29 10 2014

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Vol. 1 No. 253

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N150

Meet Image makers of nigerian banks }37-39

Respite for economy as oil prices rise Adeola Yusuf and Anule Emmanuel

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he price of oil yesterday steadied at $86 per barrel, translat-

ing to more revenue for the Nigerian economy and a reprieve for the naira, which has been under severe pressure since the onset of the volatility in

the global oil market.

The respite came just as President Goodluck Jonathan approved the creation of a new office of the Deputy Group Managing

Director (DGMD) for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Yesterday, the Brent crude oil steadied around $86 a barrel.

The data pointed to slowing oil demand, but also helped to drive down the United States dollar, supporting oil prices. A weaker dollar helps global

consumers buy dollar-denominated commodities such as oil.

Oil gained further support from strength in EuCONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Tambuwal must quit lPDP asks speaker to resign for defecting }3 l‘I followed my people to APC’

Quick Read Editorial Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, acknowledging cheers after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja...yesterday

PHOTO: NAN

Pathologist confirms 116 dead in Synagogue tragedy Akeem Nafiu and Shola Obafunwa

A

Consultant Pathologist, Prof.

John Obafunwa,

yesterday put the number of fatalities at the collapse of a guest house in the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Lagos at 116.

Obafunwa, who is the Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos State, made this known while presenting a preliminary report to a coroner’s inquest set up

by the Lagos State Government to investigate the cause of the tragedy. The inquest is being presided over by Mr. Oyetade Komolafe.

Led in evidence by Mr. Akingbolahan Adeniran, counsel to the Lagos State Government, Obafunwa said the final report and CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Mental health disorders }19 N’Assembly sends Constitution Alteration Bill to }5 states Ambode, Obanikoro, Ikuforiji, others scramble for Lagos governorship seat }14

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

News

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

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PDP demands Speaker Tambuwal’s resignation Philip Nyam and Onyekachi Eze Abuja

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he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday demanded the resignation of Hon. Aminu Tambuwal as speaker, House of Representatives following his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

PDP, in a statement in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, shortly after Tambuwal announced to his colleagues at plenary that due to the politics of his home state, Sokoto, he would be quitting the ruling party for APC, said since he became speaker because of his membership of PDP, it would be morally wrong for him to retain the position after his defection.

The speaker’s announcement was greeted with jubilation by lawmakers.

With his defection, the PDP now has 188 members as against APC’s 160 in the House while the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and Labour Party (LP) share the remaining 12 seats in the 360-membership of the House.

The PDP, in the statement, said its National Working Committee (NWC) had met with House leaders, to review Tambuwal’s defection and felt that he should do “the needful.”

“After a thorough consideration of the matter, the NWC came to a conclusion that the Hon. Speaker, as a responsible elected officer, knows full well what is needful and honourable of him since his new party is in the minority.

“We are not unmindful of the fact that Hon. Tambuwal became Speaker on the platform of the PDP as the political party with the majority of seats in the House of Representatives and that this incontrovertible fact has not changed,” it said.

Earlier yesterday, Tambuwal after announcing his defection, adjourned the House until December 3.

The adjournment, according to him, is to enable lawmakers participate in party primaries as well as conduct oversight functions to some of the Ministries, Departments Agencies (MDAs).

Announcing his resignation from PDP, Tambuwal said his decision was in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the happenings within the PDP in his constituency.

Tambuwal was elected speaker on June 6, 2011 in

defiance of the PDP zoning arrangement that allocated the position to the south west.

Yesterday’s plenary was delayed for over an hour before the lawmakers began sitting, which was presided over by Tambuwal, at 11.05 a.m.

The gallery was filled to capacity as Nigerians thronged the lower chambers to witness the defection, which had been widely reported by the media.

The speaker, however, kept everyone in suspense and waited until the end of the business of the day before he announced his defection.

But it became obvious that Tambuwal was going to defect when after handing over to the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihe-

dioha, to preside when the House dissolved into the committee of the whole, he did not leave the chambers as he is wont to.

Instead, Tambuwal took his seat on the floor and waited for the deputy speaker to finish the consideration of reports, which was not done anyway.

When the House reverted to plenary from committee of the whole, Tambuwal came back to his seat and called upon the House Leader, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, to move for adjournment.

At this point, many spectators who came to witness his reported defection started leaving the chambers, concluding that he had shelved the plan.

But when the motion

for adjournment was seconded by the Deputy House Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor, instead of adjourning the House, Tambuwal brought out a piece of paper from his pocket and said: “Before I rule on the motion for adjournment, I want to say this. My dear colleagues, pursuant to the extant provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and having regards to development in my home state of Sokoto, I wish to hereby formally notify you of my membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

“Let me register my profound appreciation to all of you, my colleagues, for the unflinching support you have continued to extend to me and the

great sacrifice you are making in the pursuit of the overall national interest and the development of constitutional democracy.

“May the Almighty God continue to guide us all in the exercise of the peoples mandate entrusted in us.

The House hereby stands adjourned till December 3.”

Briefing House correspondents of Tambuwal’s defection, Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Victor Ogene (APGA, Anambra), said Tambuwal’s action would not affect his position as speaker because the constitution and House rules were clear on the issue of leadership of the House.

He said a similar scenario was experienced in

the Second Republic when the late Chief Edwin UmeEzeoke was speaker as an Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) member in a House dominated by the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

According to Ogene, “this is not the first time that we will have this. It happened in the second Republic when Hon. UmeEzeoke was speaker as an NPP member. Although people may argue that there was an accord between the NPN and NPP, that agreement collapsed later on yet, he was not removed as speaker. So there is no cause for alarm.”

Akande-Adeola in her reaction, said: “This is a party affair. Members take decision on the floor CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

L-R: Managing Director, Oando Gas Power, Mr. Bolaji Osunsanya; Senior Special Adviser to the Minister of Power, Mr. Frank Edozie and Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Joseph Dahwa, at a conference on gas in Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

NNPC gets new deputy group managing director CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ropean stock markets. A number of blue-chip companies posted better than expected results, alluding to recovering growth in the continent’s energy demand.

“Those who think that the market is oversupplied don’t seem to have the confidence at the moment to push prices below $85,” said Christopher Bellew, a broker at Jefferies in London.

Brent crude for December was up 10 cents at $85.93 a barrel by 2.35pm GMT, while US December crude was up 15c at $81.15 a barrel.

Nigeria, Africa’s biggest crude exporter, depends largely on proceeds from

crude to service over 85 per cent of its budget.

The country, which was in a much stronger position last time the world price of oil tumbled, with about $22 billion squirreled away in the Excess Crude Account (ECA), has expressed concerns over the recent fall in the price of oil.

These funds had helped the country to weather the 2008 global financial crisis with economic output relatively unscathed.

But currently, the reverse is the case. During recent boom years the government has persistently used the ECA, using the proceeds to augment funds from the Federation Account that are shared among the Federal Gov-

ernment, the 36 states of the federation and the nation’s 774 local government areas.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had said if world oil prices continue to fall, Nigeria had two to three months of rainy day savings to cushion the economic effects.

Okonjo-Iweala had told the Financial Times (FT) that should the oil price dip below $78 per barrel, Nigeria could draw down on the ECA in spite of the “contingencies that are put in place.”

The ECA, which Okonjo-Iweala set up during a previous stint as finance minister, is for gathering

savings above the budgeted oil price and currently has $4 billion, which is $2 billon short of what the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommended.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the creation of a new office of the Deputy Group Managing Director (DGMD) of the NNPC. The decision, the presidency said yesterday, was in furtherance of ongoing efforts to transform the organisation into a commercially-driven entity.

In this regard, Jonathan has approved the appointment of Mr. Bernard Otti, NNPC’s current Group Executive Director (Finance and Accounts) as the new Deputy Group Managing

Director/Group Executive Director (Finance and Accounts) of the corporation.

Otti hails from Anambra State and has held senior positions in some of the largest financial institutions in Nigeria and internationally, and has also served on the boards of numerous public and private institutions.

The new office of DGMD is expected to strengthen the corporate governance structure of the NNPC and help ensure that value for money and return on investment increasingly become key factors in all operational decisions, according to a statement by presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

News

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

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National Assembly sends Constitution Alteration Bill to state legislatures Chukwu David and Philip Nyam Abuja

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he process for amending the 1999 Constitution moved to another stage yesterday as the National Assembly handed over the Constitution Alteration Bill, earlier passed by the two chambers of the federal legislature to state legislatures.

Senate President David

Mark and Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, at a brief ceremony in Abuja, handed over the bill to speakers of the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration and passage by the state lawmakers.

Mark said the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Constitution Amendment arrived at the proposed amendments after organising regional public hearings

to get views of Nigerians on the areas that needed to be amended in the 1999 Constitution so as to engender good governance.

According to him, it is wrong to have caretakers running local governments in the 21st century democracy, adding that such a situation compelled the National Assembly to propose making the local governments a third tier of government.

He therefore, urged the state lawmakers to make

sacrifices while considering the proposed amendments to ensure that government is brought closer to the people.

In his remarks, Tambuwal charged the state lawmakers to do their best to meet the needs of the people while considering the proposed amendments.

Tambuwal, who regretted that the state lawmakers had earlier truncated the efforts by the National Assembly to give them financial autonomy, urged

them to endeavour to get it right this time around by letting the interest of the people to prevail.

Also, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said the bill was an aggregate view of Nigerians on how to transform the country into an egalitarian society.

He said the proposed amendments would encourage Nigerians to take interest in governance by asking questions, stressing that the essence of

L-R: A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Audu Ogbeh; another party leader, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; Governors Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), at the formal declaration of Kwankwaso to run for presidency on the platform of APC in Abuja...yesterday

the proposed financial autonomy for state lawmakers is to enable them to discharge their roles effectively to the people.

On his part, Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, said the National Assembly did not target anybody or institution in passing the amendment bill.

Ihedioha said the National Assembly acted in the overall best interest of Nigerians in passing the bill and urged the state legislatures to also act likewise.

Receiving the bill on behalf of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures and Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Samuel Ikon, assured the National Assembly that the bill would receive accelerated and positive action.

He said the state lawmakers clearly understood the role they should play in the alteration process, which he said, was to ratify the resolutions of the National Assembly.

The Houses of Assembly are simply expected to vote “Yes” or “No” on each clause.

Each amendment requires approval by resolution of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the states, which translates to 24 states to scale through in accordance with the provisions of Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution.

Pathologist confirms 116 dead in Synagogue tragedy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

identification of the dead bodies would be completed in the next two weeks.

Obafunwa said autopsies conducted on the bodies revealed that the victims died as a result of crush injuries also known as “traumatic rhabdomyolysis”.

He said 46 of the bodies were deposited at the Isolo General Hospital mortuary while 63 were taken to the Mainland General Hospital mortuary in Yaba.

According to him, six bodies were brought to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) morgue at Ikeja.

He added that the number increased to seven following the death of one of the victims rushed to LASUTH. “Some of the bodies were at the decomposing

stage and mutilated, severely crushed, suffered multiple injuries, fractured bones, fractured limbs as well as skull injuries,” the pathologist said.

Obafunwa added that a team of forensic pathologists and dental surgeons conducted various tests, including DNA and dental analysis, on the bodies for the purpose of identification.

“At this moment, we are putting together the autopsy report, the dental report, the photographs; we will be including the microscopic findings on the autopsy report,” he stated.

He said the team was waiting for the report of finger printing, DNA analysis as well as the list of lodgers it had requested from the church before finalising its job.

Obafunwa assured one

of the victims’ husband and a South African, Anthony Van Der Byl, that the body of his wife, Louise, would be released at the completion of the report.

“We are working closely with the South African Department of Health. They are assisting us with reference samples and I know that we are moving closer to the end of the process,” the pathologist said.

Confirming the development, the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Louis Mnguni, told the court that the samples were still being analysed at the laboratory in Cape Town, South Africa.

Also testifying, Mr. Oladotun Lasoju of the Lagos State Ministry of Works said the ministry’s team of engineers had conducted tests on the materials used in constructing

the building.

Lasoju said: “We visited the site as part of the rudiments in the investigation.

“I want to assure the court that the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory is working assiduously, and I believe the result will be out in a maximum period of three weeks.”

However, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Head of Operations, Search and Rescue, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said 86 bodies were recovered while 131 persons were rescued.

The case was adjourned until tomorrow for further hearing.

Meanwhile, a lawyer and human rights activist, Olukoya Ogungbeje, has filed a suit against the Lagos State Government before a Federal High Court in Lagos seeking an order

to stop further proceedings of the inquest.

Ogungbeje, in the suit which has the Lagos State Government, its Justice Commissioner and Attorney-General and Magistrate Komolafe as first to third defendants, is asking the court to grant an order halting further proceedings of the inquest.

The lawyer, who predicated his suit on Section 36 of the Constitution, faulted the composition of the inquest, describing it as a negation of the principle of natural justice, hence ‘it is unconstitutional, null and void.”

Ogungbeje alleged that the inquest which was constituted by the Lagos State Government had indicted T.B Joshua and his church for wrongdoing with the addition of structures on the building without ap-

proval, insisting that it would occasion a miscarriage of justice should it continue with its sitting, especially as the coroner would base its decision on the testimonies of the same agencies of Lagos State, which had already indicted Joshua and his church.

He alleged that the Lagos State Emergency Agency (LASEMA), the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Lagos State Fire Service, the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) and others had made public certain prejudicial reports that the building collapsed as a result of additional structures, while Joshua’s claim that the building collapsed as a result of an aircraft hovering round the building moments before it collapsed, was ignored.

News

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Kwankwaso: Nigeria’s wealth stolen by trustees lI won’t leave APC, says Atiku Johnchuks Onuanyim

Abuja

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overnor of Kano State, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, yesterday lamented that the trustees of the nation’s wealth are the ones stealing it.

The governor, who spoke at the declaration of his presidential ambition in Abuja, stated that he resigned 24 years ago as a civil servant because he wanted to become president and change the country.

The former Minister of Defence faulted the approach to security issues and the economic management of the nation.

Speaking on his blueprint for the economy, he said: “The next priority Mr. Chairman is the economy.

“Nations do not build sound economies on insecurity, brigandage and mayhem. Nations do not build responsive economies on a foundation of scandalous corruption and impunity. Nations do not build strong economies on lies and

half-truths. We cannot be different. All sorts of colourful yet deceptive statistics are being churned out by the PDP administration to give Nigeria’s economy a clean bill of health. They are all conjectures. The reality on the ground is at sharp contrast with the cooked up statistics.

“The fiscal policy of the present administration is more than disastrous. Its micro and macroeconomic policies are as vacuous as they are deceptive.”

The declaration that witnessed the chieftains of the APC, saw the closure of Muhammadu Buhari Way in Garki District, Old

Parade ground.

His declaration has brought to three the number of presidential aspirants that have declared on the platform of APC. The former governor of Kogi State, Prince Audu Abubakar, who is the chairman of the declaration said “the difference is clear because Kwankwaso served in many capacities.”

Speaking on behalf of APC governors, the governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Ameachi stated that Kwankwaso is a good guy. He said all the governors will support whoever emerges as APC

candidate.

Addressing the crowd, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State said APC, as a movement was not formed to be an opposition party but to rescue power from non-performing government.

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, were among the dignitaries at the event.

In another development, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday insisted that he would not dump the APC in the event he loses the party’s presidential ticket.

There were reports in the media that the APC presidential aspirant would either defect to the Labour Party (LP) or the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).

“This information is not only egregiously false, but our investigations have traced it to a senior APC member from the North-East zone, who is working to further the presidential ambitions of another aspirant within the party.

“He is also known to be working with certain elements in the Peoples Democratic Party,” his media office stated.

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L-R: Chairman, Arik Air, Sir Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide; Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs. Sally Mbanefo and Managing Director/Executive Vice-President, Arik Air, Mr. Chris Ndulue, at a meeting in Lagos…recently

Why I defected to APC, by Tambuwal CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

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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

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FIRST NATION AIRWAYS LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 06.50; 09:30; 11:45; 16:00 (SAT) 06:50; 11:45 (SUN) 11:45; 16:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 09:00; 11:30; 13:40;18:30 (SAT) 09:00; 13:40 (SUN) 13:40; 18:30 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 14:45 (SAT) 16:15 (SUN) 14:45 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:50 (SAT) 18:20 (SUN) 16:50

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on parties. So, the party will take a decision at the appropriate time” Ogor in his reaction said although Tambuwal’s defection was unexpected, the PDP Caucus would keep an eye on him.

“We will watch further, and definitely will see what happens. Let’s look and see how he manages the House. We will watch him with eagle’s eyes and interpret every action “Let me emphasise here that, the speaker has left.

Because he has gone does not mean that the PDP does not control the House.

He sits down there as the presiding officer, we run the affairs of the House; and as people who control the House, we must go the extra mile to protect the interest of our party.

“We are not going to lose our sleep because Tambu-

wal defected to the APC. He has gone to the APC he has a political interest in his constituency. His constituency has told him that this is the party under which he can win election. Based on that, we will wish him good luck,” he stated.

He also called on the judiciary to expedite action on the case bordering on defection of the 37 members of the House so that the issue of defection would be put to rest once and for all.

However, the APC Caucus in the House, led by the Minority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) described the development as “historic and long expected.”

“We welcome and applaud the speaker’s decision. Ever since the crises started in the PDP, which led to the formation of the ‘New PDP’, and the defec-

tion of five PDP governors, 37 PDP members of the House of Representatives to the APC, and the formal merger of the ‘New PDP’ with the APC, we had all along known that this day would come.

“We are proud to acknowledge that the speaker remains not only a member of the House of Representatives but also its speaker. This position is consistent with the law and practice in a presidential system of government.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the constitution requires only that speaker or deputy speaker of the House of Representatives shall be elected by members of that House from among themselves. Rt. Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has been a speaker for all the members, all the political parties and for all Nigerians and will so con-

tinue,” he said.

Gbajabiamila who confirmed that the APC currently has 160 with the defection of Tambuwal, said “the PDP is still in the majority.”

He assured his colleagues that the APC Caucus would continue to support the current leadership of the House and would not do anything to destabilise the institution.

Minority Whip, Hon. Samson Osagie (APC, Edo), in response to a question on why the House had to adjourn until December 3, said it was for the political interest of all members.

“With the timetable of the parties, members cannot sit in the chambers and expect to successfully carry out their defined functions to their parties. In the next 30 days after primaries, we hope to come back,” he added.

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

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

News

NATIONAL

$9.3m arms deal: Panel clears Oritsejafor, Asari Dokubo Emmanul Onani Abuja

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“high powered” committee said to have been raised to probe the alleged involvement of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Alh. Mujaheed Asari Dokubo, in a botched arms deal in South Africa, may have absolved the personalities of any involvement, an online medium, PRNigeria has said While Oritsejafor’s jet was alleged to have been used in the deal, the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alh. Lai Mohammed, had alleged that Dokubo was involved in the deal.

According to PRNigeria: “A Special Team, comprising security agents, intelligence experts and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has investigated the $9.3m cash-for- arms deal and submitted its report to the Presidency.

“The committee confirmed that the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor had no connection with the transaction.

“It was true that the CAN President’s jet was used but we found out that it was without his knowl-

edge. As at the time in question, the aircraft was on lease. And you may be aware that the lease trend is peculiar to private jet owners in the country.

“It is the view of the committee that Oritsejafor cannot be held liable for any shuttle made by a

lease firm.

“As for the manifest of the plane, the committee also discovered that the Niger Delta activist, Mujaheedin Asari Dokubo was not among those on board the transaction aircraft. There was no mention of Dokubo in the manifest presented

during the investigation.

“The committee’s findings revealed that the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) has the statutorily and legitimately mandate to issue end-user certificate for such arms transactions.

The imputations sur-

rounding the role of the ONSA were unfounded, baseless and ill-motivated.

“The decision of South Africa to return $15million to Nigeria lent credence to the legality of the transaction. Certainly, Nigeria had no case to answer,” it said.

Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (left), receiving the Texas Southern University Distinguished International Alumnus Award 2014 from the President,Texas Southern University, John M. Rudley, at the Westin Galleria Hotel, 5060 West Alabama - Houston, Texas, United States of America…recently

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I have no hand in Oyo PDP crisis –First Lady Anule Emmanuel

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irst Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has distanced herself from the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State.

An alleged report by a national newspaper, not New Telegraph, said the First Lady had requested PDP leaders in Oyo State to “accommodate” a former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, who is an Accord Party chieftain in the PDP and give him necessary support to realize his governorship ambition.

The First Lady, in a statement by her Media Assistant, Ayo Adewoyi, said she was surprised with the new twist introduced to carefully orchestrate a scheme to anchor the political fortunes or survival of certain politicians on a deliberate demonization of herself.

Jonathan noted that she has continued to preach the gospel of peaceful atmosphere for the conduct of 2015 elections.

“We consider it preposterous that it can be assumed by any person that the First Lady would possibly make such request on behalf of someone who is not even in the ruling party, the PDP. We ask again, on what platform? Within what context? And to achieve what?

Is Ladoja in PDP?” “This is another attempt by mischief makers to loop their self-induced political travails around the First Lady, to develop another strategy for their survival.”

Kukah criticises imposition of candidates Terrorism: Two million people ciety Situation Room on: He however, added that Oyesina displaced in North East, say senators Tunde “Achieving the Implemen- the Commission was Abuja tation of Credible 2015 fully ready for the 2015 Chukwu David Abuja

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o fewer than two million people had been displaced and scattered as refugees in the neighbouring states and countries as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.

This was disclosed yesterday by senators from the North-East.

Senate Deputy Leader Abdul Ningi and Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) lamented that the Federal Government had abandoned its citizens who have become refugees.

Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had come under Order 42(2) of the Senate Standing Order 2011 (as amended) to move the motion on the increasing number of refuges in

the North East as a result of the terrorism in the region.

He recalled that item seven of the Senate’s resolutions on the extension of the emergency rule in the crisis stricken zone urged the Federal Government in conjunction with state governments to come up with an Economic Marshal Plan to revive the economy of the economically and educationally backward parts of the country.

Ningi lamented that he had not seen much efforts from both levels of governments towards the implementation of that particular resolution, noting that the affected zone and the displaced citizens had been passing through serious agony.

Ningi, who observed that the insurgency in the North-East had provoked emergence of a lot of refugees in Bauchi, Benue,

Taraba and other neighbouring states, claimed that he had not seen love, care and positive results in terms of containing the terrorism in the area by the Federal Government.

His words: “This entire motion is about seeking the attention of the international community in particular, and the federal and state governments in general, to the inhuman situation, people of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states are finding life almost impossible to exercise. As I speak to you, we have over two million people internally displaced persons from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

“These internally displaced persons have found refuge in Bauchi, Jigawa, Benue and Taraba states.

These internally displaced persons have also found refuge in Chad, in Niger and in Cameroon.”

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he Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, yesterday said that imposition of candidates by incumbent or god fathers simply heats up the polity and kills credible elections.

The clergyman, who was speaking at the National Stakeholders’ Forum on Elections organized by the Civil So-

General Elections” held in Abuja, added that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC cannot bring about credible elections in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, in his own keynote address, the Executive Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, who admitted that the electoral body alone cannot bring about a credible election.

general elections.

Speaking further, Kukah noted that the nation has not undergone a transition of any surgical quality that would have enabled the engine of democracy move with appreciable speed.

Kukah further queried why public officers should not be banned from going straight from their desks to campaign trail.

NAFDAC boils as workers prepare for strike Isioma Madike

W

orkers of National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike action if all their demands and entitlement were not paid in the next seven days.

This was the resolution of the congress of the

NAFDAC workers union, the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), during an extra-ordinary meeting that took place in Lagos on Monday, Octorber 27, which comprises of all NAFDAC workers in all the 36 state of the federation.

According to a communiqué issued at the end

of the marathon meeting signed by the SecretaryGeneral of the union, Comrade Anzaku Peter Joseph, the congress demanded an immediate upward Review of Job Specific Allowance by National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission within one week or members will embark on an indefinite strike action.

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Metro Leave us alone, Majidun Task force impounds 30 motorcycles, arrests hawkers Muritala Ayinla

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n a renewed bid to enforce the ban on commercial motorcycles on Lagos roads, officials of the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit have impounded 30 motorcycles. The task force also dislodged street hawkers at the Computer Village, Ikeja.

Four hawkers were arrested.

The government had, through the Lagos Traffic Law 2012, outlawed operations of commercial motorcyclists in 475 roads and bridges in the state.

NT Metro learnt that the task force officials had swooped on commercial motorcyclists plying Iju-Ishaga Road on Monday.

It was also learnt that the task force officials chased the riders with their newly acquired 200cc superbike and impounded 30 motorcycles.

However, none of the commercial motorcyclists was arrested as they all abandoned their motorcycles and took to their heels.

Commenting on the development, the Chairman of the task force, Bayo Sulaiman, said the enforcement of the law was sequel the residents’ complaints.

Sulaiman added that the task force also wanted to let the people know that it had not relented in its enforcement activities as being speculated in some quarters. The chairman warned that any Okada rider arrested would be charged to court and his motorcycle forfeited to the government.

He said: “Many people believe that we have relaxed in enforcement, but we did not. We will ensure that places like Oshodi and Obalende that have been cleared of street trading and street urchins are well policed so that the traders and area boys do not come back to these places.

residents tell Navy As 23 suspects face prosecution over bunkering

Flora Onwudiwe

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he residents of Majidun in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State have accused the naval personnel combating illegal bunkering in the area of making life unbearable for them.

This is as the Navy announced on Monday night that it arrested 23 suspects during its anti-bunkering exercise in Majidun and its environs.

The residents told our correspondent during a visit to Majidun community that they were still living in fear and facing starvation almost three weeks after the naval personnel stormed the area.

“The Navy has crippled our businesses, our children no longer go to school, landlords and tenants have been ejected from their houses while the naval personnel have converted the houses to their resting places.

“The armed naval officers have stopped the residents from walking on the tarred road leading into the adjoining streets, including the one leading to the Baale’s house,” a resident who craved anonymity, said.

Majidun has truly become a ghost town, but there are everready combatant naval personnel to shoot any fly that misses its route.

Our correspondent had to be cleared by the officer in charge of the unit to visit the Baale.

A few houses to the Baale’s residence, our correspondent had an encounter with some very hostile naval personnel.

“Hey, where are you going?” a naval policewoman seated among male colleagues shouted.

Majidun community

Our correspondent explained to her that she was permitted by a commandant to visit the Baale, showed the naval officer identity card, but she was not satisfied.

The naval policewoman, who wore bulletproof jacket, cocked her gun and marched our correspondent to two officers wearing T-shirts on black trousers.

Rather than listen, the two men became hostile and ordered her to immediately leave the area.

Our correspondent had to walk as far as Ogolonto bus stop on Ikorodu Road before taking a commercial motorcycle to the Baale’s house.

Although the Baale was not at home, an old woman said, “this is what we have been experiencing since the Navy took over this community”.

An undergraduate of Lagos

State Polytechnic, who gave his name as Folarin, said the naval officers had asked the landlords whose houses are close to the water to vacate the houses with their tenants.

He said: “The naval personnel now occupy the houses.

Even the shops on Ikorodu Road were shut down. Nobody is allowed to go near where they are.

“The landlords and tenants have nowhere to go. A man and his four children were yesterday asked to move out of their house immediately.

“The residents have been packing their belongings.

They do not molest the women, but the men and youths are being strictly monitored.

“When they discovered a spot where there is fuel, they will order passengers in any

bus to disembark and ask the driver take the fuel to their domain. They do it in the evening too when workers are coming back from their offices.”

Another resident, who gave his name as Pastor Adegoke, expressed appreciation over the intervention of the Navy.

He said: “At least there is peace, but their attitude towards the residents is poor and we do not know whether it is legal or not. They are overdoing it. People can’t go out or come in. The men whose occupation is fishing were not allowed to paddle their boats until three days ago.

“We live in fear. When we hear that they are coming, women will abandon whatever they are doing and run into safety. In the process, some people usually get injured.

FRSC to begin installation of speed regulators in vehicles Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

T ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

he Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said it would from June 2015 commence enforcement of speed governor’s installation on all the commercial vehicles nationwide.

The FRSC Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyey-

emi, said this yesterday during a one-day working visit to the Ebonyi State Command of the commission.

Oyeyemi explained that with the installation of speed governors in all commercial vehicles in the country, the excesses of careless drivers would be curtailed.

He expressed the confidence that the governor, if installed, would enable

the FRSC realise the target of achieving zero level of road crashes in Nigeria. According to him, the need to install governor in all commercial vehicles was born out of the desire to regulate drivers’ speed.

He said: “Road traffic violation accounts for 99 per cent of the road crashes witnessed today.”

Oyeyemi explained

that the commission was embarking on advocacy and enlightenment campaign at motor parks to reduce road crashes in the ember months.

He added that the commission had made every plan to provide logistics for effective operation.The corps marshal noted that the commission had done a lot in reducing road crashes.

He, however, thanked

other sister agencies in the country for their cooperation and urged them to sustain the tempo since they were partners in progress.

The state Sector Commander, Mrs Ann Abhiele, implored critical stakeholders and sister agencies at all levels to continue to partner with the commission since the fight against road crashes was a joint effort.

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NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Fayose accuses Fayemi of inaugurating unfinished hospital Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

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he Special Assistant to Ekiti State Governor on Public Communication and New Media, Mr Lere Olayinka, has accused former Governor Kayode Fayemi of making former Vice President Atiku Abubakar inaugurate an uncompleted Oba Rufus Adejugbe Hospital in Ado-Ekiti.

He said the action was a desperate bid to show that he actually performed while in office.

In a statement in AdoEkiti yesterday, Olayinka said Fayemi also inaugurated some other uncompleted projects while rounding off his tenure.

When contacted, Fayemi’s Commissioner for Information, Mr Tayo Ekundayo, who spoke on the phone, said he had no comment.

He urged our correspondent to visit the hospital and see things for himself.

However, the state All Progressives Congress (APC) Publicity Secretary, Mr Taiwo Olatubosun, said the claim was an idle talk from a government which once again exhibited ignorance on building construction.

“The Oba Adejugbe Hospital is 100 per cent completed while its equip-

ment have been ordered by the Fayemi administration. It is professionally right in construction to commission such project and all the commissioning were broadcast live on both the TV and radio.

“Perhaps Fayose and his people are angry as usual because they are not the ones to equip the hospital just as they are angry over the new Government House which has already been completed with fittings.

“It should be noted that Fayemi inherited the project from the Segun Oni administration and completed it. Rather than Fayose to settle down to business, he daily raises mundane issues about what Fayemi did or did not do.”

Also, the Chief Press Secretary to Fayemi, Mr Olayinka Oyebode, could not be contacted on phone.

When our correspondent visited the hospital yesterday, painters, carpenters and other artisans were still working on the structures.

Drums of paint and other items littered the place.

A representative of the contractor, who refused to give his name, said the project would be completed in the next few weeks.

He said it was another contractor that was given the job of supplying medi-

Six men forge FMC documents to obtain N93m loan Juliana Francis

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The hospital

cal equipment and the landscaping of the surrounding.

But Governor Ayodele Fayose’s aide had said the Oba Adejuyigbe General Hospital in Agric Olope area of Ado-Ekiti that was commissioned on October 6, 2014 was yet to be completed.

He said: “The APC presidential aspirant and former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, was brought to Ado-Ekiti by former Governor Kayode Fayemi to commission the uncompleted project.

“The project was handled by a company owned by the Chairman of E-11, Mr Femi Ajiniran. As at

today, the building is still being painted, while other structural works are still going on there. Only the outside was painted before it was commissioned. Building materials are still being brought to the site by contractors, while the entire premises of the hospital have been taken over by weeds.

“There is no single medical equipment in the hospital, which was commissioned with fanfare by Fayemi.

“The Ado-Ifaki Road, which is a federal project, was hurriedly inaugurated by Fayemi because he wanted to take the glory for a project initiated by

Governor Ayo Fayose in 2005. It was Fayose who embarked on the ‘dualisation’ of major roads leading to Ado-Ekiti, the state capital then.

“The State Pavilion, which was inaugurated by former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, still had the surrounding yet to be laid with concrete. Ekiti State deserves the best and not deception.

“Meanwhile, Governor Fayose has promised to complete the hospital and equip it with modern medical equipment so as bring health care delivery closer to the people.”

hree suspects who used forged documents to collect N93 million loan from a new generation bank, are now facing trial.

The three men, Ibrahim Abubakar, Abubakar Maigaskiya and Bashir Musa, were arraigned before Justice Faruk Lawal of Kano State High Court on two separate charges bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence.

While Abubakar was arraigned on a 13-count charge, the duo of Maigaskiya and Musa face a two-count charge.

The Head, Media and Publicity, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wilson Uwujaren, said that the accused, alongside three others currently at large, were alleged to have, sometime in June 2009, conspired among themselves and forged documents purportedly emanating from the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State, for use in obtaining a N93 million loan facility from a new generation bank.

I’m passionate about lighting up Lagos, says Fashola

Protest cripples flight operations at Imo Airport

Muritala Ayinla

Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

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overnor Babatunde Fashola has appealed to the residents of Ikorodu Road and Ebute Meta in Lagos to take ownership of the streetlight covering 11.8 kilometres installed in their area.

Speaking during the switching on ceremony to mark the end of the construction work, Fashola said that it also signalled the commencement of maintenance works to ensure that the road remained in good condition.

The governor also appealed to motorists to obey the State Traffic laws especially by not driving against traffic.

According to him, by driving against traffic, they do not only endanger their lives but those of other road users.

Fashola appealed to communities around the project area including churches, schools, railway compound as well as others who pass through the

A

The Murtala Mohammed Way after Gov. Fashola switched on the light at the Murtala Mohammed Way substation on Monday.

Inset: Fashola switching on the light.

road to treat the infrastructure as a public asset.

He said: “It belongs to you. The lighting, I believe, will help this place on a daily basis. At nights, it will make security better. It will also improve the night economy in this community.”

Areas to be lit by the streetlight include Ikorodu Road to Iddo via Jibowu and Murtala Mohammed Way, Yaba.

The project, which consists of 11.8 kilometres of public lighting, is broken into two sections with one section consisting of 1.2 kilometres from Ikorodu Road to Jibowu while the second consists of 10.6 kilometres on Murtala Mohammed Way (from Jibowu to Iddo). It brings to a total of 410 kilometres of roads so far lit up in the city by the government in the last three years.

viation activities were yesterday paralysed at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport (SMICA), Owerri, imo State following a protest by the people of Umueze Obiangwu, one of the host communities.

The people were protesting alleged deprivation and marginalisation by the airport authorities.

It was gathered that as early as 6am, angry women, elders and youths of Umueze village, Obiangwu Autonomous Community in Ngor Okpala Local Government had stormed the airport premises.

They took over the entrance to the airport and destroyed the offices of car hire drivers.

The protesters, who chanted war songs, brandished fresh palm fronds which they used same to

lock up the office of the car hire (cab) drivers.

They also blocked the road with stems, blocks and sundry items which made it impossible for vehicles to access the airport.

For over four hours, workers and passengers were stranded and were forced to trek long distances as no vehicle was allowed in or out of the airport.

Heavy security presence and intermittent gunshots into the air to scare the demonstrators could not stop the aggrieved villagers.

The protesters, however, left when the state Police Commissioner, Abdulmajid Ali, who led a delegation, arrived the scene and pleaded with the people.

The leader of the group, Mr Kevin Madu, told journalists that the protest became necessary because of the unwholesome activities

of the cab drivers and SMICA management.

The chair man of Umueze Youth Task Force said the SMICA management had for long been taking the indigenes for granted.

Madu disclosed that the cause of the protest was the deliberate destruction of farm crops, closure of all access roads used by the people to get to their farmlands across the airport. He alleged that the airport authorities, acting in concert with the cab drivers, dug holes on pathways.

Madu added that the cab drivers, in connivance with the airport management, had impounded over 50 motorcycles belonging to the people and refused to release same despite entreaties.

According to him, the airport management insists on a fine of N25,000 or the owners will wait for six months.

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News

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

SOUTH-WEST

26 bag First Class in AAUA Babatope Okeowo Akure

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L-R: Wife of the Chairman, Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Zainab Adewale; Comrade Ayodele Adewale; Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola and Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Inter-Governmental Relations, Rev. Tunji Adebiyi, during the official commissioning of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Legislative Building (Freedom House) in Lagos State…on Monday

Fashola dissolves local councils GOODBYE

Lagos governor sends chairman and councillors packing after their threeyear tenure Muritala Ayinla

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ollowing the expiration of the 3-year statutory tenure of Chairmen, Councilors in Lagos, Governor of the state Babatunde Fashola, yesterday directed all the council Chairmen and other elected officers in the 57 local government

and Local Councils Development Areas (LCDAs), to vacate their offices.

The government also told all the Council Chairmen to immediately hand over the councils’ administrations to Council Managers in their respective Local Governments, who will take charge of their administration until further notice.

In a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Lateef Ibirogba, the government said all affected officials, including Supervisors, Council Secretaries and other political appointees are legally

required to vacate their offices by close of business on the same day.

The statement read: “The three-year statutory tenure of all Local Government Chairmen and Councilors in Lagos State expires on Tuesday October 28, 2014. Consequently, all affected officials, including Supervisors, Council Secretaries and other political appointees are legally required to vacate their offices by close of business on the same day.

“Chairmen are hereby directed to co-ordinate the exercise and hand over to the Council Managers in their respective Local Gov-

ernments, who will take charge of the administration until further notice.

“It is expected that newly elected officials will resume office after the next local government elections to be scheduled and conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), upon completion of the continuous voter registration, ward re-delineation and polling booth re-distribution exercise embarked upon by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”

Meanwhile, New Telegraph gathered that some of the sacked Chairmen had begun lobbying to

ensure that they are returned to their former office by the party leaders.

While some are scheming to return to their former offices, others are jostling for the Federal House of Representative tickets on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), in their various federal constituencies.

According to impeccable sources, the party leadership had warned some of the Council Chairman scheming for their former offices not to embark on such exercise, particularly those that have spent two terms.

ot less than 26 out of 6, 341 students of the Adekunle Ajasin University, (AAUA).,AkungbaAkoko Akure Ondo State, will be conferred with the first class degree honours at the convocation ceremony of the university slated for next week.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Femi Mimiko, who briefed the media on the activities lined up for fifth convocation ceremony and 15th year anniversary of the institution said over 1,000 student bagged second class upper higher division degrees of the institution.

Mimiko, informed that about 1,519 of the graduating students are from the Faculty of science which has the largest chunk, followed by Social and management Science, Arts, Education and law.

According to him, 26 students graduated with first class, 1,414 in second class Upper, 3,505 in second Class Lower division and 993 in third Class.

His words” As expected, numerous academic prizes endowed by distinguished individual and corporate organisations will be won by graduands who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields.”

