity and other considerations, workers must not be unduly sentenced to hunger and perhaps, outright death. That workers should be the sacrificial lambs of the reckless spendings of public funds by the Governors is absurd which goes beyond any logical explanation and lame excuses. Let it be known that public money was unnecessarily diverted to anti-peoples’ Projects, that is, projects which are not in the fundamental interest of the masses. It should further be realized that most of the so-called projects are consciencelessly inflated and built on the obnoxious kick-backs, which from all reasoning, is a direct equivalent of theft. The major excuse being canvassed by the failed Governors is the oil glut which has led to the dwindling finances of the oil producing countries. Such countries realised this and quickly swung into action by reviewing downwards their various annual budgets in order to cope with the menace. The Federal Government of Nigeria was not an exception. The question now is: did the Federating states equally prune down their budgets with a benchmark? The Governors failed to acknowledge that their statutory monthly allocations will not continue to be the same in view of the interplay of contending global financial forces. It is an open secret that the State Governors kept their treasuries. Consistently open from where funds were

released for the purpose of political campaigns into the various elective offices and that of the presidency. It is relevant to add that in the process of funding the campaigns, many political jobbers who were Directors General and other field campaigners dropped a certain percentage of the said money into their private packets. In fact, part of such money was out-rightly stolen. Even the political parties which contested the last general election, are still complaining that the volume of money which they deployed for the purpose was not properly utilized. Again, this is to corroborate the concept of theft within the said period. There is a general impression already created in Nigeria that all State Governors must have diverted money from their States through whatever means into some other dubious bank accounts owned by them. This assertion cannot be wished away premised upon the fact that the EFCC and ICPC have never given a clean bill of financial health to any of the State Governors and one of them has been adjudged to be honest and corruption free. Their inability to pay workers salaries in the states is pathetic, questionable, unbelievable and therefore, must be investigated by the relevant security apparatus to enable us identify some of those who actually have the relevant credentials for the Maximum Security prisons, Kirikiri. • Wilkie can be reached at pmikky1950@yahoo.com (08023097251)

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

EDITORIAL

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Uncle Sam: Celebrating an icon

ne of the most significant gifts to the journalism profession in Nigeria, Uncle Sam Amuka Pemu turned 80 recently. And expectedly, for a man who has literally contributed his time, energy, money and life to the development of the nation through his inspiring, and refreshing analysis on issues, the current of eulogies, like torrents of rainfall, were in a way unprecedented, and reasonably so. A refined gentleman, a journalist and publisher par excellence; a resolute patriot and an inspiration to the younger generations. He has been fittingly described as a “quintessential Nigerian patriot at a time when many intelligent people have withdrawn into ethno-religious laagers, preaching all kinds of divisiveness and hatred…” It is significant to note that in the 1940s, when journalists became central in the nationalist movement, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (the Great Zik), Ernest Ikoli, Obafemi Awolowo, Ladoke Akintola and Anthony Enahoro, not only played significant roles in the struggle for independence, they also were agenda setters. As has also been noted, individuals like Uncle Sam Amuka, as a columnist, drew attention to socio-political issues itching

for attention. Many will recall with nostalgia, that Sunday Times, under his editorship between 1967 and 1971, was a must read, “what with its right mix of information and entertainment”. Indeed, his column, “This Nigeria”, under his pen name, Sad Sam, was simply a reader’s delight, given its combination of humour, wit and simplicity and clarity of language”. As Sad Sam, Sam Amuka’s portrait with its fedora-like hat, wore a sad mien. That logo is arguably “one of the most familiar logos in the 60s. Even though his logo wore a sad mien and he declared himself as sad, he is a refined detribalized gentleman, humanist and patriot. His teeming readers both old and young will recall, among his more memorable pieces, “The rising cost of dying” – a parody of sorts of the common expression, “the rising cost of living”. The piece was a lampoon on the habit of Nigerians, especially the rich, of spending more to bury their poorer cousins than they ever do to support them or keep them alive. More than 30 years after he wrote the piece, that habit has not changed. Having established himself as one of the leading columnist and voices for the

masses, he established the Vanguard Media in 1983 with three friends, which is one of the leading national newspapers in the country. He has remained an outstanding professional, a leading light in journalism practice in Nigeria. President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists, said Nigeria had been well served by the presence of AmukaPemu in the media. He captured the contributions of Uncle Sam to the development of the mass media and the country. Amuka-Pemu’s contributions to the Nigerian press, he stated, had manifested, not only in the growth of his newspaper, but also the principled positions he had consistently taken on political stability, accountability and the rule of law. “Nigeria has been well served by the presence of the legendary Sam Amuka in the media in the capacity of journalist and columnist with the Daily Times Group, of which he served as Editor of the Sunday Times. “It is impossible to forget his contributions to the Nigerian public through his famous column, Sad-Sam, which provided millions of compatriots much satirical, literary and even political communication satisfaction.

“The contributions by this veteran journalist to the progress of the Nigerian Press have been manifested, not only in the growth and management of the Punch Newspaper and the Vanguard Media Limited, of which he became Chairman and Publisher in 1984, but also the principled positions he has consistently taken on political stability, accountability and the rule of law,” Buhari stated. In the same vein, Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and his Lagos State counterpart, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Sunday paid tribute to the veteran journalist and Chairman of Vanguard Media Limited, Chief Sam AmukaPemu on his 80th birthday. At 80, Uncle Sam remains the good young journalist. He is refreshingly different in many ways and has growm to an adorable media brand. Amuka has room for relaxation at the Vanguard Canal as he recognises that journalism should not be all work, no play. As we join numerous friends and admirers to eulogise this very special journalist, it is also remarkable that he has been able to fulfil financial obligation to his workers. At a period when many states of the federation are owing their workers, it is a plus that this great man has been able to manage his small business empire which is growing even bigger.

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20 Politics

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Mahmud: N’Assembly budget is opaque Barrister Abdul Mahmud, the President of the Public Interest Lawyers, speaks on the jumbo allowances for National Assembly members. Johnchuks Onuanyim reports

Mahmud

f it is true that the federal legislators are getting N9 billion wardrobe allowance, it is outrageous, ridiculous and also insensitive considering the present state of Nigeria’s economy as well as the economic conditions of the electorate; those

who elected the members of the House of Representatives and senators. But I don’t think the amount is true because I have gone through the website of the National Assembly in respect of all allocations that have been made to the parliament particularly during the current fiscal year and l have gone through the 2015 national budget, which I christened Jonathan’s budget. I am not aware that President Muhammadu Buhari has

submitted any supplementary budget to the National Assembly. So, the question one will invariably ask is that where is this story coming from. I am aware that what is allocated to each member of the National Assembly as wardrobe allowance is just slightly above N500, 000. The question that we will invariably ask is that is N506, 000 outrageous; is it ridiculous; is it insensitive. Well, it is for Nigerians to answer

that question. I am primarily concerned that such huge allocation that has been reported by very reputable national newspapers in our country, none of these papers have pointed to Nigerians the source of this story. I am beginning to think that there is political blackmail going on; an attempt by a section of our media to blackmail the present leadership of the National Assembly. If it turns out to be true that N9 billion has been allocated to the members of the National Assembly as wardrobe allowance, like I said it would be outrageous; it will be senseless; it would be an insensitive amount considering the present state of our national economy. That is my reaction at that level. I find this amount not only ridiculous, I find the story itself unbelievable because as the president of the Public Interest Lawyers, it is part of our responsibility to look at public issues, public matters as this and we have not found any literature anywhere pointing to the fact that N9 billion has been allocated as wardrobe allowances to the members of the National Assembly. So, it is also our responsibility to speak the truth and that is why I have told some of my media friends that if you are reporting and covering this matter, also do us great favour by pointing us to the source of this information. While we are talking about the need for the National Assembly to be accountable, I also recognise the fact that the National Assembly is not accountable and if you should look at the accounting processes of the National Assembly, it is opaque to the extent that you cannot understand what and what are being allocated for in the national budget. Everything is collapsed into the operational budget of the National Assembly. You don’t know what is wardrobe allowance, you don’t know what is housing allowance and you don’t know what is car allowance. It is only the members of the National Assembly that can come out and tell you that so, so and so amount is allocated to housing, wardrobe, etc. So, that is my problem with accounting process of the National Assembly and that is why some us have insisted that the Assembly must open its accounting process to Nigerians.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, june 25, 2015

Interview

Jurist

FIDA: Anti-violence Act’ll free women from abusive relationships

Olorunfemi: Quota system for SANs’ selection ridiculous

25&26

Law TUNDE OYESINA and AKEEM NAFIU write that lawyers are pitted against each other over new policy on judges’ appointment days after the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmoud Mohammed announced that the era of appointing ‘unfit’ and ‘improper’ persons as judges is over

etermined to sanitise the judiciary of bad eggs, ‘misfit’ and ‘improper’ persons, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmoud Mohammed announced a fortnight ago thatit was not going to be a business as usual in who becomes judges in Nigeria’s courts. Specifically, the CJN said the system of judges’ appointment would no longer be based on ‘fraternal connections’ and ‘nepotism’ but must be anchored in merit-based guidelines for appointment of judicial officers. Henceforth the National Judicial Council (NJC) will advertise to fill vacancies for judges as the council introduces stringent measures to make sure that only honest, hardworking and untainted lawyers become members of the Bench. Advertising to fill vacancies for this category of judicial officers is one of the new measures contained in the 2014 Revised NJC Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the appointment of judicial officers of superior courts of record in the country. The CJN said: “The guidelines provide for a more comprehensive, robust and transparent method of appointment, leading to the emergence of

FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE JUDICIARY Editor

foluso.ogunmodede@ newtelegraphonline.com

Kalu

Raji

Discontent over judges’ appointment policy only the best legal minds with high moral standards to serve as judges in our revered temples of justice. “Acts as lobbying for appointment, exhibition of bad behavior in and out of court, influence peddling, rendering dishonest or questionable legal opinions, submission of false credentials, are just some of those conducts exhaustively listed in the 2014 guidelines as acts that would preclude appointment to judicial office “Having been duly nominated, comments were received from the recommenders, on the shortlisted candidates with regard to their suitability or otherwise for appointment. I must state at this juncture that such acts as lobbying for appointment, exhibition of bad behavior in and out of court, influence peddling, rendering dishonest or questionable legal opinions, submission of false credentials, are just some of those conducts exhaustively listed in the 2014 guidelines as acts that would preclude appointment to Judicial office.

It is part of the transparency which stakeholders have been talking about

“The prospective candidates were further assessed by the FJSC on the basis of strict criteria such as sound knowledge of the law, good reputation, and seniority, in addition to other criteria too numerous to list here. “Shortlisted candidates were required to duly fill and submit a completed FORM A, issued by the National Judicial Council, within a limited time. Once completed and submitted, FORM A and all documents pertaining to the candidates were once again scrutinized by the FJSC to ensure that the candidates had indeed met the requisite criteria. Furthermore, a security report from the Department of State Security (DSS) and medical clearance from a recognized government hospital were obtained, among other supporting documents. “The FJSC then submitted its recommended list of final candidates to the NJC, which conducted interviews for all candidates recommended by the FJSC in or-

der to ascertain the most suitable person to occupy the position of Justice of the Supreme Court. “The best candidate emerging from the exercise was then recommended by the Council to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for appointment, after the approval of the Senate.” This was however applauded by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) which described it as a new era in the nation’s justice system. Although some Senior Advocates believe such new policy on judges’ appointment would not guarantee excellence in the judiciary as being touted by the judiciary highest organ-the National Judicial Council (NJC), a few lawyers gave their consent, applauding the CJN and the NJC for a well thought reform in the nation’s administration of justice. Abubakar Malami, Ahmed Raji, Awa Kalu, Mike Ozekhome, CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

22 Law | Interview In this interview with TUNDE OYESINA, Hauwa Shekarau, the National President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Nigeria reviews the antiviolence bill and concluds that the bill ‘is a great gift to the women folk’. With the recent signing into law of the anti-violence bill by former President Goodluck Jonathan, how would you relate your feelings to the development? I must say that the day I got the news that Mr. President had signed the anti-violence bill, I was one of the happiest women on earth. In fact, I received that message while I was out of the country; I had just arrived where I traveled to and I was on my way in a cab going to my hotel room, and I got that news. So, for me the signing of the bill signified the end of a long tortuous journey. We really cannot thank former President Goodluck Jonathan enough. We can’t really thank enough the legislators of the 7th National Assembly because I can assure you that it took a lot of commitment of many of them. People like Senators Dahiru Umaru, Ndoma Egba, Etta Enang, Helen Esuene and so many others I cannot readily mention because of time and space. They all went out of their way to put in their best to ensure that this bill saw the light of day. I can tell you that if we had had that kind of commitment from previous legislators, I don’t think we would have still been singing about the Violence Against Persons Prohibition bill in the 7th Na-

THURSDAY, june 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

FIDA: Anti-violence Act’ll free women from abusive relationships tional Assembly. It is a thing of joy and I believe that Nigerians are the better for it, particularly Nigerian women who are the ones that are mostly at the receiving end of violence in the society. What are some of the striking components of the bill? For me, I think the Act is very unique in the sense that there are so many unique provisions in the Act. First and foremost is the fact that it redefines rape. In our conventional criminal laws, only a man can commit rape but with the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, a woman can actually commit rape; a man can be raped and a woman can be raped as well. So, it removes the gender divide as it relates to the sexual of-

The law removes gender divide in respect of sexual offence of rape

fence of rape, which I think is very commendable and important in addressing the high incidences of sexual violence in the society. Before the passage of the Act, we have had cases where men experienced sexual violence but the penal code did not readily come to their aid because of the way the crime is defined in the law books. But that has been taken away and adequately provided for in the new Act. Secondly, the Act makes provision for protective orders. If any person has a strong believe that sexual violence or any form of violence is about to take place, he or she can approach the court for a protective order under the Act. Instead of waiting until it happens before you take action, you can actually take action before it happens to forestall the crime. Another unique aspect of the Act is that it prohibits spousal family abandonment. A situation where a man wakes up one day and abandons his family or a woman abandons her family including children and dependants uncatered for or unattended to, the Act prohibits and criminalises such act of abandonment. And that is something that is new in our law books in terms of criminalizing such actions. And of course, harmful widowhood practice is criminalized. Female genital mutilation for the first time by Act of the National Assembly is criminalized. And I think that unlike other laws that have been put in place such as the Child Right Act, the anti-violence Act makes provision for an agency that would ensure the implementation of the Act. And that agency in order to reduce a duplication of agencies, National Agency PTIP has been given the sole responsibility of including the implementation of the VAP Act as part of their mandate otherwise it would just be a law sitting there in the book shelve. Basically, these are the key components that I find very unique and somehow new from the previous laws that we have. Was FIDA the only organization that initiated the bill? No not at all. FIDA was amongst the different women groups and NGOs that were in the forefront of pushing the VAP bill. And we all did that under a coalition which we call Legislative Advocacy Coalition on Violence Against

Women. Aside FIDA, there were other organizations like Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), National Council for Women Society, and over fifty NGOs that came together under the coalition. We realised that we could not continue to dissipate energy working as different organizations. So, we all came together as a coalition. It was through the coalition that we were able to push the VAPP bill. What measures have you put in place to ensure that this Act does not suffer the fate of other laws that were never implemented in the country? I think the coalition realizes that the first hurdle which is getting the bill to be passed into law has been crossed. So, the next phase we are entering is to popularize and disseminate the Act; create awareness for people to know that a law such as this has been passed. And that it is available to be used. When you do not know that there is a law in place, you cannot enjoy the benefit of that law. And so our major preoccupation at the moment is to popularize it, create awareness about it for people to know the contents of the Act and to encourage people to come up and test the efficacy of that law by ensuring that if any of their rights are violated within the purvey of the Act, they would take advantage of the law and take such matters to the court. What would be your advice to Nigerian women who are often the victims of violence in the society? Like I mentioned earlier, we want to really create the awareness. And one of our major targets in terms of the awareness are the women themselves. We want to take the message to the women both in rural and urban areas for them to know that there is a law called the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act. If you look at it critically, it seeks to protect women and men from violence as well. Even though at the moment, it is only applicable within the Federal Capital Territory ((FCT), we are hoping that as the new assemblies are being inaugurated, some of our members of the coalition who are in various states also begin to push to ensure that the VAP bill is also domesticated in their different states so that at the end of the day we have the whole country covered by the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act. I want to seize this opportunity to call on women to come out, not to die in silence and continue to remain in an abusive relationship or in a violent situation till her dead body is taken. For us the signing of the VAPP Act is one step in the right direction.

Law

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, june 25, 2015

Malami

Akintola

Ozekhome

Discontent over judges’ appointment policy C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 1

and Niyi Akintola, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria backed the new policy on the appointment of judges. But a titled chief and Senior Advocate, Mike Ahamba described the new policy as not panacea for myriads of rots in the judiciary. He said the new policy would only complicate the rot in the system as it would lead to intense lobby. “This can only lead to lobby; it will increase the lobbying. When people go on examination,who will set it? Fundamentally speaking, that is not the solution to our problem”, Ahamba said. But his colleagues at the Inner Bar dismissed Ahamba’s view, saying the merit of the policy outweighed its anticipated side effects. Malami, Raji, Kalu, Ozekhome and Akintola were unanimous that the new policy would add great value to the nation’s judicial administration. Malami said: “In all sincerity, it will be a great value to our judicial administration of justice, because it now goes to establish the merit as the basis for appointing judges. I think it is a very good development in that respect towards the sustenance of quality, sustenance of good administration of justice and promotion of merit and confidence. “So it goes down to sustenance of merit and confidence, which are the key to the administration of justice”. Raji simply described it as a key sustainability of judicial system. He said: “It will open the door for as many qualified people as possible.

I think the CJN means well; he has good intention for the judiciary. Some people believe the appointment of judges is done in secret, may say they don’t know when the appointment is done and in some jurisdiction, the appointment is taken to the parliament to be debated, for people to bring in their view. “If it is advertised and qualified people apply, the net will be dragged wider and the pool more. I think it is better for the judiciary. “Better public participation. Judiciary is a major arm of government. When it comes to the executive, people participate in the election, same when it is the legislature. When it comes to judiciary there should be an element of public participation in it provided you are qualified. I think it is a way of taking it to people’s doors. We should commend the CJN. Kalu was not indifferent. He said the new policy was a plus as it would add more value to the third arm of government. His words: “It is part of the transparency which stakeholders have been talking about. When an advert is placed and you are interested and you apply, then the normal process will follow, shortlisted, and whoever is qualified will come up on board”. Ozekhome said: “I was the one those who proposed it at the level of the committee on judiciary and human rights during the national conference. It was later fully adopted by the committee and at the plenary session of the national conference. “For us to have transparency and efficiency in all the cadres of judges,

all the appointment should be subjected to publications and advertorials in the newspapers, radio and television. This will allow people to apply for the position of judges. People can also raise objections where they think that certain individuals are not qualified or are not competent, may be, morally, academically or are having pending cases against them that are unknown to the generalpublic. “We have also said that by that system, lawyers will be free to apply to be Justices of the Supreme Court. This means appointment as judges into the apex court will no longer be limited to promotions from the High Court to the Federal High Court and then to the appellate court. In some of the meetings of the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, it was realised that some of the best justices that we have had in the past actually came straight from the Bar. For instance, Justice Augustine Nnamani actually came from the Bar. Justice Teslim Elias, also came from the Bar and was made Chief Justice. In fact, the present Chief Justice of Nigeria was actually a practising lawyer. In any case, if a judge of the High Court is very qualified and competent, there is no reason he cannot apply to be a judge of the Supreme Court. Justice Chukwudifo Oputa came straight from the High Court to the Supreme Court and we all know that he was certainly the oracle of the Bench. One of the best we ever had in this clime. He never went to any Court of Appeal. So, there is no reason why a practising lawyer, an academician or a High Court Judge

who is very seasoned cannot apply directly to become a judge of the Supreme Court. “This will also make the judges of the Court of Appeal to sit up more. They will know that for you to get to the Supreme Court is no longer a right because you are sitting at the Court of Appeal. They will now know that they are going to dig it out in a serious interview with other interested parties. So, I support it fully and even though it is not novel because we had actually proposed it at as part of our over six hundred recommendations at the national conference”. Akintola said the policy was not in bad faith because the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had equally advocated it. He said: “That is the practice in the United States. There, before you are appointed as a judge, those who knew you in Primary School will comment. Those who knew when you are stealing meat from your mother’s pot will also comment. Even those who knew when you cheated in the School Certificate Exams will also comment. So, anyone who intends to preside over the affairs of fellow human beings must be a man or woman of integrity and someone of impeccable character”. “When you advertise the appointments, it will enable people to comment on the character, moral and the discipline level of the would-be applicant and those who know that they have one blemish or the other in their lives will not put up application”.

Group holds maiden digital legal conference Akeem Nafiu

lans by a Nigerian fastest growing Legal professional network, thelearnedfriends.com to host its maiden edition of the E-Legal Conference 2015 was concluded at the weekend. The primary objective of the conference which is scheduled

to hold on July 9 at the Lagos Court of Arbitration, International Centre for Arbitration and ADR, Lekki, would provide thought leadership for the Legal industry on ICT solutions. Key players in the ICT and legal industry from around the world will enlighten delegates on the latest enabling tools and software developed for today’s

Law Practice. Expert speakers include but not limited to Mark Slade, British CEO Ringier Digital Marketing; Senibo Bara-Hart Legal Adviser, Samsung -West Africa and Azubuike Ezenwoke, Dean-Student Affairs, Covenant University. Barrister Alex Mouka, Chairman of the Nigerian

Bar Association (NBA) Lagos branch will inaugurate the conference as the keynote speaker. Those expected to participate in the E-Legal conference include Policy and legal professionals, paralegal professionals and ICT professionals. Interested participants are to visit www.elegalconference. com for their registration de-

tails. TheLearnedFriends.com is an online news aggregator and social media platform focused on showcasing technological innovations in the Legal Sector. Its mission is to generate commercial value for Law people by leveraging on Information and Communications Technology

Law | File

THURSDAY, june 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

100 years of media, law and struggle for good governance

Akpedeye

Dafe Akpedeye

“N

igerian Press has faced several challenges since 1960 but no challenge has been more of a problem than the menace of military rule and threats to the freedom of the press and the capacity of the press to fulfill its mission as the voice of the voiceless and defender of the oppressed . . . So serious is Press censorship in Nigeria that between 1903 and 1998, there have been 29 anti-press legislation in the books. No other industry has been confronted with such a degree of official antagonism.” – Rueben Abati, Senior Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on media matters. The history of struggle for governance in Nigeria from the inception of colonization till the present era cannot be effectively told without x-raying the role of two critical sectors: the “Media” and “Law”. The journey towards good governance has not only been bumpy, it has been fraught at times with uncertainties and at the extreme human cost. This discuss seeks to x-ray the effectiveness of the utilization of media and law in the attainment of the most sought after “ornament” today by Nigerians: “Good Governance”. The utilization of the existing laws by media practitioners in the quest for good governance has been remarkable and commendable. The media (electronic, print and in recent times online) is today regarded as the 4th estate of the realm (nation). An effective Media serves as watch-dog of the activities of the government as well as the barometer for measuring the pulse of the society. The media not only enlighten the citizenry of the ac-

tivities of government, but more importantly, it triggers discuss aimed at proffering solutions to contemporary socio-cultural, economic and political challenges. The effect of this laudable role is that a veritable platform is provided for Nigerians to contribute to policy direction of government and to make their existence count. Nigeria has been blessed with a robust and vibrant media. Historically, the vibrancy of the Nigeria media dates back to the colonial times. Nigeria today, enjoys the status of the most free and outspoken media in Africa. The robustness and vibrancy of the Nigerian media was not attained on a platter of gold but through consistent dogged struggle by practitioners. The struggle in some cases led to the payment of the supreme sacrifice. The struggle reached its crescendo during the military era. I am not unmindful of reports of harassment of media practitioners during civilian dispensations even in the present regime. Media practitioners in Nigeria have been harassed, tortured, imprisoned, exiled and murdered as a result of their work. Late Elder Statesman, Chief Anthony Enahoro had a rough time during the colonial administration. Countless number of media practitioners have been jailed in course of their work. Dele Giwa of blessed memory paid the supreme price when he was killed by a letter bomb With the above background, I now proceed to look at the media and law in different political era of our national life. Pre-independence Loosely speaking, the history of human existence is one of struggle between oppressors and the oppressed.

Nigeria colonial experience depicts the height of this struggle. The colonialists imported laws aimed at muscling free speech into Nigeria. The laws mainly took the shape of sedition and defamation with the attendant stiff penalties. By the laws, any publication (whether written or spoken) considered by the colonialists to be offensive is visited by penalty of imprisonment. In 1909, a law the Seditious Offences Ordinance of 1909 (which like the later Decree No. 4 of 1984) criminalized the publication of false reports or statements that exposed a government official or the government itself to ridicule or contempt. It was published in September 1909 in the official Gazette and reprinted in an extra-ordinary issue of the Government Gazette dated October 1, 1909. The Seditious Offences Ordinance under Sections 3 and 5 provided that: “Whoever by words, either spoken or written . .. brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt... the government established by law in Southern Nigeria, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to two years or with a fine or with both imprisonment and fine. Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report, with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause any officer of the Government of Southern Nigeria or any person otherwise in the service of His Majesty to disregard or fail in his duty as such officer or servant of His Majesty . . . shall be punished” The above provisions clearly show that Section 1, sub-section (i) of the 1984 press law was modeled after the 1909 newspaper law. Section 6 of the Seditious Offences Ordinance empowered police, magistrates and district commissioners to check seditious publications in their areas of authority by requiring suspected offenders to execute a bond, to be of good conduct for one year or for such a period as the police, magistrate or district commissioner would be satisfied with the alleged offender’s behaviour and conduct. The event that precipitated the 1909 newspaper law was Herbert Macaulay’s publication of a pamphlet titled, ‘Governor Egerton and the Railway.’ The pamphlet leveled charges of maladministration against the governor and drew attention to allegations of corrupt practices in the Egerton administration. Basically, this was the law under which Herbert Macaulay

would be sent to prison six years later for writing an article considered offensive by the colonial government. Under our current Criminal Code, sedition is punishable by imprisonment of up to seven years or a fine, or both with the burden of proof on the defendant The law placed the burden on the defendant to prove his innocence (………….please check…..i suspect this might be what the law provided…….).. Section 50 (1) of the Criminal Code provides that any publication that causes contempt to the Federal Government will be considered seditious. The impact of this law on sedition can be seen in the 1961 case, DPP v. Obi, which went to the Supreme Court. Obi lost because “public order had to be preserved.” Nigerian post-independence At the attainment of independence in 1960, Mallam Tafawa Balewa assumed the mantle of leadership as the Prime Minister while Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe became the ceremonial President. Still learning the ropes associated with self-rule, there were numerous problems in the polity and politics of the nation; intolerance to opposition, clampdown on press freedom, official corruption et al. The stage was set for a perfect excuse for the military putsch of 1966. Prior to the 1966 coup, the government utilized the existing laws and enacted more to curtail the activities of the media. Nigeria had a press law (The Obscene Publications Act, 1961) against pornography enacted in 1961. It was justified as being “for the public good.” The Seditious Meeting Act, 1961 placed a ban on meetings of more than 50 people on any sitting day of the House of Parliament within 1 mile radius. To my knowledge, that Act is still in the statutes, and could be used if all or some of the media houses chose to gather or meet at a location within a mile radius of the National Assembly within a mile radius . From General Aguiyi Ironsi to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan (1966- till date) The brevity of General Aguiyi- Ironsi regime in 1966 did not give room to the nation to assess his media friendliness or otherwise. The regime was in reasonable measure welcomed by Nigerians due to the disappointing experience of the First Republic which was characterized by politicians who made sumptuous promises during Nationalist struggles but failed to deliver on them.. Yakubu Gowon’s regime General Yakubu Gowon who succeeded General Aguiyi-Ironsi was quick in his contribution towards stifling dissent when he promulgated the Emergency Decree of 1966. The Decree made arrest and detention of citizens without warrants lawful and also empowered the Inspector General of Police and other Officers of the same or higher rank to search any Newspaper Office or Premises in Nigeria without warrant or notice.

