Binder12345 monday, july 28, 2014

Sanctity of Truth Facebook.com/newtelegraph

Monday, July 28, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 160

twitter.com/newtelegraph1

www.newtelegraphonline.com

N150

Nigeria’s most authoritative newspaper in politics and business

Ebola virus: Gambia bars airlines from Nigeria Wole Shadare

T

o curtail the wide spread of the deadly Ebola virus, the Gambian Government has taken a proactive step to

stop airlines, including Arik Air, from bringing inbound passengers from Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone into Banjul.

A Gambian government official told New

Telegraph at the weekend that at the early stage of the contagion’s development across West Africa, the Gambian Government had taken the proactive decision to stop airlines from

bringing inbound passengers from these countries, into Banjul.

Nigeria’s flag carrier airline, Arik Air, has equally suspended operations to Monrovia and Freetown

effective today.

The airline through its spokesman, Banji Ola, told reporters that the suspension would be in force until further notice, adding that the decision was a pre-cau-

tionary measure aimed at safeguarding Nigerians.

The first Ebola virus death was officially confirmed in Lagos last week following the discovery of CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

ATTEMPTS TO KILL BUHARI

Jonathan: Nigeria would have been in turmoil if...

lAPC demands international inquiry into Buhari’s assassination bid lSix killed in bomb attacks on Kano church, police checkpoint (story on page 4) Lateef Ibrahim and Anule Emmanuel Abuja

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said Nigeria would have been in turmoil presently if All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart and former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari and Sheik Dahiru Bauchi had been killed in last Wednesday’s bomb explosions in Kaduna.

The explosion, in which Buhari was apparently targeted, occurred at the busy Kawo Market, damaging all the cars in his convoy, including the Toyota Land Cruiser bearing the retired General.

Buhari, who was on his CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

L-R: National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd); Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the praying ground during Eid-el-Fitr celebration in Sokoto... yesterday

Sambo, governors, Sultan, Sanusi, Kalu, others call for peace, unity at Eid-el-Fitr V ice-President Namadi Sambo, governors, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III; the Emir of Kano, Al-

haji Muhammadu Sanusi; Ekiti State Governorelect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose and former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor

Kalu, yesterday called for more prayers for Nigeria as it battled security challenges.

The nation’s political

and religious leaders in their separate goodwill messages to Muslim on the occasion of the Eidel-Fitr celebration also

preached peaceful co-existence among the people irrespective of their religious beliefs.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Lawmakers got N100m each to impeach me, says Okorocha

}6

Confab: Resumption postponed by one week

}8

LAGOS

Heavy Storms

28OC |23OC For subscription, advert and story tips, please call

+234 (1)221 9496, 08033392655, 08023010222

2

Sanctity of Truth

NEWS

Monday, July 28, 2014

3

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

NEWS

3

4

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Jonathan: Nigeria would have been in turmoil if...

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

way to his hometown Daura, Katsina State, when the incident occurred, commands a cultic followership in the North.

APC has however called for the constitution of an international inquiry panel to investigate the assassination attempt on one of its leaders.

But Jonathan while receiving Muslims faithful, who paid him Sallah homage at the State House Abuja, thanked God that the opposition leader survived the attempt on his life.

He told the Muslim delegation, led by VicePresident Namadi Sambo, that without peace and unity the country cannot develop.

He said there was no doubt that Buhari and Bauchi were targets in the Kaduna bomb attacks, which killed scores of others.

“You can imagine if these two people had died in those attacks. Sheik Bauchi is one of our top Islamic preachers, he has millions of followers.

Buhari, a former head of state, and a leading political figure, has massive supporters. On the same day people wanted to kill them, those who planned the attacks are clearly sons

of the devil.

“If they had killed these two people, we wouldn’t have been here today. This country would have been in turmoil; we couldn’t have gathered here to celebrate. We thank Allah for saving their lives and preventing a major calamity that would have befallen our country,” he added.

The president, who also fasted during the Ramadan, said the fasting period was time to reflect and time for people to be their neighbour’s keepers.

He seized the occasion to call on Nigerians to work with his administration in ending the current insurgency being perpetrated by Boko Haram.

He said: “We are doing everything humanly possible to end it. Government

at the same time is looking on how to raise funds; in fact, we are launching the fund Thursday so that the widows, orphans, those whose business premises have been vandalised and even our worship places, mosques and churches that have been destroyed, we will rebuild.

“Government alone cannot do it because we will need huge sums of money and we are partnering the private sector are to raise the funds. We know the private sector, which is vibrant, will be willing if they see sincerity on the part of the Federal Government. We have demonstrated that very clearly and we are hopeful that that day a reasonable amount of money will be raised. And we will con-

tinue to raise money until we are able to cushion the effects of these excesses and at the same time we are strengthening our security services so that they will be able to confront this menace.”

Earlier, Sambo had thanked the president for accepting to have audience with them as they celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Praying God to continue to give the president wisdom and guidance to rule, for peace and for all evil, including Boko Haram to come to an end, he commended Jonathan for fasting alongside Muslims during Ramadan.

On his part, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed prayed for courage and wisdom

for the president to continue to steer the ship of state despite the current security challenges in the country.

However, the APC has called for an international probe into Wednesday’s assassination attempt on Buhari, to unravel the motive and the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

The president had on the day of the attack, ordered security agencies to investigate the assassination attempt on Buhari with a view to bringing the masterminds to justice.

In obedience to the presidential order, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, last Friday raised a panel to probe the incident.

The APC, in a statement CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

28oC 21oC Storms

PORT HARCOURT

29oC 21oC Rain Showers

President Goodluck Jonathan (right), Chairman, National Agricultural Research, Alhaji Kassim Mukhtar and his children – Kassim, Sadiq and Habeeb – during a homage visit to the president to mark Eid-el-fitri in Abuja…yesterday.

KANO

22oC 14oC Rain Showers

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

Ebola virus: Gambia bars airlines from Nigeria CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ENUGU

29o C 22oC Thunder Storms

IBADAN

28oC 22oC Storms

CALABAR

28o C 23oC Thunder Storms

MAIDUGURI

36oC 25oC Partially Cloudy

ONITSHA

31oC 24oC Rain Showers

FIRST NATION AIRWAYS LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 06.50; 09:30; 11:45; 16:00 (SAT) 06:50; 11:45 (SUN) 11:45; 16:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 09:00; 11:30; 13:40;18:30 (SAT) 09:00; 13:40 (SUN) 13:40; 18:30 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 14:45 (SAT) 16:15 (SUN) 14:45 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:50 (SAT) 18:20 (SUN) 16:50 AEROCONTRACTORS LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 06:50; 13:30; 16:30; 19:45 (SAT/SUN) 12:30; 16:45 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 13:00; 19:00 (SAT) 12:30 (SUN) 15:30 MEDVIEW AIRLINES LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 07:00; 08:50; 12:00; 15:30 (SAT) 10:00; 15:00 (SUN) 17:30; 18:30 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 09:00; 14:00, 15:00; 18:30 OVERLAND AIRWAYS LAGOS-ILORIN (MON-FRI) 07:15 LAGOS-IBADAN (MON-FRI) 7:00 IBADAN-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:00 IBADAN-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:30 ILORIN –ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30 ILORIN –LAGOS (MON-FRI) 17:00 ABUJA-ASABA (MON-FRI) 10:00 ASABA-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 14:15 ASABA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 11:30 LAGOS-ASABA (MON-FRI) 13:00 ABUJA-ILORIN 16:00 ABUJA-IBADAN 15:00

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST ABUJA

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

a Liberian national who flew on an airline from Monrovia via Togo into Lagos.

“Arik Air will be suspending operations into Monrovia (Liberia) and Freetown (Sierra Leone) effective July 28, 2014. The suspension will be in force until further notice. This decision is a pre-cautionary measure aimed at safeguarding the precious lives of Nigerians,” Arik Air said.

It added that it took the important step as a concerned corporate citizen bearing the interest of Nigerians at heart.

“We acknowledge the steps that the Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking to

prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus; however, we feel especially compelled to take the business decision to immediately suspend flight services into the two Ebola affected countries due to our interest in the well-being of Nigerians,” it stated.

Arik Air said in line with the actions taken by the Gambian Government, it expected the Federal Government to take all steps necessary to control and curtail the spread of the virus.

“We humbly suggest that as a first step, all inbound flights into Nigeria which originate from any of the Ebola affected countries, be immediately suspended,” he added.”

The Liberian, Patrick

Sawyer, a 40-year-old civil servant, collapsed on arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos last Sunday, health officials said.

His condition rapidly deteriorated before he died, said Abdulsalami Nasidi, project director at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, who attributed his death to Ebola virus.

Sawyer flew from Monrovia, with a brief flight stopover in Togo. His sister is believed to have died of Ebola in the last month.

Officials at the World Health Organisation confirmed a sample from Nigeria was being tested for Ebola, but did not confirm the results.

The death marks a new

and alarming cross-border development in a disease that has spiralled into the world’s biggest epidemic, spread across three West African countries.

At least 660 people have died in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since Ebola was first diagnosed in February.

The pathogen is passed through contact with bodily fluids of infected patients, and has no known cure, although chances of survival improve dramatically with early detection and treatment.

Lagos State authorities said they had requested the flight’s manifest to contact the other passengers, and began distributing protective clothing to health workers.

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

5

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Six killed in bomb attacks on Kano church, police checkpoint

l13 injured, five suspects arrested lBoko Haram kidnaps wife of Cameroun’s deputy PM Muhammad Kabir

S

ix people were killed yesterday in Kano as terrorists launched attacks on St. Charles’ Catholic Church and a police checkpoint in the metropolis.

Thirteen others were injured while the police have confirmed the arrest of five suspects.

The attacks happened just as the police foiled another attempt to bomb worshippers during EidFitri prayers in Kano following the discovery of a car rigged with locallymade bombs, which was evacuated and the bombs detonated.

Although nobody has claimed responsibility for the series of attacks on Kano, it was suspected that Boko Haram, which has embarked on a campaign of terror in the North in the last five years, was behind the incident.

The terrorist group also attacked the home of Cameroon’s vice prime minister, Amadou Ali, during which they kidnapped his wife and killed at least three other.

In the first attack, a

15-year-old female suicide bomber defied a stop order from policemen at a checkpoint at Nasarawa and blew herself up when the policemen shot at her.

The state Police Commissioner Akinlerele Shinaba, who confirmed the incident, said the suicide bomber died instantly while five policemen were critically injured and had been rushed to a hospital for treatment.

In the attack, at least five people were killed and eight others injured when suspected members of Boko Haram hauled Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at the church.

The police said the attackers had earlier tried to gain access to the church premises but were prevented from doing so.

They were said to have later gained access through a primary school when one of them threw the IEDs on the worshippers who had finished service and were moving towards the parking lot.

Five worshipers, including a soldier, were killed in the explosion that ensued while eight others were seriously injured.

But three of the ter-

rorists were apprehended and whisked away by the Joint Task Force.

However, the police foiled another attempts by the terrorists to kill Muslims during the Eid-Fitr prayer as they uncovered a Peugeot car at the Sheik Isiyaku Rabiu Mosque Goron Dutse Road primed with explosive devices ready to explode during prayers.

Shinaba who displayed the car to reporters said it was parked midnight when nobody was there to suspect it.

“But God willing, our intelligence officers who have been drafted to all sensitive areas uncovered it,” he added.

According to him, the Eid prayer ground where the car was parked is the second largest in the state and had it exploded, hundreds of Muslims faithful who trooped to the place for prayers would have been killed.

Meanwhile, suspected members of Boko Haram have kidnapped the wife of Cameroun’s vice prime minister during an attack on Ali’s home in the northern town of Kolofata.

A local religious leader and mayor, Seini Boukar Lamine, was also kidnapped in a separate attack on his home.

“I can confirm that the home of Vice Prime Min-

ister Amadou Ali in Kolofata came under a savage attack from Boko Haram militants,” Cameroun’s Information Minister Issa Tchiroma told yesterday.

“They unfortunately

took away his wife. They also attacked the lamido’s (religious leader’s) residence and he was also kidnapped,” he said, adding that at least three people were killed in the attack.

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka (left) and Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, during the launch of four books written by Soyinka in Ibadan…at the weekend

Sambo, govs, Sultan, Sanusi, Kalu, others call for peace, unity at Eid-el-Fitr CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Sambo, while fielding questions from reporters in Abuja after the Eidel-Fitr prayer, urged Nigerians to sustain their prayers for peace and stability in the country.

“We extend our sincere happiness to Almighty Allah that has made it possible for us to see this important day and to pray that he continues to grant favour to our country, Nigeria, for peace and progress,” he stated.

He called on Muslims to strengthen the bond of friendship and unity across the country and to always exhibit the good virtues of Ramadan for the progress of the society.

According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Eid-elFitr prayer in Abuja was led by the Chief Imam of Abuja, Ustaz Musa Mohammed, who in his sermon, charged organisations and wealthy Nigerians to always assist the less-privileged in the society “in order to reduce the level of poverty in the country.

In his message, the President General of Jama’tu Nasril Islam (JNI) and the sultan called

on Muslims to deeply reflect on the good virtues of Ramadan and keep to its teachings all through.

The sultan, in a statement by the Secretary General of JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, also urged Muslims to keep to the ordinance of the Quran for the dignity of humanity.

On his part, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), called on Nigerians to unite in finding lasting solution to the challenges confronting the country.

In a Sallah message to the people, the governor said it was only by embracing peace, unity and fairness that Nigerians could put the country back on its leadership pedestal and urged them to embrace the spirit of love, tolerance, forgiveness and brotherhood preached by Islam and other religions.

Fashola’s counterpart in Rivers State, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, said stability of the nation was key to facing and conquering its challenges.

Amaechi in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. David Iyofor, congratulating Muslims on the completion of

the Ramadan fast, wished Muslims nationwide happy Eid-el-Fitri celebrations and urged them to continually pray for the stability of the nation.

“Since the civil war, this has been a very trying period in the life of the country. But we must continue to pray for peace, oneness and stability of our nation, because that is one way we can overcome our problems,” Amaechi said.

Also, Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, urged Muslims and other Nigerians to reflect on the essence of Ramadan and its message of tolerance for the other person as well as forgiveness of sins.

Ajimobi in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, said Ramadan was meant to affirm that even as mortals, man could move towards perfection through a denial of the desires of the flesh, which will in turn lead to purity of the soul.

He urged Nigerians not to throw away the lessons of the Ramadan by ensuring that they are guided by the quest to do good to their fellow man as well as

tolerate one another.

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, seized the occasion of the Eid-el-Fitr celebration to call on Boko Haram to sheathe its sword in adherence to the teachings of Prophet Mohammed.

The governor in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Wakama, admonished Muslims to continue to pray for peace and stability of the nation, particularly during this trying period.

Northern state governors under the aegis of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) in a message to mark the occasion, urged Nigerians to work towards the continuous existence of the country, saying that Nigeria is not negotiable.

Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Niger State Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Israel Ebije, in Minna prayed that the celebration will usher the country into a peaceful era where all Nigerians are safe.

Aliyu urged Nigerians not to be worried about the security challenges

in the country, adding that its an ugly phase and like all artificial trends, it will soon be conquered.

In his goodwill message, Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, urged on Muslims to sustain the spirit of godliness, charity, perseverance, and spiritual intercession for the nation.

Oshiomhole in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria, called on Muslims to continually pray for the peace, progress and stability of the nation, especially at this critical time.

However, Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, sympathised with those displaced by Boko Haram insurgency in Damboa, Bama, Biu, Marte, Konduga and other local government areas of the state for celebrating the Eid-El Fitr festival outside their homes.

The governor said it was unfortunate that they were sacked by the Boko Haram terrorists and forced to celebrate the Sallah in different refugee camps in Maiduguri, Biu and Gombe.

Shettima, in his Sallah message shortly after performing prayers in Mai-

duguri, also sympathised with thousands of Muslims who had to trek some distance before getting to their various praying ground following the ban on the use of vehicles, motorcycles, tricycles and bicycles throughout the three-day Sallah festivity in the state.

His Nasarawa State counterpart, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, admonished Muslims to pray for unity and peaceful co-existence of the country.

The governor in a broadcast in Lafia, said the period of the Eidel-Fitr called for sober reflection and sacrifice and urged Muslims to celebrate the event with sacrifice, love and care for the needy in the society as exemplified by Prophet Mohammed.

On his part, Fayose urged Muslims not to let the lessons derived from the observation of the Ramadan be lost on them as they celebrate the Eidel-Fitr.

In a statement in AdoEkiti yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, the governor-elect called on them to put into daily practice CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

6

NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Lawmakers got N100m each to impeach me, says Okorocha Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

I

mo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of making attempts to remove him from office.

The governor said at the weekend at the inauguration of the state executive of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Owerri that 26 out of the 27 members of the state House of Assembly were brought to Abuja

and paid N100 million each to impeach him.

According to him, one of the lawmakers brought his booty to him Okorocha.

He said: “What have I done wrong in Imo that these people will be after me like this? Haven’t I done everything that I promised to do for Imo people? PDP has so annoyed me and they seem to have forgotten the kind of person I am.”

Okorocha expressed regrets that all the people that stole public funds in

Imo were now sheltered in PDP and had been ganging up against him and the people.

He added that the gang-up against him started from Oguta Local Government Area during the run-up to the Oguta House of Assembly constituency re-run election where he said the PDP candidate, Eugene Dibiagwu and some thugs blocked his convoy from entering the community.

This, he said, was followed by an assault from Senator Chris Anyanwu

Sambo, govs, Sultan, Sanusi, Kalu, others call for peace, unity at Eid-el-Fitr CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

the lessons of Ramadan to help in building of a country where love and peace would reign.

In his goodwill message, said if the teachings of the holy Quran were strictly followed and adhered to, Nigeria would be a better place.

The former governor noted that for any country to progress and prosper, the people must imbibe the spirit of forgiveness, love, togetherness and peace.

While congratulating Nigerians on the Eid-elFitr celebration, Kalu also called for support for the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, especially in curbing the insurgency

facing the country.

On his part, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) charged Nigerians to see this year’s Eid-elFitr celebration as an opportunity to forge unity in the country irrespective of creed, tribe or political affiliation.

In a message by its National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, the party called for the spirit of oneness and re-dedication of all Nigerians for peaceful co-existence upon which the nation is founded.

Sanusi, also urged Muslims in the state to imbibe the spirit of tolerance and sacrifice.

The emir made the call yesterday while addressing Muslims after the Eid-

El-Fitr prayer in Kano.

He appealed to them to emulate Prophet Mohammed’s life, stressing that the Ramadan period should be seen as a period of cleansing and atonement.

Also, the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade 111 cautioned politicians against throwing the country into turmoil as the 2015 elections approach.

Oyewumi, in a statement to mark the end of Ramadan, said it had become imperative to admonish politicians to pursue their ambitions with caution because if the country breaks up they would not have anyone or nation to rule over.

APC demands international inquiry into leader’s assassination bid CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

yesterday in Benin by its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, however said it did not have confidence that Nigerian security agencies could carry out an impartial investigation, because “they work for the government instead of the nation.”

The call, according to the party, has become more urgent because the agents of the Federal Government have started making attempts to undermine the outcome of the probe by the Federal Government.

It said: “How does one explain a situation in which a man who is nothing but a pervert is now being paraded as the suspected ‘mastermind’ of the attack on Gen. Buhari? At what point was this man, who perhaps is nothing but a transvestite plying his trade, arrested?

Is it not clear from the statement released by Gen. Buhari himself after the attack, that it was clearly the handiwork of a suicide bomber?

“Could the person who drove the vehicle that was rammed into the General’s convoy have survived the explosion that was triggered by that action? Could the innocent passers-by who died in the blast not have been arrested and paraded as the ‘suspected masterminds’ if they had survived the blast?

“Clearly, the arrest of the pervert and his sickening description as a ‘suspected mastermind’ have kick-started the process of muddling the waters, as is usually the case with such high-profile cases.

“This is why an urgent international inquiry into the attack is desirable and imperative, and anyone

who is committed to an impartial probe of the attack on the opposition leader should embrace our call.’’ The party also said its’ call for an international inquiry had been further justified by the statements and insinuations emanating from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the presidency accusing it of stage-managing the attack on Buhari.

Change of name Former Afolabi Marvellous Abdulwaheed now wish to be known and addressed as AFOLABI MARVELLOUS ADEWALE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please note.

Former Habiba Yusuf now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. HABIBA YUSUF JIBRIN. All former documents remain valid. The Federal University of Technology Minna and general public note.

who rammed into his convoy at Azara Egbelu near Owerri.

“Yet, I didn’t react negatively as was expected because that was a breach of protocol and security,” he stated.

The governor explained that despite his not losing his cool over the attack on him, he was again attacked during the burial of the late jurist, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa in Oguta.

“I paid N10 million for the late jurist’s hospital bill and another N25 million for the burial arrangements and additional N6 million to repair the state high court premises in honour of Justice Oputa. Then I moved with the entire state executive council to pay my last respects to an achiever. I went to the altar to speak as the number one citizen of the state; the microphone was snatched away from me. Which governor in Nigeria would have tolerated all these? PDP has annoyed me and they have forgotten who I am.

“Having failed in their bid to bring me down at all cost, the PDP started

paying N5, 000 each to bus and tricycle drivers and people at newspaper stands to castigate the APC as a Muslim and Boko Haram party because I prevented them from bombing a church here. APC we all know is neither a Muslim party nor a Boko Haram party,” he said.

Okorocha explained that he had achieved more in three years that he has been in power than the 12 years of PDP put together.

While charging the newly-inaugurated party leaders to challenge the opposition with the projects by his administration in all their communities across the state, he donated 150 vehicles for the state and local government officers of the party.

Efforts by New Telegraph to get the Speaker, Chief Benjamin Uwjumogu, to react to the allegations against the lawmakers were not successful as he failed to take calls put through to his mobile phone.

His Special Adviser (Media), Mr. Emeka Ahaneku, also declined com-

Okorocha

ment, saying:”I cannot comment on this, I am not a house member.”

The House Majority Leader, Adaku Ihuoma, when contacted, said she was overseas at the time and could not comment on the allegation as she did not have details of the incident.

But Chairman, House Committee on Information, Acho Ihim, said: “The governor may not be wrong because he has his own unofficial sources of information which I cannot question but what I can only speak about is what has been officially presented on the floor of the assembly. And no such thing or move has come to the floor of the house. Though there may pockets of agitations here and there.”

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NIGERIA Sanusi Dantata House Central Business District Abuja

INVITATION TO TENDER The National Library of Nigeria invites interested, experienced and reputable Companies for tendering for the supply of items/Equipments and Construction works as approved in the 2014 Budget.

1. CONSTRUCTION WORK Construction of Community Library in IsseleAzagba, Aniocha-North, Delta State.

2. LIBRARY EQUIPMENT/FURNITURE LOT 1 - Reading Carrels & Shelves LOT 2 - Cataloguing Tools LOT 3 - Security Equipment

Companies are to note that National Library of Nigeria shall accept company Registration, Tax Clearance and VAT Certificates on their face value. If these documents are found to be fake on verification, such companies shall be handed over to relevant law enforcement Agencies.

2.

3. OFFICE EQUIPMENT LOT 1 - Computer Desk and Lap-top Computer LOT 2 - Scanners and Accessories LOT 3 - Photocopiers, Printers, Power surge Protector LOT 4 - Refrigerator, Air-conditioners, Water Dispensers, Projectors

The Director/Chief Executive Officer, National Library of Nigeria, Plot 274, Sanusi Dantata House, Central Business District, P.M.B. 1, Garki Abuja.

4. PROCUREMENT OF BOOKS & PERIODICAL LOT 1 - Foreign Monographs LOT 2 - Foreign Reference Materials LOT 3 - Nigerian Reference Materials Interested Companies are requested to collect relevant tender documents from Procurement/Due Process Unit after showing evidence of:1. Company Profile.

2. Company Profile including evidence of Experience Technical Qualification of key staff.

3. Equipment/Technical Capability.

4. Evidence of Financial Capability/Bank Support.

5. Three (3) year Audited Account/Report. (2011.

2012 and 2013) 6. Consecutive Three (3) Years valid Tax Certificate.

(2011, 2012 and 2013) 7. A copy of VAT (2013) 8. Evidence of valid Similar Executed Projects.

9. Manufacturer/Franchise and Manufacturer’s representative, where applicable.

10. Payment of non-refundable Processing Fee at the National Library of Nigeria Cash Office (Supply/ Equipment N20, 000.00, Books N30, 000.00 and Construction N50,000.00) 11. Pension Certificate 12. Industrial Training Fund 13. Sworn Affidavit 14. Annual Turnover

SUBMISSION OF TENDER DOCUMENTS The Submission of Tender document should be in sealed envelope marked “(Tender for the ……………. Please indicate Project Description)” at the Top left hand corner of the Envelope. Tender documents for different Projects must be in separate envelopes and should be forwarded to:

3.

CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF TENDER DOCUMENTS Closing date for all submission shall be on or before 8th September, 2014 (six weeks from the date of this publication) at 12:00nooprompt. Late submission shall not be entertained.

4.

OPENING OF BID DOCUMENTS: Technical Bid Documents shall be opened in public immediately following the deadline stipulated for the submission of bid at the Boardroom of National Library of Nigeria Plot 274, Sanusi Dantata House, Central Business District, Abuja at 12.30pm while the financial bids of qualified companies shall be opened same day after the evaluation of technical bids. All bidders or their representatives are invited to witness the opening exercise accordingly. For more information contact the undersigned.

Head (Procurement/Due Process) For: Director/Chief Executive Officer

news

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

7

2015: PPA wants Abia governorship open to Ukwa/Ngwa Peter Osondu

ABA

he Progressive Peoples TState Alliance (PPA), Abia chapter, has said it

L-R: Abia State governor, Theodore Orji; celebrant, Rev. Fr. Leonard Uzuegbu; wife of the governor, Lady Mercy and wife of the deputy governor, Lady Nene Ananaba, after the first holy mass of Rev. Fr. Uzuegbu, at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Ugba Ibeku in Umuahia…at the weekend

127

The sex ratio of men above 60 years per 100 women in Bahrain in 2012.

Source: Un.org

28%

The percentage of water-related epidemic disaster of world’s water-related natural disaster between 1990 and 2001.

Source: Unesco.org

2.3

The average number of goals scored per match at the South Africa 2010 World Cup. Source: Fifa.com

Disengaged workers alert Orji on ghost names FRAUD

While governor Orji is bent on redressing past mistakes, some officials seem to be playing smart Peter Osondu

ABA

D

isengaged non natives from the Abia State public service, under the aegis of Abia State Disengaged Non Natives (ASDNI) have alerted the state government over

what it said was glaring irregularities on the list of those recently recalled, saying it was fraught with ghost names.

Speaking after their meeting in Aba, the leader of the group, Mrs. Ihejirika Fidelia, said of the over 2, 700 members said to have been recalled out of the over 4,000 workers sacked, only a little above 300 were their actual members.

The group said they arrived at the figure after painstakingly going through the list released by government and comparing it with the original nominal roll of the disen-

gaged workers.

ASDNI, while thanking Governor Theodore Orji for directing that some of the disengaged workers be recalled, equally appealed to him to direct the relevant department to look into the list of those recalled, which they said had many ghost names.

“While we are thanking the governor for his magnanimity in directing that some of us be recalled, we would also like to appeal to him to set a body that would go through the list of those recalled and find out why there were so many names on the list that were not

among those retrenched.

“This will help us to find out if some government officials engaged in some sharp practices in the compilation of the list with the intention of sabotaging the good efforts of the state government in this regard.”

They also appealed to the governor to consider re-instating all other workers disengaged from the public service of Abia State that were not captured in the first exercise to save them from further hardship, which they claimed had resulted in the death of over 25 of their members.

Ogun LP factions make peace, back Jonathan Kunle Olayeni

Abeokuta

S

trong indications emerged yesterday that warring members of the Labour Party (LP) in Ogun State have began to put their house in order and may soon resolve their infighting ahead of the 2015 general elections.

The development came as a faction of the party, led by Olabode Simeon, distanced itself from reports that former Governor Gbenga Daniel cannot speak for the LP. Simeon’s faction was reported to have said, last week, that the issue of forming alliance with the Peoples Democratic

Party (PDP) to work for President Goodluck Jonathan could only be taken

by Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State and the LP National Chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu.

But addressing a press conference in Abeokuta at the weekend, Simeon denied that he made such statement credited to him.

The factional chairman, who had been having a running battle with loyalists of Daniel over the control of the party structures, said he had accepted the former governor as the leader of LP in the state.

He blamed reports that Jonathan’s re-election bid

had torn the party apart on fifth columnists, whom he said, were bent on destabilizing Ogun LP ahead of the 2015 poll.

Simeon said, “At no occasion did I make any statement that Otunba Gbenga Daniel cannot speak on behalf of Ogun State Labour Party. At no time had I made such divisive statement that Gbenga Daniel cannot midwife or arrange an alliance between LP and PDP, Ogun State.

“There was no statement ever made by me or any member of my executive that it is only Dr Olusegun Mimiko that can take action on issue of alliance between LP and PDP Ogun State. I did not make any

statement that Daniel did not inform the National Leader before making the said statement.”

Simeon, who maintained that he remained the first officer with locus standi to speak on behalf of the state LP, restated his commitment to the party’s victory in the 2015 elections.

“Labour Party is supporting Jonathan for re-election; there is no doubt about that. There is no faction in Ogun State Labour Party. We have agreed, we have harmonized and we are moving forward. Otunba Gbenga Daniel is our leader; he is a progressive leader,” he added.

was in support of throwing the 2015 governorship election in the state open to all Ukwa/Ngwa sons and daughters.

The party’s stand was in reaction to the recent zoning by some political parties in the state for the contest of the office of governor to Abia South senatorial zone instead of the entire Ukwa/ Ngwa bloc, which had been in the forefront in the agitation for someone from the area to become governor of the state.

Speaking after an emergency state executive meeting in Umuahia over the weekend, the state chairman of PPA, Prince Emeka Okafor, in condemning the zoning, stated that the contest should be thrown open to all Ukwa/Ngwa sons and daughters.

He said it was both unjust and unconstitutional to exclude a section of the state everybody believed it was their turn to produce the governor of the state in 2015.

He was of the view that Ukwa/Ngwa as a bloc, was in the forefront for the agitation for power shift to the area in all the period the governorship had eluded them.

He described such action as not only unconstitutional, but a subtle way of disenfranchising tested politicians from the affected Local Government Areas of Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South and Osisioma Ngwa from contesting the governorship election and thereby denying the state of her best hands.

Also speaking, the state secretary of PPA, Uche Enyioko, said this was the time for Ukwa/Ngwa to produce the governor of the state come 2015 and it should be about people and bloc and not about zone.

Akhigbe tasks Osun APC Cajetan Mmuta

BENIN

ith 12 days to the conW duct of the Osun State governorship elections, an

aide to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has urged members of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State to be vigilant. He said they are to ensure close monitoring of movement and activities of officials and materials to be deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the epic contest in the state.

The Executive Director in charge of Protocol (Government House, Benin) and chieftain of the APC in Edo State, Mr. John Akhigbe, said the measure became necessary to avoid a repeat of the tragic loss suffered by the APC in Anambra and

Ekiti states in the past.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Benin, Akhigbe stated that the leaders and members of the APC in the country have learnt their lessons from the various elections, particularly the past Anambra polls and the recently conducted and Ekiti governorship elections and therefore the party members would no longer be caught unawares again in the forthcoming gubernatorial contest in Osun State.

Akhigbe said there was an urgent need for the people to remain fearless to the activities of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their collaborators, even in the face of the boasting and power play to mobilize soldiers and other security agencies in the name of security on the day of the polls.

Umaru ready for Niger senatorial election Dan Atori

MINNA

the August 16 byeAinselection draws near Niger State, the All

Progressive Congress, APC, after a stakeholders meeting, has endorsed former Niger State ANPP gubernatorial candidate, David Umaru, a lawyer, as the party's candidate for the Niger East Senatorial District.

Chairman of the party, Engineer Mohammed Jibrin Imam, disclosed this over the weekend after a stakeholders' meeting, which included the party executive at the state level and that of

the nine local government areas of the Niger East Senatorial Zone at the party secretariat in Minna.

According to the chairman, "the agreement of the party to present David Umaru as the candidate for the election is in line with the contributions of David Umaru to the party.

“The criteria used to pick him is based on Article 20 of the party’s constitution which stipulates that the candidate must have been contributing financially to the progress of the party and must have been up to date with his dues.”

8

NEWS

INTRIGUE The ding dong affair between Gov. Chime and Onyebuchi continues with London and peppersoup tales Uwakwe Abugu

Enugu

S

ix days after the Enugu State House of Assembly raised an impeachment notice to be served on deputy governor, Sunday Onyebuchi, a cross section of the members

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

PDP leaders tell Enugu Dep Gov to resign of the state PDP caucus has advised the embattled number two man to resign or face the action of the legislators.

It was gathered that Governor Sullivan Chime had earlier before the action of the state assembly given Onyebuchi the option to resign when it became obvious that they were at the verge of being involved in altercation following the governor's refusal to grant him travel permit to London, where he(Onyebuchi) would

Ebola: Avoid handshaking, overcrowded places, says Expert Appolonia Adeyemi and Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

A

s the Federal Government continues with the tracking of all those who may have come in contact with the late Liberian, Patrick Sawyer during his brief trip to Nigeria where he finally died from the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), a public health physician has cautioned the public to avoid hand-shaking as part of the strategy to curb the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Bayo Onajole, a professor of Public Health at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH)/ College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL), Idiaraba, Lagos, that gave this advice on Saturday, also urged Nigerians to avoid overcrowded places in order to curb the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.

Onajole was responding to questions on what

the public could do to checkmate the spread of EVD which killed Sawyerr, in Lagos early Friday.

In a related development, the Ogun State Ministry of Health, yesterday, said it has embarked on sensitisation of health workers in the fight against viral haemorrhagic fevers following the detection of Ebola virus in neighbouring Lagos State.

Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka, made this known in a press release issued in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Soyinka said Governor Ibikunle Amosun had authorised and funded a health cascade training programme to ensure that frontline health workers in the state have refresher training in detection and management of suspected cases of viral haemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola.

Army investigates weapon possession by Islamic group Emmanuel Onani

he Nigerian Army yesterday, said it will investigate how members of the Zariabased Shiite Islamic Movement in Nigeria, got the weapons they allegedly used to "fire" at soldiers last Friday.

The leader of the Islamic Movement,SheikhIbraheem El-Zakzaky, had alleged that soldiers shot and killed some of his members, during a procession in Zaria, Kaduna State.

He further alleged that one of his sons, who was shot in the "abdomen", died on his way to the hospital, while three others were taken alongside other members of his movement to the Barracks, where they were allegedly killed.

However, the Nigerian Army yesterday, denied the Sheikh's allegations of extra-judicial killing.

T

In a telephone conversation with New Telegraph, the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.Gen. Olajide Laleye, said contrary to the Islamic leader's claims, the shooting that resulted in the death of some people, was "initiated" by members of the Movement, during their procession. Laleye also denied the claim that some members of the Movement, were taken to a barrack, and subsequently killed.

According to the Army spokesman; "It is not true that soldiers killed members of the Movement.

"First and foremost, what happened in Zaria was not initiated by the Nigerian Army, and at no time did the Nigeria Army take anybody to the barracks and allegedly did what they are talking about", he stated.

have visited to buy some equipment for use by his wife who wants to run a restaurant.

A source explained that the governor had told the PDP chieftains how the deputy has brazenly declined to carry out lawful instructions, especially the issue of failure to represent the governor at the last meeting of the Forum of South East Governors in Enugu even after a manifest was drawn and presented to him.

It was gathered that when he approached Chime on his return from the last annual leave for

the request to make the aborted London trip, the governor nursing the anger of his deputy's action in his absence had asked why he should grant him that permission to travel and in an alleged show of audacity, Onyebuchi had retorted, asking the governor why he would not grant him that permission and that at that point of altercation, "it became clear to the governor that he would no longer continue to work with his deputy under this situation".

A government house source had told our reporter that since Tuesday

last week when the state assembly began the impeachment proceedings against the deputy governor, nothing has been heard of him.

However, it was learnt that among those the deputy governor had run to for help in Abuja is a former senate president, who had in his presence put a call across to Chime but the governor had made it clear to him that he was no longer going to work with the deputy owing to an alleged case of insubordination.

One other member of the caucus told our re-

porter that "after the governor briefed the caucus on the dispute with his deputy, some of those who commented praised the governor for the level of patience he has exhibited while the situation lasted and came to this level".

One of them, a former senator had stated that at the level the deputy governor had taken the crisis, it is no longer remediable since the House of Assembly had gone far in its' process of impeachment. Speaker of the state assembly, Hon. Eugene Odoh was also present at the caucus meeting.

L-R: President, Nasrul-Lahi-L- Fatih Society (NASFAT), Alhaji Sherriff Yusuf; General Secretary, Alhaji Lukuman Folorunsho and Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, during the society’s Iftar with the press in Lagos…at the weekend.

226,563

The number of air travel passengers of the domestic wing of Kano airport in 2012.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics

8,724

The number of refugees and people in refugee-like situation assisted by UNHCR in Republic of Congo at the beginning of 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

15%

The percentage of women above 60 years in Chile in 2012.

Source: Un.org

Nigeria has over 1400 illegal unmanned routes, says Parradang General Ttionheof Comptroller Nigeria ImmigraService, Mr. David

Parradang has raised the alarm over numerous illegal border crossing points in the country. This, he said, has grave security implications for the country.

According to him, whereas there are 84 approved land borders (which were designated since 1980s) across the over 400skm coverage, there are

over 1400 illegal routes, which are not manned.

Parradang stated this in his address delivered during an interactive session with the press in Lagos on Saturday, saying that this is among the challenges Nigerian Immigration Service faces in the course of discharging its statutory duties, including border control/ patrol and security.

“The Nigeria Immigration Service has over the

years been contending with a lot of challenges. These, among others, include the followings: Numerous illegal border crossing points; whereas we have 84 approved landborders(whichweredesignatedsince1980s)acrossthe over 400skm coverage, there are over 1400 illegal routes which are not manned. This has grave security implications for the country: Undemarcated/poorly marked borders make settlement of

people in mostly the border communities so intertwined to the extent that stringent controlisapparentlydifficult.