Amosun targets N10bn monthly IGR in 2015 ‘Ondo PDP secretariat’ll Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

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overnor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State yesterday said his administration was poised to increase the state monthly internallygenerated revenue from the current amount being generated to N10billion from 2015.

Amosun, who spoke at a town hall meeting on the 2015 budget organised in Abeokuta by the Ministry of Budget

and Planning, said improved revenue generation would lead to selfsufficiency.

The governor lamented the dwindling allocation from the federation account, saying this had adversely affected the economy of many states including hampering the payment of workers’ salaries.

He noted that the state wage bill, including allowances, had already grown to N8billion monthly, adding that the N10billion target was

imperative to make the state economically bouyant.

The governor, however said the revenue drive would be pursued without necessarily inconveniencing the people of the state.

He said, “It will get to a time when Ogun will be auto-driven, systemdriven so that governors would not have difficulty in making things happen. We are now the industrial capital of Nigeria but what we intend doing is to make Ogun

State economic capital of Nigeria; we want to challenge Lagos.

“The Finance Minister has confirmed that there are challenges in revenue accruing from oil due to oil theft and as we are speaking, they are yet to pay us. The only way we can be able to pay salaries is to think outside the box and see how we can improve our IGR. We are increasing the IGR without necessarily inconvenicing our people and our target is N10 billion by next year.”

Group drags Ekiti Speaker to Code of Conduct Bureau Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

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group, under the name, the Coalition of Democracy Vanguard, has dragged the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adewale Omirin, to the Code of Conduct Bureau for allegedly running a business interest while still holding public office.

In a petition sent by a group, dated 27th October, 2014, sent to the CCB’s office in Ado-Ekiti, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent on Tuesday, the group alleged that the speaker had breached his oath of office, calling for his arrest and prosecution.

The petition titled: “Petition against Rt

Hon. Adewale Omirin, The Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly,” signed by the group’s President, Mr Femi Omoyajowo and Secretary, Hon. Bolu Alabi, alleged that for Omirin to have admitted ownership of the T.FIVE Integrated Petrol Station in Ado-Ekiti, means he had contravened the oath he took on the 6th of Au-

gust, 2011, when he was elected Speaker of the House.

Omirin had last week flayed the State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, and accused him of persecution for sealing off the station during an exercise conducted by Petroleum Task Force in the state against the location of such facilities in an unauthorised place.

remain closed’

Babatope Okeowo AKURE

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he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday said the Secretariat of the party in Akure, the Ondo State capital will remain under lock and key until the crisis bedeviling the party is resolved .

Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Mr Dare Adeleke, said the closure was to prevent the invasion of the office and likely pilfering of the property of the party situated along the popular Oyemekun road, Akure.

Following the dissolution of the State Executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the secretariat which has been in use since 1999 has been under lock and key since Monday with armed policemen stationed within the premises.

The former Ebenezer Alabi-led executive was dissolved by the Nation-

al Working Committee (NWC) of the party at the weekend, the action, which had been generating reactions from several stakeholders of the party.

Although the policemen declined to speak on their mission at the secretariat, it was learnt that an order came from the top echelon of party for the drafting of security operatives to prevent possible breakdown of law and order as a result of the sacking of the former state exco. The occupation entered third day yesterday.

The Caretaker Chairman in a statement yesterday confirmed that the secretariat would remain under lock and key with policemen stationed in the premises.

He said “The Ondo State PDP Caretaker Committee wishes to notify the entire PDP Family in Ondo State that the PDP Party secretariat in the State shall remain closed for now.”

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Governorship aspirants

Constitution amendment

Bill of the Week

Re-election

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Ambode, Obanikoro, Ikuforiji, Agbaje, Solomon scramble for Lagos guber seat

Hurdles from the state assemblies

Reprieve for HND holders

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Jonathan brushes off scandals

Politics

Tambuwal: Options before PDP

After months of speculations, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, yesterday formally pitched his tent with the All Progressives Congress (APC). PHILIP NYAM captures the politics of his emergence and the options before the speaker

H

on. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal was elected speaker of the House of Representatives on June 11, 2011 against the directive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which had zoned the position to the South-West. But Tambuwal who had warmed himself into the hearts of his colleagues and built fences across party and ethnic lines was able to beat his party to the game Shortly after the April 2011 general election, Tambuwal who was serving his second term in the House and was deputy chief whip began warming up to contest for the position of the speaker. Despite all entreaties from the presidency and PDP hierarchy on Tambuwal to jettison his ambition in deference to the party’s zoning arrangement, Tambuwal, backed by majority of his colleagues forged ahead.

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY EDITOR, PoLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Tambuwal... at his inauguration as speaker

Tambuwal’s election as speaker was made possible by a combination of about six groups. First was the House Project Group, principally made up of majority of the 100 returning members of the House led by Hon. John Enoh. The second group was the Seventh Assembly Group consisting of mostly new members led by Hon. Abdulmumin Jibril and the Legislative Independence Initiative led by Hon. Musa Sarkin-Adar.

He was stoutly supported by the opposition party members led by Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and Hon. Abdulrahman Suleiman Kawu.

Both Tambuwal and the deputy speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha were serving as deputy whip and chief whip respectively under Speaker Dimeji

Bankole. It was at a time the then speaker, Bankole, was facing corruption allegations and being haunted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). There were allegations that the EFCC wanted to arrest the duo after the arrest of Bankole forcing Tambuwal and Ihedioha to go into hiding. In fact, Tambuwal went to an Abuja High Court to seek for protection against being arrested.

Deceptive dressing After weeks of intrigues and horse trading, the day for the proclamation of the House was finally announced and the die was cast. On the morning of June 6, 2011, Tambuwal and Ihedioha were disguised in attires that were alien to their usual style of dressing and

were driven to the National Assembly Complex as security agencies had planned to stop them at the lobby so that they would not enter the chambers.

But Tambuwal, known for his agbada and flowing baban riga, was instead dressed in a suit and bowler cap to fit, while Ihedioha, noted for his Igbo traditional attire with a peculiar green cap, was adorned in agbada with a Malam-like cap to fit. Their successful entry into the National Assembly that fateful day could be adduced to Tambuwal’s magnanimity and goodwill towards the security operatives in the parliament. He exploited this goodwill to ensure that their entry into the National Assembly complex was unhindered.

Indications that Tambuwal and Ihedioha would come out

victorious emerged as soon as the duo sauntered into the chambers in their emergency outlook. More than two-thirds of the members-elect on the floor went to pay homage to Tambuwal as soon as they discovered that the man in suit and bowler cap was the person they wanted to elect as speaker and deputy speaker respectively. The shouts of “Sai Tambuwal” (Tambuwal is our choice or he is the one we want) rented the air.

For close watchers of House politics, the action of the members toward Tambuwal was instructive of where the pendulum would swing. His only opponent and PDP’s anointed candidate, Mulikat AkandeAdeola, though with her supCONTINUED ON PAGE 41

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Politics

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

LEADING GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANTS

Ambode, Obanikoro, Ikuforiji, Agbaje, Solomon scramble for Lagos guber seat The direction of the battle is still cloudy, but the wheat is being separated from the chaff in the race to succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State. In this report, TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE and WALE ELEGBEDE take a cursory look at the two-horse race confrontation between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the plum Lagos job

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he scramble and the wide interest for the Lagos House, Ikeja, is understandable; aside being the political hotbed of the nation with the highest number of registered voters in the country, put at 5,426,391, the state currently generates over N20 billion revenue monthly which makes it one of the productive cities in Africa.

No doubt, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is on a catch up mission.

Having contested for the governorship seat on four different occasions and lost, the party is itching to make up for its lost grounds since 1999. To exhibit its commitment to wrestling power, at least for once, the party is using all frontiers to entrench itself in the thick of Lagos politics through various aggressive remarketing tools at every instance. But whether that would translate to votes for its liberation is a different ball game altogether.

For the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the mandate is clear; to consolidate on its impressive record at the 2011 election where it enjoyed a winner-takes-all status at the expense of its familiar foe, the PDP. Though the party’s choice on who will succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola is still cloudy, analysts believe that the party’s native process of selecting its flag bearer would still play out under the watch of its national leader and a former governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

For PDP, it’s two-horse race The PDP is on the march again in Lagos State. After 16 years of wilderness experience for the plum job, the party has been shouting it on the roof top that the siege on it is over and that it would break the Lagos governorship jinx come 2015.

Hence, the gladiators in the party decided to bury their hatchets, reconcile the various factions and also harmonized the different caucuses within the party; all in a bid to present a united front against its familiar foe in the state, the APC. Of major milestone among the reconciliation drive was the end of hostilities between a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George and former Minister of Works, Prince Adeseye Ogunlewe. The squabble between the duo was said to be responsible for the woeful outing of the party especially in 2011.

Ambode

Obanikoro

Solomon

Doherty

At the heat of the variance, both gladiators were spurring for attention, aiming to heap the refuse of the clash on the other. Though they adduced different reasons for the conflict but the underlining fact was that it was a contest wrapped around political ego.

With signals getting clearer that the candidate of the defunct Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) in 2007, Jimi Agbaje has thrown his hat in the PDP’s ring for the gubernatorial ticket, the duo decided to see his (Agbaje) project as a common bond, hence their resolve to reconcile and present a joint candidate.

For George and Ogunlewe, it was all rosy with the decision to come together under PDP umbrella for Agbaje until former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, decided to challenge the alliance, thereby creating an alternative for party’s delegates.

Already, some of the lightweight aspirants are prevailing on others to stepdown for Obanikoro, who they see as the only antidote against the perennial onslaught of the APC. Taking up the gauntlet, Obanikoro resigned from the federal

cabinet and commenced refurbishment of his campaign office at Ikeja GRA. With the PDP’s governorship nomination form pegged at N11 million, the boys are already being separated from the men. Some of the aspirants seem to have concluded their testing the water adventure and relapsed. Though some are still beaming with enthusiasm for the ticket, it is only left to be seen if they would have the financial war chest to prosecute a pretty capital intensive Lagos politics.

Except another third wonder occurs, the battle for the PDP ticket is expected to be between Agbaje and Obanikoro.

With the backing of George, Ogunlewe and a handful of members of the Tunji Shelle’s-led Central Working Committee (CWC), Agbaje also has an unadulterated goodwill of the middle class in the state who see him as one of their own. But the underbelly fear of some members of the party is that the pharmacist-turned politician is a ‘new’ member of the party and may not have the wherewithal and know-how to carry the party along the line of victory. Others averred that those

pushing Agbaje have ulterior motives and may dumped their interest in prosecuting the governorship battle as soon as their demands get recognised by Abuja.

For Obanikoro, it is another foray into a familiar terrain but with different permutations and issues on ground. Having represented the party in 2007 as its flag bearer, the former envoy sees himself as the only liberator for the PDP in the state.

With measures of popularity among the indigents through his ‘Koro Ibo’ slogan, he is set to challenge the political empire of his former boss, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, if given the party’s ticket.

However, the puzzle for political pundits is if Obanikoro would still get the better of George this time again after leaving him out in the cold on two different occasions? Would there still be a repeat of the 2007 election where George’s candidate, Hilda Williams, widow of the murdered Engr. Funsho Williams, was flushed out by the PDP hierarchy in Abuja? Would the party structure controlled by George accept and work for Obanikoro if he gets the ticket at the expense of Agbaje? Would Obanikoro

Politics

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

15

LEADING GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANTS curing the support of delegates for the election. During the 2011 elections, he sponsored a handful of his party members for state and National Assembly’s election. No doubt, he is one of the shining stars in Lagos PDP and he has the financial weight to campaign. He resides more abroad than Nigeria.

Agbaje

Hamzat

Adedeji Doherty Doherty contested the PDP primaries in 2003 and 2007 but lost out. Again, he has indicated interest to contest the Lagos governorship by 2015 and he is a close ally of Buruji Kashamu. He was once in the saddle as the Acting National Vice-Chairman (South West) of the PDP, until the ruling of the High Court restoring the caretaker committee. You may take everything away from Doherty but not his business acumen and objective grasp of issues. He commands a retinue of followership and it is expected that the engineer turned politician will leverage on the experience he has garnered while occupying the South-West PDP office.

He is not likely to defeat Obanikoro and Agbaje for the PDP ticket.

Ikuforiji

Shasore

avoid a collision with George or will he take the battle to the gate of the former deputy national chairman of the party?

Whichever side of the divide each of the PDP gladiators decide to take their cue from, the influence of whoever becomes the state coordinator of Jonathan’s re-election may also unite or detach the various interests. With over five million votes waiting in the wings for grab in the state, the presidency is expected to provide a cover for those who will lose out from the primaries to avoid implosion in the party ahead of the general election.

and Tinubu for the PDP. In 2007, Obanikoro became the PDP gubernatorial candidate, but the election won by Babatunde Fashola of the Action Congress (AC). In 2008, Obanikoro got appointed as Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana. After his diplomatic circuit, he was appointed as chairman of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF). In February 2014, Obanikoro was appointed as the Minister of State for Defence by President Goodluck Jonathan before his resignation to contest the election.

His chances for the ticket are bright.

Musiliu Obanikoro Having come through the ranks from being the executive chairman of Lagos Island Local Government, Obanikoro is arguably the most popular politician in Lagos PDP. No doubt, his decision to resign as the Minister of State for Defence wasn’t unexpected but most importantly, it ruffled some feathers within and outside the state.

He made his foray into politics during the National Republican Convention (NRC) era in early 90s, and since then there has been no looking back for him.

After serving as the council chairman in 1998, he got appointed as the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture in 1999 in the government of Bola Tinubu.

By 2003, he was elected Senator representing Lagos Central on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

Though he was regarded as one of the closest allies to Tinubu, he left the AD

Jimi Agbaje He formally identified with the umbrella party in August with his supporters. Jay-Kay, as Agbaje is popularly called, became a household name in 2007 when he attempted to govern the Centre of Excellence but failed. He contested as candidate of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) alongside Obanikoro of PDP, Femi Pedro of Labour Party (LP), and Fashola.

His entrance into the governorship race on the PDP platform altered equation both within his party and the opposition owing to the admiration that has greeted his aspiration. Though he has not handled any political office prior to this time, his influence looms large especially among the middle class and professionals who see him as one of their own. He is said to be banking on George, Ogunlewe and Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko for support.

Agbaje, a Christian from Lasuwon family house of Ikorodu, Lagos East, has made no pretence about his desire to clinch the party’s ticket. He even assured the party of the support of his LAGOS AGENDA group and the infusion of other vibrant 10 political parties into the PDP before the election.

However, the posers are clear on the wall, how would the PDP deal with the issue of waiver for Agbaje since its constitution stipulates that, anyone who want to run for elective offices under the party must have been a registered member of the party for two years? Would the party initiate a process of waiver for him or would he still stick to his claim of being a registered member of the party in the past two years? How would other members of the party see his candidature if he eventually emerges? Would the party still go for another round of nest-feathering over Agbaje? All these questions are certainly in the belly of time.

Owolabi Salis He is a lawyer cum accountant, a grassroots politician from Mushin. He has contested the Lagos gubernatorial ticket of his party on two occasions and lost. He also aspired for the PDP’s National Secretary but gave in at a point.

Regarded as the king of the masses owing to his interest in community and human development, he is into many empowerment programme and always claim he has no godfather.

The critical challenge for him is se-

Ticket as apple of discord in APC Considered to be the party to beat in Lagos, the APC seems to be the bride of politicians in the state who see the platform as a meal ticket to public office. In fact, it is believed in some quarters that once given APC ticket, it’s a walk-over at the polls. But whether the party is pushing its luck too far with such mindset, is a different kettle of fish.

Currently, the party is battling a cold war over who will be its standard bearer for 2015. And expectedly, various stakeholders are out with divergent criteria anyone who will emerge must meet.

From zoning requirements to religious cards, and at some point age restriction, the party definitely has a lot up its sleeves to take care of.

As it stands, fingers are pointing to the direction of a former AccountantGeneral of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode as the anointed candidate of Tinubu, but the golden silence of the former governor and his political dexterity is still making some party members to sit on the edge of the chair, because according to them, “the Leader may still change his mind on the choice of who he wants to use.”

However, pundits averred that the candidacy of Ambode as the party’s choice may have been settled. They noted that the issue of timing and the danger of putting up a candidate in the late hour may affect the party’s chances in the long run. Also, it is believed that the queuing of Tinubu’s structure- especially some of his men, behind Ambode is a sign that the Epe-born technocrat would emerge as APC candidate.

With reported insinuations about a possible clash between Fashola and Tinubu, the picture of the party may look tainted if either of the duo pull a wool on the other because they are both one side of the coin for the party.

Fashola is said to be rooting for his Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Obafemi Hamzat and the immediate past Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Olasupo Sasore (SAN). But the knife edge in the report is that the governor seems to have classified the duo into Plan A and Plan B. One thing is certain, Fashola may not have a unilateral decision over who gets the APC ticket and that decision may be deferred to the national leader and other stakeholders in the party but his input over who becomes the governor may be harmful or helpful to his party.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

16 Politics

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

LEADING GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANTS

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 5

Akinwunmi Ambode Ambode, an accountant and a public finance management expert, who has held many sensitive financial positions during his 27-year career in the Lagos State Civil Service, was a former Accountant-General of Lagos State. He started his career at the Lagos State Waste Disposal Board (now LAWMA) as accountant Grade II. For several years, he was the auditor general of Lagos State local governments. In January 2005, he was promoted as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and by February 2006, he was given the added responsibility of AccountantGeneral for Lagos State, in charge of all the financial activities of the state. After 27 years in the civil service, Ambode voluntarily retired in August 2012 and founded Brandsmiths Consulting Limited to provide public finance and management consulting services to government at all levels, its parastatals and agencies.

Ambode is the leading governorship aspirant. He is regarded as the anointed candidate of the “Lion of Bourdilon” and apart from the support he enjoys from APC national leader, Tinubu, Ambode was also endorsed by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu.

His official declaration last Friday at Onikan Stadium also attested to the fact that he is a candidate to beat in the race, considering the crowd and calibre of party leaders at the ceremony.

Political observers believe that many factors will work in favour of Ambode ahead of other governorship aspirants.

He is from Epe in Lagos East Senatorial District and being a Christian is also an added advantage. Therefore, if zoning and religion are use as yardsticks in the choice of next Lagos State governor, Ambode is qualified on both sides. His closeness to the APC national leader and many gladiators will also be an added advantage.

Obafemi Hamzat Hamzat is the Lagos Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure and son of one of the influential politicians in Lagos politics, Oba Olatunji Hamzat.

As one of leading aspirants in the governorship race, a lot of things will definitely work in Hamzat’s favour. Governor Fashola is also said to be pleased with his candidacy.

But despite his popularity in the race, the indigeneship may count against Hamzat’s aspiration. His father is currently a traditional ruler in Ogun State.

In fact, Oba Akiolu at a book launch organised in honour of Ambode on May 15, said he would not allow the son of a traditional ruler in Ogun State to be governor in Lagos. “Don’t misquote me, other aspirants are entitled to aspire for the governorship but as for me, Osuolale Aremu, I will never allow the son of a traditional ruler from Ewekoro (Ogun State), to come and be governor in Lagos,” he said.

But the commissioner said he has his root in Epe. His mother is from Epe. Initially, the expectation was that Fashola was rooting for him, but the governor is throwing his weight behind Shasore.

Hamzat has in the past few days slowed the tempo of his campaign.

Adeyemi Ikuforiji Ikuforiji is one of the longest serving members and Speaker in Lagos State House of Assembly. He was elected into the assembly in 2003. He became the Speaker of the House in December 2005 and since then he has been paddling the ship of the House.

Prior to the 2011 election, there was alleged stiff opposition to Ikuforiji’s return to the House from his constituents in Epe, and in order to save him from sinking politically, the party leaders against all odds gave him the ticket for Ikeja II

APC, PDP battle for Lagos

Salis

House of Assembly seat. He contested and won the election and was returned as Speaker, despite opposition from some members of the state assembly.

In the build up to the 2011 governorship election in Lagos State, Ikuforiji was among those who were rumoured to have been positioned to replace Governor Fashola following the power tussle between Tinubu and the governor.

Ikuforiji is out again telling whoever cares to listen that he will be the next Lagos governor. Ikuforiji last Sunday took the bull by the horn by declaring his governorship ambition. Speaking at his official declaration in Ikeja, the Speaker promised to implement a 10-point cardinal programmes if he becomes the next governor.

The entrance of Ikuforiji into the race is gradually gaining momentum and if the report about APC zoning its governorship ticket to Lagos East Senatorial District is anything to go by, Ikuforiji will be a strong contender in the race. He has the ears of party leaders and have the resources to prosecute the election.

Olasupo Shasore Shasore (SAN), a former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, was the leader, Lagos State delegation to the 2014 National Conference.

He served in Fashola’s first term. His governorship ambition came to a front burner some weeks ago and he is being supported by the governor after attempts to push Hamzat for the position failed.

Though Shasore is a technocrat like Fashola and also a Christian, many people believe that it will be difficult for the governor to sell his candidature to the power brokers in the state. The party leaders across the state had expressed strong opposition to Fashola’s decision to support Shasore’s governorship aspiration. The opposition is hinged on zoning. They are kicking against Shasore’s emergence as APC governorship candidate because he is from Lagos Central Senatorial District like the incumbent governor. The party had zoned the governorship ticket to Lagos East.

Ganiyu Solomon Senator Solomon is one of the most experienced and influential politicians not only in the APC, but in Lagos poli-

Pitan

tics. He has been in the corridors of power since the beginning of the present Fourth Republic and has served in both executive and legislative arms of government. He was Chairman, Mushin Local Government between 1999 and 2003.

He also contested and won a seat in the House of Representatives, representing Mushin Federal Constituency 1 between 2003 and 2007. He was elected into the Senate in 2007 to represent Lagos West Senatorial District; re-elected in 2011 and he is the Senate Minority Whip.

Solomon has already declared his intention to succeed Fashola come May 29, 2015 and he seems not to be living any stone unturned in realising this dream he had nursed for more than eight years.

Speaking during his official declaration some weeks ago, Solomon declared: “I stand as the most qualified among my colleagues also aspiring to the posi-

For the first time, the PDP is facing the APC with a near full strength and the two parties seem to be well placed to take each other on in 2015

tion of governor of Lagos, having contested and won elections into the local government, state Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate. I hold an unblemished record of service at every level and position that it has pleased God to place me.”

GOS, as the senator is fondly called by his supporters, is a grassroots politician with wide support in many parts of the state, especially in Mushin, his political base. Though he is presently representing Lagos West in the Senate, he has retraced his root to Ikorodu in Lagos East Senatorial District for him to be able to become the next governor.

Solomon seems not to be among the aspirants being favoured by the party leaders and this may work against him at the party’s primaries. The belief in some quarters is that having being in public office for over 15 years at state and national levels, he should give chance to others to occupy public office.

In Lagos politics, Solomon is not a pushover. He has network of supporters and represents the biggest senatorial district in the Senate. The party will have to handle his aspiration with utmost care so that he won’t rock the boat.

Leke Pitan Pitan, a medical practitioner turned politician, served for eight years as Commissioner for Health and later in charge of the Ministry of Education between 1999 and 2007.

He is also a contender for the seat, but his chance of getting the ticket is remote.

Exciting political drama Perhaps, for the first time, the PDP is facing the APC with a near full strength and the two parties seem to be well placed to take each other on in 2015. Only time and the residents will tell if the grip of the APC on the Lagos politics would continue or the 16-years jinx of the PDP in the state would eventually ends or exacerbate.

As the clock ticks towards the November 15 and 29 primaries for the APC and PDP respectively, the various aspirants and their supporters are expected to up the ante of their games to get the needed support from party delegates. But one thing is certain, the coming days will be laced with different political drama.

Politics 17

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Hurdles before constitution report I n the ongoing constitution amendment, the National Assembly approved 23 sections as recommended and harmonised by the Conference Committee of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The National Assembly, in the final approval of the Conference report, retained the immunity clause for the president and governors. The House of Representatives had earlier deleted the immunity clause from the amendment bill. However, while harmonising the versions of both chambers, the Senate rejected the decision of the House and the Senate version was adopted.

The deputy president of the Senate and chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, while fielding questions from journalists after the passage of the document by the Senate on Tuesday last week, clarified that the House removed the immunity clause from its version of the amendment bill but the Senate rejected that position and the clause was retained.

The National Assembly passed Section 4 of the Amendment Bill to confer immunity on legislators at all levels of governance in respect of words spoken or written in the exercise of their legislative duties in their respective chambers. The essence of this provision is to remove fear from the lawmakers that they might be held responsible for words spoken or written while deliberating on issues in the chambers. This fear, analysts say, hampers the quality of input of members especially on certain controversial issues of national interest.

Section 7 of the bill grants autonomy to the local governments in Nigeria by providing for their funding, tenure, elections, and to clearly delineate their powers and responsibilities to ensure effective service delivery and insulate them from undue interference from state governments. If this section scales the hurdle of the state assemblies, it will facilitate the strengthening of the local government administration in Nigeria, which is currently being bastardized by the encroachments of the state governments through joint accounts and other arbitrary applications and impositions by state governors.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the 36 state governors have risen to protest against this attempt to liberate the third tier of government from its present bondage. It is obvious that the governors can go to any length to frustrate this move, using the state assemblies.

It is constitutionally required that, in the course of any constitution alteration, whatever is passed by the National Assembly has to be taken to the state assemblies for approval by two-thirds majority.

According to stakeholders in grassroots politics, especially local government executives,

After much delay and postponement that provoked insinuations, suspicion and anxiety in public domain, the National Assembly, last week, finally passed the report of its Conference Committee on the Fourth Alteration of the 1999 Constitution Amendment Bill, 2014. CHUKWU DAVID looks at the various items amended by the parliament and the impending hurdles and opposition from the state assemblies

Ekweremadu

apart from the fact that the governors interfere in the running of local councils, the State/Local Government Joint Accounts has resulted in local governments being starved of funds meant for developmental projects. This is exactly the problem the National Assembly wants to tackle through the on-going constitution amendment process. The fear, however, is that the state governors might influence the state assemblies not to endorse the local government autonomy.

It is a known fact that most state assemblies are mere appendages of the executive or puppets of the governors. It is regrettable and still fresh in the minds of Nigerians, how the governors influenced the state assemblies to reject their own (state assemblies) financial autonomy, which the 6th National Assembly passed in the Constitution alteration it carried out during its tenure. No action could be more suicidal than that singular action.

That scenario is already generating palpable fear across the length and breath of Nigeria, that most of the good intentions of the National Assembly for Nigerians through the constitution review might be frustrated by the state assemblies, especially where and when the issues under review do not receive the acceptance of the governors.

The two factions – Rotimi Amaechi and Jonah Jang – of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) have reportedly decided to speak in unity, irrespective of their rift, condemning the action of the National Assembly on the local government autonomy. The two factions were quoted to have

Ihedioha

HIGHLIGHTS

The constitution review might be frustrated by the state assemblies, especially where and when the issues under review do not receive the acceptance of the governors

1.

Autonomy for LGs

2.

Immunity clause

3.

Immunity for legislators (words spoken)

4.

No presidential assent for bills

5.

Independent candidacy

6.

Rights to education and health

7.

State of the nation address

8.

Sanctions for disobeying legislative summons

9.

Scrapping of SIECs

10. INEC power to deregister parties said that the federal parliament has no power to determine what happens in the state, anchoring their arguments on the idea that Nigeria is a federation, where the federating states have power to determine the structure and system of administration to adopt. Concerned Nigerians have been worried over this situation and want the state assemblies to be courageous enough to counter these governors and grant the muchdesired autonomy to the councils.

The National Assembly also approved the recommendation of the committee in Section 9 of the Bill, removing the power of the president to assent to any bill in respect of constitution alteration. As explained in the report, the motive for taking away this power from the president was to enhance the sovereignty of the citizens through their elected representatives.

Whatever reasons given for this action, some analysts are of the view that it was borne out of vendetta or vindictiveness to whittle down what the lawmakers consider as overbearing powers of the president. The Presidency is

always in conflict with the National Assembly on the issue of signing bills passed by the apex parliament into law.

The Bill in Section 65, provides for independent candidacy in elections in the country so that interested politicians could contest elections on zero party basis just as Section 45 of the Bill, which enshrines the right to education and the right to health, as fundamental human rights in the Constitution was also given approval by the National Assembly.

The National Assembly further took steps to whittle down the powers of the president through Sections 58 and 100, which the lawmakers said were designed to resolve the impasse where the president or governor of a state neglects to signify his assent or withholds such assent.

According to the conference report, removing such power from the president or governor would strengthen legislative authority and enable timely passage of laws for good governance. Similar to the above is Section 59 of the Bill, which authorizes the President of the Senate to convene a joint meeting of the National Assembly to reconsider a money bill where the president withholds his assent.

Section 67 of the Bill makes it mandatory for the president to attend a joint meeting of the National Assembly once a year to deliver a state of the nation address.

Also, for the purpose of accountability and efficient service delivery, Section 81 provides for the funding of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, Office of the Attorney-General of the federation, National Security Agencies, the Nigerian Police, the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, directly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.

Sections 82 and 122 reduced the period within which the president or governor of a state might authorise the withdrawal of money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the absence of an appropriation act from six months to three months, while Section 84(4) (A - F) created Office of the Accountant General for the Federal Government.

Also in order to tackle the issue of disobedience to parliamentary summons, Sections 89 and 129 of the alteration Bill empowered the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly respectively, to prescribe sanctions, civil or criminal or both for failure, refusal or neglect to obey summons issued by a legislative house or a committee of any of the Houses.

The report noted that Section 121 was designed to engender accountability and efficient service delivery, by providing for the fundCONTINUED ON PAGE 42

MORE STORIES ON pageS 40-43, 48

18

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion

Gowon @ 80: Matters arising

Ifeanyi Alia

O

ne major predicament of the African political situation is that more often than not African leaders do not live beyond the myopism and parochialism of their age and time. In advanced democracies and cultures, leaders are legends. We have had such legendary leaders in France (Gen. Charles De Gaulle), United Kingdom (Winston Churchill), continent.quite a handful of them in United States (George Washington, Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, Abraham Lincoln, J.F. Kennedy, Thomas Jefferson, etc), in India (the great Mahatma Ghandi), in Africa – Nelson Mandela is perhaps the only prize for the African continent.

Nigeria, the leader of the Black Race has produced several leaders since nationhood in 1960. General Yakubu Dan Yumma Gowon, (Retired), former Head of State (1966 – 1975) is one of the nation’s past leaders. Nigerians celebrated his 80th birthday recently. The celebrations were filled with pomp and pageantry, while pleasant memories of the role played by this war-time leader to keep Nigeria one were recalled .

Indeed, one can state rightly or wrongly, that apart from the National Anthem, The National Pledge, The National Flag and other symbols of National Unity, Gowon remains the only Nigerian leader, dead or alive, who symbolises undying Nigerianity . “To keep Nigeria One is a task that must be done” – was the vision and mission of the Gowon years. Therefore, History thrust on Gowon this onerous task; it is equally left for History to be the arbiter, advocate and judge of this ex-leader.

“Nigeria prays”, his pet project and we pray that History will really vindicate the just in this case Gowon, when it comes to the finality and consummation of nationbuilding processes concerning Nigeria. So far, he remains the youngest Nigerian who mounted the saddle at the age of 32. Little surprise that he made certain mistakes due to inexperience in the art of governance.

The Nigerian State has indeed faced several challenges and passed through many debilitating crises that

threatened (some of the challenges still threaten) the corporate entity and existence of the nation.

As Gowon hopefully marches on in years after clocking 80, it is rather heartrending that Nigeria is still in search of unity and peace – two essential values and ingredients which preoccupied the Gowon years.

Peace and unity have perhaps remained elusive because those who come to equality must come with clean hands. Again, Greek thinker, Aristotle posited that “injustice arises when equals are treated unequally and unequals treated equally”.

Assuming the Nigerian nation was founded and built on justice and equal opportunities for all, national unity would have since been attained. However, since we have struggled over the years to build unity on the foundation of injustice, the edifice has continued to cave in.

“Marginalisation” is one of the few key issues/words that has since entered our political lexicon. Ndigbo have for instance, been crying of marginalisation for years after the Nigeria Civil War . Can we in all honesty, now claim that the Igbo have come out of marginalisation bracket? What about the Yoruba, Hausa-Fulani, Ijaw, Northern minorities ?

Almost all the ethnic nationalities have one thing or the other to agitate against the State. Nigeria is like a domestic dog owned by several people which however dies of hunger. Our leaders have always harped on the need to “go on with one Nigeria.” Yes, it is good but at what cost and benefits for the various ethnic nationalities?

Gowon, soon after the war, introduced some values and measures – like the three Rs-Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Resettlement as well as the National Youth Service Corps Scheme (NYSC). These are cardinal policies and programmes aimed at striking the right chord on national unity, cohesion and integration.

Regrettably, several years after, some groups still feel that they are yet to be fully re-integrated into the Nigeria project. For instance, why should South East continue with only five states and about 86 LGAs, whereas other zones in the Federation have six or seven states and several LGAs? Kano and Jigawa States alone with their

44 and 37 LGAs respectively knock out the entire South East in terms of federal allocations . There are still many posers concerning Nigeria’s unity and oneness which people like Gowon laboured and fought for. For instance, is NYSC still working when corps members have since become endangered species in some parts of the country? What about the issues of abandoned property, indigeneship, president of Igbo extraction, and so on?

However, as Gowon marches on, he has one big challenge, indeed, responsibility to Nigerians . He owes it a duty to document in writing his involvement and interventions towards nation building. For, it is not enough for us to always react angrily when others put down their own personal account of the Nigerian crises – 19671970. When the late Chinua Achebe released his work, “There was a Country” – A personal Account of Nigerian Civil War,” many Nigerians tried shooting him from all cylinders. Some even looked askance and indifferent at the event of the demise of the great man. Like him or hate him, apart from the indefatigable Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, no other Igbo man, living or dead, had straddled this mother earth with giant strides than Achebe. The Swedish Academy in charge of Nobel Prize for Literature would realise its mistakes one day for not honouring the great man during his lifetime.

Gowon tried his best for Nigeria; however, the structures he tried to erect in order to arrive at national harmony collapsed. That is why there is no peace, unity, too much nepotism, ethnicization of politics, religious bigotry and intolerance, lack of consensus and other ills afflicting the nation.

As the nation salutes Gowon @80, issues of Aburi Accord continue to resonate in the land. For, as some have argued, it is either confederation or fiscal federalism that would see the nation out of her current sociopolitical and economic cul de sac. So, Ojukwu’s foresightedness remains the recurring decimal years after.

• Alia, public commentator, wrote from Lagos.

How APC can stop President Jonathan Prince Mike Arayuwa Wilkie

T

he presidential election slated for February 14, 2015, will be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and of course, there will be winners and losers. Other elections such as the National Assembly, the Gubernatorial and the state parliamentary seats will also be conducted within the same period.

Preparatory to the elections, there are visible alignments and re-alignments of political forces involving members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives’ Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), All Progressives’ Grand Alliance (APGA) and a few other political parties.

As a result, it would appear that the 2015 general election would be contested on the basis of a two-party structure between the PDP and APC which will render the other lesser political parties politically inconsequential. It is therefore expected that before the said elections, these irrelevant political parties would be compelled, through circumstances, to fall in-line and decamp to the PDP or APC. Those who refuse to do so, the law, may perhaps, attempt to de-register such political parties from the Independent Electoral Commission.

In view of the scenario, it would further appear to me that the APC and its opposite contents are willing to flush out President Goodluck Jonathan from his office in Abuja, come 2015. In fact, APC chieftains have already given a red card to Mr. President while its major spokesman

has also advised him to prepare hand-over note for an APC President-elect. Funny enough, the opposition candidate is yet to emerge through the required due process . The party is only hanging its ambition on a premised imaginary candidate and a would-be President-elect. However, it is not too late for a Presidential candidate, though, time is running out. The earlier, the better, to enable the APC strategise .

There is nothing wrong with the political intent of the opposition APC to defeat Jonathan in an electoral contest to enable it take control of our country’s administration, afterall, this is all what opposition stands for in democratic dispensations . In this regard therefore, it is only fair to assist or advise the APC on how this herculean task can be achieved. Firstly, APC frontliners such as Ahmed Tinubu, Mohammadu Buhari, , Rotimi Amaechi and most especially Lai Mohammed, should criticise Mr. President with some level of respect and decency.

It is completely absurd for the APC to consistently invoke gutter language on our President. Never in the history of opposition politics in the world has any President been so insulted and vulgarly challenged, to the extent that Nigerians have started to take exception to such ugly approach. The party’s foremost leader should, as compulsion, withdraw to its political drawing board and re-access the unwarranted, senseless, unbridled attacks, vilifications and affront on President Jonathan. At the moment, GEJ is our President and must be duly respected by

those characters who are incompetent to win a presidential race and assume the duties of the President and CommanderIn-Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Boko Haram carnage has become a security challenge to Nigeria . The opposition APC in this regard has serially come up with the acidic criticism of Mr. President for alleged inaction. At least, the Federal Government has tried its best so far to ensure the release of the incarcerated Chibok girls from the cruel hands of Boko Haram. I ask: if APC were to be in the shoes of Jonathan, what would the party have done differently? The leaders of the party ought to advise Mr. President or take the initiative on how these teething problems could be solved and put the menace to a final rest. Doing this will further enhance the electoral score card of the APC. I am of the view that such constructive criticism would be the best option in the accelerated mood to sack Jonathan from the office of the President.

After the Ekiti State Governorship election in which Ayo Fayose of the PDP won and sent Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the APC candidate, on political vacation, one of the reasons advanced for the woeful loss was the “stomach infrastructure” embarked upon by the present Governor . “Stomach infrastructure” has been recently coined by the Ekiti APC as an outright campaign strategy for winning votes. This should not sound strange in view of the fact that Ekiti State, is perhaps, the intellectual power-house of the South West as presently constituted. It is therefore advisable

too that the APC should also canvass this new campaign concept in Lagos, Ogun and Edo States while ensuring that Osun State is politically unshaken and stable.

The party ought to be mindful of other states, too.

In one of my write-ups in the opinion column of this newspaper, I held that there are no differences between the PDP and APC. For instance, the two parties lack the required party manifestoes which can be sold to the electorate, their organizational party structures remain the same; decampment of members of the two political parties has become a recurring decimal and so on. It will obviously take some divine intervention for any of the two parties to displace one another in a real electoral contest.

In this vein, I can only exempt Ayo Fayose, who holds the singular record of defeating sitting Governors twice in Ekiti State. On a final note, it is my sincere wish to strongly advise the APC to refrain from its vicious attack on our President as this could further dwindle and deflate its electoral fortunes and sway sympathy for Mr. President and his PDP. APC should also, as a standard political acceptability endeavour to preach its programme of action, if any, to the electorate in order to realize its presidential bid. In my mind, these are the combined factors which may dislodge Dr. Jonathan from the seat of power. However, I have my irrevocable doubt.