Law | Jurist

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, june 25, 2015

He was a former image maker of the Akure branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Rotimi Olorunfemi, who is now the association’s Secretary, speaks on SANs’ selection process, judiciary, Bar and Bench relationship, NBA’s role in nation building and sundry issues. BABATOPE OKEOWO met him

Olorunfemi: Quota system for SANs’ selection ridiculous

otimi Olorunfemi is an alumnus of the University of Benin where he obtained a degree in law about two decades ago. He told the New Telegraph his foray into the wig and gown profession this way: “I am Rotimi Olorunfemi, a lawyer of 15 years of experience. I graduated from the University of Benin in 1997 where I read law and I proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in 1999. I was called to the Bar in January 2001. “Between 1997 when I graduated from the university and my law school programme, I went for the compulsory youth service and since then I have been into private legal practice. I am an NBA activist; I am involved in NBA politics particularly at the local level here. I was once the Publicity Secretary, Assistant Secretary and today I am the Secretary of the Akure branch of the NBA and member of the National Executive Council (NEC)”. Although he studied law by happenstance, Olorunfemi said he was influenced to pursue law degree by one of the foremost first generation lawyers, the late Chief Fredrick Rotimi Williams, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a fiery activist lawyer, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN. He said: “Law has always been my first choice more importantly because I was influenced by the likes of Gani Fawehinmi and Rotimi Williams. When I was in secondary school, people called me Rotimi Williams and I now asked who this man was? And I was told that he was a popular lawyer called Timi the Law. I remember when I was in primary school and I wrote Barrister Rotimi Olorunfemi and on another page I wrote Justice Rotimi Olorunfemi. For now I am contented being in private legal practice. I have never thought of going to the Bench for now. On his first appearance in court, the NBA scribe described it simply as ‘very interesting’. His words: “It was very interesting. It was my second day after being called to the Bar. It occurred at a magistrate’s court in Wuse, Abuja. It happened this way; I went to the court to release an accused person on bail. I saw the way others were doing it and I did likewise. I, however applied for the bail on liberal terms and the magistrate granted bail to the accused person. Besides, Olorunfemi took a swipe at his low period in a practice spanning 15 years and concluded that it was indeed his most embarrassing moment since called to Bar. It was indeed an embarrassing moment that he was ashamed

Olorunfemi

to look into his client’s eyes. This period, according to him would remain indelible in his life as a case he had prepared adequately well for was dismissed by the trial judge. He said: “The most embarrassing moment was when I lost a case about three years ago when I believed that I had put in everything into the case and the counsel on the other side raised one objection to the matter and the objection I could refer to as flimsy. I was so confident that I said no judge would take that objection for anything because we had overwhelming evidence and I kept assuring my client that we would win. “But I was shocked when the Judge read his judgment the objection of other counsel was upheld and my matter was dismissed. I felt so embarrassed that I could not look at the client in the face; he was a humble old man. The man gave me everything I needed to handle that matter. On why those rooting for the scrapping of the coveted Senior Advocate of Nigeria title will fail, Olorunfemi said, such call was unnecessary. He said “I do not subscribe to

the scrapping because I aspire so much to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and for any lawyer there should be an aspiration. Apart from going to law school, becoming a lawyer and you practice and make money, there should be something you should aspire to; there should be something that should propel you to work harder. If the law is left loose like any other profession even in other profession, there are classes. If there is no class in any profession, the profession is heading to the dustbin. He also dismissed insinuations that the coveted title was an oppressive one. Olorunfemi said “that is the class; I don’t see that as being oppressive. If you know your onion as a lawyer and you face SAN in a matter in court, you should brace yourself up and the SAN would not oppress you in any manner. If he does in advocacy, that means he is better than you. But if you know you are facing a SAN, you will do more research and you will be better for it at the end of the day. What makes the rank oppressive? Is it how they conduct themselves in court? Is it in terms of financial

wherewithal? Is it in terms of how they talk to you as colleagues? If it is how they conduct themselves in court? Some judges may be tempted to give undue advantage to them, they may get away with some things which as ordinary lawyer you may not be able to do, but that is to make up your practice and strive to become a SAN one day. He however kicked against what he described as quota system in the selection of prospective SANs. Apparently applauding Aare Afe Babalola who counseled against quota system, Olorunfemi insisted that there was the need for a transparent system especially when the he-would-be SAN had all it takes to bag the coveted rank. He said: “That is a plausible argument by the Aare himself. I share that view too. If you are qualified, you meet the criteria to be appointed as a SAN, why don’t you get it? This issue of quota system has eaten deep into the fabric of our nation and permeating all aspects of our lives should be discarded. If somebody merits a particular position, give it to him. However, there is nobody that is applying for SAN that is not qualified. For instance, if they say these are the criteria to meet before you can apply, of course you must have met those criteria before you can apply. If you don’t have the required number of cases, the standard office and others, you will never apply for what you are not qualified for. In all honesty, you will be qualified before you apply. But they should not use quota system. If they are picking a number of people and more people who qualified applied, they should look at those who have better qualification. For instance if you need to present a number of cases and another person have more cases, that person should be considered first. There should be merit instead of quota system but the merit should not diminish from the number that should be appointed per annum. On NBA political intervention, he said “I have been following the NBA since the days of Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN as President of NBA and I was an officer in Akure branch,I don’t think any of the NBA Presidents that I have worked with as a lawyer has dabbled into politics. NBA first of all is a professional body as well as a pressure group. NBA in the time of Chief Olanipekun and afterwards, used to serve as the voice of the people; the voice of Nigerians. Once anything happens in the polity, once NBA takes its stands, the whole nation tends toward NBA’s line. I would not see that as dabbling into politics. If for instance something happens in the National Assembly that we feel this should not be and the NBA comes out to say no, you are trampling on the rule of the House or on the provision of the Constitution, is that dabbling into politics? NBA is always there as a check and put pressure on the government to better CONTINUED ON PAGE26

26 Law | Jurist CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

the lots of Nigerians and its members. He lamented the woes bedeviling the judiciary and concluded that it was time the third-arm of government had its independence. He said: “In practice, the judiciary is not independent in Nigeria today. The provision is well stated in the Constitution that there should be separation of power among the three arms of government. But in practice, is the judiciary actually independent? Except in the last few weeks or months that the judicial workers

THURSDAY, june 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NBA ready to penalise members for misconduct

System for SANs’ selection ridiculous took the fight against the government at the federal level down to the state that they want financial independence, it has been A tale of judiciary going cap in hand to the executive to beg for money to carry out their activities. Our system is fashioned along that of America; we practice presidential system of government. In America, the judiciary there has its police called the Sheriff; they

are more powerful than the city police. But in Nigeria, we still make use of policemen that are under the control of the executive. The judges go around with police orderlies. If tomorrow, the executive withdraws the police, what happens to the judges? If we are talking of independence, we should go the way of the Americans. Whatever would make the judiciary go on bended knees to the executive is

Foluso Ogunmodede

W Olorunfemi

avoided. Although there is check and balances among the arms of governments but it is different from the independence of the judiciary. If

there is complete financial independence to the judiciary, we are nearing the independence of the critical arm of government.

orried by incessant cases of professional misconduct rife among members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), their President, Mr. Augustine Alegeh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, at the weekend, warned members to desist or risk being derobed if indicted. According to him, the association would no longer condone indiscipline of under the guise of ‘business’, saying lawyers found guilty of professional misconduct would be shown the way out. He said this in Lagos while declaring open the NBA Section on Business Law Conference. He said: “We are dealing decisively with the issue and it is important to draw attention to the fact that the interpretation and or categorization of conduct that amount to infamous conduct or professional misconduct is now more liberal. Consequently, any unbecoming conduct by a legal practitioner falls under the disciplinary scope of the NBA irrespective of the fact that the conduct did not occur in a strictly legal environment. A member of the NBA who misconducts himself and gets reported to the LPDC stands a chance of being debarred irrespective of the absence of disciplinary measures by his own employers”. He however told members to prepare for this year’s conference billed for August 21, urging his colleagues to always allow the rule of law to guide their decision making policies. Alegeh said: “The Nigerian Bar Association as its yearly custom will be holding its annual general conference in Abuja between August 21 and 28 2015. The Theme: Lawyers and national development is a very captivating topic. With the emergence of lawyers presiding as administrators in various aspect of public service in the country, one can only expect that the lawyers will allow the rule of law to guide their decision making policies. This year’s NBA 55th Annual General Conference will be very rich and rewarding and also will be harnessing all the grey areas where the rule of law can be applied in the administration of Justice in the country. The NBA has been in the fore front in the campaign for the rule of law.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

27 Healthy Living

Severe food allergies may be fatal

Health

Swellings in joints is typical in sickle cell anaemia patients.

Health Features

Nature Power

Govts tasked on OVC project funding

Healing powers of onion

PHOTO: neuropathicpaintoday.blogspot.com

Wanted: Policy to check sickle cell With over 150,000 babies born with sickle cell anaemia disorder in the country every year, the burden of the disease and ordeal of providing care are huge. New trend is now shifting to its possible eradication, writes APPOLONIA ADEYEMI

hen Mr. and mrs Abiola and Olusina Agbabiaka exchanged marital vows 60 years ago, awareness about sickle cell anaemia and its terrible impact on health was poor. The couple after their marriage was comfortable and lived normal lives. Things how-

Appolonia Adeyemi Health Editor

appolonia.adeyemi@newtelegraphonline.com

ever changed when they began to bear children. The ordeal of the duo came to the fore with the delivery of their first two children, Eniola and Oluwaseun whose births were recorded three years apart. The two children were born with sickle cell anaemia, a severe hereditary form of anaemia in which a mutated form of haemoglobin distorts the red blood cells into a crescent shape at low oxygen levels. Sickle cell disorder is commonest among people of African descent. Given the characteristics of kids living with sickle cell anaemia, Eniola and Oluwaseun became ill frequently, presenting with persistent health crises. Expectedly, that resulted in several hospital admissions and for their mother who bore more burden in providing care, the experience was not a ‘tea party’.

Over 40 million Nigerians are healthy carriers of the gene (Hb AS)

Beyond the ordeal they faced caring for the two kids the couple lost the two children as none survived the barrage of illnesses that recurred. While Oluwaseun died at nine years of age, Eniola passed on at 17. The loss was traumatic for the Agbabiakas but like them, many others that are afflicted with the same condition are around. Nigeria has the largest population of people with sickle cell disease in the world, with over 150,000 babies born with the serious condition every year, researches have shown. Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder due to the presence of an abnormal form of haemoglobin in the red blood cells, called haemoglobin S (Hb S) instead of haemoglobin A (Hb A). The red blood cells (Erythrocytes) may contain normal haemoglobin AA only, a mixture of

A and S (Hb AS) or S only. Persons with AS haemoglobin have sickle cell traits and are referred to as sickle cell carriers, while those with haemoglobin SS only (Hb SS) suffer from sickle cell disease. Those with AA are normal without sickle cell traits. Haemoglobin in the red blood cell is responsible for the transportation of oxygen in the body. When this inherited condition occurs, the person has hemoglobin that is not able to function properly. What it does is to sickle the red cells, and with time, they start breaking down. Apart from that, the sickle cells cannot pass the tiny vessels hence causing a lot of pain and damage to body organs, which is referred to as crises. CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Health News

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Healthy Living

Over 3,500 benefit from Akoka health outreach Esther Albert

ver 3,600 residents of Akoka community, a Lagos suburb benefitted from a health outreach organised by Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited in partnership with Special Olympics Nigeria (YEDI) and Exxon Mobil. The outreach which focused on persons living with intellectual disabilities, held recently at St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos recently. It was put together to commemorate this year’s World Malaria Day. During the programme, more than 150 persons living with intellectual disabilities (mostly member athletes of Special Olympics Nigeria) received free malaria and HIV testing and were provided with insecticide-treated mosquito nets. About 500 Akoka community members also received free testing for malaria and HIV while about 3000 persons who attended the event were counseled on malaria and

HIV prevention and treatment. Speaking on the initiative, the National Director, Special Olympics Nigeria, Ms. Naomi Saliu-Lawal said, “We look forward to a time when malaria will be better managed and there will be fewer casualties. We will continue to educate people about malaria and provide health care services with our partners.” Communications Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Sam Umukoro said “Coca-Cola is committed to leveraging the power of partnerships such as this one to promote the health and wellbeing of our communities. We recognise that when our communities are healthy and sustainable then businesses can thrive”. The event which had volunteers among the employees of Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Exxon Mobil and Special Olympics Nigeria, featured side attractions including music and dance and a Unified Soccer novelty match by some of the Special Olympics athletes.

L-R: Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Adewale Oke; Business Unit Head- Ethical, Sanofi, Mrs. Folake Odediran; Head Public Affairs Sanofi, Mr. Oladimeji Agbolade; and General Manager, Sanofi Nigeria-Ghana, Abderrahmane Chakibi at the official launch of a new blood pressure control drug, Aprovasc by Sanofi Aventis held in Lagos

Sanofi commits to hypertension management through new treatment Appolonia Adeyemi

ith the introduction of APROVASC®, a fixed-dose combination treatment for the management of hypertension, Sanofi has reinforced its sustained commitment to healthcare through the provision of affordable medicines that are tailored to the needs of patients. This came to light at the launch of APROVASC®, a new drug which Sanofi has offered for a wide range of treatment options for patients with hypertension. In Nigeria, about 28.9 percent of the population has raised blood pressure while about 82 percent are not aware of this disease condition. By 2030, up to 39.1 million people aged at least 20 years may live with hypertension if nothing is done to reverse the trend. People with uncontrolled hypertension are exposed to many complications including stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and problems with vision, which can be controlled by adopting healthy diets, lifestyle changes and, in many cases, treatment with medications. “By introducing a new antihypertensive treatment, Sanofi demonstrates its commitment to patients through improving access to high quality solutions in the field of hypertension

management in Nigeria. APROVASC® introduction is another example of Sanofi’s engagement to always provide advanced and innovative treatments in response to patients’ specific needs with the highest efficacy and comfort. This unique combination is the result of years of development, clinical studies and safety proofing” said Abderrahmane Chakibi, General Manager, Sanofi Nigeria-Ghana. “Delivering innovative treatments and a full portfolio adapted to the needs of patients locally is at the core of what we, at Sanofi, have done for nearly a century. But medications alone are not enough. For many years, we have been supporting healthcare professionals in their daily practice through training and other tailored services. Through, leveraging APROVASC® availability in Nigeria, Sanofi will continue to contribute to making the lives of Nigerian hypertensive patients healthier” Mr. Chakibi added. To better support the patients in the management of their disease, Sanofi continues with its access to healthcare ambition in the opening of diabetes and hypertension clinics in partnership with health authorities. The first clinic was inaugurated at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) on January 29, 2015.

Dr. Ihuoma Uko-Ndukwe ada.ndukwe@yahoo.com

Severe food allergies may be fatal

ood allergies affect about two percent of adults and five percent of children. Up to 15 percent of parents believe their children have food allergy but most cases are not proven. Despite high acidity in the stomach and high activity, some ingested food is absorbed through the intestines in a form that can be strong enough to produce a food allergy, though most people have oral tolerance and do not ever develop a reaction. Risk factors A personal or family history of skin rashes, asthma and allergic rhinitis predisposes most people to food allergies. Similarly, genetic disposition has been identified as the number one reason for allergies. Inadvertent ingestions of the same food that produced similar reactions on repeated exposure. Lack of other possible explanations for the reaction besides food allergy. Suspected food is also known to be a higher risk for food allergies. Symptom onset in infants or young children Majority of children will outgrow the most common allergies but those who do not, will have persistent allergies to the same or different foods. There are food and eating-related disorders that might imitate food allergies. Food most likely to produce food allergies Any food is a potential allergen. Some have mild reactions while other have harsher reactions. Commonly seen in children are reactions to cow milk, egg white, soy milk, and peanuts and in adults are seafood allergies (shrimp, lobster) nuts like peanuts (groundsnut), cashew nuts, almonds, hazelnut, fish, shellfish like crab/ crayfish, prawns or shrimp, seeds such as sunflower. There can also be cross reactions between plastic bags/latex gloves and fruits like banana, avocado, carrots, potatoes and fresh fruits like apples, tangerine, peaches and pears. Symptoms of food allergies: Skin reactions like hives (urticaria): A skin rash can appear within minutes to hours after ingestion of the provoking food. Also, skin rashes might be an early sign of warning of an impending more severe reactions to come such as breathing problems, sneezing, running nose, vomiting, blood in stool and di-

Different manifestations of food allergy FROM WEBMD

PHOTO:

arrhea are some of the symptoms of food allergy. But the more severe one is the anaphylaxis reaction which is a medical emergency and can stop the person’s breathing. Anaphylaxis This is the most severe food reaction and it affects multiple body organs and can include throat swelling, wheezing, low blood pressure, sometimes low enough to induce shock and death due to effect on respiratory organ. If no immediate help is given, swelling of the face, neck throat and in severe case swelling and closing up of the respiratory area, cutting off breathing may occur. Immediate treatment is to carry epinephrine around for severe allergies but taking an anti histamine like benadyl immediately not only helps to stop but to decrease the severity. Abstaining from the food item behind the allergy is the number one treatment.

Health Features 29

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

Govts tasked on OVC project funding Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

rganisations involved in the care of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) including Association of Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), Association of Orphans Nigeria Network (AONN) ISAIAH 58 Foundation and Yalu Care Foundation, have called on three tiers of governments to take over the funding of OVC’s programmes. Addressing participants at the close out of the Global Fund OVC project in Nigeria in Umuahia Abia State, the president/CEO, Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) Professor O A Oladipo said the call became

necessary as the Global Fund is winding down its sponsorship at the end of the phase 11 HIV/AIDS grant to Nigeria. According to Oladipo, collaboration of the management team of the various organisations was instrumental to the success recorded even as he praised the effort of partners like Isaiah 58 Foundation, Yalu Foundation and Abia State Ministry of Women Affairs, which contributed to the success of the programme in the state. Oladipo who was represented by Mrs Jumoke Akin-Tella, a resource officer, also called on communities to be their brother’s keepers, saying that the increase in the number of vulnerable children from all over the country has been a matter of concern in Nigeria

Director General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Prof. John Idoko

especially with the dwindling donor funds for OVC response. “These calls for more concerted efforts to reduce the burden of OVC in Abia State,” he said, adding, “It is time to domestic OVC response at all

levels of government especially at the local government area (LGA) level, where every LGA has a work plan and budget for OVC intervention just like their state counterparts.” In her welcome address, the monitoring and evaluation officer in the state, Mrs Gloria Abiakam commended Global Fund’s commitment to AONN, HIV/AIDS and physically challenged persons and appealed for the sustenance of the funding for the programme. Also speaking, the Representatives of ISAIAH 58 Foundation and Yalu Foundation, Mrs Amaka Uja and Nneka Udensi and the Coordinator of AONN Abia State, Mr Ugochukwu Okezie, said they have been able to lift a number of Abia Children through the programme and called on

government to ensure that the present beneficiaries are not abandoned because of lack of funding. Uja said that the Foundation provided borehole, classroom furniture and school fees for the children as well as health and psychosocial support. About 900 children have so far benefited from the programme in the state. One of the beneficiaries, 19 year old Miss Monday Victory from Owazza Secondary School, said that through the effort of Isaiah 58 Foundation herself and other students could compete with others even globally. Representative of the state Ministry of Health, Mrs. Joy Uzoma Onyebuchi, said there should be a sustainable programme for the less privileged by government.

‘Ban marriage between sickle cell carriers’ CONTINUED FRO M PAG E 27

According to Prof. Olu Akinyanju, a consultant haematologist and founder of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria (SCFN), over 40 million Nigerians are healthy carriers of the gene (Hb AS). This figure is huge when compared with just three million Americans who are healthy carriers of the gene (Hb AS). Considering the large number of Nigerians affected, medical experts said the burden of sickle cell disorder on Nigerians is of public health concern. It was therefore an engaging time last Friday when the Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria (SCFN) gathered a number of medical experts, people living with sickle cell anaemia, their family members and the public to discuss trends in the management of the condition. The occasion was organised to mark the 2015 World Sickle Cell Day with the theme: Sickle Cell Disorder: Life Saving Measures Available in Nigeria. The World Sickle Cell Day is commemorated annually on June 19. Prof AdebolaAkinsulie, a professor of haematology and oncology and head, Department of Paediatrics at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), said, “the picture of sickle cell patients text books painted for us is somebody with heavy frontal head, protruding teeth, thin bones, protruding abdomen, sores in ankles. When you see such, you can easily say this is somebody with sickle cell.” All that has since changed. Today, a walk into any sickle cell clinic will show patients looking fairly normal. On what has been done to achieve that, Akinsulie attributed it to a comprehensive or holistic management approach that is deployed in providing care for these group

L-R: Consultant Haematologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr. Adewumi Adediran; National Director/CEO, Sickle Cell Foundation, Nigeria, Dr. Annette Akinsete; Chairman Sicle Cell Foundation, Profesor Olu Akinyanju; Air Line Staff, Caverton Airline Ms Joy Okebalama; representative permanent Secretary of the ministry, Director, Diseases Control Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Eniola Erinosho, at the commemoration of world sickle cell day, held in Lagos …yesterday.

of Nigerians. Consequently, such children, even before birth, due to fore knowledge about the genotype of their parents are monitored. “What do we do? We are just giving folic acid to supply raw materials for the blood and making them to have good nutrition. We are making sure that affected children do not get dehydrated, and making sure that when they have health problems they are promptly treated. “This is what is called holistic management and the children tend to be more in steady state. All what we usually call the compelling features of a sickle cell disorder including thin bones may not come up when affected kids are well treated.” While this may be applicable to those born to wealthy, educated and enlightened parents as well as patients who have access to health facilities which are mostly urban based, there is no doubt that many affected children miss out on the holistic management of sickle cell disorder. Based on this especially the enormous disease burden fac-

ing afflicted persons and their families, current discuss has now shifted to eliminating the disease. The reason is that this plan if well implemented will free sufferers from the associated pain and discomfort as well as bring succour to family members of sickle cell anaemia patients. In his presentation, Consultant Haematologist in LUTH, Dr. Adewunmi Adediran who described sickle cell disease as an unwanted guest in the Nigerian environment, said, “it has done a lot of havoc and damage to our people.” He called for federal and state government policies, banning marriage relationship between couples both of whom are carriers of the sickle cell traits. “If we have a policy that makes screening for genotype for intending couples, it will prevent marriage between a man and a woman that have the trait that can lead to sickle cell anaemia. The system will make sure that they don’t get married.” Citing the example of an existing policy in Europe where people with thalassemia disorder are transplanted to elimi-

nate the disease, Adediran said, “before they get married, even when they are in secondary school, they screen them for thalassemia and if the trait is found, the authority will make sure that the fellow does not get married to another person with that condition. “As we have sickle cell disease in Nigeria, they have the thalassemia disorder in Europe. Over there, Adediran noted that they have been able to transplant the thalassemia patients to some extent now.” Thalassemia is a blood disorder passed down through families (inherited) in which the body makes an abnormal form of hemoglobin. The disorder results in excessive destruction of red blood cells, which leads to anemia. Adediran reasoned, “if we do the same thing here, we will throw out sickle cell anaemia and for those who have it, we will do bone marrow transplant them to eliminate the disease.” Bone marrow transplantation is estimated to cost $110,000, which is an equivalent of about N22 million going by the current exchange

rate. Given the high cost of bone marrow transplant, experts said not many can afford the procedure which can be accessed in developed countries. Similarly, it is available in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTCH) only, although, plans to start the procedure in LUTH has reached advanced stage. It seems clear that if transplantation on a massive scale in the country will be successful, government alone can pick the bill. However, going by outcome of the 2015 World Sickle Cell Day in Abuja, the plan of the federal government in eradicating sickle cell anaemia from the country is different. The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Linus Awute, said the Federal Government through the ministry would not criminalise marriage between carriers of sickle cell disease in the country. According to him, the Federal Government would rather adopt aggressive public sensitisation that would be geared towards creating more awareness about the disease in the country. He said: “couples who are carriers are still getting married today out of ignorance and the best way to cure ignorance is by sensitisation of the public. “Criminalising marriage between two carriers is undemocratic because it will amount to criminalising love. So, government is not even contemplating that option. “We are in a democracy and I think everybody is free to choose his or her partner, so the best approach for now is sensitisation, which will be at the head of other strategies.” Awute however, acknowledged that the burden of sickle cell disease in Nigeria is high and that there was an urgent need for actions that would tackle it effectively to be scaled up.

Health News

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NAFDAC seals warehouse over 49 unregistered products Esther Albert

N L-R: Corporate Finance Manager, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr. Imokha Ayebae; Senior Vice President, Global Sales, Frost & Sullivan, Mr. John Ruggles; Operations Director, Fidson, Mr. Abiola Adebayo and General Manager, Sales, Fidson, Mr. Abayomi Alli-Balogun during the Frost & Sullivan 2014 Growth Leadership and Excellence Award presentation in London, United Kingdom (UK)

Fidson Healthcare wins excellence award

ased on its recent performance in the Nigerian pharmaceutical Industry, Fidson Healthcare PLC has emerged winner of the 2014 Nigerian Frost & Sullivan Award for Growth Excellence Leadership. The award ceremony held in United Kingdom (UK) on May 14, 2015, recognises Fidson’s definitive vision and strong management, which stoked a growth rate of 26 percent in 2013, cementing its leadership in the Nigerian pharmaceutical market. According to Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Danielle de la Mare, the Nigerian pharmaceutical market was estimated to be approximately US$1.19 billion in 2013, with year-onyear growth of 12 percent. Fidson’s audited report for the same period shows revenue growth of 29 percent, from N7.2bn in 2012 to N9.2bn in 2013. Fidson

grew its gross profit by 26 percent, from N4.1bn in 2012 to N5.1bn to 2013, while its operating profit increased by 60 percent and operating margin by three percent. Furthermore, Fidson is building a NGN7.5 billion biotech plant that will add a new product line – intravenous fluids – to its product portfolio while doubling its production capabilities of existing product lines by 2015, thereby facilitating economies of scale. It will also enable Fidson to invert its manufacturing capacity and imports ratio from 40:60 to 60:40. Fidson is one of five local manufacturing companies shortlisted for the World Health Organisation (WHO) Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) compliance. Significantly, Fidson prices its products at retail value and leverages its economies of scale to compete with cheaper im-

ports. The company has been able to bring down its factory overheads, passing on the savings to customers and simultaneously building its reputation as a company that is compliant with global standards, such as ISO 9001. Frost & Sullivan Global President and Managing Partner, Krishna Srinivasan said “the most exciting companies to partner with, or invest in, are those that have an inspirational zeal for growth. Fidson Healthcare has demonstrated such a focus in the Nigerian pharmaceutical market by investing smartly, competing effectively, and carving out a unique, sustainable market position.” Fidson has also shown keenness in leveraging technology, as is evident from its use of security technologies in product packaging to combat the spread of counterfeit drugs. Each Fidson prod-

uct has a branded sticker on it with a number that the consumer can text toll free to verify the authenticity of the product. Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants. Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for outstanding achievement in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research.

ational Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered and sealed a warehouse belonging to H & H Integrated Nigeria Limited following illegal importation and housing of 49 unregistered food products and non – adherence to Good Hygienic practices in Lagos. Investigations revealed that the large warehouse located at N0. 30 Iman Dauda Street, Eric Moore, area of Lagos was sealed following a tip – off and intelligence report which revealed that the company was involved in importation and storage of illegal food products, particularly snacks commonly consumed by children. Nigerians were advised to stop buying products that are not registered by NAFDAC because we cannot guarantee their safety. If a product is not registered that means it is not safe for consumption. The company was also accused of not adhering to good hygienic practices as most of the products were stored in an unhygienic environment and out of its 50 different brands of products, one was registered. Some of the 49 unregistered products which are largely biscuits products for children include Mr. Magic Soft Candy,

Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii PHOTO: www.thebusinessyear.com

Cracker Soda Biscuit, milk chocolate wafer roll, non – dairy creamer, H&H Fruit Juice, Coklat pasta, Sprite Candy, Yummy H&H, chewing gum, power milk cookies, Henna Tatton Bubble Gum, and twins crisp roll. Others are non diary tea creamer, musical bracelet candy, stick candy milky, mix fruits flavour chewing gum, champion chocolate, Big band, Bufferfly choco, 123 H&H, Whistle milk candy strawberry/choco, mini choco bean, spray candy and Centic filled crispy roll. Addressing journalist shortly after the closure of the warehouse in Lagos, NAFDAC’s Chief Regulatory Officer, Investigation and Enforcement, Pharmacist Babatunji Omoyeni confirmed that the warehouse was storing products in an unkempt manner, adding that estimated 1.5 million cartoons of various unregistered products running into millions of naira were uncovered.