Thereisequallythechallenge in assisting law enforcement agents in carrying out their duties.”

He further said that the NIS presently has a total of 22,321 staff who bear the enormous statutory obligations of the service, coupled with emerging migration trends or trajectories.

Confab postpones resumption to August 11 Onwuka Nzeshi

ABUJA

National Conference Tcessheyesterday extended its reby one week. The con-

ference was billed to resume on August 4, but that has now been shifted to August 11, following the inability of the secretariat to conclude the compilation of the final

report to make it ready for ratification by the delegates.

A memo from the Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications Unit of the conference, Mr Akpandem James, said that substantial work has been done on the various sections of the report but that the Salah public holidays had reduced the days needed for

the consultants to complete the work. James expressed the hope that the entire draft will be ready by the new scheduled date.

The memo addressed to all delegates read: "When the Management of the National Conference 2014 adjourned plenary session on Monday, July 14, 2014, delegates were

informed that they will reconvene on Monday, August 4, 2014 to certify the draft report of the Conference to be assembled by the Secretariat.

Substantial work has been done on the various sections of the report as at now and we were hopeful that the entire draft will be ready by the scheduled date.

9

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/metro

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

Monday, JULY 28, 2014

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com; otuntise@yahoo.co.uk

0802 393 8212

13-year-old girl: I don’t know who impregnated me SPIRIT OF DECEPTION A 13-year-old pregnant girl claims she was initiated into a cult group at 10, where she was given the spirit to lie, deceive and go after men Stories by Taiwo Jimoh

B Blessing

lessing is only 13 years old. But soon, she would become a mother.

However, that is the only certainty about her pregnancy. No one, including Blessing, knows the father of the unborn baby.

It does not stop there. Blessing claimed that her 45-year-old father (name withheld) was sleeping with her.

But, according to her, it was only in the dreamland.

But what happens outside her dreams is that Blessing has gone out with so

many men that it has become difficult to pinpoint the man responsible for her pregnancy.

Trouble for the young girl started three years earlier. At age 10, Blessing, according to her father, started going out with old men to unknown destinations.

At a stage, her father and the landlord of the house where they live in Ogijo in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State decided to seek the assistance of some boy to trail her and her male companions.

The landlord, who craved anonymity, told our correspondent that one night, he decided to volunteer himself and went out with the father in search of the girl.

According to him, when they tracked her down, she was in the embrace of an old man.

He said: “When Blessing was finally caught that night, she told me that she had something special she wanted to

Criminal group terrorising Amuwo-Odofin, says LG chair

T

he Chairman of Amowu-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, Mr Ayodele Adewale, has said that his council and the entire FESTAC town were being terrorised those he described as notorious criminals.

Adewale said his life and the lives of his family members were being threatened by a group named Community Policing Youth Vanguard in Festac Town.

The chairman expressed concern over the protest by group protest last Wednesday in the area.

He also accused the group perpetrating criminal activities such as rape, intimidation and harassment of the residents, local government and state officials in the area.

Adewale disclosed that he had been having a running battle with the police over the activities of the Community Policing Youth Vanguard.

He added that no member of the group had been arrested for prosecution with all evidence he submitted to the police.

The chairman said the activities of the group had been unabated owing to the support its members received from a senior police officer, who he alleged, formed the youth vanguard to fight him and his administration.

He said: “Members of the group do not spare anyone in the terror they unleash on the innocent residents of the area.

“Without fear of contradiction, we want to place on record that the local government is under siege.

“We pause to ask, why did Nigeria Police have not arrested the group that came to attack the local government headquarters, after receiving video clips and evidence at their disposal?”

Adewale also said he had written over 50 petitions to different people in authorities, including the state Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, the state House of Assembly and the Governor Babatunde Fashola to come to his aid.

“We are using this medium to call on the President Goodluck Jonathan, the Lagos State Government, the Inspector General of Police to investigate the matter and if the senior police officer involved is found guilty, he should be prosecuted, for peace to reign,’’ he said.

Adewale

Also speaking, the Chairman, FESTAC Residents Association, Mr Jola Ogunlusi, described as strange the activities of the group, stressing that such had never happened in the history of the area since 1978.

Ogunlusi said there had been five Area Commanders in Area E, while ACP Dan Okoro was the fifth.

According to him, they never asked for the removal of any of Okoro’s predecessors because there was no cause for such.

He said: “Dan Okoro was embraced by all when he assumed duty until he formed the illegal group. We therefore call for his removal so that we can enjoy our peace.”

Ogunlusi also debunked the claim that four people were killed at Alakija market.

He said: “Members of the council’s environmental task force were attacked and injured. Then, how can someone come out and say people were killed?”

The Iyaloja General of Amuwo-Odofin, Mrs Osenat Adebayo, the people who claimed

they were traders in the market were all liars.

She said: “There was no time we designated that portion of land as market, what those people were doing there was to make a living. Those people who claimed they are traders in that place had turned the place to a notorious den, where ladies are raped and bags are snatched. We have had enough in that area.

“We want Lagos State Government to come to our aid in the local government, as we cannot sleep with our two eyes closed anymore.”

In his reaction, Okoro said the Community Policing Youth Vanguard was not a criminal group as claimed by the chairman.

The area commander said members of the group were assisting the police to arrest criminals in the area.

He said: “What the local government chairman is asking for is impossible, because he expects me to give him the exhibit in the police custody or give him report on our security investigation.

discuss with me.

“Blessing explained to me how his father had been sleeping with her and whenever she tried to refuse, he would chain her legs to the chair for about three days until he came back from his office on the Island.”

Blessing also reportedly told the police at Ogijo Police Station the same story when the man got one of her boyfriends arrested.

But when NT Metro met Blessing’s father, he flatly denied the allegation.

He said: “My daughter was not living with me here in Ogijo.

She was staying with my mother-in-law in Kano but joined us here in January this year.”

The man said last December, his mother-in-law asked him to come and take his daughter because of her strange behaviour.

He said: “I went to Kano to bring her back to Ogijo. Yet, what my mother-in-law told me about Blessing’s spiritual problem I am unable to cure it.

“My daughter sleeps with about four to five men on a daily basis. If no man comes her way for a day, she would go out to the street to seduce any man that comes her way.”

The man said his own dad in the village asked him to take Blessing to a particular church for deliverance.

He added: “I refuse to go the church because of what I am hearing about the owner.

I took her to my church, St. Mary Catholic Church, where she was prayed for. She vomited four rings and different other objects.

“I started chaining her, whenever I am going to the office to prevent her from running after men again.”

On the allegation of sleeping with her daughter, he said as a good Christian he could not abuse his child.

“I have my wife who is her mother. How can I make love to her daughter? It is an abomination and a taboo,” he added.

Blessing also told our correspondent that she initially lied against her father at the police station.

She, however, claimed that she was initiated into a cult group in Kano.

She said: “I was initiated into a cult group through food I collected from one our neighbour’s daughters in Kano. Since that day, I have always found myself in their midst (cult members) during their meetings. My assignment is to tell lies, deceive people and run after men.

“Even when I was prayed for at the church, the spirit still did not depart from me. I have been having nightmares where I see

10 metro

‘We need more patrol vehicles on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway’ Camillus Nnaji he police need more patrol vehicles to check TExpressway. incessant robberies on the Lagos-Ibadan

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Mowe Divisional Police Headquarters, Mr Aliu Shaaba, said this in an interview with our correspondent on the backcloth of the car-snatching operation at NASFAT intersection.

Shaaba said the challenge facing his men was insufficient patrol vehicles to monitor the intersections.

He said: “We have the problem of lack of patrol vehicles at the intersections. We have observed that car-snatching operations by robbers usually take place at these turnings on the expressway.

The only patrol vehicle we have is usually stationed at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Youth Camp’s intersection.”

Shaaba disclosed that all the turnings, starting from Fagbems, Wawa after the long bridge, NASFAT, RCCG’s Car Park ‘C’ turning and the Youth Camp leading to Sagamu require patrol vehicles to be stationed there at all times.

“Aside patrol vehicles along the expressway, all these points need patrol vehicles,” he added.

Corroborating Shaaba’s views, the Unit Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mowe Unit Command on the expressway, Corps Commander Oludare Ogunjobi, said though their primary objective had nothing to do with checking activities of robbers, they cooperated with security agencies when required to do so.

He said: “Our task as FRSC personnel does not include combating robbers and car-snatchers, but we can help other security agencies when required to do so. We can be asked to screen the number plates of vehicles, but the challenge is as soon as robbery takes place, the criminals will remove the number plate.”

Recently, the car of the Baale of Mowe was snatched at gunpoint at NASFAT turning, a week after an SUV was snatched at Car Park ‘C’ intersection.

Robbers also attacked the residents of Asese community and killed one of the chief security officers of the area by driving down a six-inch nail into his skull when gunshots could not penetrate his body.

Other towns witnessing criminal activities such as kidnappings, killings, robbery and car-snatching are Ibafo, Mowe, Magboro, Wawa, Long Bridge and Lotto all on the expressway.

DESOPADEC donates N32m science equipment to school Gabriel Choba Ughelli

D

elta State Oil Producing Areas Commission (DESOPADEC) has donated science equipment worth N32 million to the United College of Commerce, Igbudu.

While donating the equipment, Mr Festus Utuama, representing Udu, Uvwie and Urhobo in Warri on the Board of DESOPADEC, said that it was in line with the three-point agenda of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration.

He said: “Education is a priority for every child, and the science equipment donation to the school is in line with the state government’s three-point agenda because education is everybody’s business like security.

“The students are the leaders of tomorrow, so we have decided to come and equip them for better learning.

“The equipment were given to the school through the request of the host community chairman and today we are here to officially hand them over to the school.

“I am here under the auspices of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to impact positively on the lives of the students through the provision of science equipment that worth about N32 million and I urge you to put it to good use.”

The Principal of the school, Mr Sylvester Akra, expressed appreciation to the governor and DESOPADEC for the equipment, promising that the equipment would be properly put to use for the benefit of the students.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Osun 2014: Man dies testing anti-bullet amulet FALSE ASSURANCE

A man who was preparing for the forthcoming governorship election loses his life testing ‘bullet-proof’ charm Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

E

id-el-fitir turned sour for the family of Sulaimon of Ashipa in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State, when one of its sons, Rasheed, lost his life.

The deceased died while testing the potency of an amulet to ward off bullets during the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

The development threw inhabitants of the area into a state of concussion.

Investigation showed that before his death, Rasheed charged his cousin, Siji, to go with him to a nearby bush close to a church in the town

to test the authenticity and workability of the charm made for him by a herbalist.

It was gathered that in the process of testing it, the bullet penetrated Rasheed’s body and he gave up the ghost.

A witness, who identified himself as Adesola Adeola, told our correspondent that Rasheed, a bricklaying apprentice, persuaded Siji to direct the gun at him.

Rasheed was quoted as telling Siji that “the gods have told him not to be fearful, adding that the gun will not have any effect on him”.

“When they got to the desolate place where the charm was to be tested, Siji was hesitant to shoot his cousin, but Rasheed insisted that the deities would protect him if he shoots him,” Adeola said. ‪When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Folasade Odoro, said the police had not received the report of the incident from its divisional office in the local government.

Police IG, Mohammed

Five robbers die in shoot-out with police

Alagbado

Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

F

ive suspected armed robbers met their waterloo at the weekend as they were gunned down during a fierce encounter with policemen in Ogun State.

The suspects belonged to a gang of bandits numbering 12 that attacked Oluke, Okugbolu and Onireke areas of Agbado in Ifo Local Government Area of the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident yesterday,

disclosed that the suspected armed robbers stormed the areas on motorcycles.

Adejobi, in a statement issued in Abeokuta, said one of the suspects identified as Oladeinde Rasheed was arrested while some weapons were also recovered.

Items recovered from the robbers, according to the PPRO, include five locally-made guns, 30 live cartridges, 12 expended cartridges, three laptops, jewelleries, five unregistered motorcycles, cutlasses, assorted charms and N85,000 cash.

He said: “The Police Anti-Crime

Team attached to Agbado Division of Ogun State, responding to a distress call on Saturday 26th July, engaged some armed robbers numbering 12 in a gun battle at Oluke, Okugbolu and Onireke areas of Agbado about 06:20hrs, leaving five of the robbers dead while one of them was arrested with their weapons and others fled with bullet wounds.

“The armed robbers had launched attack on the people of these areas when a call was made to the Divisional Police Officer in Agbado Division who then put a call to alert his men on routine patrol to race down to the area where the robbers were caught in the act of robbery. In the process of combing the area, members of the Vigilante Service of Ogun State in the area rendered assistance to the police team.”

Adejobi added that the 26-year-old suspect arrested would help the police to get the fleeing members of the gang.

“According to police preliminary investigation, it was gathered that the robbers went to the remote areas on motorcycles with arms and that they had been terrorising the people of the area for a long time; particularly snatching cars and bikes from people in the area and other parts of Agbado community,” he added.

The PPRO restated the readiness of the command under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Ikemefuna Okoye to tackling crimes and social vices in the state and provide adequate security for all and sundry.

Bring our son’s killers to justice, Taiwo Jimoh

he family of the late Oloyode Ayoade, Tpolice, who was allegedly tortured to death by has called on the Inspector Gener-

The late Ayoade

al of Police, Muhammed Abubakar and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, to bring the killer of their son to justice.

Ayoade’s step brother, Alhaji Tajudeen Oyolola, who spoke with our correspondent yesterday at Ogba Iyo area of Ijoko in Sango, Ogun State, said the manner

with which his younger brother was killed still remained a mystery to him and the entire family.

He said: “I brought him to Lagos after the death of his father 18 years ago because I did not want to leave him behind to suffer. Since he had been with me, I have never for once regretted his action.

“The deceased and I were of the same mother but different fathers. He had been with me for over 18 years ago.

“When I got to the hospital, what I saw that surprised me was that his face was

METRO

Monday, July 28, 2014

11

First class graduate, others dupe applicants over N5m

L-R: Oluwatosin, Onaopemipo, Olalekan, Emax, Victor and Ayotunde

Juliana Francis t least 2,000 desperate applicants, Aorganisations seeking to work with international have been defrauded af-

ter they paid money into a First Bank and Access Bank accounts as application fees.

The money, which the fraudsters have scooped, is believed to be over N5 million.

Six suspects, who specialised in designing websites of different companies and using such sites to defraud such job-seekers in the country, have been arrested by the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the police, Milverton, Ikoyi, Lagos State.

The suspects are identified as Falade Oluwapelumi Ayotunde (25), Asaolu Victor (25), Awote Temitope Emax (27), Fajobi Olalekan (27), Emmanuel Onaopemipo Bolatiri (25) and Adebomi Oluwatosin (26).

Ayotunde is alleged to be the ringleader of the scam and sole signatory to the bank accounts. He is also said to be a 500 level Estate Management student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).

Olalekan is a Mechanical Engineering graduate of FUTA, with first class

honours and the best graduating student in his department in 2012.

Victor is a graduate of Mining Engineering from FUTA. Emax is a 500 level Estate Management student of FUTA. Onaopemipo is also a graduate of FUTA and deals on handsets, while Oluwatosin is a graduate of FUTA and currently working with Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro as a Programmer II. The scam came to the notice of the SFU after it received a petition from OPEC FUND for International Development, dated August 22, 2013.

The petitioner alleged that a website designed as “OFID Scholarship Website,” with OFID name and logo has been used to defraud innocent Nigerian applicants.

According to the SFU spokesperson, Ngozi Isintume-Agu, in the website, applicants were required to pay N2,500 as an application fee and over 2,000 applicants responded and paid the fees through the First Bank account number 2020874607 and Access Bank account number 0056941009 with the name OFID WSAS NG. The petitioner added that it was one of the victims that contacted OFID via Facebook, accusing OFID of being com-

plicit in the fraud.

“The Cybercrime Section of the unit swung into action and the mastermind of the fraud, Ayotunde, was arrested.

His arrest led to the arrest of five other members. Police investigation so far revealed that over 2,000 applicants paid N2,500 each into the two banks provided by the suspects and the principal suspect is the only signatory to both accounts,” Isintume-Agu said.

She added that Ayotunde, in his confessional statement said that he designed the website of OFID WSAS (OPEC Fund for International Development for World Student Aid Scholarship) in June, 2012.

“He said that the idea came from one Fajobi Olalekan and Bolatiri Opemipo. He also admitted that he opened accounts in both First Bank and Access Bank with the name OFID WSAS NG for applicants to pay in their application fee which many responded to. He further stated that he and his cohorts printed a postal for OFIDWAS which was on the website,” IsintumeAgu added.

Victor said that like those he defrauded, he was also a job-seeker. He confessed that he assisted to paste the posters on line and he was given N80,000 initially and later another N40,000 totalling N120,000 for the job.

Emmanuel confessed that he assisted the principal suspect to sign guarantor for the accounts he opened in First Bank and Access Bank for the OFID programme and was paid N70,000 which he had spent for his personal effects.

He added that he participated in pasting and publicising the fake OFID Scholarship Programme, adding that he knew from the onset that the OFID Scholarship Programme was a scam aimed at defrauding innocent scholarship applicants but that he still went on to deceive the bank that his friend was honest and the programme genuine.

Olalekan is currently working with Dee Xecutor Concept. He stated that while in school, he lived in the same lodge with Ayotunde and his mates/ friends always come to him for educational assistance because of his intel-

7,600 babies delivered in Ondo State now records delivery Othendo of 7,600 babies in a year under Mother and Child Pet Project of the state government.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko disclosed this at the weekend in Akure, the state capital, during a vigil marking the 65th edition of Divine Agenda Praises organised monthly by his government for citizens of the state.

Mimiko said the multiple birth delivery rate in the state ranked as the largest in Nigeria and the West African sub-region in one tertiary maternity centre.

Governor Mimiko

family cries out swollen, his leg was also broken while other part of his body was seriously damaged.

“How can the police denied that they were not the one who killed my brother?

He was not sick before he was arrested and detained at their cell.

“I was told by his friend whom they were both arrested together how the policemen tortured the deceased

and detained them in separate cells.”

Oyolola said after the incident, he met with the divisional police officer of the station to discuss how the police would foot the bill of the burial.

He added: “We also agreed at the meeting that after he had been buried, the police would come to see other family members in Ibadan.

“The DPO told me that the Lagos State Police Command cannot foot the bill of the burial.”

The step mother of the deceased, Mrs Mujidat Oyolola, wondered why the boy was killed.

She said: “My pain now is that the deceased left behind a two-year-old boy. I want the Lagos State Government to come to aid of the little boy.

“I want the killer of my son to be brought to justice.”

The governor told the congregation during the vigil that the high rate of birth in the state notwithstanding, the mortality rate had been amazingly low.

He said as part of efforts by his administration to make life worth living for the people, most especially women, all deliveries had attracted no cost.

Mimiko, who gave out the report during testimonies time with his wife during the vigil, earned a deafening applause from the congregation when he said only 15 fatal cases had been recorded so far in the barrage of deliveries which included caesarean sections.

He said while the Mother and Child pet project recorded 7,600 safe births in 2013 alone, the largest health institution in Nigeria had only 2,500 deliveries.

According to him, as low as that figure, mortality rate was all time high with 63 fatal cases.

The governor said the maternity centres under the Mother and Child initiative produced an average of 20 babies per day, making the state the largest baby manufacturing state in the country.

ligence.

According to Olalekan, he once fell victim for scholarship scam known as EDIADS, which made Ayotunde to approach him and got some information regarding that one, which he believed gave him an idea on how to design OFID Scholarship Website.

He added that he lent Ayotunde the sum of N12,000 for hosting the website. Ayotunde later gave him N20,000 in return and informed him that the fraud was successful.

“Onaopemipo is also a graduate of FUTA. He is currently a handset dealer.

He corroborated Olalekan’s statement that they applied for scholarship while in school which turned out to be fake and they shared their experiences with Ayotunde, which gave him an idea on how to design his own fake website with OFID name/logo. He also stated that he lent him N8,000 and was later paid N12,000 with interest.

“According to Oluwatosin, he offered professional advice to Ayotunde and lent him N10,000 and was later given N100,000 as his own share. He confessed that he knew from the onset that it was a fraud, aimed at defrauding innocent applicants, since there was no authority from OFID. Investigation is on-going. Suspects will be charged to court soonest,” Isintume-Agu said.

‘Corruption may hinder police reform’ JulianaFrancis State-based security expert, Mr Folorunsho Atta, has called on senior police offiAcersLagos to desist from taking ‘returns’ from their

subordinates.

This, he said, became necessary to safeguard the ongoing reforms in the force.

According to Atta, collecting monetary or gift returns from junior police officers encourages corruption and indiscipline in the force.

He condemned a situation whereby two corporals took bribe from suspects arrested for fraud and used part of the loot to build houses for two assistant commissioners of police in Lagos.

Atta argued that for the present ongoing reform in the force to continue, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mike Okiro, would need another reformist like the present Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, as IG. According to the security analyst, Okiro, as former IG, shows that he has what it takes to meet the structural changes the force needs for service delivery.

He said: “Okiro, by his pedigree, is not only a reformist, a workaholic, fine gentle officer and God-fearing man; he is a man who listens to everyone. He took professional advice from stakeholders on security matters while he was in service.

“In the area of fighting corruption, Okiro and the immediate past Lagos State Police Commissioner, Alhaji Yakubu Alkali, had no rivals among their contemporaries in the force. These two men, to the best of my knowledge, were police chiefs during their service days who never allowed their subordinates to induce them with money.

“Okiro and Alkali were contented with what they had, unlike some past police chiefs who stooped so low that two police corporals built two houses in choice areas of Lagos State for them. These corrupt officers were assistant commissioners of police. The corporals who got their wealth from 419ners later resigned from the force soon as they completed their hotel projects at Idimu and Iju-Fagba, all on the outskirts of Lagos.”

12 NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Union issues fresh ultimatum to govt on NCAA DG

lNAMA signs pact with Jigawa over new airport Wole Shadare

or the second time in two months, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to appoint a substantive Director General for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The union had in June first given the government a 21-day ultimate to appoint a new director general for the agency.

In a letter titled, “Demand for a substantive director general of NCAA”, addressed to the Secre-

F

tary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, dated July 24 2014,signed by Deputy National Secretary of ATSSSAN, Captain .A. Tarnongu, the union said it was driven by deep patriotism and commitment to contribute their quota to the transformation agenda of Mr. President in the aviation industry.

Tarnongu in the letter, drew the attention of SGF to the leadership vacuum existing in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), making reference their letter on the above subject matter dated June 18, 2014.

The letter read in part;

“As a stakeholder in the industry, we are aware of the enormous responsibility of this authority as chief regulator of standards, and custodian of safety in the aviation industry. Thus, we are justifiably disturbed by the inability of government to appoint a substantive Director-General for the Authority”.

“We are by this letter, giving notice of the extension of our earlier 21 days ultimatum for another 14 days to lapse on August 12, 2014, by which time, we expect the government to expedite action to confirm a substantive Director-General for the organisation; failing which, we

shall be at liberty to deploy any other legitimate means to press home our demands”.

Meanwhile, The 209 Executive Airlift Group of the Nigerian Air Force attached to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, has pledged its continuous support and cooperation with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, (NAMA), towards effective management of the nation’s airspace.

The newly appointed Commandant of the group, Air Cdre. Saddiq Kaita, who made this remark during his first official visit to the agency in Abuja, stated that such a working relationship, apart from facilitat-

ing seamless operations at the nation’s airports, would also enhance safety of the Nigerian airspace.

He lauded NAMA’s efforts at training some of the Air Force officers in various courses targeted at bringing them up to speed with latest dynamics in the aviation industry.

Earlier in an address, the Airspace Manager, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Mr. Nnanna Ugbaga, informed his guests that over time, the Nigerian Air Force has been an ally of NAMAas both organizations perform complimentary but safety critical roles.

Kaita and his entourage were later led on an inspection tour of NAMA facilities at the total radar coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) site by Ugbaga and other top management staff of NAMA at the Abuja Inter-

national Airport.

As part of measures to ensure the smooth take-off of the newly established Jigawa Airport, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by NAMA and the Jigawa State Government.

The MOU which was signed by the Managing Director of NAMA, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, is for the provision of air navigation services by the agency to the state-owned airport with effect from July 1, 2014.

Already, some top technical staff including an engineer, Aeronautical Information Services officer and other operational staff to be headed by an Airspace Manager have been deployed to the airport, in addition to the two Air Traffic Controllers, who are already on ground at the airport.

Benue NLC, TUC disagree with Suswam over pay cut Cephas Iorhemen

Makurdi

T

Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido (left) and the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Sunusi, during the Eid-il-Fitri celebration in Dutse…yesterday

Lagos to introduce stiffer Ondo PDP will not zone sanctions against pollution tickets, says Olabimtan Muritala Ayinla

orried by incessant environment pollution and the health implications on the residents, the Lagos State Government has threatened to prescribe heavy sanctions against anyone or corporate organizations, whose activities pollute the metropolis.

It said it would not allow any firm to continue to threaten the lives of its residents through indiscriminate pollution of the environment.

Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Environment, Dr. Taofeeq Folami, who said this at the weekend while monitoring environmental sanitation exercise in Agege Local Council Area, added that indiscriminate dumping of refuse by the residents into drainage channels and canals is currently frustrating the state government efforts of clearing the drains.

W

He said: “On the Awori canal, it is clear to us that there are a lot of construction works going on there.

And one of the things we have to do before upgrading a road network is to improve the state of drainage network.

“Looking at the streets, the road construction will start immediately the drainage is completed. And the drainage construction is at 70 per cent completion.”

To tackle the environmental challenges in the area, Folami explained that the drainage system will have to be redesigned, saying that was the reason the state government was yet to embark on the road construction.

“We have to do some awareness campaign, because we noticed that a lot of refuse are dumped into the state canals. We will be focusing on Agege to ensure that they inculcate the habit of not patronizing cart pushers," he added.

Babatope Okeowo

Akure

of the Peoples Ainleader Democratic Party (PDP) Ondo State, Hon Victor

Olabimtan, has debunked insinuations that the party has zoned the governorship ticket to Ondo North senatorial district of the state.

Also, the former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, criticized the state government for what he described as lacklustre performance by the Labour Party (LP) administration in the state.

Olabimtan,whois theFederalCommissioner,representing Ondo and Ekiti States on the board of Federal Civil Service Commission, predicted victory of the PDP in Osun State governorship election slated for August 9.

Speaking with reporters in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at the weekend, Olabimtan said the PDP would only produce an acceptable candidate that can win elec-

tion for the party, irrespective of the zone he comes from.

Although he is from Ondo North senatorial district where many pundits believed should produce the next governor of the state, Olabimtan, however, said what matters was the acceptability of the candidate and not his zone.

His words: “To me, what matters most now is producing a candidate that will cut across the three senatorial zone, a candidate that will be acceptable to the three zones across Ondo State, whether South, Central or North. Once, we are able to identify this candidate, the candidate will win and once he wins, the whole party will support him because politics is a game of numbers.”

“My argument is so clear that if you look at the Ekiti election, before the election, the argument was that the candidate must come from the south; that the southern senatorial had never done it before.

he Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria have said that they will remain resolute in their stand against the downward review of salaries of civil servants in the state by Governor Gabriel Suswam.

The two union leaders, Comrades Simon Anchaver and Tartenger Ordue, in a statement described the position of the state government as undermining the integrity of the Benue workforce.

The statement urged workers in the state not to accept any deductions posted into their accounts

forcefully without due process, saying the union will confront the issue within the confines of the law.

The union leaders promised to protest the policy in the event that it is not reversed, noting that government should instead be thinking of a possible increase to enable workers meet the current economic realities.

It urged workers to remain calm, adding that an extended state executive council meeting of the trade union, market women associations, commercial motorcyclists, NURTW, civil society groups as well as the clergy has been scheduled for Wednesday to address the issue.

2015: Josla tips Jonathan Musa Pam

Jos

atron, Jonathan Shall PPlateau Lead Again (JOSLA) State chapter,

Prof Danladi Atu, has said that President Goodluck Jonathan is the best candidate for the office of the president in 2015.

Atu, who stated this in Jos at the inauguration of the Plateau chapter of JOSLA, said that Jonathan has so far done very well, compared to his predecessors.

According to him, Jonathan is the candidate of all political parties in Plateau State because Plateau is Jonathan’s home.

"Plateau is Jonathan’s home; he has no political party here because he is the candidate of

all political parties but for other positions, there are political parties.

"The president should go to sleep as far as Plateau is concerned, because it is his home.

What we are doing now in Plateau is to watch neighbouring states and to encourage them to work with Jonathan,’’ he said.

Atu, who was a gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of Labour Party in the 2011 general elections, said that he was in another party as of that time but voted Jonathan.

Atu, however, advised members of the group to go about their work with decorum in order to use 2015 to unify Nigerians for the good of the young and the old.

13

Osun: When Ede stood still for Aregbesola, Adeleke / PAGE 16

POLITICS

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/politics

ayodele Ojo

Deputy Editor, politics

ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

ayodeleojo@yahoo.com

2015: Jonathan should be supported for Nigeria’s sake –Daniel

p-14, 15

MONday, July 28, 2014

Senate: Can Umeh cage Ngige in 2015?

How far can the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh go in his quest to represent Anambra Central Senatorial District in the Red Chamber come 2015? TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE asks

A

fter so many months of speculations surrounding his senatorial aspiration in 2015, the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has finally thrown his hat into the ring for the Anambra Central Senatorial seat in the 2015 general election.

Umeh on Sunday, June 20 made a formal declaration about his decision to run for the Senate during the launching of APGA Solidarity Movement (ASM) in Awka, which also coincided with the celebration of his 52nd birthday.

He told the assemblage of Anambra people who gathered for the inauguration of APM, that he is joining the race and he is confident that he would definitely emerge victorious.

He declared: “the Igbo nation needs very strong sense of purpose and mission to rescue our people. Ojukwu first started it and I knew his mission and now he is gone, but that journey must continue, and I am sure Ojukwu is there waiting for that to happen.

“We know what the rest of Nigeria thinks of the Igbos, because I was at the confab, there is need to provide effective representation for our people, and I want to say that there is still work to be done, and because of the support I have seen, having carefully examined the motion and recognised the need for APGA to win Anambra Central, I hereby throw my hat in the ring.”

Expressing his confidence in winning the senatorial election, Umeh said he will win the election by giving a crushing defeat to other contenders in the race.

His words: “I will win. I have been stopping them in the past and this time around I want to stop them in the senate race. And because of your invitation for me to join the race,

Umeh

Ngige

I am now joining to stop them again. God willing, I have put my hat in the ring and we shall go to the battlefield and I will emerge victorious. Go and tell them that I have stepped out for the Anambra Central Senatorial seat and with all of you here working with me, we are going to give them a crushing defeat.”

Umeh’s decision to run for the Senate has been commended by most Anambra indigenes, especially APGA members, who seem to have tactically endorsed their national chairman for the senatorial race.

Anambra State chapter of APGA Women for Good Governance in a statement issued by its Coordinator, Mrs. Grace Chike, expressed their support for Umeh’s effective representation in the Senate.

The group stated that: “Chief Victor Umeh is a divine gift to APGA, Anambra State and Nigeria in our quest at building a strong, virile and prosperous democratic society. His dynamic leadership of the party has seen APGA grow in leaps and bounds winning several governorships, federal and state legislative seats in various elections in the country; aside of numerous local government chairmen and councillorship seats.

“We are optimistic that Umeh will raise the quality of debate in the Senate that will redefine legislative process and good governance in Nigeria. As a grassroots politician, he will be the voice of the voiceless to disillusioned Nigerians yearning for dividends of democracy. We support him for effective repre-

sentation in the Senate.”

The forum of APGA deputy chairmen in Anambra Central Senatorial District has also thrown its weight behind their national chairman to run for the senatorial election. The forum’s support for Umeh was contained in a unanimous resolution made by its members at the July edition of their monthly meeting held in Awka last week.

Speaking to newsmen at the end of the forum meeting, its chairman and Deputy Chairman of Awka North Local Government Area, Dr Ikechukwu Offorkansi, said that they reached the resolution to support Umeh’s senatorial aspiration having considered the qualities of Umeh as the national chairman of the party. He also said that the deputy chairmen were happy

CROSSFIRE We wonder how long the APC governors will continue to bail out Aregbesola and his government, which has mortgaged the state through needless debts and loans despite having no tangible achievements to show for the excessive borrowing -Gani Olaoluwa

PDP should face the problems bedeviling their party rather than meddling into issues that do not concern them. That Rivers, Lagos State or even the World Bank lent Osun money to pay salaries is nobody’s business -Sunday Akere

that Umeh heeded the call of the people on him to declare his interest.

“Having considered developments in our party and the huge task of quality representation at the National Assembly, we the seven deputy chairmen in Anambra Central Senatorial District do hereby declare our full support for Victor Umeh for the senatorial race,” he said.

Since APGA became the ruling party in Anambra State in 2006, the party has not produced any senator in the state.

Between 2007 and 2011, PDP produced the three senators from the state while in 2011; PDP had two Senators while Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which changed into APC, had one senator.

But with the entrance of Umeh into the senatorial race, some people are of the view that APGA’s national chairman entrance into the senatorial race may change the tide for his party in Anambra State come 2015.

Having successfully steered the ship of APGA for many years, despite several threats to his leadership of the party from some members of APGA, especially from the founding APGA National Chairman, Chief Chekwas Okorie and Chief Maxi Okwu, Umeh is CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

14 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

2015: Jonathan should be supported for Nigeria’s sake –Daniel Otunba Gbenga Daniel is the immediate past governor of Ogun State. In this no-holdsbarred interview with select journalists in Lagos, he opens up on the various challenges that he faced while in office, the campaign against his person by his successor and the 2015 general election.

FELIX NWANERI brings the excerpts After your tenure as the governor of Ogun State, lots of allegations bordering on corruption were leveled against you. How far have you gone with the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) case?

You will appreciate that the EFCC charges are criminal charges, and according to the laws of the land, when a matter is in court, you can hardly comment. They call it sub judice, which indeed is an offence on its own. But one can pass a few comments in such a way that one is a bit cautious. If you remember, all the charges by the EFCC emanated from a man called Tunde Oladunjoye. He became the chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area under my governorship, and there was a crisis in ijebu Ife. On that occasion, a police commissioner was murdered in cold blood. I rushed there and found out that he was not just murdered, but was actually burnt.

I was in Omu at a church service on that day. Infact, I was sitting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and I had to excuse him to go and see what was happening. Before I left the church, I asked the council chairman whether he was already there. He said yes and that there was no cause for alarm. But by the time I got the town, he was not there. Not only that; there were already issues. We found out that it was mayhem. As a matter of fact, the monarch of the town told me that once they killed the police commissioner, the whole town was in trouble because he was expecting that the police will react before daybreak and wipe out the place as it where.

So, I moved in and pleaded with the police. I went round and inspected the houses that were burnt and I told the police guard there that I will come back the next day, and if I found any other house burnt; it is not by the people but the police. That was how I saved Ife. It was that bad that we had to set up an inquiry, which indicted Tunde Oladunjoye. I had no choice but to remove him as chairman. That was why he felt that he can also do something. He wrote a petition. If you remember what was going on in Ogun State at that time; the arrows where coming from all angles.

Some media houses were firing their own arrows; I don’t know why. Obasanjo was firing; Dimeji Bankole was firing and somebody called Kashamu came in and started firing his own; all against one person; I don’t know why.

You were attacked from different angles, what was the bone of contention?

The issue is very simple. Once upon a time, there was a state called Ogun

Daniel

and nobody went there. We all stayed in Lagos, if we don’t come to Lagos, we go to Abuja or Port Harcourt. Abeokuta was in nobody’s mind. But God gave us the grace and we were able to open up the place, and the battle started. That is the summary of the issue. It is indeed an irony. However, Oladunjoye’s petition stated that I stole $3 million and another N9 billion of local government funds. I was news to me because I had been detained for 10 days and I was wondering what has gone wrong. While I was in detention, I boycotted newspapers. I did not read because I was annoyed, but by the time I came out of detention, I saw that it was even N57 billion that was reported that I stole. I asked myself; when, how, why.

When they were not releasing me, I said that I would go on hunger strike; that they should take me to court. And as the EFCC confessed later; there was nothing against me at the point of arrest. It was after my arrest that they now started investigating me. And the law says that after 24 hours, you must grant an accused bail, but they kept me for 10 days. And when I was now brought to court; everybody celebrated another governor caught. However, I called my Finance commissioner and said: Where is the $3 million dollars?

He said they are crazy; that there is no $3 million anywhere. Infact, he said that it was $18 million, which was part of debt recovered; that the money is in the bank and that when we were broke, that I authorized that he should change $1 million to pay salaries and later another $2 million to pay salaries and that

it shouldn’t come as a surprise if I am supporting Jonathan... he is better supported to run for a second term for the sake of this country the balance is still in the account.

Both the domiciliary and naira account were with First City Monument Bank. He said what he did was to ask the bank to credit the state’s naira account from the dollar it had. I asked for the proof and he provided it. Not only was it true, but I checked the rate of exchange and it was exactly what obtained at that time. The tragedy that we had was that Daniel must be nailed at all cost. That was the story of the dollars. In all my eight years as governor of Ogun State, I didn’t touch allocations to the local governments. I did not touch one dime. If somebody is a sworn enemy and he writes a petition; is there no weight that people should put on that petition.

To cut a long story short, they had to quash all the charges at that point in time. So, all of that went, but at that time Governor Ibikunle Amosun has set up his land inquiry, and stories started that I had stolen lands in

Ogun State. In the cause of stumbling on documents, they ran into one of my lawyers, who has been registering companies for me in the past 20 years. They stumbled on some companies and they said: ‘This company was registered and he didn’t declare it.’ I said: ‘Which company; some companies that I have not even done any business with.’

What of the issue of assets declaration?

While I was with the EFCC, they brought a form and said I should declare my assets. I said that I am not a man of one two houses, so how do you expect me to do that in this dungeon. When the pressured me, I said that statutorily, I am to declare my assets with the Code of Conduct Bureau. Not only that, I was probably the only governor who publicly declared his assets and it was not small.