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

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

19

EDITORIAL

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Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

Mental health disorders

hile Nigerians waited in positive anticipation for the World Health Organization (WHO) to certify the country was Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)-free, another frightening revelation emerged from the health circle that 5,000 new cases of mental disorders had been diagnosed in Plateau State alone in the last one year. This disclosure, which surfaced during the commemoration of this year’s World Mental Health Day (WMHD), presents a whole new challenge to the nation’s health authorities.

But, as Dr. Taiwo Obindu of the Psychiatric Department of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) who made this disclosure, while speaking on the difficulties faced by people living with this condition, in a presentation to mark this year’s WMHD in Plateau state put it, the economic burden of such a development is an enormous containment challenge indeed, which both the state and the federal governments must willy-nilly rise to.

In Nigeria, about 1.7 million people are said to be living with schizophrenia. A Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr. Dapo Adegboju of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, in Lagos, who spoke at a recent forum on psychiatric health said about 50 per cent of the people with schizophrenia in the country neither have access to the right information on the

disorder nor access to treatment.

Similarly, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris said up to 10 per cent of residents in the state suffer from mental illness, explaining that it’s not only those roaming the streets that can be said to be mentally ill but also many others who might not even be aware they are mentally ill. “This is the time for everyone to realize that people with mental health are just like you and me. They are human beings with separate problems…,” he said.

On the whole, it is estimated that about 64 million Nigerians suffer from one form of mental illness or the other. As daunting as these figures may seem, in an otherwise well-organized society, they can help to provide the roadmap to address the condition.

Globally, mental disorders are said to affect nearly 12 per cent of the world population. About 450 million or one out of every four people around the world – will experience a mental illness that would benefit from diagnosis and treatment. According to WHO’s statistics for 2002, 154 million people globally suffered depression, which is a form of mental illness. However, one of the most prevalent mental health conditions is schizophrenia, “a challenging disorder that makes it difficult to distinguish between what is real and unreal, think clearly, manage emotions, relate to others and function normally,” according to medical

experts.

Sadly, but instructively, one of the high points of this year’s WMHD, which is aimed at raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health, is bringing to the fore issues about schizophrenia that would have hitherto gone unnoticed. Ordinarily, the startling revelation that millions of Nigerians are battling different forms of mental disorders due largely to socioeconomic problems that government appears loathe to address, should spur the concerned authorities to address conditions precedent to mental illness and save many from the condition, especially in a country where mental disorders are highly stigmatized.

Given the hash economic conditions that have bred so many social problems such as armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, assassination, among other ills that have plagued the country, it should surprise no one that so many are insane in the country. Combined with the violence of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, militancy and unprovoked attacks by rampaging Fulani Herdsmen, the aforementioned problems cannot but induce the psychological problems that often conduce to mental illness. Anxiety, fear and depression are also common factors that conduce to mental illness as are genetic factors, joblessness, poverty, frustration, inadequate care during

pregnancy and drug misuse, which give rise to triggers such as irrational thinking, delusions, hallucinations and disorganized speech and behavior.

These conditions prevail in present day Plateau State. After many years of sectarian and inter-ethnic violence, which has resulted in the loss of lives, destruction of property and displacement of many people from their ancestral homes and subsequent exodus to refugee camps, Plateau cannot but harbour so many with mental disorientation.

Medical conditions like schizophrenia often come with monumental consequences. In Nigeria, billions of naira in terms of human productivity are lost to untreated cases yearly because 90 per cent of people with diagnosable mental illness never get to see a doctor or receive treatment of any sort.

The immediate task before the government is to evolve pragmatic ways to address the burgeoning cases of mental health in Nigeria.

The starting point is to subsidize medication for mental disorders to enable Nigerians of all socioeconomic cadres, who have mental health challenges to access effective treatment.

Ultimately, however, the nation must promote a Mental Health Policy to lay down processes that should guide, for instance, the identification, treatment and rehabilitation of the mentally-ill in our midst.

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

Felix Oguejiofor Abugu

Managing Editor n Suleiman Uba Gaya

Editor, Daily n Yemi Ajayi

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Deputy Editors, Daily n Emeka Obasi, Ayodele Ojo

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20

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Arts

In The Mangrove, renewed call for equity, love, peace, unity Book Title: HeartBeats In The Mangrove Author: Fabiah Briggs Publisher: Inner Postures, Nigeria Limited Year of Publication: 2001 Number of Pages: 146 Reviewer: Oladipo Kehinde

H

eart Beats In The Mangrove, a collection of poems by Fabiah Briggs brings to the fore a creek of a low tide with three thematic movements, namely: nature and environment; history and contemporary happenings and praise worship.

The latter segment echoes Miltonian sensibility of paradise lost as evident in ‘Cymbals to the Creator’. The nation needs the help of renaissance Moses. The discovery of oil has caused a paradigm shift from Agriculture, and no nation can survive without it.

God used Joseph to save lives when there was famine in Egypt and all the land. Nigeria should borrow a leaf from that and bring back the good old days. Fabiah writes in “They Destroy With Much Impunity”: “O gracious God, pray hearken when we wail”. The poet’s thematic preoccupation depicts the rich natural resources the country is endowed with. Corruption, kidnapping and violence have become the anthem of the day. Nothing seems to work out on the platform of dialogue.

Fabiah writes: “Blood becomes the aesthetic value / respect for human souls violently vanished. The Niger delta youths pick up arms. Insecurity has become our day’s mares.

Angst of impoverishment from class crass, creating policy that chokes the na-

TONY OKUYEME tony.okuyeme@ newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

tion with fear and insecurity. We survive to destroy the chain of dependency syndrome. Collective negligence of our leaders”.

In “Millions Melt Away” the poet’s lament: “Trillions grow wings / And fly away into oblivion / Some tucked away anonymously / In foreign bank account! A wake up call in the midst of plenty”.

Fabiah’s poems give a picture of the reflective mood of the deplorable conditions of the Niger Delta. “The political gladiators are merging and vetting the aspirant for the next election. The land is famished. The citizens breathe the mountain air. The land is keen on virulent ideology, looting. The Poet puts it thus in “Bind Us Lord”: “How beautiful it would be / If we hold in unity / Networking bridges of oneness / And breaking the walls of division / Forgetting all the past / Stepping on of toes /. We pray for the peace of nature to flow into the land as sun flows into trees. Let the sun of understanding shines on every dark spots on the land”.

This river of oil belongs to us. The meta-

phors of our thoughts are unbroken. The Niger Delta militancy is a result of the deplorable back-

wardness of the oil producing state. The youth restiveness is another time bomb. Amnesty will

be given after killing one another in the long run.

What seems very important to us, we turn away

from, and we are facing the consequence. We have compromised moral and ethical values. Fabiah‘s artistic eyes points the way forward with a rhetorical question in this volume. The oil has caused riff, rancor and discord. The Poet’s depicts: We will continue to receive the pain / While they steadfastly extract the gain? Every question needs an answer.

Little will go round when there is love. The nation needs to settle its differences and stop the senseless killing and bombing. The oil is a blessing not a curse. In “Curse or Blessing”, the Poet’s writes: “Sucking out oil / From all the veins therein / Why press they your womb. It is really sad for the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) to break the fences they mend. The Boko Haram insurgency is militating against the peace and unity of the land. Terrorists tail to terrorize. Fabiah recommends: “Mend your fences quickly with the twigs of unity”. Love is the medicine for pain, anger and the peace of love, on all.

National Troupe holds maiden stakeholders’ forum Tony Okuyeme

A

s part of plans to encourage broad and effective stakeholders engagement in the implementation of the objectives, plans and programmes of the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN), the leadership of the Troupe will tomorrow Thursday October 30, 2014, host a stakeholders’ forum at the Banquet Hall of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. The forum scheduled to begin at 10am, is the first since the formal establishment of the Troupe in 1991.

According to a statement from the Public Relations Unit of the NTN, the stakeholders’ forum is expected to attract personalities with strong interest and experience relevant to the growth and development of the performing arts as well as patrons of the Troupe. It will feature a keynote speech and a command performance of ‘Ajoyo’, a dance drama created by the Core-Artiste of the Troupe. The Keynote speech titled “The Performative Ex-

pression in a Conflict Environment” is to be delivered by the president of the Society of Nigerian Theatre Artistes (SONTA) and Head of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Maiduguri, Professor Sunday Enesi Ododo.

Artistic Director and

Chief Executive of the NTN, Mr. Akin Adejuwon, explained that having just taken over as the new head of the troupe, he felt that it was important to meet and share ideas with those that have been identified as stakeholders with strong interest in the development of

the performing arts. His words: “I felt that the best way to hit the road running is to have this kind of engagement where we can meet to share ideas and most of all take suggestions on things we could do as an agency of government to improve on service delivery.”

Nigerian Copyright operatives raid Enugu, Ebonyi Tony Okuyeme

I

n continuance of its commitment to curbing piracy in the country, the Nigerian Copyright Commission conducted raids recently in Enugu and Ebonyi States, which led to the apprehension of several pirates, and confiscation of their instruments.

At a briefing recently, the Director General of the Commission, Mr. Afam Ezekude stated: “We have a regulatory and enforcement mandate to conduct anti-piracy operations across Nigeria. Allowing piracy to thrive directly affects the economy of a country, as it deprives several people in

the value chain, the right to earn the appropriate income for their services.”

According to him, the twoday anti-piracy operation involved the destruction of cable wires and books used by the pirates in the illegal DStv distribution of content and signals. The operation took the copyright inspectors to Asata, Uwani, Achara Layout, Agbani Road, all in the Enugu metropolis.

In Ebonyi State, the areas covered were Oraifite Street, Water Works Road and its environs. The copyright inspectors were given security cover by a team of Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) for the Enugu operation, while fifteen (15)

Mobile Policemen provided security for the Ebonyi operation.

The two operations were headed by Macfoy Akachukwu alongside other copyright inspectors. The equipment seized consisted of several decoders, smart cards, remote controls as well as other accompanying devices.

“The market value of the seized equipment from both operations came up to a total of N23.5m.”

Ezekude urged Nigerians and other stakeholders to continue to support the Commission in its renewed commitment in the fight against piracy and its attendant challenges.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

21

Interview

Poly

Govt yet to prioritise technical and vocational education, says LASTVEB boss

Poly students send SOS to President over ASUP strike

24&25

25

Education

Rage over China’s rejection of Nigerian students DASHED HOPE

Condemnation has continued to trail Chinese Government’s rejection of Ekiti State University students to participate in this year’s ENACTUS World Cup in Beijing, China over the Ebola scare Mojeed Alabi

A

t a time when Nigerians were joined by the whole world to celebrate the Ebola-Free bill given to Nigeria by the World Health Organisation (WHO), as one of the countries certified by the international organisation to be free from the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the country last week received a shock from the Chinese Government.

The Chinese Government shut its doors against 30 undergraduates of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, who were denied invitation to attend this years’s edition of ENACTUS International World Cup, billed to hold in Beijing, China between Oct 22 and 24.

China, investigation by New Telegraph revealed, had cited cases of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease ravaging some West African nations, as reason for its action.

Describing the development as devastating, the students lamented that the Chinese Government’s action has not only dampened their academic morale, but also taunted their knowledge and intellectual development.

Founded in 1975 and with Headquarters in the United States of America (U.S.A), Enactus which until October 2012

kayode olanrewaju Editor, education

kayode olanrewaju@ newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

EKSU team displaying its trophy as the winner of the 2014 Nigeria’s Enactus Challenge edition

l NANS, Dabiri, Osuntokun, others kick was known as Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), is an international non-profit organization dedicated to enabling progress through entrepreneurial action.

Enactus provides a platform for higher institutions students to collaborate with business and academic leaders in the development of entrepreneurial-based projects that empower people to transform opportunities into real, sustainable progress for themselves and their communities.

The quality and impacts of the students’ projects are evaluated by leading executives through a series of regional, national and global competitions, while the Enactus experience not only transforms the lives of the people served, it also transforms the lives of the students who participate as they develop into entrepreneurially-minded, socially-responsible leaders.

Since its establishment, Enactus has become an international organization with 36 different country operations, with Enactus projects undertaken by student teams of more than 1,600 higher institution campuses in 36 countries.

Enactus offers these 66,500 students the opportunity to develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learn-

China has been treating many Nigerians in China like dregs of the earth. So, as long as Nigeria continues to pay no attention to its citizens abroad, such discrimination will continue

ing, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise, in hopes of improving the livelihoods of in the process.

On the modalities of the project, each campus programmes functions like an independent innovation laboratory, where students are challenged to get out of the classroom and work hands-on with the people and communities for which they are helping to develop uniquely tailored solutions.

To assess the students, the quality and impacts of the students’ projects are then assessed through a series of regional and national competitions, which are judged by leading executives.

The top team from every country is invited to showcase their projects on a global stage at the Enactus World Cup. Tracing the Nigerian tertiary institutions’ experience in the programme to 2001, the country’s experience had been fantastic.

In 2013 in particular, the Kaduna State Polytechnic team, which represented Nigeria in the annual world cup held in Cancun, Mexico, placed third behind Germany and United Kingdom.

Such feat had defined the heightened preparedness of about 35 higher institutions that participated in this year’s Nigeria’s edition of the Enactus

challenge held in July at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, in Lagos.

After the intensive five-day competitive display of creativity and business initiatives impacting many Nigerian communities, the Ekiti State University’s team which presented among other projects, “Eni-Iran,” and “TechRice” was declared the winner of the 2014 edition, leading the pack in Nigeria.

For its outstanding performance, the team, comprising 30 students, was billed to represent Nigeria at this year’s Enactus World Cup in Beijing, China.

The team, New Telegraph gathered had looked unto the competition and journey to China with excitement, while expressing appreciation to the Ekiti State Government and the university management for the support.

But, with the Chinese Government’s denial to grant the students travelling opportunities, their pledge to do the nation proud by lifting the world trophy ahead of 35 other countries participating in the world competition had been dashed.

While flaying their rejection by the Chinese Government, the EKSU team leader, a 300-Level undergraduate at the Department of Banking and Finance, Odupele Dolapo, recounted their CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

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Education

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

China rejects Nigerian students CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

ordeals, saying despite their preparation their dream and hope of winning the coveted trophy had been dashed.

She said: “Our victory in the Nigeria’s edition of the global competition was not an accident, but the one that came our away after six earlier unsuccessful attempts.

Now, our dream has been dashed by the host nation, China, that denied us of the letter of invitation to the global event meant because of the EVD in which the country has been certified free by WHO.” Dejected, the students cried out for help and support of the Nigerian Government, saying they were ready to undergo any test for Ebola virus like other individuals before being granted visa by the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Enactus Office in Nigeria took up the matter and lodged complaints at the Enactus Headquarters in the United States of America, insisting the students are free of the dreaded disease and thus should be allowed to participate in the competition.

But, to the Enactus Country Director, Adesuwa Ifedi, all protests and suggestions to the Chinese Government were

to no avail.

“We have and however, will continue to protest to all levels and ask the relevant questions,” she said.

She, however, lamented: “This is indeed a sad reality as the Enactus Country Office along with the Enactus teams in Nigeria have invested a lot of resources in time, finances and emotions throughout the year in preparation and anticipation of the Enactus World Cup 2014.

“The Whole Enactus Nigeria network and partners are all equally disheartened by the unfortunate situation. Sadly, this will be the first time, since 2001, that Nigeria will not be participating at the Enactus World Cup. At the 2013 Enactus World Cup held in Cancun, Mexico, Nigeria placed third after Germany and United Kingdom.”

Responding to the development, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to shut down the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, saying all the Chinese businesses in the country must be made to suffer for what the home government did to the students and Nigeria in general.

In an exclusive interview with New Telegraph, the Southwest Coordinator of the student body, otherwise known as Zone

EKSU VC, Prof. Oladipo Aina

D, Ashefon Sunday, said he was already in Lagos to mobilise Nigerian students against what he described as an act of injustice.

The student leader also condemned the poor reaction of Nigerian Government to the issue, saying in spite of series of protest letters to the Presidency and other relevant offices, there was no response whether positive or negative.

Buttressing Ashefon’s position, the Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, condemned

what she described as the poor protection offered Nigerian citizens by their own government.

She said; “The development is outrageous and ridiculous. But what do you expect? China has been treating many Nigerians in China like dregs of the earth. So, as long as Nigeria continues to pay no attention to its citizens abroad, such discrimination will continue.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Governing Council of Ekiti State University and formerly Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, Prof. Akinjide

Osuntokun, described the development as unfortunate and unfair.

The don and Professor of History said all efforts made by the university to ensure that the students were granted the opportunity to travel yielded no fruitful result, insisting that while the reason of the Ebola scourge cited by the Chinese Government was not untrue, the fact of the country’s defence and the verdict by the World Health Organisation should have been enough for the Chinese government to rescind her decision.

But, to Ifedi, the matter should be looked beyond rejection based on Ebola scare, even as she noted that the University of Texas in the United States of America, where the EVD is currently on the rampage was allowed to take part in the challenge.

Dolapo, however said the Chinese Government’s action should be regarded as racism against African countries, adding that the Senegalese team was also denied the invitation letter to participate at the programme.

She blamed the development on the poor attitude of the Federal Government to issue concerning its citizens, arguing that if the country had sincerely identified its potentials and strengths and adequately highlighted them globally, China would not have treated Nigerians this way.

Ajasin varsity set for fifth graduation ceremony

l Varsity committed to impact students positively says VC

T

op government functionaries, led by the Visitor to the university and Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; members of the academia; captains of industry and traditional rulers will on November 1 converged on Akungba-Akoko main campus of the Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA), for the fifth graduation ceremony of the institution.

The two-week ceremony, billed for the Multipurpose Hall of the university, was flagged off yesterday with a press conference at the Council Chamber of the new Senate Building.

A statement by the university’s Information Unit said this will be followed by a keep-fit exercise on October 31, while friendly matches in various games between students of AAUA and Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), will hold

on November 1 at the University Sports Centre.

These, according to Akinpelumi Victor, would be followed by an exhibition on November 3 at the Students’ Relaxation Centre, while the interdenominational service will take place on November 4 at the Multipurpose Hall and the Jumat Service the same day at the AAUA Central Mosque.

The Convocation Play, Kurunmi, by Ola Rotimi will hold the same day.

Former Senate President, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu is expected to deliver the convocation lecture, entitled: “The Break Up of Nigeria: Myths, Realities and Implications,” and it will be chaired by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie on November 5 at the University Multipurpose Hall.

Similarly, the exhibition which kicked off on November 3 will close on

Mimiko

November 5, while the Graduands’ Cocktail will hold at the same day at the new Senate Building Piazza.

The ceremony will be climaxed on Thursday November 6 with the conferment of First Degrees on graduating students of the Faculties of Arts, Education, Science and the Institute of Education, as well as presentation of prizes at the Multipurpose Hall.

On Friday November

7, it will be the turn of the conferment of First Degrees on Graduating Students of the Faculties of Law, Social and Management Sciences and Institute of Part Time Programmes, as well as conferment of Postgraduate Diplomas, Higher Degrees, Honorary Degree and presentation of prizes at the same venue, while it will be followed by the convocation luncheon at the University Guest House.

In another development, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Femi Mimiko, has restated that the institution would continue to evolve policies and programmes that would ensure that students’ stay on the campus is memorable and impactful.

Mimiko disclosed this at the maiden edition of the university’s “Leave a Legacy programme,” organised by the University Advancement Office (UAO) for all the leaders of student associations and groups in the university.

He said: “Here at AUAA, we are commit-

ted to making your stay as students as exciting as possible. We want you to have positive experience as students so that when you graduate, you will be eager to give your university the type of support without which it will not survive.”

The Vice-Chancellor thanked the office, under its Acting Director, Prof.

Francis Oyebade, for the quality leadership it had demonstrated over the years in delivering on its mandate.

Mimiko, who lamented the dwindling state of proprietary funding to universities across the nation, said universities must begin to come up with creative ideas directed at expanding their revenue base in order to meet with their most crucial responsibilities.

“The future, at least as far as the Nigeria context is concerned, may not really belong to universities that will want to continue to sit back and wait for government to fund them completely,” he added.

Education 23

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Kayode Olanrewaju

T

he age-long dream of the people of Idado, Eleko, Badore, Igando and Debojo communities, a sleepy suburb in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State to have a modern and functional block of nursery school for their children, last week came to reality.

The Educational Co-operation Society (ECS), a non-governmental, educational organisation founded in 1974, as a charitable trust, handed the newly constructed block of two classrooms for the nursery school section, built at Fazil Omar Ahmadiyya Primary School, Idado to the community.

The block of classrooms with aluminum roofing, iron widows, flush doors, fans, terrazzo floor, nursery chairs and tables, modern toilet, teacher’s office and sick bay, was handed over amid fanfare to the Education Secretary of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Education Authority (LGEA).

The keys to the classroom block were handed over to the community at a ceremony which attracted the Chairman of Ibeju-Lekki LGA, Mr. Olorunkemi Surakat; LGEA Education Secretary, Alhaji Olatunde Talemu; Baale of Idado, Chief R. A. Balogun; Baale of Badore, Chief Y. Ogeye; the LGA NUT ViceChairman, Mrs. Sola Adenuga and the Head-Teacher of the school, Mr. Ben Oluyinka.

While handing over the block of building to the community, the General Manager of Educational Co-operation Society, Dr. Chudi Ihenacho, recalled that project came to reality through persistent invitation and call by the past school heads and leaders of the community on ECS to initiate a school project in the community.

“And once the opportunity came to implement rural development project these communities were first place of choice, not only for their persistent invitation but because a good recommendation from the Pan-Atlantic University, which main campus is being developed within the Local Government Area.

The university foundation is closely related to ECS,” he said.

According to Ihenacho, on arrival at this school in 2013, the Soci-

ECS boosts pupils’ learning, donates classroom block

NUC grants UK agency licence to offer entrepreneurial skills Mojeed Alabi

T

Members of the community and officials of the society during the handing over of the building

ety met only two functional school blocks of six classrooms, for the entire population of pupils in this school.

But, with the intervention of Coca-Cola and the ECS project, the school today is wearing a facelift and could boast of more than adequate school buildings and classrooms.

Ihenacho said the project was executed in partnership with Asociación Zabaketa, and funding from the Diputación Foral de Bizkaia, an equivalent of a local government in Spain.

While recalling that the school project is the second one after that of Adeba community also in the Local Government Area, he said it was carried out the project, with the involvement of the Community Development Forum (CDF) raised by the Society, comprising the community leaders.

He said this was done in order to avail the community members to participate in development efforts in their respective communities.

The Council Chairman, Surakat, whom attributed the implementation of the project to the dedication of the Society, expressed the Lagos State Government gratitude to ECS for the gesture and collaboration, as well as for boosting the children’s

education.

Surakat, while noting that the government alone could not meet all the educational needs of the people, urged other NGOs, corporate organisations and well-meaning individuals to emulate the ECS’s gesture in putting smiles to the faces of the children.

The Chairman, who expressed delight over the school project and described education as the bedrock of development, said more facilities are needed to meet the ever increasing enrolment in the schools.

He praised ECS, saying: “There are no enough facilities in the school and the organisation has come to compliment the government’s efforts. We enjoin other organisations to support us with more facilities to make learning easy for our children in a more congenial environment.”

While inspecting the project, the Chairman, therefore, appealed to members of the community and teachers to ensure proper maintenance of the facilities.

The Education Secretary, Alhaji Olatunde, who said history was being created with the inauguration of the school project, thanked the Society and urged the community to properly maintain the facilities, in order to encourage the donor to do more.

he National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted operating licence to the United Kingdom-based Association of Business Executives (ABE) to offer entrepreneurial programmes in partnership with some selected universities in Nigeria.

The initiative is part of steps towards making Nigerian universities builders of business owners or entrepreneurs and not job seekers, as well as reduced the unemployment rate in the country.

This was contained in a press release

by ABE’s African Regional Director, Viktoria Gal, which quoted the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie’s letter of acceptance of the regulatory body on the organisation’s request to run entrepreneurial programmes in the nation’s universities.

He wrote: “In a letter of October 2, 2014 and signed by Professor Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary of NUC and addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Business Executives, Mr. John Goldup, it conveyed the endorsement and formal approval of the Commission to ABE’s request to partner with NUC to promote entrepreneurial education in Nigerian universities.

“The NUC said the approval was given in consideration of ABE’s pedigree as a reputable international organisation and professional body, and that it wishes to convey its formal approval of the proposed ABE international certification programme for delivery in Nigerian universities.”

Gal revealed that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would take place at the Annual Nigerian Universities Entrepreneurship Week (ANEW), which is scheduled to hold between November 17 and 23, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

He added: “The event will attract a powerful delegation of ABE United Kingdom to be led by its Founding Chairman, Mr. Lyndon Jones, who will deliver the colloquium dinner speech.”

The director further explained that ABE is recognised as an awarding body by the UK Government’s regulator, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), as well as equivalent bodies worldwide.

Ondo students visit governor over challenges Hammed Muritala UNILORIN

P

iqued by the challenges facing them in the course of their studies, the leadership of the National Association of Ondo State Students (NAOSS), University of Ilorin chapter has visited the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko on how to address the challenges.

According to the students, the visit which was part of efforts to engage the state government on some of the challenges facing them, and to also applaud the governor for some of the state government’s initiatives in the education sector.

The students, led by their President, Falusi Fisayo, were received at the Government House by the Senior Special Assistant on Students and Youth Affairs to the Governor, Mr. Olumuyiwa Asagunla.

Falusi also noted that the pur-

pose of the visit was to familiarize the association with the governor and felicitate with him on the conferment of National Honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by President Goodluck Jonathan last month.

He said: “We also want to use the opportunity of this visit to present to His Excellency, one of our own, Damilola Samuel, a native of Ilaje Local Government Area of the state, who has distinguished himself academically and uplifted the image of the state through his sterling performance as the best and only First Class graduating student from the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management at the university.”

Meanwhile, the NAOSS President urged the state government to reward the outstanding academic performance of Damilola, saying: “We will forever be grateful if his academic proficiency can be rewarded and gainfully put into use by the state government.”

Asagunla (middle) flanked by the student leaders

Asagunla, while responding expressed delight over the students’ visit, and promised to convey their request to the governor, whom he described as a father, mentor and lover of students, who would be

glad to empower Damilola, the First Class graduate.

The highlight of the visit was the presentation of the association’s souvenirs to the Senior Special Assistant.

24

Education | Interview

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Govt yet to prioritise technical and vocational education, says LASTVEB boss

Gasper

Former Rector of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Mr. Olawumi Anthony Gasper, an engineer, is the Executive Secretary of Lagos State Technical and Vocational Board (LASTVEB). He speaks with KAYODE OLANREWAJU about the slow pace of technical and vocational education (TVE), challenges and the way forward, among other sundry issues.

Fifty-Four years of independence, could we say the country and Lagos State in particular have got it right in technical education development?

The answer is no. I am sure we have not. Unfortunately, we have not tinkered on the idea on how to place technical and vocational education in the front burner, or considered it as a priority in the scheme of education development in the country.

That is for industrial development, economic growth and empowerment of the youth. Technical and vocational education has not played a critical role in nation building. For Nigeria, as a nation in 54 years of independence, some states could not boast of two or three well-developed, functional and adequately-equipped technical colleges for the training of technicians and artisans for the country aspiring for industrial development. I want to say with all modesty that in the country today, some states have no budget for technical and vocational education, not to talk of placing technical education in the scheme of their education development.

Besides, let us look at the societal perception for technical and vocational education. One thing is obvious and until this is changed we may have a long way to go in the area of technical and vocational education.

What I am saying is that the society and parents’ perception in terms of technical education is skewed towards university education in all ramifications. Nigeria is a country, which is worshipping and believes so strongly in certificates. Of course,

there is no nation or people with such skewed approach to certification qualification as we have developed.

Of course, no country with such approach for certification and has shown no concern or seriousness for industrial development through the development of technical education will be able to grow its industry and create employment opportunities for its youths.

Again, the industrial sector too, which is the frontline employers of the products of technical colleges have not also demonstrated enough commitment towards the training of technical college graduates that will eventually provide services to the industries and companies. So, I can say that it is still a long way for the 54-year-old Nigeria in the area of technical and vocational education development.

In Lagos State, where you superintend over technical and vocation education sub-sector, what efforts have so far been put in place to ensure that the sub-sector is developed?

First and foremost, what we have done which is highly commendable, and which we give credit to the current administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola, is the reforms carried out on Technical and Vocational Education (TVE). For instance, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education (LASTVEB) identified that technical and vocational education must be industrydriven and we realised that there is no way by which the government alone could drive technical educa-

tion. Besides, we realise that the products of the technical colleges are going to the work place. So, the state government through LASTVEB set up a Technical and Vocational Education Advisory Committee made up of industry people. The first thing the committee did was to come up with industry-based curriculum.

That is, the kind of curriculum that would soothe their various businesses and enterprises alongside the national curriculum for technical and vocational education. Under this, we have what I will refer to as the Highbury Curriculum in Lagos State. Also, we have the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) curriculum and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) curriculum, while we also have a curriculum or scheme of guide designed by the industry people to fill the gaps in the national curricula, especially those areas which they want us to emphasise in our training mode.

For instance, in the area of electronics, you will be surprised that the emphasis of the industry practitioners and businesses is in the area of soldering.

Apart from setting up the advisory committee, getting close to the industry and allowing the industry to be relevant in our scheme of work, we also carried out major rehabilitation of all the Lagos State technical colleges. This was done to give

One thing is obvious and until this is changed we may have a long way to go in the area of technical and vocational education

the colleges a facelift in order to attract support readily from corporate organisations and people who are ready to support our initiatives.

Besides, we went on to look at our teachers and we commenced what we described as the Teachers Industrial Work Experience Scheme (TIWES), under which in every long vacation for about three months our teachers are sent to relevant industries for work exposure. And, at the end of the day, the products of such exposure are brought to the colleges to train the students.

More importantly, one key thing LASTVEB did is to send our teachers on overseas training or courses regularly to appreciate what happens in other climes where technical and vocational education are functional.

We also infused entrepreneurship education into our curriculum and it has since become even compulsory for our students to go through entrepreneurship education while in the college. This is done so that the skills acquired by them could be translated to money by the time they begin to put into practice the acquired technical education values.

This entrepreneurship education is what culminated to what we refer to as the Lagos State Enterprise Day, where our students are rewarded for developing project proposals.

Let me add here that we have also carried out a lot of work in the area of graduate development in the state.

We discovered that we have a lot of graduates on our streets, and with no appreciable skills despite their certificates. Indeed, because of this we commenced the Graduate Vocational Employment Skill Training.

This training is targeted on graduates that have undertaken the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. This scheme has turned out to be a huge success for us because all graduates who went through the training scheme are today gainfully engaged. The first set comprises the employability skills training which has to do with the rudiments of communication, personal relationship, team building, enterprise education and people-sought after skills that have been identified.

The second aspect is the vocational skills training. Here irrespective of the graduates’ disciplines, whether English, Economics or Languages, History, Journalism, if such graduates are passionate about a particular vocation he or she will be trained CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

Education | Interview

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

CONTINUED FROM PAG E 24

on it. I want to reiterate here that it has been a huge success.

What is the level of enrolment in the technical colleges in the last few years, and what would you say is the attraction?

Of course, the enrolment figure in our technical colleges has been remarkable. We have secured over 150 per cent enrolment from 2010 to 2014. And, to me, it is quite and worthy of studying to really find out what has transpired within this short period that informed this trend.

That is, the interest and leap in technical and vocational education among the youth in Lagos State. We can attribute this to several reasons, which are not limited to, first, the rehabilitation of our technical colleges. Today, we have recorded increasing enrolment with over 3,000 students in some of our colleges, while in some of the colleges we could boast of 2,500 and 1,800 students in others. What this means is that there is the urgent need for additional technical colleges in Lagos State. Currently, we have five but it is our plan to have at least 20 technical colleges to meet the needs of aspiring students. I think we will get there, giving the tremendous support LASTVEB is getting from this administration towards the development of technical and vocational education. This is needed so that we can take technical education close to the young boys and girls for them to acquire skills for the world of work. ..Technical schools were originally set up to feed polytechnic education, but at a stage in the nation’s life, such purpose seems to have been jettisoned. What would you suggest to the state and federal government to further develop the TVE sub-sector?

Yes, it was not a bad initiative or plan initially, that technical education should feed polytechnic institutions. I think the initiative is still predominantly on course because we have more of graduates of technical colleges, who have not found themselves in the industries and world of works, and those who do not go into entrepreneurship, who go to the polytechnics while some to the universities to further their education. The final examina-

Gasper

tion and terminal examination for technical college, which is NABTEB, is accepted by the universities and polytechnics. So, we have a lot of our graduates in the polytechnic system, and which makes it better because that is the trend and the way it is supposed to be. This is because technical colleges are the whet ground for our graduates to move to polytechnics to have more academic courses which will be an advantage as they move on most especially in the area of innovation for them to know both the theory and practical of engineering. I think we should really work hard to ensure that we get many of our young boys and girls into vocational education. Like I mentioned earlier, for any country to be industrialised there is need for crop of skilled manpower and the need to build capacity. Of course, we need to build this urgently to meet the needs of industrialisation. If, truly Nigeria has one of the strongest economies in Africa, the country is expected to attract investors, and when it attracts investors, definitely it will attract industries. And indeed, while attracting industries, there must be enough local capacity to support the industries.

Today, we have recorded increasing enrolment with over 3,000 students in some of our colleges

What then could the Federal Gov-

ernment do to elevate technical and vocational education and develop local capacity for the industrial sector?

Well, it is a matter of making the sub-sector a priority in terms of motivating the youth of this country to have interest in technical and vocational education. It is all about motivating the young boys and girls to see the relevance of TVE. I want to emphasise here that we can’t force any young man to choose a direction or profession. But we can always sensitise and encourage him on a particular direction. For a young man, that is the sure best way out.

What do I mean? The government should make technical colleges more attractive by rehabilitating them, recruit qualified and professional teachers, provide modern equipment in the colleges and make the colleges functional and workable. Once the youths see that things are working in the college and that they are getting jobs as they come out of the colleges; and because they are not on the job queue and they have a career path, they will be attracted and we will have a large number of young ones in the system. That is what operates in other part of the world.

In Brazil for instance, technical and vocational education

25

is the first choice of any young man. If you go to Germany or Europe, that is the trend; technical education is the first choice of any young man because it has its advantages. The fact is that as students of technical and vocational system, they are entitled to little allowances, and when they don’t get any allowance, they already have one or two skills that will earn them income which the normal secondary school students do not have. With such skills, such students could earn some money even during long vacations. That also makes it attractive. The government at all levels has to make TVE attractive by making available certain allowances to the young boys and girls who decide to go into technical and vocational education system.

I could still remember vividly that such was done at a time in this country for students in teacher training colleges and those in the school of nursing. By and large, we can introduce this for technical and vocational education system students because they are needed to drive the industry. The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) is there with a lot of funds and that is the kind of programme I believe could support the TVE to motivate the students.

I strongly believe that we can drive young people into TVE if they are well motivated.

What are the challenges facing technical and vocational education development?

They are numerous challenges confronting the system. One of the few things I keep telling stakeholders is the fact that we need the support of the government.

But, apart from this, industry must be at the forefront because technical and vocational education of all systems of education is the one that cannot be driven by the government. The government can only support it, but industry must be at the forefront and that is where industry partnership comes in. Besides, we need to invest a lot in changing the orientation and training of our teachers. The present crops of teachers we have are not the ones that can drive the system. For technical and vocational education subsector, the teachers must mainly from the industry. That is, those who have spent sometimes in the industry and did some pedagogy.

Poly students send SOS to Jonathan over ASUP strike Emeka Onwudinjo UNIZIK

A

s the three months ultimatum given to the Federal Government by members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and Collages of Education Academic Staff Union (COAESU) to meet their demands expires, polytechnic students under the aegis of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) have pleaded with the unions to extend the ultimatum by another eight weeks.

This was even as NAPS insisted that this would

enable the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the looming industrial action.

The students appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to as a matter of urgency wade into the issue, while lamenting that the strike would result to a complete loss of an academic year.

They threatened that the association would resort to protest to vent their frustration if in the next three weeks no meaningful intervention is made

by Federal Government to completely avert the resumption of the strike by ASUP and COEASU.

Shekarau

NAPS Senate President, Salahuddeen Lukman noted that any move to “disengage” students from classrooms would attract disruption of economic and national activities in the country, regret-

ting that the last strike resulted to complete loss of a whole academic session, in which most of institutions were yet to recover from.

He said: “The inconsistent of the Federal Ministry of Education and other agencies of the government to respond to the demands of the lecturers is wearisome, especially the Education Minister, Mallam Ibrahim Sekarau, whom the union honoured on assumption of office by suspending their almost 12-month strike.

“The epileptic response approach adopted by the

Minister to completely end the ASUP/COESU strike as he promised to do within the last three months in office is about to cause us another career delay, which may truncate President Jonathan’s reelection in 2015.”

He, however, implored the entire Nigerian students to remain calm and optimistic that the Federal Government would wade in to avert the strike.

Meanwhile, the association lauded the President Goodluck Jonathan on his transformation agenda and implored him to listen to the cry of the polytechnic students.

26

Education

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Adeyemi College stands still for new provost Babatope Okeowo Akure

F

or the first time since it was established over 50 years ago, an alumnus of Adeyemi College of Education (ACE), Ondo has been named as the Provost of the institution.

He is Prof Olukoya Ogen, who replaced Prof. Idowu Adeyemi, who tenure expired few months ago, and the Deputy Provost, Dr. Olufemi Olajuyigbe, who has since been appointed the Provost in acting capacity.

Ogen, who was accompanied to the campus last week while assuming office by members of the alumni association of the institution, was ushered into the campus with a prayer session at the Council Chamber, as well as the Provost office located at the administrative complex.

As part of activities marking his assumption of office, the provost embarked on inspection visit of some of the facilities and classrooms which he used while he was a student of the college some decades ago. Some of the facilities visited included the halls of residence (Olunloyo and Wande), lecture halls, offices and the History Department where he graduated.

In a meeting with members of the college’s alumni association, where he attributed his appointment to act of God, he noted that his new position would enable him to plough back to the college what he gained as a student.

He challenged the association to show more interest in the institution by joining

hands with him in the task of restoring the old glory of the institution, while reiterating his administration’s determination to move the college forward.

Ogen, who explained that his administration would introduce a five-year strategic plan that would position the college to attain an enviable heights, appealed for support from staff, students and members of the host community in the task of promoting its rapid development.

“Once we have a shared vision, we would be able to achieve our goals of transforming our great college,” he said.

At the prayer session and praise worship to usher the new Provost to the college were principal officers of the college, including the Deputy Provost, Dr. Olufemi Olajiyugbe; Registrar, Mr. Felix Aderinboye; Librarian, Dr. Rotimi Egunjobi and the Bursar, Mr. Ganiyu Abdul.