Healing powers of onion (2) CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

imply chew a bulb of raw onion every night. It is as simple as that. As a starter, you may take half a bulb instead of one bulb and gradually increase it to one bulb. Science has confir med that Onion works powerfully against the following bacteria: A. ESCHERICHIA COLI, which causes intestinal dysbacteriosis and urinary B. SALMONELLA TYPHI, which causes typhoid fever. C. SHIGELLA DYSENTERIAE, which causes bacillus dysentery. D. STAPHYLOCOCCUS & STREPTOCOCCUS, which cause inflammation of the genital organs, damaged sper m cells, and skin infections and blemishes.

Nature Power Fr. Anselm Adodo, OSB

naturepower@paxherbals.net; twitter: @anselmadodo E. PLASMODIUM which causes malaria. HYPOLIDEMIC: Onion is found to lower noxious cholesterol level in the blood. This is understandable when one considers the fact that Onion is rich in fibrinolytic substances that help to break up blood clots and so prevent coagulation. This makes Onion indispensable for many Nigerians who consume a lot of fat, meat and butter. ANTI-DIABETIC: Combined with other herbs, Onion has proved to be very useful for lowering blood sugar. The hypoglycemic or anti-

diabetic properties of Onion is due to the presence of glycoquinine. Those who are afraid of developing diabetes because of the fact that their parents are diabetics should make friend with Onion, as it is a very good prevention against diabetes. ANTI-TUMOUR: Onion strengthens the blood cells that protect the body against microorganism. If these cells are weak, the body becomes prone to viral infections such as tuberculosis, pneumonia and cough. Onion also destroys cancerous cells in the body. In Nigeria, cases of cancer, especially

Onions

Onion has proved to be very useful for lowering blood sugar

PHOTO: www.thehorticulturalchannel.info

of the breast, are increasing daily. I wish to suggest that our women should take Onions as much as possible. Onion will act as a good prevention against cancer as well as help in dissolving cancerous tumours. I am very worried about the prevalence of such illnesses as fibroids, breast cancer and infertility among our women.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

Industry

ICT

ITF takes steps to bridge skill gap

Tackling obstacles to 30% broadband target

Business What's news

Apapa gridlock crashes expected port revenue by 50% The perennial traffic gridlock at the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway and the Wharf road has ebbed the projected revenue of Lagos ports by 50 per cent.

p.32

Report blames unrealistic rents for Lagos empty houses High rental values and soaring price tags on luxury apartments in high-brow Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki axis have been blamed for the empty houses in these exclusive neighborhoods.

L-R: Chief Consultant, Biodun Adedipe & Associates, Dr. Abiodun Adedipe; President/CEO, Pearls Awards Nigeria, Mr. Tayo Orekoya and Managing Director/CEO, PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE CMC Connect, Mr. Yomi Badejo, at the Pearls award 20th Anniversary of rewarding Corporate Execllence in Lagos.

STIMULUS The move is aimed at growing the continent’ entrepreneurship Kunle Azeez

p.32

The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Tony Chukwunyem

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

Abdulwahab Isa

igeria and other African countries are set to benefit from $1 billion technology entrepreneurship fund aimed at spurring the growth of business ecosystem in the continent. It was learnt that the fund, a private equity funding, is set to grow new businesses across Africa, specialising in telecommunications and related technology, financial services and healthcare. TPG Growth, which combines the financial might and know-how of Satya Capital and the TGP equity investment platform, is looking to making the investment part of its move to

Finance Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

Nigeria, others to get $1bn tech seed fund make a social impact across the continent. Confirming the development, the Managing Partner at Satya Capital, Ms Tsega Gebreyes, said: “The idea is to use the combined strength of both organisations. Satya has depth of experience in Africa while TGP has the global strength.” Gebreyes said that there were challenges on ground but that these are well understood by the experts comprising the offering. She added that the amount of capital to be invested, a potential $1 billion (£630 million), is predicated on finding opportunities. She said that the skill comes

from knowing where to target, since Africa is made up of many large economies, some of which are upscale and have a growing middle class. Nigeria is a focus, she said, adding that the aim will be to use large countries as bases. She stressed that technology is an important part of the deal. TGP has lots of tech investing experience and holds positions in the likes of Uber and Airbnb.

$32bn Total ICT investment in Nigeria

Satya has a track record in telecoms, working with mobile operators in Africa and across the globe. “We are excited by the possibility of tech-enabled solutions. Things like payments. There is opportunity for growth in mobile in Africa. Coverage itself is there, so, the focus will be on things like data services. Also, online trading and partnering with existing mobile operators,” Gebreyes said. Though, Nigeria, with an estimated population of over 170 million and the rest of African countries have hundreds of millions of unbanked and unCONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE May 2015.................................9% April 2015................................8.7% March 2015.............................8.5%

LENDING RATE InterBank Rate....................12.57% Prime Lending Rate...........17.93% Maximum Lending Rate...26.83%

EXCHANGE RATE (BDC as at Jun 19)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N220 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N350 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N250

l Foreign Reserves – $29.008bn as at 18/06/2015

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Interbank as at Jun 19)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N199.40 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N315.29 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N226.72

Business | News

SOLUTION Stakeholders seek truck transit parks to ease perennial traffic jam Bayo Akomolafe

he perennial traffic gridlock at the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway and the Wharf road has ebbed the projected revenue of Lagos ports by 50 per cent. Port terminal operators, truckers, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), importers and exporters, freight forwarders and other government agencies are losing huge amount of money daily as time loss hits between three and seven hours. As of Monday this week, only 40 vessels were waiting to berth at the Lagos pilotage district. It was revealed that truck could no longer access port quayside to load and those that had loaded could not come out. The acting Port Manager of Lagos Ports Complex, Mallam Abdulraman Lamina, explained that it had affected cargo dwell time at the port. According to him, ships could not come and the Lagos port revenue had fallen by about 50 per cent. He said: “Presently, the Wharf Road is not accessible and it has affected the port revenue by 50 per cent.

Apapa gridlock crashes expected port revenue by 50% “Vehicles cannot take delivery and those that go into the port cannot come out because of the traffic.” Terminal Operators at the LPC also said that the perennial gridlock was adversely affecting their operations. The Managing Director of Greenview Devel-

der-banked people, this, however, presents huge opportunity for investment. Most African people have access to a mobile phone, however, opening up a fast-growing world of payment possibilities and elegantly providing a link between the fund’s focus on technology and finance. Indeed, the next five years will see many billions of private capital, much of it Venture Capital money, flowing into applications to provide the next generation of techenabled finance, directly or indirectly. Healthcare is obviously of huge importance across the continent. “We would hope to invest across the full continent. Excluding South Africa and some of the north, there is a wide gap to fill and a phenomenal opportunity – an obvious need for good, reliable healthcare. “We also have a strong track record of supply-

opment Limited (GDNL), a division of Dangote Group, Alhaji Abba Isan Bukar, stressed the need to create a truck transit park either inside or outside the port for the trucks to park and leave the roads. He noted that no port could exist without trucks.

Bukar said: “Fully loaded trucks are seen parking on the roads, NPA should do something. Tin Can is overtaken by trucks and we can all see that the roads are bad that trucks are falling on a daily basis.” Also, the Managing Director of Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited, Capt.

Muhammed Bashir, appealed for urgent repairs of the port access roads. He said: “The first primary thing is the access road to the port and we know the essence of business is to generate money ourselves and for the economy of the country. We know what we are experiencing on this road

for the past few years. Echoing him, the Assistant General Manager, ENL Consortium Limited, Mr. Modupe Marcus, said: “The roads had been built for a long time when the cargo traffic was not as huge as this. So, there is need for expansion because the gridlock is causing a lot of havoc.”

L-R: Director General, Nigerian Insurers Association, Mr. Sunday Thomas; Chairman, NIA and Managing Director/CEO of Linkage Insurance Plc, Mr. G.U.S Wiggle and Legal Adviser, NIA, Mrs Idowu Omole, during an event in Lagos

Nigeria, others to get $1bn tech seed fund CO NTINUED FROM PAG E 3 1

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

ing it. And this includes healthcare insurance and the moves in the pharma sector,” Gebreyes said. In terms of return on investment, Gebreyes maintains that there are lots of ways to contribute to development in the continent. “Building great new companies and growing employment means you can affect such a wide scale of people. The capital deployed will generate more capital.” According to her, as far as the practical geography of the fund’s dispersal goes there will be an East Africa hub and some concentration on places like Nigeria. Gebreyes said the fund will also look to foster entrepreneurs in places like Egypt and Francophone Africa. Over the years, Nigeria’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, which the new investors are targeting, has grown significantly recording over $32 billion investment as last year.

Report blames unrealistic rents for Lagos empty houses ACCOMMODATION Lagos government to introduce ‘rent-to-own’ scheme Dayo Ayeyemi

igh rental values and soaring price tags on luxury apartments in high-brow Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki axis have been blamed for the empty houses in these exclusive neighborhoods. According to a fresh report from Lamudi Nigeria, all highbrow areas on the island of Lagos have been littered with empty luxurious high-rise apartment buildings and expensive estates, ‘most of which are furnished and serviced.’ Why blaming the happenings on over-pricing, the report emphasised that renting or buying an apartment in these enclaves were highly unaffordable. In its report on: “Infographic: The true cost of an Ikoyi Flat,” it showed that an aver-

age sale price for a one-bedroom apartment in Ikoyi cost approximately N43 million. With N43 million, the report noted that home seekers could buy more than eight houses in other locations such as Badagry, Egbeda and Abule-Egba, among others. “Renting or buying an apartment in Victoria Island and Lekki areas are highly unaffordable. The average price of a bedroom in Lagos is N13.4 million ($65,500) for an outright purchase and N664,000 ($3,500) to rent—in these highbrow areas, the average is more than doubled,” the report said. It pointed out that the scarcity of accommodation in Lagos has not been driven by the non-availability of homes, but that of pricing. “A city that has more than 50 per cent of its population living in poverty—though home to an emerging middle class— will find it difficult to attract buyers for luxury homes. That’s why affordable homes have become an instant hit,” the report said. Affordable housing is considered to be housing that is

within the budget of middle or lower income earners . Nigeria has a housing deficit of about 17 million and it will need to build one million houses every year in the next 20 years to bridge the accommodation gap. Presently, government is working on ways to improve the mortgage sector to enhance home accessibility among Nigerians. Some of the challenges of affordable housing in the country include high cost of land, high interest rate, scarcity of fund, escalated cost of building materials, and poor policies’ implementation, among others. Meanwhile, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, has said that the state would consider adoption of a ‘rent and own’ policy in resolving its housing deficiency. Ambode pointed out that it was not easy for a winner of a three-bedroom flat, under the state government’s housing scheme, to make an initial payment of about N5 million, promising to introduce ‘rent and own’ scheme to enhance home ownership among the citizens.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

Stimulate SMEs, FG told p.34

Industry

ITF takes steps to bridge skill gap PARTNERSHIP Joint efforts to ensure training of 4000 artisans in the construction industry Amadi Nnamdi

he Industrial Training Fund (ITF) established by the Federal Government has initiated series of steps aimed at bridging skill gaps. This has become necessary as the country grapples with high rate of unemployment

and over-dependence on expatriates. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which put Nigeria’s unemployment statistics at 6.4 per cent as at the fourth quarter of 2014, many of which were unskilled, it was obvious that the country was in dire need of skilled labour force. Therefore, as part of efforts to checkmate this and other skills deficiency related- issues, the ITF partnered with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) early this year to initiate a National Industrial Skills Gap Assessment (NISGA) survey.

The survey will be reviewed every five year. ITF’s Director-General, Dr. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, said that the move was expected to identify the mismatch between the skills of available workers and the type of skills that are demanded in the industrial sector. “Having the right industrial skill is the pillar for any successful industrial revolution because with a skilled, wellmotivated people, the country can achieve almost anything,” the ITF boss said. She added: “As the nation earnestly awaits the findings of the survey, a lot still needs to be done in the area

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Live Well Initiative (LWI), Bisi Bright; Chief Executive Officer, Imaginarium Creative, Ferdinand Adeimefe; Area Head Corporate Affairs, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), Seyi Ashade and Founder/ Director, Innovation Matters Limited, Ayodele Adebusoye, at the Businessday CSI conference on Poverty Reduction and Youth Empowerment in Lagos.

Nigeria decries slow implementation of trade ties with Iran

igeria has expressed worry over the slow implementation of trade agreements between the country and Iran. The country’s ambassador to Iran, Mr. Tukur Mani, said this at a seminar to flag off the first Iran Solo Exhibition in Lagos. Mani said that Nigeria and Iran had signed lots of trade agreements during a joint session in 2014, but added that implementation of those agreements have been slow. The envoy, who recalled that Nigeria and Iran have been relating since the 1970s, said that unfortunately, many Nigerians were

still unaware of what Iran was all about and how they could also take advantage of the position Iran occupies in the Middle East as the most industrialised country. Also, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Segun Awolowo, said that the Council was considering an investment policy that would give incentives to prospective foreign investors through a package in its proposed investment policy. He said: “The Council will advocate incentives for prospective foreign investors through a new package from the proposed invest-

ment policy that we are working on. This will encourage foreign direct investment in designated free trade zones in the country and Iran, for instance, might be encouraged to come and establish fully owned industries in Nigeria.” “The council was inspired by its mandate as the apex organisation in Nigeria saddled with developing and promoting non-oil exports to support consolidation of trade promotion strategy through the mobilisation of Nigerian exporters and relevant stakeholders for the first ever Iranian Solo Exhibition in Nigeria,” he added.

of skills development and technical education in the country.” Also, during an event to commemorate her one year anniversary as the D.G, ITF, in Abuja recently, ChukkasOnaeko, gave an insight on how far the agency has gone on the survey. She said: “Right now, we are at the final point of the skills gap survey; we hope that within another month, we should have the report ready for public presentation. We will be able to tell, for instance, how many technicians we will require in the power sector, as well as help with policy making and practical industrybased curriculum.” Speaking further on other efforts by the Fund to build the technical capacity of Nigeria’s teeming labour force, Chukkas-Onaeko, said: “We also have the ITF and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) relationship and collaboration. We have new companies being enlisted under this collaboration. “Through this medium we have been able to train 37,000 students across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),” she said. She added that ITF has signed an MOU with Cement Technology Institute of Nigeria (CTIN) for the training of 4,000 artisans in the construction industry.

“We also received two stateof-the-art mobile training units, which when commissioned, will also cover communities where we cannot easily set up training centre. We have ordered for six such mobile training centres with the hope that we will deploy one per geo-political zone,” she said. On funding, the ITF boss said that mechanisms have been put in place to ensure good and efficient flow of funds She said: “Of course funding the various training activities of ITF requires huge finance. We are also at the final stage of deploying a revenue collection portal with integration of online payment gateway and bank payment to aid easy and convenient payment of contributions by the employers. Furthermore, while highlighting some of the collaborations the Fund has gone into to achieve its mandate, she said: “we have started the collaboration with Shell and we have a team now that is interfacing with them. They have inspected our Model Skills Training Centre in Abuja and they are quite impressed. We have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Institute of Builders to build and improve capacities in the building construction sectors of the economy.”

MAN urges Akwa Ibom, Cross River govts to partner OPS T he Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has advised the Cross River and Akwa Ibom states governments, to partner the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to develop the states’ economy. Chairman of the association in charge of the area, Mr. Jackson Iniobong, who gave the advice, said that it has become necessary for government to understand the critical role played by the OPS and to partner with them in the development of the economy. He added: “There has been very big gap between government and the organised private sector in this part of the country. So, we are hoping that the new government of Cross River and Akwa Ibom states should see the need to partner the private sector in order to develop the states’ economy. We are helping them to develop the economy and to create employment and end the menace of unemployment.

The MAN chairman added that the only way government would succeed in growing the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), was for it to partner the private sector. The chairman, however, commended the Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, for his promise to pursue the dredging of Calabar Sea Port to boost economic activities in the state. He said that the policy was a welcome development, adding that it requires the political will to address the challenges of the Sea Port. “Dredging of Calabar port is very important and any government that fails to think of how to work on the port should not be in government. We have been hearing about dredging of Calabar Port by the successive administrations but today nothing is happening, so, for the governor to think of that is a welcome development. We hope he will keep up with the promise,” Iniobong said.

Business | Industry

Stimulate SMEs, FG told

ADVICE Small businesses will thrive in Nigeria beyond any other country

Stories by Dele Alao

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

he Federal Government has been urged to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in order to boost the economy. A lecturer at the University

of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, Mr. Christopher Ifeacho, who gave the advice, noted that the Nigerian economy has good potentials to make SMEs thrive. He said: “SMEs in Nigeria will thrive beyond that of any other country in Africa and even rank among the best in the world because Nigerians as a people have a lot of potentials. We are not afraid to take risks and this is one of the ba-

sic foundations of SMEs. Nigerians, by their nature, are always goal-oriented.” Ifeacho, an economist, said that if Nigerians were given a good platform and conducive environment, SMEs will thrive in the country and help boost the economy. The lecturer said that such a platform would help reduce unemployment while government would concentrate on other sectors of the economy.

He added that though the Federal Government had assisted state governments through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to disburse SME loans, such initiative should be sustained to achieve its objective. Ifeacho, who also called on the Federal Government to check inflation by giving the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) a target to keep prices as stable as possible, said:

“I suggest that the Federal Government and officials of the CBN should sit down and work out an inflation-targeting policy. If the policy is okay, government should allow the CBN to implement it to achieve set targets and keep prices as stable as possible. One of the biggest problems we have in Nigeria is inflation and if we are able to check it, the economy will be much more robust than it is.”

Flour Mills fetes trade partners

lour Mills of Nigeria Plc has hosted its trade partners to mark this year’s edition of Annual Customer Forum. The forum, which was held in Lagos recently, is an interactive event where customers are celebrated, appreciated and rewarded for their loyalty to the company and its products while sharing information on its plans for the future. Group Managing Director, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, Mr. Paul Gbededo, said that the occasion was unique because it was the first time Golden Penny Business partners are rewarded the same day as one team with one dream. The GMD, who referred to the customers as partners said that without them, FMN was not complete and, therefore, the need to celebrate them. He added that FMN has

continued to maintain leadership through production of quality, healthy and affordable products to meet the demand of the growing population. Also, the company’s Chairman, Mr. John Coumantaros, said that the forum was to appreciate the distributors for their unwavering loyalty and commitment for the past 54 years, which has seen Golden Penny products remain the number one family’s choice in fast moving consumer goods in Nigeria. Coumantaros, who informed the trade partners of the new products that would be introduced into the market within the year; reiterated FMN’s plan of making Golden Penny products the first choice for consumers’ nationwide by continually meeting the needs of all age groups in Nigeria and West Africa.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Mr. Dauda Kigbu and Director-General, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Prof. Danladi Matawal, at the institute’s International Conference in Abuja.

Sterling Bank partners ICC Nigeria

NBC pledges support for sustainable future

terling Bank Plc has lent its support to the 16th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Chamber of Commerce Nigeria (ICCN) holding today in Lagos. According to a statement by the ICCN Secretary General, Mrs. Olubunmi Osuntuyi, the AGM, which is sponsored by Sterling Bank Plc, will feature the traditional post-AGM talk to be delivered by Mr. Bismarck Rewane, an Economic Analyst and Managing Partner of Financial Derivatives Company Ltd, (a firm that deals majorly on economic research). “Having just concluded on the change of government, it is important for businesses to strategically look into the prognosis in a bid to chart effective line of action for success in the challenging environment. Consequently, Mr. Rewane’s paper would delve deeply into The Nigerian economy and business outlook and provide viable insights into the future. This event would also be witnessed by

members of the Diplomatic Corps, notable business leaders and captains of Industry in both private and public sectors of the Nigeria economy,” Osuntuyi said. She added: “The ICCN Board, led by the Chairman, Mr. Babatunde Savage, will formally welcome all new members from the last AGM into the Chamber. The new members include; Anu Eso & Co., Enterprise Transport & Logistics Ltd., Heritage Banking Company Ltd., Jaiz Bank Plc., Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, Nigerian Ports Authority, Norfolk Partners, Onwuamaegbu & Co., Rand Merchant Bank Ltd., Sola Ephraim-Oluwanuga & Co. and Strachan Partners. Other highlights of the AGM are the appraisal of the major activities and achievements of the Chamber in the past year. ICCN Chairman would also use the opportunity of this event to update the Nigerian business environment on the latest key activities of the ICC around the world.”

he Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited has reiterated its commitment to promoting sustainable future. This, the firm demonstrated recently by engaging in various clean-up exercises in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt to mark the 2015 World Environmental Day. Head of Public Affairs and Communications, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited, Uzo Odenigbo, said: “The World Environment Day is a great opportunity to reinforce our commitment for a sustainable future and NBC Limited is partnering with Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the State Ministry of Environment to clean up Oyingbo Market in Ebute Metta. Other communities where the company is carrying out similar exercises include a Mega Distribution Centre in Mushin, Lagos, Jabi Lake, a leisure park in Abuja, Slaughter Market, a popular abattoir in Port-Harcourt and a Tannery Dumpsite in Challawa, Kano State.” He added that the initia-

tives are in line with the 2015 Global Theme for World Environment Day - ‘Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care.’ Speaking to stakeholders during the cleanning exercise in Oyingbo Market in Lagos, Managing Director, LAWMA, Mr. Ola Oresanya, noted that NBC Limited always stands out on innovative ideas, adding that the clean-up exercises were initiatives the company should sustain. Other states and federal environmental protection and waste management agencies that supported the clean-up exercises across the locations were the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agencies (NESREA) and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) On his part, Zonal Director for NESREA in Kano, Dr. Ahmed Kasim, commended NBC for its efforts in environmental sustainability, emphasising the importance of waste segregation and classification and the need to recycle waste to become wealth. Also expressing his appre-

ciation to the company for the exercise at the tannery dumpsite, Director of Medical and Health Care Service from MOE and Traditional Chief, Sarkin Tsaftar Kano, Alhaji Jafaru Gwarzo, expressed surprise at the level of environmental degradation at the Tannery dumpsite in Kano and reassured the organisation and the community of the commitment by the relevant environmental authorities to take necessary actions to protect the environment. The 2015 World Environment Day was a unique opportunity for employee volunteering as over 200 NBC Limited employees took part in the exercise to make a difference in host communities. “There is an urgent need for a clean environment, getting people to live with planetary boundaries and ensuring a healthy future. NBC’s gesture in different parts of the country was part of the biggest global call and mobilization for action towards environmental sustainability,” Odenigbo said.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

ICT

Telecoms regulators ink partnership deal p.36

Tackling obstacles to 30% broadband target Experts say much still need to be done to remove obstacles to the auspicious national objective of achieving 30 per cent broadband penetration by 2018, reports KUNLE AZEEZ

tion to some key areas for accelerating the industry growth. “Buhari’s administration should focus on enforcement of Cybercrime Act, particularly the section dealing with the protection of National Infrastructure under which telecoms infrastructure also belong; promotion of e-government and e-commerce as a strategy to stimulate demand for broadband access provided by telecoms firms, as well as provision of enabling environment.

chieving ubiquitous broadband or high-speed Internet penetration in Nigeria is one of the cardinal targets of government, but experts have raised doubts as to the ability of the country to be able to achieve its 30 per cent penetration except attentions are carefully paid to some factors currently impeding faster broadband growth in the country. Already, the economic impact of broadband penetration has been found to be quite impressive, World Bank studies show, quite conclusively, that in low and middle-income countries, every 10 percentage point increase in broadband penetration accelerates economic growth by 1.38 percentage points, indicating the need for the world over to do everything possible at ensuring the roll out of broadband infrastructure. After having achieved milestones in the development of their voice telephony access with some countries including Nigeria, having over 100 per cent penetration in this area, attention is now being shifted to how nations across the globe can unleash broadband Internet as next growth frontier not only for the sector, but also for the nation as a whole. ‘10 per cent target achieved’ In Nigeria, having achieved 10 per cent penetration of its muchtouted 30 per cent broadband penetration target, Nigeria has begun another journey to actualising the remaining 20 per cent broadband penetration. In 2013, Nigeria launched a National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2013-2018, designed to accelerate broadband from six per cent in

Juwah

Ajayi

2012 to 30 per cent by 2018. From six per cent penetration, latest official data from the telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), revealed that broadband penetration has now reached 10 per cent. The current 10 per cent penetration milestone of the total 30 per cent target thus represents about 34 per cent of the overall 30 per cent targeted penetration level. According to findings, at the time of launching the NBP, penetration stood at just six per cent and within two years, the country has only been able to move four points higher to 10 per cent. Hence, the country has just the next three years to achieve the remaining 20 per cent. Slow broadband growth Speaking with New Telegraph in Lagos, President of the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Lanre Ajayi, expressed doubts as to the ability of Nigeria to achieve the remaining 20 per cent broadband penetration target within the next three and a half years. According to him, “currently, we are not doing well in the area of broadband as we have done in

the voice segment. In the voice segment, we keep meeting and surpassing forecasts. So, at the rate at which we are going in the area of broadband growth, I am afraid we may not be able to meet the 30 per cent penetration by 2018,” he said.

Access to adequate spectrum bands is key to faster broadband deployment

Existing obstacles According to Ajayi, “recognising the power of ICT in modern governance and socio-economic development, we advise the new administration to address issue bothering on Right of Ways (RoW), multiple taxations, promotions of Nigerian local content, vandalism of telecoms infrastructures, promotion of e-services as well as acceleration of the implementation of the broadband plan.” While noting that aside challenges around land-mile broadband deployment, he said that telecoms operators’ access to adequate spectrum bands is key to ensuring faster broadband network deployment, saying that on this, NCC should create a levelplaying ground for telecoms players in the allocation of spectrum. Ajayi consequently tasked President Muhammadu Buhariled administration to pay atten-

On-going efforts Beyond monitoring the implementation of the broadband plan, the NCC has continued to introduce various initiatives such as the licensing of more spectrum, the licensing of Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos), introduction of open access model as well as the maintenance of a conducive regulatory regime to drive broadband investment, as strategies for accelerating the achievement of the 30 per cent broadband penetration. Speaking at a recent two-day conference by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) held in Abuja under the auspices of the NCC, with the theme “Broadband for All: From Access to Inclusion” the CTO Secretary General, Prof. Tim Unwin, has also pointed out that “Broadband matters, but broadband for all matters more.” Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, who was represented at the CTO forum by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, Dr. Okechukwu Itanyi, explained that “the catalytic role and contribution of broadband services to an economy is well documented.” He, however, noted that, for Nigeria, the lack of a robust fixed network infrastructure and the need to rapidly develop the infrastructure to provide universal broadband services required a coordinated national approach, saying that this has led to the crafting of a National Broadband Plan covering the period 2013 to 2018. Achievements On the achievements so far, JuC O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3 6

Products counterfeiting worth $250bn annually – Phillips Kunle Azeez

he cross border trade value of counterfeit products in the Information Technology industry and other sectors of the economy in Nigeria and other countries around the world is valued at $250 billion annually, according Royal Philips, a multinational company and subsidiary of Philips. This was disclosed by the General Manager, Consumer

Lifestyle, Philips West Africa, Ms Chioma Iwuchukwu-Nweke, during the launch of an anticcounterfeit campaign in Lagos. Quoting the Global Intellectual Property Centre (GIPC) data, Chioma put the loss on world-wide cross border trade in physical counterfeit alone at $250 billion a year, urging Nigerian government, manufacturers, multinational enterprises and consumers “to step up efforts in the fight against fake products.’’

Chioma said: “While there are no reliable industry statistics on the number of fake products from market feedback we receive, we know that this problem is severe. “We urge the public to be more vigilant and question products that seem to be unusually cheap, appear poorly made, or have generic packaging, especially when shopping at more traditional trade stores.” Highlighting the effect of ugly situation on global econ-

omy, Chioma added: “The issue of counterfeit products has serious repercussions for consumer’s health and safety. Buyers are often looking for the best deal, not necessarily aware of the risks involved in purchasing counterfeit product. “The ‘Buy Original’ campaign will not only allow consumers to easily identify a Philips’ original, but also will empower them to take the necessary steps in reducing counterfeit trading in the country,”

she concluded. The problem of counterfeit is a global phenomenon that had left every industry in Nigeria, ranging from consumer goods to the country’s currency, a victim in one way or the other. Speaking on the objectives of the campaign, General Manager, Philips Lighting, West Africa, Mr. Felix Darko, said that the campaign was to improve three billion lives across the globe by 2025.