At a time, I wrote the ones I could recollect and I signed. Then came another allegation; failure to declare assets, but I asked whether they don’t have interagency relation. I told them to go to the Code of Conduct Bureau if they want to find out if I declared my assets or not. It was not a page declaration, about 10 pages, so how do they want me to remember all the contents in the dungeon where I was kept.

Then all of a sudden they said some billions were paid to some companies, but they later found out that I had nothing to do with that. They later said that some monies were paid to my company – Krystal Laurel; about N211 million, in tranches. But this company does business with Ogun State government; we sell generators, elevators and others.

POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 4

They never bothered to investigate what these monies were meant for. I don’t even need to who is buying from Krystal Laurel. The company has about 2,000-customer base and I don’t know all of them. After they investigated me to my pants, they now said those around me were the ones keeping the money for me. Though in criminal prosecution, you are presumed innocent until you are found guilty, but in all of these, I am just praying because if a judge wants to be nasty, he can always find something to say.

What is your next political move now that 2015 is fast approaching? Are you interested in running for an elective position?

What happened to me in 2011 was an irony because a new government came with pomp and pageantry; started doing his own beat, and I had told my people that ‘the election has been fought and won; that the state is our state, and for the sake of our state, please let everyone cooperate with the new governor.’ Those were my consistent public declaration. But what happened? I guess the governor decided that the only issue for him is OGD. Every single step that he has taken, every project that he has done, is just OGD (Otunba Gbenga Daniel); either to erase OGD or to surpass him. How can that be the philosophy of a government?

However, the fact of the case is that a large number of our people continue to blame me, and I ask: ‘What have I done? Our structure lost an election; you have a new governor. They are now blaming us for what is perceived as the non performance of this governor. He is building bridges and road, so how does that become my problem.’ But our people said: ‘We can do with a better governor.’ And because they are blaming me, I found myself in a position where I have no choice but to contribute to the process of giving our people a better governor.

If that means that I have to work with Labour Party, the Peoples Democratic Party and President Goodluck Jonathan, it doesn’t matter. It is just to find a formula to change the change, which the people are blaming me for.

That is my next political move, God willing. And I think that it shouldn’t come as a surprise if I am supporting Jonathan because I led his South-West campaign in 2011, and he won the election even though I got the wrong side of the stick because of the forces I had to contend with. I am not working for him because I am expecting the EFCC to withdraw the charges against me. No. I am working for him because I think that for now, he is better supported to run for a second term for the sake of this country.

If there is anybody who has a better a reason why I should not support him, let the person table it, so that we can debate it. You are not unaware of the challenges that we had when there was disruption in oil exploration in the South-South; income plummeted; kidnapping of expatriates was going on and Nigeria was fast becoming a pariah nation. Somehow, that has come down, production has gone up and that led to our rebasing. Recently, it was said that Nigeria’s economy is ahead in Africa. When we play politics, we all have to be pragmatic. So, I think that we had to maintain that equilibrium and then go back to that the trenches again to begin to look for who will succeed him; that is my position.

Recently, you sent out a message eulogizing your predecessor, Chief Segun Osoba on his birthday. Have you reconciled with him?

Quite naturally, Osoba must be bitter. It was like the Lord of the Manor; a sitting governor; a Goliath and all of sudden, a David came and removed him. There was nothing I did beyond the election, and the fact remained

15

‘We must give our people a better governor’ Our governor has started a precedence; he is so excited that his predecessor is arraigned in EFCC box. But whether we like it or not, subsequent governors of Ogun State will go inside that box... Somebody has to explain the cost of those roads that he is my predecessor, and at 75, there is no way I should not wish him well. I have done my beat. He ruled Ogun State to the best of his ability; I didn’t say he didn’t do well. But when we came; we did things slightly differently from the way he did. We were a bit faster, but it doesn’t matter because at the end of the day, what does Nigeria want? Sometimes, it is the slow lane because all those who did things a bit faster, what happened to them?

This country will not make progress until we appreciate our responsibility in government. May be as corporate person, I understand that the only way you can provide stability for your creditors and customers is to ensure that there is consistency. The only way that people can come and invest is when they see consistency. The projects that turn around the fortune of the people are not these short term projects, but long term projects. Government comes and government goes; that was what we demonstrated. Regrettably, they say it doesn’t happen all the time, and regrettably it is the direct opposite of

what has happened in Ogun State today.

Because there is policy summersault and inconsistency, people who want to bring big money will not come to Ogun State. It is not a question of window dressing, there is no consistency. When a governor or president signs a project, it is sacrosanct. When as governor of Ogun State, OGD signed a Certificate of Occupancy, it is no longer an OGD matter; it is the governor of Ogun State.

Our governor has started a precedence; he is so excited that his predecessor is arraigned in EFCC box. But whether we like it or not, subsequent governors of Ogun State will go inside that box.

I also have friends, people that I have helped over the years; they are compiling their own papers. Somebody has to explain the cost of those roadssooner than later because it is a precedence that has been set. The income of Ogun State cannot sustain the state likewise that of Nigeria. What sustains every country is venture capital. That is what is sustaining Dubai. What did they do?

They created the right environment for investment and they went to sit down and enjoy our money. I had thought that with our level in Ogun State; with our level of education that we should be sophisticated enough to appreciate some of these things.

Is it true that Amosun made you governor in 2003? There is this story that he introduced you to Obasanjo as an indigene of Sagamu, when you are actually not.

I attended Baptist Boys High School just like Obasanjo. While he was prosecuting the war, I was already in school. He was one of our heroes; he came home to our school in Abeokuta to greet us. Seun Obasanjo, who is running Obasanjo Farms today and my first son, Rotimi, grew up together in the house of Mrs. Obasanjo. Who is this man who said he introduced me to who? What is he talking about? Amosun did not take me to Obasanjo. I know

that Amosun came to Chief Adegbenro and they took him to Owu village. That was how he got introduced to Ogun State. Then the following election, he left Ewekoro and contested from Abeokuta North, and the next one, I am told that he has moved from Abeokuta North, he has gone to Ajura Ward and he wants to contest under Abeokuta North. Those of you who are not politicians may not know the implication of this, but politicians like us appreciate what that means.

Some people claim that you ran a government of vendetta. That you neglected some areas in road projects because they voted for Amosun in 2007, how true is that?

I didn’t run a government of vendetta. You talked about roads, and I was shocked when you said I neglected some areas because somebody voted for Amosun. In which election was that? In 2003, we won all the elections except one House of Assembly seat in Water Side. We had 25 state Assembly seats; nine House of Representatives and three senators. But in 2007, we did better; we now won all the House of Assembly seats; all three Senate and nine House of Representatives seats. They took us to court and the court threw out their petitions. I am not aware of any area in Ogun State that did not vote for me while I was contesting. And I am not aware that there is any location that I lost election to Amosun.

The issue of roads is a question of available funds. What is in a road that you will not fix? Is it not a question of awarding contract? But when the money is not there, you prioritise. When Amosun started the bridges, people from other zones started complaining and it became a question of you want bridges, you will get one; no economic impact assessment; is that governance?

Something is definitely wrong in the psyche of the people running our state today. But no matter what the case may be, they say the people deserve the kind of government they get. When I was leaving, I told them that the liability we left was about N49 billion, but they said it was N100 billion. However, today, three and a half years later, members of the House of Assembly are telling me that Ogun State has borrowed N300 billion. So, all the roads and bridges are borrowed funds. How do you rate that as performance?

What is your relationship with Obasanjo?

Chief Obasanjo is our father. We can have fundamental difference based on principles, but he remains an elder statesman. There is no issue, we disagreed on principle. I once asked him why someone will whisper something to him and he won’t bother to check and he believes that and only to find out that it was balderdash. I think all of you have learnt from what has happened because when somebody wrote that he spent N3 billion to destabilise my administration; not N3 billion to build but to subvert my administration. What did I do? Those are the issues, and when Baba hears and he doesn’t check, it usually leads to disaster. And it is a thing of regret that the person who combined with Baba to destroy my administration has now faced him.

Daniel

How is life after office? Do you feel betrayed by some of your aides?

Betrayal is another name for politics. If you are not betrayed in politics, something is wrong with you.

16 POLITICS OLUMIDE LAWAL reports that from what happened at the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) mega rally in Ede, Osun State, the political equation of the state seems to have changed ahead the August 9 governorship election

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Osun: When Ede stood still for Aregbesola, Adeleke

W

hat happened in the ancient city of Ede, the hot-bed of Osun politics, on July 8 has gone a long way to prove, without any iota of doubt that the All Progressives Congress (APC), is indeed alive and well embraced by the electorate of the town, where Senator Isiaka Adeleke, the first executive governor of Osun State hails from and calls the shots.

It was the day, the amiable and humble Adeleke, proved cynics wrong, by showing that he is fully in control of political machineries in Edeland and beyond. He manifested the electorate’s trust in him as an ever-dependable leader, whom they could continue to rely on as a selfless politician, with milk of human kindness flowing in his veins.

The day also marked a positive turning point for the APC, since the 2011 general election fiasco. Party faithfuls in their tens of thousands, spontaneously trooped out to make a point, that their darling party remains the beloved of the grassroot people. They were clad in Ankara print (EGBE JODA), with Mofla, scarfs and fez caps done in APC colours. What a sight to behold.

As early as 7a.m, they trooped out to both the Ede South and North secretariats of APC at Mosebolatan and Okegada respectively, to partake in what eventually turned out to be a mega rally; the type that has not been witnessed in recent times. Give it to the APC faithful, they conducted themselves in orderly manner so much that policemen deployed to oversee the event, were virtually on holiday.

At both secretariats of the party, gaily dressed party men and women danced merrily to the melodious songs by different musicians, as they waited eagerly for the arrival of Senator Adeleke and Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

At the dot of 12 noon, Adeleke arrived in a convoy of cars to a tumultuous welcome from the ecstatic members and “hell” was literally let loose. Adeleke fondly referred to as Serubawon by his supporterd was full of smile and appreciation to the cheering crowd.

From Mosebolatan APC Ede South Secretariat, Adeleke and other party leaders drove through the three-kilometre stretch of Babangida Way, which is the heart of the town, down to Timi’s Palace, into the waiting hands of Ede North APC members. Now you may ask, what really was at stake?

It was a continuation of the statewide campaign rallies organized by the Osun APC chieftains to drum support for Ogbeni Aregbesola second term in office as governor. Most importantly, it was an event to showcase Senator Adeleke’s grip of politics in Edeland, contrary to the stories sold out to the electorate by the opposition.

In the course of the movement through the Babangida Way to the palace, residents irrespective of party affiliations, came out to share in the joy of the moment, chanting and shouting, “Serubawon, Serubawon; Isiaka is our man.” Vehicular movement was at a standstill. APC slogans, even from unexpected quarters rented the air.

Ede was agog for Adeleke and APC. Pessimism went to sleep. Optimism

Aregbesola addressing supporters during one of his rallies

reigned instead. Love and affection for Isiaka Adeleke took over the air.

It was reminiscent of January 2, 1992, when Adeleke rode triumphantly into Ede after he was sworn-in as the first executive governor of Osun State and Ede became a ‘Mecca’ of a sort.

The arrival of the Osun State governor, Aregbesola signaled the events to follow. Senator Adeleke at this point insisted that all party leaders and supporters should come out of their cars and trek the distance for the rally which is the political carnival of 2014 in Osun State. Pronto, the walk-of-joy started from Oja-Timi to Polytechnic Road, passing through Isiaka Adeleke ancestral home at Bode axis, bursting out at Ojularede Avenue and emerged at Agip area and back to Adventist Grammar School, where the carnival reached a crescendo, with the multitude of people not less than 80,000 in attendance, even though it is a Ramadan period.

Speeches were delivered by party leaders, with encomiums showered on Adeleke as a true leader of the party in Ede, and of course, a politician they look up to for greater cohesion in APC in Osun State, going by his splendid performance in the 2011 presidential poll, where he was the only politician, who recorded more than 75 per cent of votes for President Jonathan from his two local government areas.

Senator Adeleke went down the memory lane. He informed the ecstatic crowd, which included the former governor of old Oyo State, Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo, that he came to Ede in 1986 to boost the economic development of his home town, with the establishment of Pacific Farm, which gave employment opportunities to many people. This he said, was followed by his emergence as the first executive governor of Osun State, during which he was able to put many Ede indigenes in Local Government administration, some of whom are today directors in different cadres.

Adeleke was prompt to tell the cheering audience, that though he was not instrumental to the establishment

Osun electorate are wiser and they are ready to ensure continuity of the projects already initiated

by Aregbesola of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, the credit of which goes to Alhaja Ramota Adisa, he however facilitated the take off grant of N60 million from General Ibrahim Babangida’s administration.

To cap it all, Adeleke told the audience, that the first private University to be owned by a dynasty was established by his Adeleke family in Ede. He further said that work on the permanent site of the university will soon be completed and hundreds of Ede indigenes would be gainfully employed. Cheers of Serubawon rented the air.

From here, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola took over in his charming and disarming manner, eulogising Ede electorate for the fantastic outing he witnessed on that day, affirming that since the rallies started, he has never witnessed such a mammoth crowd, who were so committed and loyal to the cause of APC. Aregbesola said, with what he saw at Ede, he can go and sleep with his two eyes closed with the assurance of more than 90 per cent of Ede votes going the way of APC. He told the Ede Federal constituency audience, that in the course of his second term in office, a 1,000 Agbale Housing Estate will be built in Ede town, while the Akoda to Erinle Water Works stretch of road would be dualised as well as the revamping of Ede Cocoa Products Industry of which an Ede indigene, Sir Adewale Adeeyo is the chairman. On the possibility of intimidation and harassment from any quarters, Aregbesola told his audience to be vigilant, unrelenting and not to exhibit any act of cowardice. Rather they should follow all electoral laws so as to be above board

and prove that they are patriotic Nigerians, only out to exercise their civic responsibilities.

It should be emphasised however, that some APC chieftains should be cautious in their speeches at rallies, as nothing would be gained from their inciting utterances to the electorate.

They should watch their tongues and not heat up the polity for no just cause at this particular time. They should discuss issues rather than provocative language. Also, Ogbeni Aregbesola should ensure, that the silent frosty relationship between Adeleke and some current elected APC members, who see Adeleke defection into APC as a threat to the furtherance of their ambition should be nipped in the bud, if they will not be seeing to be working at cross purposes. This is the home truth and a hidden fact that those concerned may not want to play up.

Senator Adeleke should continue to extend olive branches to all stakeholders to work with him and APC and make Ede nay Osun State an Eldorado.

He should employ his large- heartedness and magnanimity to reach out to everybody. All eyes are now on him to deploy his magic wands to polish the image of the party and correct certain just and unjust misgivings about Aregbesola from some quarters, which are expected in competitive politics.

Osun electorate are wiser and they are ready to ensure continuity of the projects already initiated by Aregbesola.

Be he said point blank, that “we don’t need imported commissioners, special advisers and special assistants in the course of Aregbesola’s second term.

Enough is enough.”

His Majesty, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, Laminisa I, the Timi of Edeland should be commended for his fatherly gestures toward all political leaders in Osun, who at one time or the other came visiting to seek his royal blessings. Kabiyesi has proved that he is a father to all. From what happened at Ede 2014 APC mega rally, the political equation seems to have changed in Edeland, where Adeleke holds the ace.

POLITICS 17

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Idowu Ajanaku

“M

an’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible.

But man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.” -Reinhold Niebuhr Some call him “the Game Changer”.

Others say he is the “Asiwaju of Nigeria’s democracy.” Yet, not a few view him a “Master Strategist,” as a political titan of no mean measure. These are but a few epaulets that adorn the shoulder of the one dogged fighter who, today stands on a high moral ground to speak on Nigeria’s democratic dispensation -its norms, codes, evolution, development and sustenance. But why, you may ask?

The answer is found in his firm belief and the sacrifice to see to the enthronement of the dictates of a government driven by the wishes of the majority.

His type is rare. More like a meteor he blazes the brilliant trail across the political firmament eliciting varied comments from political observers of diverse dispositions. That depends of course on where one stands on each side of the great political divide. His is a bold mission to straighten the many crooked paths in the wilderness wrought by antidemocratic forces from military dictators with their jack boot mentality to their civilian acolytes.

With the vision to have a people-oriented government in place and leave his immediate community, his state, his country, indeed the world much better than he met it, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Wole Soyinka would admonish was ready to set forth at dawn with regards to his illustrious but chequered political career.

Born on March 29 1952 his political career took off in 1992, when he was elected to the Nigerian Senate representing the Lagos West constituency. That was during the short-lived Third Republic. After the results of the 12 June 1993 presidential elections were annulled, Tinubu became a founding member of the pro-democracy National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). The wellcoordinated group effectively mobilized a groundswell of public support for the restoration of democracy and the validation of the 12 June election results.

Let it be known that at that material time, he had all the opportunity to sell out as some fare weather friends did to betray our common cause. But Tinubu chose and wisely too, to stay on the people’s side while the struggle lasted. Had he been a political turn-coat, we would have no moral ground to identify with him, least of all, celebrate him on this auspicious occasion.

With the Sani Abacha regime baring its blood- thirsty fangs he went into exile in 1994 but returned to the country in 1998 after the death of the military dictator. Subsequently in the run-up to the 1999 elections, Bola Tinubu was a protégé of Alliance for Democracy (AD) leaders Abraham Adesanya and Ayo Adebanjo. As fate would have it he won the AD primaries for the Lagos State gubernatorial elections in competition with Funso Williams and Wahab Dosunmu, a former Minister of Works and Housing. He stood for the position of Executive Governor of Lagos State on the AD ticket and was elected in April 1999.

Notably, it was his undying love for democracy that saw him confront the monstrosity that the military dictatorship had turned his dear nation into. He is one man who sees democracy as an enduring political vehicle to deliver the greatest good to the majority of fellow Nigerians. His claim to the enthronement of democracy therefore, did not start overnight. That is much unlike many self-seeking politicians of our current dispensation. Especially those who wish to reap from where they never sowed, yet view every attempt to right the many wrongs of the past and the present as anti-democratic.

One reason he can lay credence to

Tinubu’s contributions to democracy in Nigeria

Tinubu

being a true-born democrat is his salutary efforts to redefine the concept of party politics in the effervescent terrain called Nigeria. From the Alliance for Democracy (AD) through the Action Congress (AC) to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now, the game changer tagged All Progressives Congress (APC) his rare managerial acumen of men and materials all come to the fore.

Another reason is his exemplary style of governance that made governance more participatory and introduced measures to increase the Internally Generated Revenue of Lagos State. The measures included the Electronic Banking System/Revenue Collection Monitoring Project (EBS/RCM), which enabled the utilization of high level technology to create a robust data base of tax payers, and eliminate ghost workers.

Another was the state’s Board of Internal Revenue (BIR); an outfit that used to be a centre of corruption was re-engineered to enhance its revenue collection capacity through greater autonomy, professionalism and motivation, the introduction of the electronic Tax Clearance Cards (eTCC), which is a fraud free and convenient method of keeping tax payers records.

There was also a deliberate policy to sensitize the public on the imperative of paying their taxes willingly, voluntarily and promptly as a precondition for the delivery by government of quality infrastructure and social services. In addition was the new Land Use Charge Law promulgated in 2001? It stipulated that once Land Use Charge Demand Notice is levied on a property, Ground Rent, Development Charges and the Neighbourhood Improvement Charge Law will cease to apply. This innovation led to the collection of the sum of over

N3.5 billion as Land Use Charge between 2001 and March 2007 and the value of this revenue source keeps rising.

His eight years administration saw to the revitalization of the machinery of state. All these made the desired impact in “qualitative service delivery in diverse sectors including education, health, justice, roads construction and rehabilitation, traffic management and public transportation, agriculture, environmental renewal, rural development, housing, job creation, women empowerment, local government administration and poverty alleviation among others.

In simple terms, Asiwaju has distinguished himself as a visionary politician armed with the 3-C concept of courage, candour and charisma.

Perhaps, it would be more appropriate to underscore his sweeping political machinery to the metaphor of the broom, which incidentally has been adopted for much of the metamorphosis of the aforementioned political parties of the progressives.

It was the democrat in him that saw Tinubu calling for resource control, as a Senator against the vociferous voices of those who claim to love the country only when it suits their fancies

To start with, he, Tinubu as the governor who took the mantle of Lagos state amidst monumental filth that clogged the drainages and the highways swept it all with the introduction of LAWMA. Other creative organs of government such as LASTMA, KAI, LAMATA that his pragmatic administration established brought sanity and safety in the critical areas of public health, transportation, education and massive infrastructural development. They have been copied by governors from virtually all the six geo-political zones of the country.

Worthy of note also, is that all these took place even in the face of daunting odds. Not the least being the withholding of allocations to local government councils that stretched from months to years, when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo held sway at the federal level. In other climes, well-heeled writers, historians and political scientists would be all over him to decipher that unique attribute that has made him a strong brand of a survivor. This raises some fundamentally significant questions.

How did Lagos state weather the storm of months without federal allocation when the Internally Generated Revenue was yet to assume a sustaining level? How did his AD-led political party, more like a David pitched against the behemoth of a Goliath survive the political onslaught of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) rigging machinery that bulldozed its way through the SouthWest geo-political zone? He became ‘the last man standing’; how did he do it? How did he wrestle back the same zone from the stranglehold of the same PDP in 2007 and went on to strengthen his hold on the vastly resourceful and politically sophisticated zone by 2011?

And to cap all the trilogy of the bruising battles won, how did the ACN merge with other progressive parties in the mold of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), both from the Northern fold, now giving the PDP sleepless nights?

It was the democrat in him that saw Tinubu calling for resource control, as a Senator against the vociferous voices of those who claim to love the country only when it suits their fancies. Today, that clamour re-echoes with greater verve and frenzy. But would anyone remember who belled the cat? That is the million naira question.

From all these salutary efforts, it would be a disservice to our sense of history to misconstrue Tinubu as a self-serving politician. If he was one, perhaps he would have been contented to cocoon himself with the AD. And he would not have used his political clout to assist incumbent Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state to send the PDP packing even though it is controlled by the Labour Party, just as he had done in Ekiti and Osun states.

Even when he has been accused of influencing choices for the party, one issue even die-hard critics would not deny, is that he makes the best choices, always. Name them; the award-winning governors of Lagos, Ekiti, Osun, Edo, Oyo and Ogun states do not come to political prominence, every day. Do they?

That magic wand of his, to identify the best man for the job should be a source of PHD thesis. Besides, he believes in the words of Abraham Lincoln that: “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”

18 POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Buhari vs Jonathan: Beyond the rhetoric Femi Ayelabowo

G

eneral Muhammadu Buhari, former Head of State and a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was once again in the news for what can only be described as un-statesmanlike utterances. Buhari, who once told the world during a BBC Hausa interview that, “If what happened in 2011 should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood,” has, in effect, accused President Goodluck Jonathan of declaring war on Nigeria. As political grandstanding goes, Buhari has set a new unenviable record for himself.

Although Buhari tried to conceal his partisanship with the toga of “elder statesman”, his tendency to invoke blood, in whatever context, whether ill-intentioned or not, gave away the former military dictator’s penchant for inciting violence. He said, “I, along with many other patriotic Nigerians, fought for the unity and survival of this country. Hundreds of patriotic souls perished in the battle to keep Nigeria one. The blood of many of our compatriots helped to water the birth of the democracy we are all enjoying today.”

This may well be the truth, but Buhari needs to search his conscience whether his utterances before and after the 2011 Presidential Election did or did not encourage the violence that led to the shedding of the blood of many Nigerians after that election.

It is commendable that Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, swiftly reacted to Buhari’s uncharitable accusations against President Jonathan.

It is also noteworthy that, in contrast to Buhari’s obsession with invoking blood at every turn, Abati’s statement read in part: “President Jonathan remains true to his declaration that no political ambition of his is worth the life of a single Nigerian.”

Lest Buhari’s unfounded charges go unanswered, Abati also said, “The President has definitely not declared CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

expected to bow out office any moment from now to pave way for another person to take over the leadership of the party. Therefore, the belief in some quarters is that Umeh is taking the option of running for the Senate for him to still be relevant in Anambra State and APGA. As APGA national chairman with the party’s structures in his hand, Umeh may easily get the party’s senatorial ticket as many members of the party may not stand against again. But if the ongoing legal tussle between Umeh and Okwu, which is presently in the Supreme Court, is anything to go by, a victory for Okwu at the court may truncate Umeh’s ambition. But if the court rules in favour of Umeh, his ambition may see the light of the day.

To many political analysts, the decision of the APGA national chairman to contest for the Anambra Central Senatorial seat, which is presently occupied by former Anambra State governor and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the state last November governorship election, Senator Chris Ngige, is going to make the contest to be keenly contested for between the gladiators in the senatorial zone.

Though Ngige has not declared his intention to return to the Red Chamber next year, but there are speculations

Buhari

Lest Buhari’s unfounded charges go unanswered, Abati also said the President has definitely not declared war on his own country war on his own country or deployed federal institutions in the service of partisan interests as General Buhari falsely claims. Neither has he been using the common wealth to subvert the system and punish the opposition, as the former Head of State inexcusably asserts.”

Abati did not stop there. He reminded Buhari that Nigerians have not forgotten his record as Head of State. According to Abati: “Presi-

Jonathan

dent Jonathan has never at any time ordered that any Nigerian should be kidnapped or that anyone should be crated and forcefully transported in violation of decent norms of governance. We therefore urge General Buhari to tarry a while, ponder over his own antecedents and do a reality check as to whether he has the moral right to be so sanctimonious.”

Indeed, for all his claims to statesmanship, Buhari’s record speaks volumes. It is a matter of public record that General Buhari is a former military dictator who allied himself with soldiers who truncated a democratic government. It is a matter of public record that Buhari’s Decree No.4 remains one of the most draconian laws against press freedom that the entire world has ever seen. It is a matter of public record that Buhari’s regime incarcerated Nigerians without trial.

Moreover, it is also a matter of public record that today General Buhari has allied himself with former Lagos

State governor and another national leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu, who was reported to have said, “It will be rig and roast,” in reference to the just-concluded Ekiti election during a speech at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State on April 24, 2014.

Nobody needs a PhD in Semantics to understand that, when taken together, Buhari’s “the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood” promise and Tinubu’s “rig and roast” exhortation paint a clear picture of a very violent leadership of the APC, the political party that Buhari hopes to use in actualising his dream of presiding over Nigeria again.

Such is the APC’s predilection for violence that not only well-meaning Nigerians but foreigners as well have expressed their concerns. A case in point: the United States Consul General, Jeff Hawkins, recently said, “The sponsorship of violence and intimidation, and the rhetorical threat thereof, are utterly unacceptable in a democratic society, and need to be expunged once and for all from the Nigerian polity and discourse.”

So, beyond the rhetoric and posturing as a newborn “elder statesman”, Nigerians need to see Buhari’s ungracious utterances against Jonathan for what they are: sheer hypocrisy from a former military dictator whose records of human rights abuses and other offences against human decency and decorum far overshadow whatever pretensions to statesmanship that he may exhibit.

As Abati said in his counter statement: “It may well be time to pull the brakes, as General Buhari says in his statement, but it is he and others who have resorted to idle scapegoating and blaming President Jonathan for their self-inflicted political troubles who need to stop their inexcusable partisanship and show greater regard for the truth, democracy, constitutionalism, the rule of law, peace, security and the well-being of the nation.”

A word, as the cliché but still true admonition goes, is enough for the wise.

•Ayelabowo wrote from Ibadan

Senate: Can Umeh cage Ngige in 2015? that the former governor may likely seek re-election, having lost the governorship election last year. So, if Ngige eventually declares his interest to seek re-election, political observers are of the view that Umeh will challenge him for the seat.

Apart from Ngige, there are also speculations that the immediate APC National Deputy Chairman (South) and the Senator that represented Anambra Central Senatorial Zone between 2003 and 2007, Senator Annie Okonkwo and many other aspirants from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and APC will also join the senatorial race.

But having successfully piloted the affairs of APGA for many years and winning the governorship election for his party on two occasions, it is believed that Umeh may get his party’s ticket and also have a smooth ride in achieving his ambition of becoming a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2015.

Considering his popularity in the state, some people are of the view that Umeh will be a big threat to Ngige’s bid to return to the Senate, if the former governor decides to join the race. But Ngige’s aide, Chief Charles Amilo, believe that Umeh’s ambition will not be a threat to his principal, saying that

He has never stood for an election in his life... He should go ahead and pick the nomination form and appoint himself as the candidate of the party, and we will deal with that Ngige has nothing to worry about.

He said Umeh was the least of the problems of the distinguished senator as his declaration speech had not even been discussed by the Ngige camp. He also dismissed with a wave of the hand the opinion that the Anambra Central Senatorial election in 2015 may be a replica of the 2011 battle between his boss and late Prof. Dora Akunyili, insisting that Umeh would be an easy win for the Ngige camp.

His words: “Umeh is the national chairman of the party, but you must know that he has never stood for an election in his life. Not even as a councillor. He should go ahead and pick the nomination form and appoint himself

as the candidate of the party, and we will deal with that.

“Umeh has no clout, he is not in the mould of late Dora Akunyili, who was the Director General of National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC), where she performed very well and also a Minister of Information, and a bright scholar, yet Ngige defeated her.

“Ngige is not losing sleep about the declaration of Umeh, he has a lot of things to do, and he is going about his senatorial duties. In the next few weeks, he will commission transformers to be distributed to communities in Anambra; they have already been connected to the national grid.

“In the whole place, there are evidences of the things he has done as a senator, and his job when he was the governor of the state is still speaking for him till date. We are waiting for Umeh to pick the form and meet us in the field. We know he will be planning how to rig the election, as that is the only thing he knows how to do.”

Without any iota of doubt, Umeh’s ambition to contest for the Anambra Central Senatorial District is not going to be a childs play, but the question on the lips of many people is: How far can Umeh go in his quest to become a Senator in 2015?

Our VISION To build a newspaper organisation anchored on the sanctity of truth.

Our MISSION

Sanctity of Truth

To publish a newspaper of superior value, upholding the fundamental ethics of journalism: balanced reporting, fairness, accuracy and objectivity.

T

19

EDITORIAL

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

w w w.new telegraphonli ne.com

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth – Buddha

MONday, JULY 28, 2014

As Ebola shows up on our shores

he recent death of a Liberian in Lagos, allegedly from the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is worrisome, and is creating panic when considered against the background of illequipped public health infrastructure and lack of experience to combat the dreaded disease in the country.

Before this new addition to the statistics of victims, Sheikh Umar Khan, the 39-year-old top Liberian virologist fighting the deadliest ever outbreak of the Ebola virus was also killed by the disease over a week ago. Also three nurses working in the same Ebola treatment centre lost their lives.

The latest World Health Organization report states that 660 people have been killed out of the 1, 096 recorded cases across Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia, since the outbreak started in Guinea’s remotest Forest Region in February this year. This figure surpasses the previous record of 425 in Uganda in 2000 and the 280 victims of the first known outbreak in 1976, in a remote village near the Ebola River in what is today the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ebola virus is one of the world’s most virulent diseases with a fatality rate of up to 90 per cent. The infection is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people. It starts sud-

denly with fever, chills, headache, anorexia and muscle pain. As it progresses, other symptoms manifest such as nausea, vomiting, sore throat, stomach pain, diarrhea and internal and external bleeding. During an outbreak, those at higher risk of infection are health workers, family members and others in close contact with sick people and deceased patients.

Also, health experts say burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person can play a role in the transmission.

Men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to seven weeks after recovery. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and fruit bats. Since monkeys, rodents, among others, are its suitable vectors it may be passed on to people who eat bush meat. More importantly, the virus is also said to bear clinical similarities with common ailments like malaria, typhoid fever, cholera, relapsing fever, meningitis, hepatitis and other viral haemorrhagic fever. Grimly, it has no cure or vaccine.

The poor health infrastructure and resources in the West African region complicates the situation if urgent measures are not taken to curtail the alarming spread of the virus. As we warned in our editorial on April 22 this year, the Ebola threat must be taken seriously and

measures quickly put in place to checkmate the possible spread of the virus.

What even adds to the fear is the fact that medical personnel who are always meticulous with protection, wearing overalls, mask, gloves and special footwear are also being killed by the disease--juxtapose this to hapless Nigerians who do not have an idea of what the risk factors are as far as this disease is concerned.

This is even more so at this critical period when the country’s security problem is chasing a lot of Nigerians from their homes to displaced peoples’ camps especially in the North-Eastern region of the country. It goes without saying that living in camps predisposes them to outbreak of diseases, which could further complicate their situation. This is, therefore, why this development needs to be closely monitored and carefully handled to ensure that the recent death does not create panic in the country and the populace is prepared for any eventuality by making useful information available to them at the right time. Considering the country’s lack of experience in dealing with the disease and lack of up-to-date laboratories to even conduct test for proper analysis, communities must be educated about basic hygiene measures that can restrict its spread.

Taking into cognizance the flow

of people across borders and the porous nature of our borders, the Federal Government owes it a duty to prevent more loss of lives in the country by taking a decision that would protect the overall interest of all Nigerians.

The health authorities should start mobilizing, strategizing and organizing against the possible outbreak of the disease. Nothing should be left to chance. The population of Nigeria is huge and a fertile ground for an epidemic.

A massive campaign should be underway in several languages through the media warning the public about the implications of the outbreak, and protective measures to take against the spread of the disease.

The authorities in the health ministries should wake up from their slumber, anticipate and take action. According to health experts, the best approach to it is to trace the contact and break the chains of transmission. Our health officials at all levels must be alert, while our tertiary health facilities should be adequately equipped and upgraded to deal with the threat. It is imperative to address this issue with the urgency it deserves to avert any serious implication on Nigerians who are already saddled with the heavy burden of other deadly diseases. It would be a disservice to add to the already existing pains by exposing them to new deadly threats.

GABRIEL AKINADEWO Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU Deputy Managing Director/DEIC YEMI AJAYI Editor, Daily LAURENCE ANI Editor, Saturday EMEKA MADUNAGU Editor, Sunday LEO CENDROWICZ Bureau Chief, Brussels MARSHALL COMINS Bureau Chief, Washington DC SAM AMSTERDAM Editorial Coordinator, Europe EMMAN SHEHU (PhD) Chairman, Editorial Board GEOFFREY EKENNA News Editor TIMOTHY AKINLEYE Head, Graphics ROBINSON EZEH Head, Admin.

20

Sanctity of Truth

OPINION NHB 2014 as national security threat Philip C. Njemanze

T

he Global Prolife Alliance (GPA) would like to draw your attention to the greatest National Security Threat posed by the National Health Bill 2014 as passed by the National Assembly and urge you not to assent to this NHB 2014 because it was funded by the Foreign Biotechnology Companies and International Organ Trafficking Cartel to use Nigerians for Biological Slave Trade and Organ donation! NO CHANGES were made from the prior versions, only cosmetic rewording!

In summary, the NHB 2014, has serious flaws, since the Bill fails to protect the ‘Sanctity of Life’ and ‘Dignity of the Human person’ as enshrined in the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria at the 36th Annual General Meeting (AGM) pointed out the serious flaws in the current bill (see http://www. medicalworldnigeria.com/2014/05/communiqueissued-at-the-end-of-the-36th-agm-and-isc-of-theassociation-of-general-and-private-medical-practitioners-of-nigeria#.U8b1crGpCiU ). It would be successfully challenged in Nigerian and International Human Rights courts. Here are the highlights: • The NHB 2014 permits the trafficking in human ovarian eggs and sperms, by not mandating use of human gametes (ovarian eggs and sperms) under CONSENT. Note that, the Bill deceptively excludes ‘gametes’ in the definition of ‘tissue’ in the Interpretation section, so that it is not protected

by CONSENT for tissues. The poaching of human ovarian eggs would lead to medical complications of ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome,that would result in deaths of over 10 million poor Nigerian

The NHB 2014 permits the trafficking in human ovarian eggs and sperms, by not mandating use of human gametes (ovarian eggs and sperms) under CONSENT. Note that, the Bill deceptively excludes ‘gametes’ in the definition of ‘tissue’ in the Interpretation section, so that it is not protected by CONSENT for tissues women in the next five years, who may be forced by economic hardship to sell their ovarian eggs.

The Bill Gates Foundation and their allied international donor organizations are sponsors of the NHB 2014. Their aim is to create sources for 100 million ovarian eggs per year from 10 million Nigerian women who would die 2-3 years later. Nigeria today is the highest exporter of ovarian eggs in the World according to EU Policy Report, so IVF practitioners seek a legalized framework to expand egg poaching from Nigerians. The Chibok girls kidnapping was used to pressure Nigeria but so far failed. Now strikes funded through proxies in the various sectors of Nigerian economy is now in use in the mix with some legitimate agitations. Please don’t yield to this pressure because the country will totally capitulate on every threat resulting in deaths of millions of Nigerians!

• The NHB 2014 does not provide for explicit DONOR consent for human organ transplantation in Sections 49 (b) and 52, which creates room for human organ poaching and trafficking trade that would endanger the lives of many Nigerians. It is

Monday, July 28, 2014

alarming that the international organized crime cartels have become involved in Nigeria, seeking to open new opportunities after the closure of the illegal human organ sales in India and the Philippines.

• The NHB 2014 mandates issuance of Certificate of Standards in Section 13, focused on building and equipment requirements rather than medical services. The Bill was deceptively crafted to mandate closure of many private and mission hospitals in Nigeria within the next 24 months, while providing for thriving foreign owned and operated hospitals in Nigeria built under the International Building Code for hospitals not matched by 98% of Nigerian hospitals today. The ensuing chaos in the health sector would lead to many Nigerians loosing their lives.

• The NHB 2014 in Section 46 does not offer job security for Nigerian public health workers during resolution of industrial disputes. The idea is to sack Nigerian health workers from key teaching hospitals and replace them with foreign workers involved in organ harvesting allowed in Section 52 where the Foreign Doctors authorize organ transplantation from Nigerians to foreigners on ‘Organ Transplant Tourism’ in Nigeria.

• The NHB by proposing FREE Emergency Services in Section 20 is impractical and unsustainable; rather Nigeria should aim at Universal Health Coverage Insurance Scheme. It is an unacceptable abuse of human rights in Section 48 that waives the CONSENT clause even for free emergency treatment, since it would expose patients to many abuses including organ poaching for sale allowed in Section 52.