Ogen, a Professor of History at Osun State University (UNIOSUN), is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow to the Department of African Studies and Anthropology, University of Birmingham (2012-17).

He holds a PhD in History from the University of Lagos, and a Certificate in Trade, Growth and Poverty from the World Bank Institute, Washington D.C. He was a Leventis Scholar at SOAS, University of London in 2008, a British Academy Visiting Fellow at the University of Birmingham in 2009, a CWAS Visiting Fellow in 2010, and an American Council of Learned Societies (AHP) Postdoctoral Fellow in 2011. He was also a Guest Researcher at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone in 2011.

Ogen (third left) with other principal officers of the college

Advocacy group member relives attacks on family Biodun Oyeleye ILORIN

T

he Coordinator of One GAME Project Development, a non-governmental organisation campaigning and advocating unfettered access to western education for children in Borno State, Agafi Kunduli has relived his experience in the hand of the Boko Haram insurgents.

Kunduli, who recalled the attack unleashed on his family home and property, said: “I was left devastated and confused for a long time after Boko Haram insurgents invaded our family compound and burnt down a 12-room shop belonging to my family, presumably as retribution against my working with 1 GAME for education advocacy.

A statement by the non-governmental organisation, which was made available to New Telegraph, quoted Kunduli as expressing his feelings when he spoke

to education activists in Abuja that the attack carried out in December 2012 in Maiduguri, was a “huge disaster” for him and his family members, and which left every member of the family in great shock for several weeks.

Kunduli said: “I had just joined 1 GAME campaign and started the advocacy with Philip Obaji, founder of the organisation when the attack took place.

My family lost all what it had laboured for so long to build. It was painful. I was scared afterwards. I thought the militants would come after me. And, because of this we all decided to run away from Maiduguri. My father ran to Gombe, while my brother and I ran to Abuja.

At that point I gave up trying to engage in any advocacy to change the position of education and create access to education in Borno State.

“While this was going on, Obaji called me, saying: “Before you finally quit, I want you to answer one question. What is going to happen to those Almajiri boys in Borno State?”

EDUPEACE

with Mahfouz A. Adedimeji (08066372516, sms only)  Dr Adedimeji is a Senior Lecturer and Director, Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, Unilorin

Ahimsa as Nigeria’s panacea

O

ne of the most influential men the world has ever produced was Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi, the father of modern India. His life and thought were the quintessence of peace and non-violence even in the face of provocation.

It was therefore not surprising that his name came up again during a recent study in nonviolent communication, part of which was presented to the Nigerian Medical Students Association (NIMSA) at the College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin.

Marshall Rosenberg, who developed Nonviolent Communication, was influenced by Gandhi. Ghandi himself was influenced by the much misunderstood Prophet Muhammad, as the former stated in an article he wrote in “The Young India” of 1924.

Worried by the disruptive conflicts that ravage the mutually antagonistic dozens of various unions in the health sector, the thoughtful students organised a Workshop on Conflict Resolution and Peace building in collaboration with the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin.

The students wanted to be equipped with the appropriate skills of dealing with co-health workers in such a way that there would healthy relationships among the various stakeholders. The authorities of the college were so impressed that the Provost, Prof. A. W. R. Johnson and other lecturers and consultants, including a Professor of Peadiatrics and Child Health, Olugbenga Mokuolu, attended the workshop.

As part of my presentation on “Promoting Peace and Preventing Conflict: Nonviolent Communication as a Paradigm”, the name of Gandhi’s name surfaced through his concept of “Ahimsa”, a potent panacea for Nigeria’s ills.

Ahimsa is simply defined as “the overflowing love that arises when illwill, anger and hate have subsided from the heart”.

It is a Sanskrit word that basically means “cause no injury, do no harm”, a tenet of major Indian and virtually all religions.

Despite our pretences evident in our many anachronisms, including “men of God” who are agents of Lucifer, what

It is the lack of “ahimsa” that makes Nigerians kill one another with impunity defines many Nigerians is “himsa” (i.e. injury or harm”) which “ahimsa” negates through the prefix “a”. In other words, we are neck-deep in causing ourselves harm and injury.

As Nigerians, we are inter-connected and interdependent in such a way that our survival depends on one another, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba and all.

As it is possible to pass through school without recording any failure if one sets oneself doggedly to it, it is also possible to pass through life without intentionally causing anyone injury or harm if we commit ourselves to it by banishing resentment from our hearts and making love to overflow, to even reach our detractors and those we perceive as our enemies.

It is the lack of “ahimsa” that makes Nigerians kill one another with impunity. It is lack of ahimsa, which unfortunately has deep roots in the netizens whose values and taste are constructed by the social media, not by their ever-busy parents, that is our major problem.

As the late Madiba, Tata Nelson Rolihlalah Mandela said, “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” Those who want to destroy others ultimately end up destroying themselves.

Ahimsa is all about love and Nigerians need to love one another regardless of their religious, ethnic and political affiliations. The fundamental teaching of all religious is ahimsa or love for all as fellow travellers in the journey of life.

There is unity in diversity and there is convergence in our seeming divergence.

This convergence is evident in the same message we have in many religions.

For instance, in Buddism, it is stated, “Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful” (Udana-Varga 5:18) whereas in Judaism, it is clearly expressed, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

27

The Mega City ...for the love of Lagos

MEGA CITY EVENT

MY CITY, MY WORLD (Willaims)

LIFE IN THE CITY

The commissioning of The Lilygate Hotel

Life outside Lagos is no life

Idi-Araba begs for attention

One of the deplorable roads

Ijegemo: A community on the verge of extinction Founded in 1618, it is rightly expected that by now, the agrarian community would have transformed into a brimful, but delightful haven for all and sundry. But by the turn of the 21st Century, Ijegemo remains a sprawling town, whose landmass is sprouted with a legion of trees and swamps as ELIJAH SAMUEL found out.

I

jegemo is an ancient Awori Town.

It is located on the western flank of the Centre of Excellence. It is a community bordered by FESTAC Town, Iba, Obadoore, Ijegun and Ijedodo. Yet, it is a far preclusion from the glitz and magnificence that radiates across the state’s municipalities.

Ijegemo has effectively been cut off from the rest of the state as the only access road into community, which over the decades, has been left in utter dilapidation is now an undulated path, replete with streams and fissures. Cars are parked at kilometres away from owners’ homes; students embark on long trek to and fro schools in other distant communities where such facilities are available; many residents have relocated elsewhere as they can no longer endure the tortuous residency in the community. Ijegun - Ijegemo Road typifies the agonies and sorrows of a people, whose collective socio-economic life has been left to perpetual threat.

A few residents of the beleaguered community reeled off their predica-

OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI CO-ORDINATOR

tosin.omoniyi@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

ment and disappointment when New Telegraph visited.

Olagbolahan Soetan, a human rights activist, who has resided in the community for over a decade, lamented the underdevelopment that bestrides socioeconomic life of the Ijegemo community.

“The development here at Ijegemo is at zero level. Some time ago, when I was going to Obadore, and I passed through the water. As I was going through the water, I thank God for His mercies: just imagine if someone who has Ebola infection lives or passes through the water, the whole community definitely will have it because nobody comes in and goes out without passing through the water.

“The residents under the Ijegemo Forum, in the recent time made effort to bring the community’s plight to the authorities’ attention. All we could get was promise to look into the road construction into this area as soon as the IjegunIsolo Road has been completed. That was a promise. We can only pray and hope that God will touch them to fulfill the promise.

“The way this place has been abandoned over the years, you wonder whether the people living here are humans or monkeys in the jungle. Although the road is a state’s road, the Iba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) under Ojo Local Government Area, which is saddled with the administration of the community, seemingly is helpless.

“The last effort made by the LCDA was about three years ago, when they tried to fill the roads with gravels. This only brought little relief. Since there is still rain, we are

waiting for them when the rain is over.

“Apart from the Local Authority Primary School and the health centre that have long been in existence here, there is no government’s presence in this community. Because of the way the community is, there are no adequate personnel to work in these places. Can you believe that as big as this community is, most of our children wade through several streams of water to go to school even in as far places as Ijegun,” Soetan said.

He added: “The economic activities of Ijegemo are comatose. The only business that you find around is a handful of private schools. The reason for this been that there is a short fall in provision of adequate schools to cater for the children in this community. There is no other viable business here”.

With a mind to find an accelerated solution to Ijegemo’s plight, Soetan noted that the community and the leadership must close ranks and resolve their differences in order to pursue their interest on a viable and united platform.

“The community and the community leaders should close rank on the Baaleship tussle between the two contending parties; the Balogun and the Ajakaiye families. This will go a long way in speeding up development in this area by having a common front and a leader to lead a formidable agitation for development. But the way Ijegemo leadership is presently constituted, it is difficult to pin anybody to any responsibility,” Soetan advised.

Chief AbdulAkeem Babatunde Balogun, a community leader, while bemoaning the deplorable condition of the socio-economic life in Ijegemo since its foundation, condemned the seeming deceit that has characterised relations between politicians and resiCONTINUED ON PAGE 28

‘Collapsed building-free Lagos is possible, if...’

Muritala Ayinla General Manager of the LaTcy,he gos Building and Control AgenLASBCA, Mrs Abimbola Ani-

mashaun has said that the incidences of building collapse in the state could possibly be minimized, if all the residents could cooperate with government by promptly reporting defective and distressed buildings to the government.

Animashaun, who also lamented the rate at which owners of building under construction, unlawfully reopen their building premises sealed off by government for flouting building regulations and approval, said the only way to eradicate or minimise building collapse incidents, is when residents refuse to keep quiet whenever they observe such buildings in their areas.

Speaking with New Telegraph, the LSBCA boss also decried how owners of properties sealed by government for flouting building regulation break the government’s seal and continue their building with impunity.

She said some tenants keep mum whenever their landlords embark on illegal construction or amendment on defective building, saying such attitude contributes to incidences of building collapse cases recorded in the state.

While urging residents to inform government on the defective buildings and those ones under construction in their areas, Animashaun said that residents don’t call the toll free lines made available by the government.

28

News | Mega City

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Idi-Araba cries for help Idi-Araba is a very well known community and the mention of the name evokes mixed feelings. Its popularity, which is not in doubt, transcends far and wide; there’s hardly anyone in Lagos, who has not either, taken a voyage there to seek medical solution and wellbeing to their infirmities, or on a benevolent visit to the healthchallenged relatives or friends. But residents of the community are in pains. ELIJAH SAMUEL visited the community.

T

he name Idi-Araba, came to stay through the preponderant references being made by the people to the area of relaxation.

According to Chief Lateef Odubiyi, one of the descendants of the early settlers, and a scion of one of the two ruling houses, “the area around Lagos University Teaching hospital (LUTH) in those days had many wide trees under which “our fathers relaxed. What is known as Idi-Araba today was known as Imegbon land, which was first settled and inhabited by the Gbonyin and Okoya families, the Hausas are visitors who came to this area much later”.

The population explosion of the area, however, began from the era when the gospel of “3 Rs”: reconstruction, reintegration and rehabilitation was being propagated by the Federal Government of Nigeria in order to ameliorate the smouldering ruins that were the testimonials of the civil war that almost dismembered the country. Thus, the postwar rebuilding project saw the influx of the Hausa-Fulani into the community.

Bounded all around by opulent residential communities like Surulere and Ilasamaja, and exquisite public facilities like LUTH and College of Medicine of University of Lagos, its rudimentary socio-infrastructural ambience is distasteful and only fit for urgent regenerative intervention by the government and stakeholders alike.

Disregarding whatever dichotomous tendencies with them, the residents not only rose in unison to lament their despicable socio-economic confinement, they passionately demand the generous intervention of the government in the provision of basic amenities that will enhance their living standard.

Alhaji Ali Ibrahim Bebeji, the Waziri of Idi-Araba, captured the residents’ misgiving in unequivocal terms.

“This place was a bush when I came to this place about 45 years ago.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

dents.

“Ijegemo was founded in 1618. Ijegemo is not developing; Nigeria as a whole is not developing. It is a shame for those who left their states in the southwest Nigeria to live here, and tell people that they are living in Lagos.

“The elected representatives have made no contribution to the development of Ijegemo. Each time, they come and canvass for our votes; after they get the votes, they go back to become ‘air-conditioner officers’. Where are the persons representing us at the local government and at the state house of assembly? The last time they came here was when they were campaigning.

“We are not supposed to be making noise in the media when we have representatives, but where is the representa-

Right from then till now, development has been through individual effort of residents. Not much has been done to develop this area by the government.

“We don’t have good market; there is no drainage, the sanitary condition in IdiAraba is very poor. Except the canal that borders Idi-Araba in the south and the Ishaga Road constructed by Fashola’s government, which runs through this community, there is nothing one can point to that is development from the government.

“During elections, they would come here and promise everything but nothing is done. We have tried to remind them but they always make empty promises.

“Even the local government chairman, Hon. Babatunde Adepitan, a former teacher here in Idi-Araba, had been visited many times. But he has not heeded our plea to do anything about the development of this place.

“Nobody is promoting the interest of Idi-Araba in anyway. The lady, one Hon. Feyi that was voted as councillor for the area has absconded since the day she was sworn in and has never done anything to this area. This time around, we will ensure that it is one of our own that is voted to represent us effectively and gainfully.

In addition, the Baale of Idi-Araba, Chief Lukmon Taiwo Odubiyi, in company with a retinue of members of the Idi-Araba Chieftaincy Council, lent voice to the outcry on the deplorable lot of the community.

“Basic amenities that could have fast-tracked development are lacking in Idi-Araba. If there are good drainages and tarred roads, prospective investors will be motivated to come and contribute to the socio-economic development of the community,” said the Baale.

Another member, Chief Lateef Odubiyi, said: “In spite of the revenue accruing to the coffers of Mushin Local Government, it has jettisoned its responsibilities to this community. We have

A filthy landscape of Idi-Araba

really made effort to reach out to them concerning the deplorable situation of Idi-Araba to no avail. The few infrastructural facilities that we have here were the intervention of the state government.

Yet, Chief Hassan Akowonjo, another member of the chieftaincy council, lamented the politicization of development process in the local government.

He said: “The local government administration should indiscriminately serve the interests of the people at the grassroots because it’s the closest to the people. But what you find is the politicization of developmental projects in this local government; once they discover that their members are not in a particular place, they leave that area out of developmental projects”.

Hon. Mustapha Mohammed Babatunde, a youth leader in the community, is a former Special Adviser on Legislative Matters in Mushin Local Government from 2008- 2011. While lamenting the absence of some basic amenities, he nonetheless categorized development; but appreciated some infrastructural developments spearheaded by the state government.

“Previously, there wasn’t much development until in the recent years when we witnessed a few developments. It was during Fashola’s regime that this community had some visible transformations like the Ishaga Road construction and the canal carriageway that runs behind the community.

Before these came, Senator Ganiyu Solomon had given us a borehole, which is greatly beneficial to the people.

“But with the way the community is, we need more infrastructure and facilities. For instance, we need drainages that will help channel water into the canal: during the rains, the entire terrain here is a no-go area.

“We intend to write the Community Development Association (CDA), so that our needs can be highlighted; that they (CDA) can do onward presentation of our needs to the local government. The local government may listen to them. We have also told the people to cultivate good hygiene by ensuring that they keep the drainages and environment clean and safe for healthy living.”

Bebeji appealed: “Lagos State has benefited from the peace that now reigns in Idi-Araba. They are happy about this development but there is nothing we get in return for this. We need to build on the gain of this peaceful atmosphere by making everybody productively engaged because the idle hand is the devil’s workshop.

“Now, we need efficient sanitation structure; we need a health centre for our people; we lack good roads and drainages; and we want small scale industries to be established so that our unemployed youths, some of who are graduates, can be productively engaged. By this, they will leave responsibly and eschew social vices.”

Besides, the Baale of Idi-Araba added that “the streets should be provided with streets lights. This will enhance security of the neighbourhood”.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Ijegemo: A community on the verge of extinction tion? It is very disheartening that our community is completely cut off from the rest of the world during every raining season. This has placed a lot of agony on our people.”

Counting the pains and agony, Balogun said “If there is a robbery case here and you call police, how will they get to this place? The underdevelopment in Ijegemo has affected everything in this place: the buying and selling is tough; Okada operators cannot enter this community not to talk of vehicles. In case there is an emergency to take someone to the hospital, there is no way that person can be helped: there is no vehicle that can come into this place presently. We have lost two pregnant women because there is no accessible road. This saddens the mind.

“As close as we are to our LCDA, yet we are very far.

You can imagine if someone in Ijegemo is given an appointment to work in Iba, what will be left for the person at the end of the month after deducting the transport cost? The distance to get to Iba is tortuous because there is no link-road.”

Now that the elections are around the corner, characteristically, it is expected that the absconded political office holders will come again asking for votes from their abandoned constituencies. What are those things that they will be reminded to do in the abandoned community?

“We will vote. But with the way things are, we know what to do with our votes,” Balogun responded.

Another deplorable road in Ijegemo community

Life | In The City

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

29

Local Government watch

Changing face of Amuwo Odofin A peaceful community is, no doubt, a pride to the inhabitants, mostly when there’s social amenities such as security, good roads, health care, water, recreational centres, among many others. Amuwo Odofin was once like this in the past. A centre of attraction, but something went wrong.

In this piece, the second in the series on local governments, MOSES KADIRI, visited Amuwo Odofin Local Government.

Y

ou do not need to enter Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, FESTAC Town, before an individual could get the gist of how it was in the 90’s. The name alone commands attraction; it was a theatre of dreams for Lagosians.

Many wished to not only own a flat in either FESTAC or in Mile 2 because of its uniqueness, and the way it was planned.

Beautiful landscapes, lovely architectural works on a sprawling land; well paved foot path for pedestrian, dual carriage roads, enhanced flowers scattered within the vicinity, recreational grounds, central drainage system and street lights. Indeed it was a dream land.

But along the line, things started falling apart like a pack of cards; the local government that was once a dreamer’s heaven became a shattered dream; it lacked that drive for attention as days goes by. But succour came through Comrade Ayodele Adewale, the local government chairman, who is giving the community a new lease of life.

When Mega City visited the local government, luxury structures of various sizes adoreed the vicinity. The secretariat complex is wearing a new look. The offices within the complex show that the chairman who bagged the World Mayor title in 2012 for his contribution to the development of his community, has eyes for aesthetics; it boast of the state-of-the-art equipment, ranging from CCTV cameras, computers, functional air conditioners, waste disposal bin, among many others.

Some of the projects in the community have been completed, while others are in advanced stage Mrs. Chibuzor Patrick has been living in Amuwo Odofin Local Government in the last 15 years.

She disclosed that things are working in the local

government. “I have been living in FESTAC Town for the past 15 years. Festac for instance, has its own class and panache format that no matter the class you belong to, you must find your level.

Some people have been living in Festac and do not cross Mile 2 year-to-year because everything they ever needed is in Amuwo from church, to school, to work, market, and hospital,” she said.

But within the last six years succour came the way of the once pride of Lagos. “The roads that were left undone, sewages that were blocked were visited by Comrade Ayodele Adewale, the Local Government boss. He started restoring FESTAC to its former glory, through the infrastructure, roads, street lights, motivating and encouraging the youths, renovating of dilapidated schools, transforming the council, providing vehicle and equipment for proper environmental sanitation. The Amuwo Odofin of now under Adewale has improved tremendously,”Patrick said. She declares that the local government is now accessible. “I prefer Amuwo Odofin Local Government because it is neat and decent; it is now accessible; the social life is accurate, it is blessed with multiple talented people both young and old and has produced the best musicians in Nigeria. It is the final succour for movie productions. The structures are very standard.”

The local government chairman, Adewale noted that in the last six years, his administration has contributed to making the local government one of the best in the state. He reveals that he recently commissioned Block B of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Primary Health Care Centre, Abule Ado; A block of classroom at UPE Pri-

A vibrating roller machine working on one of the roads earmarked for rehabilitation by Adewale,

Despite all, we have remained resolute in the pursuit of credible governance.

And in all of our dealings, we have been guided by a propeople’s agenda to maximize our resources and opportunities and bring about the greatest good to the greatest number of our people

mary School, 3rd Avenue, Festac Town, Issuance of certificates to 200 NIIT youth graduates, distribution of poverty alleviation items and distribution of 7,000 school bags.

“This is not only a vivid reflection of the commitment of this administration to delivering the dividends of democracy to the governed, but also a confirmation that this government recognizes the expectations of the good people of Amuwo Odofin and is always ready to address them.”

He emphasized that these achievements have not come without daunting challenges. “This is due to a lot of factors like the meagre statutory allocation from the Federal Government, and increasing tax evasion by some of our people.

Aside poor funding, there is also the unco-operative tendencies of some of our people, who instead of complimenting government’s effort, indulge in the direct opposite actions inimical to our society’s development.

“Despite all, we have remained resolute in the pursuit of credible governance. And in all of our dealings, we have been guided by a pro-people’s agenda to maximize our resources and opportunities and bring about the greatest good to the greatest number of our people,” he said.

“As part of our measure to alleviate poverty, we gave out fridges, deep freezers, out-board boat engines, generators, food stuffs like rice and garri, pop-corn machine, mo-

Adewale

bile phones, spray painter, mechanic box, soft drinks, sewing machines, and hair dresser machine and others to the people.

We are focusing on meeting the basic requirements for a permanent reduction of poverty in the country through the provision of basic needs as health service, education, water supply, food and housing among others, he disclosed.

He hinted that the local government has been able to cover a milestone in the health sector in the last 6 years. “The local government health system has helped to de-

PHOTO: Play House NG

Patrick

liver over 3,000 babies in the period under review, with zero mortality rate.

116, 003 patients had benefitted from our free drug scheme. The immunization plus days held in the local government recorded 90.5 per cent coverage at various exercises, integrated measles campaign and NIPDS OPV coverage recorded 100 per cent and Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) Programme in the local government had an average coverage of 90 per cent. Thousands of pupils were screened and de-wormed during the deworming exercise in the local government.”

Idi-Araba cries for help CONT INU E D FROM PAGE 28 around. This discomfit-

As one traverses the nooks and crannies of the nondescript community, filth dots the landscape amidst decrepit buildings in the area. Curiously, bands of clustered people - mostly of productive class- littered every path: they are either engaged in acts of smoking and drinking substances that are injurious to health, or they are just loafing

ing scenario confirms the seeming nonentity that most youths in the area have been confined.

In spite of all, the prospect of regeneration and reconstruction of Idi-Araba in a way that most suitably complement the blazing transformation fire that is spreading across the Centre of Excellence is now commonly etched in the consciousness of the residents.

30

The Mega City

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

UPCOMING EVENTS

Nigerian Football Development Convention 2014

Organiser: The Change Group Date: November 3, 2014, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Venue: National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, Nigeria

2nd Annual CrossBorder Litigation and Asset Recovery Forum, Lagos 2014 Organiser: Law Digest Date: November 4, 2014, 08:00 to 17:00 Venue: Lagos

Photography Into Design

Organiser: Lagos Photo Foundation Date: October 31, 2014, 4:00 PM- 6:00 PM Venue: Convention Center, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Run for Cure

Organiser: Child Survival and Development Organisation of Nigeria (CSDON) Date: November 1, 2014, 6:00 AM -8:00 AM Venue: Muri Okunola Park, Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria

MEGA CITY EVENTS The commissioning of The Lilygate Hotel in Lekki, Lagos

The Lilygate Hotel Building

L-R: Princess Ann Agom-Eze; Hon Sunny Ugwuocha and Oby Shalom at the hotel commissioning

L-R: Stanley Okoro-Emegha; Omo Chris Isu; Hon Irem Ibom; Hon. Ugorji Ama

L-R: Dr. Dennis Ekumankama; Mrs Elemanya Ebilah and Prince Nkemka Onuwa

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Akwaaba: African Travel Market 2014 awards ceremony washeld in Lagos at the weekend

My City, My World The streets of Lagos thrills me

A

demola Osinuga, a Consultant radiologist in Lagos, said he has come to love Lagos more because the people manning the affairs of the state are serious minded people. “Although, they also want to enrich themselves, the disciplined and organised system of Lagos has shown that we have visionary leaders Osinuga in place in the state,” he said. Osinuga explained further that because the leaders of Lagos State already envisaged the state to be like Japan someday, they started to put things that will make it a megacity in place, such as waste management, transport, parks, environment and housing estates, e.t.c. “They may not be doing them well but the anticipation of Lagos being a megacity someday, if not soon, is there,” he said. What thrills Osinuga most in Lagos is the streets of Lagos which he described as clean and free of beggars. According to him, it shows people are complying with the discipline of the state. Unlike in the past (say 90s) when Lagos was so dirty that the dirt were almost flying into vehicles, he said Lagos was adjudged to be the dirtiest place in the world. “But today, it has turned to a state that other states in the country emulate, in terms of cleanliness, law enforcement and discipline,” he said. He added that, “for me, Lagos is home.” Osinuga pointed to the health sector for instance as a major value added to the state. Ebola Virus disease for instance, he said, would have been wide spread in Lagos had it been the leaders at the helms of affairs in Lagos were slow to action. Already, there was healthy practice in Lagos before the outbreak of the deadly disease. He explained that the State government had already put an incinerator in place, emergency ambulance, specially trained officials that evacuate (unclaimed) corpses away from the road. And instead of filling the graveyard with corpses, they take them to incinerator where they cremate them. “That is one of the factors of escaping the deadly disease in Lagos,” he said. Osinuga added that Lagosians should count themselves lucky.

“Those of us in Lagos should count ourselves fortunate because those outside are somehow not smiling the way we are smiling here. It also shows God really loves us in this state,” he said.

Life outside Lagos is no life Alhaji Kayode WilFEpeorlaims, an indigene of and politician,

L-R: Mr. Ikechi Uko, initiator, Akwaba African Travel Market; Protogene Nsensumuremyi, Rwandan High Commissioner in Nigeria; Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi, Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development and Senator Florence Ita-Giwa receiving an award on behalf of Cross Rivers State Government on Carnival Calabar as the Best Event of the Year at the Akwaaba Africa Travel Awards 2014 in Lagos.

Director, Women in Aviation, Magazine, Mr. Sabastine Onyewe and Head of Business Development, JUMIA, Mrs. Claire Staal

Charge d’ Affairs / Rwanda in Nigeria, Mr. Protogene Nsengumuremyi(left) with Tourism Expert, Dr. Peter Babafemi

Minister of Lands, Housing; and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyh with the Permanent Secretary of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Ezekeil Oyemomi PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

who has spent more than two decades of his life in the United Kingdom, he just couldn’t cope outside the city of Lagos. “Lagos is my father’s land, the land of my ancestors, my origin.

For me, no place can Willaims ever be like my homeLagos,” he said. The structure and people of Lagos are the major attraction for the governorship aspirant in the state, according to him. Williams said Lagos is unique in so many inexplicable ways. That includes from the way of people. He said, they are very tolerant and accommodating and ready to give an individual the chance of surviving and excelling, so far that individual is not lazy. The governorship aspirant, however, believes things could be better for the city of Lagos. He said it is also important to give Lagosians the much yearned change they crave for. He promised to decentralise the highly concentrated centre of the state. He also thinks there is the need to improve the healthcare system, infrastructure and transport system, among many other things in Lagos.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

31

Maritime

Special Report

The Investor

Lekki Port secures N24.3bn from AfDB

Capital market: Concerns over foreign investors’ dominance

Image makers of Nigerian banks

34

35

37-39

Business What's news

Shipping lines employ strategies to lure importers Shipping lines are deploying deceptive tactics to lure importers with incentives to get business from their vessels.

p.32

Oando targets 100,000 oil barrels per day Oando Plc has said that it would, through future acquisitions and innovative efficacy, up its crude production to 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) within the next five years.

p.32

The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu Deputy Editor (Business)

Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Godson Ikoro

Asst. Editor (Money Market)

Dele Alao Industry & Agric Editor Dayo Ayeyemi Property Editor

Adeola Yusuf Energy Editor

Wole Shadare Aviation Editor

Chris Ugwu

Capital Market Editor

Abdulwahab Isa Finance Editor

NCC rules out disparity in Annual Operating Level COMPETITION Local telecoms firms face stiff regulatory environment Kunle Azeez

T

he Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has refused to yield to pleas by local smaller companies asking it to lower their Annual Operating Level (AOL).

AOLs and spectrum licensing form the bulk of revenue generation for the telecom regulator, as every licensee is expected to pay the AOL, which is 2.5 per cent of a licensee’s audited net revenues.

New Telegraph leant that many smaller and indigenous local firms have demanded that NCC reduce the AOL for them through creation of differentials between what they pay annually and what big foreign and local firms pay to the Commission.

Some local players under the auspices of Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) advocated a need for the regulator to look into reducing AOLs for local/smaller players for them to be able to stay afloat in the ever-competitive telecoms industry.

Also, as part of demands by some of the ATCON members, a call was also made to the regulator to formulate policies that encourage better participation of indigenous investors in the nation’s telecoms sector.

They argued that if such

Kunle Azeez Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo Asst Production Editor

‘local content’ policy is not formulated and implemented thoroughly, the nation’s telecoms industry may soon be “fully overtaken by the foreigners, all in the name of

Foreign Direct Investment.”

Responding to such demand at the recent ATCON’s Telecoms Executives and Regulator’s Forum in Lagos, the Executive Vice Chair-

man, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, said that NCC did not have any plan to create disparity in AOL for players in CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

L-R: Ondo State Commissioner for Works , Mr Gboye Adegbenro; President, Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers, Dr. Samuel Ilugbekhai and Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Toyin Ayinde, during the Institution 27th Annual Conference, “Effect of Cement Strength On Concrete Performance,” in Lagos. PHOTO:GODWIN IREKHE

Fears as NPA plans to retire 10 general managers, others Bayo Akomolafe

A

n uneasy calm has pervaded the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) over plans to terminate the appointment 10 general managers before

the end of the year.

Also, it was learnt that others who have reached the retirement age of 60 years or spent 35 years in service may be kicked out.

Affected general managers who have not gone on leave

for several years have been forced to proceed on compulsory leave on the grounds of their accumulated leaves.

It was also revealed that those in this category may CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Rates Dashboard

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin

• Insists on 2.5% benchmark for all players

INFLATION RATE September 2014.....................8.3% August 2014............................8.5% July 2014.................................8.3%

LENDING RATE InterBank Rate....................11.57% Prime Lending Rate...........16.93% Maximum Lending Rate...25.83%

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at Oct 23)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N169 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N275 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N205

l Foreign Reserves – $39.06bn as at 23/10/2014

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Official As at Oct 23)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N156.76 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N250.69 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N198.30

32

Business | News

DECEPTION

Shipping line agents deceive clients to get business for their principals Bayo Akomolafe

S

hipping lines are deploying deceptive tactics to lure importers with incentives to get business from their vessels.

It was learnt that consignees are being enticed with inducements such as 21-day free demurrage, zero container deposit and zero storage charges for specific number of days.

New Telegraph’s investigations, however, revealed that when the consignments finally arrive at the port of destination, importers are forced to cough out what they did not bargain for in their trade agreement.

A source in one of the liners in Lagos further revealed that the unwholesome practice flourishes among shipping agencies, which transact business on behalf of their principal shipping lines.

The source added that these were the major reasons why some cargoes are trapped in the port due to inability of the importers to pay or clear their consignments.

“The agents are just after what they would benefit from the ship-

Shipping lines employ strategies to lure importers ping lines they represent in Nigeria. They are not bothered whether consignments of their clients are trapped at the port,” the source added.

Meanwhile, there are fears over the implementation of the shipping Round Table endorsed by some shipping lines on rise in cost of cargo freight in Nigerian ports and the entire Gulf of Guinea (GOG).

The Global Round Table meeting, which was not attended by Nigerian ship owners, stressed a need to boost ships’ protection with an attendant increase in freight.

However, a shipping expert and Lloyds ambassador, Emmanuel Ilori, observed that it was unfortunate that such a decision was taken without any recognisable input from the Nigerian indigenous ship-owners.

He noted that there was no evidence of any input from the Nigerian indigenous operators.

Ilori said: “The Round Table, a body comprising strong memberships like the Intertanko and the Intercargo, among others, should not have adopted such documented decision, without ensuring that Nigeria was adequately carried along.”

NPA to retire 10 general managers, others CO NTINUED FROM PAG E 3 1

not return to their positions, as they are likely to be served retirement letters before the end of their leave.

It was alleged that one of the general managers currently serving in Lagos may not come back to her seat after proceeding on her accumulated leave.

A senior staff of the authority disclosed that if the general manager was to spend all her accumulated leave, she may be served retirement letter before the expiration of the leave.

Apart from the general managers, there are also other assistant general managers, managers, among others, who may also be affected in the retirement exercise.

The retirement exercise is seen as the only way to create the opportunity to promote others.

This will also pave the way for the authority to

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

recruit new staff.

There has been regular retirement of staff in NPA, including retrenchment, since the reform of 2006 that brought in the terminal operators.

Although so many people have gone out of the organisation, not many are known to have been employed in the authority for a long time now.

As the landlord after the concessioning of the ports, NPA is currently saddled with the role of technical regulation, among others.

Responding, the authority’s Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr Iliya Musa, explained that retirement is a normal thing in every organisation.

He noted that it is normal for those who have reached retirement age of 60 years and those who have served 35 years to go.

Musa said that those who have also spent eight years on the same post may be asked to leave.

L-R: Past President, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Ikeja branch, Mr Solomon Oladimeji and Chairman, Princess Ebilah Elemaya, during the association’s 2014 quiz competition for tertiary institutions, in Lagos.

PHOTO:GODWIN IREKHE

Oando targets 100,000 oil barrels per day OUTLOOK

One of Nigeria’s leading indigenous oil firm plans to increase market dominance in Africa

Chris Ugwu

O

ando Plc has said that it would, through future acquisitions and innovative efficacy, up its crude production to 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) within the next five years.

The production target, which will also reflect on the company’s market share in sub-Sahara’s upstream sector, is as a result of successful repositioning of the company in the oil and gas sector of the Nigerian economy.

Group Chief Executive of

the company, Mr Wale Tinubu, who made the disclosure at the 37th Annual General Meeting (AGM), said that the company remained committed to strengthening its balance sheet and expect 2014 to be another strong year for the company.

“With an eye to the future, we took on our largest and most daring feat with the acquisition of ConocoPhillips Nigeria, adding capacity to support our future growth plans. Our strategic refocus on the higher margin promises to create profitable growth for us and immense value addition for our stakeholders in the near term,” he said.

Tinubu noted that the company anticipate and is aggressively working to secure an extension for the Oando Energy6 Services Limited (OES) integrity contract with NAOC through active participation in the on-going replacement tender which is currently at

the technical stage.

“We foresee a contract extension award which will see the rig operational for the whole year pending the conclusion of the tender and award of contract.

OES expects a possible farm-out of the rig by NAOC for a period in 2014 following which the rig will return under the existing one year option agreement,” he said.

Tinubu noted that discussions are on-going with a potential client who has indicated interest in engaging the rig, adding that the rig is also being marketed through participation in on-going tenders with NPDC and Chevron.

Oando Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous oil and gas producer listed on both the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) and Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) had recorded a 103 per cent growth in pre-tax profit during the half year ended June, 2014.

NCC rules out disparity in Annual Operating Level CO N TI N U ED F RO M PAGE 31

any segment of the industry.

“What we would continue to do as regulator is to create a level-playing ground for all the operators. Giving preferential treatment in any deals is what NCC, as a regulator, will not indulge in. We are in a global economy and we need to realise this fact. “Licensees operate in the same environment, facing the same charges and having the same opportunities,” he said.

He, however, stated that the role of NCC was to ensure infrastructure deployment and delivery of quality services to telecoms consumers while the

National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is saddled with the task of promoting local content in the ICT industry.

He said: “The NITDA Act clearly states that NITDA will have to pursue local content development in the ICT industry. So, what we do as NCC is that anytime people raise issues on ICT local contents, we aggregate the views and bring those views to the knowledge of NITDA to incorporate into its policies.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, has stated that government was committed to deepening local

participation in the nation’s telecoms sector.

According to her, the local content guidelines that will enable Nigerians to participate in the ICT industry to achieve a target of 50 per cent local content in the sector has been launched.

“Several other initiatives that will aid the digitisation of the Nigerian economy and increase participation of Nigerians in the sector have been created.

“We are committed to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s vision of transforming Nigeria into a knowledge-based economy by 2020,” she said.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

33

FCT Business Watch

Abuja-Kaduna weighbridge to cost N1.7trn Yusuf Shuaib Abuja

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he construction of a major weighbridge on the Abuja-Kaduna dual carriageway and additional road projects would cost government a whopping N1.765 trillion just as asset value of the road network is estimated at N7 trillion.

Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, confirmed the figures recently at the 2014 National Council on Works meeting in Asaba, Delta State.

Speaking on council meeting themed: “Funding road development in Nigeria: A panacea for economic trans-

formation,” he said that the theme was in consonance with current challenges in the road development sector which, he said, aligns with Federal Government’s deliberate efforts at involving credible private sector infrastructure development agencies with a view to ensuring sustainable improvement of road infrastructure in Nigeria, as encapsulated in the recently approved National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP).

To effectively bridge this noticeable infrastructure gap and sustain infrastructure development in Nigeria, he said: “We cannot continue to rely on the inadequate budgetary provisions if we must improve

on our dilapidated and inadequate infrastructure, hence we adopted similar developmental frameworks in developed and emerging economies of the world where infrastructure development is driven by private investors.”

The minister noted that while the 21st National Council on Works meeting revealed that the huge investments and assets need to be protected,

especially as it is positioned against the backdrop that over 90 per cent of freight transportation in Nigeria is by road, using trailer trucks and tankers that are more often overloaded, stakeholders suggested the basis of “User pays” principle to stimulate private sector investments in road development in the country, a policy he said was in line with international best practice.

“The theme, as expected, will not only identify areas for private sector interventions, but will engender workable frameworks that will facilitate sustainable development in the road sector to bequeath better roads to Nigerian road users and enhance their economic well-being as well as national integration and address the huge road infrastructure funding deficit,” he said.

90% VIO revenue goes into private pockets – Ex- officer Yusuf Shuaib Abuja

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ehicle Inspection Officers have been accused of pocketing not less than 90 per cent of the revenue being generated by the Directorate of Road Traffic.

A former staff of the Directorate in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, who identified himself as Baba Taiwo, told New Telegraph that VIO’s presence on the major roads in FCT constitutes nuisance to motorist.

He insisted that their existence is of no use, explaining that with the presence of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the city centre, there should be no need for the VIO, describing the situation as a duplication of duty which FRSC can handle effectively.

“It is the duty of the VIO to check heavy duty trucks on the highways, especially the over loaded buses otherwise known as El-Rufai buses as well as check excess luggage of truck in addition to issuing of learner’s permit for wouldbe drivers.”