Business | ICT

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Telecoms regulators ink partnership deal LEADERSHIP Many telecoms regulators in Africa have come to Nigeria to understudy NCC Stories by Kunle Azeez

he Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been partnered by Telecommunication Regulatory Board (TRB) of Cameroun to draw from the vast experience and regulatory expertise of the Nigerian telecoms regulator. The Memorandum of Understanding on this partnership took place at the corporate headquarters of NCC in Abuja. In a statement by the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo, issued after the MoU, the Director General of TRB, Monsieur Mengue, described the collaboration as “a defining moment for us as regulators.” According to Mengue, “the signing of the MoU comes to formalise and concretise the ties that have characterised our relations.” Mengue said that the signing has opened yet another avenue in the long and brotherly relations and “in a new area where we acknowledge

the NCC has more experience where TRB can tap and benefit from its rich experience in areas such as the control of Quality of Service, Number Portability, Consumer Protection and passive infrastructure regulation, just to name a few.” Mengue said that he was sure that NCC will also benefit “from our experience in different areas.” Earlier, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, represented by Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, Dr. Okechukwu Itanyi, explained that over the last two decades, NCC had emerged as “the most efficient government agency overseeing the telecommunications industry, the fastest growing in Nigeria.” Itanyi added that “NCC has achieved this through extensive and thoroughly laid-out regulations, rules and policy directions that have guided the market conducts while ensuring sustainable competition in the industry.” According to Juwah, “NCC’s continuous, active participation and consistent involvements in the global and regional activities buttress our unrelenting commitment towards building a regulatory environment that is compara-

Varsity deploys TCR technologies

abcock University, Ilesan Remo, Ogun State, has become the first university in Nigeria to embrace a Total Classroom Revolution (TCR) that will wirelessly connect all undergraduates, post graduates and certificate students. The technology-driven classroom will also connect lecturers, school administrators to classrooms, chapel, halls of residence, library and cafeteria in a campus-wide platform. When completed, the project will help to accelerate students learning, research and social collaboration, using a combination of the latest and bestin-class advanced education technologies that can only be found among top universities in Europe, Asia and America.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kayode Makinde, said that the technologies will drive connectivity and collaboration within the campus environment through the use of a special tool for content creation, authoring and publishing capacities for lecturers. Besides, the VC said that parents are integrated into the world of real- live education development of their wards. Makinde said that the institution is working with a consortium of six companies from Canada, Israel, Germany, USA, France and India backed by two topmost Nigerian banks to deploy 12,000 customised Babcock Learning Tablets (BLT) for students with 32 Gigabit, Android powered, 10.1 inch, among others.

Cyberspace gets quality re-certification

Lagos-based Internet Service Provider (ISP), Cyberspace Network Limited, has been re-certified for Quality Management System with NIS ISO 9001: 2008 in line with its quest for continuous quality improvements and operational efficiencies. By achieving compliance to international standards, Cyberspace is poised to deliver responsive customer service, quality service delivery and unwavering support base. The Chief Marketing Officer of the company, Mr. Olusola Bankole, in a statement, said that Cyberspace invested so much time and resources to achieve the re-certification in

order to remain competitive and align its business processes to global standards. According to him: “Cyberspace is an indigenous company operating international standards and global best practices. Our operational efficiencies have been enhanced, thereby engendering business growth and agility. “International standards are strategic tools and guidelines to help companies tackle some of the most demanding challenges of modern business. They ensure that business operations are as efficient as possible, increase productivity and help companies’ access into new markets.”

ble to any regulatory institution anywhere in the world.” The NCC boss told the audience at the signing ceremony that the astronomical growth in Nigeria teledensity and subscriber base, contributing to increase in direct and indirect employment opportunities, have been achieved through ensuring a level-playing field, transparent and participatory regulations and extensive stake-

holders’ consultative process. Juwah said that NCC was pleased to partner with TRB in order to compare notes and share wealth of experience in telecommunications regulations, adding: “We assure TRB of our optimum cooperation as we pledge our continued support and open access to our enormous knowledge-base resources in licensing, legal, spectrum, and numbering ad-

ministration, competition and economic regulations.” Over the years, many telecoms regulators in Africa have come to Nigeria to understudy NCC regarding its robust regulatory activities, which have resulted in the creation of Africa’s fastest-growing telecoms market with over $32 billion up from about $500,000 in 2001 when the country’s telecoms sector was liberalised.

L-R: Head, Philips Group Communications, Region Africa, Ms Radhika Choksey; General Manager, Consumer Lifestyle, West Africa, Mrs. Chioma Iwuchukwu-Nweke; General Manager, Philips Lighting, West Africa, Mr. Felix Darko and Head, Marketing, Philips Lighting, Africa, Mr. John Westermayer, at the Philips ‘Buy Original’ media roundtable in Lagos.

Akwa Ibom to train 1,000 youths in IT

he Akwa Ibom State government has announced plans to train 1,000 youths from the state in Information Technology, especially Oracle Database Software Management, to imbue them with relevant skills to become self-reliant. Governor Udom Emmanuel, who disclosed this in the state recently noted that he had initiated discussions with Oracle on the plan. Emmanuel, who noted that most of those employed by banks and companies are those with Oracle certifications, reasoned that Akwa Ibom youths must be imbued with relevant skills

that would make them selfreliant. “I want to make sure that our youths acquire skills so that they can mostly be on their own. We want to facilitate this to help some of our youths to also acquire skills. One thousand is a good number and we can see how we can train them in Uyo to reduce the cost instead of moving them to Lagos,” he said. The governor further hinted that the state government would send 100 Akwa Ibom youths to Israel by the end of July to acquire training and skills in mechanised farming, and described Israel as an outstanding country

in the world with track-record in agriculture. He said: “By end of July, we will send about 100 youths to Israel to acquire some skills and also at the same time do pilgrimage as well. Those people that will come back are those that will actually back up our mechanised farming in agriculture. “We know that when it comes to agriculture today, Israel is one of the greatest. These are some of the things we will do in human development that will actually enhance the quality of life of our people, but we need your kind prayers.”

Products counterfeiting worth $250bn annually CO N TI N U ED F RO M PAGE 35

wah said that to facilitate the provision of a resilient broadband infrastructure across the country, the Commission had set for itself target to achieve the following, amongst others, during the five-year broadband implementation plan through licensing of seven InfaCos to roll out metropolitan fibre across the country; auctioning available slots in the 2.3GHz, 2.6GHz and 700MHz band for wireless broadband access; as well as implementing cost-based pricing model and price caps for

leased transmission capacity to drive affordability, among other. Juwah stressed that the Commission would continue to work aggressively within the objectives of the NBP with a view to achieving the auspicious broadband penetration target by 2018. However, Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat, Mr. Matthew Willsher, who also spoke at the CTO event, said: “Notwithstanding the appreciable progress in broadband deployment in Nigeria, considerable effort is still required to move Nigeria towards its

broadband targets. When benchmarked against peer countries, it is clear that there is a considerable gap between where we are and where we should be, given the size of our industry and economy.” Conclusion According to experts, with NCC remaining focused on the objectives set under the NBP and addressing highlighted challenges to faster broadband infrastructure rollout, the country may still be close to its 30 per cent broadband penetration target by 2018.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSday, JUNE 25, 2015

Photo | News

L-R: National Programme Officer, UN Women, Adekemi Ndieli; Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase; Police Gender Adviser, Bisi Kolawole and Executive Director, Cleen Foundation, Kemi Okenyodo, at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting on improving police response to sexual and gender based violence and gender mainstreaming in Abuja. PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Muda Yusuf; Country Director, G 12, Mr. Christian Widmann; Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Victor Gbemudo; National President, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Dr. Eugene Nweke and Head, Trade and Economics Section, European Union delegation to the Federal Government and ECOWAS, Mr. Filippo Amato, at the official launch of the implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), in Lagos. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

L-R: Guest Speaker, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa; Director, United Nations Information Centre, Lagos, Mr. Ronald Kayanja; former Vice-Chancellor, University of Benin, Prof. Grace Alele-Williams and Executive Director, Hope for Life Initiative, Ms. Kendi Aig-Imonu, at the commemoration of the International Widow’s Day in Lagos.

L-R: Chairman, NATH FC, Yemi Idowu; General Manager Strategy, SuperSport West Africa, Felix Awogu and Production Manager, SuperSport Nigeria, Niyi Oyeleke, at the EPL trophy tour visit to SuperSport Nigeria.

L-R: Chief Operating Officer, Weco Systems International Limited, Mr. Nnamdi Onyebuchi; Human Resources Manager, Mrs. Evelyn Chukwudubem; Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Obinna Ekwonwa and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Chinedu Anukwu, during the company’s Health Safety and Environment sensitisation walk in Lagos.

Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Peter Umeadi (left) with Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Onitsha branch, Mr. Chudi Obieze, during the members of MBA’s visit to Umeadi in Onitsha. PHOTO: NAN

Former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi; book presenter, Dr. Ifeyinwa Obegolu and Justice Keziah Ogbonnaya, at the FIDA Abuja Law Week in Abuja.

Managing Director, New Horizons Systems Solutions, Mr. Tim Akano (left), with the Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Prof. Charles Ayo, at the renewal of partnership on international IT and e-business skills certification at the university’s campus, Ota, Ogun State.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

Mom&Parenting Fatherhood not a thankless job after all

Oluwatosin Omoniyi

ust a few months after the celebration of mothers’ day, Father’s Day is another occasion that is prominent in most countries. It is time to appreciate the men of the house because it actually takes two to bring a child into the world. Father’s Day was first observed in 1908. But how do Nigerian families appreciate their fathers. According to Ann Ikemefule, a business woman and mother of four, there are no better ways to appreciate a father than to love him in return, be faithful to him and take good care of his children. Attend to his needs. But the best way she and her kids celebrate her husband, she said , is to cook his best food according to tradition, pamper him and attend well to him at bed time. “I make sure he enjoys the day to the fullest,” she said. For Omoshalewa Oladapo, online writer, the best way to appreciate a father is to allow him have his ways, tolerate and accommodate him. “Believe him even when he tells lies, that way, there will be peace and love in the house. Then, there will be the happiness and willingness to appreciate him. Alice Coker, mother of three, she quoted that that the most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. That way, the love would radiate and there would be peace. For her, the man pays for the celebration either ways- mother’s and father’s day. She said this last father’s day, she and the kids urged their father to take them out for fun and sightseeing. “He is the man and the breadwinner of the house. He hardly has time for us, so we don’t waste any little time to make him give us his attention, reason, we hype it on him to see the day (father’s day) as special day. Of course, I do

Mom&Parenting

Oluwatosin Omoniyi City Editor

give him gifts, no matter how little,” she said. Bunmi Folusho, a writer believes that fatherhood is a thankless job, as such he expects nothing from his wife and kids. According to him, he can’t remember when his family celebrated anything outside birthdays, Christmas and mother’s day in his family. But he is more satisfied that he loves and places his family as the most important thing in life. “Nothing has brought me more peace and content in life than simply being a good husband and father to my family,” he said. Ezebube Onuoha corroborated Folusho that fatherhood is a thankless job because, no matter what he does and give s to his family, his children recognise his wife more than him. “Even when I cater for their needs, pay their school fees among other things; it is their mom they recognise more. In fact, they thank her more than me but I’m not jealous, it is love still,” he said. To emphasise that fatherhood is a thankless job and that his children appreciate his wife more than him, Onuoha narrated that whenever it is Mother’s day, his family prepares for it as if they are preparing for Christmas, “they will arm-twist me for money and they take nothing less than N120,000 to celebrate Mother’s day but if it is Father’s day, it is from Newspapers and banks greetings that I learn about it! He said that most Nigerian women believe it is their prerogative to be worshipped and served and it is the man’s place to labour for them. “Reason, I said fatherhood is a thankless job,” Onuoha said. For Omoluyi Adebiyi, a businessman, Father’s day should be an everyday thing because the man he believes, is the moving engine of the house. According to him, it takes him to be able to plant the kids into the mother’s womb but takes the mother to bring them to the world. However, he said his wife always makes him feel special on that day. “In fact, I wish Father’s day observation would be a continuous event because I always get the best of my wife’s character. She pampers me and reminds me of our early days of love. She practically woos me with gifts and praises,” he beamed. Fatherhood is not necessary a thankless job, it depends on how the parties involved view it,” said Yinka Ogunshina, an IT analyst. The father of three was euphoric that his wife and kids celebrated him by taking him out. “To my utmost shock, my wife picked the bills and my kids honoured me more like a king. I was really elated,” he said. Though both parents have a role to play in their children’s develop-

Understanding fatherhood principle

One of the ways to appreciate a father is to love him and be faithful to him

PHOTO:change.creflodollarministries.org

ment, even though families come in different shapes and sizes these days. According to Teresa Maples, an international parent/child relationship analyst, there are several ways and reasons to appreciate a father. It include, 1. Fathers work to provide financial resources for things like clothing, food, and shelter. He spends his time and energy working, so his family can benefit from his toils. He takes great pride in his work accomplishments and ability to financially provide for their family. A daughter benefits by experiencing that her basic needs are provided and met. 2. Fathers do chores around the house to help out the family, most of us are familiar with the proverbial honey do list. A father gets a sense of accomplishment when he finishes a

Father and son bonding

project that benefits his family. 3. When a father spends time with his daughter, he lets her know she is important and special to him. Daughters will be loyal to their father’s relationship and abide by his wishes if she feels he values her. Daughters have a built in need for acceptance. The safest place to feel accepted is with a father. If he doesn’t spend time with her she will have an unmet need and will fall prey to the first male who showers her with attention. 4. A father brings emotional closeness and belonging to him and his family members. This eliminates the need to seek solace with someone outside the family. 6. A father models what a healthy relationship looks like with his wife, he shows his kids and especially daughter how a woman should be treated by a man.

Photo:wwwmercatornet.com

40 Mom&Parenting

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

How to respond when kids are disrespectful

MOM’S ALERT with

Grace Essen

grace.essen@gmail.com

Son gets an hour a day from dad

When your child is disrespectful

erbal defiance from a toddler who is just beginning to test limits is relatively easy to take in stride, but many parents are unnerved when bigger kids talk back. As Amanda P. shares, it’s not only irritating, but downright disrespectful. Seeking suggestions from the community, Amanda asks, “What do parents use for a disrespectful child? I don’t want to sit back and do nothing. First, take a deep breath so that you don’t wind up arguing back, say our moms. Then, try these four tips for taming the sass. 1. Model and Explain Respectful Behaviour The first step in quieting a mouthy child is to teach respect. Because children learn by example, it’s important for moms to model respectful behavior with their children and with other adults. After all, a member of circle of moms, a nongovernmental organisation, NGO, named Kathy says, you can’t expect your child to be courteous if you’re not. For Rebecca N. a mom, recommends attempting to empathize with your child and trying to find out what’s bothering her to get at the root cause of the impolite behaviour. But do not respond aggressively, Rebecca warns. If your child gets a rise out of you, it can reinforce the obnoxiousness. “Be patient and try to explain your side rationally,” Kat adds. “I guarantee that if you offer [your child] respect, she’s more likely to return it.” Tara H. and Tammy V. both suggest showing your child how to rephrase rude remarks. For example, when her daughter says, “I’m not going to clean my room,” Tammy instead teaches her daughter to say, “I don’t want to clean my room because I’m too tired right now. May I please do it tomorrow?”

man came home from work late again, tired and irritated. He found his 5-year-old son waiting for him at the door. “Daddy, may I ask you a question?” The dad replied: “Yeah, sure, what is it?” “Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?” The dad got mad and said, “That’s none of your business! photo:www.motherhood.modernmom.com Why do you want to know?” The little boy said, “I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an 2. Give and Take Time-Outs Past the preschool years, hour?” children may have trouble The dad, wanting to sit down managing both their personand relax, said, “If you must alities and hormones. Sassiknow, I make $20 an hour.” ness sometimes results from The little boy sighed and built-up anger and frustrabowed his head. Looking up, he tions, “and unfortunately, asked, “Daddy, may I borrow $10 as parents, we often get the please?” brunt of their frustrations,” The father flew off the hansays Jennifer S. So if you dle, “If the only reason you find that anger is building, wanted to know how much it helps to take a time-out. “I money I make is so that you can will tell [my children] that hit me up for some cash to buy they’ve pushed me too far some stupid toy, then you march and I think we both need a yourself straight to your room Being naughty? break before we say things we and go to bed. You’re so selfish. I photo:www.pinterest.com shouldn’t and make the situwork long, hard hours every day ation worse,” Jennifer says. from Jodi’s 13-year-old son and don’t have time for this.” The little boy quietly went to Taking a time-out and ignor- will lead to TV restrictions. ing backtalk can often silence And both Kathy B. and Abby his room and shut the door. smart-mouthed remarks, be- C. ground their children. The dad sat down and startcause your child “will figure This usually translates into ed to get even madder about out real quick that sassing not being able to hang out the nerve of his little boy. How doesn’t work when it doesn’t with friends after school dare he ask questions only to get get your attention or change or skipping ballet practice. some money? After an hour or the circumstances,” Stefanie Some moms prefer to offer so, the man had calmed down, S. explains. rewards to encourage better and started to think that mayThe important things after behaviour. Amy K. uses ice be he was a bit hard on his boy. tempers have cooled, however, cream, books, and inexpen- Maybe his son really needed the money for something imis to quickly find the time to sive toys. talk about the situation and 4. Be Consistent and Patient portant. So, the father went up make sure to listen to your Regardless of your ap- to his boy’s room and opened it, children, Jennifer says. “Of- proach, your reinforcement “Are you asleep, son?” ten, if I acknowledge my kid’s of it must be consistent, “No daddy. I’m awake,” refrustrations/issues/feelings, readers advise. Once you plied the boy. “I’ve been thinking, maybe I it helps,” Jennifer notes. Then start letting things slide, use that calmer moment to you’ll start to see the return was too hard on you earlier. It’s firmly communicate that of smart-alecky behaviour, been a long day, and I took it out parents deserve respect and warns Angelique G. Barb on you. Here’s that 10 bucks you that there are consequences S. echoes this point, noting asked for.” The little boy sat straight up, for impertinence. both that your child needs Theresa D. agrees with this to know that “every time he beaming. “Oh, thank you, dadapproach, noting that she smarts off, this is what is go- dy!” he exclaimed. Then, reachgives time-outs when tempers ing to happen” and also that ing under his pillow, he pulled flare and her daughter acts being this consistent can be out a wad of crumpled up bills. up. As a result, her daughter hard. Reason? You’ll feel like The dad, seeing that the now knows that there are con- a broken record, repeatedly boy already had some money, sequences for sassing and has redirecting disrespectful be- started to get angry again. The learned that losing her tem- haviour. But as Linda J. re- little boy slowly counted out his per gets her nowhere. calls of her child’s “snotty money, and then looked up at his 3. Offer Punishments and stage,” standing your ground dad. Rewards and hanging in for the ride The dad, now ticked off, To reinforce the notion will pay off: “My 14-year-old demanded to know what was that parents deserve respect, has gotten much better. We going on, “Why did you want parents can use both car- have to remember that they more money if you already had rots and sticks, say readers. all go through a lot of stress some?” When Sarah K.’s daughter is changing from little kids to The little boy replied, “Beinsolent, she loses privileges young adults.” cause I didn’t have enough, like being able to go out with but now I do. Daddy, I have $20 friends or use the computer. culled from www.circle now…and I’d like to buy an hour Similarly, a lack of respect of moms.com of your time.”

It is said of Boswell, the famous biographer of Samuel Johnson, that he often referred to a special day in his childhood when his father took him fishing. The day was fixed in his mind, and he often reflected upon many things his father had taught him in the course of their fishing experience together. After having heard of that particular excursion so often, it occurred to someone much later to check the journal that Boswell’s father kept and determine what had been said about the fishing trip from the parental perspective. Turning to that date, the reader found only one sentence entered: “Gone fishing today with my son; a day wasted.” A very successful attorney Moody Monthly said: “The greatest gift I ever received was a gift I got one Christmas when my dad gave me a small box. Inside was a note saying, ‘Son, this year I will give you 365 hours, an hour every day after dinner. It’s yours. We’ll talk about what you want to talk about, we’ll go where you want to go, play what you want to play. It will be your hour!’” “My dad not only kept his promise,” he said, “but every year he renewed it—and it’s the greatest gift I ever had in my life. I am the result of his time.” What does a father do? Erma Bombeck, having been raised by her mother when her father died in her ninth year said: If I had to tell someone what a father really does that is important, it would be that he shows up for the job in good times and bad times. He’s a man who is constantly being observed by his children. They learn from him how to handle adversity, anger, disappointment and success. He won’t laugh at their dreams no matter how impossible they might seem. He will dig out at 1 a.m. when one of his children runs out of gas. He will make unpopular decisions and stand by them. When he is wrong and makes a mistake, he will admit it. He sets the tone for how family members treat one another. But mostly, a good father involves himself in his kids’ lives. The more responsibility he has for a child, the harder it is to walk out of his life. A father has the potential to be a powerful force in the life of a child. Grab it! Maybe you’ll get a greeting card for your efforts. Maybe not. But it’s steady work. “It is a wise father that knows his own child.” – Shakespeare. Happy Father’s Day.

Business | Money Line 41

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

TEEP will contribute $10bn to Africa’s GDP –Elumelu

EMPOWERMENT

1000 entrepreneurs to receive $5m seed capital Tony Chukwunyem and Chris Ugwu

$10billion in additional annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to Africa. Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), initiators of the Programme, Mr. Tony Elumelu, disclosed this at a briefing held in Lagos yesterday to unveil

ETI ends Africa expansion

t the end of its 10 years first phase duration, the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP) would have contributed cobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) has ended its advance spread across the continent and plans to consolidate on the existing operations in 36 countries. Outgoing Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mr Albert Essien, disclosed this on the sidelines of the group’s 27th Annual General Meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He said that the strategy of the bank had changed a bit to get more efficiency in the bank’s operations. This, he said, was to deliver more revenue to the bottom line and get more value for the shareholders. “We are not going to flag any more branches in different countries just because we want to be there, we will concentrate on the

details of the TEEP boot camp slated to take place from July 10-12, 2015 in Ota, Ogun State. This will be the maiden boot camp of the TEEP, a $100million Pan- African entrepreneurship initiative. One thousand entre-

continues to serve us well, with encouraging underlying performance in our line of businesses and geographic areas of coverage. We are pleased with our cost efficiency gains, which led to our cost-income ratio improving in 2014 to 65.4 per cent from 70.1 per cent,” Mr Essien added. Shareholders approve the company’s strong performance for the year ended 31 December 2014, though the board did not declare dividend for the year. Group Chairman of Ecobank, Mr Emmanuel Ikazoboh, said insufficient earnings at the group level have required the board to make a difficult decision regarding the payment of

existing branches and have a more sustainable profit,” Mr Essien said. ‘’We are in Ethiopia and Angola but it is not urgent for us to commence full banking operations, it’s a representative office and when the time comes, the board will give the goahead to start full banking operations. Ethiopia is a good country and we are treading cautiously in Angola to complete our 36 operations. But we will continue with our country expansion which will either be branch or digital expansion. The digital expansion is to mimic the success of the Ecobank Ghana digital branch at Labone in Accra. Our diversified panAfrican business model

preneurs selected by Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) from over 20,000 applicants from all over Africa are expected to participate in the camp. The 1000 entrepreneurs will receive $5,000 seed capital funding each amounting to $5m from

a cash dividend which had not been taken lightly. At the end of the year, the Pan African bank posted $24.2 billion in total assets and US$2.7 billion in total equity. Shareholders approved the company’s accounts for 2014 and the appropriation of profit of $5.82 million for the year. A sum of $0.87 million was transferred to special reserves and $4.85 million to retained earnings. “Our accounts for 2014 have shown a resurgent Ecobank, which enjoys the confidence of all its stakeholders: shareholders gathered here, customers and its dedicated staff. We can expect similar positive performance for 2015,” Mr Emmanuel Ikazoboh said.

Economic Indicators N19,142,526.05m N18,579,219.49m 9 13 10.77 US$60.72 US$29,033,682,354

Mar, 2015 Mar, 2015 May, 2015 4/6/2015 Mar 2015 10/6/2015 22/6/2015

Source:CBN

Description 13.05 16-AUG-2016 15.10 27-APR-2017 16.00 29-JUN-2019 15.54 13-FEB-2020 16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.20 14-MAR-2024 10.00 23-JUL-2030

TTM

Price

1.15 1.84 4.01 4.64 6.60 8.72 15.08

FGN Bonds 99.30 101.98 105.83 103.64 109.58 101.64 68.00

NIBOR

Tenor (Days) Call 30 90 180

Rate (%) 19.4583 16.1902 17.4151 18.5208

Bid Yield

13.69 13.81 14.05 14.42 14.10 13.86 15.55

Change (%) -2.92 ▼ 0.13 ▲ -0.02▼ 0.26 ▲

Change (%) 0.07▲ 0.00↔ 0.06 ▲ 0.11 ▲ 0.19 ▲ 0.11 ▲ 0.00 ▲

Price 99.45 102.13 106.13 103.94 109.88 101.94 68.30

Tenor (Months)

Offer Yield 13.54 13.72 13.95 14.33 14.03 13.80 15.48

NITTY

1 2 3 6 9

Treasury Bills

Rate (%) 11.8146 12.4124 12.9480 13.3195 13.4428

Spot($/N)

Offer 198.58

Change (%) 0.07▲ 0.00 ↔ 0.06 ▲ 0.11 ▲ 0.19 ▲ 0.11 ▲ 0.00 ▲ Change (%) -0.10▼ 0.07 ▲ -0.13▼ 0.05 ▲ -0.07 ▼

Money Market

Maturity Date Discount Bid Yield Change (%) Discount Offer Yield Change (%) Rate (%) 10.97 11.28 0.27 ▲ Open-Buy-Back (OBB) 17.50 24-Sep-15 11.22 11.55 0.27 ▲ 10.46 11.01 -1.93 ▼ Overnight (O/N) 18.75 17-Dec-15 10.71 11.29 -1.94 ▼ 12.23 13.83 0.05 ▲ 02-Jun-16 12.48 14.15 0.05▲ Bid 198.48

Change (%) 0.64 ▲

NIFEX

Bid Spot ($/N) 198.9000

Offer 199.0000

Change (%) 2.58▲ 3.33▲

Change (%) 0.00 ↔

CBN Clearing Rates of June 24, 2015 Spot ($/N)

195.90

196.90

IMF set to make Yuan reserve currency

As at M2* CPS* INF MPR 91-day NTB Bonny Light Ext Res**

the foundation as well as continued monitoring and support as they execute their business plans. Upon completion of business plans, select businesses can receive a further $5,000 low interest loan and access to the foundation’s Angel Investor Network. In what is billed to be the largest ever gathering of emerging entrepreneurs on the continent, the boot camp which is a major milestone of the flagship programme of the TEEP will see an interaction between established entrepreneurs from different sectors of industry, and the 1000 selectees of TEEP. Elumelu who is also Chairman of Heirs Holdings, said: “In empowering these emerging entrepreneurs, we are providing the capital, the networks, the training and support for them to drive economic and social transformation throughout Africa, providing solutions to its problems as well as securing their future and that of generations to come”. In the build-up the boot

-0.03 Source: FMDQ

camp, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has engaged the emerging entrepreneurs in a 12-week online training programme that culminates in this trilling two-day session. The boot camp format will be predominantly plenary style sessions from speakers with proven track record in business and leadership. Speaking on the ideals of the programme and the need for the training, CEO of the Foundation, Parminder Vir said: We are excited to be pushing the envelope and providing a springboard for this set of emerging African entrepreneurs to take over the world with their innovative ideas, beginning from their local communities. At the end of this boot camp, we want them to have come, seen and be transformed into full-fledged entrepreneurs and ambassadors of Africapitalism”. The winners represent 51 African countries and territories, as well as a multitude of value adding sector ranging from Agriculture to education to fashion and ICT. All five African regions-North, East, Southern, Central and West Africa are represented as well as every state in Nigeria. Additionally, all major language blocs-Anglophone, Francophone, Lusophone and Arabic Africa.

nited States and Chinese officials met yesterday as part of efforts by the latter to have their currency, the yuan(renminbi) endorsed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a reserve currency. The meeting focused on making the IMF to include the yuan in its reserve basket -- which consists of the dollar, euro, pound and yen. Last month, the IMF hinted that the endorsement could happen this year, pointing that it doesn’t consider the currency undervalued. Available data show that the yuan became the second most used currency in trade finance, the fifth most popular payment currency and the sixth most used foreign exchange currency in the world in December 2014. According to Standard Chartered Plc and AXA Investment Managers, at least $1 trillion of global reserves will switch into Chinese assets if the IMF indeed endorses the yuan as a reserve currency this year. An inclusion could spur as much as 6.2 tril-

lion yuan ($999 billion) of net purchases of China’s onshore bonds by end2020, Standard Chartered estimates. AXA Investment Managers says about 10 per cent of the $11.6 trillion of global reserves will flow into yuan assets. It didn’t give a timeframe. “What is significant is the seal of approval by the IMF that the yuan has internationalized as a reserve currency,” Aidan Yao, senior emerging-market economist at AXA Investment, said. “It could trigger a reallocation of global reserves portfolios.” The yuan reclaimed fifth place in global payments this March, according to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. Standard Chartered said the Chinese currency has a 60 percent chance of getting reserve status this year. The currency failed to qualify in a 2010 review. “The renminbi broadly meets Special Drawing Rights (SDR) criteria,” Standard Chartered analysts including Becky Liu and Eddie Cheung wrote in a research report.