•Dr Philip C. Njemanze MD, Chairman, Global Prolife Alliance (GPA), sent this article as an open letter to President Jonathan on defects of the National Health Bill (NHB) 2014.

Not against the Gaza people Ambassador Uriel Palti

I

s it possible for any nation to fold its arms and watch terrorists kidnap its children or sit back and observe while rockets rain down on its citizens or gape at jihadists burrowing tunnels under its borders?

The answer is in the negative. That is why we were left with no other choice than to embark on the ongoing military operations in the Gaza.

For years, the citizens of Israel have been the victims of unrelenting attacks perpetuated by a murderous terrorists group. Hamas has attacked us in our homes, at our schools, while sitting at cafes and on our buses. The past month alone offers a glimpse into the unrelenting threats that Israel faces. We have been attacked on four fronts. Rockets have been launched from Syria, Lebanon, and Sinai and over 1,500 rockets and mortar bombs have been fired by terrorists in Gaza.

We were left with no choice than to embark on operation "Protective Edge."

For years, we informed the international community of thousands of rockets that Hamas was smuggling into Gaza, but we were met with silence The Israel Defense Forces entered Gaza to restore a sustained quiet to the people of Israel while degrading Hamas' terror capabilities.

This was not what we wanted. Israeli forces are fighting in Gaza, but not fighting the people of Gaza. And that is why the six hours humanitarian ceasefire without Israeli attacks was enough to give ordinary people in Gaza some hope that an end to fighting might be near. For Hassan Abu Ali, a retired police officer who used the pause to check in at his family’s home in northern Gaza, it was just enough time “to feed the cat.’’

After more than a week of steady

attacks, Israel halted its air attacks on Tuesday last week, heeding an Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire. Temporary shelters in Gaza City began to empty. Many of the tens of thousands who evacuated the northern tier of Gaza began to return home.

However, Hamas militants did not agree to the cease-fire. The military wing of the Islamist organization started lobbing mortar rounds at Israel within minutes after Israel’s attacks stopped. During Abu Ali’s visit home, the sound of Hamas rockets passing overhead reverberated through the skies. It was clear that Hamas’s defiance would be answered, but the many Palestinians who had supported a cease-fire found themselves loudly shouted down.

For years, we informed the international community of thousands of rockets that Hamas was smuggling into Gaza, but we were met with silence. Hama is using the unity government to export its terrorist capabilities from Gaza to Judea and Samaria. If Hamas is not stopped, it

will mean more terror for Israel and more tragedy for the Palestinians.

The international community should therefore rise in unison to condemn Hamas, which uses its foothold in Gaza to trample on the Palestinian people and build a terror base in Israel's backyard.

There is no country in the world that would tolerate such an assault on its citizens – and Israel should not be expected to either. I stand to be contradicted. As the representative of Israel in Nigeria, I know the amount of efforts in terms of human and material resources the government is putting up to tackle the menace of Boko Haram in the country. Just like the people of Nigeria, the citizens of Israel want to live in peace and away from the stronghold of terror. We want to see our children grow up and grow old without the constant need to drop anything they are doing, and in 15 seconds, reach the temporary security that a bomb shelter can offer.

• Palti is the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria

INVESTIGATION Monday, JULY 28, 2014

21 NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/investigation

ISIOMA MADIKE Editor, INVESTIGATION

isioma.madike@newtelegraphonline.com isiomamadike69@gmail.com

Child trafficking

Modern slavery monster The nefarious activities of those who traffic in human beings, particularly children, appear to be on the rise in the country. And, the practice, unfortunately has gained prominence owing, perhaps, to the level of poverty and dwindling moral standards in the land, reports ISIOMA MADIKE

Immigration officers with rescued suspected trafficked kids.

B

lessing is a native of Benue State.

She is one of Nigeria’s many lads whose lives have been indentured in the hands of a few privileged elite, who take delight in trafficking children in and around the country for selfish gains.

She is a popular face at Agidingbi Street, Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State where she hawks groundnut. She lives around Moshalashi Street in Agege, a suburb of the metropolis. For her, everything appeared to have gone wrong from the onset. She had earlier dropped out of school when her father died some years back, and has had to be trafficked to Lagos in a bid to "liberate" her family from biting poverty.

A quick glance could not reveal that Blessing had packed such a considerable but stressful experience into her life. She

is, certainly, a pretty girl at 12. Light complexioned with radiant skin and right figure. The smile on her face, though, was contrary to the expectation that she would be edgy. Yet, the glow on her rosy cheeks confirmed the fact that she was, indeed, very young. She represents the story of many, her age, in the new slavery.

But, if you think Blessing’s case is dreadful, then Ekaette, 15, from Cross River State, would simply force tears out of the hardest of the hearts.

Ekaette is supposed to be under the protective shield of a caring parent. She cut an innocent look but pitiable sight as she sat with forlorn looks in front of a dingy room that has been her abode since she was forced to follow a woman she knew only as ‘Auntie’ to Lagos in search of the proverbial greener pasture. It was a mis-

adventure that has permanently altered the poor girl’s perception of her world.

That was about a year ago.

The Auntie, who had convinced her mother to allow Ekaette come with her to Lagos with a promise that within a few weeks she would be sending money home with which to fend for the rest of the family, ended up introducing her to prostitution in a most cruel way.

Four days after arriving Lagos, Ekaette was told it was time she started earning her pay. The poor little girl, who was barely 14 years old when she left home, was taken to a grimy brothel in the backwoods of Ojuelegba, where ‘Auntie’ instructed that she must open her laps to men for a fee.

She narrated her story in tears. “It was a terrible experience for me. The

first man, who came to me was hurtful and didn’t give me anything even after he forced his way. Left with no choice, I had to cope with the job because I had to survive.

I couldn’t even find my way back home, should I get anybody to borrow (lend) me the transport fare,” Ekaette told this reporter rather sadly.

However, the said Auntie abandoned Ekaette when police came to raid the home. Before then, rough men, who flocked the brothel had savagely abused her. Since then, she has been from one open bar to another within the metropolis, fending for herself.

Incidentally, Blessing and Ekaette are not isolated cases. In many homes, including those of the influential in the CO NTINUED O N PAGE 22

22 INVESTIGATION

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Captors prey on victims ignorance and vulnerability

Suspects paraded with the stolen children

Agony of a trafficked child

CONTINUED FR O M PAGE 21

society across the nation, they are replicated as maids, more fashionably called house helps. They may not be unfortunate groundnut hawkers like Blessing or prostitutes in the mould of Ekaette, but they, nevertheless, undergo debasement and personal de-humanisation as victims of sexual abuse by their mistresses’ husbands or children. They are the young women and children, who are exposed to forced labour by their heartless and exploitative traffickers.

Traffickers have devised new ways of recruitment The captors prey on the ignorance, self-worth and vulnerability of victims, who, often times end up enduring harsher lifestyles away from the promises of “milk and honey.” Indeed, the realities on ground have shown that traffickers have continued to devise ways of recruiting their victims, particularly from poor, rural communities where there is high rate of ignorance and poverty, which is creating limited opportunities for work and sometimes, survival.

Today, children are being recruited and trafficked to earn money for others by bagging or hawking goods on the streets and sometimes forced to sell their bodies at night. Many of them are also exploited by the elite, who initially promised helping them get lucrative jobs abroad. Hence, every year, hundreds of them are separated from their parents, legal guardians or habitual caregivers and sold as mere commodities.

The picture usually painted before unsuspecting victims starts with the promise of a better life, good jobs, better education and regular income. The parents are taken in and the children persuaded.

Many of them leave home willingly with excitement. By the time they realise the

Lorry loaded with children being ferried to unknown destination intercepted by police

futility of the promise made to them at recruitment, it would have been too late to rediscover themselves. They would have lost everything, including but not limited to their self-esteem.

At present, girls and boys are trafficked internally from poverty-stricken areas to places of relative opulence. The trade also boom within the West and Central African countries. The children in this instance are used for domestic services and sexual exploitation. This has equally assumed an international dimension as it now involves cross-border dealings.

John Okwuose, a temporary guardian of a 16-year-old sex worker “liberated” recently by the Nigeria Police in Lagos,

said, “the incident of trafficking is not different from the slave trade of old, which saw many able-bodied Africans ferried across the Atlantic to Europe and the New World. It is now a pandemic, worse than the dreaded Human Immuno Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS).”

There are others, who likened trafficking in humans, particularly teenage girls to the 21st century slavery coming more than 200 years after the abominable practice was abolished by the League of Nations in 1926.

Traffickers, according to reports, force their victims into prostitution, pornography and child labour. While some victims

end up in seamy places in Europe, especially Italy and Spain, others are taken to West African countries to work on plantations, reminiscent of the evil days of the slave trade. In some cases, parents are said to connive with middlemen to send their children to distant places to raise money to meet some of their needs.

Another variant of this trade is when victims are kidnapped, drugged and transported against their wish to unknown destinations. A pointer to this is the sheer number of people, who have simply disappeared without any trace.

The victims of this dehumanising trade CO NTINUED O N PAGE 23

INVESTIGATION

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

23

Thousands are trafficked into simple slavery – ILO

NAPTIP executive secretary, Jedi Agba CONTINUED FR O M PAGE 22

provide cheap labour and source for gratification of desires and fantasies for the privileged.

Some innocent victims are roped in to fend for their families Yet, some of these innocent victims are directly being roped in to fend for the rest of the family. Not too long ago, a young girl of seven in Benin City, the Edo State capital, was reported to have been raped by two men. The act was said to have been coordinated by the directive of the girl’s father. The father, reports added, claimed that his daughter was too weak, naïve, and inexperienced for the task of seeking financial breakthrough for the family with which her “gender has destined her.” So, he decided to induct and give her a taste of what was to come.

There was also another disgusting story of another teenager, Anita, from Akwa Ibom State at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention in Geneva some year back where she relived her sorry story in the hand of traffickers.

She was orphaned at age 11 and was put in the care of a relative, who maltreated her. Her friend, who introduced her to an aunt, who resides in Lagos, promised to bring Anita to Lagos to assist in her styling business and also learn the vocation.

She agreed, reasoning that such arrangement might end her suffering.

But, she was wrong.

On getting to Lagos, the said aunt subjected Anita to more cruelty as she ended

up in a brothel at the tender age of 12. A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), involved in children’s welfare, Women Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON), rescued her from the brothel after four years at age 15. Anita was then rehabilitated and trained as a hairdresser. She now runs her business, employing additional two hands.

Anita’s is one of the few lucky cases of children, who have been rescued from the clutches of a heinous crime permeating the borders. The patrons of this evil act are usually said to administer oath on these innocent girls before they are smuggled to Italy, Spain, France, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Britain through Nigeria’s border with Benin and Togo Republics. This, according to investigations, is to ensure that the girls did not violet their allegiance to their custodians in those countries.

This may have been why ILO noted that “international trafficking of girls fuels the prostitution rackets in Europe while in the Middle-East, boys are often enlisted in drug trafficking and illicit sale of arms.

And thousands of people are trafficked around the world into simple slavery for economic exploitation.”

The trafficking of children for the purpose of domestic service, prostitution and other forms of exploitative labour has become widespread phenomenon in Nigeria. Children and women are recruited with promises of well-paid jobs in urban centres within the country or abroad, realising too late that they have been lured

Senate President, David Mark

Speaker, House of Reps, Aminu Tambuwal

C-G, Nigeria Immigration Service, David Paradang

IGP, Mohammed Abubakar

into a debt bond. Violence, coercion and deception are used to take victims away from their families. Regretfully, Nigeria is a source, transit and destination country for trafficked women and children. However, prostitution, domestic and exploitative labour continues to fuel this modern from of slavery.

To fight this monster of human trafficking, the Government passed the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition and Administration Act and established the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related matters (NAPTIP) in 2003. Since then, investigation of cases, prosecution of criminals, rescue and rehabilitation of victims have been the major concern of the Agency. Similar concern is also evident at the global level.

Just recently, three Nigerians, Olusoji Oluwafemi, 44, Johnson Olayinka, 45, and Florence Obadiaru, 48, were jailed for a total of 13 years in the United Kingdom for being the London connection in a global trafficking conspiracy. It was gathered that dozens of young women are being smuggled into Britain as sex slaves every year under the threat of black magic curses. Many were taken to witchdoctors, who cut them, rubbed black powder in their wounds and threatened them with death if they ran away from their captors. In some cases, young women were forced to sleep in coffins, drink chicken hearts, soaked in alcohol, or ‘sacrifice’ intimate items.

The trio were in constant contact with

a shadowy ‘fixer’ woman, who prowled poor Nigerian villages looking for young women to exploit. The woman, who remains at the centre of an international manhunt, also supplied young girls to another crime gang that was smashed last year. Investigators discovered that the victim volunteered to travel to London because her family had fallen into hardship since the sudden death of her father in 2008. She was told that she must repay £40,000 by working in Britain and taken to a witchdoctor to pledge her total obedience to the gang. The woman swore an oath in a juju ceremony that involved cutting her armpit and pubic hair and taking finger nail clippings.

She flew to Heathrow in September 2011 before spending several weeks at the house of one Obadiaru, in Brockley, South East London. The victim was then provided with a false passport and throwaway mobile phone and sent to Milan where immigration officials turned her away.

They conned the innocent 23-year-old into flying to Heathrow on a bogus passport with the promise of education, a job and a new home. But, instead she was raped, beaten and subjected to a ‘juju’ ritual before being sent to Italy where she was destined to be pimped out on the streets as a prostitute. The victim’s terrible ordeal was only uncovered when officials in Milan spotted her forged passport and sent her back to London where she was saved by police.

Her experience is typical of many other Nigerian victims.

CO NTINUED O N PAGE 24

24 INVESTIGATION

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

‘Over 200,000 children are trafficked annually in West Africa' CONTINUED FR O M PAGE 23

Estimated 10,000 Nigerians worked as prostitutes in Italy The phenomenon of human trafficking, particularly in West Africa, has, in recent years assumed alarming proportions and hence receives unprecedented global attention. Although, there is a lack of accurate data, it is reported that in West and Central Africa, over 200,000 children are trafficked annually, while in West Africa alone, an estimated 35,000 women and children are trafficked every year for commercial sexual exploitation.

Nigeria is ranked as one of the seven poorest countries of the world. Its poverty coupled with a high rate of unemployment, massive devaluation of the local currency, civil and political unrest, are some major internal factors responsible for a high rate of migration, which paves the way for human trafficking. Within Africa, Nigeria is the largest single source of trafficked young girls to Europe and Middle East. A recent survey reveals that the country is responsible for more cases of trafficking of teenagers into Europe for forced prostitution than any other African country. Italian authorities estimate that over 10,000 Nigerian prostitutes work in Italy, many of them victims of trafficking.

Other factors responsible for trafficking are the desperate search for better opportunities, gender imbalance and discrimination, high levels of illiteracy, a taste for adventure, family instability, the breakdown in value systems and inadequate implementation of laws and policies against human trafficking and forced labour. While the major external pull factor that has fuelled the trend is the high demand for cheap, submissive labour, especially in the informal economies of the destination areas and the growth of the sex industry.

Internal trafficking from rural communities to urban centres has only recently been recognised. The majority of internally trafficked persons, mostly women and children, are primarily trafficked for domestic labour, work on plantations and sexual purposes, while men and boys are trafficked principally for begging and farm labour.

Investigations have also shown that those trafficked internally are mainly children from rural communities in Cross Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Benue, Ebonyi, Kwara, Bayelsa, Imo and Anambra states. Shaki in Oyo State and border villages in Ogun State are also where young Nigerians are trafficked for domestic service to the city centres such as Lagos, Kano, Port-Harcourt, Ibadan and Kaduna.

Most of the domestic helps that work in the cities confessed that middlemen facilitated their present jobs. Intermediaries supply these children, who are often less than 16 years of age to different households in exchange for their travel expenses and six months of wages. In some cases, at the expiration of six months, the employer continues to pay the children wages to their ‘uncle or aunt’, who, in reality, may not be related to them.

However, this age-old form of internal

Olayinka

Obadiaru

Oluwafemi

tions of traffickers between 2008 and early 2010. Though, reliable data on the smuggling of migrants is hard to obtain, statistics obtained by criminal networks involving Nigerians and other West African nationals has remained a growing concern.

in Nigeria, according to research by NAPTIP, are found in the Niger Delta region.

Children become vulnerable to being trafficked for a number of reasons, with the root causes being poverty and lack of opportunities, corruption and instability and/or armed conflict. In some instances, their parents pay for them to be taken to another country, in the hope that they will gain employment and a better life abroad.

Alternatively, children may be sold to traffickers by their parents, or kidnapped by such groups. Street children are particularly susceptible to becoming trafficking victims, as are children, who suffer from other forms of discrimination. In the Niger Delta region, for instance, children, who have been stigmatised as ‘witches’ are extremely at risk as they are usually rejected by their families and communities, and often live on the streets with no-one to care for them.

However, there seems to be a ray of hope in arresting this trend in the country.

The new Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Bill seeking to repeal and amend the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act of 2003 is being considered by Nigeria’s Parliament. The new bill had been in the National Assembly and was passed by the Senate recently. It stipulates stiffer penalties for offenders than the existing law. It also seeks to stop human trafficking in Nigeria and prescribes a minimum of seven years imprisonment or a minimum fine of N1 million for offenders.

Nigerian prostitute arrested by Italian police

trafficking is usually confused with the traditional practice of child fostering within the extended family. Unfortunately, such children are no longer cared for but rather exploited through placement for different forms of labour. Also, parents and guardians (mostly in the rural communities) now give away children to non-relatives for labour in exchange for money.

There are also reports of children, who are kidnapped by traffickers from the villages and trafficked to cities within Nigeria.

Child begging is, especially widespread in northern Nigeria and most of the people parading as deaf mutes at filling stations, mosques, churches and hospitals with envelopes asking for alms have been found to be victims of trafficking.

The vulnerability of rural dwellers becomes more visible in cases where the children and young people are not only from poor rural communities but are orphans or come from dysfunctional homes. In some cases, the trafficking is facilitated or carried out with the active connivance of members of the victims’ families.

Incidentally, traffickers in Nigeria have many faces. They could be men or women members of organised criminal networks.

Bilateral cooperation agreements with, inter-alia, Italy, the Netherlands, the Nordic Countries, France, and the UK, have led to the dismantling of several international criminal trafficking networks. NAPTIP is also reported to have rescued more than 4,000 victims since its creation, and has equally achieved more than 100 convic-

UN statistics puts the trade at over $32b globally In Nigeria, experts have blamed failure of state to criminalise the traffic in human persons over the years, especially as they say the country remained a source, transit and destination point of trafficked persons.

But, the scourge, which the United Nations (UN) statistics put at a staggering $32 billion business globally, according to many, would perceptively be tackled only when all stakeholders agree to work together.

Two hundred years after the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the trafficking of African children continues unabated.

This is one of the most horrific violations of a child’s right.

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has defined trafficking as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation.” Reasons for trafficking children include: sexual exploitation, forced labour and/or slavery, domestic servitude, forced marriages, illegal adoptions, and even forced organ removal or human sacrifice.

UNICEF has estimated that over 1.2 million children worldwide are trafficked each year. The highest rates of child trafficking

BUSINESS Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Monday, JULY 28, 2014

What's news Nigeria among top 20 dividend paying countries Even in the face of an economy that appears to be dwindling due to unfavourable government policies and political instability, Nigeria has emerged among top 20 dividend paying countries.

}p-26

NAICOM approves 22 underwriters’ accounts The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has approved the 2013 financial year accounts of more underwriting firms, bringing the total to 22 from 19 as at July 25, 2014.

}p-26

Experts list challenges of airlines' insurance in Nigeria Inadequate expertise to underwrite aviation risks, premium quotes, unfavourable terms; claims control clause and jurisdiction clause are some of the major challenges facing aviation insurance in Nigeria, Deputy Director, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Leo Akah, has said.

}p-31

CBN proposes sixyear time bar for complaints resolution The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has set a six-year time bar after which consumer complaints against financial services providers (FSPS) would not be entertained.

}p-32

AYODELE AMINU, Deputy Editor (Business) Simeon Ogoegbulem, Dep. Business Editor BAYO AKOMOLAFE, Asst. Editor (Maritime) SUNDAY OJEME, Asst. Editor (Insurance) SIAKA MOMOH, Asst. Editor (Industry/Agric) Godson ikoro , Asst. Editor (Money Market) JONAH IBOMA, ICT Editor DAYO ADEYEMI, Property Editor ADEOLA YUSUF, Energy Editor

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/business

}p-42-43

ayodele aminu, Deputy Editor, business

ayodele.aminu@newtelegraphonline.com ayodeleaminu@yahoo.com

28 firms vie for FG’s $500m pipe mill, other projects DEADLINE The pipe mill, industrial park and NCDMB headquarters would be delivered before December 2017 Adeola Yusuf

O

ver 28 contractors are jostling to clinch the $500 million oil projects spanning the construction of pipe mill, industrial park and the headquarters of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), New Telegraph gathered at the weekend.

This came just as the Federal Government set December deadline for the commencement of the projects' construction.

A source at the Ministry of Petroleum told this newspaper that bid process for the projects are already on going.

"About 28 contractors have already shown interest and we believe that more may still come out for the contest," the source said.

L-R: Dr. Shehu Muhammad, Executive Director, North; Mr. Philip Ikeazor, Managing Director/CEO, Keystone Bank and Mr Hafiz Bakare, Executive Director, Corporate Bank and Treasury, during a press parley held in Lagos.

The Federal Government had said through the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, that over $200 million would be invested in the pilot pipe mill project, which is expected to be completed before the end of 2015.

Mrs Alison-Madueke, who doubles as the chairman of NCDMB’s Governing Council, also confirmed that the Board’s headquarters’ building project will cost over $200 million and is planned to be completed in 36 months.

She also identified the Oil

is to address competition, hinting that carriers have found that consolidation will allow them a stronger market presence and power to claim a position of dominance.

With intense pressure on airlines to cut costs and earn profits, acquisitions offer a channel to increase scale and leverage the sheer size of the resulting partnership. Carriers have resorted to acquisition to reduce costs, increase loads and improve profitability. Strategic alliances also allow companies

and Gas Industrial Park as another major development, which will create opportunities for Nigerians, including Bayelsa indigenes.

Giving an update on the project, the minister said in a statement at the weekend, that about $100 million investment will be sunk into the project and infrastructure construction will commence later in the year.

Meanwhile, Mrs. AlisonMadueke has commended the achievements of the NCDMB within its four years of existence, describing the agency as a major contributor to the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

She gave the commendation during a visit to the headquarters of the Board in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

"We are all extremely pleased at the federal level with the various achievements this Board has recorded within this short period of time. It is quite clear from our various movements particularly when we go to international fora and see the number of Nigerians that are now exhibiting the services they deliver to the industry," a

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Why Nigerian airlines are not profitable, by Sabre boss PARTNERSHIP

BUSINESS CREW

‘Government lacks 25 BUSINESS | BRANDS & ADVERTISING capacity to run refineries’

Partnerships with other airlines are increasingly attractive Wole Shadare

N

igerian airlines would continue to be unprofitable if they continue to operate virtually the same schedule to the triangular routes, President, Sabre West Africa, Gbenga Olowo, has said, adding that the commercials must be right.

The expert told New Telegraph that with this type of economics, airlines’ income on these services can never cover costs of fuelling for the journey where, he said, the average passenger load factor is about 50 passengers.

Olowo, the President of a United States Travel solution firm, however, called for Nigerian airlines to form partnerships that would enable them remain afloat in the intricate aviation business.

The Sabre chief stated that one of the fundamental reasons airlines engage in partnerships

WOLE SHADARE, Aviation Editor DELE ALAO, Brands/Marketing Editor CHRIS UGWU, Capital Market Editor Abdulwahab Isa, Finance Editor Chuks Onuanyin, Energy Nnamdi Amadi, Reporter JOHNSON ADEBAYO, Asst. Production Editor

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE June 2014................................8.2% May 2014....................................8% April 2014.................................7.9%

LENDING RATE

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at July 25)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N169 InterBank Rate . . . . . . . . . 10.50% Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N288.50 Prime Lending Rate. . . . . 16.93% Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N228 Maximum Lending Rate..25.83% • Foreign Reserves – $38.942bn as at 24/07/2014

EXCHANGE RATE

(Official As at July 25)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N156.73 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N265.95 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N210.87 Source: CBN

26 business | NEWS INVESTORS’ HAVEN Nigeria is in the 15th position ahead of four European countries Sunday Ojeme

with agency report

E

ven in the face of an economy that appears to be dwindling due to unfavourable government policies and political instability, Nigeria has emerged among top 20 dividend paying countries.

A research by Lippervia Thomson Reuter Datastream, placed Nigeria in 15th position

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Nigeria among top 20 dividend paying countries ahead of four European countries among countries listed.

The table published in Money Observer awarded Nigeria 3.92 per cent in average dividend yield.

Top on the list is Czech with 5.99 per cent, China 5.11 per cent, Malta 5.04 per cent, Pakistan 4.84 per cent, Oman 4.57 per cent, Bahrain, 4.55 per cent, Colombia 4.46 per cent, Morocco 4.37 per cent and Norway 4.27 per cent.

Others on the list are Australia 4.19 per cent, Russia 4.13 per cent, Venezuala 4.04 per cent, Brazil 4.03 per cent and Spain 3.95 per cent.

The countries below Nigeria include Jordan 3.91 per cent, Finland 3.77 per cent, New Zealand 3.75 per cent, Poland 3.62 per cent and Romania 3.61 per cent.

The report noted that global companies were increasingly paying high dividends, as fac-

tors such as favourable tax regimes, increasing pressure from domestic and foreign shareholders and rapid sector privatisation take effect, even in regions where dividend income was previously almost unheard of.

The top 20 also has South Asian, Middle Eastern and African frontier markets, including markets in Pakistan, Bahrain, Oman and Morocco, all of which yield more than four per cent. Eastern Europe is also prominent.

In many emerging markets, particularly in China and South America, dividends were unheard of until quite recently, not least because firms in these regions have tended to be stateowned in the past.

According to the research, regions that have historically been off the dividend map are now some of the highest yielding on the globe.

These include China, which is currently paying the second-highest average dividend globally, at 5.1 per cent, and a number of previously non- or low-yielding South American

countries such as Columbia, Venezuela and Brazil.

Much of this can be explained by the economic changes that have taken place in many of these countries over the past 20 to 30 years. Changes in China typify the trend. The country switched from having a closed communist economy to an open semi-capitalist one where vast privatisations were undertaken and floods of foreign investment allowed in.

According to Dan Roberts, manager of Fidelity's Global Enhanced Income and Global Dividend funds, many of these markets now pay dividends because economic growth and company expansion has slowed, particularly in Asia.

He said: "Ten years ago, it was not unusual for Asian companies to take significant leverage on their balance sheets to fuel growth. In recent years, firms have placed more emphasis on dividend payments, as returns on equity have expanded and the need for capital expenditure has fallen."

28 vie for FG’s $500m projects CONTIN U E D F RO M PAGE 2 5 L-R: Chairman, Regency Alliance Insurance Plc, Adolphus Karibi-Whyte; Managing Director, Biyi Otegbeye and Director, Chief, Bayo Adejumo, during the company's 20th Annual General Meeting in Lagos.

WRONG SIGNAL Firms failing to adapt to the financial standard are sending a wrong signal to the world

Sunday Ojeme

T

he National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has approved the 2013 financial year accounts of more underwriting firms, bringing the total to 22 from 19 as at July 25, 2014.

This was as sequel to the companies’ ability to meet with the regulator’s directive on the application of the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS).

While 16 accounts were queried, 17 firms are yet to submit, four are being reviewed, making the total number of accounts submitted 42.

A notice posted on NAICOM’s website titled: ‘Submission status of 2013 financial statements of insurance companies’ as at Friday July 25, 2014, listed the approved accounts as those of Mansard Insurance, Custodian General Insurance Plc, Custodian Life Assurance Limited, Cornerstone Insurance Plc, Zenith Life Insurance Limited, NSIA Insurance Limited and FBN Life Assurance Limited, Wapic Insurances Plc, Wapic Life Assurances and Regency Alliance Insurance.

NAICOM approves 22 underwriters’ accounts Others are Law Union and Rock Insurance Plc, AIICO Insurance Plc, UBA Metropolian Life Insurance, Oasis Insurance, Leadway Assurance, Zenith Insurance Company Limited, Continental Reinsurance, Niger Insurance Plc and Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc. Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel, has been taking on the operators over their inability to adapt to the financial standard, saying that their action was sending a wrong signal to the world about the health of the industry.

The commission, he further said, had written letters to the chairmen of the companies that were yet to submit their accounts and have asked them to dig into the competency of the management of their companies.

He said: “The Commission had no apologies for not approving the result of the insurance firms that have submitted," insisting that NAICOM was not ready to bend the rules.

“The Commission will not compromise but will ensure that the companies abide by the rules and regulations. We have no apologies or excuses for not approving accounts that are not correct. We will rather delay clearance of accounts than allow such accounts to be passed.

“The biggest problem that

we have had in the past is accounts coming from the industry that are not trusted by investors. That is why they do forensics on accounts that have been passed by regulators. This is not a good thing for the companies, the industry and the nation.”

As far back as 2011 the regulator directed the underwriters to commence the process of converting fully to IFRS by 2012 in a bid to create a sound foundation for future accounting standards that are principlesbased, internally consistent and internationally converged.

More than two years after, some of the companies are still having issues with the conversion from the Nigerian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (NGAAP).

Besides the snag with the commission, underwriters who are yet to straighten their accounts are also contending with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) as they are made to pay huge fines to SEC. “We are not making excuses, neither are we apologising to those companies whose accounts are still pending. They refused to do the right thing.

The NSE and SEC are aware of what we are doing and they are supporting us,” Daniel had said.

statement from the corporate affairs unit of the board quoted the minister to have said.

"It is progressing robustly every year and going from strength to strength. Within Nigeria, the success of Nigerian Content is incredible,” she stressed.

The Minister also underscored the adoption of the Nigerian Content philosophy by other sectors of the economy such as the Ministry of Communications Technology and Ministry of Power as further proof that that the implementation of the Act has been effective.

She said: “The fact that Nigerian Content policies are about to be deployed in various parts of the economy and ministries as well want to copy and learn from the Ministry of Petroleum

is one of the things we can be actually proud of. It is one of the strengths of the oil and gas sector in the President Jonathan’s administration and we are very pleased with it.”

On her expectation for the future, Mrs Alison-Madueke expressed confidence that Nigerian Content implementation will “lend itself in a critical way to the growth of the nation’s economy and development of the citizenry in terms of knowledge, capacity building and employment generation.”

Speaking earlier at the Bayelsa State Investment and Economic Forum (BSIEF), the minister charged Nigerians, particularly indigenes of the state to take advantage of the NCDMB and the fact that the institution is located in Yenagoa to play key roles in the oil and gas industry.

Why Nigerian airlines are not profitable CONTIN U E D F RO M PAGE 2 5

to leverage each other’s core competencies.

Mergers and acquisitions are usually resorted to either for increasing scale or cutting costs, while alliances are often used as a way to enter new markets. Some markets may have high barriers to entry such as regulatory constraints, established competitors or highly volatile markets that do not justify initial entry investments.

Olowo who was a former Director with the defunct Bellview Airlines, stated that aviation fuel, otherwise known as JET A1 is a single cost element in aviation business.

He recalled: “I went to Abuja about 0700hrs on Wednesday

and surprisingly Aero, Medview, First Nation and Arik were all departing around the same hour carrying less than 40 per cent payload through my headcount survey. Ditto from Abuja to Lagos around 1330hrs.

“I even heard departure announcements of two new airlines Azman using AZ and I wonder who allocated this prefix because AZ in International Air Transport Association (IATA) is Alitalia and Discovery Air. I was the only passenger in business class on the airline used.”

“With this sort of economics, airlines’ income on these services can never cover 4000 litres trip fueling for the journey, which is a single cost element on this business”.

YOUTH CULTURE Photos posted on Instagram by young residents of Ikeja, Ojodu and Agege axis of Lagos last week

This is an advert space for hotels

MY CITY, MY WORLD (OLOWU)

INTERVIEW (Babatunde Edu)

Lagos is a place to make dreams come true — Jimi Agbaje

Lagos Traffic Radio has made our job easier_ LASTMA boss

The Mega City

www.newtelegraphonline.com/megacity

Lagos govt urges residents to embrace state’s initiative to own houses

M

r Lateef Ibirogba, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy has called on Lagos residents to take advantage of the state’s flexible housing initiative to own houses.

Ibirogba told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos last Friday that the Lagos Homes Ownership Mortgage Scheme provided residents with the opportunity to own houses irrespective of their social status.

He said that the houses were available in various parts of the state and residents could choose from the various locations depending on their purchasing power. ``The `Lagos Homs’ is an affordable system; a mortgage system that will not compel you to buy anything you want to buy with `Ghana-must-go’. ``This is a system that allows you to pay 30 per cent of whatever the value of your choice houses in whatever area you have chosen by yourself. ``Pay 30 per cent, and pay the rest over a 10-year period. It is affordable; it’s easy for anybody that is interested to own a house. ``So, in terms of affordability, the Lagos Homs is affordable in the sense that it is easier, it is more liberal in meeting up. ``We have made it that houses are everywhere in Lagos. You have to make your choice. ``So, whatever the choice you make, you would have considered all the factors before you make your choice.`` According to Ibirogba, the project is part of Gov. Babatunde Fashola administration’s vision to provide affordable housing for all residents.

MONday, JUly 28, 2014

...for the love of Lagos

C

Edited by: BIODUN DUROJAIYE

‘Why Western House is waxing stronger 50 years after’ Dayo Ayeyemi

T

he owners and tenants of Western House, one of the structures that consolidated the Nigerian Independence and the first high-

rise building on Broad Street, Lagos have shared their views on why the building remains a top choice for business office location, 50 years after construction.

Strategically located on 8/10

Broad Street in Lagos Island, the building has 19 floors.

Having about 200 tenants, Western House serves mainly as office accommodation for businesses, with the headquarters of various corporate firms

CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF LAGOS

located on different floors in the building.

The construction of Western House was started in 1962 and completed in 1964. Today, it houses the corporate Headquarters of Wemabod Estates Limited, its owners, which is also a subsidiary of Odu’a Investment Company Limited.

Recalling the importance attached to the Western House in the early 60s to the 70s, the spokesperson of Wemabod Estates Limited, Mr. Olaolu OlaCONTINUED ON PAGE 28

NMA to set up committees on maternal, infant deaths in Lagos Lagos chapter of Nigeria TisheMedical Association (NMA) to constitute ad-hoc commit-

FACT FILE Location: 100 Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos Owners: Unknown Building Contractor: Cappa & D’alberto Plc Type of Development: Commercial Office Approved Date: May 3, 2013

State PDP chair laments uneven development of Lagos Oluwatosin Omoniyi hairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tunji Shelle has lamented concentration of development efforts at the city centre by the state government, to the detriment of other parts of the

This is an advert space for hotels

state.

In an interview with The MegaCity, Chief Shelle said the state government was not providing basic infrastructure needed for the development of the society, adding that a lot of places were being neglected and the people there were suf-

fering.

“Houses are not affordable, transportation is difficult, and the welfare of the people is not the major priority of the government,” he said.

He also lamented that as against what obtained in Lagos of old, most people in the

state, from the leadership to the downtrodden, have become hustlers, adding that greed has become the bane of the state’s development.

Lamenting the level of greed, the PDP state chairman said “Just one person wants to dominate a whole environment.

tees to look into all the cases of maternal and infant deaths in Lagos State.

Chairman of the chapter, Dr Tope Ojo, who made this known last Friday in Lagos at a media briefing, decried the high rate of maternal and infant mortality in the country.

Apart from setting up the ad-hoc committees, Ojo added that ``We will also give periodic reports that will be accessible to the public as part of our efforts to positively influence government policies.’’

He further stated that chapter would partner the state’s Ministry of Health in handling the suspected case of Ebola Virus in the state.

It would be recalled that Dr Yewande Adeshina, the Special Adviser to the Gov. Babatunde Fashola on Public Health, last Thursday announced that a suspected case of Ebola had been recorded in the state.

She had said that the ministry of health received information from a private hospital in the state on the issue on Tuesday.

IN NUMBERS 25m

the projected population of Lagos State by the year 2025

360

the number of secondary schools in Lagos State

633,247

the number of students in the 360 secondary schools in Lagos

28 NEWS /MEGA CITY

Monday, July 28, 2014

‘Why Western House is waxing stronger 50 years after’ CO NTINUED FROM PAG E 27

tunbosun, said the property was so unique that a letter written from anywhere in the world and simply addressed to ‘Western House’ will be delivered to the recipient.

The 19-floor structure was designed by Nick and Borys and Partners (architects) and built by construction giant, Cappa and D’ Alberto Limited Western House has an underground car park, space for cafeteria, banking hall, retain halls, shopping and office space among others.

Speaking on what makes the building unique when other structures constructed after it were failing , Olatunbosun explained that its location coupled with easy access from both Broad Street and Campell Street.

He added that the main attraction to the property include availability of adequate facility management services, standby alternative power supply, provision of adequate security, and involvement of tenants in the running of the property.

For easy administration, he disclosed that the management of the property put in put in place a group surveyors and members of task force for rent and service charge collections.

According to him, tenants enjoyed faultless apportionment of Service Charge bills in respect of services provided.

Western House is managed by seasoned, effective, efficient and professionally sound estate surveyors.

When interviewed by New Telegraph, one of the tenants who is also an estate surveying and valuation practitioner, Mr Akin Olawore, said that facility management in Western House has improved tremendously.

He said: “ Our firm is even contacting the management to give us more office space for expansion.”

Another tenant and Chairman of the Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Mr. Stephen Jagun noted that WEMABOD Estates, owners of Western House have given the property a facelift.

“They have repainted the building, recreated water channels for the air-conditioners and put A/C in the reception and lobby. They have also changed the facial appearance of the building, bought a new generator and retiled the whole place. Right now, the tenants enjoy elec-

tricity between 9am to 5pm as against 10pm -12am and 2pm -4pm.previously. Although the service charge has increased, but the tenants are not complaining because they have better facilities and improved services,” he said.