He described VIO as an undertaker institution whose business is killing the activities of FRSC and urged the National Assembly to look into their activities with a view to scrapping the organisation for failing in their primary assignment.

Alternatively, however, he advocated that it could be merged with the Nigeria Police.

“The actual duty of VIO is to test would-be drivers and issue learners’ permit before onward recommendation for the issuance of driver’s license. They are also to man weighbridges along the major arterial roads

in the country to check excess loading of trucks, trailers and petrol tankers.”

“But today, the VIO have lost focus and sense of direction as their major aim today is nothing but to extort money from motorists by asking irrelevant questions and looking for ways to enrich themselves, a situation that has become so worrisome to road users within the FCT and visitors alike as they are harassed unjustly.

“Another worrisome aspect before I left the VIO was indiscriminate removal of vehicle number plates, which also is another annoying aspect of the job they do on our roads.”

On whether the VIO is recognised by government, Baba Taiwo said that “VIO is not at all in any way absolved by the Federal Government and as such they are not on government pay roll, but the FRSC that came into existence some years back is recognised by the Federal Government and accountable to government; but VIO is not accountable to government and does not remit anything to government.”

L-R: Director, Rak Unity Petroleum, Mr Edo Ukpong; Executive Director, Business Development, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr Haruna Jalo-Waziri; Director, Rak Unity Petroleum, Mr Obumneme Okonkwo; Chairman, Mallam Muhammad Lawan Buba; Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr Oscar N. Onyema and Head, Main Board, NSE, Mr Tony Ibeziako, during a courtesy visit to Rak Unity Petroleum as part of the Exchange’s retention drive to visit listed companies.

Customs seize N20.4m rice, poultry products Bayo Akomolafe

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he Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Western Marine Command, has impounded rice, cooking oil and poultry products valued at N20.4 million.

The seizures were made in two separate operations at the Badagry axis of Lagos State by its anti-smuggling team.

Western Marine Command’s Acting Controller, Mr Johnson Gabriel, said in Lagos that 70 cartons of poultry

products, 11 bags of rice and eight kegs of cooking oil, all valued at N567,982 were intercepted during the command’s operations.

Gabriel said that the second anti-smuggling operation took place at the Yekeme area of the state with the seizure of 2,200 bags of rice valued at N19.89 million.

He said: “The command made these seizures in two different operations around Badagry and Yekeme area of Lagos State and the calculations showed a duty

StarTimes unveils nine new channels Kenneth Tyohemba Abuja

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n a bid to offer subscribers more robust, improved digital television experience, StarTimes, a digital pay television content provider in Nigeria has unveiled nine new TV channels across its StarTimes and SatSat platforms.

The new channels will also be viewed for free for seven days by customers across all subscription bouquets on StarTimes in

an open week program which commences from November 10.

Public Relations Manager of NTA-Star TV Network, Mr Isreal Bolaji, said this during the presentation of the channels in Abuja, adding that the new channels had been carefully selected to enhance digital TV experience for customers.

The nine new channels include Wazobia TV, Cool TV, Da Vinci Learning, Pop TV, Trace Sports StarStarTimes Sport 2, Dadin Kowa, Tiwa Ntiwa and

QYOU. Bolaji described the launch as a bold step that would boost overall digital television experience for about two million StarTimes subscribers, a feat, he said, demonstrates the company’s preparedness to support and guide Nigerians from analogue to digital transition, adding that the company will consistently scale up efforts to ensure that its customers get quality and affordable contents as Nigeria transit into full digital television.

paid value of over N20 million.

“The actual value of the first seizure is N541, 225 and the duty is N26, 757, giving a duty paid value of N567, 982.

“For the second seizure, the rice is valued at N11.70million and a duty of N8.19 million, giving a duty paid value of N19.89 million.”

He attributed the success of the operations to the contributions of the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), saying that the operatives worked with the intelligence report they got and did not allow the late night rains to deter them.

The controller added: “The seizures were made possible through the intelligence report and I must say it took precise calculation because the smugglers wanted to take advantage of the rains.’’

Gabriel however warned smugglers to steer clear of the area, adding that “the command is adopting new strategies to deal with the evil act of smuggling.

“We keep evolving new strategies in fighting smuggling and one of which is zero tolerance for this act that is detrimental to our nation’s economy.”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

34 New rules on inland waterways transportation under way p.35

Maritime

NIMASA, Air Force, Navy to monitor Exclusive Economic Zone p.35

Lekki Port secures N24.3bn from AfDB The Lekki Port is to commence operation in 2018. Its container terminal has a handling capacity of 2.5 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) with a quay length of 1,200 metres. The port has foreign investors led by a Singaporean firm, Tolaram Group, with 60 per cent; Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), 20 per cent and 20 per cent equity for the Lagos State government.

Already, it has secured additional loan to actualise the project, BAYO AKOMOLAFE reports.

L

ekki Port has secured an approval of N24.3 billion ($150 million) funding from the Board of African Development Bank board for its deep seaport project.

The Chief Finance Officer of the company, Mr Sandeep Parasramka, explained that the port project got a boost from one of its key investors, NPA, putting it on a firm footing to become operational by 2018.

Parasramka was reacting to a maritime economist and Executive Director of ABN Consults, Mr Harrison Agada, who explained why it was difficult for banks to fund the construction of the seaport project.

Agada had alleged that investors’ pessimism over the project was borne out of concerns for its viability.

But the chief finance officer of the company debunked Agada’s claim, saying that large infrastructure projects like Lekki Deep seaport takes time to achieve financial closure.

The partnership The deep seaport is a $1.5 billion Public Private Partnership (PPP) project between the Federal Government (represented by the NPA), the Lagos State government and the Tolaram Group. A Shareholder’s Agreement to this effect was signed in December 2012 among all three parties.

It was learnt that when completed, Lekki Port will have significant positive macroeconomic impact estimated at $361 billion over the entire concession period.

It is expected to contribute over $200 billionn to the government treasury while also creating close

Lakki Prot prototype. INSET: Managing Director of Tolaram Group, Haresh Aswani

to 163,000 new jobs in the economy.

Parasramka explained that the project was very much on course and is progressing well.

The financiers Parasramka while shedding light on major developments, particularly as it concerns the company’s drive in ensuring that Lekki port becomes operational by 2018, said that “apart from getting the concession from NPA to build Lekki Port, Tolaram has put together leading global consultants such as Standard Chartered Bank, the Louis Berger Group Inc., Delta Marine Consultants and BMT Asia Pacific.

Others are TBA Netherlands, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pte Ltd and GMaps, following which the EPC contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (one of the foremost builders of ports with a track record of delivering projects on time), has been appointed to build the port and the container terminal has been sub-concessioned to International Container Terminal Services, Inc, Philippines, a leader in the container terminal operations with a footprint across the globe.

He said: “I can confidently tell you that African Development Bank has recently obtained Board Approval for $150 million funding for the project while European Investment Bank which is very much eager about investing in the project, has also gotten Principal Board Approval which would see them support the project with funds.”

The chief finance officer also said that more international banks were also in the process of securing their board approval to join the

The project will make Nigeria the gateway to the West African region and will be one of the most efficient and modern maritime facilities, catering for containerised, liquid and dry bulk cargo par international standards

list of the banks investing in the project.

He added: “All the banks are very keen to participate in the project given its strategic importance, competitive advantage, good financial returns, strong government support and unprecedented economic value it is expected to inject into the economy.

“Conventionally, projects of this magnitude are undertaken through project financing on a non-recourse basis.

This requires the lending parties to agree on appropriate terms of lending and conduct stringent due diligence. These processes take time and are very essential to achieving the debt financing. The most important development now is that Lekki Port is at an advanced stage, with the due diligence completed and financing terms very much underway.

“With the magnitude of processes and resources required to complete a large infrastructure project, it is inevitable that there will be time overruns, and Lekki Port is no exception. However, we understand that all shareholders are very committed to ensuring that the scheduled operational date of 2018 is very much on course and are making rapid progress towards this, with a structured plan put in place to kick-off construction works at the tail end of the fourth quarter of 2014.”

He said that the much-anticipated funding from shareholders expected to fuel rapid construction of the Lekki Port will now be ploughed into the project, so that the next phase of development can commence in earnest.

The chief finance officer added that the LASG’s equity and that of

the Tolaram Group were already in place while NPA was in the process of making its equity contribution into the project. It is a standard procedure for due diligence to be conducted by shareholders before infusion of equity into a project.

Government’s involvement Already, NPA has carried out and concluded its due diligence on the project through a credible auditor, KPMG, to ensure accountability, transparency and value for money, which is essential and crucial to a project of this magnitude.

The NPA on its part has also gotten its Federal Government budget approved by the House of Assembly.

Federal Executive Council’s approval for the project and issuance of the finance guarantee was received in December 2013.

The project will make Nigeria the gateway to the West African region and will be one of the most efficient and modern maritime facilities, catering for containerised, liquid and dry bulk cargo par international standards.

Parasramka said: “The stage we are in now is structuring the financial terms, which will take a short period before funding is made available to Lekki Port. It is only normal that when you do such a large financing of a huge project such as this, it takes more time than building a house.

Conventionally, projects of this magnitude are undertaken through project financing on a non-recourse basis. This requires the lending parties to agree on appropriate terms of lending and conduct stringent due diligence.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

Business | FCT Watch

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

New rules on inland waterways transportation underway

CODES Safety codes is being considered for inland water ways that connect 28 states Stories by Bayo Akomolafe

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he National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has developed a draft code that would ensure safety behaviour and

practice among the ferry operators.

The draft code is tagged: “A safety code, offences and penalties,” is the first of its kind in the country.

Already, it has commenced action to reduce accidents on

the water ways to the barest minimum by putting in place a working group to discuss issues relating to the possibilities of evolving suitable codes to guide all operations within the country’s inland waterways.

The specialised group is

Clerk of the West African Students Union Parliament (WASUP), Hameed Coulibally, presenting the Kwane Nkrumah exemplary leadership honour to the representative of the Group Executive Vice Chairman, of Sifax group, Dr Phil Ofulue, while the Special Assistant to the GEVC, Ezeikeil Ajewole and the Director General of Djiboti Consulate, Folake Rojas applauds.

WASUP honours Sifax boss

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tudents from six countries in the umbrella of West African Students Union Parliament (WASUP) have honoured the Group Executive Vice Chairman of Sifax Group, Taiwo Afolabi, with the prestigious Kwame Nkrumah exemplary leadership award.

The student parliament comprised of students from Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Burkina- Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo.

Afolabi was honoured for his contributions toward youth development and human capital development in the sub-region.

The award was bestowed on Afolabi by the leaders of the students parliament headed by the leader of the group, Daniel Nwachukwu.

Daniel said that the group of students don’t give award to politicians because they think

more about the next election and not the next generation.

He explained: “Our awards have been for great leaders who we believed think about the next generation and the group Executive Vice Chairman of this great organisation fall into that.

“We are honouring people who have contributed significantly and indelibly to the facet of job creation around the West African sub-region.

“We are not saying he has employed all Nigerians but we believe he has done much, he has contributed a lot to job creation and he should be honoured with Kwame Nkrumah.

The students noted that the award conferred on the Sifax boss was not to say he had provided jobs for all Nigerians, but that he had contributed immensely to

job creation in the country and the West African subregion.

They reeled out the name of worthy Nigerians who had been honoured with the prestigious award. Daniel said that the contribution of Afolabi to the development of the youths warrant him joining the league of respected Nigerians who had been given the award.

He stressed: “This award has been bestowed on prominent Nigerians such as Hon. Justice Muhammed Uwais; Cardinal John Onayekan; Sultan of Sokoto; Alhaji Saad Abubakar and former governor of Kano State, Col. Asani Bello.

However, responding to the Students Union group, Afolabi expressed appreciation for deeming it fit to honour him with a prestigious award.

Lekki Port secures N24.3bn CONTINUED FROM PAG E 3 4

These processes take time and are essential to achieve the debt financing. The good news for Lekki Port is that they are at an advanced stage, with the due diligence completed and financing terms well underway.

Reacting to recent speculations in some online and print media, the Executive Director, Finance and Administration of NPA, Mr Olumide Oduntan, stated categorically, that the sale

35

of land transaction between Lagos State government and the port promoters does not affect the Deep Sea Port project as the land in question was not the land designated for the port site. It is a separate and distinct transaction that does not include NPA nor have any relationship with the project. Simply put, the transaction was a creative way for LASG to fund its shares in the Lekki Deep Sea Port project.

He expressed satisfaction with the pace of the develop-

ment of the project and noted that the NPA is finalising documentation and internal processes (including a due diligence report prepared

by KPMG Professional Services) after which it plans to infuse its equity contribution into the project.

He noted that this is a project that NPA is 100 per cent in support of, and it will revolutionise the maritime sector and contribute to resolving the congestion of ports in Lagos State and Nigeria.

made up of experts from the NIWA, the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the organised private sector.

It was learnt that the group recently converged at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to deliberate on the appropriate code that would effectively regulate inland water ways transportation in the country.

The experts have been asked to consider, amend and eventual gave approval to the codes.

NIWA explained that attempt to develop the code was aimed at developing regulations for the inland water ways transportation in line with international standards and best practice.

Managing Director of NIWA, Hajia Maryam Chiroma, told the experts that her Authourity was saddled with the responsibility of being the key player in the regulation, control and management of the inland water ways transportation sub-sector and the usage of its declared right of ways.

She stressed the need to put in place a safety code considering the vast length of the available inland water ways that connect

no fewer than 28 states of the Federation in order to reduce the incessant boats mishaps and the attendant loss of lives and property worth billions of Naira.

The expert committee and stakeholders who brainstormed at Uyo on the draft code rose at their three-day session with observation that in there was need to also include the procedure for issuing out “Shipping Notices” which will be rolled out from time to time to address emerging polices, rules, guidelines that will enable authority to review, renew or revoke some provisions of the code as and whenever appropriate to do so.

On the code of conduct for the transit of inland shipping to coastal routes and vice versa, the group observed that the inland waterways transportation code as presented

by NIWA did not identify with the important need to regulate the operational procedures for ships transiting from coastal routes into the inland river channels and those making return from the inland rivers into the coastal water.

NIMASA, Air Force, Navy to monitor Exclusive Economic Zone

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he Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and Nigerian Navy (NN) are to enforce extant maritime laws in order to monitor and secure the Nigeria’s territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Director General of the agency Mr Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, said this was one of the reasons the agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and Nigerian Navy (NN).

At a two day maritime stakeholders’ sensitisation conference on the partnership between NIMASA and NAF in Lagos, Akpobolokemi said that the MoU was aimed at ensuring the promotion of maritime safety and security.

He noted that the Act establishing NIMASA empowers it to carry out air surveillance, search and rescue operations among others, noting that NAF was strategically equipped and legally empowered to enable NIMASA achieve the desired goal of a secured coastal line surveillance.

According to him, it was part of efforts in giving expression to NIMASA statutory mandates in relation to maritime security, Safety and Search and Rescue (SAR).

The director general ex-

plained that the collaboration with NAF and NN was also meant to check rising incidences of piracy and increased sophistication of pirates, armed robbery at sea and other unlawful activities in Nigerian waters.

NIMASA opted for collaboration with relevant agencies of government in order to have a seamless execution of these mandates.

He noted that the MoU the agency signed with NAF on August 26, 2013 was one of the partnerships it started to ensure the execution of its statutory roles and responsibilities.

Akpobolokemi stressed that the partnership was further strengthened by the statutory role of the NAF in defending the territorial integrity of Nigeria by air and their establishment of a reputable and efficient maritime capability in the Gulf of Guinea through their ATR 42 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) and other platforms, including search and rescue operations as well as the conduct of air surveillance and other operations for the enhancement of safety and security in Nigeria’s maritime environment.

He noted that since the inception of the partnership, the agency had recorded tremendous successes in the area of air and coastal surveillance and the exercise of the right of hot pursuit.

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Business | The Investor

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Capital market: Concerns over foreign investors’ dominance Chris Ugwu

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n the light of the lessons learnt from the stock market collapse, there is a strong requirement to strengthen the exchange’s investor education and awareness function, especially for retail investors.

Despite the considerable gains being recorded by the Nigerian Stock Exchange currently, some experts believe that if the tempo is to be maintained, the exchange managers should continue to deploy available resources towards educating investors, particularly retail investors and creating awareness of the important function the capital market plays as an enabler of national economic growth and a wealth-creating avenue for investors.

Need for an enhanced campaign remain important as local investors’ appetite for investment in stocks have continued to wane, giving the foreign investors a vintage dominance to continue to dictate the direction of the market.

Market watchers believe that the dominance of foreign investors appear to be the reason why they are dictating the tune in the Nigerian market.

This is so because anytime they start buying, the bulls return and when they stop buying and take their profit, the bears take over again.

This, according to the experts, is responsible for the back and forth movements that is being experienced in the market.

Financial analysts have called on the authorities to be cautious about the inflow of foreign investment in the capital market as the market is dominated by foreigners.

Investors have also expressed worry over the seemingly rising interest of foreign investors in the Nigerian market in the last few years, which, according to them, was not shared by local and retail investors, adding that any sudden exit of these foreign investors from the Nigerian market may lead to another downturn in the market.

This was evident as the latest report from the Nigerian Stock Exchange showed that the foreign investment portfolio outflow investors contributed in no small measure to huge depletion in equities recently.

Investment outflow According to reports, foreign portfolio investment outflow from the Nigerian Stock Exchange summed-up to N482.91 billion during the first eight months of the year.

According to the Exchange,

Trading floor

the FPI outflows include sales transactions or liquidation of portfolio investments through the stock market.

The N482.91 billion withdrawn by the foreign investors between January and August represented a 35.4 per cent increase on the N356.64bn FPI outflow reported for the same period of 2013.

According to the data, foreign portfolio investors staked N389.06 billion on equities on the NSE between January and August, compared to the N390.59 billion they spent on equities in the corresponding period of last year.

Drivers of investment outflow Despite the expected 40 per cent increase in GDP nominal value, equity market imbalance is likely to increase as confidence in the financial sector is on the decline, said the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr Bismarck Rewane.

Presenting a Monthly Economic News and Views at Lagos Business School Executive Breakfast Meeting, Rewane identified crisis in the Euro zone, increase in cash reserve ratio and negative out-look of rating agencies as some major factors that may create a further dip on the equities market.

He listed the major risks of Euro zone volatility to emerging market growth to include sluggish world trade

growth, risk premium amidst US Fed tapering, elevated real exchange rate risks and less favourable global liquidity.

Rewane said that advanced economy recovery will have less impact on export-oriented emerging market as currency depreciations in major emerging markets neutralised by advanced economies exchange rates being below pre-2008 averages.

He said that reversal of capital flows will intensify, further depleting external reserves. He added that the first increase in PB.CRR to 75 per cent from 50 per cent and then the increase in PV.CRR to 15 per cent from 12 per cent resulted in bank stocks losing 15 per cent.

Rewane said that foreign transactions exceeded domestic in 2013, adding that investors were sensitive to some

Some operators also believe that the recapitalisation directive has, as usual, sparked up share dumping by market speculators

factors which include relative risk of the market, confidence in the financial system; now on the decline, international rating agency opinions; S&P, Moody’s, among others, and attractiveness of returns.

He noted that Standard and Poor negative outlook doesn’t help confidence as the rating agency just revised the sovereign outlook to negative, citing increased infighting within the PDP, even at a time when the party seems to be consolidating its base.

Managing Partner of Dependable Securities Limited, Mr Chineyem Anyanwu, speaking on the market development, said that the forthcoming 2015 elections and the security challenges being faced by the country contributed to the low returns of the market.

According to him, the situation scared investors, including some foreign ones, from putting large volume of their income into the market.

“A good number of investors have put their money into election campaigns. In fact, I anticipate that the market will bounce back fully and perform better as from the beginning of next year.”

Some operators also believe that the recapitalisation directive has, as usual, sparked up share dumping by market speculators.

The Managing Director, Lamberth Securities Limited, Mr David Adonri, said that

judging by the political situation as the general election draws near, the market may remain sluggish throughout the fourth quarter.

Adonri said also that the rising wave of insecurity is posing a serious threat to efforts put in place so far by the regulators to attract foreign direct investments.

According to him, the globalisation and liberalisation has made free flow of investment of capital across national borders possible with ease, but however affirmed that if government fails to decisively confront violent extremism in Nigeria, efforts at attracting foreign investment may be a mirage.

“Vibrancy of the capital market is conditional on the investment climate in every country. Where insecurity persists, the investment climate will not be conducive. Because peace and progress are intertwined, investment has the tendency to always migrate to secure environments where peace is assured.

“Violence kills people and destroys assets. Therefore, no sane investor will risk his hard-earned savings in a strife torn economic environment.

This is behind the recent exodus of foreign portfolio investment from our capital market in the wake of deteriorating security situation in Nigeria.

“Globalisation and liberalisation of capital markets has made free flow of investment capital across national borders possible with ease.

Frightened domestic investors can move their investments to conducive foreign markets, thus compounding the woes of the capital market. Also, such capital flight can exacerbate the pressure on the domestic currency,” Adonri said.

Last words Though it is a fact that these foreign investors played a pivotal role in the near collapse of our market in 2008, we cannot also discountenance their role in the expansion and growth of the same bourse since 1997 when our market became globalised, as the market has actually grown in leaps and bounds.

However, in order to bridge the gap between the local and foreign investors, the Federal Government and regulators of the capital market have a duty to ensure that more local interest is generated in the Nigerian market.

The regulators are left with a duty to ensure that local investors who really constitute and dominate the retail sector of the market should develop more interest in the market and begin to play their own part by taking as much risk as the foreign investors.

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

37

SPECIAL REPORT

in partnership with

Image makers of Nigerian banks Banks in Nigeria have continued to compete globally to create and use branding as a distinguishing and strategic competitive factor in the market place, and also in the battle for customers. Who are the faces behind these innovations? New Telegraph unveils the image makers of Nigerian lenders LOLA ODEDINA

AYONA AGUELE-TRIMMEL

General Manager/Head, Comm & External Affairs, GTBank

Head, Corporate Communications, Diamond Bank

She is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer responsible for GTBank global brand. These include Brand Strategy Development, Design and Advertising, Communications and Public Relations Management, Web and online as well as Corporate Social Responsibility.

Until her confirmation as Chief Communications Officer, Lola was Assistant General Manager, Communication and External Affairs from 2001-2005. She had served at various times as the Group Head, Commercial Banking, and Branch Manager, Lead Bank.

Her preparation for the corporate world began at Queens College, Yaba, from where she moved to University of Benin where she obtained a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree.

She is a graduate of Nigerian Law School. She also attended several local and international courses including Strategic Marketing, Columbia Business School, Brand Management (Kellogs Business School).

Her job is to manage the Corporate Communications Department for Diamond Bank Nigeria Plc. Her responsibilities include but are not limited to the development of the bank’s communications strategic direction including Brands & Advertising, Media & Public Relations, Events & Sponsorships, Merchandise and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Prior to her appointment, she was at various times Brand Manager, British American Tobacco, West African Premium Group Brand Manager, Area Marketing Manager, Regional Brand Manager, Public Relations, the National Sports Lottery; Head, Marketing Research and Strategic Planning, Globacom Limited; Programme Officer, Ford Foundation, Research Associate, Ford Foundation Office for West Africa.

She holds a Bachelors degree, Sociology and English; Master’s degree in Arts, Research and Development and International Education Development from Howard University.

SHINA ATILOLA

Group Head, Strategy & Corporate Comm, Sterling Bank His job is to manage the Corporate Communications Department for Sterling Bank Plc. His responsibilities include but are not limited to the development of the bank’s communications strategic direction including Brands & Advertising, Media & Public Relations, Events & Sponsorships, Merchandise and Corporate Social responsibility.

Prior to his appointment in December 2011, he served as Head, Strategy Development from 2008 – 2011. He also served as Head, Business Intelligence at First Nigeria Plc. He equally worked at the Strategy/Corporate Communications Department of the defunct Guardian Express Bank and Fountain Trust Bank.

He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Obafemi Awolowo University (2002 – 2005) as well as a B.Sc, International Relations from the same university (1990-1995).

OGOCHUKWU EKEZIE Head, Corporate Affairs, Union Bank of Nigeria

She is responsible for overall Strategic Communication, Branding and Marketing, Corporate Citizenship, Media Relations, Events Management and Public Relations for the bank.

Until her appointment, she was VicePresident, Public Affairs Officer, Nigeria and Ghana, Citibank, from June 2007 to March 2014.

Mrs. Ekezie graduated from University of Maryland College Park with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism (Advertising), Criminology & Criminal Justice from 1995 to1998.

She also served as Brand Manager, ARM Investment Manager in Lagos Nigeria, between October 2004 and May 2007.

38 Special Report FOLAKE ANI-MUMUNEY

General Manager/Head, Corporate Comm., First Bank

She is responsible for First Bank brand, a function that includes Brand Strategy Development, Design and Advertising, Communications and Public Relations Management, Web and online as well as Corporate Social Responsibility.

Until her appointment, she was the Marketing Manager, Africa, at the British Airways covering Johannesburg, South Africa.

She holds a B.Sc in Philosophy from the University of Lagos and Law Degree, LLB, from the University of Buckingham, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom.

IKECHUKWU INNOCENT KALU

Group Head, Corporate Communications, FCMB Ikechukwu is responsible for developing and executing brand strategies and activities to ensure the bank maintains and enhances brand presence in the market; ensuring research on products, and retail segments in order to have data to plan meaningful communication and campaigns to increase segment penetration and customer acquisition. He also oversees and coordinates activities of Corporate Communications Department.

He has over 19 years experience in Brand Management and Communications across the breweries and Telecommunications sectors. Before that he had served as Managing Partner, Customer Passion Point Limited in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He had also worked with MTN Nigeria as Senior Manager, Channel and Regional Marketing; Zain Nigeria as Head, Markets Segments, and Zanzibar Telecommunications Limited, Tanzania as Marketing Director.

Ikechukwu holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from the University of Lagos, Executive MBA in Marketing from the University of Nigeria, and Post-Graduate Diploma in Marketing from the University of Leicester.

He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, London and has attended various managerial courses including Business-to-Business Marketing, Harvard Business School.

O’TEGA OGRA

Unit Head, Corporate Comm & Digital Marketing, Wema Bank His functions include, Corporate and Marketing Communications, Brand Strategy, Digital Marketing and Strategy, Public Relation and Media Management, Publications Management, Internal and External Communications.

Prior to his appointment, he had worked in Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

O’tega, a graduate of Babcock University, Nigeria, holds a professional Certificate from Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

USMAH IMANAH

Corporate Communications Manager, Stanbic IBTC Holdings His job includes Brand Management, Media & Public Relations, Marketing Communications, New Media, Corporate Social Responsibility and Investor/ Stakeholder Relations.

Prior to his appointment, he was the Manager, Media/Public Relations, Samsung Electronics, West Africa. He also served in the concept group as Unit Head, Branding and Corporate Communication and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, BGL Plc. He was also the Web Administrator of

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

the defunct Financial Standard newspaper.

He is an alumni of Nigerian Business School, Lagos State University and School of Media and Communications Pan African University.

HENRY EJIKE NDIULO

Head, Marketing Communications, Fidelity Bank He is a certified Marketing Communications professional with over 14 years experience in managing businesses and communications across multiple media channels.

Ndiulo, who has worked with multi-national and local companies and led the development of successful brand campaigns, is responsible for Fidelity Bank’s brand, a function that includes brand Strategy Development, Design and Advertising, Communications and Public Relations management, as well as Corporate Social Responsibility.

Until his appointment, he was Business Development Representative/Country Manager, Africa and Middle East, British Broadcasting Corporation World Service where he identified and developed new markets in line with the organisation’s strategies and objectives.

He has also served as Special Projects Manager/Head Public Affairs/Deutsche Welle (DW) Correspondent, Delegation of German Industry of Commerce for West Africa, DIHK that provides opportunities for Nigerian business people in areas of overseas contact, networking, and advice, education and trade promotion.

He also served as Senior. Correspondent, ThisDay Newspapers Limited, Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria.

RASHEED BOLARINWA

Head, Corporate Communications, Skye Bank His job involves creating, overseeing, implementing, managing and providing leadership for all communication programmes that effectively describe, project and promote Skye Bank’s corporate brand, its products, solution offerings and services.

Prior to his appointment, he was Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs/Brand Management, CIPMN and Head, Brand Management, Cornerstone Insurance Plc. He holds a degree in Mass Communications, a Master’s Degree in Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan. He is a registered and active member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations [NIPR], Chartered Marketing Communications Institute of Nigeria [CMCIN] and African Council for Communication Education [ACCE].

He has attended several courses and function-specific trainings locally and offshore and has delivered papers in academic cycle in his field of interests. He was the immediate past chairman of the Media Sub-committee of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations [NIPR], Lagos State chapter.

Omobola Osutule

Head, Corporate Communication, Keystone Bank She is responsible for overall strategic communication, branding and marketing, corporate citizenship, media relations, events management and public relations for the bank.

Osutule, who has over 20 years of experience spanning multi-national and local companies, started her foray into the business world in 1996 when she joined CentrespreadFCB as an executive in the client service department.

She worked in marketing communication agency (from client service to audio visual production, new business development and public/media relations) where she performed excellently to required standards.

Osutule was later hired FCBREDLINE, a PR affiliate, where she became the Managing Director and the company achieved many firsts and feats including the handling of the events leading to the unveiling of the Nigeria @ 50 logo by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja, and the re-election of Governor Fashola of Lagos State,

Special Report

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

amongst others.

A good manager of men and resources, she can be relied upon at any time to achieve set goals and objectives.

She had a short stint at Union Bank as the Head of Brand Management before Keystone Bank hired her.

Charles Aigbe

Head, Corporate Communication, UBA Plc He oversees the Marketing and Corporate special Brand Management, Media and Public Relations, Marketing Communication, New Media, CSR and Investor/ Stakeholder Relations of the United Bank for Africa Plc. A former journalist with over 15 years experience and a stockbroker, Aigbe, who had his first stint in the banking industry with the Standard Trust Bank when the chairman of Heirs Holdings and philanthropists, Tony Elumelu was the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, has grown through the ranks and has paid his dues.

OLUBUSOLA OSILAJA

Head, Corporate Communications, Access Bank Until her appointment, she was the Head, Brand Management and Sustainability. Her duty revolves round Brand Management, Internal Communication, Events, Sponsorship and Sustainability.

She has honed skills in Risk Management, Credit Analysis, Financial risk, financial analysis and corporate finance.

She holds MBA degree in Business Administration from Warwick University.

THEODORA AMECHI

Head of Corporate Communications, Unity Bank Her responsibilities include managing the internal and external image of the bank’s brand towards achieving the corporate vision.

A resourceful and versatile professional with experience in TV Production, Advertising, Travel and Tours and Banking, Amechi’s experience in banking spans over 18 years and covers Customer Service, Retail Banking, Corporate Banking, Private Banking, Administration and Branch Banking, Total Quality Management and Corporate Communications.

She also acquired managerial level skills acquired in Customer Management, Credit Risk Analysis and Monitoring, Negotiation, Presentation, Portfolio Management, Business Planning, Change Management, Leadership and Team Management.

Before her current appointment, she was Head, Service Delivery and Total Quality Management; Head, Private Wealth Management Department with responsibility for business growth and supervision of private wealth management activities in the various regions of the country.

She was also Relationship /Business Manager, FSB International Bank Plc, April 1992 – October 2005.

He is a seasoned journalist, public relations practitioner, administrator and manager with varied experience and significant positive impact since 1985 in the private sector (including journalism, Public Relations and oil and gas industry service contracting) with the last 20 years at managerial/management positions.

Until his appointment, he had served at various times the Head External Relations, Group Head Brand Management, Head of Media Relations all of Spring Bank Plc. He also served in the re–engineered and re-positioned ACB International Bank Plc (formally African Continental Bank Plc).

Igwe is an English graduate of University of Ilorin and an associate member, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and Advertiser Practitioners of Nigeria.

nduneche ezurike

Head, Corporate Communication Mainstreet Bank A communication specialist and human development researcher, Ezurike has in the last 16 years worked with teams across diverse nationalities and organisations in Africa as employee, consultant and business entrepreneur; carrying out corporate communications, public affairs and business sustainability initiatives.

His academic and career backgrounds spans Political Economy, Managerial Psycholo g y and arbitration, which have further equipped him in the effective application of strategic planning and behavioural communication to inspire leadership.

His researched articles and publications over the years have also lent a strong voice to the role of the public and private sectors towards attaining the objectives of the Millennium Development (MDG) goals.

Some of the projects he has successfully managed for various organisations include: developing proprietary integrated marketing communication blending native and digital media channels for monitoring and measurement of project ROIs. (2011); Worked with Risk Management Groups in two financial institutions (Ecobank Group, 2008 and Bank PHB, 2010) to develop Reputational Risk Management frameworks.

He has also led corporate volunteer teams in Nigeria to partner with UNICEF in such campaigns as ‘fund raising support for Children’ and ‘Unite for Children Unite against AIDS Campaign.” Between 2008 and 2010, as Group Head of Corporate Promotions of Bank PHB, he worked as a project partner with global media giant CNN, in providing content for a celebrated TV programme, ‘‘African Voices.”

ADETOLA OSHOMAH

Head, Brand & Communications, Ecobank Nigeria She is responsible for distilling the Group Strategy in terms of market dominance, penetration and brand equity and communicating same to all relevant stakeholders in Ecobank Nigeria, with appropriate policies and plans to guide execution.

She developed a new and holistic brand & marketing communication strategy for the bank that aligns with the overall strategy of the group.

Oshomah also developed and executed the marketing communication strategy with direct oversight during the business integration project between Oceanic Bank and Ecobank Nigeria. Besides, she is responsible for periodic performance review and updates of the marketing strategy and the different channels developed to drive implementation.

Hitherto, she was head of Division, Brand & Communications, Zain Nigeria, April 2008 – September 2009, where she executed the telecoms brand strategy development and plan and marketing efforts.

She was also Brand Manager, Celtel Nigeria, January 2007 – March 2008 and was Senior Brand Manager, Prima Garnet Ogilvy, January 2004 – March 2005 where she developed and executed brand/ marketing communication plans under listed brands: Prima Garnet Ogilvy, January 2002 – December 2003

Igwe U. Igwe

Victor Adoji

He is responsible for creating and maintaining a sound image for the bank in general, Brand Management, Monitoring, Public Relations and maintaining goodwill of different stakeholders in its environment.

He oversees the management of the Zenith Bank brand in all ramifications, including all external communications and effective liaison with all relevant stakeholders, thereby creating good will for the entire group.

Head Corporate Communication, Enterprise Bank

Head of Corporate Communication, Zenith Bank Plc

39

40 Politics

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Reps’ war against baby factories PHILIP NYAM writes on the efforts by the House of Representatives to combat the flourishing business of homes for the production of babies for sale in the country

I

t is worrying that life is being depicted as cheap and worthless in Nigeria with the establishment of homes for the sole purpose of incubating babies to be sold to traffickers and herbalists. The proliferation of baby factories is alarming. This trade has unfortunately started taking its toll on genuine orphanages and motherless babies’ homes as people are becoming sceptical of what goes on in such institutions.

The South-East is most notorious for this heinous crime as every other week; a new baby factory is uncovered.

Some randy boys are often engaged to impregnate hapless and ignorant girls, who after carrying the babies for nine months are dispossessed of them and sold out.

The Bill While seeking the criminalisation of this inhuman trade, the House of Representatives condemned in clear terms what it described as ‘second slavery’. The House was therefore swift in passing for second reading a Bill seeking to amend the anti-trafficking law to prohibit the harbouring of pregnant girls and sale of babies in the country. The Bill, sponsored by Hon. Eddie Ifeanyichikwu Mbadiwe (PDP, Imo) was unanimously passed after a thorough debate. The Bill is entitled a “Bill for an Act to amend trafficking in persons (prohibition) law enforcement and administration Act no 28 of 2005 to prohibit racketeering with human pregnancy or operation of baby production factory, harbouring of pregnant persons under the age of 18 and above or selling or attempting to sell new born baby and for related matters.”

The Bill, which has been referred to the House Committee on Human Rights and Justice is aimed at countering the criminal activities of persons who operate baby production factories by racketeering in human pregnancy. Leading debate on the Bill, Mbadiwe said it was unfortunate that this ‘second slavery’ is taking place in the country in the 21st century whereby some dubious people get young girls and contract randy boys to impregnate them for the purpose of pro-

Pregnant young ladies arrested in a baby factory in Imo State

ducing babies to be sold. “Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that these girls are paid N200,000 and then when they put to bed, the babies are sold out. What we are doing is reintroducing slavery,” he stated.

Mbadiwe noted that slavery was abolished as far back as July 22, 1836 when William Wilberforce moved a motion calling for an end to the inhuman trade.

The lawmaker further argued that the existence of the NAPTIP Act has not prevented the operators of these ‘evil’ baby factories from forging ahead with their trade explaining that it was necessary to amend the trafficking in persons law to give it teeth to fight such criminals. He also lamented that the baby factories are predominant in the SouthEast where he hails from.

The support Supporting the Bill, Hon. Frank Enokorogha (PDP, Delta) said it was unfortunate that some parents even encourage their daughters to go into prostitution, adding that when the Bill gets to the public hearing stage, stiff punitive measures be prescribed for parents who indulge in the act.

Hon. Farouk Lawan (PDP, Kano) submitted that of all God’s creation, the noblest is the human being hence sanctity must be accorded to the existence of human beings. Lawan contended that it was high time the laws are amended to punish people who lure young girls with little sums of money to become baby producing machines.

He said: “If you look at what these children go through, you will be shocked. They can’t decide what they want to be and

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that these girls are paid N200,000 and then when they put to bed, the babies are sold out. What we are doing is reintroducing slavery

when a child is trafficked, he will end up being a menace to the society. It’s a Bill that will ensure the sanctity of the Nigerian child that will project our morality.”

In his contribution, Abubakar Momoh (PDP, Edo) said the practice was immoral and condemnable adding that prostitution has always been with us but the production of babies for the sole aim of selling was a new crime and must be fought with the same spirit with which trafficking in persons has been tackled.

Also supporting the Bill, Hon. Jones Onyereri (PDP, Imo) submitted that anyone who watched the raiding of the baby factories would not think twice before giving support to the bill. He said the practice was appalling and inhuman.

Penalty Unfortunately, Mbadiwe’s proposed penalty for violators of this law is viewed as too friendly. For example, section 25 (a) stipulates that anyone caught operating a baby factory be sentenced to a prison term not below two years or a fine of N500,000 or both. This is not commensurate with the magnitude of the crime being perpetrated by proprietors and operators of baby factories.

In fact, the Bill is silent on parents who lure their daughters into prostitution. It is a fact that some parents encourage their daughters to take to prostitution for the purpose of ‘helping’ the family. The sponsor of the Bill is oblivious of this fact and did not capture this in the proposed law.