Business | Financial Market News

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

24-Jun-15

The DQL contains data relating to, amongst other things, market and model prices, rates of foreign exchange products, fixed income securities and instruments in the financial market (the “Information”). The Information does not constitute professional, financial or investment advice. We attempt to ensure the Information is accurate; however, the Information is provided “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE” basis and may not be accurate or up to date. We do not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, performance or fitness for a particular purpose of any of the Information, neither do we accept liability for the results of any action taken on the basis of the Information.

Bonds FGN Bonds

Price

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description ^13.05 16-AUG-2016 ^15.10 27-APR-2017 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 ^16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 ^15.54 13-FEB-2020 ^16.39 27-JAN-2022 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 ^10.00 23-JUL-2030 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

16-Aug-13 27-Apr-12 27-Jul-07 31-Aug-07 30-May-08 29-Jun-12 23-Oct-09 13-Feb-15 27-Jan-12 14-Mar-14 28-Nov-08 22-May-09 20-Nov-09 23-Jul-10 18-Jul-14

13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 15.54 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493

581.39 476.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 233.73 600.00 599.99 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 324.50

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,838.17

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,487.24

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

16-Aug-16 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 13-Feb-20 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34

1.15 1.84 2.09 2.19 2.93 4.01 4.33 4.64 6.60 8.72 13.43 13.91 14.41 15.08 19.07

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

13.69 13.81 13.89 13.90 13.98 14.05 14.37 14.42 14.10 13.86 16.82 17.30 17.85 15.55 14.42

13.54 13.72 13.81 13.82 13.92 13.95 14.26 14.33 14.03 13.80 16.76 17.23 17.75 15.48 14.37

99.30 101.98 92.85 91.63 92.29 105.83 76.81 103.64 109.58 101.64 90.36 74.92 52.05 68.00 85.32

99.45 102.13 93.00 91.78 92.44 106.13 77.11 103.94 109.88 101.94 90.66 75.22 52.35 68.30 85.62

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

2.10 112.22 116.70 66.49

03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.77 1.46 1.82 2.03

2.27 2.29 1.00 1.00

14.94 16.09 14.86 14.89

101.66 99.86 105.44 102.21

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM

17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 08-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 19-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

297.52

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

305.22

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.19

4.44

16.27

99.22

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

2.16

30-Sep-15

0.27

3.23

14.92

99.44

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

3.90

30-Jun-16

0.52

4.46

15.94

99.09

‡ /Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

5.73

30-Jun-16

0.54

3.48

15.07

100.20

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

1.82

1.00

14.86

92.45

‡ /Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

25.73

30-Jun-17

1.08

1.00

14.73

99.07

‡ /Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

2.52

1.79

15.73

96.51

‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

30.81

30-Sep-18

1.90

1.80

15.67

97.37

Bb-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

1.91

1.00

14.87

98.56

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

12.40

09-Dec-18

2.10

1.00

14.90

99.31

Bb-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

9.21

12-Dec-18

2.10

4.78

18.68

92.42

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.09

1.00

14.89

100.96

BBB+/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

*GOMBE LAGOS

15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019

BBB-/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019

02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12

15.50 14.50 14.75

15.09 80.00 24.74

02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19

2.52 4.41 2.58

2.02 1.00 1.00

15.96 15.43 14.95

99.02 97.06 99.60

BBB-/Agusto

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

10.78

10-Oct-20

3.03

1.82

15.82

97.59

Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.43

1.00

15.40

93.14

A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

KOGI

15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020

31-Dec-13

15.00

5.00

31-Dec-20

5.52

1.00

15.38

98.62

‡ /Agusto A-/GCR

*EKITI *NASARAWA

14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

31-Dec-13

14.50

4.55

31-Dec-20

3.18

1.00

15.01

98.80

06-Jan-14

15.00

4.56

06-Jan-21

3.21

1.00

15.02

99.94

99.55

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

448.65 432.67

Corporate Bonds BBB+/Agusto BBB-/Agusto

*UPDC

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

17-Aug-10

10.00

2.50

17-Aug-15

0.15

1.00

12.91

*FLOURMILLS

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

09-Dec-10

12.00

9.38

09-Dec-15

0.46

1.00

12.45

99.79

BB/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.42

06-Jan-16

0.29

2.63

14.29

99.96

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

1.27

1.00

14.77

97.97

A-/Agusto

FSDH

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

1.34

15.12

98.92

A/GCR

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

2.27

1.00

14.91

96.37

BBB-/GCR

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.56

30-Nov-17

1.50

1.88

15.69

103.67

Nil

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

09-Apr-11

16.00

5.40

09-Apr-18

1.54

3.84

17.66

97.86

A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

18.00

2.54

09-Sep-18

1.71

1.00

14.84

104.38 101.57

AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.70

09-Sep-18

1.71

1.00

14.84

A+/Agusto; A/GCR

UBA

14.00 UBA II 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

30-Sep-18

3.27

3.00

17.02

92.58

BBB+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.10

18-Oct-18

1.82

2.29

16.15

99.32

BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

17-Feb-12

18.00

0.36

17-Feb-19

1.90

6.11

19.98

97.13

Nil

*DANA#{r}

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

2.52

2.16

16.10

99.73

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.39

2.76

17.17

93.36

BBB/GCR

FCMB

14.25 FCMB I 20-NOV-2021

20-Nov-14

14.25

26.00

20-Nov-21

6.41

1.80

15.94

93.32

A/GCR

UBA

16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021

30-Dec-14

16.45

30.50

30-Dec-21

6.52

2.63

16.74

98.85

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

16.29

0.10

30-Sep-24

9.27

1.00

14.98

106.38

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

13.25

15.44

30-Sep-24

9.27

1.00

14.98

91.42

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

178.07

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

170.80

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

2.64

1.00

14.95

89.93

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

4.75

1.00

15.51

82.45

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

24.95 21.47

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value ($mm)

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

5.71

5.50

104.90

105.93

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.64

4.32

101.36

102.27

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

6.01

5.86

102.29

103.26

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,542.79

Corporate Eurobonds B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

4.31

102.75

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

7.51

99.50

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

10.91

9.92

90.30

92.55

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

7.58

6.97

95.38

97.12

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

7.23

96.75

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

10.12

9.52

95.66

97.53

B-/Fitch; B/S&P B-/Fitch; B/S&P B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC ACCESS BANK PLC II FIRST BANK LTD

8.25 AUG 07, 2020 9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021

07-Aug-13 24-Jun-14 23-Jul-14

8.25 9.25 8.00

300.00 400.00 450.00

07-Aug-20 24-Jun-21 23-Jul-21

9.28 10.51 9.83

9.28 10.17 9.83

95.25 94.77 91.05

95.25 96.22 91.05

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

10.38

9.91

91.99

93.99

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

3,650.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

3,493.98

**Treasury Bills^ DTM 8 15 22 29 36 43 50 64

FIXINGS Maturity 2-Jul-15 9-Jul-15 16-Jul-15 23-Jul-15 30-Jul-15 6-Aug-15 13-Aug-15 27-Aug-15

Bid Discount (%) 13.09 10.92 11.94 11.64 12.09 12.27 12.35 12.39

Offer Discount (%) 12.84 10.67 11.69 11.39 11.84 12.02 12.10 12.14

Bid Yield (%) 13.13 10.97 12.02 11.74 12.24 12.45 12.56 12.67

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 19.4583 16.1902 17.4151 18.5208

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

17.50

O/N Tenor Call 1M

18.75

REPO

Rate (%) 16.25 16.50

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

198.48 201.81 202.13 202.87 204.24 205.60

198.58 201.93 202.28 203.37 205.31 207.21

Rating/Agency

Description

Issuer

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

2.10 112.22 116.70 66.49

03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.77 1.46 1.82 2.03

2.27 2.29 1.00 1.00

14.94 16.09 14.86 14.89

101.66 99.86 105.44 102.21

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM

17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 08-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 19-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

297.52

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

305.22

Business | Financial Market News

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 Sub-National Bonds

A/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.19

4.44

16.27

99.22

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

2.16

30-Sep-15

0.27

3.23

14.92

99.44

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

3.90

30-Jun-16

0.52

4.46

15.94

99.09

‡ /Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

5.73

30-Jun-16

0.54

3.48

15.07

100.20

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

PLUNGE

Stock market extends losing streak

30-Jun-10 13.75 25.73 Sustained sell 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 *BAYELSA 30-Dec-10 14.00 25.00 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 EDO depletes *DELTA 30-Sep-11 14.00 30.81 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 ‡pressure /Agusto; A+/GCR 04-Oct-11 14.00 9.00 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 Bb-/Agusto; A-/GCR NIGER With only nine gainfrom N11.356 trillion the shares of Zenith Bank Plc by N39 *EKITI 09-Dec-11 14.50 12.40 ‡equities /Agusto; A-/GCR† 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 previous day to N11.395 ers and 42 losers, the key and GTB Bank Plc. 12-Dec-13 14.00 9.21 Bb-/Agusto *NIGER 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 billion 14-Feb-12 15.50 27.00 ‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR *ONDO 15.50 ONDOmain14-FEB-2019 trillion as market sentibenchmark indices Also, the insurance ser‡ /Agusto ‡ /Agusto

02-Oct-12 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 tained negative trajectory ments remained in the red. 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 22-Nov-12 to close in the14.75 red, as 12-DEC-2019 activMeanwhile, a turnover 12-Dec-12 OSUN 10-Oct-13 BBB-/Agusto *OSUN 14.75 OSUN ities in the shares ofII 10-OCT-2020 blue of 310.3 million shares 27-Nov-13 Aa-/Agusto;by ‡ /GCR LAGOS 13.50 LAGOS 27-NOV-2020 Stories Chris Ugwu chip companies dragged worth N6.1 billion in 3,656 31-Dec-13 A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro KOGI 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 31-Dec-13 down the equity market. the ‡ /Agusto *EKITI 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 deals was recorded in 06-Jan-14 A-/GCR 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021 Trading activities on the day’s trading. he Nigerian *NASARAWA eqTOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Just as in the previous uity market yes- floor of the Exchange had TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION terday plunged the previous day also closed day , the banking subCorporate Bonds following in the red following nega- sector of the financial further 10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 17-Aug-10 BBB+/Agusto the of investors. services sector was massive sell off that *UPDC has tive sentiments 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 BBB-/Agusto 09-Dec-10 *FLOURMILLS most active during the Consequently , the Allpersisted on the local 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 BB/GCR 06-Jan-11 *CHELLARAMS NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 day (measured by 29-Sep-11 turnShare Index 13.00 dipped 113.97 bourse in recent times. A+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCO 25-OCT-2016 A-/Agusto orFSDH 0.34 per over volume); with 25-Oct-13 87.02 Market watchers FSDH be- basis points14.25 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 A/GCR 30-Sep-10 UBA cent to close at 33,266.87 as million shares worth N1.2 lieve investors are yet 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 BBB-/GCR 30-Nov-12 *C & I LEASING against 33,380.84 recorded billion exchanged by intoNilget respite as bargain MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 09-Apr-11 *DANA MPR+7.00 9-SEP-2018 09-Sep-11 A-/DataPro†;continue B+/GCR *TOWER the previous day TOWER while vestors in 1,179 deals. hunters to take MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 09-Sep-11 AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR *TOWER of Volume in the banking profits from the shareUBA ap- market capitalisation 14.00 UBA II 30-SEP-2018 A+/Agusto; A/GCR 30-Sep-11 equities depreciated by sub-sector was largely preciation recorded in*LA the 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 BBB+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR 18-Oct-13 CASERA CHELLARAMS 17-FEB-2019 17-Feb-12 BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR *CHELLARAMS N39 billion orMPR+5.00 0.34 per cent IIdriven by activities in the previous week. BBB+/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

*GOMBE LAGOS

BBB-/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

*OSUN

#{r}

Nil

*DANA#{r}

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

BBB/GCR

FCMB

14.25 FCMB I 20-NOV-2021

20-Nov-14

14.25

26.00

A/GCR

UBA

16.45 UBA I 30-DEC-2021

30-Dec-14

16.45

30.50

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

16.29

0.10

Equity firm plans $500m Africa Fund

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

A/GCR

IBTC rivate equity firm,STANBIC Vital Capiurban Africa. We found that as a TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE tal Investments LP, is planning big need, so we decided to create TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION a $500 million investment fund Vital as a platform for Western Supranational that will focusBond on African industries money to be invested in Africa,” IFC 11-FEB-2018 AAA/S&P IFC Stibbe10.20 said. overlooked by competitors. 11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021 Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P AfDB Vital Capital Fund II is weighBuyout firms raised $4.1 bilTOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE ing opportunities in Mozam- lion to invest in the continent TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION bique, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ango- in 2014, 24 per cent more than a la, Ethiopia, Uganda, Cameroon, year earlier, according to Ernst & Description Rating/Agency Issuer Ghana and the Ivory Coast, man- Young’s Private Equity Roundup FGN Eurobonds aging partner, Eytan Stibbe, said for Africa 2015 report. 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 CapB+/S&P inBB-/Fitch; an interview with Bloomberg David Bonderman’s TPG brief sub-Saharan Africa. ital said last week it planned to BB-/Fitch; FGN 5.13 JUL 12, 2018 BB-/S&P The firm’s second Africa-fo- invest in healthcare, consumer BB-/Fitch; 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 cused and financial services businessBB-/S&Pfund will make as many es in Africa with Satya Capital, asTOTAL 20 investments in industries OUTSTANDING VALUE such agriculture, water, while Abraaj Group raised alTOTALas MARKET CAPITALISATION education, affordable housing, most $1 billion for a third African Corporate Eurobonds healthcare and clean-energy. fund earlier this year and said MAY 19, 2016 B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC I “People consider those areas investor demand7.50was “substan7.25 JUL 25, 2017 B+/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC that we’re active in as higher tially higher.” 6.88 MAY 09, 2018 B/Fitch; B/S&P FIDELITY BANK PLC risk and there are fewer entities Vital Capital 6.00 is rated among NOV 08, 2018 B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC 22, 2019 perB+/Fitch; BB-/S&P ZENITH BANK PLC involved. It’s more difficult to atthe top 10 funds 6.25 forAPR impact May 21, 2019 B/Fitch; B/S&P DIAMOND BANK PLC tract foreign, western sources of formance by the8.75 Global Impact 8.25 AUG 07, 2020 B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK PLC money to these sectors to do afInvesting Rating System, which 9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 B-/Fitch; B/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC II fordable housing in rural, even has ranked the of 2380 8.00/2Y USD results SWAP+6.488 JUL 2021 B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK LTD B-/S&P

14-Aug-14

8.75

14.86

92.45

1.00

14.73

99.07

2.52

1.79

15.73

96.51

30-Sep-18

1.90

1.80

15.67

97.37

10-Oct-20

3.03

1.82

15.82

97.59

27-Nov-20

5.43

1.00

15.40

93.14

31-Dec-20

5.52

1.00

15.38

31-Dec-20

3.18

1.00

15.01

98.80

06-Jan-21

3.21

1.00

15.02

99.94

98.62

tanbic IBTC Money nised by the Securities & 0.15 12.91 99.55 Commission. Market Fund, one 1.00Exchange 09-Dec-15 0.46 1.00 12.45 99.79 of the six mutual According to Agusto & 06-Jan-16 0.29 2.63 14.29 99.96 funds managed1.27 by Stan- 1.00Co., the14.77 rating denotes a 29-Sep-16 97.97 15.12 “minimal 98.92 exbic25-Oct-16 IBTC Asset 1.34 Manage- 1.34fund with 30-Sep-17 2.27 1.00 14.91 96.37 ment Limited, and regu- 1.88posure 15.69 to downside risk 30-Nov-17 1.50 103.67 lated by the Securities & (that is impairment of 09-Apr-18 1.54 3.84 17.66 97.86 09-Sep-18 1.71 1.00the net 14.84 104.38 ratExchange Commission asset)”. The 09-Sep-18 (SEC), has been 1.71 assigned 1.00 ing for 14.84 the fund,101.57 which 30-Sep-18 3.27 3.00 17.02 92.58 a fund rating Aa(f) in 2009, 18-Oct-18 1.82 for the 2.29was established 16.15 99.32 17-Feb-19 1.90 year. 6.11was also 19.98supported 97.13 by fourth consecutive 01-Apr-19 2.52 16.10 quality99.73 of the The evaluation by 2.16the good 14-Nov-20 5.39 2.76 17.17 93.36 Nigerian credit rating underlying assets93.32 which 20-Nov-21 6.41 1.80 15.94 agency , Agusto 6.52 & Co., is 2.63are in 16.74 line with 30-Dec-21 98.85SEC 30-Sep-24 9.27 14.98 based on the quality of 1.00guidelines for 106.38 money 9.27 1.00 91.42 the30-Sep-24 prudent investment market 14.98 funds. guidelines and risk manChairman of Stanbic agement approach adopt- IBTC Asset Manageed in the management of ment Limited, Mr. Yin2.64 14.95 89.93 the11-Feb-18 Stanbic IBTC Money 1.00ka Sanni, said the com01-Feb-21 4.75 1.00 15.51 82.45 Market Fund with re- pany would continually spect to interest rates leverage its robust risk and credit risks. This is management framework the highest rating so far to(%)safeguard itsOffer investMaturity Date Bid Yield (%) Offer Yield Bid Price Price conferred on a mutual ments and ensure optiYields fund managed in Nigeria Prices mal&return for investors 5.50in the company’s 104.90 105.93 by 28-Jan-21 Agusto & Co.5.71 mutual In a statement from funds. This, he said, is 12-Jul-18 4.64 4.32 101.36 102.27 the management of the anchored on strict ad12-Jul-23 102.29 103.26best company, the 6.01money 5.86herence to global market fund is currently practices by the fund the largest open-ended manager. mutual fund managed “We are excited at by Stanbic IBTC Asset Stanbic IBTC Asset Man19-May-16 4.31 102.75 102.75 Management. The fund 4.31agement Limited that 25-Jul-17 7.51 7.51 99.50 99.50 invests its assets in low the Stanbic IBTC Money 02-May-18 10.91 9.92 90.30 92.55 risk money market se- 6.97Market95.38 Fund has been 08-Nov-18 7.58 97.12 22-Apr-19 with financial 7.23 7.23rated Aa(f) 96.75 for the96.75 curities fourth 21-May-19 95.66 97.53 institutions in10.12 Nigeria 9.52consecutive year by Nige07-Aug-20 9.28 9.28 95.25 95.25 ria’s leading credit rating rated “A” and above by a 24-Jun-21 10.51 10.17 94.77 96.22 local rating agency 23-Jul-21 9.83 recog- 9.83firm.” 91.05 91.05 17-Aug-15

250.00

14-Aug-21

10.38

9.91

3,650.00

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1.00

1.08

Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund rated Aa(f )

13.25 funds. 30-Sep-14 Impact investment funds 15.44 178.07 aim to generate social or envi170.80 ronmental benefit as well as a financial return. 11-Feb-13 10.20 Vital Capital Fund II has a 12.00 10-Jul-14 11.25 12.95 hard cap of $700 million, the 24.95 ceiling beyond which no more 21.47 investments will be accepted, Outstanding Value with aIssue firstDate close expected Coupon (%)by the ($mm) end of this year, said an adviser to the investment vehicle, David 07-Oct-11 6.75 500.00 van Adelsberg. “Vital Capital is in discussion 12-Jul-13 5.13 500.00 with a range of institutional in12-Jul-13 6.38 vestors and development finance 500.00 bodies including the Africa Devel- 1,500.00 opment Bank and the Overseas Pri- 1,542.79 vate Investment Corp,” said Stibbe. Vital Capital closed its first 7.50 fund in19-May-11 July 2012, having raised 500.00 25-Jul-12 7.25 350.00 $350 million of its $500 million 300.00 09-May-13 6.88 target,08-Nov-13 from almost 206.00 investors. 400.00 22-Apr-14to move quickly 6.25 “We wanted and 500.00 21-May-14 thought 350 was a very8.75 good base 200.00 07-Aug-13 8.25 300.00 as a first fund,” Van Adelsberg 24-Jun-14 9.25 400.00 said. 23-Jul-14 8.00 450.00

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1.82

04-Oct-18 1.91 14.87 98.56 On the flip side, UPL 1.00 Bank Plc shed 6.54 per 09-Dec-18 2.10 1.00 14.90 99.31 Plc12-Dec-18 led the losers with a cent to close at N1.00 2.10 4.78 18.68 92.42 per 14-Feb-19 14.89 100.96 drop of 9.23 per2.09cent to 1.00share. CCNN Plc plunged 02-Oct-19 2.52 15.96 99.02 close at N5.90 per share 2.02 by five per cent to close at 22-Nov-19 4.41 1.00 15.43 97.06 while NPF Micro2.58 Finance 1.00N11.02 per 12-Dec-19 14.95share. 99.60

15.50 15.09 vices sub-sector, boosted 14.50 80.00 by activities in the shares 14.75 24.74 14.75 Insurance 10.78 of Wapic Plc, 13.50 87.50 followed with a turnover 15.00 5.00 14.50million shares 4.55 of 61.2 15.00 4.56 valued at N44.05 million 448.65 in 185 deals. 432.67 Further analysis of the day’s trading showed 10.00 2.50 that Neimeth Nigeria Plc 12.00 9.38 topped14.00 the day’s gainers’ 0.42 table with 13.00 8.21 per cent 15.00 to 14.25 5.53 close at N1.45 per share 13.00 20.00 while 18.00 Skye Bank Plc fol0.56 lowed 16.00 with 4.94 per5.40 cent 2.54 to close18.00 at N2.55 per share. 0.70 Mobil 16.00 Nigeria Plc added 14.00 35.00 3.61 per 15.75cent to close 2.10 at 18.00per share. 0.36 N1158.85

19-Apr-17

30-Jun-17

31-Dec-17

91.99

93.99

24-Jun-15

3,493.98

The DQL contains data relating to, amongst other things, market and model prices, rates of foreign exchange products, fixed income securities and instruments in the financial market (the “Information”). The Information does not constitute **Treasury Bills^ FIXINGS Money Market (Spot & Forwards) professional,DTM financial or investment advice. We attempt to ensure the Information isOffer accurate; however, theBid Information is provided “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE”Tenor basis and mayRate not be accurateForeign or up toExchange date. We do not guarantee Maturity Bid Discount (%) Discount (%) Yield (%) (%) NIBOR the accuracy, 8timeliness, completeness,2-Jul-15 performance or fitness for13.09 a particular purpose of12.84 any of the Information, neither do we accept liability for the results of any action taken on the basis of the Information. 13.13 15 22 29 FGN Bonds 36 43 50 Rating/Agency 64 71 78 92 99 113 127 141 155 162 169 NA 176 197 204 211 218 225 232 239 246 253 TOTAL OUTSTANDING 267

VALUE

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION 274

9-Jul-15 16-Jul-15 23-Jul-15 30-Jul-15 6-Aug-15 13-Aug-15 Issuer 27-Aug-15 3-Sep-15 10-Sep-15 24-Sep-15 1-Oct-15 15-Oct-15 29-Oct-15 12-Nov-15 26-Nov-15 3-Dec-15 10-Dec-15 NA 17-Dec-15 7-Jan-16 14-Jan-16 21-Jan-16 28-Jan-16 4-Feb-16 11-Feb-16 18-Feb-16 25-Feb-16 3-Mar-16 17-Mar-16

10.92 11.94 11.64 12.09 12.27 12.35 Description 12.39 12.24 ^13.05 16-AUG-2016 11.39 11.22 ^15.10 27-APR-2017 12.85 9.85 27-JUL-2017 12.76 9.35 31-AUG-2017 13.61 10.70 30-MAY-2018 13.37 ^16.00 29-JUN-2019 13.54 7.00 23-OCT-2019 11.58 13.39 ^15.54 13-FEB-2020 10.71 ^16.39 27-JAN-2022 12.38 ^14.20 14-MAR-2024 13.43 15.00 28-NOV-2028 13.29 12.49 22-MAY-2029 13.60 13.02 8.50 20-NOV-2029 13.12 ^10.00 23-JUL-2030 13.35 ^12.1493 18-JUL-2034 13.33 13.22 13.32

10.67 11.69 11.39 11.84 12.02 12.10 Issue Date 12.14 11.99 16-Aug-13 11.14 10.97 27-Apr-12 12.60 27-Jul-07 12.51 31-Aug-07 13.36 30-May-08 13.12 29-Jun-12 13.29 23-Oct-09 11.33 13.14 13-Feb-15 10.46 27-Jan-12 12.13 14-Mar-14 13.18 28-Nov-08 13.04 22-May-09 13.35 12.77 20-Nov-09 12.87 23-Jul-10 13.10 18-Jul-14 13.08 12.97 13.07

10.97 12.02 11.74 12.24 12.45 12.56 Coupon (%) 12.67 12.53 13.05 11.67 11.55 15.10 13.31 9.85 13.28 9.35 14.28 10.70 14.09 16.00 14.36 7.00 12.20 14.27 15.54 11.29 16.39 13.27 14.20 14.52 15.00 14.40 12.49 14.80 14.16 8.50 14.31 10.00 14.63 12.1493 14.65 14.56 14.75

Bonds

24-Mar-16

13.19

12.94

14.63

288

7-Apr-16

13.17

12.92

14.70

302

21-Apr-16

13.14

316 Rating/Agency

5-May-16 Issuer

12.58

344

2-Jun-16

12.48

Description

Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 19.4583 16.1902 17.4151 18.5208

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

17.50

O/N

18.75

REPO

Maturity Date

NITTY

581.39

Tenor 476.80 1M 20.00 2M 100.00 3M 300.00 6M 351.30 9M 233.90 12M

OBB

16-Aug-16

Rate (%) 27-Apr-17 11.8146 27-Jul-17 12.4124 31-Aug-17 12.9480 30-May-18 13.3195 29-Jun-19 13.4428 23-Oct-19 14.0856

233.73 13-Feb-20 600.00 27-Jan-22 NIFEX 599.99 14-Mar-24 75.00 28-Nov-28 Current Price ($/N) 22-May-29 BID($/N) 150.00 198.9000 OFFER ($/N) 199.0000 200.00 20-Nov-29 591.57 23-Jul-30 324.50 18-Jul-34

Tenor Call TTM (Yrs) 1M 3M 1.15 6M

Bid16.50 Yield (%)

Rate (%) 16.25 16.75

Tenor

Spot 7D 14D 1M Offer 2MYield 3M (%) 6M 13.54 1Y

13.69 17.00 1.84 13.81 13.72 2.09 13.89 13.81 NOTE: 2.19 13.90 13.82 :Benchmarks 2.93 13.98 13.92 * :Amortising Bond 4.01 Bond 14.05 13.95 µ :Convertible AMCON: Asset of Nigeria 4.33 Management Corporation 14.37 14.26 FGN: Federal Nigeria 4.64Government of 14.42 14.33 FMBN: Federal of Nigeria 6.60 Mortgage Bank 14.10 14.03 IFC: International Finance Corporation 8.72 13.86 13.80 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables Management 13.43 Aviation Handling 16.82 Company 16.76 NAHCO: Nigerian 13.91 17.30 17.23 O/N: Overnight UPDC: UAC Property Development 14.41 17.85 Company 17.75 WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company 15.08 15.55 15.48 19.07 14.42 14.37