On why Western House is still attractive to tenants despite new developments in Victoria Island and Ikoyi, he explained that the surge in the rental value of commercial properties in latter coupled with the facelift given to Lagos Island CBD have given rise to the present high demand for commercial properties on the island.

He noted that housing supply in Lagos Island CBD is static while demand is going up.

Continuing, Jagun said a square metre of office space in Victoria Island and Ikoyi goes for between 50,000 -70,000 naira per annum while the same space will go for between 20,000 -25,000 naira in Lagos Island CBD.

FACT FILE Construction Started: 1962 Completed: 1964 Consultants Engineers: Oscar Faber & Partners Contractor: Cappa & D’alberto Plc Architects: Nickson and Borys & Partners Chartered Qty Surveyors: D. A. R. Rowland & Partners

Lagos Traffic Radio has made our job easier- LASTMA boss The General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Engr Babatunde Edu in this interview with Muritala Ayinla talks about the management of traffic situation in Lagos and the strategies employed the agency in spite of the higher vehicular density recorded in the state. Excerpts: Vehicular density of Lagos, is believed to be higher than other developed cities of the world, especially New York City, a densely populated hub in the United States of America. How is your agency coping with this?

Thanks, it is the grace of God. It would have been an almost impossible task for anybody to commute or live in Lagos without having enforcement officers who will, on a day-to-day manage the vehicular movement of what we have on Lagos roads. The volume of vehicles that you see on Lagos roads is so huge compared to the number of roads that we have in the metropolis. It is increasingly difficult now because the standard of vehicular density you see in most megacities or developed cities of the world is about 22 vehicles per kilometre length. But what you see in Lagos is over 200 vehicles. It is between 250 and 280 vehicles depending on the time and the area. So, before the advent of LASTMA, it had been so chaotic moving on Lagos roads.

In fact, that was the time some people were moving out of La-

gos, thinking that it is only an insane person that will live in Lagos, but with the advent of LASTMA, the situation has changed in spite of the growing influx of vehicles into the state. I think it would have been a very difficult thing to imagine the traffic congestion will be in Lagos State without some officers to manage the traffic.

How will you describe managing traffic in an emerging mega city like Lagos?

It is herculean task, it is tough, it is challenging. In Lagos, you don’t have any dull moment; there is no holiday in Lagos. So, we are prepared for that. We have our minds zeroed to that effect. Managing traffic in Lagos is on 24hours basis and which we have in a way, prepare our deployment. It requires serious management, energy to be put in place to ensure that the best is provided such that measure of sanity that we see is what we continue to build upon.

In spite of the influx of humans and vehicles into the state and its attendant high vehicular density, what tactics do use to ensure after sometime, the roads are free?

We have a limited land mass with highest population in the country. I think we must give credit to the government who have deemed it fit to focus on the provision of necessary measures. The Government also focus on expansion of some roads and construction of inner city roads to improve the traffic congestion. The government has also improved on provision of traffic signal lights, proper lane marking and ensure that the road signs are there to guide the motorist at all times. To cap it all, these are the tools that LASTMA built its energy upon.

So, we must not lose sight of the fact that we have spread all over the state especially at critical areas and gridlock flash points.

So, traffic challenge in the state is experienced only during the peak hours when you have many vehicles going the same direction in the morning and in the evening. So much is done behind the scene to ensure the roads are free of any impediments. More so, the creation of the traffic radio has helped tremendously. People call in to provide traffic information freely which has now become a feedback mechanism for us on

our traffic management strategies. All these were not in place before.

The government realised the importance of traffic management to economic prosperity.

The state government has been so passionate about traffic management issues. A lot of energy and resourced have been committed to ensuring that commuting in Lagos is seamless.

Will you say the creation of the Lagos Traffic Radio (96.1FM) has, in one way or the other, made your job easier?

Yes! The Lagos Traffic Radio is the best thing that can ever happen to commuters in a society like Lagos in terms of traffic management. Through the radio, we are able to know latest traffic development in some areas where we don’t have enough men and this helps us to know what to do in case of accident.

Through the traffic report, we could deploy our equipment to remove any broken down vehicles on the road. So, when people call in and provide traffic information, whatever challenges recorded in the area are quickly nipped in the bud. So the radio is complimentary, it has done so much in enhancing the traffic management in the state.

What are the challenges confronting LASTMA as an agency?

In terms of traffic manage-

INTERVIEW / MEGA CITY 29

Monday, July 28, 2014

ment, we don’t have challenges, because what you might call challenges, we see them as opportunities to serve Lagosians better. Because if those challenges are not there, there would be no need to develop better strategies for managing traffic and there will be no means of livelihood for the officers who are saddled with responsibility of managing the traffic. The congestion we see on the roads is what has been in place before the creation of LASTMA. The major challenge that I think we have is human.

Don’t also forget that the state has fixed land mass and also

A

Lagos Traffic Radio has made our job easier - LASTMA boss surrounded by water. The roads are not enough, the attitude of motorists also constitute challenge, because most motorists also place their vehicles on the road, even when they know the vehicles are not road worthy.

Hence, they cause avoidable traffic.

Are there any difficult areas in Lagos for LASTMA officials to operate?

In LASTMA, we don’t believe that there are difficult areas for our men to manage traffic; Traffic management is a function of

lero works for a foreign embassy in Lagos. Her mother is Itsekiri while her father is Dutch. I met the beautiful, lanky, light skinned and experienced lady at a cocktail party one misty night late last year. The party was attended by several ambassadors including a onetime American envoy to Nigeria; Walter Carrington.

It was a great event. Having been in Lagos for years, I have learnt to shed the toga of peasantry. And like other enlightened guests that dominated the party, I was in fine suit, held my cup the manner of theirs, gesticulated, nodded majestically to guests and even tried to speak phonetics.

The atmosphere was charged. Guests discussed freely without barriers. After chatting for fifteen minutes with Alero, I knew where she belonged. On occasions, for instance, she tried to correct the manner of my pronunciation of certain words. When I told her I liked Mercedez Benz, she quickly told me the correct pronunciations. Again when I said “eke a living” she rudely corrected that the word was eke (I:K) and not eke (as my people from Ekiti will call lie). I had no option than to restrain my anger; the option was to talk less, which I did.

Surprisingly, Alero graduated from a foreign University. She had a lot to say on elitist but abstract issues that so much elated her that I wished she should just brush over. I had to leave the party on time so as not to miss the last “Fashola’s BRT bus” at Obalende. I got home furious.

Toba, a.k.a Bulldog, my elderly cousin had eaten all the remaining beans and garri and was “lying in state” in the seating room, asleep or pretending to be.

The fourth week after our meeting was Alero’s birthday. She was on the line, inviting me, even after I had thought I should forget about her and cut my cloth according to my size. But infatuation got the better part of me. The event was a great night of music, wine and gist. It was as if the world would not end. Local and epicurean dishes were on display and I made sure I ate enough to cover my dinner. From my calculations, the outing was profitable. I spent N200 to and from Victoria Island, courtesy of the BRT bus, but had a good lunch and dinner which I guessed refreshed my system throughout that week.

Lots of ladies came to the party. All, including the young men, were from rich homes, except me. Anyone would know that. The men wore jeans and T shirts marked with crazy inscriptions. The ladies, put on mini-skirts, Elizabethan gowns, corduroy trousers and fashionable sneakers. I was the only one with Aso Oke and some time, I felt I should sneak out of the room. I was also the only one that could not dance accurately to the funky music. After a while, Alero came to me and gave me a peck. Initially, I thought she wanted to eavesdrop something into my ears. I stood there, wondering if the moisture of her peck would ever dry on my cheek.

Our familiarization continued for three months when she invited me to

good infrastructure. So, effective management is built upon good infrastructure. Apapa gridlock is a function of failed infrastructure. Once you don’t have a good road, you can’t expect a smooth sailing traffic. The major impairment in Apapa is the road. When you look at the road, the state of road in Apapa is responsible for about 80 percent of the problem in Apapa.

Once the issue of dilapidated road is resolved in Apapa, the remaining 20 percent is environmental and indiscipline.

Environmental in the sense that when you have a lot of tank farms who could not provide holding bays for their vehicles to park, there will be problem.

There are about 42 tank farms in Apapa and about 70 percent of fuel distribution is done in Apapa. So when this is happening Apapa, what do you expect?

Also, large influx of vehicles concentrating on the same road without a holding space for them to park also constitute nuisance. We all must realise that parking on the roads for more

than two weeks is not the best.

The roads are not designed for that kind purpose, so when you have heavy duty trucks parked or stationed on the roads for some weeks, it weakens the road.

We have about minimum of 3,000 tankers moving on the same road to load petroleum products. The issue of port located in Apapa is another major reason for the gridlock. Everywhere in the port has been concessioned, there is no space again.

FEATURE / LIFE and LIVING IN THE CITY

Beloved Alero!

This story depicts Lagos, a city where people from various backgrounds combine to make out a fun of living. It is the personal experience of a man from a family of peasants who lands in troubled waters in his bid to date a lady clearly of a higher social status, reports GBOYEGA ADEOYE.

visit her family home. But Alero had complained seriously about my manner of dressing which she said was flabby. “I want you to look smart and yuppy.” After visiting her for a month, she had asked me “Don’t you have jeans and T shirt?”

And I lied in the affirmative.

Trust Lagos for always meeting the needs of all classes of dweller. The second day, I tucked N10,000 neatly in my pocket, thinking of heading for Oshodi market to select some smart dress that will meet Alero’s expectations. I found myself beaten by the infatuation bug and was completely in fantasy. With N10,000 I could pick a jeans trouser, a T-shirt and a cap. Alero’s request had reminded me I had not worn jeans for over fifteen years.

However, I got a Versace T Shirt, “Homeboy T-shirt” and a cap marked “Lobinto” and hurried back home. “You must dress like a yuppy; my family loves smart dresses,” kept recurring in my senses. I rushed into my room on getting home to see how I would look like in my new attire. I wore the jeans, T shirt and the cap and rushed at the mirror standing at a corner of the room. I looked ridiculous. I did not look like the yuppy or a guyish fellow expected by my beloved Alero.

My stomach was protruding while my buttocks shot unnecessarily backwards.

I tucked-in, but it was worse. At best, I resembled a village footballer.

The next day, I was at Alero’s family home. I had removed the sports dress and was now in native Adire. To myself, I looked better. Their house was magnificent; the rug was like the pristine whiteness of snow. I could feel the aura of the

biblical paradise. Alero came out of her bedroom, made a catwalk, and sat close to me. Her parents later joined us. The father greeted me and few minutes after, discussions ensued. The father discussed the pastime at the secondary school days.

Alero and her parents were talking about life in Dutch secondary schools, dart playing, games and horse-riding. They spoke with nostalgia about some authors like Mark Levis and Vaughan Curtis. They spoke about holidays in London, Sweden and even Santiago in Chile. I felt extremely uncomfortable. While they spoke about such things, I was thinking of my own pastime: wrestling at the tropical forest at break time, chasing rodents, jumping from one mango tree to the other and even the popular bojuboju (hide and seek) game.

Suddenly, Alero asked me: “Have you been abroad before?” “Hmm well, I’ve been to some countries? I said. She probed further. “Which countries,” I retorted with hesitation “ Dubai, Ghana, Togo and Mali”. I noticed her mother winked. After about two hours of chatting, I had no option but to ask for permission to leave.

I took a Lagos commercial bus and got home late. Bulldog was furious that I did not take him along. I told him he should wait to meet Alero who had promised that she would visit the following Sunday on the condition that she met my house quiet and free from the usual “ten in a room” kind of Lagos situation. I let her have the impression that my apartment was always quiet and free of human traffic.

I made a clean environment and I had

chosen Sunday for her visit knowing that the crowd in my apartment would have gone to church. I gave N1,000.00 to Bulldog, pleaded with him to keep away his ugly face and peasant tummy.

He bought roasted yam and akara from the money before he departed the flat.

He stayed away in a neighbour’s flat. I had my jeans trousers on and a novel

by James Hardly Chase which I was reading. Oh! Yes. Alero loves music.

I searched through the shelves. All I could see were records of Baba Ara, Elemure, Haruna Ishola, Pasuma, Said Osupa, Aiyefele and at best Chaka Chaka and Cool and the Gang. I got, however, Eric Donaldson and Sonya Spence cassettes from my neighbour. Alero came in few hours later.

Good enough, tranquility was at home.

She took a cursory look at the apartment and sat quietly. For thirty minutes, we talked in general; Alero inspected my apartment, raising complaints about everything: the curtains, the kitchen, the gas cooker. She said my bedroom looked like that of a village king. She also complained that my dinning set was too bogus and out of fashion.

After the complaints, we were chatting on the programmes on the television when a bang came on the door. My heart jumped. I jerked the door; it was my neighbour’s child Tunde, who we nicknamed “Mr. Pig”. He had come to look at the strange; “Oyibo girl” but I quickly sent him away. Five minutes later, Ija Ikoko, owner of a barbing salon on Kazim Street, Alapere in Ketu, Lagos came in shouting. “Army (armed) robbers nearly kill me today.” He was chewing corn with two pieces of coconut gripped on his left hand.

Before I could welcome him, Iya Sherif, my cousin came in. She came with three of her children who insisted on watching Channel 7’s “Nkan Mbe” (a Yoruba programme) and few minutes later, Sesan Abegunde, a colleague, came in with his fat girlfriend who requested to visit the toilet as soon as she came in. Sesan went straight to the kitchen and brought out a pot containing left over beans. Bulldog came in too, introduced himself to Victoria and muttered “with all playsore” (pleasure) as he disengaged to take a seat.

Alero winked at me and said “I got to go.” On our way, the kids were out again, six of them, starring gleefully at us.

When I came back home after she drove away, I met my visitors already mapping out strategies on how to deal with the “intruder”. Bulldog delivered their resolution: “Look next time we see this kind girl here, we go break her legs, Allah”.

Alero actually came back two week later. She was furious I had not changed the curtains and repainted my flat. She did her calculation and gave the bill to me.

It was almost N450,000. Bulldog later saw the bill and barked at me. “Sigidi fe sere ete”; meaning literally that I was digging my own grave. No one need to educate me that Alero belonged to the exposed and rich, not to the poor. I stopped going to Alero’s home

30 THE MEGACITY

Monday, July 28, 2014

My City, My World

UPCOMING EVENTS

Map Viewing Session Monday, July 28, 2014 from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM (PDT) Organiser: Paradigm Initiative Nigeria

Summer boot camp for kids

Sunday, August 3, 2014 at 8:00 AM - Sunday, August 31, 2014 at

Venue:

iDEA Hub, 296 Herbert Macaulay Way, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos.

11:00 AM Organiser: EarlyStart childcare center Venue: Akowonjo, Lagos.

EXECUTIVE TOUR AND CRUISE TRAINING

August 2, 2014 (First Saturday of every month: 06:30 to 09:30 GMT) Organiser: HALFMOON GLOBAL Venue: 20 Afolabi Aina Street, Allen, Ikeja, Lagos.

Designerz Hub August 3, 2014 (First Sunday of every month) Organiser: Designerz Hub Venue: Muri Okunola Park, Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos

Lagos is a place to make dreams come true — Jimi Agbaje

YOUTH CULTURE, photos as posted on Instagram (#Ikeja/Ojodu/Agege)

Jimi Agbaje

Oluwatosin Omoniyi

F Abuja Oshe......off to Lagos by @skiibii

untitled by @barbieswabbhy

baddooface by @_eche__

untitled by @horlah_stone

cinematographers speak by @adulojujohn

untitled by @jucmab

ormer governorship candidate in Lagos State in 2011, Mr. Jimi Agbaje is a Lagosian of note.

Sharing his views about the city with The MegaCity, he said “Lagos bubbles because it is the melting pot for people from all over the country. The potential of Lagos is enormous. Lagos is a place where you can make your dreams come true. If, for example, you are somebody who is after making money and fortune, Lagos is a place where you can say ‘yes, I can make it here’.

“It is like New York in America, like London in the UK. Lagos is a place where your dreams come true and where you can unleash your potentials to any extent you want.

“So, I’m a proud Lagosian. I grew up in this Lagos, except when I went for my university education in Ife. I was born and bred in Lagos, in Isale Eko and Ikorodu axis precisely.

“When you go out of Lagos and you come back, you feel the energy in the city which you don’t see outside Lagos. It is vibrant even with the traffic. It has its own experience, a different experience from what you get elsewhere. You don’t have to like it all the time, but it is a way of life for us here. Lagos is social if you want social, it is sport if you want sport, its entertainment if you want entertainment. That is Lagos.

Lagos is a melting pot for peoples of Nigeria — Tunji Shelle Oluwatosin Omoniyi untitled by @george_ime

FLASHBACK,

untitled by @nikeomotosho

Yaaay by @mzdeshe

the city as it was

A part of Lagos Island in 1959

photo by Eliot Elisofon

C

hief Tunji Shelle, Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of Tunji Shelle the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is very passionate about the city of Lagos. A thoroughbred Lagosian, Chief Shelle said while speaking with The MegaCity that “I don’t just love Lagos, Lagos is me and I am Lagos.

“Lagos is a place where you have everything. It is a center for everybody in Nigeria, whether you are Ibo, Hausa, Yoruba, Ijaw, or Urhobo. There is love in Lagos.

It is a melting pot for peoples of Nigeria.

“When we were young, we don’t know the difference between people from the geographical zone know today as the South-South and the Ibo people.

We thought everybody was the same. We didn’t know the different between people from the Middle Belt and those from the core North. We all related well and socialized. We attended the same schools, and nobody cared much whether you are a ‘northerner’ or ‘southerner’ everything was smooth. Though there was little money in the country then, people were contented. My parents were contented and this is something I have taken from them. Being a proper Lagosian, I’m never a sad man. Rather, I am always happy person He said he would not consider living outside Lagos, “because I am emotionally attached, just like my parents. They were emotionally attached. Same with my children. My parents built a house in Palm Grove but were not reluctant to relocate to Lagos Island.

BUSINESS | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

DELAYED PAYMENT Only 30 per cent of 2012 Dana crash victims received compensation Wole Shadare

I

nadequate expertise to underwrite aviation risks, premium quotes, unfavourable terms; claims control clause and jurisdiction clause are some of the major challenges facing aviation insurance in Nigeria, Deputy Director, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Leo Akah, has said.

Akah, said this at the Aviation Law Seminar for Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), while presenting a paper titled “Challenges of Air Carrier Insurance in Nigeria: The Regulator’s Perspective”.

He listed other problems confronting the industry to include inadequate re-insurance capacity (treaty versus other re-insurance facilities), high claims experience in Nigeria, quality of re-insurers involved, lack of aviation pool and huge premium payment, unco-operative attitude of some airline operators and challenges in confirming the actual boarded passengers with names in the manifest.

Akah noted that no single insurer has the capacity to retain the entire risk of a major airline, stressing that globally; London insurance market is the largest single centre for aviation insurance.

He said:” Any person who is engaged in the air transport services to, from or within Nigeria, or provides such other class of allied services, as the NCAA may from time to time determine in writing shall maintain adequate insurance covering its liability under the NCAA Act and also its liability towards compensation for damages that

31

Experts list challenges of airlines' insurance in Nigeria

Say compensation poses concern may be sustained by third parties for an amount to be specified in regulations made by the Authority.”

Speaking on the domestication of insurance in Nigeria, the NAICOM chief said: “A person who intends to insure any other property located in Nigeria, whether movable or immovable, or any insurable interest or liability in relation thereto, shall place such an insurance with an insurer registered in accordance with this Act who may, subject to the provisions of this act, reinsure such property or

liability overseas where the Nigeria insurance industry lacks the capacity to retain the risk.

He warned that no person shall transact an insurance or reinsurance business with a foreign insurer or reinsurer in respect of any life, assets, interest, or other properties in Nigeria business classified as domestic insurance unless with a company registered under this Act. On carrier liability and available compensation, Akeh said that the amount of compensation payable by an airline operator is dependent on the type of

insurance, sum insured and the applicable convention (Montreal 1999/Warsaw 1929 Conventions).

He said: “Generally, the courts have frowned at suits instituted by aliens of a state (particularly in the US) and dismissed cases based on the doctrine of Forum Non Conveniens (FNC). The plaintiffs are usually advised to institute the action in their home states or state of residence.

“This is to prevent plaintiffs from controlling the outcome of litigation simply by choosing the more favourable juris-

L-R: Group Head, Coral Banking, Heritage Bank, George Oko-Oboh; Executive Secretary/CEO, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Femi Thomas and Executive Director, Heritage Bank, Niyi Adeseun, during the launch of the NHIS Mobile Health Insurance Scheme in Lagos.

diction.”

For death or bodily injury, $100, 000 is expected to be paid.

For compensation above $100, 000, the convention states that the carrier shall not be liable for damages, if the carrier can prove that such damage was not due to its negligence or other wrongful act or omission of its servants or agents.

He added that there is better cooperation between the NCAA and NAICOM, adding that compliance of airline operators to the NCAA Act and the enforcement of the new market conduct guidelines for insurance institution by NAICOM are areas they are cooperating.

A senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Fabian Ajogwu, while speaking on “Dealing with air carrier liability and related matters”, said experience shows that paying compensation to customers or relatives often poses a great concern.

He recalled that a year after the 2012 Dana air crash, only about 30 per cent of victims of the crash beneficiaries received compensation.

The low level of compensation according to him, could be attributable to a number of factors such as cultural issues of closure and grief of the bereaved, internal family squabbles, the submission of incomplete documentations.

Others are the unwillingness of the airline to pay full or any compensation and accident investigative unit’s inability to unravel the cause of crashes among others.

He lamented that there is relatively a low awareness of what the regulations are that govern air travel, the practicability of these regulations and payment for compensation to victims of air related injuries, loss or death.

New GES technology to save farmers £12.7m ECOWAS to begin study on women entrepreneurship CURBING FRAUD GES eliminates identity, and effectively provide farmers with fertiliser Siaka Momoh

A

new Growth Enhancement Support technology introduced by the Federal Government in collaboration with International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC) and Consult Hyperion (an ICT innovation organization of experts), will save Nigerian farmers about 12.7 million pounds, New Telegraph has learnt.

The IFDC source disclosed that TAP, currently only active in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory and Sokoto State, is expected to change the agricultural landscape.

TAP is an e-voucher scheme that uses the latest tablet and smartcard technology to change the way the Nigerian government collects data and delivers benefits to its citizens.

TAP’s near field technology is

revolutionizing agricultural development in rural Nigeria.

According to a statement from IFDC, “distributing 1.5 million vouchers, TAP will save farmers an estimated £12.7 million.” Getting data back to the GES database using network coverage has been deemed slow, inefficient, and in some cases impossible.

Under this arrangement, the system is using the latest mobile technology to connect online and offline farmers to their local agricultural dealers (agro-dealers), enabling farmers in remote regions where there is no network coverage to have access to the GES fertiliser discount scheme.

In a system aimed at putting an end to complaints of absence of networks in remote areas, usually given as reasons for poor redemption of GES inputs in such areas, TAP technology was developed by Consult Hyperion, a leading independent consultancy. In partnership with international development specialists GRM International and the agricultural non-profit I FDC, TAP is being used to register farmers for the GES,

accurately record and transfer biometric and credit data, and deliver vouchers to eligible farmers and agro-dealers.

“We are overcoming obstacles of geography, identity and fraud to quickly and effectively provide farmers in Nigeria the fertiliser subsidies they are entitled to and need, when they need them,” explained Paul Makin, head of Mobile Money Practice, Consult Hyperion.

“TAP is a fantastic technology. It helps in identity management to synchronise stocks to get over the issue of double registration and helps with speed of redemption and will improve the integrity of GES platform with banks and agro dealers’ network, noted Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, “TAP allows our farmers to redeem their inputs in areas where there are no networks, simply by using Android phones as smart cards. Just tap it on the phone and all the allocation shows up and the farmers redeem their seeds and fertiliser without any network.

It’s revolutionary. We are the first in the world to do it,” he had earlier noted.

Jonah Iboma

T

he Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is to undertake a feasibility study for the implementation of the Business Incubator for African Women Entrepreneurs (BIAWE) project in collaboration with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

The Commission said that a decision to begin the scheme was one of the recommendations made at a one-day workshop at the ECOWAS Commission, held in Abuja.

BIAWE is a $1.2 million women entrepreneurship development programme signed between NEPAD and ECOWAS in 2012. President of ECOWAS Commission, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, and Chief Executive Officer of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency Ibrahim ASANE Mayaki at the African Union (AU) Secretariat in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia signed the pact.

The facility, which was pro-

vided by Spain through NEPADSpain Fund for empowerment of African women, will be implemented for two years.

ECOWAS said that the scheme was part of efforts to empower and eradicate poverty among women in rural communities in the region. It noted that the workshop recommended that part of the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the feasibility study was to collect local and regional experts data in business development services, document women enterprises in agro-processing, identify needs, constraints and challenges and proffer solutions, among others.

“The workshop set up a task force to draft the TOR, which will also include guidelines by which resource persons in the respective Member States will conduct a baseline study to be validated by the task force,” ECOWAS said in a statement on the scheme.

The pilot phase of the twoyear programme in West Africa will kick off in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone.

32

BUSINESS | MONEYLINE

LISTENING REGULATOR

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

CBN proposes six-year time bar for complaints resolution

The proposed time limit does not preclude the right of complaints to seek redress in the court

cial services providers (FSPS) would not be entertained.

In an exposure draft signed by its Director, Consumer Protection Department, U. A Dutse and sent to banks and other Financial Institutions at the weekend, the banking watchdog said that the six-year time bar was predicated on the in-

Godson Ikoro

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has set a six-year time bar after which consumer complaints against finan-

puts it get from stakeholders, study of what obtain in other jurisdictions, other regulatory agencies in retention and commencement of legal action.

However, the banking watchdog said that the proposed time limit does not preclude the right of complaints to seek redress in the court of law.

Union Bank's H1 profit dips by 34 %

U

nion Bank of Nigeria Plc said last Friday its halfyear pre-tax profit fell to N6.46 billion ($39.9million), down 34 per cent from N9.8 billion a year ago.

Gross earnings also fell 11.69 per cent to N49.59 billion during the six months to June 30, it said in a filing with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

The lender had also recorded significant decline in the key performance indicators for the first quarter unaudited financial statement for period ended March 31, 2014.

The result prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standard, IFRS, requirement, filed with the Exchange, showed 54 per cent drop in profit before tax to N5.0 billion from N7.7 billion recorded in corresponding period in 2013.

Also, the profit after tax for the period nose-dived by almost

the same margin, declining by 56 per cent from N7.8 billion in 2013 to N5.0 billion in the review period.

The gross earnings at N26.0 billion, was13.08 per cent decrease from N29.4 billion in corresponding period in 2013, while the interest income stood at N20.7 billion as against N18.8 billion in 2014.

The bank’s total assets went down to N958.6 billion compared with N997.3 billion reported in the corresponding period in 2013. The total asset position as December 31, 2013 stood at N1 trillion.

Cash and cash equivalents was down 29.74 per cent to N101.1 billion from N143.9 billion in March 2013, the customer deposits also declined to N466.4 billion from N482.7 billion.

However, the bank’s shareholders’ equity grew to N197.3 billion as against N192.2 billion

in December 2013, showing an increase of 2.65 per cent. Net loans and advances to customers grew by 29 per cent, rising to N220.5 billion from N170.7 billion as at n March 2013.

The bank also achieved some level of efficiency in its operations as the operating expenses decreased to N14.7 billion, a 3.29 per cent increase over N15.2 billion achieved in first quarter in 2013.

The bank said in statement that it is currently undertaking branch optimization programme, expalining that 13 branches are being refit, while another 53 will be completed before the end of the year.

Commenting, Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive of Union Bank, Emeka Emuwa, said: “Union Bank has maintained its profitability and is delivering against key operational metrics supporting our strategy.”

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

Open-Buy-Back (OBB) Overnight (O/N)

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

able to resolve same with the required resources.

The apex bank recently extended the timeframe for the resolution of banks’ customers’ complaints over excess charges and loans by banks from 14 to 30 days.

A circular with reference number: FPR/DIR/CIR/ GEN/04/009 issued by the Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Mr. Kevin Amugo, and dated June 30, 2014, explained that the extension became necessary in view of the apex bank’s discovery that the earlier two-week period was inadequate.

The new policy, according to the CBN, applies to all discount houses and other financial institutions operating in the country.

Sterling Bank gains on core banking focus as earnings hit N49bn OPTIMISTIC The lender’s management is optimistic that full year returns will be in line with their forecasts and expectations

R

Economic Indicators M2* CPS* INF IBR MPR 91-day NTB DPR PLR Bonny Light Ext Res**

In implementing its consumer protection initiatives, the apex bank observed that timely resolution of consumers against financial services providers (FSPS) noted that resolutions within the regulated timeline had been a major challenge for banks (FSPS) and consumers.

It said that amongst other issues, availability and access to supporting documents were identified by stakeholders as a major setback for the timely resolution of complaints.

Consequently, the regulator identified the need to have in place adequate measures to ensure that consumers are diligent in their financial transactions by making prompt claims on transactions as they occur to ensure that FSPS are

iding on the back of increasing balance sheet efficiency and growing market share in its core commercial banking business, Sterling Bank Plc has delivered impressive growth in its top-line profitability in the first half of 2014.

The interim report and accounts of the bank for the six-month period ended June 30, 2014 released at the weekend, indicated a double-digit growth of 16.3 per cent in the gross earnings, driven by a larger growth of 20.5 per cent in interest income. Net interest income rose by about 40.2 per cent, underlying significant improvement in its core banking operations. This also impacted on the operating income, which rose by 25.4 per cent.

Gross earnings rose to N48.7 billion in the first half of 2014 as against N41.86 billion in the comparable period of 2013. The top-line was driven by interest income, which rose from N31.08 billion in the first half of 2013 to N37.44 billion in half year 2014.

In the same breadth, net interest income leapt to N21.28 billion as against N15.17 billion. Noninterest income also increased to N11.3 billion compared with N10.8 billion, while operating income inched up from N25.95 billion to N32.54 billion.

However, the bank’s operating expenses increased by 28.5 per cent to N23.8 billion in first half 2014 as against N18.5 billion in first half 2013, driven by on-going investments in branch refits and expansion, and rollout of alternative channels.

This moderated the bottom-line.

Consequently, profit before tax rose slightly from N6.27 billion to N6.34 billion. With a 131 per cent increase in income tax from N350.15 million to N809.73 million, net profit after tax stood at N5.5 billion.

Commenting on the results, the Managing Director/ CEO of Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Yemi Adeola, said that the performance in the first half of the year further demonstrated the underlying strength of the bank’s core business.

He noted that in spite of the challenging operating environment, Sterling Bank achieved a 130 basis points improvement in net interest margin to 7.7 per cent, resulting from a 60 basis points reduction in cost of funds and a 70 basis points increase in asset yield.

The Sterling Bank boss explained that the increase in cost-to-income ratio by 180 basis points to 73 per cent was due to ongoing investments in the upgrade of the bank’s physical infrastructure and the rollout of alternative channels.

“During the period, we completed eight new branches while 13 others are at various stages of completion. We also remodeled several of our existing branches, deployed 168 additional Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and signedon over 200 merchants to drive our Agent Banking model for financial inclusion,” Adeola said.

He said that the Bank would remain focused on further improvements in its efficiency to ensure that it delivers on its full-year targets and provides increased returns to shareholders.

“We are confident that the second half of the year would reinforce the trend we have seen in the last six months. We remain focused on efficiency keeping the cost-to-income ratio within an acceptable range.

By and large, we are optimistic that Sterling Bank’s full year returns will be in line with our forecasts and expectations,” Adeola assured.

BUSINESS | BANKING 33

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

B

usinesses thrive more in domains where loanable funds are at the reach of entrepreneurs. The funds given out by banks to business owners are to be repaid within a stipulated period with interests. This, of course, is the standard practise globally.

However, some Nigerian entrepreneurs often breach this agreement.

When a loan facility is granted, a typical Nigerian entrepreneur finds it convenient to renege on pay back agreement it enters with the bank. This was the prevailing scenario till the early days of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s assumption of office.

In his wisdom, he conceived the setting up of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in 2009, a move aimed at strengthening both financial stability and instilling discipline in the banking sector.

AMCON Yet, with AMCON in place and functioning, Nigeria’s clever entrepreneurs are still very crafty in their loans default ways, a trend that prompted the apex bank to issue two stern circulars within a space of two years.

First of such circulars by CBN was on September 17, 2012. In the circular, the apex bank barred the Deposit Money Banks from extending further credit to 113 companies until they have settled their bad loans to the AMCON. Some of them owed up to N5 billion.

Some of the indebted firms were linked to top business tycoons who were to be blacklisted from further credit grant by banks. AMCON took the threat further.

Naming and shaming It promised to publish names and businesses of the serial bank debtors in the media.

While AMCON was dillydallying over the threat, CBN became uncomfortable with the bad debts contained in the banks’ balance sheet; a signal to the dark era that almost sunk the banking sector before CBN’s intervention.

In the wisdom of averting a repeat of gloom picture of 2007, the CBN, for the umpteenth time last week, in a circular dated July 1, 2014, signed

by Director of Banking Supervision, Mrs Tokumbo Martins, addressed to Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and Development Finance Institutions and AMCON, raised concern about the attitude of serial bank borrowers and their reluctance to pay their debts.

Blanking out debtors In the second circular, the apex bank warned that no deposit money bank should, without its prior approval, grant facilities to potential borrowers that are in default of any existing facilities to the tune of N500 million and above.

The banking regulator also warned development banks and banks in liquidation not to grant facilities of N250 million and above to the same set of bank customers.

The circular clearly itemised CBN’s stance to deposit banks regarding granting of further loans to recalcitrant debtors.

The CBN’s new rules stipulate that “all institutions shall ensure that returns on credit facilities granted together with their performance status are rendered on the Credit Risk Management System (CRMS) and reported to the credit bureau in line with our circular dated September 10, 2015 and October 21, 2013 respectively.

“All institutions are also reminded that it is mandatory to perform credit checks on potential borrowers on CRMS and from at least two credit bureau in

Bank debt: Need for strict implementation of sanctions

Emefiele

Finance Minster, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

AMCON MD, Mustapha Chike Obi

line with our circular dated April 30, 2010, as part of the credit appraisal process.” It added that the prohibition threshold could be reviewed often.

And to ensure strict compliance with loans prohibitive circular, the apex bank reminded banks of awaiting sanctions amongst, which is that such institution to make an immediate 15 per cent provision of the facility in addition to other existing regulatory sanctions that the apex bank may deem applicable.

The latest circular, which comes with immediate enforcement only confirms CBN’s headache in relation to the huge bad loans portfolios in banking sector.

capital injection of about N420 billion to buy off banks’ bad loans.

or her subsidiary firms.

Consolidation The Nigeria banking sector went through a turbulent period between 2006 and 2008 largely due to global economic shock and more importantly, due to serial insider abuse perpetuated by chief executives of the banks. The consolidation in the banking sector engineered by former CBN Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, had raked in huge cash into the vaults of the money deposit banks. With huge liquidity at their disposal, banks begun granting credit facilities with barley any collateral or in some cases, where loans were secured, the collaterals were negligible compared with the loans. Bank CEOs took advantage of their positions to perpetuate insider abuse by granting huge unsecured loans to themselves and cronies.

The huge bad debts hanging on the banks became so precarious that most banks could no longer meet their depositor’s obligation. Banks were then facing huge deposit run and confidence, a signal that the banking sector was on the precipice. The economy was going down.

The then prevailing huge bad loan was robbing off on smaller deposit savers while shareholders that invested their income bore the brunt of imminent collapse of the banks.

The above scenario gave birth to AMCON, a novel institution floated by CBN under the leadership Sanusi with

Why threats never worked The setting up of AMCON in 2010 by an Act essentially was a remedial measure in the aftermath of banking crises preceding the consolidation. It was created as a tool to revive the financial system by efficiently resolving the non-performing loan assets of banks in the Nigerian economy. A brainchild of the CBN, AMCON was to bring sanity to the banking sector especially by checkmating incidences of bad loans, which had hurt the banking sector.

AMCON had, on many occasions, issued veiled threat to blacklist huge serial debtors but these threats, most often, were never implemented.

Predator borrowers Checks revealed that some billionaire debtors barred by these agencies alongside their firms, directors and shareholders from securing further credit facilities from local banks, are still getting loans.

As soon as CBN or AMCON issued such threat, such debtors would quickly move to open discussion with their banks, ostensibly to douse the tension and heat of the moment, but as soon as an agreement for repayment is reached, the debtors reneged. Some cleverly devised other ways of securing credits, using another firm or subsidiary of the main company.

They were able to do this and get away with it because AMCON or CBN failed to do a thorough due diligence check on the debtor including all his

With determination and strong will, the CBN could stem the tide of incidences of bad loans by implementing to the letter, all its punitive measures

Way forward With determination and strong will, the CBN could stem the tide of incidences of bad loans by implementing to the letter, all its punitive measures.

There is an urgent need to publish names of firms linked to personalities that have secured N5 million and above loan facilities and are defaulting in servicing them.

CBN and AMCON should publish names of personalities and firms linked to defaulters as a way of putting an end to the menace of bad loans.

Also, the Credit Bureau agencies should be made to work. Every loan applications should be made to go through credit bureau for certification before banks go ahead to grant the facility. The CBN must be strict in enforcing its sanction, which stipulate: “Where an institution fails to report a facility or status to the CRMS or at least two credit bureaux as required, it shall be considered as concealment and misrepresentation of material fact and the institution shall be penalised in accordance with relevant provision of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA). In addition, officers (or their equivalent) shall be liable to sanctions in line with the relevant provisions of the BOFIA,” Because the banks grant these loans, the CBN should wield its big stick on any institution that contravenes its guidelines on prohibitive loans.

The punitive measure, which stipulates: “Any institution that contravenes the above directive shall be required to make immediate 150 per cent provision of the facility in addition to other existing regulatory measures” should be expanded to include barring offending banks from clearing house and forex participation.

To avert a replay of huge non-performing loans menace, however, the CBN and AMCON must be proactive in the implementation of the July 1, 2014, guideline and circular on prohibition of loans defaulters from further access to credit facilities.