The joint committee on justice and human rights, which has been saddled with the responsibility of sieving through this Bill must be scrupulous and firm in reworking it. Similarly, the committee will have to look into the activities of doctors, nurses and

midwives who aid and abet this crime in the country.

The statistics Statistics available have shown that the traffickers are not relenting despite the continuous raid on the factories by security agencies. In May 2013, the Imo State police command, arrested a notorious operator of such a baby factory called, Madam One Thousand.

At the Madam One Thousand Motherless Home where about 20 young girls and at various stages of pregnancy were discovered. On interrogation, they confessed that a boy named Ojibi was contracted to impregnate them. Up till today, it is not known whether Ojibi has been apprehended by the police.

Again, in December 2013, a 45-year-old woman named, Mrs. Ngozi Ikeh was arrested at Ikotun Egbe area of Lagos State with a baby she was said to have bought for N300, 000 from an Onitsha-based baby factory operator, Mrs. Grace Onye. In Aba and Owerri, it is now common to see police parade suspects operating these homes.

Sometime this year again, the Ogun State Police Command raided a baby factory in Akute area of the state. Eight young girls were discovered at the home (factory) operated by a 39-year-old woman, Angela Chidozie.

These stories are all over the country hence the need for all discerning Nigerians to support the House of Representatives in this laudable quest to put to rest the menace of baby factory operators. But the House must know that this business does not stop at sale of babies, there is also sale of human parts. Some have specialised in the sale of human parts and this aspect must also be tackled by the Bill before it is finally passed into law.

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porters conferring with her where she was sitting was obviously filled with trepidation.

After the clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, read the proclamation from President Goodluck Jonathan and the roll call of memberselect began shortly. The roll call was done in alphabetical order, state by state.

When it came to Sokoto State and Tambuwal was called, the whole chamber went into frenzy. He received a standing ovation and it took some minutes before the shouts of “Sai Tambuwal” subsided for the clerk to continue with the roll call. Although Akande-Adeola’s supporters attempted a similar solidarity chant, it was not as deafening as the one accorded Tambuwal.

All these were taking place in the presence of the PDP leadership, which was heavily represented on the floor.

The acting national chairman, Alhaji Haliru Bello, was sitting beside the Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; the then Kogi State governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris and his Abia State counterpart, Chief Theodore Orji.

The rebellion Even with the intimidating presence of the PDP apparatchik, the lawmakers were not deterred.

When the clerk of the House, Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori called for nominations for the position of speaker, Hon. Emmanuel Jime (now in APC) representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency of Benue State raised his hand and was recognised by the clerk. To the utmost consternation of the PDP’s leadership, he nominated Tambuwal and the nomination was seconded by Hon. Nnenna ElenduUkeje representing Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State. Elendu-Ukeje is still in the PDP. A second nomination was called and Hon. Bethel Amadi representing Ikeduru/Mbaitoli Federal Constituency of Imo State nominated Akande-Adeola.

The nomination was seconded by Hon. Hussaini Namadi representing Hadejia/Kafin Hausa Federal Constituency of Jigawa State.

Jime did not say much about Tambuwal but the members kept clapping apparently to prove to the PDP leadership that they could not be cowed.

The voting lasted for hours and at the end of the election Tambuwal scored 252 votes as against AkandeAdeola’s 92.

Tambuwal and Ihedioha subsequently took the oath just as it was administered on the other members of the House. This brought to an end the tension that had enveloped the political space, particularly in the House of Representatives.

The controversies Since becoming speaker, Tambuwal has maintained a cat and mouse relationship with the PDP. Even though, he and Ihedioha went and apologised to the party and sought for forgiveness, the House under Tambuwal has maintained a critical stance of the PDP-led executive and this has been interpreted in certain quarters as hostility towards the presidency.

The House first major opposition of executive policies was the emergency session convened on a Sunday on January 8, 2012 to reject the removal of petroleum subsidy by the presidency.

The House went ahead and investigated the subsidy regime and came out with damning recommendations even though, the probe almost consumed the lower chamber too.

Consequently, Tambuwal started

Speaker’s defection deepens PDP’s dilemma

Tambuwal

Akande-Adeola

distancing himself from the PDP activities and began hobnobbing with the opposition, particularly the APC. His closeness to former Lagos governor and APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and former military leader, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, became a source of great concern to the PDP. With the defection of his governor and political soul mate, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko alongside four other PDP governors to the APC, it became clear that it was just a matter of time for Tambuwal to also jump ship. This has for a long time fuelled speculations that the speaker will leave PDP.

governor held his hand and told him in Hausa, you have to be learning how to do this now (that is cutting tapes to inaugurate projects).”

Also, New Telegraph gathered reliably that Wamakko at the last stakeholders meeting which Tambuwal attended in Sokoto told party faithful that the APC will not sell two forms in the state. In other words, the governorship ticket of the APC is reserved for Tambuwal. According to our sources, the governor had told the supporters that “Aminu has done well at the national level and there was need for him to re-enact the same in the state. We will not sell form to any other person for governorship seat here.”

There are also those who believe that Tambuwal may throw his hat in the ring for presidency at the right time. Although, he may go for the governorship ticket first then go in search of the higher one. It is believed that Tambuwal has already secured a campaign office in the Maitama District of Abuja. The lawmaker asked: “If he wants to contest for governorship, why would he open an office in Abuja? I am telling you he has secured an office space somewhere in Maitama and that office may be opened soon.”

Mass defection The face-off between the Tambuwalled House and PDP/Presidency took an incredible turn when in December last year, 37 members of the PDP dumped the party for the APC, thereby opening what has become a floodgate of cross carpeting in the House. By February 2014, the APC had even uped its membership in the House and was plotting to take over the leadership as the majority party. All these were said to have been done with the tacit knowledge and approval of the speaker.

Today, the APC has significantly bridged the gap between it and the PDP whittling down the numerical advantage of the ruling party. With the defection of Tambuwal, there are insinuations that about 20 members of the PDP may follow suit in December when they reconvene from the break.

Options before Tambuwal The defection of Tambuwal has not put to rest speculations as to his actual ambition whether he will contest for governor or president. A member of the House from Sokoto who is a close associate of Tambuwal told our correspondent that the speaker may be going for governorship. He said Governor Wamakko is favourably disposed to handing over to Tambuwal. Buttressing his contention, the lawmaker said: “There was a time we travelled to Sokoto with the speaker for the commissioning of projects. As we were waiting, the governor arrived and asked, ‘where is Aminu? That is Speaker Tambuwal.

When the speaker came forward, the

Impeaching Tambuwal With the defection, Tambuwal has become the first speaker to preside over any legislature from an opposition party. However, the PDP is hamstrung because it lacks the required two-third majority to impeach Tambuwal. There are currently 188 PDP members as against APC’s 160.

Deputy leader of the House, Hon. Leo Ogor, confessed that “even if one is talking about impeachment, we (PDP) do not have the two-thirds majority to do that. We are 360 and two-thirds is 240 members and we are not up to that.”

Section 50 (1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) did not make any provision for the election of a speaker from the majority party. In other words,

apart from corruption or mismanagement of funds, it will be difficult for the PDP to impeach him.

Tambuwal had however perfected his movement to the APC long ago. He has chosen now to defect because every lawmaker and even the PDP leadership is presently preoccupied with primaries and election campaigns and no one will have the luxury of time to devote to fighting to remove a speaker who has just a few months to the end of his tenure.

Again, only this year, the House amended its Standing Orders, which favours the speaker in every ramification. In the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives (Eight Edition), there is no provision for the impeachment of speaker just as there is no provision that the speaker must come from the majority party.

Section 4 states that: “the election of the speaker shall be conducted in the following manner (a) a member-elect, addressing the clerk shall propose another member-elect with legislative experience as member of the National Assembly to the House to be speaker and shall move that such member-elect do take the chair of the House as speaker of the House of Representatives.”

This provision has adequately covered Tambuwal from any move against him. In fact, it will be impossible to raise any motion concerning his status because by virtue of the House Standing Orders, he is eminently qualified and has not run foul of any infringement.

The new Standing Order is silent on the impeachment but only states in Section 9 that “whenever a vacancy has occurred in the office of speaker or deputy speaker during a session, the clerk shall report same to the House at its next sitting and the House shall either forthwith, or at its next sitting, proceed to the election of a new speaker in the manner herein before provided.”

The nature of the vacancy has not been defined whether it’s through impeachment, death or resignation. But the fact remains that Tambuwal has a large followership among the members and it will be pretty difficult for anyone to move against him.

PDP kicks The National Working Committee (NWC) has asked Tambuwal to honourably resign from office.

In a statement issued yesterday after its meeting, the party stated: “After a thorough consideration of the matter, the NWC came to a conclusion that the Hon. Speaker, as a responsible elected officer, knows full well what is needful and honourable of him since his new party is in the minority.

“We are not unmindful of the fact that Hon. Tambuwal became Speaker on the platform of the PDP as the political party with the majority of seats in the House of Representatives and that this incontrovertible fact has not changed.”

From all indications, the remaining months promises to be explosive as a lot of intrigues will come into play, especially given the move by Tambuwal, who immediately after his defection announced the adjournment of the House till December.

42 Politics

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Hurdles before constitution report C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 7

ing of the State Houses of Assembly, Auditor-General of the state and the Attorney-General of a state directly from the State Consolidated Revenue Fund.

The approved Bill also in Section 124, which is a consequential provision of the making of the local government a full third tier government, created the office of the Auditor-General of the Local Government as well as the State Local Government Service Commission.

This Section also deletes the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).

The abrogation of the SIEC by the National Assembly is also being protested by the state governors, and is likely going to suffer serious setback in the state assemblies like the issue of local government autonomy. The governors will definitely mobilise forces to kill the proposal because it is their major weapon for manipulating election results. They have already argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has no business coming to conduct elections at the state and council levels.

Sections 134 and 179 were amended to extend the time for conducting presidential or governorship rerun election to 21 days instead of the seven days for both presidential and gubernatorial elections.

Furthermore, Sections 174 and 211 in the Bill establish the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Attorney General of a State respectively as distinct from Minister of Justice and Commissioner of Justice.

The National Assembly also amended Section 225 to empower INEC to de-register political parties for nonfulfilment of certain conditions such as breach of registration requirements and failure to win either a presidential, governorship, local government chairmanship or a seat in the National or

Chukwu David Abuja

T

he bill of the week is entitled “A Bill for an Act to abolish and prohibit Dichotomy and Discrimination between First Degree and Higher National Diploma in the same Profession/ Field and Related Matters, 2014.”

The Bill was sponsored by Senator Ayo Akinyelure representing Ondo Central. The Bill is seeking to abolish and prohibit dichotomy and discrimination between First Degree and Higher National Diploma in the same profession/ field. It passed second reading last week Wednesday.

The Bill actually attracted two extreme emotions, thereby splitting the Senate into two factions when it was being debated. One faction stood in total support of the abolition and prohibition of all forms of discrimination and dichotomy between the holders of the two academic certificates in Nigeria while the other faction moved to kill the Bill, arguing that the fundamental problem that resulted in the situation could not be addressed by legislation but through proper administration and regulation by relevant regulatory agencies.

However, worried by the imbalance in the placement and promotion of HND/ First Degree holders by employers in the country, Senator Akinyelure made desperate and determined effort to bring about a law to eliminate the perceived injustice from the system. Therefore, with a lot of difficulty and resilient per-

Mark

State Assembly.

Section 228 confers powers on the National Assembly to make laws for the procedures, guidelines and qualifications for access to the ballot by political parties and independent candidates, while Section 241 provides that a court or tribunal shall not stay any proceedings on account of any interlocutory appeal.

Section 251 confers exclusive jurisdiction on the Federal High Court for trial of electoral offences while Section 285 provides for time for determination of pre-election matters, establishment of local government election tribunals and time for determination of election petitions. The section provides that where a force majeure occurs, the period of the force majeure shall not be counted in the computation of the 180 days for the purpose of determining election petitions.

However, the report stated that parts 1 and 2 of the Second Schedule, which deal with Legislative Powers, the exclu-

sive powers under Part I to the Schedule of the Constitution was congested, cumbersome and unwieldy.

The National Assembly, therefore, saw the need to decongest the exclusive list by maintaining only items of utmost importance to the federation as a whole, and transferring some items to the concurrent list.

Consequently, the parliament, in the course of tinkering with the amendment, substituted “Post and Telegraphs” with “Post and Telecommunications,” included National Security Agencies and removed Pensions, Railways, and Stamp Duties from the Exclusive Legislative List.

Therefore, the National Assembly approved the transfer of Arbitration, Environment, Health, Housing, Railways, Road Safety, Stamp Duties, Land and Agriculture and Youths to the Concurrent List.

However, the Conference Committee report adopted by the Senate indicated that wages were also transferred to the Concurrent List but it was later discovered that it was done in error in the course of rearranging and printing the harmonized report by the consultant that handled the document for the Senate.

Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, and Chairman, House Ad hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Rep. Emeka Ihedioha had clarified this when the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) started making trouble out of it.

In a statement signed by the Deputy Speaker and entitled, “the National Assembly Constitution Amendment did not remove Labour from the Exclusive List,” he explained that the House retained the Labour in the Exclusive Legislative List while the Senate put the Labour in the Concurrent List; but at the point of harmonisation, the House version was adopted. This means that the

Labour remains in the Exclusive List.

He said: “It has become necessary to clarify that the Conference report of the Constitution Review Committee recently adopted by the Senate and House of Representatives did not remove Labour from the Exclusive Legislative List.

“The Senate had earlier put Labour on the Concurrent List but the House retained it in the Exclusive List. During the Harmonisation of the reports from the two chambers, the Conference Committee adopted the House version and retained Labour on the Exclusive List.

“Both Senate and the House have now adopted the Conference Committee Report which retained Labour on the Exclusive Legislative List. We are at a loss as to where the false and misleading information on this matter emanated from.”

In his remarks after the approval of the report, the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, who presided over the session, urged the relevant authorities to transmit the report to the state assemblies for their own legislative action as quickly as possible.

The 1999 Constitution (as amended) stipulates that before any amendment done on the Constitution by the National Assembly can become law, two-thirds majority of the state assemblies must also pass such alteration, which in this case would be 24 state assemblies.

As the items amended by the National Assembly are being transmitted to the state assemblies for their approval, it is the wish of Nigerians that the state parliaments do what is right. The constitution has already given them powers to take independent decisions in the interest of the people. They should utilise these powers for the benefit of the citizenry, and not sell it to the governors for their selfish interests. The state lawmakers should be accountable to the people, and one day, the people will hold them to account for their stewardship.

Reprieve for HND holders suasion, he was able to get the Bill pass for second reading, from where it will go for public hearing for further and wider inputs from diverse stakeholders.

Leading the debate on the general principles of the Bill, Akinyelure, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions noted with dismay the age-long discrimination and dichotomy existing between First Degree and HND in the country and the concomitant traumatizing experiences of HND holders in their places of work.

He explained that the Bill specifically sought to end the on-going controversy over wage disparity and gross discrimination against HND holders in places of work both in the public and private sectors.

He said: “The aftermath of continuing injustices, disparity and discriminations meted on products of polytechnics in Nigeria is threatening to derail the nation’s core policy thrust of evolving a technological and scientifically-based, self-reliant society in the nearest future.

“As I speak, thousands of would-be polytechnic and technology students are contemplating or have decided to opt for university education, because of perceived and real discrimination against HND graduates. If this contemplation occurs, there is bound to be a vacuum created in our labour market in this regard, and dire consequences are bound to follow this trend.

Akinyelure

“Over the years, several entreaties have been put forth to the Federal Civil Service authorities to put a stop to certain glaring wage disparities and discrimination against the HND holders, and all these have been to no avail.”

He also regretted that certain federal parastatals openly discriminate against HND holders to the extent of limiting their progress within the hierarchy of

such government bodies.

“To all intents and purposes, a government employment policy that places degree holders ahead of HND holders without recourse to skill and ability of the HND holders thereof, does more harm than good to the nation’s development,” he argued.

The Ondo-born politician further claimed that empirical evidences had shown that polytechnic graduates of accountancy, engineering and some other professional courses were better on the job than their university counterparts.

He also noted that attempts made during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration to bring the HND at par with the degree, by the National Council of Establishment, did not succeed because they discovered that the problem was with curriculum of polytechnics and that of the university, which he said, could not be tampered with.

In his contribution, Senator Ahmed Lawan said that the discrimination and dichotomy between the two certificates was counter-productive, pointing out that such was not only found in civil service but also in the education institution and other sectors of the economy, and urged the Senate to abolish the situation by passing the bill.

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, while commenting on the bill said, “even if the bill does not succeed, it will help to raise awareness on dysfunctional nature of our educa-

Politics 43

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Tim Cocks

N

ot many presidents could survive three multi-billion dollar government oil corruption scandals and a wave of cold-blooded killings and kidnappings of civilians by Islamist militants still holding hundreds of schoolgirls after six months.

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has not only survived, he will seek re-election in February stronger than ever, after five years in a job no one expected him to get.

Jonathan’s support base within the ruling party is now unchallenged, a rare feat for the often fractious Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) coalition is split between two contestants for the presidency.

The government announced a ceasefire with the Islamist Boko Haram rebels 12 days ago, ahead of talks in neighbouring Chad to secure the release of more than 200 girls seized from Chibok village in April in an abduction that shocked the world.

If the talks are successful it would help the president’s image. But nothing has come of it yet and violence has since surged, with dozens more children kidnapped.

Jonathan has defended his overstretched military’s efforts against a Boko Haram insurgency that has killed thousands. In the case of the failure to free the schoolgirls, he has said any rescue attempt would endanger their lives.

Meanwhile, apart from the security challenges, his government also has been beset by corruption allegations.

A parliamentary report detailed a $6.8 billion fuel subsidy fraud. A government investigation revealed corrupt cut price crude sales to oil majors that cost the treasury billions. And a former central banker has reported that between $10 billion and $20 billion had been diverted by the state oil firm over 18 months between 2012 and last year.

WEEK

THE

BILL OF

tional system. Polytechnic means teaching of technical subject but today, they teach everything. We should re-examine this by turning all polytechnics into degree awarding institutions.”

“To say we will abolish the dichotomy is difficult; the committee to handle the bill should invite experts to look into harmonising the whole thing,” he suggested.

However, some other senators who contributed kicked against the bill, arguing that the fundamental issues about what the proposed law sought to achieve could not be addressed by legislation but through administrative restructuring.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark said: “It is a good bill and if it goes to public hearing we will know whether it will go or not.

We should find the way out to give us a way forward. Whether we can legislate on this is a difficult thing entirely. Nobody who does a degree will go to polytechnic to get HND. But those who have HND go to university to obtain a degree.

I think the whole essence of sending the Bill for public hearing is for stakeholders to make input and that will be the only benefit that will come out of it.”

After making this statement, Mark put the Bill to voice vote and it was passed for second reading, and referred to Committee on Education for further legislative action. It will be subjected to public hearing and finally presented to the Senate to decide whether or not it should pass into law.

2015: Jonathan brushes off scandals

Jonathan

The government pledged to investigate the first two cases and denied the third.

Last month, South Africa froze two payments from the Jonathan administration totalling $15 million that it suspected were for illegal arms deals.

Nigeria said the deals were legal.

Yet it is a testament to Nigeria’s complex mix of ethnic rivalry, patronage and intense competition for centralised oil wealth in Africa’s top producer that Jonathan can brush off these various scandals and attract a high level of support.

Weaker opposition Jonathan, a Christian southerner, was an accidental president, taking over in 2009 after President Umaru Yar’Adua, a Muslim from the north, died from illness.

When Jonathan was elected to his own term in 2011, many in the north resented his decision to run, believing he had torn up an unwritten rule that power should rotate between mainly Muslim north and mainly Christian south every two terms.

Former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, who lost to Jonathan in 2011, and defected PDP ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar are vying for the opposition APC ticket. Both launched bids in the past month, focusing on security and graft.

Roddy Barclay, senior Africa analyst at Control Risks, a political risk consultancy, sees two “principle factors for Jonathan’s robust position in spite of the scandals and failings which have rocked his government.”

“Firstly, the primacy of money and patronage in determining electoral outcomes in Nigeria,” means an incumbent gets a huge advantage, and second, “the opposition lacks steadfast unity.”

That marks a big change from less than a year ago. In December it was the PDP that was in crisis. Thirty seven lawmakers defected to the APC that month, demolishing the PDP’s lower house majority. Rotimi Amaechi, powerful governor of the oil hub state of Rivers, also defected.

The same month, Jonathan’s mentor and PDP godfather, ex-president Oluse-

gun Obasanjo, wrote a scathing letter saying it would be “fatally morally flawed” for Jonathan to seek re-election in 2015 because of corruption under his rule. Jonathan called the intervention “unjustifiable and indecorous.”

Ten months on and the APC has failed to capitalise. It has not agreed on a presidential candidate and several disillusioned APC figures have flipped to the PDP, underscoring the fluid nature of Nigerian party politics.

They include popular two-term ex-governor of Kano State Ibrahim Shakarau, a Buhari rival, and former anti-corruption chief Nuhu Ribadu, denying the APC a strong anti-graft platform, although Buhari still has strong anti-corruption credentials.

It is a testament to Nigeria’s complex mix of ethnic rivalry, patronage and intense competition for centralised oil wealth in Africa’s top producer that Jonathan can brush off these various scandals and attract a high level of support

Modest expectations In June, the APC then lost a governorship election in Ekiti State to the ruling party.

“The opposition is cannibalising itself. Its top elites are vying against one another. That’s a glide path for President Jonathan,” said Eurasia Group’s Philippe de Pontet.

“Had the APC sustained its momentum from 5-6 months ago ... we’d be in a different world.”

On December 2, the dynamic could shift when the party picks its candidate.

Buhari earned a reputation for cracking down on corruption during his time in power in 1983-85, and most Nigerians agree he did not use the post to enrich himself, but it is not clear whether he would win votes from APC supporters in the south.

The emotional conflict felt by Barrister Isaac Matthew illustrates Jonathan’s staying power.

Driven by the plight of the schoolgirls to leave a court case he was defending to join protesters demanding more action to rescue them, he says Jonathan bears ultimate responsibility since “leaders are supposed to protect their people.”

“I’m still probably going to vote for him,” he said, citing Jonathan’s concentration on power reform and some works Matthew said had greatly improved the road network.

“The opposition has no credible candidate to stand against him. Not Atiku (Abubakar) and not Buhari.”

The power sector is under improvement, but that may not draw votes since the supply in one of the world’s most electricity-starved countries has fallen in the short term.

Many voters are likely to see the Boko Haram insurgency, which only affects the remote North-East apart from occasional bomb attacks in the capital or other cities, as just one problem in their large, diverse country.

“Expectations in the electorate are fairly modest and they are hugely disenfranchised, despite ... years of civilian rule,” said Antony Goldman, head of Nigeria-focused PM Consulting.

“You don’t need to be popular or successful in conventional terms to win an election in Nigeria,” he said, although he added that no president had managed to stay popular after four years in office, and the APC had yet to present a clear alternative.

Ebola not a factor so far One issue that has not yet played an important role is Ebola, rampant in some other West African states. A mixture of luck and impressively decisive action has meant Africa’s most populous country was able to avoid a potentially devastating epidemic after a Liberian brought it to the megacity of Lagos, but the virus could still come back to plague Nigeria, with unpredictable political consequences.

Jonathan’s assumed decision to run has widened a divide between elites in Nigeria’s south and north because of a feeling in the north that it is still their “turn” to rule.

That makes violence likely, especially if the poll is close. In 2011, more than 800 were killed and 65,000 displaced in three days of violence after Jonathan beat Buhari in the poll.

If Buhari, now 71, gets the ticket but loses the election again, his supporters may have less reason to end the mayhem so quickly if they sense he has missed his last chance.

•Culled from Reuters

44

Business | Money Line

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Mobile subscriptions in Nigeria hit 133.2m • Teledensity grows to 94.4%

INACTIVE STATUS

No fewer than 13 telecoms licensees have been declared inactive.

Kunle Azeez

N

igeria’s active telephone lines increased to 133.2 million, New Telegraph has gathered.

This, is according to the latest subscriber base figures released by the telecoms industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), yesterday, was as at the end of August this year.

In the latest data obtained by New Telegraph, the commission said up from 132.7 million active telephone subscriptions in July, the number of telephone lines declined slightly to 132.1 million.

However, the telecoms industry recorded an upswing in active subscriptions in August, as telecoms operators ended the month with 133.2 million telephone lines, as over 1.1 million additional phone lines were

accrued by the networks.

It was learnt that the figures represent the total industry numbers pulled by all the three segments of the telecoms industry including the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and fixed wired/wireless networks in the country.

Further analysis of the NCC data revealed that of the total 133.3 million active mobile subscriptions, GSM operators including MTN, Airtel, Globacom and Etisalat had 130.8 million lines; CDMA networks such as Visafone and dormant Multi-Links, Starcomms and Zoom Mobile still had 2.2 million lines, while fixed networks had 190, 507 lines.

Telecoms operators ended 2013 with combined industry’s active subscriber base of 127 million and this figure has since grown monthon-month to reach 133.2 million in August.

Similarly, teledensity, which defines level of phone penetration in the country, has also increased from 91.15 per

cent in January this year to 94.42 per cent at the end of August.

Meanwhile, NCC has declared 13 telecoms operators that were hitherto vibrant, as inactive.

The operators became inactive, following the total loss of their customers to other operators that are currently pulling weight in the industry.

Majority of the inactive operators had since gone into extinction and could no longer offer competitive services to their customers, who de-

cided to choose other network operators, mostly the GSM networks.

The list of inactive operators, which was posted on NCC’s website, include one national carrier, one GSM operator, five CDMA operators and six Fixed/ Fixed Wireless operators.

The operators include NITEL, MTel, Starcomms, Reliance Telecoms (Zoom Mobile), Intercellular, MTS First Communications, WiTel, O’ Net (Odua Telecoms), Rainbownet, Monarch Communications, Xs Broad-

Bayo Akomolafe

N

igeria is to earn N210.6billion ($1.3 billion) from cocoa exports this year, an increase of 45 percent from two years ago.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina said the country would produce 370,000 tons this year from

As at N14,737,618.7m N16,509,472.5m 8 0.0000 12 10.899 7.96 17.01 US$109.9 US$42,604,781,796.6

Description

TTM

4.00% 23-Apr-2015 13.05% 16-Aug-2016 15.10% 27-Apr-2017 16.00% 29-Jun-2019 16.39% 27-Jan-2022 10.00% 23-Jul-2030

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 2/5/2014 1/20/2014 11/6/2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 1/20/2014 2/5/2014 Source:CBN

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

Offer Yield 13.01 13.40 13.47 13.49 13.44 13.59

Price 90.35 99.40 104.40 109.65 114.45 76.90

Tenor (Months) 1 2 3 6 9 12

Rate (%) 12.1827 12.2737 12.3744 12.8521 12.8535 13.8443

Treasury Bills Maturity Date 08-May-14 07-Aug-14 22-Jan-15

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

FX

Bid Spot ($/N) 163.28 THE FIXINGS –NIBOR,NITTY and NIFEX of February 6,2014

NITTY

Yield 12.86 13.33 13.35 13.42 13.38 13.53

Money Market Offer 11.85 11.85 11.80 Offer 163.38

CDMA operators.

Recent checks by New Telegraph revealed that the plan to merge the three CDMA operators into a bigger and stronger operator that could compete with GSM operators, had hit the rock.

The failure of the transaction, it was gathered, followed the loss of faith in the CDMA segment of the industry, as prospective investors believed the proposed $210 investment, that could have raised a major CDMA operator in the country with better financial muscle, might not yield returns.

Nigeria cocoa export revenues to hit N210.6bn

Economic Indicators M2* CPS* INF IBR MPR 91-day NTB DPR PLR Bonny Light Ext Res**

band, Webcom, and Disc Communications.

All the operators were once vibrant, but became inactive due to their inability to cope with market competition.

Starcomms, for instance, was at some point, the largest and most vibrant CDMA operator in the country, but suddenly went down the drain.

The once largest CDMA operator in the country, agreed to an outright sale of the company to Capcom, which promised to merge its operations with MultiLinks and MTS First Wireless, after buying the two

Open-Buy-Back (OBB) Overnight (O/N)

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

its 14 major producing areas, up from the 250,000 tons that earned it $900 million in 2012.

Cocoa accounted for 9 per cent of Nigeria’s $12.9 billion total non-oil revenues in 2013.

Adesina said the European Union was supporting Nigeria with around 12 million euros to develop a standards laboratory for cocoa.

He said that the government aimed to produce half a million tons of cocoa next year and 600,000 tons by 2016, as a new hybrid variety given out to farmers improves yields. Europe is the main buyer. The long-term aim was to produce a million tons a year, just shy of top grower Ivory Coast.

The minister, who spoke during a world summit in Abuja, noted that production was up to 300,000 tons

a year. He also said that the government was working on a cocoa board in conjunction with the private sector, which would help accelerate growth in production, noting that a board helped Ghana double its output to 700,000 tons in the past 10-years.

He added:” If we don’t diversify the economy, we are exposed to shocks. The bulk of our export earnings come from crude oil but we are mindful as a government that this is not a sustainable pathway.

“Today agriculture is the largest contributor to the non-oil sector and the key component of that is cocoa.

We want to replace oil within the next 5-8 years so that we can buffer ourselves against global commodity price shocks.”

Nigeria’s middle class grows along with banks, telecoms, says AfDB Godson Ikoro

D

espite the hardship and high rate of unemployment in the country, the nation’s middle class is growing especially alongside the expanding banking and telecommunications sectors’ class, according to a survey by the African Development Bank (ADB).

A statement from the bank yesterday said that at least at least 370 million Africans, or 34 percent of the continent’s 1.1 billion people, are now middle, adding that the emergent class will help drive further economic growth and development.

By 2060, the group should represent 42 percent of the population, according to the study launched in Johannesburg nearly 20 years ago.

“There is a stable middle class and it is growing,” said

Mthuli Ncube, the AfDB’s chief economist and a senior research fellow with Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government.

“It is a big driver for investment in Africa,” he added at a news conference in Johannesburg.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts that Africa’s economic growth, boosted by rising investment in natural resources and infrastructure, will reach 5.1 percent this year, up from 4.7 percent in 2013.

The IMF predicts that it should climb to 5.8 percent next year, given that the study, which defined the middle class as having a purchasing power parity of between $2.20 and $20 (15 euros) a day, found that the middle class is strongest in countries with a robust and growing private sector.

Business | Financiel Market News

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

45

28-Oct-14

The FMDQ Daily Quotations List (DQL) comprises market and model prices/rates of foreign exchange ($/N) products, fixed income securities and instruments in the OTC market. The use of this report is subject to the FMDQ OTC PLC Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement on www.fmdqotc.com.

Bonds FGN Bonds

Price

Rating/Agency

Issuer

NA

NA

Description 4.00 23-APR-2015 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 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)

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

4.00 13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493

535.00 563.89 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 371.68 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 130.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,675.13

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,636.28

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

0.48 1.80 2.50 2.75 2.84 3.59 4.67 4.99 7.25 9.38 14.09 14.57 15.06 15.74 19.72

10.89 12.42 12.56 12.65 12.66 12.72 12.74 12.80 12.67 12.64 12.73 12.75 12.76 12.70 12.74

10.56 12.32 12.49 12.58 12.59 12.61 12.66 12.71 12.61 12.59 12.69 12.70 12.70 12.65 12.70

96.81 100.95 105.30 93.62 92.27 94.29 111.15 79.08 117.25 108.40 114.64 98.31 71.79 81.75 95.70

96.96 101.10 105.45 93.77 92.42 94.59 111.45 79.38 117.55 108.70 114.94 98.61 72.09 82.05 96.00

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

23-Apr-15 16-Aug-16 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34

#

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

28-Dec-11 24-May-10 03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

0.00 0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

978.35 24.56 3.00 112.22 116.70 66.49

31-Oct-14 24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.01 0.57 1.31 2.12 2.48 2.69

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

11.88 13.60 14.17 14.55 13.63 13.65

99.90 92.74 103.71 100.79 98.47 95.71

31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19 02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19 10-Oct-20 27-Nov-20 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 06-Jan-21

0.84 0.68 0.97 0.97 2.48 1.52 3.18 2.35 3.93 2.35 2.35 2.73 2.98 5.07 2.95 3.50 6.08 6.18 3.66 3.69

4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 4.78 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.74 1.00 1.00 1.94 1.44 1.95

15.76 14.34 15.95 14.97 18.22 13.15 14.48 14.40 13.75 13.60 17.38 13.65 13.67 13.80 15.41 13.71 13.75 14.68 14.17 14.68

97.47 99.59 98.60 101.02 84.17 101.14 98.76 99.35 100.71 101.94 93.79 101.89 104.33 102.47 98.56 102.76 98.97 101.20 101.04 101.01

18-Dec-14 31-Dec-14 17-Aug-15 09-Dec-15 06-Jan-16 29-Sep-16 25-Oct-16 30-Sep-17 30-Nov-17 09-Apr-18 09-Sep-18 09-Sep-18 22-Sep-18 18-Oct-18 17-Feb-19 01-Apr-19 14-Nov-20 30-Sep-24 30-Sep-24

0.14 0.18 0.56 0.63 0.71 1.92 1.99 2.92 1.74 1.95 2.11 2.11 3.90 2.22 2.30 3.18 6.05 9.92 9.92

5.21 8.71 4.88 1.00 2.63 1.00 1.34 1.00 1.88 3.48 5.20 5.06 1.35 2.29 6.11 2.16 2.76 1.00 1.00

16.29 19.85 15.83 12.05 13.78 13.47 13.86 13.67 14.20 15.97 17.76 17.62 14.10 14.87 18.70 14.85 15.51 13.64 13.64

99.51 99.34 97.43 100.43 100.84 99.20 100.65 98.41 107.00 100.18 100.70 101.81 99.67 101.63 97.28 102.84 98.98 86.89 97.86

11-Feb-18

3.29

1.00

13.70

90.95

Bid Price

Offer Price

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

NA

***LCRM

0.00 AMCON 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,301.32

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,294.96

Sub-National Bonds A+/Agusto A/Agusto A-/Agusto A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro A/Agusto A-/GCR

KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE LAGOS *OSUN *OSUN LAGOS KOGI *EKITI *NASARAWA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

31-Aug-10 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 14-Feb-12 02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12 10-Oct-13 27-Nov-13 31-Dec-13 31-Dec-13 06-Jan-14

12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50 14.50 14.75 14.75 13.50 15.00 14.50 15.00

8.50 4.18 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00 34.14 9.00 14.96 11.13 27.00 16.23 80.00 27.51 11.40 87.00 5.00 4.78 4.79

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

471.18 463.75

Corporate Bonds Aa/Agusto Nil Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto BB+/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A-/Agusto A/GCR BBB-/GCR BBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR A/Agusto; A/GCR Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR BBB/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A/GCR A/GCR

GTB NGC

µ

*UPDC *FLOURMILLS *CHELLARAMS NAHCO FSDH UBA *C & I LEASING *DANA # *TOWER# *TOWER# UBA *LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS # *DANA NAHCO STANBIC IBTC STANBIC IBTC

13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014 10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020 182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024 13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

18-Dec-09 01-Apr-10 17-Aug-10 09-Dec-10 06-Jan-11 29-Sep-11 25-Oct-13 30-Sep-10 30-Nov-12 09-Apr-11 09-Sep-11 09-Sep-11 22-Sep-11 18-Oct-13 17-Feb-12 01-Apr-14 14-Nov-13 30-Sep-14 30-Sep-14

13.50 17.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 13.00 14.25 13.00 18.00 16.00 18.00 16.00 14.00 15.75 17.00 16.00 15.25 N/A 13.25

13.17 2.00 3.61 13.62 0.60 15.00 5.53 20.00 0.73 6.30 2.90 0.80 35.00 2.40 0.41 4.50 2.05 0.10 15.44

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

144.16

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

143.43

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

IFC

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

12.00 10.91

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

5.22

5.07

108.03

108.88

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.32

4.07

102.74

103.57

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

5.55

5.43

105.62

106.47

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,581.93

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

AFREN PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

8.64

8.64

103.30

103.30

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

4.11

4.11

105.04

105.04

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

6.55

6.55

101.72

101.72

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

8.68

8.16

94.63

96.13

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.34

5.90

98.79

100.34

B/Fitch

AFREN PLC II

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

9.68

9.68

102.00

102.00

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

6.51

6.51

99.00

99.00

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

9.21

8.82

98.32

99.73

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

8.08

8.08

99.75

99.75

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

AFREN PLC III

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

7.50

7.50

95.75

95.75

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC II

9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021

24-Jun-14

9.25

400.00

24-Jun-21

9.24

8.96

100.13

101.50

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK LTD

8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021

23-Jul-14

8.00

450.00

23-Jul-21

7.98

7.98

99.00

99.00

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

8.43

8.22

100.53

101.59

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,760.00 4,764.04

**Treasury Bills DTM 9 16 23 30 37 44 58

FIXINGS Maturity 6-Nov-14 13-Nov-14 20-Nov-14 27-Nov-14 4-Dec-14 11-Dec-14 25-Dec-14

Bid Discount (%) 10.60 10.65 10.30 10.65 10.50 10.75 10.80

Offer Discount (%) 10.35 10.40 10.05 10.40 10.25 10.50 10.55

Bid Yield (%) 10.63 10.70 10.37 10.74 10.61 10.89 10.99

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 10.6250 12.5182 13.3194 14.1879

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.25

O/N

10.50

Tenor Call

REPO

Rate (%) 10.33

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M

165.60 165.56 165.75 166.38 167.57

165.70 165.72 166.06 166.98 168.65

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,294.96

Sub-National Bonds A+/Agusto A/Agusto A-/Agusto A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro A/Agusto A-/GCR

46

31-Aug-10 KADUNA 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 30-Sep-10 *EBONYI 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 30-Jun-11 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 *BENUE 30-Jun-09 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 *IMO 19-Apr-10 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 LAGOS 30-Jun-10 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 *BAYELSA 30-Dec-10 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 EDO 30-Sep-11 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 *DELTA 04-Oct-11 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 NIGER 09-Dec-11 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 *EKITI 12-Dec-13 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 *NIGER 14-Feb-12 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 *ONDO 02-Oct-12 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 *GOMBE 22-Nov-12 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 LAGOS 12-Dec-12 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 *OSUN Consequently, the Allindices maintained nega10-Oct-13 14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020 *OSUN tive trajectory to close in Share Index dipped27-Nov-13 437.59 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 LAGOS 31-Dec-13 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 KOGI the red, as15.00 activities in basis points or 1.14 per 31-Dec-13 *EKITI the shares14.50 of EKITI twoII 31-DEC-2020 giant cent to close at 38,286.56, 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021 *NASARAWA 06-Jan-14

Business | Financiel Market News

NEGATIVE

Nigerian stocks fall on breweries companies

breweries companies - as against 38,724.15 reNigerian Breweries Plc corded the previous day TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION he Nigerian stock and Guinness Nigeria while the market capitalCorporate Bonds suffered Plc, dragged down the isation of equities depremarket 18-Dec-09 13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 Aa/Agustofurther depresGTB equity market. ciated by N145 billion or µ NGC 31-DEC-2014 01-Apr-10 NGC Nil sion following Trading17.00 activities on 1.14 per cent, as market 10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 17-Aug-10 Bbb-/Agusto 1.14 per cent drop in*UPDC both the floor of12.00 theFLOURMILLS Nigerian sentiment remained red.