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

198.48 198.58 201.81 201.93 Price 202.28 202.13 202.87 203.37 204.24 205.31 Bid Price Offer Price 205.60 207.21 206.28 213.47 99.30 99.45 220.29 226.27

101.98 102.13 92.85 93.00 91.63 91.78 NA :Not Applicable 92.29 92.44 ^ : Market Prices 105.83 # : Floating Rate Bond 106.13 76.81 coupon bonds 77.11 ***: Deferred 103.64 103.94 ‡ : Bond rating under review 109.58 109.88 †: Bond rating expired 101.64 101.94 N/A :Not Available 90.36 {r} :Issuer in receivership90.66 74.92 75.22 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 52.05 52.35 UBA: United Bank for Africa 68.00 68.30 85.32 85.62

4,838.17 4,487.24

12.89

14.74

12.33

14.12 Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Modelled Price

03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

2.10 112.22 116.70 66.49

03-Apr-17 08-Dec-16 19-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.77 1.46 1.82 2.03

2.27 2.29 1.00 1.00

14.94 16.09 14.86 14.89

101.66 99.86 105.44 102.21

12.23

14.15

Agency Bonds bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration *for the Amortising 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 FMBN Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums **Exclusive of non-trading t.bills 0.00/16.00 LCRM 08-DEC-2016 #

***LCRM

0.00/16.50 LCRM II 19-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

297.52 FMDQ FGN BOND INDEX 305.22

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Sub-National Bonds

Modified Duration Buckets

Porfolio Market Value(Bn)

A/Agusto

KADUNA

A-/Agusto

*EBONYI

BBB+/Agusto

*BENUE

‡ /Agusto

*IMO

A+/Agusto; ‡ /GCR

LAGOS

‡ /Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

‡ /Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

‡ /Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

Bb-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR† Bb-/Agusto ‡ /Agusto; A-/GCR

<3 3<5 >5

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 858.00 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 1,240.02 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 657.80 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 2,755.81 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

Total Outstanding Volume(Bn)

828.10 1,173.14

31-Aug-10 28.63 30-Sep-10 40.56 30-Jun-11 30.81 30-Jun-09 100.00 19-Apr-10

Weighting by Mkt Value

12.50 13.00 14.00

31.13 45.00

Bucket Weighting

8.50 2.16 3.90

0.29 0.41

Implied Yield

31-Aug-15 14.10 30-Sep-15 41.65 30-Jun-16 44.25 30-Jun-16 100.00 19-Apr-17

0.19 13.95 0.27 13.97 0.52 15.10 0.54 14.47 1.82

Implied Portfolio Price

4.44 108.3793 3.23 111.7802 4.46 78.5683 3.48 100.5745 1.00

INDEX

YTD Return (%)

16.27 1,214.28 14.92 1,115.35 15.94 1,104.28 15.07 1,136.48 14.86

99.22 9.6067 99.44 10.1506 99.09 9.6591 100.20 7.7048 92.45

57.00

30-Jun-10

13.75

25.73

30-Jun-17

1.08

1.00

14.73

99.07

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

2.52

1.79

15.73

96.51

30-Sep-11

14.00

30.81

30-Sep-18

1.90

1.80

15.67

97.37

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

1.91

1.00

14.87

98.56

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

12.40

09-Dec-18

2.10

1.00

14.90

99.31

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

9.21

12-Dec-18

2.10

4.78

18.68

92.42

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.09

1.00

14.89

100.96

2,892.30

5.73

0.31

% Exposure_ Mod_Duration

23.87 15.50 100.00 10.00

Market

891.07

Weighting by Outstanding Vol

1.00

Daily Summary as of 24/06/2015

Business | Capital Market

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Printed 24/06/2015 15:15:37.037

Daily Summary as of 24/06/2015 Printed 24/06/2015 15:15:37.037

Daily Summary (Bonds)

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at June 24, 2015

No Debt Trading Activity

Daily Summary (Equities)

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

Symbol OKOMUOIL PRESCO

No. of Deals 10 15 25

Current Price 29.98 33.60

Quantity Traded 42,453 60,643 103,096

Value Traded 1,282,103.46 1,961,295.34 3,243,398.80

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 23 23

Current Price 2.22

Quantity Traded 696,500 696,500

Value Traded 1,553,655.00 1,553,655.00

799,596

4,797,053.80

Quantity Traded 1,000 1,000 13,810,845 180,284 13,993,129

Value Traded 3,760.00 900.00 39,650,500.77 7,586,023.62 47,241,184.39

13,993,129

47,241,184.39

AGRICULTURE Totals

CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries CHELLARAMS PLC. Daily Summary as HOLT of 24/06/2015 JOHN PLC. Printed 24/06/2015 15:15:37.037 TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals

Symbol CHELLARAM JOHNHOLT TRANSCORP UACN

No. of Deals 1 1 122 51 175

Daily Summary (Equities)

CONGLOMERATES Totals

175

Activity Summary on Board EQTY CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Construction Published by The Nigerian ARBICO PLC. Stock Exchange Building Construction Totals

Current Price 3.95 0.94 2.86 42.00

Symbol ARBICO

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 5.30

Quantity Traded Page 20 20

Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals

Symbol COSTAIN

No. of Deals 8 8

Current Price 0.88

Quantity Traded 1,103,855 1,103,855

Value Traded 971,392.40 971,392.40

Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 17 17

Current Price 49.78

Quantity Traded 46,325,000 46,325,000

Value Traded 2,394,762,500.00 2,394,762,500.00

Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 24 24

Current Price 10.50

Quantity Traded 180,595 180,595

Value Traded 1,961,230.53 1,961,230.53

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Totals

Symbol UPDCREIT

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 10.00

Quantity Traded 4,200 4,200

Value Traded 42,000.00 42,000.00

47,613,670

2,397,737,228.93

Current Price 6.32 163.40 19.07

Quantity Traded 862,340 428,549 136,950

Value Traded 5,449,988.80 70,025,765.60 2,609,660.50

Daily Summary as of 24/06/2015

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals Printed 24/06/2015 15:15:37.037 CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC.

51 Symbol CHAMPION GUINNESS Daily Summary INTBREW

No. of Deals 21 45 (Equities) 12

CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals

Current Price 149.99

Quantity Traded 1,234,279 2,662,118

Value Traded 185,139,148.37 263,224,563.27

Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 12 12

Current Price 177.20

Quantity Traded 10,895 10,895

Value Traded 1,959,172.40 1,959,172.40

Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC U T C NIG. PLC. Food Products Totals

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR NASCON UTC

No. of Deals 38 47 56 28 38 2 209

Current Price 4.06 6.80 33.57 3.56 8.10 0.50

Quantity Traded 667,956 909,392 377,263 525,700 766,030 1,700 3,248,041

Value Traded 2,682,414.55 6,221,030.18 12,789,420.11 1,850,205.00 6,362,905.05 850.00 29,906,824.89

Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Daily Summary as of 24/06/2015 Food Products--Diversified Totals

Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

No. of Deals 22 33 55

Current Price 37.00 850.10

Quantity Traded 105,117 123,591 228,708

Value Traded 3,729,254.05 105,078,632.34 108,807,886.39

Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. VONO PRODUCTS PLC. Household Durables Totals

Symbol VITAFOAM VONO

No. of Deals 17 16 (Equities) 33

Current Price 5.63 1.20

Quantity Traded 208,281 313,980 522,261

Value Traded 1,150,800.41 377,416.00 1,528,216.41

Printed 24/06/2015 15:15:37.037

Daily Summary

Page

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. Daily Summary as of 24/06/2015 SKYE BANK PLC Printed 24/06/2015 15:15:37.037 STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC.

Processing Systems CHAMS PLC E-TRANZACT INTERNATIONAL PLC Processing Systems Totals ICT Totals Daily Summary as of 24/06/2015 GOODS Printed INDUSTRIAL 24/06/2015 15:15:37.037 Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials DN MEYER PLC. PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

No. of Deals 36 44 80

Current Price 31.80 45.50

593 Symbol No. of Deals ACCESS 141 DIAMONDBNK 24 ETI 72 FIDELITYBK 82 GUARANTY 249 SKYEBANK 91 STERLNBANK 19 UBA 141 UBN 32 UNITYBNK 53 Daily Summary (Equities) WEMABANK 21

Current Price 6.09 4.20 22.00 1.74 27.05 2.55 2.03 5.15 9.50 2.54 0.97

NATURAL RESOURCES Chemicals B.O.C. GASES PLC. Chemicals Totals

Daily Summary as of 24/06/2015 ALUMINIUM MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC Printed 24/06/2015 15:15:37.037 Metals Totals

OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC

Value Traded 8,323,006.68 1,534,931,390.71 1,543,254,397.39

40,679,571

1,948,681,060.75

Quantity Traded 3,807,719 625,727 851,838 6,888,143 15,170,607 7,924,323 1,038,248 13,137,563 547,135 5,286,674 467,401

Value Traded 23,157,018.86 2,630,901.80 18,750,918.43 12,054,479.45 410,528,608.80 19,351,281.84 2,114,027.13 68,153,035.10 5,207,924.10 13,180,931.34 458,885.06

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AFRICAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CORNERSTONE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC. EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. LAW UNION AND ROCK INS. PLC. MANSARD INSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC INSURANCE PLC Daily SummaryWAPIC as of 24/06/2015 Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Printed 24/06/2015 15:15:37.037 Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals

Symbol ZENITHBANK

No. of Deals 254 1,179

Current Price 19.90

Quantity Traded 31,284,099 Page 87,029,477

Symbol AFRINSURE AIICO CONTINSURE CORNERST EQUITYASUR LASACO LAWUNION MANSARD MBENEFIT NEM NIGERINS PRESTIGE SOVRENINS WAPIC

No. of Deals 1 23 24 5 1 1 2 5 1 39 4 3 2 74 185

Current Price 0.50 0.97 0.99 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.82 0.50 0.70 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded 2,000 17,974,958 2,080,843 3,500 1,000 1,000 1,000,000 1,241,557 1,000 4,403,279 53,720 51,100 700 34,482,186 61,296,843

Value Traded 1,000.00 16,934,999.26 2,092,255.50 1,750.00 500.00 500.00 500,000.00 3,659,741.00 500.00 3,117,641.14 26,860.00 25,550.00 350.00 17,697,892.01 44,059,538.91

No. of Deals 24 Daily Summary (Equities) 24

Current Price 1.00

Quantity Traded 4,862,949 4,862,949

Value Traded 4,905,169.49 4,905,169.49

Symbol NPFMCRFBK

Page

Symbol ABBEYBDS ASOSAVINGS UNHOMES

No. of Deals 1 1 1 3

Current Price 1.25 0.50 5.78

Quantity Traded 100 200 100 400

Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FBN HOLDINGS PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS FBNH FCMB STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 44 10 527 33 36 63 713

Current Price 2.80 4.00 8.01 3.00 27.40 1.40

Quantity Traded 4,628,821 95,882 31,842,567 589,828 641,692 3,299,131 41,097,921

Value Traded 12,655,894.06 383,228.00 257,131,529.03 1,772,639.54 17,677,430.07 4,637,331.93 294,258,052.63

194,287,590

1,544,184,196.22

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Medical Supplies MORISON INDUSTRIES PLC. Medical Supplies Totals Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

2,104

Value Traded 119.00 100.00 550.00 769.00

Symbol MORISON

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 1.82

Quantity Traded 6,000 6,000

Value Traded 10,380.00 10,380.00

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH

No. of Deals 1 11 17

Current Price 1.45 3.18 44.00

Quantity Traded 65,000 88,785 246,252

Value Traded 94,250.00 285,712.95 10,819,762.44

Page

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 11.02

Quantity Traded 500 500

Value Traded 5,211.00 5,211.00

Symbol CHAMS ETRANZACT

No. of Deals 2 1 3

Current Price 0.50 3.34

Quantity Traded 26,000 500 26,500

Value Traded 13,000.00 1,590.00 14,590.00

27,000

19,801.00

Current Price 22.00 11.24 41.00 11.02 174.15

Quantity Traded 151,361 107,110 12,005 369,459 50,531

Value Traded 3,293,249.50 1,143,934.80 467,599.65 4,085,291.30 8,748,628.50

5 Symbol No. of Deals ASHAKACEM 14 BERGER 8 CAPSummary (Equities) 10 Daily CCNN 19 DANGCEM 38

Page

Current Price 0.76 4.45 100.00

Quantity Traded 2,000 27,000 275,397 994,863

Value Traded 1,560.00 126,090.00 27,565,579.85 45,431,933.60

Symbol CUTIX

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 1.73

Quantity Traded 22,600 22,600

Value Traded 37,290.00 37,290.00

1,017,463

45,469,223.60

139 Symbol BOCGAS

No. of Deals 7 7

Current Price 4.86

Quantity Traded 484,911 484,911

Value Traded 2,356,667.46 2,356,667.46

Symbol ALUMACO

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 7.75

Quantity Traded 200 200

Value Traded 1,474.00 1,474.00

485,111

2,358,141.46 Value Traded 50.00

Daily Summary (Equities)

Symbol

No. of Deals 1

Current Price

Quantity Traded 100

Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 190 190

Current Price 15.85

Quantity Traded 3,091,693 3,091,693

Value Traded 49,142,582.76 49,142,582.76

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 19 26 71 15 2 7 140

Current Price 41.00 2.41 187.99 158.85 50.54 158.50

Quantity Traded 188,766 1,065,874 160,087 48,887 110 7,167 1,470,891

Value Traded 7,672,214.47 2,615,412.27 29,488,425.83 7,730,100.56 5,282.20 1,145,310.93 48,656,746.26

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 20 20

Current Price 331.59

Quantity Traded 18,705 18,705

Value Traded 6,248,832.14 6,248,832.14

4,581,389

104,048,211.16

Quantity Traded 132,200 132,200

Value Traded 101,794.00 101,794.00

Page Quantity Traded 73,450 1,300 74,750

12 9 of Value Traded

Page

351

Daily Summary (Equities)

Value Traded 50.00

Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 4 4

Current Price 0.77

Symbol REDSTAREX TRANSEXPR

No. of Deals 12 2 14

Current Price 4.75 1.27

Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC. Employment Solutions Totals

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals 11 11

Current Price 0.52

Quantity Traded 371,030 371,030

Value Traded 193,095.90 193,095.90

Hotels/Lodging CAPITAL HOTEL PLC IKEJA HOTEL PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals

Symbol CAPHOTEL IKEJAHOTEL

No. of Deals 1 2 3

Current Price 4.07 3.75

Quantity Traded 10 4,500 4,510

Value Traded 40.70 17,100.00 17,140.70

Printing/Publishing LEARN AFRICA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Printing/Publishing Totals

Symbol LEARNAFRCA UPL

No. of Deals 4 10 14

Current Price 1.21 5.90

Quantity Traded 3,567 455,617 459,184

Value Traded 4,282.35 2,701,887.86 2,706,170.21

Symbol ABCTRANS

No. of Deals 4 4

Current Price 0.51

Quantity Traded 39,000 39,000

Value Traded 19,880.00 19,880.00

Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

No. of Deals 4 28

Current Price 2.08 5.01

Quantity Traded 35,649 233,050

Value Traded 71,754.00 1,166,540.71

Transport-Related Services Transport-Related Services Totals

Symbol

No. of Deals 32

Current Price

Quantity Traded 268,699

Support and Logistics CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC Support and Logistics Totals

Symbol CAVERTON

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 3.42

Quantity Traded 782,027 782,027

Value Traded 2,674,532.34 2,674,532.34

2,131,400

7,309,576.34

3,656

310,339,314

6,119,289,219.52

Quantity Traded 4,300 4,300

Value Traded 6,450.00 6,450.00

4,300

6,450.00

RED STAR EXPRESS PLC TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals

Daily Summary of 24/06/2015 Roadas Transportation Printed 24/06/2015 15:15:37.037 ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC

Road Transportation Totals

Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Activity Summary on Board EQTY SERVICES Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Daily Summary (Equities)

SERVICES Totals

Daily Summary (Equities)

357,095.48 1,573.00 358,668.48

Page

Value Traded 1,238,294.71

Activity Summary on Board ASeM CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC Food Products Totals

Symbol MCNICHOLS

No. of Deals 3 3

CONSUMER GOODS Totals

Exchange Traded Fund

Name LOTUS HALAL EQUITY ETF NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals

Current Price 1.50

Daily Summary as of 24/06/2015 ASeM Board Totals Printed 24/06/2015 15:15:37.037

No. of Deals 2 2 44 137

Energy Equipment and Services Energy Equipment and Services Totals

SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Symbol DNMEYER PORTPAINT WAPCO

Quantity Traded 100

EQTY Board Totals

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

17,443,541.87

Symbol NCR

OIL AND GAS Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

4,723,395

Current Price 0.50

Exploration and Production Daily Summary as of PETROLEUM 24/06/2015 DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD SEPLAT Printed 24/06/2015 15:15:37.037 Exploration and Production Totals

Value Traded 625,372,654.28 4 of 12 1,200,960,666.19

Value Traded 3,563,695.60 2,567,552.73 102,188.15 17,433,161.87

No. of Deals 1

Quantity Traded 266,668 33,740,880 34,007,548

Quantity Traded 2,509,780 1,760,057 47,521 4,717,395

Symbol JAPAULOIL

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Current Price 1.42 1.45 2.23

NATURAL RESOURCES Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Totals Stock Exchange © Published Banking by The Nigerian

No. of Deals 43 22 3 97

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals

Metals

No. of Deals 126 204

CONSUMER GOODS Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals

ICT IT Services NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. IT Services Totals

Symbol NB

Symbol MAYBAKER NEIMETH PHARMDEKO

HEALTHCARE Totals

Value Traded of 106.00 12 106.00

Page

HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC. Pharmaceuticals Totals

4,300

6,450.00

3,659

310,343,614

6,119,295,669.52

Daily Summary (ETP) Symbol LOTUSHAL15 NEWGOLD VETGRIF30

Page

No. of Deals 3 1 4 8

Current Price 10.57 2,262.00 15.42

Quantity Traded 102 50 103 255

Value Traded 1,081.13 113,100.00 1,696.30 115,877.43

ETF Board Totals

255

115,877.43

ETP Activity Totals

255

115,877.43

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

Features

A ray of hope for Osun workers C O N T I N U E D F R O M T U E S D AY

n his response to the state of the hospital, the immediate past Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Rafiu Isamotu, said all hands were on deck to return the state to its days of glory. Isamotu absolved the governor of mismanagement, but also said that Aregbesola had also queried the inability of the hospital to pick its bill. He said: “I practiced for many years abroad and I can tell you that the facilities available in the hospital earn it huge revenues. This is a hospital with oxygen bank, dialysis centre among others. But let me assure everyone that the governor is not losing focus to fix everything once and for all.” The Director of the state Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, replied to the claim that governance has stopped in Osun State. He said: “If you say things have slowed down, that may be acceptable. If governance stops, where then is the hope of getting all these issues resolved? At the end of the day, the bottom line is for the government to meet its obligations to workers which it will surely do. “We admit to owing workers months in salaries. That is the truth and this government is not hiding anything. But we must all recognise the fact that this is a problem brought about by Nigeria’s wobbling economy and not anything close to financial recklessness as being alleged by the traducers. “Don’t forget that it was Governor Aregbesola who first raised this alarm that a hard time awaited Nigerians if the issue of the alleged oil theft is not dealt with, especially in the face of the equally shocking degree of financial malfeasance by the past PDP-led Federal Government. “It is expected that cash flow will affect some areas and this is being realistic. But don’t forget that some projects in the states are also contractor-financed while some are financed through proceeds of bonds. “A few weeks ago, the leadership of the NMA was in Osogbo and the sight of some contractors still working on their projects prompted them to ask government to stop all works and pay workers and our explanation to them was that proceeds of bonds, by law, cannot be used for any other thing and this is clear enough.” On the allegation of some aides living large, Okanlawon insisted that the governor had remained a study in transparency and prudence in governance and so could not encourage

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com

This concluding part of the story of the agony of workers in Osun State over eight months’ salary arrears features challenges of governance in the state, according to Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his assurance of part payment this month. But workers say anything less than payment of five months’ arrears will be a little too little, writes MOJEED ALABI

Aregbesola

Isamotu

incongruous lifestyles. He, however, asked accusers to give specific cases and that appropriate measures would be taken to address it. Also corroborating Okanlawon, Isamotu said the wage bill of the entire cabinet members of Aregbesola never grew beyond N80 million. And very recently too, when inaugurating the state sixth House of Assembly, Aregbesola had taken time to clear the air on some of the knotty issues, including the loan “burden,” salary and pension arrears and the vision to transform the state. The governor, who insisted that history would vindicate him, said when the administration was inaugurated about four years ago, it was confronted with many challenges, including debt burden and infrastructure decay. Aregbesola said through what he termed financial engineering, he was able to restructure the loan and put the state on a sound financial traction.

Okanlawon

He added: “We then embarked on an aggressive infrastructure development drive never witnessed before in this state. You will recall again, that for nearly a year, we did not constitute a cabinet. This was to enable us make considerable savings. “We set about our duty with uncommon vigour and courage. This saw us touching every area of life in education, agriculture, job creation, road construction, culture and tourism, environmental sanitation and beautification, flood control, rural development and so on.” Speaking on how the state found itself in the present situation, the governor explained that: “From the records, problem began in 2012 when our expenditure increased as a result of the spike in minimum wage. This was when we applied the increase to junior workers only. Then, our total emoluments rose to N2.7 billion from the N1.4 billion I met in November 2010. By December of

that year, it hit N3.5 billion. At the same period, our statutory allocation (from where we are required to pay salaries) increased marginally from N2.1 billion in 2010 to N2.5 billion in December 2012. By July of 2013, our total emoluments hit N4 billion while our statutory allocation was N2.1 billion. By then we had extended the increase to other workers. “The summary of five years reveals that in the two months of 2010, we received a net allocation of N4.2 billion and paid total emoluments of N3.6 billion. This left us with a net gain of N573 million from our statutory allocation. “In 2011 also, we got N29.9 billion net statutory allocation and spent N25.8 billion on emoluments with a net gain of N4 billion. However, in 2012, we got N28.4 billion and expended N31.6 billion on emoluments. This left us, for the first time, with a deficit of N3.2 billion. “The following year, 2013, our statutory allocation had dropped to N26.4 billion while our emoluments rose to N36.9 billion. This gave us a whopping N10.4 billion deficit. In 2014, our statutory allocation fell further to N19.3 billion and by which time we were already defaulting on some of our obligations on emoluments, which had also dropped to N22.4 billion, but still left us with a deficit of N3 billion. In summary, between November 2010 and December 2014, we got a total statutory allocation of N108.3 billion and our expenditure on emoluments was N120.4 billion. It left us with a total deficit of N12 billion.” The governor said the scenario covers the state expenditure on salaries and other emoluments, and that if other recurrent expenditure was to be added, it would definitely give another scenario. If that account seems to be startling, the revelation of the 2015 allocations could be more frightening, as he said that “the net statutory allocation in January was N1.25 billion, in February, it was N1.12 billion, in March, it dropped scandalously to N624 million while April figure dropped further to N466 million.” However, Aregbesola, who gave the state debt status at N75 billion and outstanding mandatory expenditure in salaries and pensions till date at N29.6 billion, has assured the workers that they would soon smile. But how many month salaries will be paid remains a riddle. This is even as some of the workers have claimed that paying less than five-month salary arrears would still leave them with nothing, saying their loan burden could not be lifted with anything less.

Corrigendum On Page 46 of New Telegraph on Tuesday June 23, the picture of the Osun State President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr Olalekan Ajayi, was captioned Isamotu. The mix-up, which occurred during production, is regretted.

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Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

kiti State government yesterday said it is being owed N12.2 billion on federal road projects executed by it for the Federal Government. The government also said no payment has been made by the Federal Government in respect of the projects. According to a statement by the media aide of the governor, Lere Olayinka, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, the state was still expecting being reimbursed by the Federal Government in respect

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Fayose: FG owes Ekiti N12.2bn for road repair of the projects. “Ekiti State government is being owed N12, 220,513,024.08 as at today. “Between 2004 and 2014, Ekiti State government spent N15, 720,513,024.08 on construction and rehabilitation of federal roads in the state, out of which N3.5 billion was refunded,” he said. The state government said N1.5 billion was refunded in November 2004, while N2 billion was refunded in December 2007. The statement reads in part: “Our attention has

been drawn to the misinformation by the All Progressives Congress (APC) concerning the refund of money spent on federal roads by the Ekiti State government, and we wish to state that the Ayodele Fayose-led government has not received any refund from the Federal Government. “In actual fact, to date, the total amount spent on federal roads is N15.7 bil-

lion and we wonder how the Federal Government could have paid Ekiti State N22 billion when N15.7 billion was spent and N3.5 billion was refunded in 2004 and 2007, leaving N12.2 billion unpaid. “In November 2004, dualisation of 6.7km Ado township road was awarded for N1.5bn, in November 2005; extension of the dualisation of

8.075km Ado-Ikere road was awarded for N1.3bn, the construction of 2.1km Ido-Otun-Kwara State border was awarded in January 2007 for N1.7bn and dualisation of 19.3km Ado-Iworoko-Ifaki road was awarded for N7.4bn by the Segun Oni government, while the Kayode Fayemi-led government increased it to N11bn. “In November 2011, the Fayemi-led govern-

ment awarded 1.65km Fajuyi-Teaching Hospital road for N447.5m, 4.9km, Ojumose-Basiri/ Police HeadquartersIyin road for N1.5bn, dualisation of 0.8km Old Garrage-Ojumose road for N1.03bn, 13km Old Garrage-Ado-Ikere road for N2.4bn and construction and rehabilitation of 11.3km Ikere-Ondo State boundary road for N9.2bn.

Amosun, lawmakers head for showdown over unpaid allowances Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

erving and former members of the Ogun State House of Assembly may be heading for a showdown with Governor Ibikunle Amosun over his failure to pay their outstanding salaries and allowances. New Telegraph gathered that the debt, which amounts to N500 million, is generating ripples between the legislative and executive arms of government in the state. It was also learnt that the state government has yet to pay the severance allowances of the members who served in the immediate past 7th legislature, whose tenure expired on June 6. Each of the 26-member Assembly is allegedly being owed N4 million severance allowance. Some of the current and ex-members of the House, who did not want to be named, complained bitterly about the May salary and

the six months allowances being owed them. They claimed that they were being owed N2 million monthly running cost each from December 2014 to May 2015. According to them, the governor has underfunded the House in recent times as he last paid its allowances in November 2014. One of the legislators told New Telegraph that Amosun gave approval for the payment of four months allowances of the lawmakers, “but there was no cash backing” for it. He said the development was injurious to good governance and capable of exacerbating the relationship between the legislature and executive. When contacted, a former member of the Assembly, John Obafemi, confirmed the development. Obafemi, who represented Remo constituency between 2011 and 2015, said it was not a secret that they were being owed May salary, six months allowances and severance allowances.

Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, at the inspection of guards at the closing ceremony and terminal parade of the 2015 Batch ‘A’ (Stream 2) Orientation Camp in Sagamu, Ogun State

Lagos APC condemns PDP’s call for Fashola’s probe Temitope Ogunbanke

he Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday condemned the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for asking the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, to probe his predecessor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, on allegations of corruption. APC in a statement signed by its Publicity

Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, yesterday said such call from the PDP for Ambode to probe Fashola for some laughable reasons, shows that the party has lost it and is in a journey of selfderision and ridicule. “The achievements in Lagos for the past 16 years of progressive politics need no repetition here. The people of Lagos know and feel them. Nigerians know these and trumpet it, but the woeful losers in

the Lagos PDP have chosen self-denial in the vain thought that this will help their inordinate desire to corner power in the state, when they have shown complete failure in the 16 years that they have misused and abused power at the centre. “Fact is that for sixteen years, we have taught PDP a huge lesson in politics and leadership, but they keep playing the ostrich thinking the people are

fools that will fall for their gimmicks. This is why PDP had been failing and will continue to fail in Lagos State. “We want to let the lost and confused parodists in Lagos PDP know that Ambode has hit the ground running, just because he has a rich template of productive governance to continue with. That Lagos PDP is not seeing these, which every other Nigerian is seeing.”