34

business | STOCK WATCH

PROSPECT Bargain hunters bank on strong brand presence in the anti-retroviral market Chris Ugwu

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Fidson Healthcare: Growth spurs investors’ interest per cent growth over previous year 2012. Gross profit was N5 billion against N4 billion made in the year before, a 26 per cent increase.

Operating profit increased from N854 million in 2012 to N1.3 billion due to increases in turnover and operational costs management leading to increase in gross margins.

Profit before tax however, declined by 54 per cent to N250 million from N540 million in 2012.

Similarly, profit after tax fell by 25 per cent from N207million to N155million.

The balance sheet grew by 15 per cent, from N10.8 billion in 2012 to N12.4 billion, mainly resulting from the company’s investment in the Biotech Plant.

However, the healthcare company reported a positive Q1 result, recording a growth in PBT of five per cent from N269.563 million in the first quarter of 2013 to N283.015 million in the Q1 of 2014.

Similarly, Fidson posted an increase of 5 per cent in its PAT, recording N203.771 million compared with N194.503 million the same period of 2013.

Revenue climbed up slightly 3 per cent to N2.699 billion from N2.624 billion recorded in the corresponding period of the previous year.

T

hough the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria is still seen as a weaker competitor when compared with international firms, some indigenous pharmaceutical companies in the country have been rated as performing creditably well according to their capacity, and are contributing to the economic development of the country.

Some of these companies are making strong strides on the back of the federal government’s commitment towards making the sector self-sufficient as well as improving the overall standard and quality of its products and service delivery, thereby making the constituent companies able to compete internationally.

Counterfeiting The government's commitment is being demonstrated through the reinforcing of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC).

The regulatory body has made concerted efforts at stemming the prevalence of counterfeit and substandard drugs, recording huge successes in the process. This strategy has also helped reduce the level of corruption within the system and improved the overall quality of its product delivery.

For instance, the agency had introduced the Mobile Authentication Service, which helps consumer to scratch the product upon purchase to determine the authenticity of the product.

But expert believe more needs to be done to totally curb the problem of counterfeiting.

Individual companies must also be able to come up with technological innovations that will help counter the activities of counterfeiters.

Fidson Healthcare is one of the indigenous companies in the pharmaceutical industry that has recorded significant performance in the industry through the considerable enabling regulatory environment to boost its revenue.

Hence, market sentiments for the shares of the company has remained firm on the back of expectation that the company’s new biotech plant, when completed within the third quarter of 2014, is expected to manufacture pharmaceutical products whose demand is anticipated to surpass supply.

Stockbrokers attributed investors’ sustained confidence in the stock to continued sales; marketing and distribution efforts as well as its strong presence across Nigeria, which has consistently enhance the bottom-line.

The company has continued to retain the top three spots in the health care sector in terms of share price and number two in market capitalisation in what financial analysts believe, will be sustained in the next few years.

Ohiwerei

Share price movement of Fidson Healthcare Plc 2013 Aug 31

N2.02

Sept 30

N1.94

Oct 31

N2.10

Nov 30

N2.10

Dec 31

N2.79 2014

Jan 31

N2.90

Feb 28

N3.05

Mar 31

N3.00

Apr 30

N2.83

May 30

N2.80

June 30

N3.02

July 25

N3.18

The share price, which closed at N2.02 per share in August 30, 2013, has continued to record appreciable growth among its competitors. When the closing bell rang last Friday, the company’s share price stood at N3.18, an increase of N1.16 or 36.5 per cent year to date.

Corporate profile Fidson Healthcare Plc has evolved into a major player in the pharmaceutical industry

from its early days as a local distributor. The company began operations in 1995 as a distributor for independent marketers and manufacturers and subsequently ventured into the distribution of its own brands in 1996. In 1998, Fidson took the first step to commence local manufacturing, by purchasing a local plant.

The process of equipping the plant as well as personnel training took three years; thus in 2002, the company's first locally manufactured brand was launched.

In 2007, Fidson established its second manufacturing facility, and more recently, the company is in the process of setting up a new manufacturing plant, which would earn it World Health Organisation (WHO) prequalification. The company was quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in 2008.

Financials The company’s turnover for the 2013 audited year-end increased from N7.2 billion to N9.2 billion, representing 29

The company currently in discussion with some pharmaceutical firms such as Sanofi (France) to carry out secondary manufacturing

Outlook Spurred by population increase in the country, constant upscale and sophistication of Nigeria’s healthcare delivery, the Chairman of Fidson, Mr. Felix Ohiwerei, at the 15thAnnual General Meeting (AGM) recently in Lagos, said the company has commenced its brand building and extension programme in the production of new products.

He said the initiative was in line with the strategy to continuously position the company at foremost therapeutic segments in the pharmaceutical industry.

Ohiwerie said that the company’s biotech plant is expected to start test run production by end of 2014.

With the initiative, Fidson is set to join the nation’s intravenous infusion market as it sees N4 billion profits from its new product pipeline (intravenous (IV) infusion and injectables lines) by 2015.

The new product pipeline, set to be manufactured at its N7billion biotech plant located in Sango Ota, Ogun State, industry watchers believe, will change the dynamics of Nigeria’s intravenous infusion market currently dominated by three major players.

According to Biola Adebayo, Fidson Healthcare operations director the new biotech plant, when completed within the third quarter of 2014, it is expected to manufacture pharmaceutical products whose demand is anticipated to surpass supply.

With the company currently in discussion with some pharmaceutical firms such as Sanofi

(France) to carry out secondary manufacturing, Adebayo stated that its entrant into the IV infusion market will break the oligopoly through price reduction and improved product quality.

“Before now, only one pharmaceutical company had the monopoly of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) for persons living with HIV/AIDS until Fidson Healthcare commenced its own ARV manufacture.

“This drastically reduced the price of ARVs in Nigeria by more than 75 per cent. We intend to break the oligopoly in the country’s IV infusion market dominated by Dana, Juhel and Unic with 5, 10 and 100mls IV infusions.

“About 8 million (five per cent) of Nigeria’s 160 million people, representing those who are in the hospital, use infusions of varying volumes. The demand for IV infusion in Nigeria is huge.

“With our new biotech plant, we intend to break this oligopoly by injecting standards into the production and price reduction to make it more affordable, just like the ARVs,” Adebayo explained during a media tour to the new facility.

While the company imports 60 per cent of its products and manufactures 40 per cent locally, Adebayo said that the company intends to reverse this trend by 2015 by manufacturing 60 per cent of its drugs locally and sourcing the remainder through imports.

He noted that though multinational companies (MNCs) were returning to Nigeria years after their departure, the new biotech plant plans was to fill the yawning gap of pharmaceutical needs through increased drug quality and manufacturing process.

Analysts’ perception Based on the Q3, 2013 performance of the company, analysts at CandinalStone Partners Limited, said the growth in cost of sales, which stood at 28 per cent, lagged the top-line run-rate of 30 per cent. They noted that the same pattern has been observed historically, with average rate of increase in cost of sales between 2008 and 2012, coming behind revenue growth.

“Thus, we expect cost of sales to rise by about 24 per cent by FY'13, slightly slower than estimated revenue growth of 26 per cent; and between 2014 and 2017, we project both lines to move in tandem, rising each by an average 19 per cent.

“Over the medium term (2014 - 2017), we forecast 16 per cent CAGR in Fidson's total administrative, selling and distribution expenses. Thus, we estimate average EBITDA margin of 15 per cent over the period. Our projection for average after tax earnings growth over 2014 to 2017 comes to 46 per cent, implying an average profit after tax margin of 7 per cent (versus historic 5 year average of 5 per cent),” they said.

BUSINESS | CAPITAL MARKET REPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

35

Nigerian stocks drain as sentiments turn red Negative Equities market plummet as investors' interest wane Chris Ugwu

T

he Nigeria stock market, lowered its momentum from the previous weeks. After recording significant growth, the market, which opened the week in the red, skewed downward throughout the trading days.

This was due to profit taking by investors in the wake of the cautious optimism that has prevailed in the market recently.

Market analysts also believed that shareholders were offloading for the celebration of the Eid-el-fitri holidays billed for today and tomorrow.

Oil & Gas stocks deplete NSE The Nigerian stock market opened the week last Monday on the negative path as activities on the shares of oil and gas firms lowered the momentum to give the bears enablement to sustain stronghold in the market.

Seplat Petroleum along with Forte Oil, Conoil and other blue chips shed weights, dragging the market southwards.

This was due to profit taking by investors in the wake of the cautious optimism that had prevailed in the market.

The twin market performance measures - the NSE ASI and market capitalisation, dropped by 0.25 per cent as the market tempo lowered.

At the close of trading, 33 stocks recorded appreciated, while 35 others constituted the losers’ table.

The twin market indicators, the All-Share Index fell by 107.52 basis points or 0.25 per cent, from 42,891.82 the previous day to close at 42,784.30, while the market capitalisation was down

by N35 billion or 0.25 per cent, from N14.162 trillion to N14.127 trillion.

Further analysis of the day’s trading showed that Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc topped the day’s gainers’ table with N15.83 to close at N170.33, while Total Oil Plc added N6.00 to close at N186.20. PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc followed with N1.01 to close at N39.00 per share.

On the flip side, Seplat Oil led the losers with a drop of N26.95 to close at N675.05, while Forte Oil Nigeria Plc shed N11.00 to close at N227.00 per share. Conoil followed with N3.28 to close at N62.32 per share.

On the activity chart, the Banking sub-sector dominated in volume terms with 203.4 million shares worth N964.2 million in 1,659 deals. The sub sector was enhanced by the activities in the shares of Skye Bank Plc and Unity Bank Plc Insurance sub-sector also of financial services sector, boosted by the activities on the shares of Wapic Nigeria Plc followed with 78.3 million units worth N67.9 million in 244 deals.

In all, investors exchanged a total of 535.07 million shares worth N4.4 billion in 5,862 deals.

NSE trading floor

Investors’ wealth falls N40bn The bears last Tuesday continued to overrun the equities market following sell pressure on blue chip companies. Market watchers believed bargain hunters rescinded from position taking to take profits, from the gains recorded penultimate week.

The situation in the market made the stock market lost points, thus remaining on the red territory as market sentiments dipped, causing investors to lose N40 billion.

The twin market performance measures, the All Share Index and market capitalisation, dropped by 0.28 per cent as the market tempo lowered.

At the close of trading, 25 stocks recorded price appreciation, while 30 others constituted the losers’ table.

The twin market indicators, the All-Share Index fell by 119.35 basis points or 0.28 per cent, from 42,784.30 last Monday to close at 42,664.95, while the market capitalisation dropped

by N40 billion or 0.28 per cent, from N14, 127 trillion to N14, 087 trillion.

Further analysis of the day’s trading showed that Total Oil Nigeria Plc topped the gainers’ table with N9.30 to close at N195.50, while Mobil Oil Plc added N8.51 to close at N178.84.

Ashaka Cement Nigeria Plc followed with N1.54 to close at N31.46 per share.

On the flip side, Dangote Cement led the losers with a drop of N2.50 to close at N238.00, while Unilever Oil Nigeria Plc shed N1.14 to close at N49.00 per share.

On the activity chart, the Banking sub-sector dominated in volume terms with 98 million shares worth N898.3 million in 1,699 deals. The sub-sector was enhanced by the activities in the shares of Access Bank Plc and

Five most capitalized stocks@ July 25, 2014 Dangote

N3.09tn

Cement Plc Nigerian

N1.3tn

Breweries Plc Guaranty

N912bn

Trust Bank Plc Nestle

N887bn

Nigeria Plc Zenith Bank

N792bn

Plc UBA Plc Other financial services sub sector also of financial services sector, boosted by the activities on the shares of FBNH Plc followed with 56 million units, worth N706.7 million in 769 deals.

In all, investors exchanged a total of 430.1 million shares, worth N4.02 billion in 6,323 deals.

Three-day low Last Wednesday, key market indices, the NSE ASI and market capitalisation declined further by 0.28 per cent as some oil and gas stocks continued to skew downwards.

Total Nigeria Plc, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc along with other blue chip stocks shed weight, dragging the market southwards as profits taking deepened.

Most sectored gauges were in the negative except the NSE Insurance Index, which increased by 1.08 per cent.

At the close of trading, 29 stocks appreciated, while 36 others constituted the losers’ table.

The twin market indicators, the All-Share Index declined by 120.62 points or 0.28 per cent, from 42,664.95 the previous day, to close at 42,544.33, while the market capitalisation decreased by N39 billion from N14, 087 trillion to N14, 048 trillion, representing a decline of 0.28 per cent.

On the activity chart, the Banking sub-sector dominated in volume terms with 72.9 million shares worth N744.8 million in 1,267 deals. The subsector was enhanced by the activities in the shares of Access Bank Plc and Fidelity Bank Plc Insurance services sub -ector also of financial services sector boosted by the activities on the shares of Wapic Insurance Plc followed with 30.2 million units, worth N28.4 million in 142 deals.

In all, investors exchanged a total of 273.3 million shares, worth N3.07 billion in 4,761 deals.

Shares of paint manufacturer, Chemical and Allied Products, buoyed by 90 kobo to close at N41.00 per share amid the release of its half-year earnings report, which showed a 20.43 per cent increase in its bottom line. Also, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria Plc (CCNN) followed with 63 kobo to close at N13.27, while brewers of alcoholic beverages, Guinness Nigeria advanced by 50 kobo to close at N198.00 per share.

On the flip side, refined petroleum products marketers, Total Nigeria and Mobil Nigeria, lost N9.77 and N8.94 to close respectively, at N185.73 and N169.90 per share. Skyeshelter shed N5.00 to close N95.00.

Disrupted trading The Exchange last Thursday experienced technical issue that disrupted trading activities.

The NSE acknowledged that trading was disrupted because network fault, which was identified later in the evening.

Based on the hitches, the Exchange extended trading to 3.15 pm the following day.

The Exchange’s Head of Market Operations, Mr. Ade Ewuosho, explained that a decision was taken to extend the trading hours to 3:15 pm (from the usual time of 2:30 pm) in order to give brokers the opportunity to make up some of the lost time. Notwithstanding the disruption, there was some trading matched on the system.

He further confirmed that the cause of the disruption, which was network related, was identified and fully rectified.

However, trading activities sustained bearish sentiments as sell pressure continued, leading the equities market to dip further by 0.03 per cent.

The twin market indicators, the All-Share Index, declined by 14.59 points 0.03 per cent from 42,544 the previous day to close at 42,529.74, while the market capitalisation decreased by N5 billion from N14,048 trillion to N14,043 trillion, representing a decline of 0.03 per cent.

Investment value dips Last Friday, the twin market performance measures, the All Share Index and market capitalisation, was down by 0.5 per cent as the market closed southwards.

At the close of trading, 23 stocks appreciated, while 40 others constituted the losers’ table.

The twin market indicators, the All-Share Index dropped by 243.92 basis points or 0.5 per cent, from 42,529.74 the previous day to close at 42,285.82, while the market capitalisation dropped by N81 billion or 0.5 per cent from N14,043 trillion to N13,962 trillion.

Insurance

36

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

NHIS expands health insurance reach PENETRATION The need to reach as many Nigerians as possible has compelled the National Health Insurance Scheme to go into more partnership Sunday Ojeme

T

he desire by the National Health Insurance Scheme to reach more Nigerians has been further enhanced through a partnership between the insurance health provider and Nigeria’s leading telecommunication firm, MTN and Salt & Einstein MTS. The latest endeavour is expected to assist the Federal Government deepen health insurance penetration in the country.

The Executive Secretary/CEO, NHIS, Dr Femi Thomas, while describing the partnership as the beginning of the digitalisation of health in the country, said operational guidelines of the initiative would be rolled out very soon after the official flag-off the programme by President Jonathan Goodluck.

He pointed out that subscribers to the scheme from the formal sector stood at 3.5million people up from 2.3million it used to be while those from the informal sector is now 1.5million.

Thomas observed that the World Health Organisation (WHO) was no longer interested in making health delivery a patch-up affair but a universal phenomenon, adding that the initiative would transform access and quality because payment for services will allow operators put infrastructure and manpower in place.

He said the initiative was unique in that whenever an insured cannot pick the bill, the “adoption tree” would intervene and help pick the bill, which is in line with the culture of Africans being their brothers’ keeper Partnership The Chief Executive Officer, MTN, Mr. Michael Ikpoki, also described the partnership as blazing the trail and the first in the country.

He said the initiative was in line with the firm’s broader vision of bringing a bold digital world at the door steps of the subscribers by touching their lives, adding that pursuing this goal required innovation and new products.

Ikpoki said the partnership was necessitated by the need to fill needs gap existing in the country’s insurance sector, stressing that affordable, accessible and cost-efficient scheme would be delivered to customers.

In his contribution, the Chairman, Salt & Einstein MTS, Dr Ernest Ndukwe, said the real test of the project would be determined by the number of people that key into the scheme, saying he was confident in seeing a bright future for the success of the programme.

The Chief Executive Officer, Salt & Einstein MTS, Mr. Lai Labode, on his part, said though technology could not solve all problems, it must, however, be deployed to solving emerging problems in the country.

He assured that the scheme would not go the way of mobile money which had received sluggish adoption by subscribers.

According to him, the product has

Thomas Patients receiving treatment

Ndukwe

been designed specifically to address the peculiar challenge of the local market.

MDG Target New Telegraph recalls that prior to the new development, NHIS had worked towards actualizing its Millennium Development Goals target for the nation, with plans to introduce a Mobile Health Insurance Scheme to cover workers in the informal sector.

The Executive Secretary of the scheme said more than 20 million Nigerians were expected to be covered by the mobile scheme.

He also declared that before the end of the year, the NHIS programme would be extended to cover pupils in public primary schools nationwide before the end of the year.

According to him, 40 per cent funding for the programme will come from the Federal Government, while state governments will make up the remaining 60 per cent.

Thomas had earlier in the year hinted that a school programme would soon be inaugurated to widen the scope of the scheme, saying that that the programme would enable primary and secondary school pupils from age six to 12 years benefit from services of the scheme.

He said the programme would add about 24 million additional enrolments

Ikpoki

to beneficiaries of the NHIS. He added that plans were also on to include students of tertiary institutions into the scheme, saying this would help to fast-track the objective of achieving universal access to healthcare.

"Children in primary schools will be treated free. It is our hope that the free health programme will enlist 14 million children nationwide."

Intervention The executive secretary had earlier revealed that the reduction in the rate of deaths during pregnancy and child birth

by Nigerian women was due to Federal

The initiative is unique in that whenever an insured cannot pick the bill, the “adoption tree” would intervene and help pick the bill, which is in line with the culture of Africans being their brothers’ keeper

Government’s unwavering financial support for the NHIS project.

He said the Federal Government had spent over N1billion on the scheme for promoting maternal and child health in reducing unnecessary deaths, stressing that that the FG established the scheme due to the alarming number of children that died during pregnancy and before age five.

While calling on Nigerians to take advantage of the scheme by getting enrolled, he pointed out that the incessant deaths among this category of people had become a recurring decimal, as about 39,000 women died before the intervention of NHIS. He said, "Hospital is beyond the reach of women, especially in rural areas and some do not have access to drugs; hence government directed that women and children under five years be treated where such programmes exist."

He said that 12 out of the 36 states of the federation had embraced community based health insurance programme, adding that efforts were on to encourage other states to key into it.

Past Beneficiaries Thomas said 33,000 pregnant women had benefited from the scheme’s maternal/ newborn and child health programme in the first quarter of 2014, as opposed to the 11,000 that benefited in 2013.

The scheme had also inaugurated NHIS-MDG Users Satisfaction Survey (USS) to gauge the opinion of enrollees on areas for improvement.

The survey will take place in primary healthcare centres across the country.

Only recently, the NHIS teamed up with telecommunication provider, MTN and Salt & Einstein MTS to develop mobile universal health insurance service known as Y'ello Health.

The service will seek to provide affordable health insurance cover on a pre-paid basis. Through the Y'ello Health, mobile subscribers will be able to opt into a micro healthcare insurance scheme with Health Management Organisations using their mobile phones for a range of pre-defined medical treatments for which affordable premium could also be remitted through their mobile phone.

MTN Nigeria CMO, Larry Annetts, said the focus market for the Y'ello Health cover were Nigerians who have no health insurance because of their inability to afford the regular health insurance services in the market.

BUSINESS | INSURANCE 37

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

DOWN SIDE Technical margins are likely to continue to be affected by expense base

Sunday Ojeme

R

enowned rating agency, A.M. Best, has affirmed the financial strength rating of B+ (Good) and the issuer credit rating of "bbb-" of Continental Reinsurance Plc (Continental Re) (Nigeria).

The outlook for both ratings is stable.

The ratings of Continental Re, according to a statement from the company, reflect its strong risk-adjusted capitalisation, solid operating performance and established competitive position in the Nigerian insurance market.

Partly offsetting these positive rating factors are Continental Re’s high level of outstanding

A.M. Best affirms Continental Reinsurance ratings premiums and exposure to Nigeria’s socio-economic difficulties.

The agency noted: "Continental Re’s strong risk-adjusted capitalisation continues to reflect its low net underwriting leverage, which is partially offset by its high investment risk exposure. The company has a sizeable exposure to unlisted securities (representing approximately 20% of total investments), which relate mainly to unquoted equities and fixed-income bonds.

These investments are considered to be illiquid.

"Continental Re’s earnings remained at a solid level in 2013, supported by strong underwriting and investment

results. Although operating performance is expected to remain positive, reflecting the relatively low claims activity in its target markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, technical margins are likely to continue to be affected by Continental Re’s high expense base due to the lack of scale in its operations." The agency explained.

Besides, it added "that Continental Re maintains a high level of net outstanding premium debtors, totaling 42% of gross written premium in 2013 (2012: 45%). Around onethird of these receivables are for future pipeline premiums, which relate to income due to Continental Re, but is yet to be invoiced, with the remainder in respect of outstanding

trade receivables. Although Continental Re has benefited somewhat from the new regulation in Nigeria, which prohibits the underwriting of insurance contracts without full payment of premiums in advance, the company remains exposed to premium collection delays in its other target markets.

"Continental Re maintains a solid business profile in Nigeria, being the sole private local reinsurer. Premiums sourced from Nigeria account for approximately two-thirds of its business. The company continues to develop its profile across Africa through the establishment of regional subsidiaries, which act as hubs to increase its access to various markets within the continent."

It also noted: "Upward rating action is unlikely in the near term. Negative rating actions could occur if there were deterioration in Continental Re’s financial performance or erosion of its risk-adjusted capitalisation to a level considered unsupportive of its current rating level. Additionally, deterioration in country risk factors associated with Continental Re’s operations in Africa could negatively impact its ratings."

The methodology used in determining these ratings is Best’s Credit Rating Methodology, which provides a comprehensive explanation of A.M. Best’s rating process and contains the different rating criteria employed in the rating process.

White House working on new birth control insurance rule

T

he Obama administration plans to make another change in the rules governing how employer health care plans cover birth control, one in a long series of efforts to accommodate religious objections to some contraceptives.

Details of the new rules will not be set for a few weeks, a senior administration official said in Seattle, where President Obama was attending Democratic fundraisers. The Justice Department announced the general outline of the change in a filing with a federal appeals court earlier in the day.

Nonprofit religiously affiliated employers such as colleges, hospitals and charities are required to provide contraceptive coverage as part of whatever health plans they offer. But if the organization objects on religious grounds to some or all methods of birth control, the current rules provide an exemption.

The rules require the employer to file a form with the government giving notice of its objection as well as the name of its insurer. The insurance company is then supposed to step in to offer the birth control coverage on its own at no extra cost to covered individuals.

Insurers have been willing to go along with that plan so far on the grounds that covering birth control saves them money in the long run by avoiding costly pregnancies.

Dozens of religiously affiliated employers have challenged that rule in court, saying that filling out the form would violate their religious convictions by making them complicit in the insurers' decisions to provide birth control coverage.

Early this month, the Supreme Court gave Wheaton College, an evangelical Christian school near Chicago, permission not to file the form, at least for the time being. A majority of the justices said that until Wheaton's lawsuit was resolved, the government must allow the school to provide its notification in some other fashion.

"In light of the Supreme Court order," the administration plans to "provide an alternative way for objecting nonprofit religious organizations to provide notification," the senior official told reporters, speaking under condition of anonymity.

Final details of the new plan will be announced within a month, the official said.

Etisalat launches smartphone insurance

U

AE telco, Etisalat has launched a six-month and 12-month smartphone insurance plan. The insurance plan offers protection against theft as well as accidental damage.

The plans, priced at AED120 ($32) for 6-months cover or AED250 for 12-months, give the subscriber the protection they need against accidental damage that may occur, in-

cluding: cracked screen, theft, liquid damage, and other defects that may not be carried by the phone’s original warranty.

Each plan has been launched in partnership with AXA Insurance. Insurance plans are available to all customers who purchase a new smartphone from Etisalat’s business centres or their outlets in the UAE.

L-R: Deputy President, Nigeria Council of Registered Insurance Brokers(NCRIB), Kayode Okunoren; President, Ayodapo Shoderu; and new Chairman, Nigeria Insuers Association (NIA), GUS Wiggle during a meeting in Lagos.

Niger Insurance’s profit rises 163 %

N

iger Insurance Plc has recorded an increase of 163 per cent in profit before tax from N256.56 million recorded in 2012 to N674.30 million in 2013.

It has also proposed to pay N3.5k per 50k ordinary share as dividend to shareholders for the financial year ended December 31, 2013.

The performance is predicated on the transformation agenda initiated by the company about five years ago.

Disclosing these to journalists in Lagos, the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Kolapo Adedeji, said the dividend would be paid to shareholders once the financial report is approved at the 44th Annual General Meeting holding later in Ilorin, Kwara State.

He said, "The transformation agenda we started five years

Shuts Borno, Yobe, Adamawa offices ago has started yielding positive results. We have been able to review most of our business operations and in turn there are clear indices of improved operating performance. This is evident in our financials under review.

"The company's Gross Premium Income in 2013 is N10.44 billion as against N10.33 billion in 2012. The Profit Before Tax (PBT) increased by 163 per cent in 2013 from N256.56 million recorded in 2012 to N674.30 million in 2013," he said.

He, however, said the investment reduced by 33 per cent in 2013 from N975.37 million in 2012 to N649.50 million while the shareholders fund increased to N7.88 billion in 2013 from N7.08 billion in 2012. The total assets also increased to N24.18 billion

in 2013 from N21.73 billion in 2012.

The managing director pointed out that the company was upgrading its information computer technology to integrate its regional and branch offices, adding that the company had adopted e-payment systems for premium collection.

He said the company had plans to launch new products as well as repackage the existing ones to suit its various customers.

On the threat of insurgency spreading in the North east, he said the development had compelled the company to shut down its offices in Bornu, Yobe and Adamawa states to ensure the safety of its staff while the customers in those areas are being serviced from other states.

38 business | FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

25-Jul-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.

Bonds

Price

FGN Bonds Issuer

Rating/Agency

NA

NA

Description 9.25 28-SEP-2014 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)

28-Sep-07 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

9.25 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

100.00 535.00 515.27 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 220.15 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 35.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,479.99

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,575.44

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

NA

***LCRM

Description

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

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

28-Sep-14 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

0.18 0.75 2.06 2.76 3.01 3.10 3.85 4.93 5.25 7.51 9.64 14.35 14.83 15.32 16.00 19.98

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

10.53 10.52 11.09 11.07 11.02 11.02 11.05 11.15 11.18 11.97 12.15 12.15 12.15 12.16 12.21 12.20

9.69 9.78 11.01 11.01 10.90 10.90 10.95 11.08 11.09 11.91 12.10 12.11 12.11 12.10 12.16 12.16

99.72 95.43 103.50 109.30 97.08 95.69 98.89 118.00 83.73 121.50 111.40 119.10 102.25 74.82 84.60 99.60

99.87 95.93 103.65 109.45 97.38 95.99 99.19 118.30 84.03 121.80 111.70 119.40 102.55 75.12 84.90 99.90

#

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 3.30 112.22 116.70 66.49

31-Oct-14 24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.27 0.83 1.44 2.38 2.74 2.95

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

11.55 13.13 12.96 12.99 12.01 12.02

97.02 89.97 105.60 100.31 98.90 96.48

05-Aug-14 15-Oct-14 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 30-Sep-20 27-Nov-20 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 06-Jan-21

0.03 0.22 1.10 0.70 1.22 1.23 2.74 1.78 3.44 2.41 4.19 2.61 2.61 2.99 3.06 5.33 3.12 3.74 6.34 6.44 3.92 3.95

1.56 3.29 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

12.05 13.83 14.95 13.76 15.04 14.06 16.60 11.86 12.83 12.79 12.07 12.00 15.78 12.02 12.02 12.20 13.76 12.05 12.53 13.50 12.49 13.01

100.04 99.92 97.56 100.05 99.08 101.81 85.90 103.06 103.16 102.65 106.17 105.52 96.54 105.97 108.82 108.76 102.44 107.74 104.10 106.27 105.91 105.83

1,301.62

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,266.87

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto A-/GCR A+/Agusto A/Agusto Nil 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

KWARA NIGER KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE LAGOS *OSUN *OSUN LAGOS KOGI *EKITI *NASARAWA

05-Aug-09 15-Oct-09 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 30-Sep-13 27-Nov-13 31-Dec-13 31-Dec-13 06-Jan-14

14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 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 30-SEP-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

14.00 14.00 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

17.00 6.00 8.50 6.08 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00 37.25 9.00 14.96 11.13 27.00 17.28 80.00 28.37 11.40 87.00 5.00 4.78 4.79

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Corporate Bonds

501.10 512.78

A+/Agusto; AA/GCR

LAFARGE WAPCO

11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 2014

Aa/Agusto

GTB µ NGC

17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014

Nil

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto

*UPDC

BB+/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

*FLOURMILLS

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A-/Agusto

NAHCO

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

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

FSDH

A/GCR

13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

*C & I LEASING *DANA#

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

*TOWER#

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

UBA

14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

*DANA NAHCO

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

07-Oct-11

11.50

11.80

07-Oct-14

0.20

1.00

11.54

99.91

18-Dec-09

13.50

13.17

18-Dec-14

0.40

5.21

15.77

99.07

01-Apr-10

17.00

2.00

31-Dec-14

0.44

8.71

19.28

99.00

17-Aug-10

10.00

5.29

17-Aug-15

0.58

4.88

15.43

96.45

09-Dec-10

12.00

13.62

09-Dec-15

0.89

1.00

11.48

100.84

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.60

06-Jan-16

0.97

2.63

13.10

101.02

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

2.18

1.00

11.99

101.85

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

2.25

1.34

12.33

103.63

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

3.18

1.00

12.03

102.47

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.73

30-Nov-17

2.00

1.88

12.86

109.91

09-Apr-11

16.00

7.20

09-Apr-18

1.96

3.48

14.44

102.97

09-Sep-11

18.00

3.27

09-Sep-18

2.13

5.20

16.18

103.51

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.90

09-Sep-18

2.13

5.06

16.04

101.87

22-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

22-Sep-18

4.16

1.35

12.41

104.99

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.70

18-Oct-18

2.23

2.29

13.28

104.98

17-Feb-12

17.00

0.45

17-Feb-19

2.31

6.11

17.10

99.95

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

3.44

2.16

13.20

107.53

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

6.31

2.76

14.28

103.88

11-Feb-18

3.55

1.00

12.04

94.80

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

143.81

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

147.27

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

Issuer

12.00 11.38 Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

4.76

4.62

111.04

111.86

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.01

3.82

104.04

104.75

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

5.12

5.01

108.95

109.78

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,620.16

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

AFREN PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

3.71

2.96

111.45

112.64

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

4.73

4.04

104.72

105.95

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.02

5.80

99.92

100.75

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

7.03

6.41

100.59

102.30

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

8.66

8.25

94.33

95.61

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

4.81

4.24

113.45

114.48

6.25 APR 22, 2019

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

B/S&P; B/Fitch

FIDELITY BANK PLC

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

AFREN PLC

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

6.39

6.09

99.41

100.66

B/Fitch; B/S&P

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

8.76

8.54

99.95

100.81

B/S&P; B-/Fitch

DIAMOND BANK PLC FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

7.26

6.56

103.42

105.92

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

AFREN PLC

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

6.00

5.10

104.41

105.89

ZENITH BANK PLC

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

3,660.00 3,783.28

**Treasury Bills DTM 13 20 27 34 41 48 55 62 69

FIXINGS Maturity 7-Aug-14 14-Aug-14 21-Aug-14 28-Aug-14 4-Sep-14 11-Sep-14 18-Sep-14 25-Sep-14 2-Oct-14

Bid Discount (%) 10.15 10.15 10.20 10.20 10.25 10.50 10.50 10.50 10.45

Offer Discount (%) 9.90 9.90 9.95 9.95 10.00 10.25 10.25 10.25 10.20

Bid Yield (%) 10.19 10.21 10.28 10.30 10.37 10.65 10.67 10.69 10.66

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 10.4583 12.2108 13.1576 14.2074

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards)

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

11.00

Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

O/N

11.21

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M 6M

161.70 162.10 162.36 162.95 164.12 165.42 169.04

161.80 162.36 162.70 163.60 165.30 167.07 172.84

Tenor Call 1M 3M

REPO

Rate (%) 11.00 12.40 12.97

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

28-Dec-11 24-May-10 03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

0.00 0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

978.35 24.56 3.30 112.22 116.70 66.49

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

11.55 13.13 12.96 12.99 12.01 12.02

97.02 89.97 105.60 100.31 98.90 96.48

1,266.87

Sub-National Bonds Sanctity of Truth

0.27 0.83 1.44 2.38 2.74 2.95

1,301.62

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

A/Agusto Monday, A-/GCR July 28, 2014 A+/Agusto A/Agusto Nil 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

31-Oct-14 24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

KWARA NIGER KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE LAGOS *OSUN *OSUN LAGOS KOGI *EKITI *NASARAWA

14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 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 30-SEP-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

05-Aug-09 15-Oct-09 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 30-Sep-13 27-Nov-13 31-Dec-13 31-Dec-13 06-Jan-14

BUSINESS |FINANCIAL MARKET NEWS 39

14.00 14.00 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

17.00 6.00 8.50 6.08 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00 37.25 9.00 14.96 11.13 27.00 17.28 80.00 28.37 11.40 87.00 5.00 4.78 4.79

05-Aug-14 15-Oct-14 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 30-Sep-20 27-Nov-20 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 06-Jan-21

0.03 0.22 1.10 0.70 1.22 1.23 2.74 1.78 3.44 2.41 4.19 2.61 2.61 2.99 3.06 5.33 3.12 3.74 6.34 6.44 3.92 3.95

1.56 3.29 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

12.05 13.83 14.95 13.76 15.04 14.06 16.60 11.86 12.83 12.79 12.07 12.00 15.78 12.02 12.02 12.20 13.76 12.05 12.53 13.50 12.49 13.01

100.04 99.92 97.56 100.05 99.08 101.81 85.90 103.06 103.16 102.65 106.17 105.52 96.54 105.97 108.82 108.76 102.44 107.74 104.10 106.27 105.91 105.83

Nigerian banks trump Kenyan counterparts, says RenAsset EVALUATION

Investment experts set to measure Nigeria and Kenyan banks

Stories by Chris Ugwu

T

here is a strong divide

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE between banking stocks TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

in East and West Africa,

Corporate whichBonds regional expert Sven

A+/Agusto; AA/GCR WAPCO Richter is seeking toLAFARGE exploit.

Aa/Agusto GTB Richter, who is a frontier NGC Nil markets specialist*UPDC at RenaisBbb-/Agusto sance Asset Management, made A-/Agusto *FLOURMILLS BB+/GCR this comments in his*CHELLARAMS latest marA+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCO ket update.

A-/Agusto FSDH According to CityWire global A/GCR news, while some ofUBA his peers BBB-/GCR *C & I LEASING have championed BBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR Kenya *DANA in reµ

#

A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR

AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR

*TOWER#

cent weeks, Richter said he is positioning the Renaissance Sub-Saharan fund to capitalise on Nigeria.

“There is a definite bifurcation in banking stocks between West and East Africa. Nigerian financials appear cheap when compared to Kenyan – at less than half the price-to-book multiples over their Kenyan counterparts in many cases,’ he said.

With greater growth prospects and far lower valuations, we feel there is far greater value in Nige11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 2014 rian financials at present.”

13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 Richter said he expects fur17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014 ther performance in the 10.00strong UPDC 17-AUG-2015 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 Nigerian banking sector off the 14.00 of CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016policy enback an improving 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 vironment.

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 “With a new Central Bank of 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 Nigeria (CBN)30-NOV-2017 governor that is 18.00 C&I LEASING somewhat towards MPR+7.00 DANAfriendlier 9-APR-2018 MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

*TOWER#

the banking sector and an improvement in sector fundamentals, we may see an improved performance in the second half of the year,” he said.

Nigeria is currently the largest geographic exposure in the fund, representing 49.7 per cent of the fund at the end of June, while Kenya accounts for 9.6 per cent of the fund.

Richter expanded on his view regarding Kenya, stating that there is pressure from the government for the banks to adopt a 07-Oct-11 11.50 transparent pricing framework.

18-Dec-09 13.50 This 01-Apr-10 has been suggested in an 17.00 attempt to help stimulate credit 17-Aug-10 10.00 growth.

09-Dec-10 12.00 06-Jan-11 14.00 The addition of these rules, 13.00 along29-Sep-11 with a requirement to re25-Oct-13 14.25 calculate existing loans

by June 30-Sep-10 13.00 2015,30-Nov-12 will impinge on 18.00growth, Richter said. He did, however, ac09-Apr-11 16.00

knowledge that this move would put Kenya more in line with the more mature South African banking sector.

“The final impact of these factors is somewhat unclear.

However, while 2014 Net Interest Margins (NIMs) should be unaffected, we could see NIMs decline in 2015. Greater credit growth due to lower credit rates may well more than make up for 501.10 NIM reduction, however, this def512.78

Stanbic IBTC reports 56% H1 profit growth

11.80

07-Oct-14

0.20

1.00

11.54

99.91

13.17

18-Dec-14

0.40

5.21

15.77

99.07

2.00

31-Dec-14

0.44

8.71

19.28

99.00

5.29

17-Aug-15

0.58

4.88

15.43

96.45

13.62

09-Dec-15

0.89

1.00

11.48

100.84

0.60

06-Jan-16

0.97

2.63

13.10

101.02

15.00

29-Sep-16

2.18

1.00

11.99

101.85

S 5.53

25-Oct-16 2.25 tanbic IBTC has recorded 20.00 30-Sep-17 3.18 cent growth in 0.73 a 56 per 30-Nov-17 2.00its post tax profit.