9-DEC-2015 A-/Agusto 09-Dec-10 *FLOURMILLS market performance inStock Exchange (NSE) Meanwhile, a turn14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 BB+/GCR 06-Jan-11 *CHELLARAMS dices, reflecting profit had the previous day also over of 398.8 million 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 A+/Agusto; A-/GCR 29-Sep-11 NAHCO 14.25red FSDH 25-OCT-2016 A-/Agustoamid drop in 25-Oct-13 FSDH biltaking, in- closed in the follow- shares worth N2.8 13.00sentiments UBA 30-SEP-2017 A/GCR 30-Sep-10 vestment activities.UBA ing negative lion in 4,579 deals was LEASING 30-NOV-2017 BBB-/GCR *C & I LEASING recorded in the30-Nov-12 day’s The key benchmark on the part18.00 of C&I investors. # MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 BBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR 09-Apr-11

T

*DANA *TOWER# *TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 UBA 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 *LA CASERA MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 *CHELLARAMS # 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 *DANA 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020 NAHCO relations with domestic 182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024 STANBIC IBTC raw material suppliers.

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024 STANBIC IBTC

Unilever suffers 49% fall in nine-month pre-tax profit Segun Edwards

N

Unilever global CEO, multi- Paul Polman said then TOTALglo–Dutch MARKET CAPITALISATION national company that the company has Supranational Bond Unilever said yesterday invested 50 percent of its 10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018 AAA/S&P IFC that its pre-tax profit for turnover in Nigeria in TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE the nine months ended the last three years with TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION September 30, fell 49 the country now holding percent to N2.54 billion around 50 percent of all Rating/Agency Issuer Description ($15.38 million), com- its investments in Africa. pared with N5.03 billion The company’s Kenyan FGN Eurobonds of the corresponding pe- unit also said last month 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P riod of last year. that it intends to invest BB-/Fitch; $190.7 million in infraThe Nigerian Stock FGN 5.13 JUL 12, 2018 BB-/S&P Exchange (NSE,) listed structural development BB-/Fitch; 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 household product mak- as it seeks to exploit East BB-/S&P er’s revenue also dropped Africa’s growing middle TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE to TOTAL 4 percent to N43.63 bil- class, armed with more MARKET CAPITALISATION lion, from N45.61 billion disposable income whose Corporate last year, Eurobonds the company demand for consumer B/Fitch; B-/S&Poldest manuAFREN PLC I goods have increased.

11.50 FEB 01, 2016 - Nigeria’s B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC I “Our Nairobi-based 7.50 MAY 19, 2016 facturing said in a filing B+/S&P PLC which is the hub 7.25 with the Exchange. ACCESS BANK site, ofJUL 25, 2017 B/Fitch; B/S&P PLC 6.88 MAY 09, 2018 Unilever said lastFIDELITY Sep- BANK the East African busiB+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC 6.00 NOV 08, 2018 tember it will be investness, will not be able to B/Fitch AFREN PLC II 10.25 APR 08, 2019 ing as much as 150 milmeet the rapidly growB+/Fitch; BB-/S&P ZENITH BANK PLC 6.25 APR 22, 2019 lion Euro ing ofMay 21, 2019 B/Fitch; B/S&P($194 million) DIAMOND BANK PLCbusiness needs8.75 across NigerianFIRST proour consumers by 2016,” B-/Fitch;its B/S&P BANK PLC 8.25 AUG 07, 2020 duction lines in a move toPLC IIIsaid Paul Polman UnileB-/Fitch; B/S&P AFREN 6.63 DEC 09, 2020 B-/Fitch; B/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC chief II 9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 enhance local production ver executive said FIRST BANK LTD B-/Fitch; B/S&P capacity as well boost in an interview.8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021 unit of AnTOTALigerian OUTSTANDING VALUE

B-/S&P

31-Aug-15 0.84 4.44 15.76 97.47 30-Sep-15 0.68 3.23 14.34 99.59 30-Jun-16 0.97 4.46 15.95 98.60 30-Jun-16 0.97 3.48 14.97 101.02 19-Apr-17 2.48 5.59 18.22 84.17 30-Jun-17 1.52 1.00 13.15 101.14 31-Dec-17 3.18 1.79 14.48NEW TELEGRAPH 98.76 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 30-Sep-18 2.35 1.80 14.40 99.35 04-Oct-18 3.93 1.00 13.75 100.71 09-Dec-18 2.35 1.00 13.60 101.94 12-Dec-18 2.35 4.78 17.38 93.79 14-Feb-19 2.73 1.00 13.65 101.89 02-Oct-19 2.98 1.00 13.67 104.33 22-Nov-19 5.07 1.00 13.80 102.47 12-Dec-19 2.95 2.74 15.41 98.56 Also, Insurance ser-1.00 ria Plc13.71 followed102.76 with a 10-Oct-20 3.50 vices sub sector, N8.97 to 98.97 close at 27-Nov-20 6.08boosted1.00 gain of13.75 6.18 shares1.94 N188.52.

14.68 101.20 by31-Dec-20 activity in the CAP Plc added 3.66 1.44 N1.50 to 14.17 of31-Dec-20 Hallmark Insurance close at101.04 N42.50 06-Jan-21 3.69 1.95 14.68 101.01

Investors lose N145bn at stock market

Chris Ugwu TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR A/Agusto; A/GCR Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR BBB/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A/GCR A/GCR

12.50 8.50 13.00 4.18 14.00 6.27 15.50 7.37 10.00 57.00 13.75 29.92 14.00 25.00 14.00 34.14 14.00 9.00 14.50 14.96 14.00 11.13 15.50 27.00 15.50 16.23 14.50 80.00 14.75 27.51 trading.

14.75 11.40 Just as in the previous 13.50 87.00 day, 15.00 the banking5.00sub14.50of the financial 4.78 sector 15.00 4.79

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

services sector was the 471.18 most active (measured 463.75 by turnover volume); with 76.9 million shares 13.50 13.17 exworth N953.7 million 17.00 2.00 changed by investors in 10.00 3.61 1,60012.00 deals.

13.62 Volume in the 0.60 bank14.00 ing sub-sector was15.00 large13.00 14.25 by activities 5.53 in ly driven 13.00 20.00 Plc the shares of UBA 18.00 0.73 and 16.00 Zenith Bank 6.30 Plc.

09-Sep-11 09-Sep-11 22-Sep-11 18-Oct-13 17-Feb-12 01-Apr-14 14-Nov-13 30-Sep-14 he Nigerian 30-Sep-14

18.00 16.00 14.00 15.75 17.00 16.00 15.25 N/A Stock 13.25

14-Aug-14

8.75

Plc, followed with a per share. turnover of 37.5 million On the other hand, Nishares valued at N23.2 gerian Breweries Plc led million in 165 deals. the price losers’ table, 18-Dec-14 16.29 N4.91 to 99.51close The number0.14of gain-5.21 dropping 31-Dec-14 19.85 ers at the close0.18of trad-8.71 at N162.09 per 99.34 share, 17-Aug-15 0.56 4.88 15.83 97.43 ing session was0.63 17, while1.00 while Guinness Nigeria 09-Dec-15 12.05 100.43 decliners closed loss of 06-Jan-16 0.71at 36.

2.63 followed 13.78with a100.84 Mobil Oil Plc close at N171.86.

29-Sep-16 1.92 led the1.00 N4.64 to 13.47 99.20 25-Oct-16 table with 1.99 N9.481.34 Lafarge 13.86 100.65shed Wapco Plc gainers’ 2.92 13.67share to98.41 to30-Sep-17 close at N170.98 per1.00 N2.40 per close at 30-Nov-17 1.74 1.88 14.20 107.00 share, while 7UP NigeN112.60 per share.

09-Apr-18 1.95 3.48 15.97 100.18

2.90 09-Sep-18 2.11 0.80 09-Sep-18 2.11 35.00 22-Sep-18 3.90 2.40 18-Oct-18 2.22 0.41 17-Feb-19 put in a lot of hard work,2.30 and 4.50 01-Apr-19 3.18 we have cultivated excellence 2.05 14-Nov-20 6.05 in 0.10 our day-to-day 30-Sep-24 operations, 9.92 which has earned rec15.44 30-Sep-24 us this9.92

5.20 17.76 100.70 5.06 17.62 101.81 1.35 14.10 99.67 2.29 14.87 101.63 6.11 18.70 97.28 “Our ambition is to become 2.16 14.85 102.84 the foremost Stock Exchange 2.76 15.51 98.98 in1.00 Africa, and an im13.64today is86.89 portant step13.64 in that journey ,” 1.00 97.86

NSE joins World Federation of Exchanges Chris Ugwu

T

Exchange (NSE) has re- 144.16 ognition amongst our peers in this notable global trade ceived a unanimous 143.43 vote for admission as a full association.” member in the World FederaThe WFE’s vote for full 11-Feb-13 10.20 11-Feb-18 3.29 tion of Exchanges (WFE), the 12.00 membership came through 12.00 global trade association for a series of assessments. On September 15-16, a WFE inthe operators of regulated se- 10.91 curities exchanges. spection Outstanding Value team in Lagos visited Issue Date Coupon (%) Maturity Date Bid Yield (%) The NSE according to a ($mm) the NSE. The inspection team statement, was elected as a consisted of the Federation Federation member during and member exchanges.

07-Oct-11 6.75 500.00 28-Jan-21 the 54th General Assembly The team met with5.22the and Annual Meeting of the NSE’s management team 12-Jul-13 5.13 500.00 12-Jul-18 4.32 WFE held in the capital city and several key stakeholders, 12-Jul-13Seoul yesterday 6.38 500.00 of Korea, . specifically 12-Jul-23 the Securities5.55 and The local bourse becomes 1,500.00 Exchange Commission (SEC) of Nigeria, the Central Bank the first West African stock 1,581.93 exchange to be granted full of Nigeria (CBN), the Central Federation membership sta- Securities Clearing System 11.50 450.00 01-Feb-16 (CSCS), two corporates8.64 and tus. 01-Feb-11 19-May-11Executive 7.50Officer, 500.00 19-May-16 Chief other market operators. 4.11 6.55 NSE,25-Jul-12 Mr. Oscar 7.25 Onyema, 350.00Onyema 25-Jul-17 noted that WFE 09-May-13 6.88 02-May-18 8.68 commenting on the devel- 300.00 membership was an impor08-Nov-13 08-Nov-18 6.34 opment, said: “We6.00 are very 400.00 tant reference for many in08-Apr-12 10.25 300.00 08-Apr-19 9.68 proud that the NSE has been ternational investors, adding 22-Apr-14 6.25 500.00 22-Apr-19 6.51 granted full World Federation that his membership status 21-May-14 8.75 200.00 21-May-19 9.21 of Exchanges membership reflects the07-Aug-20 Exchange’s com07-Aug-13 8.25 300.00 8.08 status.

This is a positive step 360.00 mitment to 09-Dec-20 implementing the 09-Dec-13 6.63 7.50 24-Jun-14 9.25 24-Jun-21 of interna9.24 towards our integration with 400.00 highest standards 23-Jul-14 8.00 23-Jul-21 7.98 tional best practices. global financial markets.

We 450.00 250.00

14-Aug-21

8.43

he said.

Chief Executive Officer of the JSE, Limited and member of the Board of Directors at 1.00 13.70 90.95 the WFE, Ms. Nicky NewtonKing, commended the NSE, stating that the membership has been a long road for the Offer Yield (%) Bid Price Offer Price Exchange.

Head Strategy at the Prices &of Yields NSE and team lead for the 5.07 108.03 108.88 Exchange’s WFE membership project, Ms. Yvonne Emordi 4.07 102.74 103.57 also commenting on the devel5.43 105.62 106.47 Reopment, said: “The WFE view Committee tasked with their application commends them for the attention they have paid to putting in place 8.64regulatory 103.30 and techno103.30 the 4.11 105.04 105.04 logical infrastructure neces6.55, both for 101.72 sary the NSE 101.72 to meet 8.16 94.63 96.13 global standards, as well as to 5.90 position the98.79 NSE for100.34 future 9.68 102.00 102.00 growth.

It is99.00 this very 99.00 signifi6.51 cant, concerted effort by the 8.82 98.32 99.73 team last three years 8.08 over the 99.75 99.75 that them the 95.75 recom7.50 earned95.75 8.96 100.13 101.50 mendation.

We welcome them 99.00 on7.98 board. 99.00 8.22

4,760.00 4,764.04

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

100.53

101.59

28-Oct-14

The FMDQ Daily Quotations List (DQL) comprises market and model prices/rates of foreign exchange ($/N) products, fixedFIXINGS income securities and instruments in the OTC market. The use of this report is subject to the **Treasury Bills Money Market Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) and Disclaimer Statement on www.fmdqotc.com.

FMDQ OTC PLC Terms of Use DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) Offer Discount (%) Bid Yield (%) Tenor Rate (%)

9 16 FGN Bonds 23 30 37 Rating/Agency 44 58 65 72 79 86 93 100 107 NA 114 121 128 135 149 163 177 191 282 TOTAL OUTSTANDING 310

VALUE

6-Nov-14 13-Nov-14 20-Nov-14 27-Nov-14 4-Dec-14 Issuer 11-Dec-14 25-Dec-14 1-Jan-15 8-Jan-15 15-Jan-15 22-Jan-15 29-Jan-15 5-Feb-15 12-Feb-15 NA 19-Feb-15 26-Feb-15 5-Mar-15 12-Mar-15 26-Mar-15 9-Apr-15 23-Apr-15 7-May-15 6-Aug-15 3-Sep-15

10.60 10.65 10.30 10.65 10.50 Description 10.75 10.80 4.00 23-APR-2015 10.80 13.05 16-AUG-2016 10.70 15.10 27-APR-2017 10.75 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.75 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.80 10.70 30-MAY-2018 10.10 16.00 29-JUN-2019 10.90 7.00 23-OCT-2019 10.30 16.39 27-JAN-2022 11.00 10.80 14.20 14-MAR-2024 10.90 15.00 28-NOV-2028 11.00 12.49 22-MAY-2029 10.80 8.50 20-NOV-2029 10.30 10.00 23-JUL-2030 10.40 12.1493 18-JUL-2034 10.70 10.55

10.35 10.40 10.05 10.40 10.25 Issue Date 10.50 10.55 23-Apr-10 10.55 16-Aug-13 10.45 27-Apr-12 10.50 27-Jul-07 9.50 31-Aug-07 10.55 30-May-08 9.85 29-Jun-12 10.65 23-Oct-09 10.05 27-Jan-12 10.75 10.55 14-Mar-14 10.65 28-Nov-08 10.75 22-May-09 10.55 20-Nov-09 10.05 23-Jul-10 10.15 18-Jul-14 10.45 10.30

NIBOR

Bonds

10.63 10.70 10.37 10.74 10.61 Coupon (%) 10.89 10.99 4.00 11.01 13.05 10.93 15.10 11.01 9.85 9.98 9.35 11.11 10.70 10.39 16.00 11.26 7.00 10.64 16.39 11.42 11.23 14.20 11.36 15.00 11.52 12.49 11.35 8.50 10.84 10.00 11.00 12.1493 11.66 11.59

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

Tenor O/N 1M Outstanding 3M Value 6M (N'bn)

Rate (%) 10.6250 12.5182 13.3194 Maturity Date 14.1879

535.00 23-Apr-15 563.89 16-Aug-16 NITTY 27-Apr-17 452.80 20.00 27-Jul-17 Tenor Rate (%) 100.00 31-Aug-17 1M 10.7949 300.00 30-May-18 2M 11.0371 351.30 29-Jun-19 3M 11.1074 233.90 23-Oct-19 6M 11.1613 600.00 27-Jan-22 9M 11.5360 12M 11.5668 371.68 14-Mar-24 75.00 28-Nov-28 150.00 22-May-29 200.00 NIFEX 20-Nov-29 591.57 23-Jul-30 Current Price ($/N) 130.00 18-Jul-34 BID($/N) 165.4300 4,675.13 OFFER ($/N) 165.5300

4,636.28

*from the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration

OBB

10.25

Spot O/N 10.50 7D Offer 14DYield TTM (Yrs)REPO Bid Yield (%) Tenor Rate (%) 1M (%) Call 10.33 2M 0.48 10.89 10.56 1M 12.01 3M 1.80 12.42 12.32 3M 13.12 6M 2.50 12.56 12.49 6M 13.94 1Y 2.75 12.65 12.58 2.84 12.66 12.59 NOTE: 3.59 12.72 12.61 4.67 12.74 12.66 :Benchmarks 4.99 Bond 12.80 12.71 * :Amortising 7.25 Bond 12.67 12.61 µ :Convertible AMCON: Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria 9.38 12.64 12.59 FGN: Federal Nigeria 14.09Government of12.73 12.69 FMBN: Federal of Nigeria 14.57 Mortgage Bank 12.75 12.70 IFC: International Finance Corporation 15.06 12.76 12.70 LCRM: Local Management 15.74Contractors Receivables 12.70 12.65 NAHCO: 19.72 Nigerian Aviation Handling 12.74 Company 12.70 O/N: Overnight UPDC: UAC Property Development Company WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company

#

Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums **Exclusive of non-trading t.bills Rating/Agency Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Tenor

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

31-Oct-14 24-May-15 03-Apr-17 % 09-Dec-16 Exposure_ 20-Apr-17 Mod_Duration 06-Jul-17

0.01 0.57 1.31 2.12 Implied Yield 2.48 2.69

# Risk Premium (%)

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

165.60 Price 165.70 165.56 165.72 165.75 166.06 Bid Price Offer Price 166.38 166.98 167.57 168.65 96.81 96.96 168.70 170.32 100.95 101.10 172.43 175.85 105.30 105.45 179.91 187.90 93.62 93.77 92.27 92.42 94.29 94.59 111.15 111.45 NA :Not Applicable 79.08Rate Bond 79.38 # :Floating 117.25coupon bonds 117.55 ***: Deferred 108.40 108.70 †: Bond rating expired 114.94 114.64 N/A :Not Available 98.31 98.61 71.79 72.09 81.75 82.05 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 95.70 96.00 UBA: United Bank for Africa

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

NA

Modified***LCRM Duration Buckets

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

<3 3<5 >5 Market

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Sub-National Bonds A+/Agusto A/Agusto A-/Agusto A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto

KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER

0.00 AMCON 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 Total Outstanding Porfolio Market 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 Volume(Bn) Value(Bn) 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

1,046.04 1,093.97 1,010.92 3,150.93

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

1,016.68 951.30 1,093.25 3,061.23

28-Dec-11 0.00 BOND 24-May-10 FMDQ FGN 0.00 03-Apr-12 17.25 09-Dec-11by 0.00/16.00 Weighting Weighting

by Mkt 20-Apr-12Vol 0.00/16.50 Outstanding Value 06-Jul-12 0.00/16.50

33.21 31.08 35.71 100.00

31-Aug-10 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13

33.20 34.72 32.08 100.00

12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00

978.35

INDEX24.56

3.00 112.22 Bucket116.70 Weighting 66.49

1,301.320.33

0.31 0.36 1.00

1,294.96 8.50 4.18 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00 34.14 9.00 14.96 11.13

14.65 30.14 55.22 100.00

31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18

12.49 12.69 12.69 12.66

0.84 0.68 0.97 0.97 2.48 1.52 3.18 2.35 3.93 2.35 2.35

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 Implied 1.00Price Portfolio 1.00

118.6908 133.3395 102.9471 117.6205 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 4.78

11.88 13.60 14.17 14.55 INDEX 13.63 13.65

1,127.32 1,129.07 1,203.63 1,123.17

15.76 14.34 15.95 14.97 18.22 13.15 14.48 14.40 13.75 13.60 17.38

99.90 92.74 103.71 YTD100.79 Return 98.47 (%) 95.71

12.7321 12.9068 20.3633 12.3173

97.47 99.59 98.60 101.02 84.17 101.14 98.76 99.35 100.71 101.94 93.79

NEW TELEGRAPH Wednesday, OCTOBER 29, 2014

News 47

south — east

Okorocha’s failure makes him vulnerable, says PDP presidency

Imo governor’s retreat is drawing reactions and he could pay dearly Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

T

he Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has react-

1,343

ed to Governor Rochas Okorocha’s assertion that his much touted presidential ambition was merely a kite he flew for political reasons.

The party was also peeved by Okorocha’s claim that the avalanche of governorship aspirants that has emerged under the PDP is because they believed that with Okorocha out of the way and running for the presidency, governorship election in Imo would be easier.

The number of pending asylum seekers of Namibia at the beginning of 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

80

Reacting yesterday, state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Enyinnaya Onuegbu, said long before Okorocha gave hint to his presidential bid, nearly a dozen aspirants on the platform of the PDP had publicly voiced their interest to unseat him in 2015.

He said: “As a matter of fact, Okorocha is the easiest governor to beat in an election and the reasons are obvious.

“There is no completed project in Imo today

The life expectancy (in years) at birth of men in Hong Kong, China in 2010-2015.

Source: Un.org

except for few of the Arabian roundabouts with which he has defaced the Imo State capital. From his third month in office till date, not one of the general hospitals he claims to be building has been completed, while primary health care in the state has totally collapsed with the existing general hospitals abandoned.

“People are running for his office on the platform of the PDP because there is a groundswell of opin-

28.52

The average age of Portugal team in Brazil 2014 World Cup. Source: Telegraph.co.uk

ions that Okorocha has irredeemably failed.”

On Governor Okorocha’s recent statement that his presidential ambition was a ruse, Onuegbu described the governor’s action as shameful and most uncomplimentary for a governor.

He said: “That is the character of the man that was foisted on us as governor. This assault on the sensibility of his followers abundantly affirms that he is inherently deceitful and

160

The sex ratio of women to 100 men (international migrants) in Montenegro in 2010.

Source: Un.org

inconsistent. We would not also be surprised if his so-called second term bid turns out another hoax.”

The PDP spokesman said the governor must account for all the tax-payers fund deployed to his aborted presidential bid.

According to Onuegbu, all the branded buses, radio and television documentaries and other frivolous financial obligations in the name of his presidential ambition, must be accounted for.

“It is most regrettable that a sitting governor is telling Nigerians and Imo people that he set out to deceive people with a tale of a presidential ambition that never was, but we are also aware that the APC leadership has announced that they will verify all academic credentials and would not accept any affidavit, which is why some people are running away from the presidential race,” Onuegbu said.

‘No faction in Ebonyi over Chukwu’ Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

A L-R: Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Adamu; Aba Area Commander, Peter Wagbara and Commander, Police Mobile Force Squadron 28, Chris Okoro, at the inauguration of Mopol 55 Rapid Response Squad Unit in Aba …yesterday

Abia PDP rejects delegates’ forms from Abuja Asogwa waxes stronger in Enugu

T

he crisis rocking the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took another twist yesterday when the state secretariat of the party rejected forms purchased from the headquarters in Abuja by state delegates.

According to sources, the state Publicity Secretary , Chief Uchechi Ogbuka, told the delegates point blank that forms purchased in Abuja will not be accepted at the secretariat.

He said: “Ogbuka told us when we brought our forms to the party secre-

tariat that we should go away with our forms as he will not receive them from us because we bought it in Abuja.

“We are therefore crying out to the national headquarters to intervene urgently in this matter as the gang up is still on.”

22 aspirants pick APGA forms in Anambra Tony Okafor Awka

N

o fewer than 22 aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have picked the party’s nomination forms within 24 hours that the forms were made public.

Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Mike Kwentor, disclosed this yesterday to New Telegraph at the party’s secretariat in Awka, Anambra State, when Ernest Elochukwu, who

is contesting for the Nnewi North/South/ Ekwesigo federal constituency seat came to pick his form.

Kwentor, who said he came to the state from Abuja on Monday with the nomination forms, maintained that the rush for the forms was a confirmation of the strength and popularity of APGA in the state.

The APGA boss, who attributed the popularity of the party to the developmental strides of the former governor of the state, Mr. Peter Obi, however, said the exit of

Obi would not affect the party’s fortunes in next year’s elections.

He said: “Obi came into APGA alone and left alone. Did you hear that anybody followed him to his new party?

Virtually every person that left APGA left alone; that will show you that the party is a mass movement, not an individual affair.”

He said out of the 22 aspirants that picked the party’s nomination forms, 20 were for the state House of Assembly while two were for House of Representatives.

Uwakwe Abugu Enugu

T

he perceived ill-feelings being nursed by the Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, Mr. David Aja, over the emergence of Ikeje Asogwa, as the new party chairman reechoed yesterday as the party formally responded to his challenge.

The party yesterday dismissed alleged insinuation that he (Aja) ought to be made the chairman by virtue of his position in the state executive committee of the party.

It also accused Aja of having ulterior motive by moving during the meeting chaired by him as acting chairman to postpone the SEC indefinitely, but that his proposal was unanimously turned down after which due constitutional processes were followed to appoint Asogwa to replace him.

However, as the party’s

SEC grappled with the development, New Telegraph gathered in a survey that the campaign billboards of PDP consensus governorship candidate for the 2015 election, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, have taken over strategic locations in Enugu metropolis and Nsukka.

Reacting to news reports to the effect that Aja claims to be the authentic chairman of the party with the resignation of Chief Vita Abba, who would contest a House of Representatives seat, the party in a reaction issued by the Publicity Secretary, Dr. Okey Eze, said it was surprised by “the erroneous impression being created by some disgruntled elements, who are desperately looking for opportunity to create crisis in the party for their selfish political ambitions, in an attempt to misinform the public and discredit the legitimate process that was followed by the State Executive Committee of the party in appointing Asogwa as the chairman of the party in Enugu State.”

member of the House of Representatives from Ebonyi State, Hon. Tobias Okwuru, yesterday said there was no iota of truth in the claim that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has factionalised as alleged by Mike Awo, in some of the national dailies, saying that the party in the state is intact.

Okwuru, who represents Ikwo/Ezza South federal constituency of Ebonyi State in a statement in Abakaliki, said as a founding member of the PDP, pioneer state auditor, loyalist and a serving lawmaker on the party’s platform, he made bold to state that they have one united and indivisible PDP in the Ebonyi State.

The lawmaker, who is seeking re-election into the House, said the party has been repositioned by the visionary leadership of the performing governor, Chief Martin Elechi, to sweep the forthcoming 2O15 general elections.

According to him, the said unsubstantiated allegation of Awo was a fabrication of the burgeoning blackmail industry, funded by unpatriotic elements of opposition in Ebonyi, who are jittery over their impending rejection by Ebonyi people in the approaching poll, especially the governorship election.

48

News

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

SOUTH-SOUTH

APC best option to PDP in 2015, 2018 polls, says Oshiomhole Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

E

do State Governor Adams Oshiomhiole, yesterday said that the performance of his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), administration across the three Senatorial Districts of the state would stand the APC out against the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), if the people of the state wish to seek any alternative at the 2015 and 2018 polls.

The governor said the spate of politically motivated violence orchestrated by leaders of the state PDP and federal government forces, was

designed to detract and frustrate the focus of his government in order to seize power by all means because of their apparent loss of control of the state.

Oshiomhole, stated this at a town hall meeting with various stakeholders including traditional rulers, civil society groups, market women and traders, professional bodies, students, support groups and workers held at the Imaguero Girls Secondary School Benin the state capital.

He lamented that his government since its inception in 2007, has had the worst criticisms from the state chairman of PDP, Chief Dan Osi

Orbih, over alleged financial mismanagement and other sundry issues, a development which showed the desperation of the party leaders’ quest to wrest power by all means possible.

The governor also lashed out at his critic, Chief Frank Erewele whom he said has no political relevance even as the ruling ACN now APC lost tragically in his wards during the various electoral contests held in the state.

He exonerated his administration from any form of political violence that leads to spilling of blood as was the case in the PDP days in the state.

“Nigerians should

condemn these actions by the PDP. I have submitted my petition to the IGP supported with relevant documentary evidences. The PDP has to find a way to divert attention to give the impression that there was a counter attack”, he stated.

This is as first class chiefs of Benin extraction and leadership of the Benin Forum (FB) also at the meeting declared total war against the three suspended members of the state house of assembly from South senatorial district for their roles aimed at confronting Oshiomhole’s government and utter defiance at all dialogue processes to re-

solve the impasse at the Chief Anthony Enahoro legislature assembly.

Chief David Edebirir, the Esogban of Benin kingdom noted with regret that majority of the suspended PDP lawmakers are from the Senatorial district stating, that the BPF and the people of the area would ensure that the trio of Messrs Jude Ise Idehen (Ikpoba Okha constituency), Friday Ogieriakhi (Orhionmwon constituency 2) and Patrick Osayimen (Oredo East), suspended by the House under Speaker Uyi Igbe, are voted out at the polls in next years’ election and replaced with fresh candidates of the ruling APC.

National Organising Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mallam Abubakar Mustapha ( 3rd right), presenting PDP gubernatorial form for Rivers State to Major Lancelot Anyanya (rtd), at the PDP National Headquarters, Abuja….on Monday

Medani hails modernisation of Eastern Naval Command Clement James CALABAR

T

he Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Admiral Obiora CharlesMedani, has expressed satisfaction with the level of infrastructural development in Navy formations under the ENC. Charles-Medani disclosed this on Tuesday in Calabar at the end of the FOC second bi-annual inspection of units under his command.

He said, ``I am glad to note the various infrastructural expansion, rehabilitation, and modernization that are taking place all over the command.”

The Naval boss revealed that construction work at the headquarters for the construction of a 30 bedroom studio has reached an advanced stage, saying the command has completed six blocks of flats with borehole and which would soon be furnished.

“At the headquarters, we have reached advanced stage in the construction of a 30 bedroom studio flat apartment while furnishing of the six flat blocks in 1006 barracks has been completed with borehole,” he explained.

He said new vehicles have been procured to ease the transportation problem being faced by staff, while water treat-

ment plants have been constructed in both Calabar and the new naval outpost at Ikuru in Port Harcourt.

According to him, the 50 studio flats in Port Harcourt are nearing completion, while the structural defects in the officers’ mess have been rectified. ``A new arrival hall is nearing completion at Ikot-Abasi, while the one in Calabar is being refurbished. The officers’ mess in Bonny has just been retiled,” he noted.

Medani, also praised the readiness of the personnel, saying; ``The ENC has achieved a 100 percent electronic surveillance of its operational bases as well as equipped all its bases, barracks, ships,

CLO offers to host Amaechi, Wike’s debate Emmanuel Masha PORT- HARCOURT

T

he Rivers State chapter of the Civil Liberty Organization (CLO), has volunteered to host a public debate between Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and the immediate past minister of state for education, Barr. Nyesom Wike.

CLO, said it decided to offer its platform for the debate based on the challenge Amaechi threw last Saturday to the Federal Government and the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for an integrity test, and Wike’s reaction for a public debate on corruption.

CLO’s publicity and research secretary, Livingstone Wechie, who conveyed this in a statement, said that the debate would impact on the people, their political rights and the country’s future.

Wechie, said that the debate would put all concerned issues to rest about governance in Rivers State adding, that the CLO would partner with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), and the media on the debate.

He proposed as venue, the Obi Wali International Civic Centre or the Alfred Diete Spiff Civic Centre main Bowl, or any other venue both parties find suitable, just as he said that both parties can provide an independent moderator for the debate.

He said: “The public has been inundated with allegations and counter allegations of corruption and embezzlement of public funds and abuse of office with claims on both sides of documentary evidence.”

Sekibo: I’m alive Emmanuel Masha PORT-HARCOURT hospitals, and schools.”

On Ebola, the FOC said; ``All these places have been provided with mobile temperature scanner to protect personnel and their families from potential persons that may be infected with the deadly Ebola virus.”

On the issue of platform maintenance, he said the command has frugally applied its resources to ensure more than 80 per cent availability of patrol boats and almost 70 per cent availability of ships.

According to him, the platform maintenance has ushered in tremendous improvement in naval presence across the water ways under the Command.

F

ormer minister of transport, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, has dismissed reports that he passed away yesterday after a brief illness, saying that he was surprised about the report, which was carried by an online publication.

Sekibo, who decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and joined the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and contested the 2011 governorship election, which he lost to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, said that he was “alive and strong.”

The one time SSG to Rivers government, who has since returned

to the PDP, expressed shock over the news of his death.

Abiye’s media consultant in 2011, Jerry Needam, had dismissed the report when contacted to comment on it, saying that the news was strange, and instantly placed a call to Sekibo’s wife, who said the politician was fine.

“I have just called the wife, and she said that Dr. Sekibo is fine and well.” Needam said.

But as the calls kept coming, Needam, who later got in touch with Sekibo, issued a statement on his behalf, and enjoined “the general public to discountenance any such report from the social media and, or the satanic agents themselves.”

NEW TELEGRAPH Wednesday, OCTOBER 29, 2014

warning bells Senator seeks full disclosure on the state of the economy Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

A

member of the Senate Committee on Finance, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday raised the alarm over the nation’s financial status, challenging the Federal Government to fully disclose the

News 49

north

Saraki raises the alarm over oil price crash state of the economy and tell Nigerians the truth.

He said: “We have a problem in our hands, but not one that cannot be surmounted with the right political will.”

In a statement made available to newsmen in Ilorin yesterday, Saraki, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, also faulted the proposed oil benchmark of $78 per barrel for the 2015 budget just as he advocated a meeting of the National Economic Council to prof-

fer a collective and workable national contingency and viable benchmark.

He identified crude oil theft, continuing payment of subsidy on kerosene just to enrich some private pockets, granting pioneer status to some oil companies that would deny the nation high revenue as well as the controversial oil SWAP project of the NNPC as some of the key areas that must be reviewed by government if the nation were to get out of the looming economic disaster.

He said: “These are troubling times for the Nigerian economy. Our revenue base is caving in under the stress of falling oil price in the international market. Due to the drastic and persistent nature of this fall from the highs of $115 in June this year, it is my considered view that we can’t continue to give the impression that it is business as usual.

“The fact that the free fall in the international oil market price has seen it losing over 25 per cent of early June highs

means that correspondingly our economy has lost over 25 per cent of budget revenue estimates of the period as a result.

More ominously, the fact that it continues to fall unabated means that it is not getting better yet and therefore we must now apply the brakes and act fast before they get out of hand.

“This is not the time to paint over the rust, discussions and the choices we make now must be based on economics not politics. The current position to put the benchmark for oil price at $78 is inconsistent with the economic trend and attitude of the managers of our economy, which has shown in the past to be very wary of over optimistic benchmark assumptions settling rather

for the more prudent conservative base.

“This MOF/Executive position is hard to justify on any economic modeling or recent policy positions. One is left with the impression that this benchmark is not a product of any economic model, but a political induced decision that does not paint the correct picture nor aligns itself to the 2015 forecast.

“So, gover nment should go back and come up with a realistic benchmark, which in my view cannot be above the lower 70’s. There is no better time to give full disclosure of the state of the economy and tell the Nigerian people the truth. We have a problem in our hands, but not one that cannot be surmounted with the right political will.”

60 PDP aspirants purchase Assembly’s form in Plateau Musa Pam Jos

T Frank Agbedo (left), being sworn in as a Notary Public before the Chief Judge of Lagos, Hon. Justice Oluwafunmilayo Atilade at the Ikeja High Court, Lagos…yesterday.

Onoja picks Benue South senatorial form Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

F

ormer Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defense, Chief Mike Onoja, yesterday pulled a mammoth crowd to the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State to purchase his expression of interest and nomination forms to launch himself fully into the upcoming senatorial race in the area.

He was accompanied

by thousands of his supporters, including youths and market women, students groups and other associations in Idoma land.

Briefing journalists after picking his forms, Onoja asked the Senate President, David Mark, to be prepared to leave the seat for him as it is not his birthright. He added that Mark has outlived his usefulness at the senate chambers and must give way to accommodate other Idoma sons in the interest of the Benue South people.

Jonathan charges Kaduna people on peace Ibraheem Musa Kaduna

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday commended Governor Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State for curbing communal clashes and for restoring peace and security in the state, just as he tasked the people to eschew violence and live in peace ahead of the 2015 general elections.

Speaking while inaugurating the new Governor’s Office complex within Sir

Kashim Ibrahim Government House, Kaduna, the President said the quality of the new office complex expresses the value of good governance in the state.

Jonathan, who expressed happiness with the prevailing peace and security in the state said: “For some time in the past, Kaduna State has witnessed too many communal clashes, leading to the death of innocent people and loss of property worth millions of naira.”

Adamawa LG boss, councillors protest suspension Ibrahim Abdul Yola

S

ome council members of Gombi Local Government in Adamawa State yesterday protested their suspension by Governor Bala Ngillari, saying the suspension order was vindictive.

Eight out of the ten councillors in the local government have accused Governor Ngillari of being dictatorial and vindictive, saying that he suspended them be-

cause they refused to do his bidding of removing the chairman of the local government.

The councilors suspended include, Yohanna Jonathan (Yang Ward), Dominic Irmiya (Liva Ward), Sabo Inuwa (Gombi North), Samaila Umar (Duga Ward), Mohammed Abdallah (Gombi South), Adama Saidu (Gaanda Ward), Ishaya Speaking in Yola, the leader of the suspended councilors, Hon. Yohanna Jonathan, said their suspension was political.

Army truck crushes five to death in Adamawa Ibrahim Abdul Yola

F

ive civilians were yesterday reportedly killed while three soldiers were injured in an accident involving an army truck on Ahmadu Bello Way in Mubi town, Adamawa State.

The accident, which occurred in the afternoon occurred when one of the tyres of the vehicle pulled off, leading to the accident as

the truck rammed onto a commercial tricycle before it headed into the nearby meat sellers shop resulting in the death of five people. The three soldiers in the truck were said to have sustained bodily injuries.

A local resident, Ahmad Musa said: “The truck was moving at top speed before the incident happened as a result of which the driver could not control it, leading to the accident.

he Plateau State Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has become a market of sort as more than 60 aspirants yesterday purchased their expression of interest and nomination forms in preparation for the general elections in 2015.

New Telegraph reliably gather yesterday from the PDP Organising Secretary, Mr. Micheal Chollom, that over 60 aspirants have purchased the forms for the state House of Assembly, 26 aspirants have also picked the forms for the House of Representatives and five for the Senate, while those for the gubernatorial seat are yet unknown.