Police warn officers against Ekiti APC crisis linked to Akure laments marginalisation the group said the town extortion in Ondo Babatope Okeowo N4.1bn fraud, says PDP must produce the sucHe denied the allegaAkure cessor of the incumbent Babatope Okeowo

Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

kiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has to do with how some leaders of the APC allegedly cornered the N4.1 billion state funds diverted to the party by former Governor Kayode Fayemi. The party also said it has incontrovertible facts and evidence of how the money was siphoned from the treasury to the party, when the party was in government. The PDP, which spoke through the Publicity Sec-

retary, Jackson Adebayo, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, said some members of the APC, who defected to the PDP, among other people, also provided graphic details of how the money was diverted and cornered by some leaders to the detriment of others. “When we raised the alarm about the fraud, we knew what we were talking about. Discerning minds can also see the flimsy and jejune reaction given by the APC. “The APC has no defence at all. The diverted funds led to the polarisation of the party into various groups. This happened because only few of their leaders who were close to those in authority then benefited from it.”

political group, the Akure Renaissance Group (ARG) yesterday lamented what it described as the maginalisation of Akure, the Ondo State capital, in the scheme of things since the creation of the state in 1976. The group, consisting of Akure intelligentsia and the traditional class, lamented that no indigene of the town has been made a minister or governor since the creation of the state despite the fact that the town is the capital of the state. Rising from a meeting held at the palace of one of the Akure chiefs,

governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, when his tenure expires in 2017. In a communique signed after the meeting by Oluwasola Ajuse, on behalf of others, the group said since the beginning of the democratic dispensation, all the ethnic groups in the state except Akure, had produced governor and ministers. The communique said Owo had produced Chief Adekunle Ajasin while Akoko sub-ethnic group had produced Chief Adebayo Adefarati. Okitipupa/Ikale, they said had produced Dr. Olusegun Agagu as governor.

Akure

he Ondo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Isaac Eke, yesterday warned the rank and file and officers of the command against extortion and incivility on members of the public. The police boss’ warning came on the heels of protests by some commercial motorcycle operators in Akure, the state capital, at the weekend, alleging extortion by the men of the command. Eke said the protests had nothing to do with extortion, but a brawl between a police officer and a commercial motorcyclist over obstruction of duty.

tion by the operators that some of his men have been extorting them. Members of the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORON) had alleged that the policemen from Ijapo Division in Akure have been extorting them on daily basis, which degenerated into a violent protest between them and some policemen from the division last week. However, Eke said the crisis between the two parties was as a result of the brawl that ensued between policemen on duty and the operators at Oke Ijebu area of Akure and not an extortion as widely believed.

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Governors must be held accountable for debts — CLO Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

human rights group, the Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO), has said that political office holders including state governors across the country must be made to explain to the people what led to the empty treasuries in states' coffers and why they were seeking for financial bail-out from the Federal Government. This position was contained in a statement issued in Owerri by the President of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Mr. Uche Wisdom Durueke, following the recent appeal by state governors for bail-out by the Federal government. Durueke said the issue got his attention through a recent press interview granted by the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole who attributed the indebtedness of some the states to corruption. He noted that he was not opposed to the bailout being canvassed by the governors, stating that before any such intervention, the governors should make public statements as to what led to the economic shut-down of the states. He said, “Each governor should state what they know about the empty treasuries in their states with reference to what they did with allocations to the states."

L R: Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs. Sally Mbanefo , Assistant Inspector General, Investments, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Chintua Amajor-Onu and President, Africa Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), Director General/CEO, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu, at the closing ceremony of Africa Standardisation Seminar in Abuja…yesterday PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

EU rates South-East lowest in primary health services Pamela Eboh

he European Union, EU has rated the South East geo-political zone of the country as the lowest in the implementation of the primary health care programme among the six –geo political zones in the country. Making the statement at the South East advocacy meeting on the establishment of PHC, held in Awka, the team leader of EU Sign Project, Dr. Goli Lamiri, explained that the criteria adopted by the National Health Act and

NGO administers free health care on community Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

Non-Governmental Organisation, Mission Africa, has provided free medical and educational services to over 1000 indigenes of Ovim Community, in Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State. The NGO is committed to the health and educational needs of people in over nine African Countries. Speaking at the event, which took place at the Technical Secondary School Ovim, the Executive Director of Mission Africa, Mrs Ndudi Chuku, said that the focus of their organization in Nigeria was on health and education as well as poverty alleviation.

She also explained that the mission’s medical outreach were done in places where they have relationships or connections and that they really admired how the people of Ovim for accepting them. . She explained further that their team came with over 30 volunteers, some of who are professional eye doctors, Medical Doctors, Medical Lab Technicians and registered Nurses . On how they select the students they give scholarships, the Executive Director said that they work with the development union of every community they visit, in order to get those who deserve the gesture like orphans and indigent children who were driven out of school because they could not afford the fees.

Primary Health Care system, which government agencies must develop for effective quality PHC to the grass root, were used in the assessment of the states’ performance. He reeled out the procedure to include a strong management and governance system, effective legislation, funding of the PHC, minimum service package and mobilization of human resources required to deliver services to communities. Lamiri noted that the team was in Anambra State to support the South East in partnership with the NPHCDA to establish

and strengthen the PHC boards in the three States of Anambra, Ebonyi and Abia for the common good of the people and PHC system. It can be recalled that PHC implementation programme started in 2004 with two pilot states of Enugu and Jigawa and later added Ekiti while that of Jigawa was sustained. While declaring the workshop open Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike, said the team’s presence in the state would help government kick start the implementation of the

functions of the agency in the state. He explained that Anambra State legislature passed the bill into law in December 2014, while Governor Willie Obiano, assented to it in January this year. He said that one advantage of the programme was that any state that established the agency would enjoy one percent of the consolidated revenue and to be in better position to access loans and assistance from donor agencies namely; the World Health Organization, WHO, World Bank, EUD, UNICEF, among others.

Okorocha allays workers' fear over sack, salary cut no shaking

Imo governor says he has no intention of sacking workers or cutting salaries Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

overnor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has allayed fears that his administration has the intention of sacking workers in the state. The governor also dismissed the claim that his government also has the plan to slash workers’ salaries. The governor revealed this to newsmen during an unscheduled visit to some of the parastatals

and agencies in the state, stating that his administration was determined to sanitize the workforce in the state. He frowned at the poor attitude of workers to their job, especially in the areas of lateness to work and absenteeism. He urged workers to ensure that they were at their offices during work hours, expressing the regret that the state government pays salaries to ghost-workers and dead people, a trend he vowed to stamp out. He implored public servants in the state to report any fraudulent activities in their various work place and decried a situation where most local government staff keep more than two jobs in the state. Urging workers to

justify their salaries, Okorocha, lamented that the internally generated revenue of Imo State was about the least in the country, as a result of fraudulent activities perpetrated by political appointees, senior staff of ministries, parastatals and local government workers The state governor noted that his administration has concluded arrangements to tour the ministries, parastatals and government agencies to appraise the activities of workers in various government institutions. He warned that there will be grievous consequences for acts of indolence, absenteeism and economic sabotage of the state’s IGR.

Ebonyi Assembly confirms 19 commissioners Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

he Ebonyi State House of Assembly, yesterday cleared all the 19 commissioners nominees forwarded to them by Governor Dave Umahi. Those cleared include a former Senator, Emmanuel Onwe, among other nominees selected from the each of the 13 local government areas of the state. All the nominees were screened and confirmed through their representatives, in the House, in a heated debate.

Anambra mulls increase in court fees Eche Nwaobasi Nnewi

nambra State Government is considering a plan to increase court fees payable in all courts in the state as a way of increasing the revenue base of the state. Stating this while receiving the executives members of the Onitsha branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), who paid him a courtesy visit to felicitate with him on his 60th birthday which comes up on July 4, the Anambra State Chief Judge Justice Peter Umeadi ,said the proposed increase would include a complete review of fees paid at probate and other fees paid in the Judiciary, adding that a committee will be set up to ensure that things were done correctly.

News

Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

he Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress yesterday condemned in strong terms the allegation of bribery purportedly leveled against the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, by some APC governors. The party State Publicity Secretary in the state, Comrade Godwin Erhahon, who refuted the alle-

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Edo APC dismisses bribery allegation against Oyegun gation in Benin the state capital, said the publication of the said allegation in one of the dailies (not New Telegraph) was “a figment of the imagination of the author.” Erhahon said, “That publication is a pigment of the imagination of the author. We in Edo have been able to read the statement of the gov-

ernor and the national chairman and there was no spelt allegation or call for resignation.” In the report, the eight of the governors, including the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, had held a meeting with the national chairman where they expressed their displeasure for “collecting gifts from Senator

Bukola Saraki before the election, while pretending to” be in support of the party’s decision to cede the Senate Presidency to Senator Ahmed Lawan. The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had earlier denied the claims. On the zoning of other principal offices, includ-

ing that of the Deputy Whip said to have been zoned to the South-South, in which Senator Francis Alimikhena from Edo, was roundly favoured, the state APC scribe pointed out that the list the national secretariat sent to the Senate had been overtaken by the current leadership of the upper chamber.

L-R: Public Affairs Manager, South Region, Nigeria Breweries Plc, Mr. Isaac Nwabuzor; female category winner of the Heineken sponsored SPG Open, Susan Colekotas and Assistant Brand Manager, Heineken, Kolawole Akintimehin, at the awards presentation in the just concluded golf tourney at the Le Meridien Ibom Golf resort, Uyo.

Ex-NUPENG VP warns Buhari against oil cabal Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

ormer Deputy National President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade Eddy Ossai, yesterday cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari, not to allow the cabal in the nation’s oil and gas sector to stall his good intentions for the petroleum sector, if he hopes to succeed in his avowed resolve to reposition the country’s economy. He said such grand design measure would be carefully orchestrated to frustrate attempts by the All P ro g re s s ive s Congress led administration through cronies and agents in order to bring the government under its knees. Ossai told newsmen in Benin Edo state capital that there was the urgent need for the Federal Government to ensure that the various pipelines of petroleum products were in good and perfect conditions and free from their vandalisation which was always threatening the oil and gas industry.

Alaibe absolved of sponsoring I’m in danger, suspended Bayelsa PDP Akwa Ibom tribunal gives INEC chief ‘s lawyer tells court 10 days to produce poll materials anti-Dickson campaign Chris Ejim Yenagoa

lders and traditional rulers in Bayelsa State, yesterday dismissed claims in some quarters within the state that they were being sponsored by the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe, to discredit the State Governor Seriake Dickson, ahead of the 2016 governorship election in the State. The Bayelsa elders, under the aegis of the Bayelsa Peoples Consultative Assembly (BPCA), said though they have resolved to support the rising campaign against the administration of Governor Dickson over alleged disrespect and non-performance, they however said the claim that they were being sponsored by Alaibe, was untrue and lack substance. The Chairman of the elders assembly, Senator

John Brambaifa, while reacting yesterday to the claim in a national daily (not new telegraph ) that the former Managing Director of the NDDC was behind it’s moves against the second term ambition of Dickson, said the decision to move against the governor was not sponsored but due to perceived failure of the present administration. The elders said,” It is pertinent to inform Bayelsans and any other person who cares to know that the BPCA’s ambition to mobilize and enlighten the people against Governor Dickson’s quest for a second term was borne out of the failure of the administration to meet the yearnings of the people. We strongly believe that Governor Dickson has performed below the expectations of the Bayelsan people. After all, the performance of any government is measured by the number of people oriented projects it has commissioned.”

Chris ejim Yenagoa

he counsel to the suspended State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Sam Inokoba, in Bayelsa State, Mr. Sylvanus Abila, yesterday raised the alarm over alleged threat to his life before the State High Court sitting in Yenagoa, stating that strange persons suspected to be hired assassins have been trailing him since the suit challenging the decision of the party to expel nine chieftains of the party in the State. Corroborating the development, the embattled

Inokoba, told the court presided over by the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Kate Abiri, that his Counsel has been receivimg strange phone calls and was being trailed by suspected assassins within Yenagoa. At the yesterday hearing, a fresh substantive suit challenging the appointment of Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff, as acting State Chairman of the PDP was filed before the Court. In the originating summon on behalf of the plaintiff is asking the court to nullify the appointment of the new chairman of the party.

he Akwa Ibom election petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to move all polling materials and results sheets used for the April 11 governorship poll from Uyo, to Abuja within 10 days. The tribunal chairman, Justice Sadiq Umar, gave the order yesterday , in a ruling he delivered at the resumed sitting of the tribunal. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Justice Umar-led-threeman tribunal was sitting on a petition filed by the All Progressives Congress

(APC) and its candidate, Mr. Umana Umana. Umana and his party are asking the tribunal to nullify the election of Gov. Emmanuel Udom, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In the ruling, Justice Umar said the tribunal judiciously exercised its discretion in granting the application of Umana, that the polling documents results sheets and other materials used for the election be moved to Abuja. He directed that the election materials be moved to the INEC headquarters within 10 days to allow the petitioner have access to them.

Why Dickson is under attack –PDP Secretary Chris Ejim Yenagoa

he Secretary of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, Hon. Keku Godspower yesterday explained why the State Governor Seriake Dickson has come under severe criticism and attacks

from opposition groups in the state over fiscal policies and governance. According to Godspower, the opposition groups were intimidated and jittery over the massive achievements of the Dickson administration and the resolution of the people of the state to break the second term jinx by re-electing Gover-

nor Dickson for second term. The Secretary of the Bayelsa PDP, Hon. Keku Godspower, who made this known during a call on him at the State Party Secretariat by a political group known as Bayelsa Renewal Movement (BRM) led by its President, Prince Awudumapu Isiki, said the critics with-

in the opposition groups and political parties have been paid to rubbish the achievements of the present administration and pull the governor down, saying “but the people of the state have resolved that Dickson must come back to complete his good works and that the second term jinx must be broken.”

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

Kwara APC suspends ex-SSG, 17 others Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

he Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday wielded the big stick against 18 of its members, including a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Cook Olododo, over their roles in the last general elections. Their suspension

came even as the crisis in the state chapter of the party deepened yesterday. Olododo was suspended for one year over alleged anti-party activities during the elections, while another party leader and former Chairman of Ilorin East Local Government, Alhaji Babatunde Saad, was also given the same length of suspension. Apart from the two, 16 other members of the party were suspended for six months according to

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a statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari. The affected party men are Mashood Dauda, Oba Sulaiman Asude, Lukman Adeloyin, Wahab Tobe, Sa’ad Yero and Iyanda Olori. Others are Alhaji Amuda Bembe, Alhaji Amuda Musbau, Zafi Saka Adanla, AbdulRaheem Adanla, Abdrahman Sa’ad, Saliman Rasak (Rasaki Pupa), Hon. Raimi Akanji, Alhaji Baba Alata, Alhaji Raufu

Asude and Fatai Olodo. The statement added that “All the suspended APC members are from Ilorin East Local Government area of the state. “According to the leadership of the party, the suspension followed the recommendations of an Investigative and Disciplinary Committee (IDC) chaired by Alhaji Dare Garba, which probed the alleged anti-party activities of the affected people during the 2015 general elections.”

Group disburses N100m CBN loan to Taraba women Sabiu Mustapha JALINGO

group, the Quintessential Business Women Association (QBWA) through Taraba Microfinance Bank Limited, has flagged-off the disbursement of the N100 million soft loan it acquired from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to women operating agricultural businesses in Taraba State. The flagging-off ceremony took place on Tuesday, at the Jolly Nyame Stadium, Jalingo, the state capital. Speaking to newsmen yesterday, the NorthEast Coordinator of the

group, Tabita Isechap Nzuta, said the association received a loan of N100 million from CBN’s Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund scheme. She said 60 per cent of the amount would be shared among women running agricultural businesses while the remaining 40 per cent would be giving to men and youths. On his part, the Managing Director of Taraba Microfinance Bank, Nasiru Audu Baba, said the scheme is targeted at about 4, 000 beneficiaries, while also providing job opportunities for others.

Kwara creates new revenue body Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

he Kwara State governor, Alhaji AbduFattah Ahmed, yesterday signed into law a bill establishing the state’s Internal Revenue Service (KSIRS). The new body is authorised to collect and manage revenue on behalf of the state and local government councils while the new law also repeals the edict establishing the State Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Speaking while signing the new law in his office, Governor Ahmed said the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service is a corporate body with the sole responsibility of collecting and managing the state and local councils’ revenue. According to him, the establishment of KSIRS was necessitated by the need to reduce reliance on federally allocated revenue and raise additional revenue to ensure that the state government continues to meet its obligations to the people.

PUBLIC NOTICE LIVING WORD EVANGELICAL AND PROPHETIC PRAYER MINISTRY Chinese Ambassador in Nigeria, Mr. Gu Xiaojie (left) and Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, during the former’s visit to the governor.... PHOTO: CEPHAS IORHEMEN

NOTICE is hereby given to the general public that the above named MINISTRY has applied to the Corporate Affairs Corporation for registration under part “C” of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Plateau declares curfew in two council areas

THE TRUSTEES ARE 1. PROPHET FALEYE IYIOLA BOLAJI - President 2. FALEYE OLATORERA 3. ADEWOYE MICHEAL - SECRETARY 4. DR. MAJENGBASAN TIMOTHY 5. OMISORE ADETUNJI OMIWOLE 6. FALEYE EMMANUEL OLAWUYI

Pam Musa Jos

he Plateau State government yesterday declared a dustto-dawn curfew in Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Councils of the state. The government, in a statement signed by the Secretary to Plateau State Government, Hon. Rufus Bature and made avail-

able to New Telegraph in Jos, said the curfew will be indefinite and will be in operation from dusk to dawn until the security situation in the state improves and the spate of reprisal attack checked. New Telegraph gathered that for the past few years, there had been attacks by gunmen on communities in Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Governments. Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local Government,

who also doubles as ALGON chairman in the state, while speaking with New Telegraph on telephone yesterday said the curfew is the last solution, having received security reports that the two councils may be attacked. Meanwhile, Heipang community leaders in the area have reacted to the recent killing of two women in the district. Mr. Pam Choji, who spoke on behalf of the commu-

nity, told journalists yesterday that “our people have had bitter and traumatic experiences in the hands of the military, the memories of which had ingrained resentment for the military in the entire community. Choji further explained that the men of the STF, particularly Sector 7, in Barkin Ladi council area, have killed 33 persons and injured several in the last four years.

Afonja leaders support Saraki as Senate president Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

he traditional leader of the Yoruba stock in Ilorin, the Kwara State, Alhaji Aremu Shubairu, yesterday denied insinuations that members of the Afonja Descendants Union (ADU) are opposed

to the leadership of the National Assembly by Senator Bukola Saraki. Shubairu, who is Magaji Aware of Ilorin, said a press conference addressed by a senior member of the ADU, Alhaji AbdulKareem OlolaKasumu, was in bad taste and against the collective interest of the commu-

nity. Most leaders of the community were present when the traditional ruler addressed newsmen on the controversy yesterday. The community leader said Olola-Kasumu, who is the National President of the ADU, had over reached himself by addressing newsmen in

Ogbomosho, Oyo State, without the consent of members of the union. He said the traditional leadership of the community will summon Olola-Kasumu and review his position as ADU President. The ADU leaders also claimed that the union had not met in the last eight months.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To preach the gospel round the globe 2. To use the grace of God upon our lives to minister to spiritual needs of men 3. To express the love of Christ through support to the less priviledged especially in the rural communities. Any objection to the incorporation of the above ministry should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street,P.M.B 198, Maitama, , Abuja, within 28 days of this publication. Signed: TRUSTEES

PUBLIC NOTICE

OMOWUMI BABATUNDE FOUNDATION

NOTICE is hereby given to the general public that the above named FOUNDATION has applied to the Corporate Affairs Corporation for registration under part “C” of the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1 BABATUNDE OMOWUMI MUJIDAT 2. BABATUNDE OLAYINKA SAMUEL 3. ALHAJI OLAOLUWA BADMUS GANIYU 4. HON. OLUWATUKESI CLEMENT OLASOJI 5. MR. ADENIJI EZEKIEL 6. ADEBAYO AZEEZ ABAYOMI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To train, empower and encourage youth entrepreneurship at all level through empowerment 2. To assist the less privileged, orphans, widows and the homeless 3. To assist the rural communities in development Any objection to the incorporation of the above ministry should be forwarded to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street,P.M.B 198, Maitama, , Abuja, within 28 days of this publication. Signed: TRUSTEES

WORLD | News

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Syria: ISIS destroys ancient Muslim shrines

SIS fighters have destroyed two ancient Muslim shrines in the oasis city of Palmyra, the Syrian government confirmed Wednesday, the latest act of cultural vandalism by the Sunni extremists. ISIS seized control of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back 2,000 years, last month, prompting fears for the site’s survival.

An email sent on behalf of Syria’s antiquities chief, Maamoun Abdulkarim, head of the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, said the body had heard four days ago from people in Palmyra of the shrines’ destruction. “ISIS has blown up two ancient Muslim shrines in Palmyra, and has published photos of this awful crime against the Syrian cultural heritage on Facebook,”

Uganda bans presidential challenger from holding rallies

ganda’s police chief has blocked presidential hopeful Amama Mbabazi from holding public meetings across the country, saying they are “illegal”. Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura, wrote to Mbabazi on Tuesday informing him of the decision. Sacked Prime Minister Mbabazi, 66, announced last week he would challenge his former ally President Yoweri Museveni, 70, in elections due next year. Museveni has already been given the green light as candidate for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) by the party’s top body, but Mbabazi, a fellow party stalwart, wants to challenge Museveni to

become NRM flag bearer in 2016. Describing himself as an “aspiring candidate for president” Mbabazi told the electoral commission that he intended to hold “nationwide consultations” during July. In response, the country’s police chief wrote that “it is clear that your party has neither sponsored nor endorsed you as an aspirant within the meaning of the NRM Constitution and law and that your aspirations are illegal.” “In view of the above, your programme of public meetings are not cleared by the police and cannot go ahead,” Kayihura wrote in his letter, dated June 23. Mbabazi’s spokesperson, Josephine Mayanja-Nkangi, said his lawyers would respond.

Obama reassures France after ‘unacceptable’ NSA spying

S President Barack Obama reaffirmed in a phone call with his French counterpart Francois Hollande yesterday Washington’s commitment to end spying practices deemed “unacceptable” by its allies. The presidents’ conversation, announced by Hollande’s office, came after transparency lobby group WikiLeaks revealed on Tuesday that US National Security Agency (NSA) had spied on the last three French presidents. The latest revelations of espionage among Western allies came after it emerged that the US National Security Agency (NSA) had spied on Germany and that Germany’s own BND intelligence agency had cooperated with the NSA to spy on officials and com-

panies elsewhere in Europe. “President Obama reiterated unequivocally his firm commitment ... to end the practices that may have happened in the past and that are considered unacceptable among allies,” the French president’s office said. Hollande had earlier held an emergency meeting of his ministers and army commanders and the US ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry. “France will not tolerate actions that threaten its security and the protection of its interests,” an earlier statement from the president’s office said, adding it was not the first time allegations of US spying on French interests had surfaced.

Merkel, German well-wishers fete Britain’s queen

hancellor Angela Merkel joined Berliners in rolling out the red carpet for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II yesterday, kicking off a state visit to Germany steeped in symbolism as Britain debates its EU future. Dyed-in-the-wool fans and tourists braved leaden skies to line the banks of the Spree River where the 89-year-old queen and her husband, Prince Philip, 94, took a brief boat trip though the capital’s political district. As the

open-air boat “Ajax” came into view with its German flag fluttering in the wind, cheers rippled through the crowd patiently waiting for a glimpse of the royal couple, who waved back. “Your majesty”, shouted one hopeful onlooker; another played Britain’s National Anthem on a mobile phone. Cellphone cameras held high tried to capture a fleeting moment of the queen’s fifth state visit to Germany.

the statement said. One of the tombs destroyed is that of Mohammed bin Ali, a descendent of Ali bin Abi Taleb, the Prophet Mohammed’s cousin, the DGAM said. It’s located in a hilly area 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) north of Palmyra. “ISIS militants also blew up the shrine of Shagaf, known as Abu Behaeddine, a religious figure from Palmyra, dated to 500 years ago. The shrine is located in the oasis 500 meters away from the Ancient City’s Arch of Triumph,” the statement said. Images posted on the

DGAM website show dust and debris flying into the air as the shrines are destroyed. ISIS’ capture of Palmyra was followed by the summary executions of scores of captive fighters and residents, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based monitoring group. The group also reported Tuesday that ISIS had destroyed a shrine in the Palmyra area, but it wasn’t clear if it was one of those named by the government. ISIS blew it up on the pretext of “removing the landmarks

of polytheism,” the monitoring group said. On Sunday, the observatory reported that ISIS fighters had planted homemade bombs and mines around the city. But it said it wasn’t clear whether the explosives were laid with the intention of destroying its priceless antiquities or preventing government forces from advancing on Palmyra. There have been bloody clashes in recent days on the road between the city of Homs and Palmyra between ISIS and government forces backed by loyal militias, according to the group.

ISIS operatives have also destroyed four religious Muslim shrines.

Burundi rejoins UN-led crisis talks

urundi’s government yesterday joined a fresh round of UN-led talks hoped to broker peace between rival parties following weeks of violence and ahead of elections Monday. It comes one day after the ruling CNDD-FDD party slammed the talks as a diversion “aimed to disrupt the elections.” The troubled central African nation has been in crisis since late April over President Pierre Nkurunziza’s controversial bid to stand for a third consecutive five-year term. This move is branded by opponents as unconstitutional and a violation of a peace deal that paved the way to end 13 years of civil

war in 2006. Opposition politicians as well as civil society and religious leaders have been taking part in the talks. Yesterday, Interior Minister Edouard Ndiwumana, the government representative to the talks, also attended the meeting. “It is good news the Burundian government has come... although we still regret the absence of the ruling party,” a source close to the mediators said. Parliamentary elections are planned for June 29, ahead of the presidential vote on July 15. Last week, the Burundian human rights group Aprodeh said that at least 70 people have been killed, 500 wounded and

more than 1,000 jailed since late April, when the opposition took to the streets to protest Nkurunziza’s bid to remain in power. More than 100,000 people have fled the violence to neighbouring countries. Nkurunziza survived a coup attempt last month and has since faced down international pressure, including aid cuts, aimed at forcing him to reconsider his attempt to stay in power, which diplomats fear could plunge the country back into war. The last round of talks, which the government took part in, stalled earlier this month after the UN envoy quit after civil society leaders accused him of bias.

Pakistan’s heat wave death hits 838

cool wind from the sea and pre-monsoon rains brought the first signs of respite to southern Pakistan yesterday as the death toll from a scorching heat wave climbed to 838, a high figure even for a nation accustomed to sizzling hot summers. Temperatures in hard hit Karachi, the country’s largest city and its commercial hub, dropped to 34 degrees Celsius (93.2 degrees Fahrenheit), meteorologist Abdur Rasheed said. The drop likely marked the end of the heat wave that began on Sunday. Hospital officials said admittances were lower yesterday than in previous days, when dehydrated patients lay in corridors and outside on the streets. The port city has been in the epicenter of

the heat wave, dubbed worst in at least a decade, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). Hours long power outages, little running water and the majority of people fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan had worsened the situation further. Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province and is home to some 20 million people. It suffers under an inefficient power grid and a shortage of potable water. The power outages have also affected the city’s sporadic water supply, forcing those who can afford it rely on tankers of water being delivered to their homes. Maj. Gen. Asghar Nawaz, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, told

reporter that in Karachi alone, 800 people died as a result of the heat wave. Another 38 people died in various parts of Sindh province, he said, warning that the death toll could rise further in the coming days because many of the sick are in critical condition. He said authorities, with help from the army, were providing medical care to the Karachi victims. He added that Pakistan could face cyclones and harsh weather in the future as well because of climate change. During the heat wave’s worst moments, Karachi residents tried to find running water to cool off at public taps or broken pipes. Some bathed with their clothes on, while others washed their hands, faces and heads.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY JUNE 25, 2015

News

International

News

Siasia issues Friday deadline to Mohammed, others

Pellegrini takes swipe at Mourinho

U-20 World Cup: Iheanacho was unfit, says Ugbade

Sport

Did you know? That the Olympic rings symbol was first used at the 1920 Games in Antwerp, Belgium.