7.20 first-half09-Apr-18 1.96 09-Sep-11 18.00 3.27In a filing09-Sep-18 2.13 with the Nigerian 09-Sep-11 16.00 0.90 09-Sep-18 (NSE),2.13 Stock Exchange the 22-Sep-11 14.00 35.00 22-Sep-18 4.16 post tax rose to 15.89 billion 18-Oct-13 15.75 2.70 18-Oct-18 2.23 during the 17-Feb-19 half year ended 17-Feb-12 17.00 0.45 2.31 June 2014, 01-Apr-19 from N10.183.44bil01-Apr-14 16.00 4.50 gains of our improved elec- lion it reported the 14-Nov-13 15.25 2.05 14-Nov-20 during6.31 tronic banking channels and 143.81 comparable period of 2013, financial inclusion initiatives 147.27 representing an increase of will materialise in successive 56 per cent. quarters during the year. We Gross earnings rose 13 per 11-Feb-13 10.20 11-Feb-18 3.55 remain confident that we have 12.00 cent to N61.47 billion during the right tools to achieve our 12.00 the six months ended June business goals for the year 11.38 30, 2014 from N54.5 billion whilst ensuring we continue Outstanding to posted Value in 2013.

Issue Date Coupon (%) Date Bid Yield (%) improve our customer service (N'bn)StanbicMaturity IBTC Bank, one delivery and further consoli- of the commercial banks date our growth momentum.” listed on the floor of the Ex07-Oct-11 6.75 500.00 change had28-Jan-21 posted a 934.76per said Oduoza.

Also in the quarter under cent growth in net earnings 12-Jul-13 5.13 500.00 12-Jul-18 4.01 review, UBA’s net interest during the first quarter end12-Jul-13 6.38 500.00 12-Jul-23 5.12 margin (NIM), which shows ed March 31, 2014. the quality of the bank’s earn- 1,500.00 In a notice to Exchange, ing on its lending activities, 1,620.16 the company’s profit after remained stable at 5.9 per cent tax grew from N3.573 billion Quarter on Quarter (q/q). Cost in the corresponding period 01-Feb-11 11.50 stable 450.00 01-Feb-16 3.71 in of funds also remained of 2013 to N6.897 billion 19-May-16 4.73 at 3.619-May-11 per cent, q/q,7.50 while re- 500.00 2014.

6.00 6.02 turn08-Nov-13 on assets remained stable 400.00Its profit08-Nov-18 before tax (PBT) 7.25 25-Jul-17 at 1.925-Jul-12 per cent q/q, just as Re- 350.00 in its first quarter 7.03 also turn09-May-13 on Equity (RoE)6.88 improved 300.00 climbed up02-May-18 to 89.3 per 8.66 cent 08-Apr-12 10.25 300.00 08-Apr-19 4.81 to 22.1 per cent q/q6.25 from 21.3 500.00 from N4.73922-Apr-19 billion in the Q1 22-Apr-14 6.39 per cent. of 2013 to N8.969 billion in 21-May-14 8.75 200.00 21-May-19 8.76

UBA’s first-half profit falls by 13% A/Agusto; A/GCR

Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR BBB/GCR

U

UBA

14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

initely a headwind to the sector,” he said.

Financials as a whole make up 54.7 per cent of the fund at present, which compares with an MSCI FM Africa Index weighting of 52 per cent.

The Renaissance Sub-Saharan Africa fund has returned 32.75 per cent in US dollar terms over the three years to the end of June 2014, while its benchmark rose 12.47 per cent.

1.34 12.33 the review period of 103.63 2014.

1.00 12.03 102.47 Gross ear also 1.88 12.86 nings109.91 climbed up to N30.221102.97 billion 3.48 14.44 5.20 N26.586 16.18 103.51 from billion, indicat5.06 101.87 ing a growth16.04 of 13.7 per cent.

1.35 12.41 104.99 The bank had recorded 2.29 13.28 104.98 a 105 per cent boost99.95 in its 6.11 17.10 profit for the 2.16 13.20 2013 audited 107.53 full December 2.76 year ended 14.28 103.88 31. It recorded a profit after tax (PBT) of N20.77 billion as against N10.15 billion.

It recorded a gross earn1.00 12.04 94.80 ings of N111.22 billion, a 21 per cent improvement when compared with N91.86 billion, which it pulled in Offer Yield (%) Bid Price Offer Price 2012. Stanbic IBTC’s interestPrices expense grew minimally & Yields by five per cent to N25.57 bil4.62 111.86 lion in 2013111.04 compared with N24.26 billion in 2012, just as 3.82 104.04 104.75 credit impairment charges 108.95 5.01 109.78 dropped significantly by 61 per cent to N2.66 billion as against N6.89 billion in 2012.

With staff cost up to N23.85 billion from N19.95 2.96 112.64 billion, the 111.45 financial institu4.04 104.72revenue 105.95 tion’s trading grew 99.92 to N14.89 100.75 bilby5.80 84 per cent 6.41from N8.09 100.59 billion.

102.30 lion In the 8.25 94.33 95.61 same vein, basic earnings per 4.24 113.45 114.48 share grew by 272 per cent in 6.09 99.41 100.66 the year under review.100.81 8.54 99.95

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

*DANA NAHCO

B/S&P; B-/Fitch

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

7.26

6.56

103.42

105.92

B+/S&P; B+/Fitch

AFREN PLC

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

6.00

5.10

104.41

105.89

nited Bank for Africa (UBA) TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE at the weekend reported thatMARKET its 2014 half-year preTOTAL CAPITALISATION tax profit fell to N28.89 billion, Supranational Bond down 13 per cent from N33.25 AAA/S&P IFC billion recorded the previous TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE year 2013.

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION In a filing with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), the Issuer bank’sRating/Agency gross earnings rose 8.7 per to N138.32 billion durFGNcent Eurobonds ing the six months ended June 30 B+/S&P asBB-/Fitch; against N127.25 posted during BB-/Fitch; the comparable period of 2013.

FGN BB-/S&P The lender had reported BB-/Fitch; that it continued to expand its BB-/S&P credit to the emerging TOTALsupport OUTSTANDING VALUE sectors in Nigeria and Africa TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION with its loans and advances hitCorporate Eurobonds ting a new record high.

B-/S&P; I TheB/Fitch first quarterAFREN 2014PLC unauGTBANK PLC I dited results B+/S&P; B+/Fitch released at the ExGTBANK change showed that the PLC bank B+/S&Pits loan figures ACCESS BANK PLC grew by 16 per B/S&P; B/Fitch FIDELITY BANK PLC cent from N937.6 billion as at B/Fitch AFREN PLC December 31, 2013 to N1.067 B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P BANK PLC trillion as at MarchZENITH 31, 2014.

B/Fitch; B/S&P DIAMOND BANK PLC

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020also rose by Gross earnings 8.2 per cent to N68 billion in Q1, 2014 compared with N63 billion in the corresponding period of 2013. Similarly, quarter-on10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018 quarter (q/q) Profit-after-tax recorded a significant 36.37 per cent increase from N9.23 billion as at fourth quarter Description 2013 to N12.59 billion in the first quarter of 2014.

The first quarter unaudited 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 results also shows an operating income of N45.5 5.13 JULbillion 12, 2018 in the period, a marginal 2 per cent 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 increase on N44.6 billion in the first quarter of 2013.

Speaking on the result, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, UBA’s Group Managing Director and Chief FEB 01, 2016 Executive 11.50 Officer said the 7.50 MAYon 19, 2016 bank has focused a number NOV 08, 2018 aimed of strategic 6.00 initiatives JUL 25, 2017 at increasing7.25 its market share 6.88 MAY 09, 2018 in the Nigerian and African 10.25 APR 08, 2019 markets.

6.25 APR 22, 2019 “We are optimistic 8.75 May 21, 2019that the

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

3,660.00 3,783.28

25-Jul-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 FIXINGS Money Market Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement.

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards)

**Treasury the FMDQBills OTC PLC

DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) 13 7-Aug-14 10.15 20 14-Aug-14 10.15 FGN Bonds 27 21-Aug-14 10.20 34 28-Aug-14 10.20 41 4-Sep-14 10.25 Issuer Description Rating/Agency 48 11-Sep-14 10.50 55 18-Sep-14 10.50 9.25 28-SEP-2014 62 25-Sep-14 10.50 4.00 23-APR-2015 69 2-Oct-14 10.45 76 9-Oct-14 10.30 13.05 16-AUG-2016 83 16-Oct-14 10.45 15.10 27-APR-2017 90 23-Oct-14 10.15 9.85 27-JUL-2017 97 30-Oct-14 10.55 9.35 31-AUG-2017 104 6-Nov-14 10.10 10.70 30-MAY-2018 111 13-Nov-14 10.55 16.00 29-JUN-2019 118 20-Nov-14 10.30 NA NA 132 4-Dec-14 10.10 7.00 23-OCT-2019 167 8-Jan-15 9.95 16.39 27-JAN-2022 181 22-Jan-15 10.05 14.20 14-MAR-2024 195 5-Feb-15 10.15 15.00 28-NOV-2028 209 19-Feb-15 10.15 12.49 22-MAY-2029 223 5-Mar-15 10.15 8.50 20-NOV-2029 258 9-Apr-15 9.90 10.00 23-JUL-2030 272 23-Apr-15 10.05 286 7-May-15 9.70 12.1493 18-JUL-2034 *from the Amortising bonds, TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE # the average life is is acalculated Risk Premium combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums

Offer Discount (%) 9.90 9.90 9.95 9.95 10.00 Issue Date 10.25 10.25 28-Sep-07 10.25 23-Apr-10 10.20 10.05 16-Aug-13 10.20 27-Apr-12 9.90 27-Jul-07 10.30 31-Aug-07 9.85 30-May-08 10.30 29-Jun-12 10.05 9.85 23-Oct-09 9.70 27-Jan-12 9.80 14-Mar-14 9.90 28-Nov-08 9.90 22-May-09 9.90 20-Nov-09 9.65 23-Jul-10 9.80 9.45 18-Jul-14

Bid Yield (%) 10.19 10.21 10.28 10.30 10.37 Coupon (%) 10.65 10.67 9.25 10.69 4.00 10.66 10.53 13.05 10.70 15.10 10.41 9.85 10.85 9.35 10.40 10.70 10.90 16.00 10.65 10.48 7.00 10.42 16.39 10.58 14.20 10.73 15.00 10.78 12.49 10.82 8.50 10.64 10.00 10.86 10.50 12.1493

Tenor O/N 1M Outstanding 3M 6M (N'bn)

Issuer

Agency Bonds NA

AMCON Modified Duration Buckets FMBN

<3 ***LCRM 3<5 >5

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUEMarket TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

11.00

O/N

11.21

REPO TTM (Yrs) Bid Yield (%) Tenor Rate (%) Call 0.18 1M 0.75 3M 6M 2.06

11.00 10.53 12.40 10.52 12.97 13.88 11.09

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Tenor Spot 7D Offer 14DYield 1M (%) 2M 9.69 3M 9.78 6M 1Y 11.01

2.76 11.07 11.01 3.01 11.02 10.90 3.10 11.02 10.90 :Benchmarks 3.85Bond 11.05 10.95 * :Amortising 4.93Bond 11.15 11.08 µ :Convertible 5.25 Management Corporation 11.18 11.09 AMCON: Asset of Nigeria FGN: Federal 7.51Government of Nigeria 11.97 11.91 FMBN: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria 9.64 12.15 12.10 IFC: International Finance Corporation 14.35 12.15 12.11 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables Management 14.83 Aviation Handling 12.15 Company 12.11 NAHCO: Nigerian 15.32 12.16 12.10 O/N: Overnight 16.00 12.21Company 12.16 UPDC: UAC Property Development WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company 19.98 12.20 12.16 NOTE:

Bid ($/N) 161.70 162.10 162.36 Bid Price 162.95 164.12 99.72 165.42 95.43 169.04 176.84 103.50

Offer ($/N)

Price 161.80 162.36

162.70 Offer Price 163.60 165.30 99.87 167.07 95.93 172.84 183.83 103.65

109.30 109.45 97.08 97.38 95.69 95.99 NA :Not Applicable 98.89 99.19 # :Floating Rate Bond 118.00coupon bonds 118.30 ***: Deferred 83.73 84.03 †: Bond121.50 rating expired 121.80 111.40 111.70 119.10 119.40 102.25 102.55 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 74.82Bank for Africa 75.12 UBA: United 84.60 84.90 99.60 99.90

4,479.99 4,575.44

Description

Issue Date

0.00Porfolio AMCONMarket 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) Total Outstanding 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 Value(Bn) Volume(Bn) 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 1,028.22 968.07 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 1,143.53 951.30 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017 745.71 811.72

2,917.46

Value

Rate (%) 10.4583 12.2108 13.1576 Maturity Date 14.2074

100.00 28-Sep-14 535.00 23-Apr-15 NITTY 515.27 16-Aug-16 Tenor Rate (%) 452.80 27-Apr-17 1M 10.2717 20.00 27-Jul-17 2M 10.5274 100.00 31-Aug-17 3M 10.5969 300.00 30-May-18 6M 10.6691 351.30 29-Jun-19 9M 10.8324 12M 10.9435 233.90 23-Oct-19 600.00 27-Jan-22 220.15 14-Mar-24 NIFEX 75.00 28-Nov-28 150.00 22-May-29 Current Price ($/N) 20-Nov-29 BID($/N) 200.00 161.9500 591.57 23-Jul-30 OFFER ($/N) 162.0500 35.00 18-Jul-34

**Exclusive of non-trading t.bills TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

Rating/Agency

NIBOR

Bonds

2,731.09

FMDQ FGN

28-Dec-11 Weighting by 24-May-10 Outstanding Vol

03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 35.45 20-Apr-12 34.83 06-Jul-12 29.72

100.00

Outstanding Value (N'bn) BOND INDEX

Coupon (%)

0.00 Weighting

by Mkt 0.00 Value

17.25 0.00/16.00 35.24 0.00/16.50 39.20 0.00/16.50 25.56

100.00

978.35

Bucket Weighting 24.56

3.30 112.220.35 116.700.35 66.49 0.30

1,301.62 1.00

31-Oct-14 % Exposure_ 24-May-15 Mod_Duration

03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 16.96 20-Apr-17 34.64 06-Jul-17 48.40

100.00

0.27

Implied Yield 0.83

1.44 2.38 11.08 2.74 11.71 2.95 12.20

11.84

#

Risk Premium (%) 1.00 Implied 2.63 Portfolio Price 2.27 2.00 118.1728 1.00 134.0830 1.00 100.7369

118.5325

Valuation Yield (%) 11.55

INDEX 13.13

12.96 12.99 1,122.40 12.01 1,135.36 12.02 1,175.18

1,125.93

Indicative Price 97.02 YTD Return 89.97 (%)

105.60 100.31 12.2401 98.90 13.5364 96.48 17.5177

12.5932

1,266.87

Sub-National Bonds A/Agusto A-/GCR A+/Agusto A/Agusto Nil A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto

KWARA NIGER KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO

14.00 KWARA 5-AUG-2014 14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 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

05-Aug-09 15-Oct-09 31-Aug-10 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10

14.00 14.00 12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00

17.00 6.00 8.50 6.08 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00

05-Aug-14 15-Oct-14 31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17

0.03 0.22 1.10 0.70 1.22 1.23 2.74 1.78 3.44

1.56 3.29 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79

12.05 13.83 14.95 13.76 15.04 14.06 16.60 11.86 12.83

100.04 99.92 97.56 100.05 99.08 101.81 85.90 103.06 103.16

Daily Summary as of 25/07/2014

Printed 25/07/2014 15:31:01.001

40 business | CAPITAL MARKET

Daily Summary as of 25/07/2014 Printed 25/07/2014 15:31:01.001

Daily Summary (Bonds)

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

No Debt Trading Activity

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at July 25, 2014 Daily Summary (Equities)

Daily Summary (Equities)

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

Symbol OKOMUOIL PRESCO

No. of Deals 32 19 51

Current Price 33.01 38.01

Quantity Traded 130,978 275,470 406,448

Value Traded 4,289,396.90 10,470,538.65 14,759,935.55

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 30 30

Current Price 3.10

Quantity Traded 920,371 920,371

Value Traded 2,853,434.10 2,853,434.10

1,326,819

17,613,369.65

Quantity Traded 193,222 48,955,544 277,897 49,426,663

Value Traded 258,969.88 264,254,908.15 17,149,780.04 281,663,658.07

49,426,663

281,663,658.07

AGRICULTURE Totals CONGLOMERATES Daily Summary as of 25/07/2014 Diversified Industries Printed 25/07/2014 15:31:01.001 A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals

81 Symbol AGLEVENT TRANSCORP UACN

Daily Summary

No. of Deals 4 563 64 (Equities) 631

CONGLOMERATES Totals

Current Price 1.34 5.51 62.40

631

Activity Summary on Board EQTY CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Structure/Completion/Other

HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC. Pharmaceuticals Totals

ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC Computer Based Systems Totals Computers and Peripherals OMATEK VENTURES PLC Daily Summary as of 25/07/2014 Computers and Peripherals Totals Printed 25/07/2014 15:31:01.001

No. of Deals 21 6 27

Current Price 1.16 14.46

Quantity Traded 862,780Page 217 862,997

Value Traded 11,024,003.22 of 13 2,981.58 1,026,984.80

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

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 24 24

Current Price 63.00

Quantity Traded 125,866 125,866

Value Traded 8,050,675.25 8,050,675.25

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

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 31 31

Current Price 17.46

Quantity Traded 219,914 219,914

Value Traded 3,861,554.75 3,861,554.75

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) SKYE SHELTER FUND PLC UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Totals

Symbol SKYESHELT UPDCREIT

No. of Deals 1 2 3

Current Price 95.00 9.95

Quantity Traded 93 100 193

Value Traded 8,393.25 946.00 9,339.25

1,208,970

12,948,554.05

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals Daily Summary as of 25/07/2014 Printed 25/07/2014 15:31:01.001 CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC Automobiles/Auto Parts Totals Beverages--Brewers/Distillers

85 Symbol DUNLOP

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 840,712 840,712

Value Traded 420,356.00 420,356.00

No. of Deals 3

Current Price 9.19

Quantity Traded 100,599

Value Traded 924,504.81

Daily Summary (Equities)

CHAMPION PLC. EQTY Activity SummaryBREW. on Board Published

by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. PREMIER BREWERIES PLC Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC UNION DICON SALT PLC. Daily Summary as of 25/07/2014 U T C NIG. PLC. Printed 25/07/2014 15:31:01.001 Food Products Totals Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY CONSUMER GOODS Published byHousehold The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. Household Durables Totals

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

Symbol CHAMPION

Page

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © PLC ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK

of

Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

13

Current Price 197.15 28.05 178.00 0.77

Quantity Traded 407,194 313,258 1,911,728 500 2,733,279

Value Traded 80,654,226.37 8,351,415.70 339,564,255.86 400.00 429,494,802.74

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 27 27

Current Price 100.03

Quantity Traded 62,495 62,495

Value Traded 6,595,106.71 6,595,106.71

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR NASCON UNIONDICON UTC

No. of Deals 72 83 58 65 68 1 1 348

Current Price 7.61 9.20 73.98 4.25 10.59 14.11 0.50

Quantity Traded 4,838,723 2,498,279 217,815 1,670,786 2,038,397 25 50 11,264,075

Value Traded 38,882,034.71 23,038,906.08 16,116,074.20 6,906,185.47 21,054,934.78 335.25 25.00 105,998,495.49

Symbol No. of Deals CADBURY 30 Daily Summary (Equities) NESTLE 62 92

Current Price 74.25 1,120.00

Quantity Traded 61,473 75,170 136,643

Value Traded 4,359,614.80 83,525,543.37 87,885,158.17

Page Quantity Traded 412,718 412,718

3 of 13 Value Traded 1,698,064.02 1,698,064.02

No. of Deals 42 42

Current Price 4.15

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

No. of Deals 56 62 118

Current Price 39.00 49.00

910 Symbol No. of Deals ACCESS 228 DIAMONDBNK 220 ETI 116 FIDELITYBK 124 GUARANTY 334 SKYEBANK 157 Daily Summary (Equities) STERLNBANK 80 UBA 227 UBN 88

NATURAL RESOURCES Published byPaper/Forest The Nigerian Products Stock Exchange © THOMAS WYATT NIG. PLC. Paper/Forest Products Totals

OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals

Quantity Traded 382,682 304,764 687,446

Value Traded 14,406,200.16 14,552,670.64 28,958,870.80

16,137,368

661,050,853.93 Value Traded 202,106,384.14 136,562,105.76 27,798,278.73 29,639,753.09 4,659,430,891.72 17,409,504.02 35,658,971.16 75,926,432.04 6,792,587.14

Value Traded 407,004.50 6,117,496.36 4 of 13 277,520,170.34 5,475,369,579.00

Current Price 0.81 1.13 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.55 0.54 0.82 0.50 0.52 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.90

Quantity Traded 5,043,697 4,907,667 807,433 288,000 500 450,250 1,558,306 3,853,104 1,174,650 221,110 55,000 62,337 100,000 25,000 13,532,795 32,079,849

Value Traded 4,105,017.95 5,456,083.34 403,716.50 144,000.00 250.00 1,154,111.24 838,668.62 3,123,132.44 587,325.00 114,977.20 27,500.00 31,168.50 50,000.00 12,500.00 12,166,399.80 28,214,850.59

Symbol FORTISMFB

No. of Deals 2

Current Price 5.96

Quantity Traded 200

Value Traded 1,200.00

Symbol NPFMCRFBK

No. of Deals 5 7

Current Price 1.00

Quantity Traded 201,500 201,700

Value Traded 202,795.00 203,995.00

Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services INFINITY TRUST MORTGAGE BANK PLC RESORT SAVINGS & LOANS PLC UNION HOMES SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC. Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Symbol INFINITY RESORTSAL UNHOMES

No. of Deals 1 1 2 4

Current Price 1.60 0.50 0.50

Quantity Traded 20,000 220,000 16,218 256,218

Value Traded 33,600.00 110,000.00 8,109.00 151,709.00

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

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS FBNH FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 92 41 510 114 3 190 146 1,096

Current Price 3.26 3.90 15.22 4.20 0.52 29.09 2.17

Quantity Traded 2,009,573 3,044,783 7,369,245 7,386,805 600,000 11,329,056 5,330,917 37,070,379

Value Traded 6,584,591.53 11,992,458.02 112,912,860.92 31,193,523.05 312,000.00 321,741,612.69 11,544,629.69 496,281,675.90

331,377,532

6,000,221,809.49

Quantity Traded 40,000 40,000

Value Traded 20,000.00 20,000.00

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © FINANCIAL SERVICES Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals

Page

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Healthcare Providers UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC Healthcare Providers Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

3,442 Symbol UNIONDAC

No. of Deals 1 1

Exploration and Production Totals

Quantity Traded 20,356,042 20,382,667 1,692,057 14,784,464 155,222,147 5,437,327 15,697,526 9,599,673 758,934

No. of Deals 44 46 5 1 2 13 16 40 7 6 1 1 2 1 94 279

Daily Summary (Equities)

OIL AND GAS Exploration and Production Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD

Current Price 0.50

Page

5

6

of

of

Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC. Employment Solutions Totals Daily Summary as of 25/07/2014 Printed 25/07/2014 15:31:01.001 Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals

Media/Entertainment DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Media/Entertainment TotalsEQTY Activity Summary on Board

Quantity Traded 708,905 708,905

Value Traded 383,958.21 383,958.21

Symbol OMATEK

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 200 200

Value Traded 100.00 100.00

No. of Deals 2 2 Daily Summary (Equities)

Current Price 2.21

Quantity Traded 1,080 1,080

Value Traded 2,286.80 2,286.80

710,185

386,345.01

Symbol ETRANZACT

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol

14

No. of Deals

Page Quantity Traded

Current Price

7Value Traded of 13

Symbol ASHAKACEM BERGER CAP CCNN DANGCEM DNMEYER PAINTCOM PORTPAINT WAPCO

No. of Deals 94 15 25 121 90 10 1 17 75 448

Current Price 30.27 8.60 41.00 14.17 232.00 1.20 1.47 5.22 118.95

Quantity Traded 832,838 119,231 136,106 2,961,810 87,094,842 24,369 50,000 428,140 706,037 92,353,373

Value Traded 25,013,057.08 1,025,223.55 5,418,728.25 41,471,676.90 18,715,747,670.21 29,394.18 73,500.00 2,221,357.50 83,413,822.87 18,874,414,430.54

Symbol CUTIX

No. of Deals 14 14

Current Price 1.90

Quantity Traded 446,655 446,655

Value Traded 866,819.68 866,819.68

Symbol AVONCROWN BETAGLAS VANLEER

No. of Deals 1 3 1 5

Current Price 1.69 16.30 12.08

Quantity Traded 2,811 1,361 100 4,272

Value Traded 4,778.70 23,286.71 1,148.00 29,213.41

92,804,300

18,875,310,463.63

Daily Summary (Equities)

467

Page

Symbol THOMASWY

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.79

8

Quantity Traded Page 4,050 4,050

1

of

3,078.00 3,078.00

4,050

3,078.00

No. of Deals 112 112

Current Price 0.51

Quantity Traded 9,409,406 9,409,406

Value Traded 4,804,151.26 4,804,151.26

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 665 665

Current Price 25.47

Quantity Traded 17,150,043 17,150,043

Value Traded 441,450,267.99 441,450,267.99

No. of Deals 1 37 12 74 48 (Equities) 12 39 223

Current Price 0.50 62.32 3.90 216.00 161.41 61.99 176.45

Quantity Traded 10,000 173,105 74,420 96,646 84,543 12,880 93,011 544,605

Value Traded 5,000.00 10,241,451.88 285,951.00 20,928,234.64 13,689,720.26 758,632.00 16,620,728.89 62,529,718.67

Symbol BECOPETRO CONOIL ETERNA FO MOBIL MRSSummary Daily TOTAL

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 34 34

Current Price 675.04

1,034

13

Traded 13 9Value of

Symbol JAPAULOIL

Quantity Traded Page 325,601 325,601

Value Traded 10 of 13 222,970,846.16 222,970,846.16

27,429,655

731,754,984.08

Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 16 16

Current Price 1.00

Quantity Traded 228,400 228,400

Value Traded 228,865.90 228,865.90

Symbol REDSTAREX

No. of Deals 38 38

Current Price 5.00

Quantity Traded 969,710 969,710

Value Traded 4,898,206.75 4,898,206.75

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals 53 53

Current Price 0.52

Quantity Traded 6,479,926 6,479,926

Value Traded 3,314,828.80 3,314,828.80

Symbol IKEJAHOTEL

No. of Deals 15 15

Current Price 0.80

Quantity Traded 1,701,300 1,701,300

Value Traded 1,292,251.00 1,292,251.00

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals Current Price

Quantity Traded 50,000 50,000

Value Traded 25,000.00 25,000.00

DAARCOMM

0.50

Symbol LEARNAFRCA STUDPRESS UPL

No. of Deals 10 1 21 32

Current Price 1.63 2.40 4.14

Road Transportation ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Road Transportation Totals

Symbol ABCTRANS

No. of Deals 24 24

Current Price 0.87

Quantity Traded 1,255,000 1,255,000

Value Traded 1,050,250.00 1,050,250.00

Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals

Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

No. of Deals 27 61 88

Current Price 2.19 4.90

Quantity Traded 430,565 2,169,078 2,599,643

Value Traded 944,229.10 10,846,347.53 11,790,576.63

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

Symbol CAVERTON

No. of Deals 16 16

Current Price 6.85

Quantity Traded 178,576 178,576

Value Traded 1,162,529.76 1,162,529.76

283

14,379,516

26,726,048.65

EQTY Board Totals

7,048

536,869,982

26,618,591,033.33

Equity Activity Totals

7,048

536,869,982

26,618,591,033.33

SERVICES Totals Daily Summary as of 25/07/2014 Printed 25/07/2014 15:31:01.001

Published

by The Nigerian StockFund Exchange © Exchange Traded

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

13

10,911,868.77

1 1

SERVICES Published byPrinting/Publishing The Nigerian Stock Exchange © LEARN AFRICA PLC STUDIO PRESS (NIG) PLC. UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Printing/Publishing Totals

13

2,064,924 Current Price 0.54

OIL AND GAS Totals SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals

Value Traded 1,081,960.66 2,181,107.54 6,524,717.30 688,614.50 327,828.77 87,640.00 10,891,868.77

No. of Deals 11 11

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Current Price 9.72 6.70 16.90 1.98 31.00 3.20 2.26 7.90 8.91

Symbol AIICO CONTINSURE INTENEGINS LASACO LAWUNION MANSARD MBENEFIT NEM NIGERINS PRESTIGE REGALINS STACO STDINSURE UNIC WAPIC

Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors BECO Daily Summary asPETROLEUM of 25/07/2014PRODUCT PLC CONOIL PLC Printed 25/07/2014 15:31:01.001 ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

Quantity Traded 509,212 690,907 99,127 405,241 269,437 51,000 2,024,924

Symbol COURTVILLE

NATURAL RESOURCES Totals

Quantity Traded 814,009 5,942,922 Page 11,081,618 261,769,386

Micro-Finance Banks FORTIS MICROFINANCE BANK PLC

100

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Current Price 0.50 1.06 25.23

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

BETA GLASS CO PLC. GREIF NIGERIA PLC Packaging/Containers Totals

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals

No. of Deals 16 73 393 2,056

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. LAW UNION AND ROCK INS. PLC. MANSARD INSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. REGENCY ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC STANDARD TRUST ASSURANCE PLC Daily Summary as of 25/07/2014 STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC. Printed 25/07/2014 15:31:01.001 UNIC INSURANCE PLC. WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Daily Summary as of 25/07/2014 Packaging/Containers Printed 25/07/2014 AVON 15:31:01.001 CROWNCAPS & CONTAINERS

Current Price 2.06 3.18 68.99 1.70 1.21 1.72

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Symbol UNITYBNK WEMABANK ZENITHBANK

Banking Totals

ICT Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC DN MEYER PLC. PAINTS AND COATINGS MANUFACTURES PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC. Building Materials Totals

No. of Deals 55 28 194 1 281

Symbol VITAFOAM

Processing Systems Daily Summary as of 25/07/2014 E-TRANZACT INTERNATIONAL PLC Printed 25/07/2014 15:31:01.001 Processing Systems Totals

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Building Materials Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Symbol GUINNESS INTBREW NB PREMBREW

CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC Daily Summary as of 25/07/2014 ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED Printed 25/07/2014 15:31:01.001 FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. Activity Summary on Board EQTY

2

No. of Deals 11 30 24 21 11 2 99

HEALTHCARE Totals

Symbol COSTAIN GCAPPA

(W A) PLC. Published byCOSTAIN The Nigerian Stock Exchange © G CAPPA PLC Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH PHARMDEKO

Daily Summary (ETP) Symbol NEWGOLD VETGRIF30

Page Quantity Traded 326,799 20 590,142 916,961

Page No. of Deals 1 3 4

Current Price 2,030.00 19.35

11 of 13 Value Traded 521,258.43 45.60 2,442,235.78 2,963,539.81

12

of

Quantity Traded 12 2,525 2,537

Value Traded 24,360.00 48,706.25 73,066.25

ETF Board Totals

4

2,537

73,066.25

ETP Activity Totals

4

2,537

73,066.25

13

BUSINESS | MOVERS, SHAKERS & CAREER 41

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Ettah emerges NECA President

G

roup Managing Director, UAC Nigeria, Mr. Larry Ettah, has emerged the President of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), the umbrella body of employers in the private sector.

Ettah, who was elected head of the employers’ group at the 57th Annual General Meeting of NECA held recently in Lagos, was formerly the first VicePresident of the association.

Also, the Managing Director, DN Tyre & Rubber Plc, Dr. M.J. Yinusa, was elected 1st Vice-President, while the Managing Director, Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc, Mr. Joseph Hudson, emerged 2nd Vice-President. The Managing Director, Vono-Foam, Alhaja Titi Bakare was elected Treasurer.

The association said in a statement that Ettah was expected to bring his wealth of experience as a distinguished corporate strategist and marketing expert with wide network and proven leadership skills to bear on the 57-year old NECA. The association was formed as a platform for private sector employers to interact with the government, labour, communities and other relevant institutions in and outside Nigeria for the purpose of promoting harmonious business environment that engenders productivity and prosperity for the country.

Ettah, who assumed headship of the UAC Group on January 1st 2007, holds a B.Sc.

degree in Industrial Chemistry and an MBA (Finance/ Marketing) both from University of Benin.

He is also a graduate of the renowned Executive Programme of Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and also attended Executive Programme at Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, USA.

The new NECA helmsman held several senior management positions in UAC before his appointment as the CEO. He is the chairman of the following publicly-quoted companies: UAC Property Development Company Plc; Chemical & Allied Products Plc; Portland Paints & Products Nigeria Plc and Livestock Feeds Plc.

committee of Tberhetheofexecutive Nigerian-British ChamCommerce (NBCC) has

appointed Mrs. Joyce Akpata, as the new Director-General of the chamber.

NBCC said in a statement that Akpata was expected to bring to the chamber experiences she has garnered in her previous employments.

Akpata is a law graduate from the University of Abuja, an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators as well as the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK. Prior to her joining the Chamber, she was Head,

J

Ettah

Lagos Branch, Pastor Stephen Jagun, has been elevated to the prestigious cadre of fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyor (RICS) of the United Kingdom.

The RICS is an international professional body with over 100,000 members and represents everything professional and ethical in land management, property and construction. The body is reputed to have the highest educational and professional standards

and recognised worldwide.

To become a fellow of RICS involves passing through a rigorous process and Jagun, who is also a fellow of NIESV and Chairman of the Property and Facility Management Faculty of the institution distinguish himself in the test process.

A past president of the Nigerian chapter of the International Facility Management Association, Jagun is also a certified facility manager of the United States-based IFMA.

ulius Berger Nigeria Plc has notified the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) that its Board of Director has approved the appointment of Mr. Detlev Lubasch as the new Managing Director of the company effective July 1, 2014.

Lubasch replaces Mr. Wolfgang Goetsch, who resigned his appointment as the managing director of the company, with effect from June 30, 2014, to take up other responsibilities within the Julius Berger Group but remains on the Board of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc as a non-executive director.

Lubasch has a Diploma –Ign. (Civil Engineer), the equivalent of a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Technical University, Darmstadt, Austria in 1983. He joined Julius Berger Nigeria in 1991 and has worked on a broad range of projects both nationally and internationally.

He started his professional career as a structural engineer with a private engineering office in Idestein/Germany with focus in all kinds of static cal-

Brittania-U wins business excellence award

ne of Nigeria’s leading inOproduction digenous exploration and (E&P) company,

Brittania-U Nigeria Limited, has received the 2014 International Award for Business Excellence from Global Trade Leaders Club in Madrid, Spain.

The award, the second of such honours to be conferred on Brittania-U by the esteemed Global Trade Leaders Club, was in recognition of the company’s commitment to quality and excellent services.

The company had earlier been awarded the Interna-

Legal Administration at Lovac Speculari Limited and Company Secretary and Legal Adviser at Odade Investments Limited, a role she effectively combined with that of Head, Consultancy Unit of Odade Consulting Services Limited.

“Apata is a dynamic and resourceful individual whose sphere of experience includes legal and company secretarial practice, corporate administration, training, development and delivery, she is slated to resume duty on Tuesday, 1st July, 2014,” the statement maintained.

Julius Berger appoints new Managing Director

Jagun becomes RICS fellow he Chairman, Nigerian and it is considered as a mark Institution of Estate Sur- of distinction, which is highly Tveyors and Valuers, (NIESV) sought after by professionals

Jagun

Akpata Now NBCC Director-General

tional Trophy for Quality in March 2013, by the Club, in Paris, France.

The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, Global Trade Leaders Club, Mr. Ricardo Roso Lopez commended Brittania-U for the growth of its business and its commitment to excellence in service delivery and remarkable contributions to Nigeria’s economic and social development.

He explained that the Global Trade Leaders Club organised the award to encourage enterprises all over the world and to recognize their work, devo-

tion, innovation and quality to develop industry and trade within their countries.

The Club is an association of leading businesses from around the world, which gathers more than 7,500 members from 95 different countries, all working in the sectors of production and services.

Speaking while receiving the award on behalf of Brittania-U, the Chairman of the company, Mrs Uju Ifejika, expressed appreciation and gratitude the DG and the team of the Global Trade Leaders Club for the honour done the company.

Lubasch

culations of reinforced concrete works, steel and wooden constructions.

Lubasch relocated to Nigeria as a works Planner in Abuja for Infrastructural contracts: Central Area Phase II, Maitama Residential District (1987 – 1989), and became the site manager in Abuja for turnkey building contracts.

In this position, he supervised the construction of government residential buildings, a golf course clubhouse and the renovation of buildings, with highest standard (1989 – 1993).

He became the project manager for the construction of the Ikot Abasi Aluminium Smelter Plant in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria (1993 – 1998).

Lubasch became a corporate coordinator affiliated with Julius Berger Nigeria Plc in Abuja (1998 – 1999) while between 2000 – 2001, he was the project engineer with International Division Head Office (Bilfinger Berger Nigeria GmbH) in Wiesbaden; working on developing and tendering of new projects in Nigeria.

42 business |INTERVIEW Emeka Okwuosa is one of the founding fathers of the Petroleum Technicians Association of Nigeria (PETAN). In this interview with journalists, the chief executive officer of Oilserv Ltd and Frazimex Ltd, two indigenous oil and gas servicing firms operating in Nigeria’s hydrocarbon industry, bares his mind on sundry issues in the Okwuosa industry. Energy Editor Adeola Yusuf was there. Excerpts: There is a gradual shift from oil to gas.

How do you think government can harness the gas opportunities to its fullest?