Chollom in whose office the aspirants get the forms, commended the orderly conduct of the supporters, saying no disturbance has been recorded in the party office or premises.

The aspirants, who all

expressed confidence that they will get the tickets, also cautioned their supporters to eschew violence and any behaviour that could lead to a breach of the peace.

Among those at the party’s office yesterday were, Mr. Emmanuel Dasat (Pankshin South), Tabitha Lubudu (Shemu Kanke), Hon. Dalyop Mancha (Jos South) and Hon. Jonathan Aminu (Mangu/Bokkos) federal constituency.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Plateau State, yesterday said it has trained its officials in preparation for the distribution of the permanent voters’ cards and the continuous voter registration exercise bill for November 7, 2014.

change of name

Olajide

Former Erhahon Osarumwense Osagioduwa now Olajide Osarumwense Osagioduwa. All former documents remain valid, University of Ibadan and general public note

PUBLIC NOTICE

PEACE AND PROGRESS DEVINE CLUB The general public is hereby notified that the above named CLUB has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2004.

The Trustees are: 1. Mr. Ugwu Godwin 2. Mr. Tom Agu 3. Mr. Eze Fredrick 4. Chief Christopher Okonkwo 5. Mr. Chidubem Ndimkoha AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To promote unity and progress amongst members.

2. To encourage members in their individual business.

3. Creating an environment where law and order shall reign supreme.

4. Liasing with like- minded organisation in achieving the same goal.

5. Promote love respect and understanding amongst members.

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

Signed:

TRUSTEES

50

News

WORLD | News

INEC to distribute 4.8m permanent voter cards in Lagos Wale Elegbede

T

he Lagos State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to distribute a total of 4.8 million permanent voter cards to residents of the state.

Disclosing this while addressing a press conference yesterday in Lagos, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in the state, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, said Lagos is among the third phase states whose distribution for Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC) has been scheduled for Novem-

ber 7 and 9.

According to the REC, the collection of PVCs will be done across the 1481 polling units in the state, while the conduct of Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) will take place between Nov 12 and 17 at the local government areas.

Ogunmola said the exercise will involve collection of two forms of card collection by those who had already registered, just as those who were unable to be captured when the registration process was carried out are to register also.

“INEC in the state is expected to distribute a total of 4.8 permanent

voter cards to residents of the state who possess temporary voter cards,” he said.

While stressing that the features in the current cards would curb electoral malpractices that have been identified overtime, he also urged for a change of attitude amongst politicians and other stakeholders in the country.

The REC also expressed the readiness of his office at putting in place the needed machinery for a successful exercise, stating that, “What we are doing is to ensure that process of electioneering is brought closer to the doorsteps of the people.”

Groups vow to appeal judgement on Oduah’s bullet-proof cars Mojeed Alabi

T

he Media Rights Agenda, MRA, and the Public and Private Development Centre, PPDC, have concluded plans to appeal Monday’s ruling by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which struck out their suit against the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, over its refusal to pro-

vide them with the procurement documents for the purchase of two bullet-proof BMW cars for former Aviation Minister, Mrs. Stella Oduah.

In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday, the two organizations said the judge’s decision striking out their suit on the ground that they did not apply for or obtain an extension of time before lodging the suit, defies commonsense and logic, having regards to

the facts and evidences before the court.

MRA’s Executive Director, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, said it is difficult to understand the judge’s reasoning and how he came to such a decision when it was clear from the evidence before him that the organizations filed their suit within the time allowed by Section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act and therefore did not require any extension of time.

Again, power generation crashes to 3,100 MW Adeola Yusuf

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ower supply yesterday continued its decline, dipping to 3, 100 Mega Watt (MW).

Minister of Power, Professor, Chinedu Nebo, who said this at the West Africa Gas conference in Abuja, disclosed that the shortfall in gasfor-power in Nigeria, which he blamed for the supply fall, had hit 700m standard cubic feet (scuf).

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) how-

ever, added that gas shortfall is being addressed vigorously.

Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dahwa said in a speech that the minister of petroleum resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke-led team has championed numerous interventions over the last few years to drive supply.

These intervention, which according to Dahwa, include but not limited to adjustment in domestic gas price towards export parity, increasing the gas transportation

tariff to commercially viable levels and introduction of various interventions such as the World Bank Partial Risk Guanrantee to secure the revenues for gas payment, would soon help to give the required boost to gas supply to power.

He said: “We are putting in place one step a time, all the requirements to support a sustainable gas industry in Nigeria. In NNPC, we are rapidly respositioning from an oil company to an integrated oil and gas company.

S/East-S/South professionals hail Atuonwu’s appointment

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he South East, South South Professionals of Nigeria (SESSN) has congratulated Mr. Victor Atuonwu on his new appointment as the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Enugu State, Barr.

Sullivan Chime.

This was contained in a news release by the group made available in

Lagos yesterday. In the same vein, the group has also commended Governor Sullivan Chime for his bold but deft move in recognizing Mr. Atuonwu as a professional and technocrat worthy of such an appointment.

“SESSPN considers Mr. Atuonwu’s appointment a significant one due to the fact that the new chief of

staff is not an indigene of Enugu State”, the statement reiterated. Atuonwu is from Abia State.

Against this backdrop, the group has called on other state governors to emulate Chime’s exemplary action by recognizing quality and professionalism in appointees to strategic positions in their public services.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

IBM offers Ebola tracking system

I

BM will put its super-computing data crunching to use in Sierra Leone, as part of the fight against the deadly disease Ebola.

It has launched a system which allows citizens to report Ebola-related issues and government, health agencies and others to keep track of the disease.

Citizens can use SMS or voice calls that are location-specific.

The data will then be analysed to identify correlations and highlight issues.

Already, regions with growing numbers of suspected Ebola cases have been pinpointed and the

IBM Ebola tracking system

delivery of urgent supplies such as soap and electricity have been sped up.

“We saw the need to quickly develop a system to enable communities directly affected by Ebola to provide valuable insight about how to fight it,” explained Dr Uyi Stewart,

chief scientist of IBM Research in Africa.

“Using mobile technology, we have given them a voice and a channel to communicate their experiences directly to the government.”

Khadija Sesay, director of Sierra Leone’s open government initiative, said it had helped “open up a channel with the general public so that we can learn from their input and create actionable policies in the fight against Ebola”.

Radio broadcasts are being used to encourage people to use the system and telco operator Airtel has set up a free number via which citizens are able to send SMS messages.

Islamic State video shows British hostage, John Cantlie, in Kobani

John Cantlie in the new ISIS video

A

new video that appears to show Islamic State hostage John Cantlie in Kobani was released Monday, with the British captive warning that the battle for the Syrian border town is “coming to an end.”

“It is not an all-out battle now,” Cantlie says in the video. “It is nearly over.”

Aerial footage shot from a drone shows Kobani decimated from fighting between the Islamic State group and pro-Syrian forces and by air strikes on IS strongholds by a U.S.led coalition.

“For a month now the soldiers of the Islamic State have been besieging this key Kurdish city,” Cantlie says in the video, released on social media channels

by the militant group.

“And despite American air strikes which have cost nearly half a billion dollars in total, the Mujahadeen have pushed deep into the city. They now control the eastern and southern sectors.

“Now the battle for Kobani is coming to an end,” Cantlie continues.

“The mujahedeen are just mopping up now, street to street, and building to building.”

Earlier this month, the United Nations warned that it would be a “humanitarian catastrophe” if Kobani falls into the hands of the Islamic State. Last week, the militant group said it had seized an American airdrop of supplies and weapons near Kobani.

U.S. officials said they were looking into those claims.

“The Mujahedeen are being resupplied by the hopeless United States Air Force who parachuted two crates of weapons and ammunition into the outstretched arms of the mujahedeen,” Cantlie says. “All I’ve see here inside the city of Kobani is mujahedeen. There are no YPG [Syrian Kurdistan army], PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] or Peshmerga in sight. Just a large number of Islamic State mujahedeen, and they are definitely not on the run.”

Turkey, which has been reluctant to join the U.S.-led coalition, told Reuters on Monday that Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga were free to move through Turkey to Syria despite reports of a stalled agreement between Turkey and the YPG.

School shooting victim forgives gunman

A

14-year-old high school student, that shot in the face and told he can never play football again, has tweeted that he loves and has forgiven the shooter.

In a tweet he sent

from his hospital, Nate Hatch says he forgives his cousin -- the shooter who opened fire at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington on Friday.

Two students, Zoe Galasso and Gia Soriano,

were killed. Two others, in addition to Nate, are still hospitalized.

The shooter, Jaylen Fryberg, took his own life afterwards.

“I love you and I forgive you Jaylen rest in peace,” Nate tweeted.

} P 53

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Sports News

International Sport

NFF board members drag Giwa to court

Ronaldo crowned La Liga’s best

52

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Sport Ifeanyi Ibeh

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ootball’s world governing body, FIFA, has given Nigeria up until Friday to resolve the lingering leadership crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation.

FIFA on Tuesday wrote to the NFF ordering the body to put its house in order before Friday or face a global ban from international football.

New Telegraph learnt that the letter from FIFA was in re-

51

Did you know?

That Shaibu Amodu qualified Nigeria for the World Cup in 2002 and 2010, but did not lead the team to the Mundial on both occassions

FIFA ban: NFF gets Friday deadline

action to a call that had been put across to them on Monday by the Secretary General of the NFF, Musa Amadu, informing the world body about the Stay of Execution filed by the Amaju Pinnick-led Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation at the Jos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court.

The hearing pertaining to

the Stay of Execution has been set for Wednesday.

The Pinnick-led NFF had last week Friday filed a Stay of Execution at the Jos-based court which had a day earlier set aside the elections of September 30 which brought Pinnick to office.

And New Telegraph learnt that Amadu put a call across

to FIFA informing them of Wednesday’s court hearing in the Plateau state capital, urging the world body to give the country a little more time to find a lasting solution to the current impasse.

This perhaps informed why FIFA did not stick by its earlier promise to ban the country from international football on

Monday; a decision that would not be revisited until the world body’s next congress scheduled for May 29, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Meanwhile, Sports Minister, Tamuno Danagogo, on Tuesday, at his office in Abuja, held a meeting with the two parties jostling for control of the NFF in an effort CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

NFF under severe attack

…fails to pay Falcons’ bonuses in Namibia

Super Falcons celebrating with Oshoala after her goal against Cameroun

Nigeria vs Cameroon during the AWC final in Namibia

Adekunle Salami

The Sport Team

Adekunle Salami l Deputy Editor, Sports Emmanuel Tobi l Assistant Editor, Sports

Ifeanyi Ibeh l Sports Correspondent

Ajibade Olusesan l Sports Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya l Sports Correspondent © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

S

takeholders in football and some members of the Super Falcons have criticised the Nigeria Football Federation over the way the Super Falcons were treated at the just concluded Africa Women Championship.

The Falcons were in Namibia for the continental women football event but were not paid their match bonuses in the five games

played between October 11 and 25.

Despite the development the Falcons under Coach Edwin Okon won all their games in the preliminaries and final stages of the competition.

Although the football ruling body is said to be getting set to pay the money, it has come under fire for not paying in Namibia.

“What they did to the Falcons cannot be done to the Super Eagles. The bonus approved for the team is poor and yet it was not paid at all. The NFF could have borrowed money to do that instead of treating the ladies like that. It is bad,” a female football stakeholder said.

Sources said the crisis in the NFF could be re-

sponsible for the neglect of the ladies who did Nigeria proud in the competition.

One of the players also expressed disappointment over the development stressing that it was determination that saw the team through in Namibia.

She said; “We were highly determined and focused. We made up our mind from Nigeria that we were going all the way to reclaim the trophy. Many of us felt bad that the bonuses were not paid after each of the games. ”In the Eagles or Flying Eagles, match bonus is paid after each match and we wonder why our own was different. It was very demoralising and we fought hard not allow this affect us too much. I

won’t lie, it affected us to an extent. “ Each player was expected to receive $2,000 for the preliminary games while it was expected to be increased for the semifinal and final matches.

Investigation revealed that the NFF is also owing coach Okon 25 months’ salaries. Okon led the team to glory in Namibia Media officer of the team, Gracious Akujobi, was furious when our correspondent called her over the development.

“We are not talking about that. We did not see anything and it did not affect the players in Namibia. So we need not talk about it,” she said.

A member of the NFF, CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

52

SPORT

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

FIFA ban: Mark warns Giwa, others

Emmanuel Tobi

S

enate President, David Mark, has warned Chris Giwa and his group to end the crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation in order to avoid an imminent ban from world football governing body, FIFA. A Jos High Court last week ruled that the Nigeria Football

Federation elections on September 30 that elected Amaju Pinnick as president be declared null and void, throwing the country’s football back into crisis.

This injunction was brought by members of a purported NFF executive led by Chris Giwa.

Speaking during the opening session of the Senate plenary on Tuesday, a furious

Oduamadi(right)

NFF board members drag Giwa to court Adekunle Salami

T

he crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation deepened on Tuesday as the board members vowed to sue Mr Chris Giwa and his group for forgery and impersonation.

Giwa and his group released a document that had names and signatures of 44 members of the General Assembly at the August 26 meeting held at the Chida Hotel In Abuja.

It was there Giwa was elected as the “NFF President” However, the board members and some Assembly members who were not at the gather-

ing had their names on the list and will head for court anytime soon.

Lagos FA boss, Seyi Akinwunmi, told our correspondent that he was not at the Chida meeting and yet his name was on the list.

Our correspondent observed that the list had one dominant handwriting that might have been used to write most of the names.

Only on Tuesday, efforts by sports minister to resolve the crisis hit the rocks as a meeting held in Abuja was deadlocked.

FIFA also on Tuesday gave Nigeria an ultimatum of Friday noon to resolve the crisis or get banned.

Mark urged all those involved in the crisis rocking the football house to sheath their sword and place the country first.

He noted that resolution of NFF crisis has become even more urgent in view of the FIFA threat looming over the country, stating that a few people cannot continue to hold the country to ransome.

He said, “All those involved in the NFF crisis should, for the sake of the nation and for the sake of the football-loving Nigerians, resolve their crisis.

“FIFA is threatening to ban us, we must not allow that to happen. Those involved should resolve their crisis and put the nation first in all they do.”

After Nigeria was twice suspended this year for government interference in the NFF, FIFA confirmed in a letter to the NFF before the last elections that more meddling would bring about an automatic suspension to run at least until Fifa’s elective congress in May next year.

Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou at the weekend had a meeting with Nigerian officials in Windhoek, Namibia, on the matter ahead of the final of the African Women’s Championships that saw the Super Falcons defeat Cameroon.

Mrs. Dilichukwu Onyedima, however confirmed that the players were not paid their bonuses in Namibia.

She commended the players for displaying what she termed as the ‘highest level of patriotism’ “They were obviously expectant and not happy about the development but they still remained focused to win all their games for themselves and the country. I am aware there are plans to pay them all their bonuses this week,” she said.

Another stakeholder who has been following female football for over 20 years, Harry Awurumibe, told New Tele-

graph that the situation in the Super Falcons camp was an embarrassment to the country.

Awurumibe said; It is very unfair to treat the ladies that way despite their consistency and hard work. It is not the first time it will happen. There are many occasions the ladies will be promised and there will be no fulfillment. Because they are not violent does not mean they are fools.

“I wonder what they are going to do at the presidency when they were even being owed huge amount of money? The NFF cannot do this to the Super Eagles and let them not hide under the guise of the crisis.

Eagles were paid bonuses during the same crisis.”

NFF gets Friday deadline the African Women Champion-

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51

to broker lasting peace. Pinnick was in attendance, as well as Chris Giwa and some of his supporters, including Victor Baribote.

However, after over an hour of deliberations, the Giwa faction stormed out of the venue and headed off to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to receive players and officials of the Super Falcons, who had flown into Abuja from Lagos.

Asked why they were at the airport to receive the Super Falcons, who at the weekend, won

ship in Namibia, a spokesman of the group, Musa Fema, said that the group had the backing of the Federal High Court and was the legitimate body to receive the victorious women’s national team.

Shortly after their arrival at the airport though, members of the Giwa faction were informed by some of their sympathisers that officials of the Department of State Services, were also at the airport, a development which led to the group’s sudden disappearance from the airport.

out of the four Nigerian teams in attendance at the weeklong championship, as well as one other club from Cote d’Ivoire, grabbing the four slots reserved for the zone ahead of next month’s Africa Champions Cup, holding in Tunis, Tunisia.

ABC of Cote d’Ivoire emerged as winners of the men’s tournament ahead of Nigerian Premier League runners-up Mark Mentors, while

Nigeria’s Dolphins edged domestic rivals First Bank to the top spot in the women’s tournament.

IBA Africa Zone-3 President, Nigerian Premier League chamColonel Samuel Ahmedu (rtd), pions, Kano Pillars, lost out in the has praised the performance of semi-finals to the Ivorian league the Nigerian teams at FIBA Africa champions and will not be in TuniZone-3 Africa Champions Cup qualisia but irrespective of their failure fying tournament, which ended on to grab one of the zone’s tickets, AhSunday in Ouagadougou. medu has showered encomiums on The qualifiers took place in the the teams for giving good account Burkinabe capital city with three of themselves in Burkina Faso.

“I have every reason to be proud of all the teams that took part in the tournament, especially the teams from Nigeria,” Ahmedu told New Telegraph from the Burkinabe capital. “They all gave good account of themselves and showed why Nigeria remains a force to be reckoned with in the zone.

“All the teams gave good account of themselves, and I am confident that with adequate preparations, all the qualified teams will perform creditably well in Tunisia especially the women, who were way ahead of the rest of the competition,” added Ahmedu, who is also the founder L-R: Gotv Marketing Manager, Oludare Kafar, hip-hop artiste Oritsefemi , Gotv General of the Dodan Warriors Basketball Manager, Mrs Elizabeth Amkpa and Chairman, Lagos Football Association, Mr. Seyi Akinwunmi during the opening ceremony of the GOtv Hood to Hood Football Championship Programme.

Ifeanyi Ibeh

F

in Lagos recently.

Abuja

Pinnick

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51

Africa Champions Cup: Ahmedu hails Nigeria’s dominance

Comfort Chukwu

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NFF under severe attack

resident of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, has hailed his predecessor, Aminu Maigari, for playing a huge role in the success of the Super Falcons at the African Women Championship in Namibia.

Pinnick credits Maigari for Falcons AWC victory The victorious ladies who won their seventh African title last Saturday arrived Abuja yesterday ahead of a Presidential reception, and Pinnick said Maigari’s board prepared the ground for his board to claim its first trophy.

“I will thank the last board for preparing the team, their effort has

given us success, victory is ours and I am grateful to Maigari, because we are inheriting success,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Sports, Tamuno Danagogo, has assured the victorious team that their entitlements will be paid. There has been an outcry after it was revealed that the players and their officials

were not given a dime throughout the tournament.

But Danagogo told the ladies in Abuja that: “Your entitlements have been released, you deserve more than your entitlements. No football team has won any cup seven times; you are indeed a great team.”

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS 53

NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Ronaldo C crowned La Liga’s best

ristiano Ronaldo claimed a hat-trick of honours after being named La Liga’s 2013-14 Player of the Year at the LFP awards on Monday.

Ronaldo received the top gong in recognition of his stellar campaign last season that saw him score 31 goals in just 30 matches for Real Madrid.

The Portugal captain also took out the Best Forward award and Best Goal for his incredible backheel against Valencia in May. The 2013-14 Coach

of the Year went to Argentine Diego Simeone after defying the odds to guide Atletico Madrid to the La Liga title last term.

Atletico remarkably topped the standings ahead of fancied duo Barcelona and Real for their first league crown since 1995-96.

Costa Rica international Keylor Navas was named the Best Goalkeeper for his consistent season with Levante before making the switch to Real.

Real star Sergio Ramos took out the Best

Defender, while teammate Luka Modric (Best Defensive Midfielder) and Barcelona veteran Andres Iniesta (Best Attacking Midfielder) took out the respective midfield awards.

Granada’s Yacine Brahimi received the Best African Player award, while Sevilla striker Carlos Bacca was named the best South American.

Revelation of the Year went to Barcelona youngster Rafinha Alcantara, who spent last season on loan at Celta Vigo.

Ballon d´Or Real, Bayern stars dominate shortlist

F Ronaldo

Mourinho blames Del Bosque for Costa problems

C

helsea manager Jose Mourinho blames Spain coach Vicente del Bosque for Diego Costa’s recent injury troubles.

Costa scored nine times in seven matches in a prolific start to his Stamford Bridge career, but he has missed their last three fixtures with a hamstring problem.

However, the 26-yearold is now back in full training and could return in Saturday’s west London derby at home to QPR in the Premier

League.

The Spain international was suffering with a cold last week as well, but Mourinho says it was injury that forced him out of Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United and he feels the problem was exacerbated by del Bosque playing Costa in back-to-back internationals with Luxembourg and Slovakia at the start of the month.

“The virus is fine,” Mourinho said. “It was hard, he had to go to the

hospital and obviously it doesn’t help him to recover from his injury. But he didn’t play on Sunday because of the injury, not because of the virus.

“Diego has the hamstring (problem) because he played two matches in three days when he was not with us.”

When asked whether he hoped Costa’s injury problems were now over, Mourinho replied: “But he still has (to play for) the national team in November!”

IFA has announced a 23man shortlist for this year’s Ballon d’Or, including six Real Madrid players and just as many from Bayern Munich.

Real’s Cristiano Ronaldo is the holder of the world footballer of the year award and is joined on the list of 2014’s nominees by team-mates Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos and James Ro-

driguez.

The Spanish club’s UEFA Champions League triumph, which saw them achieve ‘La Decima’, also earns Carlo Ancelotti a place on the World Coach of the Year shortlist.

There is no room, however, for Luis Suarez following his move from Liverpool to Camp Nou. The Uruguay striker returned from a fourmonth ban, dished out by the world governing

Pique to leave Barca for £30m

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erard Pique can reportedly leave Barcelona in the January transfer window if the Catalan outfit receive a bid of £30m for the centreback.

The Spanish international rejoined Barcelona from Manchester United in 2008 and has enjoyed a trophy-laden career with his hometown club.

Djokovic vows to keep Federer at bay N

Djokovic

ovak Djokovic has vowed to fight off Roger Federer for the world No 1 spot just a few days after becoming a father.

Djokovic is defending his title at the Paris Masters this week, his first tournament since the birth of his first child last week - a boy called Stefan - and will then be heading to London’s O2 hoping to win the World ATP Finals again.

He leads Federer by 2,230 points in the world rankings, but the top-

body for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup, in Barca’s 3-1 loss to Real in La Liga on Sunday.

World champions Germany, whose boss Joachim Low will compete with Ancelotti and eight others for the coaching gong, boast six players on the list, with Kroos accompanied by Mario Gotze, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

ranked Serb has 2,500 points to defend, while his Swiss rival can gain points as he lost in the semi-finals of both events.

“The way I feel right now, I feel like I’m already No 1 with becoming a father last week,” said Djokovic, who topped the rankings at the end of 2011 and 2012.

“For me, this is the most important moment in my life. The goal is to finish the year as No 1 of the world. Of course it’s a big objective. Of course it

Pique has struggled for form this season, however, and according to AS, Barcelona will sanction a sale if their valuation of the player is met.

Chelsea and former club United are both said to be monitoring developments, with Pique understood to be keen on a return to the Premier League.

is, for both of us.”

Federer won the Swiss Indoors title in his home town of Basel tournament on Sunday and the 17-time Grand Slam champion could finish the season as the top player for the sixth time and tie Pete Sampras’ record.

Djokovic added: “This year Federer came out strong again, competing for Grand Slam titles, now competing for No 1 of the world. And I never thought that he’s not a competition Pique for No 1 of the world.”

Rooney doubtful for Manchester derby UEFA revises CSKA sanction M U

Rooney

anchester United striker Wayne Rooney is reportedly a doubt for this Sunday’s head to head with local rivals Manchester City due to a minor injury.

The England captain, who is due to return to action after serving a three-match ban, is believed to have picked up a knock in training.

According to The Express, the 29-year-old was seen limping

heavily during a sponsorship event with his teammates at Old Trafford on Monday.

Rooney missed United’s victory over Everton and draws with West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea after receiving a straight red card in the Red Devils’ 2-1 win over West Ham United last month.

United are currently eighth in the Premier League table, four points behind third-placed City.

EFA has revised the sanction it dished out to CSKA Moscow following an appeal by the Russian champions.

CSKA were initially fined €200,000 and ordered to play three UEFA Champions League fixtures behind closed doors following incidents during their opening 5-1 defeat at Roma, when play was halted due to crowd disturbances.

The European governing body’s original judgment said CSKA had

fallen foul of Article 14 of its disciplinary regulations: “racist behaviour of supporters”; and two sections of Article 16: “crowd disturbance and setting off/ throwing of fireworks and missiles”.

However, an appeal by the Russian club has been partially upheld, with the third match of the behindclosed-doors sanction - the first of which was served in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City earlier this month - to be suspended for five years.

54

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

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NEW TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

Fayose’s victory and a troubling denouement The

Gauntlet

LAURENCE ANI

laurence.ani@newtelegraphonline.com 0803 811 4560 (sms only)

T

he dominant narrative that emerged from the Osun State governorship election did not disappoint in its predictability: the All Progressives Congress splurged on a post-election celebration of its candidate’s triumph to serve as a cheeky reminder that “Osun is not Ekiti”; and the Peoples Democratic Party, initially torn between taking a chivalrous stand or simply casting pretensions aside and heading for the tribunal, expectedly settled for the latter.

Of course, the reminder being served here is to the federal government which the APC is convinced had less-than-noble intentions in deploying soldiers for both the Ekiti and Osun elections. To the APC, its candidate won in the Osun election in spite of federal might and, also, due to the people ‘s willingness to shun what it calls “stomach infrastructure”, a presumptuous posturing expressed in the phrase - “Osun is not Ekiti”.

The assumption is that there is something untoward in Ayo Fayose’s triumph; that the Ekiti electorate cannot possibly reject the urbanity of Governor Kayode Fayemi for the cavalier attitude of Fayose, who in the eyes of APC stalwarts, has gatecrashed into a conclave meant only for invitees. This is tragic. Democracy isn’t simply undermined when ballot boxes are stuffed, there’s just as much harm done when we refuse to accept - as the utterances of APC supporters indicate - that its processes could yield results we consider unpleasant.

Forget the APC’s righteous indignation, the truth is the two major parties in the election had succumbed to primitive expectations from the electorate. Apart from the implicit mutual desperation, their action

is a reflection of just how keen the contest had been. And that is what elections have hardly been in Nigeria, which is the reason politicians seldom feel obligated to the public.

But when elections are not a shoo-in even for the incumbent, they benefit the electorate as could be glimpsed from the speedy steps taken by Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and some South-west governors to stave off possible alienation of voters. The former paid arrears of salaries his government was owing some civil servants.

In Ogun State, the governor announced a slash in school fees in state-owned tertiary institutions with a conciliatory tone. That was a huge contrast to the devil-may-care attitude that underpinned the earlier hike to absurd levels. Similar humbling reversal of policy also occurred in Lagos, where a supposedly “progressive” governor had introduced possibly the most draconian fee hike ever seen in any Nigerian university and acted like he expected to be applauded. Series of protests by students of the Lagos State University were met with a cold rebuff. Well, at least until the ominous warning sounded by Fayose’s victory in Ekiti.

So the electorate benefits when elections are keenly contested and where there is a strong likelihood for one. Democracy has no place for the sort of paternalistic attitudes that define most commentaries on the Ekiti election. You could discern the suggestion that the electorate might not quite know what is good for them and, to that extent, needs to be guided to make the “right” choice. It’s such paternalistic mindset that breeds the decadent practice we have seen in Lagos where the whim of an individual prevails against the wishes of his party members. Indeed, the

choice of a heir presumptuous may prove uncanny, yet it by no means validates a process that effectively shuts out every aspirants barring the grand patron’s. It must be apparent to everyone reading this who that grand patron is, and how he undermines the democratic values he so often claims to profess.

Why would the APC rationalise a process where candidates emerge via anti-democratic means but denounce the deployment of soldiers for elections? There is always possibility for a keen contest when elections are free. And as evident in a few recent examples, it does seem that despite the absurdity inherent in the deployment of military personnel for elections, the credibility of their outcome derives from the presence of soldiers. Does the APC intend to stymie the prospect of keenly contested elections by its opposition to a move that has so far proved a pragmatic response to Nigeria’s woeful record at conducting elections without a dubious outcome?

I think it’s a question leaders of the party should find unsettling.

What the APC fails to understand is that the more obsessed it gets with casting Fayose in unflattering light, the higher his popularity would soar; and the clearer too the previous government’s indiscretion becomes. How, for instance, does the building of a new government house benefit the electorate in a state with such an unhealthy debt profile and an almost nonexistent internal revenue? Was the existing government house in more deplorable condition than public schools? I’m not sure, but I can wager that there were a few projects the former governor could not complete before the handover to a new government. What then was the frenzy to commission the new government house all about?

So, rather than ponder the “mystery” - as Professor Wole Soyinka sees the outcome of the Ekiti election - that could have so abruptly curbed its ascendancy across the south-west, the APC needs a long period of navel-gazing. And it should be a sufficiently forthright endeavour, one capable of repudiating the excuse that the party lost because its members were arrested and intimidated by soldiers and also due to its decision to spurn the disbursements of cash and gift to voters - a model it claims Fayose had brazenly adopted.

One poignant fact that a frank introspection would yield, particularly in Lagos, is how insular - and, I dare say, pretentious - the APC party has become. If it were not so, the party would have cringed even by the mere thought of justifying the forcible relocation of non-indigenes mostly from the east considered blights in the “centre of excellence”. But it rationalised that callous deed by the Lagos State government.

Such misdeed is the sort that fuels discontent among the electorate and creates a plausible scenario for the Ekiti experience.

And The Final Word

...The Bold

Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, has given an out-of-thebox response to the frequent clash between fulani herdsmen and farmers. While the federal government continues in the silly rhetoric of creating grazing reserves across the country which merely puts a sheen on the archaic tradition of the nomadic herdsmen, Suswam has suggested that ranch style enclosures should be established to discourage the movement of cattle from one geographical zone to another. For those sceptics still frozen in time who are wondering how the herds would be fed, I’ll recommend they take a trip to Kwara State to see how the Zimbabwean farmers are able to feed theirs without the north-south migratory drudgery.

Unlike green vegetation, you really cannot run out of fodder. That’s mostly what cows are fed with.

...The Cynical Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s predilection for the dramatic was taken to absurd heights last week with his claim that the First Lady Patience Jonathan’s grouse with him is rooted in his refusal to “share” Rivers State’s resources with her.

The fact this emerged at a political party rally is an indication it was made simply to earn some plaudits and bolster his party’s chances at the poll. But once removed from the emotion-stoked atmosphere of a political rally, the statement adorns a hollow cynicism similar to Amaechi’s “K-leg” (a coinage by ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo suggesting the Rivers governor’s victory in the PDP’s governorship primary in 2003 had a reputational burden), a development that almost put paid to his career in politics. The problem with volubility is that it often dims the ability to realise that discretion is the better part of valour.

...The Plain Silly Hiding behind the prevailing sentiment among Nigerians that favours constitutional reforms, the Senate has introduced a proposal for the removal of wages from the exclusive list. The motive for this hideous proposal is puzzling. Quite puzzling because it would leave civil servants at the whimsical dictates of governors who have never hidden their contempt for the fact that the minimum wage they could pay workers in their state is determined in Abuja.

In most developed societies, states do actually determine the wages for workers in their jurisdiction, but the point is they cannot go below the national minimum wage set by the national government. There are many items on the exclusive as well as the concurrent list that require a lot more exigent attention, especially those which have made the federal government a meddlesome and overbearing entity. An example is the law that assigns several kilometres of roads as “federal roads”.

Could this silly legislators’ proposal be a somewhat trade off ahead of the 2015 elections?

Follow me on Twitter @AniLaurence

Sanctity of Truth

On Marble

Gratitude is a form of worship in its own right, as it implies the acceptance of a power greater than yourself.

– Stephen Richards

World Record

The 828m tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai has been the tallest building in the world since 2010. The Burj Khalifa has been classified as Megatall.

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

N150

Obiano and his band of critics GUEST COLUMNIST James Eze

E

ver since the attentive world rose to its feet to applaud Governor Willie Obiano’s virtuoso performance 100 days in office, the dogs of war seem to have been let loose and they are baying for his innocent blood. Obiano and his wife have become the punching bag of miscreants on social media whose mercantile instincts mark out as cannon fodder in the hands of aggrieved and out-of-favour politicians. Every day, they concoct lies and tasteless falsehoods to nibble away at his soaring popularity among the long suffering people who are beginning to finally see that indeed, Anambra can be better.

From all indications, the mission of the people who are sponsoring the endless calumny campaign against Obiano and his wife on social media is quite simple – to distract him from actualizing his dream of a new and better Anambra State and whittle down his rising profile as a promising leader of Ndigbo. They figured that with his squeaky clean technocratic background and soar away performance in just six months in office, he would dwarf so many wanna-be leaders if no muck was cast on him sooner than later. But what in concrete terms has Obiano done to earn their fear?

Close observers of Obiano’s sevenmonth old administration can attest to the fact that for the first time in a long while, Anambra is witnessing a structured approach to governance.

Obiano’s philosophy of governance is inclusive and open. Bringing his years in the commanding height of the private sector to bear on governance, Obiano had outlined his Vision and Mission in the government house from the outset. Right from the election campaign days, Obiano had told Ndi Anambra that his vision was for the State to become the 1st Choice Investment Destination and a hub for industrialization and commercial activities while his mission was to create a socially stable, business friendly environment that will attract both indigenes and foreigners to seek wealth creating opportunities in Anambra State. So, he knew where he was going and how to get there. Again, it may not be certain but it would seem that Obiano is probably the first governor of Anambra State to articulate a vision and mission statement that would guide him in office. The statements serve as a compass for focused leadership.

At the moment, he has done a good job of keeping his eyes on the prize.

And that is why they are kicking.

Again, in full appreciation of the security nightmare that had bedeviled Anambra through the years, Obiano had divined that his leadership goals had no chance in hell if he failed to tackle the security challenges in

Obiano

Deputy governor Nkem Okeke

the state. So, he went after the kidnappers, armed robbers and drug dealers who had made Anambra inhabitable with a figurative sharp knife. And what exactly did he do?

Quite simple – he spent the Security Votes on providing security for Ndi Anambra; something that some past leaders either kept for themselves or shared with their godfathers. In three months, Obiano proved them wrong; cleansed Anambra of violent criminals and restored sleep to the eyes of the masses. And that is why they are kicking…

As a corollary to the success recorded in fighting criminals, Obiano’s Vision and Mission Statements are being realized in less than six months of his administration.

Anambra has become the new investment destination in West Africa.

And once more, what exactly did he do? Again, quite simple – he set up an investment agency known as the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA) and appointed some of Nigeria’s most brilliant investment bankers to run it. ANSIPPA quickly knocked

own the bureaucratic bottlenecks that discourage investors from moving into new territories and opened the state up for a candid assessment.

It worked like magic. It all gradually began with the Coscharis Group who moved in with the Coched Farms Project. Then suddenly there was an influx as Joseph Agro Limited, Ekcel Farms, Grains & Silos Ltd, Cardinal Developers & Trust Ltd, all moved in with different sizes of investment portfolio, leaving the state a breath away from its projected $1.9bn investment inflow by the end of the last quarter of this year. From inception, Anambra never had it so good in such a short spate of time. And that is why they are kicking…

Again, leaning heavily on his technocratic background, Obiano realized that for him to have enough money to fund what he calls the ENABLERS that support the Four Pillars of his administrative strategy, he could not continue to depend on the hand-downs from the federal government; that something had to be done in the area of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). So, from an inherited IGR of N500m, he doubled Anambra’s Internally Generated Revenue in six months, bringing it to the threshold of N1bn. And what, in fact did he do? Anambra is home to some of Africa’s largest markets with numerous motor parks that generate instant revenue. Anambra hosts quite a sizable chunk of Nigeria’s manufacturing firms as well. Obiano simply opened bids for the parks and handed them over to competent hands, re-organized the various markets and opened an enlightenment campaign on the importance of tax compliance. The people began to see the use of the taxes they pay in keeping Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka clean and in the sudden return of sanity to Upper Iweka and they responded in kind. And that is why they are kicking…

Again, before Obiano’s coming, Anambra had existed as an extremely fractious state

Again, before Obiano’s coming, Anambra had existed as an extremely fractious state. Its many illustrious citizens, some of whose private wealth surpass the GDP of some West African countries, had been polarized by the utter lack of cohesion at the center. The state needed a bridge-builder with deft social skills; someone who would climb down the moral high-horse to share a meal and a laugh with anybody. They found that in Obiano’s natural gregariousness. Before long, all the hitherto disparate forces from the maverick billionaire Prince Arthur Eze to Sir Emeka Offor and even opposition figures like Nicholas Ukachukwu as well as highly respected elder statesmen like Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Chief Chuwkuemeka Ezeife, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe (Agbogidi) and solid entrepreneurs like Mr. Cosmas Maduka, Emma Bishop Okonkwo, Dr Ernest Nnaemeka Azudialu-Obijesi, and Sir Daniel Chukwudozie among others have all found one reason or another to believe in Obiano’s approach to governance. They have seen a consummate consensus builder who truly loves his people. And that’s why they are kicking…

The final reason why they won’t stop kicking is because they had told Ndi Anambra that Awka was beyond redemption; that Awka indigenes were anti-progress and had always stood in the way of plans to turn the town into a befitting capital of Nigeria’s most distinctive state. But now that three flyovers are springing up at the same time and changing the landscape of Nigeria’s most rustic state capital, they have come out kicking and punching. With the security votes that they could not spend to secure Anambra State, they have armed a band of youths that they could not employ and turned them loose on the social media.

These men have made it a habit to incite the people against Obiano’s seven-month old administration with brazen lies and photo-shopped images. Their solitary mission is to derail Obiano from the path of progress by keeping him busy fighting real and imagined enemies. And just in case you still don’t get it, their vision is to ensure that Anambra remains at the rungs of underdevelopment; perpetually aspiring for greatness and never attaining it.

Unmoved by the wisdom of our fathers in couching the timeless philosophy of Egbe belu ugo belu, they see themselves as the political Sirius; the brightest star in earth’s sky in whose company other planetary bodies pale into mere fireflies. And because Obiano’s political star dared to rise so soon, they are desperate to dim it or at least cast a thick cloud across the face of the sky to shield its dazzle. And that is the tragic streak that has held Anambra State down for years. But will Ndi Anambra allow that? Time, as they say, will tell.

• Eze (eziokwubundu@gmail.com) writes from Ifite, Awka, Anambra State.

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