NFF instigating crisis, says Keshi Adekunle Salami

uper Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, has hit back at the Nigeria Football Federation over the allegation of submitting his curriculum vitae to the Ivoirian authorities for their national team job. Keshi accused the NFF of deliberately igniting crisis where there was none since the issue at hand was normal in football transfers. The NFF had verbally queried the coach to explain why his name emerged on the list of coaches penciled down for the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire job. In a swift response, Keshi said he never applied for the job and was shocked that his name appeared on the list sent out by the Ivoirians. Though the Ivoirian FA later revealed that it was the agent of Keshi who applied for the job, the former Eagles skipper stressed that nothing

of such happened. “My agent cannot apply for a job without my knowledge. I never signified interest and I have a job at hand which is huge and what is happening now is a distraction of sort,” the coach said. Keshi however expressed surprise over the stand of his employers, the NFF, on the issue, stressing that the football

house had “other motives” The coach added; “In football transfers all over the world, a lot of things happen. Names come up here and there. We all saw Rafa Benitez in Napoli being tipped to take over the job in Real Madrid. He finished the season and left Napoli for Real. “I just took this job, I never showed interest in any other

job and maybe someone out there was mischievous but certainly not my agent. “We have so much work to do and rather than putting heads together for future games, we are taking about Keshi seeking another job.” The Eagles head coach appeared before the NFF Disciplinary committee in Abuja on Tuesday.

Adekunle Salami Group Sport Editor

Emmanuel Tobi Assistant Sport Editor

Ifeanyi Ibeh Sport Correspondent

Ajibade Olusesan Sport Correspondent

Djokovic, Serena top Wimbledon seeds

The Sport Team

Sport Correspondent

Djokovic

Gbolahan Salami of Nigeria during the AFCON, 2015 final round qualifier match between South Africa and Nigeria at Cape Town Stadium on September 10, 2014.

orld number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic is top on the list of the men’s seeds released for the forthcoming Wimbledon on Wednesday. Number two seed and seven-time champion, Roger Federer, is number two for the event, which starts on June 29. Britain’s Andy Murray has been seeded third for Wimbledon as he bids to regain the title he won in 2013. Spain’s two-time champion Rafael Nadal is down to 10th seed, meaning he could face one of the leading contenders in the last 16. Serena Williams heads the women’s line-up ahead of 2014 winner Petra Kvitova. Murray’s seeding means he could expect to face either Djokovic or Federer in the semifinals should he progress. The 28-year-old Scot, who went out in the quarter-finals when defending the title last year, goes to SW19 in fine form after his fourth victory at Queen’s Club. He may well be keen to avoid Nadal in Friday’s draw given the Spaniard could meet any of the top four seeds as early as the quarterfinals.

NFF attitude towards Keshi, Enyeama childish, says Peters } 52

Sport

THURSDAY JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Who is the patriot, Pinnick or Enyeama?

o not ask what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” – Former United States President, John Kennedy I had really wanted a distraction from all that bother around football especially the dragging corruption “war” which has gone dirtier than the dramatis personae might think especially with the shot closing in on Ivoirian, Jacques Anouma, who has also vowed to return down under with top Confederation of African Football big-wigs until the man in the eye-of-the-storm, Trinidad’s Jack Warner, fired back that the economic interests in the United States and Britain were behind the hulabaloo for their country’s failed bid to clinch hosting of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Warner, in his newspaper, Trinidad Mail, and television talk-shows accused both countries of not playing fairly in the spirit of the game. I had wanted to give basketball at least one long look based on the experience of the FIBA Africa youth championships that took place at the indoor sport hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, in 1987 playing itself back in this raining period as Sam Ahmedu –a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army-who has been running

Muyiwa Daniel on Thursday

md_muyiwa@yahoo.com 08023525087 (sms only) the Dodan Warriors outfit just like Arsene Wenger’s Arsenalwhich incidentally he supports brought to town the 3 x3 basketball event for players in the ECOWAS sub-region where he has just been elected as the game’s top boss in West Africa. Ahmedu in his style has brought marketing into the whole experience with the involvement of astute, shrewd and go-getting businessman – Dan Ngerem- who made athletics in this country compete against football in the business space and succeeded where football unfortunately took all the chunk from masters table of government until the telecommunications sector stepped in for a lifeline. Ngerem has returned and this time to basketball where he is not only putting a shoe in for this ground-breaking aspect of the game that is likely to become a medal winning sport at the 2020 Olympic Games but is also the Chairman of the governing board of the

Dodan Warriors project that will revolve round the game and give active competition against Kano Pillars, Lagos Islanders and Mark Mentors. The car parking lot of the stadium which received the current Director-general of the National Sports Commission, Alhassan Yakmut, a former volleyball international who also served as zonal co-ordinator of the Commission in Jos, is venue for this new game of the 16 West Africa countries with the Sports Hall as backup for weather conditions. Instructively Yakmut reportedly shed tears after witnessing the decay of facilities at the Lagos edifice which could simply pass as our own version of the famous Wembley Stadium or Azteca or Stade-de-France in Paris, Maracana in Brazil or Babayara in Ghana for national team matches. But Sport officials can only “fool” the unsuspecting by cleaning their faces with handkerchiefs but later operate policies that

summersault and leave the stadium worse than they met it. With the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)-an acronym yet to be recognized by FIFA,CAF and Nigeria Copyrights Commission(NCC)dancing-on-its-head with the rapid succession of its Executive Committee and personnel in the last three years and with its head coach, Stephen Keshi, trending on the social media for being shortlisted by the Ivoirian Federation after signing a protracted two-year extension and is being rubbed-inthe-mud by the FA over where his list of players head, whether the technical department of Shaibu Amodu, Kasimawo Laloko and James Peters in addition to the study group that includes Victor Ikpeba and other former players who cannot dangle coaching or managerial skills or certificate. With that order of “whipping Keshi in line” the coach has been told in unambiguous terms that the party is coming to an end. He deserves it for NOT taking a walk when it mattered most. However, the frustration of giving Nigerians a soothing balm after the U-20 experience in New Zealand where the Flying Eagles were given a hiding for not “discovering” ball handlers in the ilk of Muda Lawal, Willy Andrews, Isaac

Okoronkwo, Haruna Ilerika, Paul Okoku, Uwem Ekarika, Friday Ekpo, Sunday Oliseh and Austin Okocha amongst others is the achilles heels of our national team coaches not excluding that of the Falcons who bit the dust in Canada, Thus what is left for Amaju Pinnick and his team in the Abuja Glass House is the Nations Cup qualification and their quest for new coaches. Nothing is wrong with getting it right but when the FA decides to shoot itself in-the-foot with decision based on the unthinkable then there is trouble. That thus brings to fore the query handed over to Eagles skipper and goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, and the summons for appearance before the disciplinary committee. I have listened to the interview more than 10 times and agree with the informed position of colleagues including Adekunle Salami who educated those “analysts” on various radio stations. Enyeama seeking security for the players, officials, the media and fans in Kaduna was worthy of a captain and he ought to be applauded for the network put in place as skirmishes were reported in pockets of the state during the period. Pinnick should stuff his query down his throat. Enyeama has proven a patriot. Period !

NFF attitude towards Keshi, Enyeama childish, says Peters Yusuf Bello U-15 Charles Ogundiya Abuja

ormer Super Eagles coach, James Peters, has described the recent altercation between the Nigeria Football Federation and Super Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi, as childish. Speaking to New Telegraph in Abuja on Wednesday, JP as he is fondly called said the case was not supposed to have degenerated to such level. According to him, it was not stated in his contract

that he cannot apply for any other job while working for the NFF. “If it was not stated in his contract that he cannot apply for any other job while still with the Super Eagles, then the NFF has no right to do anything to him.” he said. “There are so many coaches who in Nigeria and were still applying for jobs outside and nobody did anything about it. “Keshi signed a contract with the NFF and he must honour the contract. If he must leave then he has to

pay some certain amount and vice versa. If he was sacked by the NFF, there are damages that must be paid to him. According to the member of the technical committee of the NFF, Keshi should be allowed to concentrate on his job rather than distracting him. He said: “He is not tied down to any job, everybody is looking for greener pasture. Why did some of the board members of the NFF leave what they were doing and contested to become NFF board members?

“It is childish as far as I am concerned.” Meanwhile, Peters said Enyeama had every right to his own opinion and the issue must not be overflogged. “If Enyeama says Kaduna is not safe and a match was played there and there was no crisis, then Enyeama has been disgraced. He should not be castigated. “And if you are inviting him, it must go through his employer, if he is on holiday, then he must be given fight ticket and accommodation from wherever he is coming.”

Siasia issues Friday deadline to Mohammed, others

n line with the thinking of the Nigeria Football Federation on discipline, Head Coach of the U-23 National Team, Samson Siasia, has read the riot act by giving all invited home -based members of the Flying Eagles team that went to New Zealand, Friday June 26 as deadline to report to camp or forget about the invitation. Siasia said he cauldn’t understand why players who called to beg for permission to see their families and rest a little would fail to report to camp after the one -week grace he granted. “No player can hold the nation to ransom. This attitude is unprofessional. When the players arrived from the U-20 World Cup, they called me to beg for a grace period to rest a little,

which I did, and they promised to report after one week. It is now more than one week and none of them is around.” Siasia disclosed that the Friday deadline was to give the players the benefit of doubt. It would be recalled that Siasia had invited Captain Musa Mohammed, strikers Godwin Savior and Taiwo Awoniyi and goalkeeper Dele Alampasu who are based at home to report to camp on Monday June 22, while the overseasbased players Kingsley Sokari, Musa Yahaya, Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon were given until two weeks to the African U-23 Championship qualifier against Congo billed for Port Harcourt on July 19 to report to camp.

Musa Mohammed (left) in action for Flying Eagles

Hockey holds July

he second edition of the Yusuf Bello National Under-15 Hockey Championship has been scheduled to flick-off at the Astro Hockey Turf of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, in Port Harcourt, Rivers state from July 27 to August 2, 2015. The event coordinator, Sam Collins, disclosed that the invitational seven-day competition is aimed at giving the moribund Brigadier General Bako Under-15 championship a revival after the grassroots hockey festival fizzled away several years ago. “The Bako U-15 used to be the platform to discover budding hockey talents. That is why we have decided to bring back such an important platform through this competition which has been named after Yusuf Lawal Bello, a Port Harcourt-based hockey enthusiast. This is coming against the backdrop of irregular youth hockey tournaments to keep the players busy in the game.” Collins, a former Union Bank Men’s Hockey club player, noted that, the event would be held under the auspices of the Rivers State Hockey Association through the take hockey to school initiative in conjunction with Stich Proffer Multi-Solutions. He stressed that, it is also geared towards engaging and empowering hockey players in the secondary schools via training and competition. All states of the federation with Under-15 male hockey teams will participate in the tournament.

International Sport 53

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY JUNE 25, 2015

Pellegrini takes swipe at Mourinho

t still more than seven weeks away from the start of the Barclays Premier League season but Manuel Pellegrini has already taken a swipe at rival Jose Mourinho. The Manchester City manager has had a strained relationship with his Chelsea counterpart dating back to when Mourinho replaced him at Real Madrid in 2010. And speaking to Chilean newspaper El Mercurio in his homeland, Pellegrini accused Mourinho of being a glory seeker. Chelsea manager Mourinho stole the Bar-

clays Premier League crown from Pellegrini last season ‘When he wins, Mourinho wants to take credit for everything,’ he said. ‘I never do that.’ Mourinho’s men took City’s Premier League crown last season and Pellegrini pointed out how that illustrated differences in both men’s characters. ‘When I won the Premier League, I didn’t say a word,’ he added. But the 61-year-old, who enters the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium, dismissed claims that the pair are enemies. ‘I don’t have any prob-

‘Sergio Ramos unhappy at Real Madrid’

Mourinho (left) Pellegrini

lem with Mourinho,’ he said. ‘He’s not my enemy and there isn’t any conflict – but I differ from

him on all fronts. I have no interest in analysing him as a person.’

Firmino completes Liverpool transfer

ormer Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon believes Sergio Ramos is not happy at the Santiago Bernabeu and contract talks have stalled due to the defender’s disillusionment. Ramos is entering the final two years of his contract in Madrid and the Spain international has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester United, with one Barcelona presidential candidate suggesting the Spain international had been offered to the club. “It’s clear that Ramos isn’t happy because the president hasn’t offered him a contract extension,” Calderon told talkSPORT. “To me it seems as

though it is a public dressing down over his support for Carlo Ancelotti and for saying that he did not agree he should have been sacked. The same thing with Iker Casillas.” Ramos is reportedly at the top of Louis van Gaal’s wishlist, with the United manager keen to add experience to his defence, while Madrid are desperate to sign goalkeeper David de Gea. “Let’s see what happens in the next few weeks. He is an icon for Real Madrid fans, on and off the pitch,” Calderon added. “I don’t know if he is the best central defender in the world but he is one of the best. He can play in the middle of defence, on the right or in midfield.”

Di Maria (left) in action for Man United

Barcelona eye shock move for Di Maria

arcelona are tracking Manchester United’s Angel di Maria with manager Luis Enrique aiming to bolster his midfield ahead of next season. Spanish newspaper Sport claims the Argentina winger has been offered to Barca by his agent Jorge Mendes,

but it is understood the La Liga champions are merely ‘keeping tabs’ on his situation. Mundo Deportivo has also suggested Real Madrid inserted a clause as part of Di Maria’s sale to Manchester United which would prohibit Barcelona from signing their former player. It is understood La

Liga winners Barcelona are only ‘keeping tabs’ on Di Maria’s situation at the moment Sportsmail, meanwhile, has been told Josep Maria Bartomeu and Joan Laporta, two candidates for Barcelona’s upcoming presidential election, have more interest in Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.

oberto Firmino has become the second most expensive signing in Liverpool’s history after a £29million deal to sign him from Hoffenheim was completed. The Brazil international, 23, has agreed a five-year contract, worth more than a £100,000 per week. He requires a work permit and will complete the formalities of a medical at Anfield once the Copa America is over. The 23-year-old hinted at a move away from German side Hoffenheim and Liverpool have sealed the deal Firmino, who was previously linked with Manchester United, has been Liverpool’s top target for the summer window and completing the transfer is a statement of intent. The Reds will pay £22m up front as part of the transfer. It could pave the way for Raheem Sterling to be sold, though Liverpool refuse to take anything less than £50m for the England international after Manchester City saw their previous bids turned down. Only Andy Carroll, at £35m in January 2011, has cost more than Firmino, who, with nine caps to his name, will join compatriots Lucas Leiva and Philippe Coutinho at Anfield.

Ramos

Record prize money on offer for British Open winner

his year’s British Open winner will collect a record 1.15 million pounds ($1.81 million) in prize money, organisers said on Wednesday. The purse is 175,000 pounds up on last year’s tournament, won by Rory McIlroy, with the overall prize fund rising to 6.3 million pounds, up 900,000 on 2014. The runner-up will pocket 653,000 pounds with the third-placed finisher taking home

420,000 pounds. Announcing the bumper pot, Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the Royal & Ancient (R&A), said: “The Open is one of the world’s pre-eminent sporting events. The Championship represents the pinnacle for the world’s greatest golfers and this increase is appropriate for an event with The Open’s global appeal.” This year’s championship, the 144th, will be played at St Andrews in Scotland from July 16 to19.

Turan wants EPL move - Agent

Turan

rda Turan intends to leave Atletico Madrid and wants to move to the Premier League, according to the Turkish star’s agent. The 28-year-old joined Atleti from Galatasaray in 2011, and has since won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Europa League in his time at Vicente Calderon, whilst also helping the club reach the Champions League final in 2014. However, Arda’s representative Ahmet Bulut has now revealed that his client is keen on a move

to England this summer, with three teams already in negotiations over a possible move. Bulut, though, says there is little chance of Arda moving to a club that does not play in the Champions League, given his release clause of 41 million. “He intends to leave Spain this summer. It is his will to go out to play in the Premiership, that is where he would like to continue his career at this time,” Bulut told AS. “His departure from Atletico is not easy because he has a clause of 41m.

L-R: Mfon Udoka, former Nigeria captain and WNBA star; Col. Sam Ahmedu, President FIBA Africa Zone 3; Ahmadou Gallo-Fall, VP NBA Africa; Dan Ngerem, President Dan Ngerem Foundation; Julius Nwosu, former NBA player; and former Nigeria captain and WNBA star, Mactabene Amachree at an NBA event in Lagos.

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THURSDAY JUNE 25, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

AFCON 2017: Eagles to host Egypt in Kaduna …Falcons, U-23 Eagles to play in P’Harcourt

Emmanuel Tobi

he Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed that the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna will host the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between the Super Eagles and the Pharaohs of Egypt, scheduled for Wednesday, March 23. NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, explained on Wednesday that the Federation would henceforth decide international match venues

Iheanacho (left) in action

U-20 World Cup: Iheanacho was unfit, says Ugbade

lying Eagles assistant coach, Nduka Ugbade, has revealed that lack of fitness played a part in Kelechi Iheanacho’s travails at the 2015 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand. Iheanacho started Nigeria’s first game of the competition against Brazil but never started another game as the Flying Eagles bowed out in the round of 16 following a truly dour defeat to Germany. Ugbade has now explained that Iheanacho was a few paces behind most of his teammates at the World Cup. “There are no big names in our team. We gave (players like) Kelechi Iheanacho and Success

well in advance in order to afford host cities enough time to work on the facilities to be used for such matches. He confirmed that work would be undertaken on the pitch of the stadium, as well as other areas that need to be improved before the clash with the seven-time Africa Cup of Nations winners. Nigeria and Egypt share top spot on the Group G table, with the Pharaohs ahead on goal advantage while Eagles’ next match in the series is

Babangida dumps Taraba United for Malta club Tosin Obisesan

ormer Super Eagles winger, Tijani Babangida, has resigned as chairman of Glo Premier League side Taraba United, following the confirmation of his appointment by Maltese side FC Mosta as their new technical adviser. The club announced the signing by posting a picture of Babangida displaying their jersey alongside two officials with the statement ‘welcome to the club’ He will be assisted by

Isaac the opportunity. Everybody in the team was treated like equals. “If Kelechi is such a big name as many say he is, how come he is not playing in the first team at Manchester City? “He came into the camp with just two days to our first match and that was not good enough for him to play all the matches. “His level of fitness was not at par with the others and that was the main issue. People do not make decisions for us on whether or not Kelechi plays,” he told Nigeria Info FM. Iheanacho played in just two games (one as a substitute) in Nigeria’s campaign in New Zealand.

Though Ameobi has been offered new contract by Newcastle, his future remains uncertain as the 23-year-old forward wants a club where he will get more playing time so as to actualise his dream of playing for Nigeria. Everton, Wolves and Burnley are also interested in signing him. He played on loan at Middlesbrough in February 2013.

Emmanuel Tobi

uper Falcons forward Ngozi Okobi has expressed delight withthe deal to join national teammates Francisca Ordega and Josephine Chukwunonye at USA women’s league club Washington Spirit. The enterprising forward, who was the best player on the pitch in Nigeria’s opening World Cup group game against Sweden, signed a deal on Tuesday while her International Transfer Certificate is being expected. “It’s a dream come true to be playing for the Washing-

Okobi

Babangida

ton Spirit and an opportunity to showcase my talent to the world,” said Okobi. “Thank you to all the Spirit staff, especially coach Parsons. I am looking forward to a great season in Washington.” The club general manager Mark Parsons, who doubles as the head coach, was happy to add the third Nigerian to his team. “I am delighted that Okobi will be joining us,” he said. “She is a talented player with great character and exceptional potential. We look forward to welcoming her to DC and getting her on the pitch.”

Nigerian athletes urged to take up yoga Ifeanyi Ibeh

Ameobi

Ivan Zammit who will serve as coach for the forthcoming season. FC Mosta, who also have in their squad two Nigerian players – Haruna Babangida, who incidentally is Babangida’s younger brother, and Fortune Udoh – made the announcement on Wednesday. It is the first time the former winger who was a member of Nigeria’s gold winning squad in the football event at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games will venture into coaching.

Okobi relishes Washington Spirit deal

West Brom keen on Sammy Ameobi loan West Brom already have Victor Anichebe and Brown Ideye in their squad and may have to settle for a loan deal for a third Nigerian and Newcastle United forward Sammy Ameobi. Former Newcastle boss Chris Hughton is eager to add better attacking options to his squad and has identified Ameobi as a suitable player, according to media reports.

away to Tanzania in the first week of September. Meanwhile, NFF has also that the Super Falcons will play the first leg of the 2016 Olympics qualifier against the Senior Women National Team of Equatorial Guinea on Saturday, July 18 in Port Harcourt, while the African U-23 Championship final round, first leg match between the Nigeria U-23 team and the Congo U-23 side will be played in Port Harcourt, a day after the Falcons/Equatorial Guinea clash.

igerian athletes have been urged to take up yoga in order to improve their performance level and their chances of becoming champions in their chosen fields. Handing out this advice in Lagos last weekend during the maiden International Day for Yoga was Mahak Kansal of the Art of Living Foundation who highlighted the world of difference 15 minutes of yoga could

have in the life of individuals and athletes. “Yoga is great for people involved in sports. When a sportsman is involved in physical activities his health improves but when you are doing yoga, your mind is calm and you can concentrate more on your performance,” said Kansal. “Yoga means to unite mind, body and spirit. It has nothing to with religion; it has nothing to do with postures only. It is your unity with your body, spirit and mind. When you

have a healthy body, your mind will also be healthy and you will be stress-free. “So I urge everybody to forget every misconception they may have about yoga and start practicing yoga for their ownm sake. You only need 15 minutes daily; 15 minutes that would change your life for the better.” Akshay Jain, also of the Art of Living, added: “Yoga has been practised for the last 5000 years for a healthy and happy lifestyle by millions across the globe. It is a complete

science. It unites body, mind and spirit and the universe. Yoga makes a big difference in one’s behaviour pattern, thought pattern, attitude. For a healthy and happy life these days, yoga is almost indispensable.” American goalkeeper, Hope Solo, and basketball superstars, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki, are some of the internationally-renowned athletes who have incorporated yoga into their training schedule.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

On Marble

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence

World Record

Sanctity of Truth

Christine Walton from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA has the longest fingernails (female) in the world today, measured 6.019 m (19 ft 1 in) in February 2011, 7.314 m (23 ft 11 in) in 2013.

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

– Confucius

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

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Promises and realities: The Buhari example It would be desirable if every government, when it comes into power, should have its old speeches burned – Philip Snowden

Political Musings IKE ABONYI

he clearest indication that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari are already in quagmire over meeting the promises they made to Nigerians less than 30 days into office, can be felt from the staccato statements from their camp. The spokesman of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who pushed out most of the promises pre and during the campaigns, gave out the most annoying hint of a possible reneging of the party from its promises when he told a television panel that Nigerians should not expect the party to meet up on its promises because of the outcome of the National Assembly leadership elections. According to Mohammed, the victory of Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon. Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives respectively in the June 9th high wire politics against the directives of the APC leadership puts a cog in the desire of the party to meet up with Nigerians on its promises. This is notwithstanding that the two leaders of National Assembly are members of the party, it just happened that they emerged from a camp that is not favoured by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) where Alhaji Mohammed himself is a strategic member.  When the party leaders were dishing out the promises to Nigerians there was no caveat that unless certain chosen individuals win as Senators and House of Representatives members and proceed to emerge the leaders of National Assembly, the expected change would not happen. While Nigerians were still digesting and trying to make sense out of Mohammed’s statement, President Buhari visited South Africa for the African Union (AU) summit and almost alluded to it. Buhari had while addressing Nigerian community in South Africa told his aides to put aside their written speech because he wanted to talk to the people from his heart. What came out from his heart was frank, he told the people how he means well for the country, how love of country dragged him to seek to rule the country and went ahead to state that given the enormity of challenges on ground, he wished he became President of Nigeria at a younger age. Critical minds quickly jumped at the statement interpreting it to mean that he is being overwhelmed by the challenges. One of the groups even asked that he quit the job for a younger person. His aides battled to properly interpret his mind saying that he is not only fit as fiddle for the job but also that like old wine, he is finer for the challenge. Perhaps, if Buhari had taken the advice of his aides and read from prepared test, he would have been saved the embarrassment. However, political watchers feel very strongly that given the hullabaloo the age issue generated during the Pres-

igwebuike2001@yahoo.com 08024024029 (sms only)

Saraki

Dogara

idential campaign, Buhari would have been wiser to avoid delving into the matter the way he did. But the truth of the matter is that reality is now taking the place of fantasy and as an old man, he could apparently not continue to deceive the people by telling those nice but unrealistic things that may never be possible.

President Buhari that is long known to Nigerians is not a person for frivolities; his words are always his bond. Political analysts had blamed his previous poor electoral performance on his rigid principles that scare people from him. When he picked the Presidential ticket of the APC he found himself amidst garrulous

politicians who needed his electoral following and not his principles and he agreed to adjust.  In his adjustment, he became a new Buhari saying what in his inner self, he does not agree with. offering all the grandiose promises, to build bridges even where there is no river, to make one Naira equal to one dollar, to make education free at all levels, to pay N5, 000 to about 25 million persons monthly, to pay special allowance to aged people. To reduce fuel price to N40 per litre, end Boko haram insurgency in two months, release Chibok girls in three months and so on. After the victory, Buhari is returning to his original self, distancing himself from the unrealistic promises. Shocked that most of the state governors who accompanied him during campaigns could not pay salaries. He is now trying hard to convince Nigerians to buy into his plea for patience. Suddenly Buhari and his party want Nigerians to begin to forget the promises of change as if it no longer matters even when it is obvious that they rode to power on it. It is perhaps due to what Nigerians are witnessing with the APC now that made the British vocal politician and trade union activist, Philip Snowden to say that ‘it would be desirable if every government, when it comes into power, should have its old speeches burned’. Certainly APC and President Buhari would wish that all they said during campaigns is forgotten, but the famous Irish playwright and co-founder of the London School of Economics, George Bernard Shaw warned that ‘if you go to heaven without being naturally qualified for it, you will not enjoy yourself there’.

Bisala Suleiman: One year in mind

n October, 2013, a good friend, former Governor of Abia state and Publisher of the Sun Newspaper, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu requested that I resign from THISDAY newspaper and help him set up a new newspaper called New Telegraph, a newspaper that would be national and authoritative in business and politics. Chief Orji Uzor Kalu directed that I assemble the best crop of journalists from across the country to form a formidable team in Abuja, the nation’s capital. In carrying out this assignment, I tapped on some of the finest journalists, among them was one of the most notable political reporters in the country, from the geopolitical north, former Deputy Editor of the Abuja based Daily Trust Newspaper, Mallam Suleiman Bisala whom I first met when I was Group Political Editor of THISDAY newspaper when he was also the Group Political Editor of Daily Trust. Bisala, an amiable personality and a thorough bred professional with very high moral principle came on board The New Telegraph as pioneer Managing Editor in charge of northern operation. Exactly a year today, June 25th, 2014, shortly after I spoke with Bisala on phone at about 11am, he went to Banex Plaza in Wuse 2 Abuja to collect his new

Suleiman

phone that was giving him some problem to operate. Shortly after collecting the phone, the zeal for his job made him to approach a nearby newstand stand to inquire about the performance of the New Telegraph in the stand. He was still holding the paper discussing with the vendor when a bomb exploded by the side and blew him and 20 others to death. “DMD, please call Bisala’s number”, one of the New Telegraph staff alerted me in a shaky voice with every tone of an emergency. When I called the number,

another voice, not Bisala’s picked saying the owner of the phone was involved in the bomb blast and that I should come to Maitama General Hospital immediately. I quickly alerted other New Telegraph staff and rushed to the hospital with the hope of seeing an injured colleague. I was met at the hospital gate by Bisala’s elder brother, Mohammed and when we could not locate him in the emergency ward, we were referred to the morgue where his brother found Bisala’s body in white caftan soaked in his own blood. Ironically, Bisala, a committed Muslim was brutally killed in cold blood by those claiming to be fighting for Islam. He was buried the next day, Thursday June 26th, 2014 in Abuja according to Islamic rites. I was so devastated then that I could not even pay this humble nice man a deserving tribute and also adequately appreciate my colleagues, Abuja Bureau Chiefs and members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), particularly the President Garba Mohammed for their support and solidarity. One year today, Bisala is still in the mind of all the staff of The New Telegraph. It is still as though he went on assignment and would return to the office. But no! Alas Bisala is gone. May his gentle soul and souls of all who lost their lives in that blast, a year ago rest in peace. Amen.

Printed and Published by Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Ltd: Head Office: No. 1A, Ajumobi Street, Off ACME Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja-Lagos. Tel: +234 1-2219496, 2219498. Abuja Office: Orji Kalu House, Plot 322, by Banex Junction, Mabushi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Advert Hotlines: (Lagos 0902 928 1425), (Abuja 0805 5118488) Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: YEMI AJAYI.