Gas is a peculiar resource. It is different from oil. You know that oil is a liquid and gas as well, in gaseous form. Liquid you can contain and put in a container and store. Gas you cannot store beyond containing a little bit of it in an enclosed place because the more you put in there, the more pressure you have and you are limited in the pressure you can contain.

So, gas requires matching the production with utilisation. That means clearly that you have to define the price regime very well to encourage the owners of gas to be able to produce this gas, transport it and use it.

Nigeria did not deliberately invest in this process for quite a while. But in the past eight years there has been a conscientious effort to set up a policy. We know that there is a gas master plan – an excellent frame work – in place. The issue is that it is not being carried out religiously to achieve domestic gas distribution system. If you have gas being available all over, Nigeria’s industries will be able to move on.

There are two types of gas by the way.

Let me explain this: associated gas and non-associated gas. Associated gas is that which comes with oil. So anytime you produce oil that type of gas is also produced. So what they do is to flare the gas because they have no system to store it and use. If say you don’t want to flare the gas it means you cannot produce the oil. That is one part. You have also gas that is not associated – that is when you drill you have only gas and no oil.

What they use to do before is that any time they drill and they see that type of gas they close it because there is no plan for it.

Today, let me say this, for Nigeria to develop we have to be self-sufficient in energy production. The key energy source today is gas. Power plants, most of them, run on gas. Industries run on gas. There is so much that will be on gas.

So, we need to implement the gas master plan very well, implement the process whereby we match pricing, match the commercial aspect of it to give gas to Nigerians.

Nigeria, Africa’s biggest crude exporter, is importing over 60 per cent of its refined products. What is your take on this?

It boils down to what we can call management of our petroleum resources.

Ordinarily, if you are producing crude oil, it makes sense for you to refine it. It doesn’t make sense to produce crude oil and buy refined products. Beyond that, when you refine crude oil in your country, you are self-sufficient as it gives you another level of security of existence as a country. Secondly, it creates a lot of jobs

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

‘Government lacks

What is the implication of this?

A lot of the time, companies, whether oil companies or what have you, have strategic business plans and certain actions taken to meet them. But beyond that, if you come down to the exact issue of dis-investment by international oil companies (IOCs), first it must be in their strategic business plans. Secondly, it may be because of environmental considerations, that is, they may have figured out somewhere else to invest. Or maybe they have looked at their investments in Nigeria, looked at the potentials of the oil blocks they have and they have other plans.

But the bottom-line is that it presents good opportunities for Nigerians to come in and invest and be able to take ownership. I am not talking of government ownership, but private ownership in tune and in line with international best practices. At the end of the day, if the disinvestment is handled prudently and properly and the process managed very well, it will definitely portend well for Nigeria.

The divestment is positive because some of these oil blocks in question have not been producing at their optimum capacity because of the fact that companies like Shell, Chevron and a lot of IOCs are disinvesting.

Some of these blocks, for some time, have not been able to operate optimally because of community-related and other sundry issues. But really, it is a positive development because I believe that when new investors come in – Nigerians and their partners – they will have learnt from the past as witnesses and be able to invest and overcome all the problems that existed before.

Okwuosa

because the more you create services in the country, the more you employ people, the more you also give opportunities for businesses to spin-off out of it and have trickle-down effect.

But when you take your crude oil and sell it neat and raw and you end up going to buy refined products, what you have done is providing jobs for people in some other places. Secondly, you are buying refined products that you have little or no control over its quality. Today, you see people driving high-end cars and they buy fuel that is not even fit for the basic cars. You don’t know the environmental damage you are causing because of the emissions coming from such quality of fuel. It makes no sense economically, security-wise and in terms of development of the country.

There have been efforts by the Federal Government to make the four refineries work. How best do you think this mission can be achieved?

For me, this is simple. Nigerian government has no business running refineries. Refinery business is a business on its own; governments do not run such businesses. It was good at the initial stage for government to kick-start such investments and be able to build capacity. Nigerian government – or any government for that matter – has no capacity to run refineries.

The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is still awaiting passage at the National Assembly. As an oil and gas expert, what is your general assessment of this bill in relations to the delay in its passage?

The entire concept of PIB is very good. In fact, if Nigeria does not move quickly and overcome the lethargy in the process of passing the bill, the oil and gas industry will die. I use the word “die” because it is already slowing down because investment is not going the way it is supposed to go. PIB is very necessary, but with what is going on now, it is not entirely related to PIB. What is important is that PIB is actually an overhaul of the entire framework of the regime of running the petroleum industry in Nigeria. It is a very crucial bill and it is all-encompassing; it will cover some of what is going on now. What it will eventually achieve is that it will allow Nigeria to have one more value as a country. Secondly, it will offer the opportunity for us to domicile services and ownership in a structured manner over time. So this is a bigger deal compared to what is going on.

Some international oil companies are divesting in Nigeria, when over 85 per cent of its revenue comes from the oil sector.

Nigerian government has no business running refineries.

Refinery business is a business on its own; governments do not run such businesses

What is the level of participation of indigenous oil companies in the entire divestment process. Are they making use of the privilege?

I believe so. They are seizing the opportunities. But what is important is beyond seizing the opportunities. It is about making sure that investors that are Nigerians come in with good plans in order to be able to take the opportunities and develop them in a way that will add value to the country. You now that funding may be international, it may be Nigerian or mixed. But having said that, when you buy a block like that and you get a lot of funds from overseas, you are bound to be able to pay back in a structured manner. The investors, at the initial stage, have commitments to meet, but with that in mind, the most important thing is that these oil blocks are owned by Nigerian entities. What it means is that when you talk of local content, when you talk of domiciliation of the oil industry, the divestment is making it possible for Nigerians to take up these opportunities; so it is a positive development.

If Shell and the other IOCs are not taking advantage of all the oil wells because of community issues, what will be different when Nigerians and their partners take over? What will they do that Shell is not already doing.

We need to ask ourselves: Why are Shell and other IOCs having problems.

It is a legacy issue. Basically, it means that the way they run the business ab initio has flaws as far as relationship with the communities is concerned. It also shows that there are gaps in the Nigerian law, its implementation and the way we manage issues in the country as far as dealing with communities that are impacted by the exploration and production of crude oil is concerned. Now, if you look at the very first issue which has to do with the relationship between IOCs and the communities, you find out that it has not been well-managed by the

business |INTERVIEW 43

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

capacity to run refineries’ IOCs to the extent that there is a major gap, there is a loss of confidence, a loss of trust between the communities and IOCs and you don’t bridge that by just

the country’s major earner of foreign exchange will suddenly be in jeopardy.

That is why I used the word security.

Security of our existence is about how we control, in the long term, our own resources in the country and by going local in terms of service provision and ownership of asset, we are going close to achieving that. No country can develop without having control of its resources.

BIODATA

Work Experience: CEO, Oilserv Limited January 1995 – till date

(19 years 7 months)

Executive Secretary, Pipeline Professionals Association of Nigeria 2007 – 2011

Technical Manager, Schlumberger

- November 1990 – February 1992

General Field Engineer, Schlumberger

- February 1984 – January 1990 Schools: University of Ife Degrees: Bachelor of Science (BSc), Electrical and Electronics Engineering

–1977 – 1982 Experience: Over 30 years

throwing money at it. Now, if Nigerians, as new investors, come in, they will show a new face, have a chance of giving a new direction and use new methods. Psychologically, the people will accept that it is possible; so this gap in trust can be bridged, especially when they know they are dealing with Nigerians. If a Nigerian is dealing with a Nigerian, there is more ease in understanding because they look at you and they know you are not going to run away. But when they look at the foreign companies, they see them as very remote – the worst case is that they take their briefcase and runaway.

It does not mean that it will happen, but the perception is there. But I believe that the very first issue, which is the legacy issue, must be solved to make it easier to operate. The second issue which has to do with government relationship, the PIB bill will address some aspects that concern the local communities that coown the assets with certain percentages given to them.

What are the prospects of local players in Nigeria’s petroleum industry?

The oil and gas industry is bright and we need more players to come in. The sector is big enough for many people and being the rock of the Nigerian economy today beyond agriculture, I can tell you clearly that we need more players. You may not even know that a lot of Nigerian territories today contain a lot of oil and gas that has not been explored. So in the next 50 years, production will still be going on and it will continue; and oil and gas will remain a factor in the world economy. It doesn’t matter what anybody tells you.

If you look at it critically, there has been many attempts to provide alternative sources of energy, but oil and gas remains the primary source because it is not just about oil and gas used to drive your car. If you go into your house and take your time and look around very well, you will realise that beyond the blocks you used to build your house, a lot of things around the house are petroleum-based. The cup you used to drink, the camera you are holding, it is made from plastic. The car you are driving, a third of it is plastic. It’s not just about fuel. The whole world has been built on the oil and gas industry in terms of production system. It will take a long time to change that. Even if you change certain sources of energy in use and say ‘I want to generate power from solar or other things’, oil and gas is still needed for other important things.

Take for example your fertiliser. What is fertiliser? Fertiliser is gas. Gas is the primary input into making fertiliser. Even in agriculture you need it. So, if you look at it, oil and gas remains a factor; it doesn’t matter what anybody tells you.

Okwuosa

That is why the likes of the US over the past 40 years, since the Arab oil embargo of the early seventies, have been pumping billions of dollars trying to provide alternative sources of energy, trying to be self-sufficient in energy. But even at that, America has continued to research on how to produce oil and gas in more quantity. Today they have developed the shale gas system where they are telling the whole world that they are now becoming a net exporter of gas.

As one of the founding fathers of Petroleum Technician Association of Nigeria (PETAN), what role has your company played in the entire oil and gas chain?

How did you start the journey?

When we started in the early 90’s, we came into the industry at its high technical section. We came in there on the basis that, first we had the knowledge and the experience having worked internationally for many years. Some of us came back to Nigeria and believed that we could make a difference at that time.

It was extremely difficult for us to be able to get things done. And the reason was because nobody believed that Nigerians and Nigerian companies could function at that level.

So, we started by going against the tide, building capacity. But while we did that, some of us came together to form PETAN and from the early 90’s we started driving the process of localisation of services, exploration and production. It took us close to 20 years to achieve that for so many reasons. I can tell you that people like us, running Oilserv and Frazimex, I cannot call myself a beneficiary of local content. No! We are the ones who tilled the ground, broke it and set it to

If Nigeria does not move quickly and overcome the lethargy in the process of passing the bill, the oil and gas industry will die go. We are the pioneers. I can tell you clearly today that the ones benefitting are not necessarily us because we have developed our capacity. Up till today, we get jobs based on our capacity and not because we are a local company. When we go competing for work and we don’t win it, it is not because we are Nigerian companies, not at all. We compete with international companies such as Saipem and the likes.

But I am happy about it because the system has been opened. The local content law has given opportunities for more Nigerians to come into the sector.

If we domesticate services and develop capacity, more Nigerians will learn, more Nigerians will spin off and set up their businesses and more jobs will be provided. The final part of it is being able to provide security of exploration and production, going forward. An example is assuming we have a major problem in Nigeria – mind you, we are not praying for that – and there is a difficulty in producing oil and gas because foreign companies have gone, if you have Nigerians that can fill the void in the interim, the system will be stabilised and we will not be in the position where

Part of the challenges of host communities is relationship management. How are you able to achieve mutual peace with host communities?

What I do outside oil and gas activities is generally called corporate social responsibility (CSR), which I see as a mode of doing business. I believe the way you do your business will reflect on the way you are as a human being.

In life, you have to accept that you can never be an island. If you are successful at what you do and you thump your chest and say I have achieved a lot and you smile and look at what you have achieved, you are missing the point.

What is more important here is how you impact positively on people around you, in order to make them better people and also be able to drive a system that is sustainable. Because if you are standing out there and you have achieved everything and people around you have nothing, you can never survive. It doesn’t work anywhere in the world.

I have a foundation called Emeka Okwuosa Foundation and in the past 10 to 15 years, we have done a lot. We have a scholarship scheme that is on-going, covering from the primary level to the university. In fact, some people who have benefitted at the primary school level are already in universities today. Currently, we have about five people we are sponsoring at foreign universities. This is in addition to those we sponsor locally.

Currently, we are executing a stretch of road which when completed will be what you can call state-of-the-art road with lighting and drains on both sides.

We have taken the opportunity to do erosion control because some of the areas are threatened by erosion. So we are diverting the water and building a channel.

There is also a N250 million power project to help the people. If you go to areas where we work, there are two areas in that aspect.

We have the Skills Acquisition Scheme (SAS) where we train a lot of the community’s youths in key skills like welding, fittings and other skills that are very peculiar to the oil and gas industry. At the end of their training, we retain those we can, and those we cannot, we certify them so that they can get jobs within the industry.

We also have the Graduate Training Programme (GTR), which we commenced two years ago. We go through the key Nigerian universities and interview potential first-class and second-class upper students and assemble them to go through a rigorous interview process. Our systems allow them to go for the mandatory one-year national service after which they join us and go through a one-year training programme. At the end of it, they understand our kind of business and gain much knowledge on general oil and gas to make them employable in the industry.

You see, by doing that, we are bridging a gap. Our educational system today is such that many of our graduates are deficient for so many reasons. But by this singular action, we are able to bring these people up to a level where they can get employment and be able to develop in that direction.

44 business | INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Lasting solution to youth unemployment Emmanuel Ogbeide

W

ithout mincing words, I can confidently say that youth empowerment and youth development are the two sides of same coin that would bring about instant solution to the current lie threatening situation of mass youth unemployment in the country. The recently conducted immigration recruitment services clearly shows that Nigerian youth need help; real help. But who will help these youth?

Bridging academic/Practical skills gap Due to the alarming rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria, the federal government and all other educational support institutions need to concentrate more on inculcating 21st century youth development programmes into all levels of academic learning. Academic work should be complemented with skills that are relevant in our today’s world.

Our educational institutions were founded to train the nation’s workforce, but in

other to be able to efficiently do this, the academic curriculum need to be in harmony with the current needs of industries. Or alternatively, allowance must be created for the Nigerian youth to acquire relevant skills so that we don’t just have a mass of youth who are educated but unemployable. This could be in the form of creating sustainable, practical-skillsoriented youth development programmes / centers across the nation. The nature of work has changed, and addressing the widening gap between the skills employers need and the capabilities of new workers is vital to the future.

There is a critical gap in the developmental stages of the youth in Nigeria. For real and lasting solution, it is highly recommended that the government, educational support institutions and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) at all levels recognize that they need the intervention of Youth Developmental Professionals.

A balanced, well developed youth capable of contributing to nation building needs to be

Ogbeide

trained to an appreciable level of competence in health and physical life, personal and social skills, vocational (practical) skills, creativity and innovation, and being responsible as a citizen.

Youths/Professionals' role This enables all young people to reach their full potential as productive caring, and responsible citizens. This will be achieved through constant, continuous orientation and re-orientation programmes at all levels of the youth developmental stages.

 It establishes a sustainable programme that ensures the health and safety of youth across the nation. National security is achieved if at the grassroots, the mind of youth is adequately developed. An undeveloped youth is a security threat to any nation.

When a nation adequately invests in developing their youth, the youth will in return protect and build the nation.  Plans programmes and activities that meet the nation’s youth development mission.

Youths need skills, information, continuous mentorship tailored to meet the current need for security, employability, economic development and nation building  Personally involved in implementing and carrying out daily programmes and activities in multiple core programme areas. Everyday of the year, some professionals need to be practically involved in the lives of these youth to enable them achieve full development and well equipped to compete with youths in the developed nations of the world.  Manages necessary

administrative functions and assigned resources to youth developmental projects across the nation.  Promote and encourage youths to co-operate with the government and all stakeholders in this developmental and nation building project.

The way forward Nigeria indeed has the potential to become one of the leading countries of the world but without properly equipping the youth to meet up with the current demands of the nation, we might find it difficult to realize the potentials we have as the giant of Africa. The Youth Development Professionals have a huge role to play in this youth development project, but there is real need for a level ground to be created for them to come in. Until the Youth Development Professionals are given their rightful place, I’m afraid unemployment and other social vices might be on the increase.

Ogbeide, a professional business consultant and columnist, he is the MD / CEO of Business Builders Limited.

He can be reacted via email excelogbeide@yahoo.com

global NEWS

BSkyB in £5bn deal to create Sky Europe B SkyB in £5bn deal to create Sky Europe BSkyB is paying £4.9billion to take over Rupert Murdoch's pay TV companies in Germany and Italy.

The move was announced along with the company's annual results, which show pre-tax profits fell slightly to £1.2billion from last year's £1.26billion.

BSkyB according to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), also reported

revenues rose by 7 per cent, with strong demand "across the board" for its services.

It said Sky Sports viewing share was at a seven-year high, boosted by the open race for the Premier League title.

Part of BSkyB – 39 per cent is owned by Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox. That company owns 100 per cent of Sky Italia and 57 per cent of Sky Germany.

BSkyB's chief executive, Jeremy Darroch, said: "The

Russia's surprise interest rate rise ‘to curb inflation'

R

ussia's central bank has unexpectedly raised its key bank interest rate over concerns about inflation and "geopolitical tension".

The bank's board decided to raise the interest rate by 50 basis points, or half a percent, to 8 per cent per year.

Analysts according to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), said that they had not expected the move.

The rate hike will come after Western sanctions over the crisis in the Ukraine were boosted.

Start Quote The Central Bank of Russia said last Friday that it will raise the interest rate today to ease inflationary pressure.

"Inflation risks have increased due to a combination of factors, including, inter alia, the aggravation of geopolitical tension and its potential impact on the rouble exchange rate dynamics, as well as potential changes in tax and tariff policy," the bank said.

In June, core inflation grew to 7.5 per cent, well above the bank's forecast of up to 6.5 per cent for the year.

"The main reason for inflation acceleration was the effect of the observed rouble depreciation on prices of a wide range of goods and services," the bank said.

There's a key phrase used by the Russian Central Bank: "the aggravation of geopolitical tensions".

The shooting down of the Malaysian airliner over eastern Ukraine is now having an economic impact, indirectly, on Russia.

The link is through the value of the rouble. Anxious investors pulling their money out could hit the exchange rate.

In fact it hasn't moved a great deal so far, but the central bank is concerned about the potential impact.

A lower rouble would mean more expensive imports, hence the increase in inflation risks

three Sky businesses are leaders in their home markets and will be even stronger together.

By creating the new Sky, we will be able to use our collective strengths and expertise to serve customers better, grow faster and enhance returns."

Majority stakeholder 21st Century Fox wants to pass the ownership of the Sky businesses to BskyB to free up cash for its bid for media giant Time Warner, the company that owns Game of Thrones maker

that was the immediate reason for raising interest rates.

The growth situation means this is not a good time to have to take those steps.

The Russian economy has slowed sharply.

Growth may well have stopped. Higher interest rates are likely to aggravate the weakness.

The consumer price growth rate increased to 7.8 per cent in June. The bank said that its rate hike was to try to bring the rate down to 4 per cent.

Monetary conditions have been tightening since March due to "geopolitical factors", the bank said.

Research firm Capital Economics said that the rate rise had taken analysts by surprise, and could be a pre-emptive move to try to limit the amount of cash leaving Russia ahead of any new sanctions by the US and Europe.

"The key concern is that another jump in capital outflows would add to downward pressure on the rouble, which in turn would exacerbate inflation pressures," said Neil Shearing, Capital Economics' chief emerging markets economist.

HBO and news business channel CNN. It also thinks the pay-tv channels will be more profitable if run by one dedicated company.

The company hopes the new structure will save it £200million by the end of the second financial year with further savings to come.

BBC points out senior observers say that having pulled the European Sky businesses under one roof, 21st Century

Fox could tidy up the business structure further by buying the other 61 per cent of BSkyB it does not already own.

BSkyB shares were down some 5 per cent on the news, as it will also bring higher debt levels and a stop to its current practice of buying back shares.

BSkyB broadcasts to 10 million homes in the UK. A combined Sky Europe would have 20 million customers.

Brazilian central bank frees up $13bn to boost economy

B

razil's central bank has announced plans to reduce the amount of money commercial banks keep in reserve, in a bid to boost economic growth.

The bank according to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), said the measure will free up some $13billion (£7.6billion), which banks could lend to businesses and individuals.

The Brazilian economy is expected to expand by 1 per cent this year - the fourth consecutive year of sluggish growth.

The central bank announcement comes less than three months before presidential elections.

President Dilma Rousseff will seek a second four-year term in October.

In 2010, when she was elected, Brazilian gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 7.5 per cent.

Growth dropped to 2.7 per cent in 2011, 1 per cent in 2012 and 2.5 per cent last year.

The government is forecast-

ing 1.8 per cent growth this year, but independent economists expect the GDP to grow by only 1 per cent.

"The central bank decided to adopt measures to improve the distribution of liquidity in the economy," the bank announced.

The decline in Brazil's fortunes, cutbacks in public services, continuing corruption and what is seen as excessive spending on the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics have brought protesters out on to the streets over the past year.

The economy had become over-dependent on exports to China under former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, analysts say.

Exports to China grew at roughly four times the rate of total exports between 2000 and 2010.

As Chinese demand fell away, Brazilian growth stuttered, weighed down by poor infrastructure, high consumer debt and sagging business confidence.

NEWS 45

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Doctors not ready for patients, insist on work-to-rule no way

Death or Ebola, injury or agony, doctors stay home Appolonia Adeyemi

S

triking doctors under the auspices of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), yesterday refused to shelve their 28-dayold strike, but urged the Federal Government to resolve the problems it created in the health sector to pave the way for the doctors to resume work.

The stand taken by the striking doctors was despite the death of the first victim of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Lagos last week.

According to the new NMA Chairman, Dr. Tope Ojo, the failure of

9.91m

the Federal Government to resolve the problems would prolong the current strike, adding that doctors were not willing to continue working in a chaotic environment occasioned by policies that were not in line with modern day medical practice.

Specifically, the new chairman blamed the strike on the Federal Government’s refusal to honour the previous Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the doctors. After signing agreements with the doctors, Ojo lamented that the government would back out, refusing to honour it.

While addressing the media, Ojo cited the example of the Federal Government’s approval creating the position of a surgeon-general to be occupied by a medical

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions of Argentina in 2010.

Source: Itu.int

doctor, but which the government reneged upon.

Similarly, doctors are calling for the reversal of the ‘consultant’ status it approved as part of the hierarchical promotion for health workers.

Based on the foregoing, the NMA called for the reinstatement of the position of Deputy Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) in teaching hospitals, among others.

Ojo appealed to Nigerians to put pressure on the government “to do the needful and save the health sector from imminent collapse.”

While the NMA regretted the avoidable morbidity and mortality occasioned by the strike, the association lamented that “the debacle is forced on the Nigerian people by the conspiracy of a ruling class that thrives on money/mate-

2,297

The number of people in refugee-like situation in Bhutan at the beginning of 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

rial legislation.

“Another contentious issue is government’s willingness to grant these allied health workers the title of consultant, a situation that if allowed will create unending anarchy,” Ojo said.

He said the title ‘consultant’ in medical practice is preserved exclusively for a doctor that has gone through a minimum of six years excruciating full time, post graduate academic training (after the initial undergraduate period of a minimum of six years).

The patient is traditionally registered under a consultant, who owns the patient and reserves the right of command on all issues of medical treatment and also takes responsibility for success or failure in the chain of events.”

22%

The percentage of male population above 60 years old in Bulgaria in 2012.

Source: Un.org

L-R: National President, Deaf Women Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Adedoyin Beyioku; Police Public Relation Officer, Delta State Command, Celestina Kalu; convener, Women Conference, Mrs. Temitope Okala; guest speaker/President, CD and Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin and President, Golden Movie Ambassador, Mr. Saidi Balogun, during a Public Lecture/Award to mark the Nigerian Women Conference in Lagos…at the weekend

‘Show proof Amaechi inflated N218m contract’ Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

R

ivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to come up with proof that Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, shunned due process and inflated the cost of the Automated Road Analyser (ARAN) he commissioned recently.

It also accused the leadership of the PDP of making wild allegations in order to “tarnish the image of a transparent

administration, just as it expressed shock that the party was crying foul over a device that would upgrade the quality of roads constructed in the state.

The APC, which stated this through its Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, in a statement, said the purchase of the road analyser was done transparently and in line with due process.

He said: “Contrary to PDP’s claims, the purchase of the road analyser by the Rivers State government was done in a transparent

manner, following due process. Each of the two machines cost N109 million, making a total of N218 million.

“The figure was not inflated in any way and any right-thinking person would appreciate this wise investment, which will not only ensure better road quality, but will save the state hundreds of millions of naira.”

Ikanya said instead of criticising Amaechi, the PDP should commend him for judiciously using the state’s resources to impact the people, and for preventing contrac-

tors from defrauding the state by delivering poor road projects.

The party said by opposing the purchase of the road analyser, PDP has only succeeded in presenting itself as blind critics and enemies of progress.

It will be recalled that the PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah, recently alleged that Amaechi and the state’s procurement bureau, inflated the contract for the road analyser, accusing the governor of defrauding the state of about N218 million.

Idemili community thanks Jonathan for Chidoka’s appointment he people of Idemili TAnambra North and South in State have

thanked President Goodluck Jonathan, for appointing their kinsman, Chief Ositadinma Benjamin Chidoka, as minister, assuring him of their continued support, especially in the politics of 2015.

President of Nzuko Imeobi Idemili, the sociocultural and political association of the Idemili North and South councils, Hon. (Sir) Edwin Ekwuno, described the appointment of Chidoka as the Minister of Aviation as ‘a dream come true for our people. We thank the President for this honour and through it, the fresh political

hopes he has given us by this appointment.’

In a statement issued in Awka and signed by Ekwuno, the association said the appointment is ‘a further testimony of the confidence the President has in Chidoka, who was elevated from the post of the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC). We recognise this as a result of hard work and dedication to duty.’

The Nzuko Imeobi leader added that by this appointment, “Our Chidoka, the Ike Obosi (strength of Obosi) has made us proud. His loyalty to the President in the service of his country has earned him higher responsibilities."

2015: Igbo president in APC not ruled out, says Muoghalu Tony Okafor Awka

ormer National SecreFNigeria tary of the defunct All People’s Party

(ANPP) and now auditor of the All Progressives Congress (APC), George Muoghalu, yesterday assured that the APC could still field a presidential candidate of Igbo extraction in next year’s general elections.

He said the APC has not zoned the presidential ticket of the party to any area.

The belief in some quarters after the national convention of the party that produced Chief John Odiegie-Oyegun as the national chairman of the party is that the presidential candidate of the party can no longer come from the southern part of the country.

But Muoghalu in the media chat in Awka yesterday said the battle for the presidential ticket of the APC ahead of the 2015 has been intensified with

some of the heavy weights of Igbo extraction, lining up for the position. He maintained that the party had not zoned it to any region.

He said Ndigbo are interested in the presidency under the platform of the APC; saying that was the reason the party had to leave some positions during the party’s national convention vacant, stressing that Ndigbo has capable hands to vie for the position.

According to him; “APC is the party that holds the future of any Igbo person.

“We are interested in the presidency of Nigeria and that is why we rejected some positions at the national convention of our party.

“Ndigbo have capable hands in the zone to vie for the position, it has not been zoned to anywhere.

What APC will do is to create the enabling environment, where people will express themselves and after the contest, we work like a family, " he added.

Adamawa acting governor charges security chiefs Ibrahim Abdul Yola

damawa State Acting AUmaru Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, yesterday

charged security chiefs in the state to ensure the security of lives and property of the residents by redoubling their efforts in the fight against insurgency.

Fintiri gave the charge in Yola, when the service chiefs paid him Sallah homage at the Government House.

He expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the country, especially in the North-East, calling on

Nigerians to join hands with government at all levels to nip the crisis in the bud.

According to him, his transitional government will continue to accord priority to security issues and implement policies that will improve the living condition of the people of Adamawa State, adding that he will not disappoint the people.

The acting governor promised to give the state a deserving leadership while promising to give priority to merit in the running of government businesses and in appointment into government institutions.

46 NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Alleged death threat on Amaechi deepens crisis in Rivers Emmanuel Masha

Port Harcourt

T

he crisis rocking Kula Community in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State has deepened following a death threat allegedly made on the life of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the community.

Scores of ex-militants and cultists recently invaded Kula, disrupting the peace that returned to the community when both elders and youths surrendered their weapons before the expiration of the Federal Government Amnesty programme in 2009.

The PDP member,

18

Ajagidi Dennis Asawara, according to the All Progressive Congress (APC) had threatened Amaechi, who is on a tour of the 23 Local Government Areas, by commenting on a radio programme that the governor should learn how to swim before coming to Kula.

Members of the APC see the comment as a threat to discourage the governor from coming to the area and meet the people. APC chairman, Dr. Ibiamu Ikanya said the tour was an avenue for the government to assess its achievements in the communities.

But the PDP has described the tour as a move by the governor to woo voters for the 2015 elections, just as it alleged that the

The life expectancy of women at age 60 years in Ethiopia in 2010-2015.

Source: Un.org

tour has heightened tension in the state.

Some leaders of the APC in Kula have called on security agencies to investigate and arrest Asawari.

The chairman of the Caretaker Committee of Akuku-Toru, Hon. Stanley Benebo alleged that Asawari and some persons had been causing trouble in the council, and declared that nobody can stop the governor from visiting the area.

He said: "If the governor wants to visit the community, it is his right. This is about life, and we are not taking it lightly". He noted that the governor has impacted Kula through projects and that his appointment as the first Kula son

9%

The percentage of landslide and avalanche disaster of world’s water-related natural disaster between 1990 and 2001.

Source: Unesco.org

to become council boss as well as the elevation of the community's stool to second class.

"Anybody who claims that the governor has not done anything in Kula as blind as the bat," he said.

Kula's traditional ruler, His Highness, David Emineye-Orlu, has distanced the community from the threat, alleging that the threat was sponsored by the PDP. He also said Kula people were solidly behind the Governor and the APC, and thanked the Governor for transforming the community.

"The threat has exposed the opposition as anti-Kula people, because they do not mean well for the community," he added.

45,000

The total number of internet users in Mauritania in 2007.

Source: Blatantworld.com

Strike looms at Abeokuta FMC over slashed salaries Kunle Olayeni

Abeokuta

ealth workers at the H(FMC), Federal Medical Centre Idi-Aba, Abeokuta

may embark on an indefinite strike following the sudden cut in their salaries by management of the hospital.

The health workers, under the aegis of Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU), declared that failure by the hospital authorities to meet their demands will precipitate an immediate industrial action.

New Telegraph gathered that the hospital management’s decision to cut salaries affected workers including pharmacists, nurses, laboratory scientists, laboratory technicians, administrative officers, clerical officers and engineering personnel, among others.

Medical doctors, who are currently on national strike, were reportedly

excluded from the alleged salary reduction.

But in a statement signed by the JOHESU branch chairman, Samuel Idowu, and his secretary, Bashiru Obabiyi, the union described the slashing of their members’ salaries as “illegal” and vowed to resist it.

The union said; “We make bold to say that the Medical Director, the Deputy Director (Finance and Accounts), the Director of Administration and by extension the hospital management have conspired to inflict untold hardship on our members judging from explanations proffered by the Hospital Management Committee.

“This is a deliberate attempt to undermine the competence of a court of competent jurisdiction (National Industrial Court of Nigeria) that awarded our members the skipping of CONHESS 10 since June 2012.”

Imam condemns insurgency, violence Igbeaku Orji

Umuahia

Chief Imam of Abia ThasheState, Sheikh Ali Ukiwo condemned the spate

of political, religious and ethnic crisis in parts of the country even as he identified the causes of disharmony in Nigeria which he said have threatened the corporate existence of the nation.

Specifically, Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen and farmers and other ethnic crisis of different dimension, according to Ukiwo, have combined to undermine the unity of the country.

The Chief Imam who was speaking in Umuahia yesterday, at this year’s IdEl-Fitr celebration urged

Nigerians to always explore the uniting values of religion in a multi religious society rather than dwell on issues that divide and engender friction and violence.

Ukiwo observed that the series of suicide bombings, the communal/ethnic crisis and the mindless destruction of human lives and property by Boko Haram terrorists was unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.

He noted that Nigeria will achieve harmonious coexistence to the extent that the diverse groups in the country are able to share mutual trust and love, adding that Nigerians should see one another as brother and sister, people of one nation and destiny.

Insecurity: Private security outfits plan 3-day conference L-R: Vicar, St. Philips Anglican Church, Trans-Ekulu, Ven. Augustine Nwokocha; Archdeaconry Girls Guild, Mrs. Roselin Nwokocha; Ven. Duke Amobi and Anglican Bishop of Nike Diocese, Rt. Rev. Evans Ibeagha, during the Diocesan Girls Guild Conference Sunday Service in Enugu…yesterday

$1bn insurgency loan request: Probe past Service Chiefs, Bakare tells FG Wale Elegbede

he overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly Church and former vice-presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) in 2011, Pastor Tunde Bakare has called for immediate probe of past Military service chiefs who got allocations for the equipping of the military but never did.

The fiery preacher also called for accountability in previous security budget before accessing the fresh $1billion loan being sought for by the Federal Government.

T

"Even from military sources, they said that they have not being properly equipped from the 80's. So, all those Military chiefs who had taken money and had not equipped the military with whoever was the president when the allocation was made, must be brought to book with immediate effect," he said.

Bakare also proffered five solutions that may lead to the end of Boko Haram siege in the Northern part of Nigeria, one of which is to apologise to the members of the sect over the murder of their leader, Mohammed Yusuf, in 2009.

Speaking yesterday during a state of the nation service held in Lagos with the theme: ‘We need a strong and well-coordinated approach to terrorism’, Bakare said but for the timely intervention of God, last week’s assassination attempt on General Muhamadu Buhari might have marked the beginning of the end for Nigeria if it had succeeded.

Other solution stated by Bakare include: Update and strengthening of military capability, creation of jobs and enhanced welfare to discourage recruits of the sect, diplomatic engage-

ment with the international community, creation of an atmosphere of political inclusion rather than exclusion, among others.

“We will not also ignore the fact that at the root of the escalation of the Boko Haram crisis was oppression and injustice. The summary execution of the Boko Haram’s former leader, Mohammed Yusuf in 2009 provided the soil of martyrdom for the nurture and growth of the sect.

Government must declare peace first of all; apologizing for the murder of Mohammed Yusuf to the sect members”, he said.

Lateef Ibrahim

Abuja

orried by the present W level of insecurity in the country, a consortium of

private security establishments has concluded plan to hold a 3-day security conference aimed at mapping out the best strategies to deal with the situation.

The security conference, which is also in support of the federal government in her efforts to quell the spate of security challenges currently sweeping over parts of Nigeria, has been scheduled for September in Abuja.

The consortium is made up of the following private security establishments; Spears Dowell Trust Vision Digital Surveillance,

Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC), Place of Help, National Detective Newspaper, GNL Security, Thomas Chase, African Women in Nation Building and Marvel Webs.

The Coordinator of the Conference, Mrs. Yemisi George Amadin, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, explained that the conference aims at complementing the federal governments’ efforts at dousing the prevailing state of insecurity in the country.

The conference, which has drawn the attention of the international community, Mrs Amadin said, will attract the participation of foreign security companies which will also exhibit high technology security gadgets and equipment.

NEWS 47

eid-il-fitr

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Adedoja harps on love Temitope Ogunbanke The former Minister of Sports and Special Duties, Prof Taoheed Adedoja has urged Nigerians to continue to show love to one another during and after this Sallah period.

Adedoja, an Oyo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in a Sallah message made available to New Telegraph stated: "It is only love that can move our Nation forward. If the insurgents can show love, I don’t think there will be killing in any part of the nation.

"I urge Nigerians and Muslim faithfuls not to

Ashafa advocates prayer, peace

A cross-section of Muslim faithful praying during the Eidil Fitril celebration in Bauchi…yesterday

Musa Pam Jos

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan has called on Nigerians to fervently work together in order to defeat the menace and the antics of terrorism that has bedeviled the country.

President Jonathan stated this yesterday in Jos while presenting 200 bags of rice, 100 carton of Grand Pure Soya Oil, 400 pieces of wrappers, 200 pieces of sheda wrappers among other items to the Muslims Community in Plateau State.

Jonathan who was represented by Minister

Jonathan urges Nigerians to work towards defeating terrorism of Water Resources, Hon. Sarah Reng Ochekpe said the President is concerned about the plight of the less privilege ones in the society who might not afford what to eat or wear at this period of celebration.

He lamented how terrorism has posed a threat to the country and expressed optimism that Nigeria will come out stronger from the prevailing security challenges orchestrated by a terrorist group, Boko Haram.

UMA: Let's imbibe spirit of Ramadan always Muritala Ayinla The University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA) has congratulated Muslims in Nigeria and all over the world on the celebration of the ‘id-ulFitri' which marks the end of this year's Ramadan fast.

The group also condemned the recurring bomb attacks in the country and called on the people to be their brothers’ keeper and more security conscious.

According to the group, Ramadan teaches discipline, love and

compassion for fellow men, healthy living and above all consciousness and fear of the Almighty God. They call on all Nigerians, particularly the Muslims, to live peacefully with non- Muslims.

In statement signed by its President, Alhaji Lere Alimi, the group said: "UMA enjoins our people to ensure these lessons are not allowed to go with Ramadan. We exhort our country men and women to live with tolerance, love and mutual respect among themselves no matter their faith or tribe.

The President however called on Nigerians both Christians and Muslims to join hand together and fight the antics of terrorists who are making the country un-governable, saying his administration is determine to win the war against terrorism.

He directed that the items should be given strictly to less privilege ones in the society as they are in dare needs.

While receiving the items on behalf of the

Muslim Community in Plateau, the Executive Secretary, Plateau State Muslims Pilgrim Welfare Board, Alh. Salisu Musa appreciated President Jonathan and assured him of the commitment of the Muslims Community in the state.

He said the items will be given to the less privilege as directed, saying the items came at the right time as it will go a long way in addressing the need of the people.

Adeyeye advises faithful Adesina Wahab Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has urged Muslim faithful in the country to continue to uphold the lessons of the Holy Month of Ramadan by intensifying the reading of Quran and imbibe its teachings even after the Ramadan.

In his goodwill message to Muslims in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Adeyeye said Nigerians must continue to preach peace and speak with one voice against the current security challenge in the country, irrespective of ethnic, religious and political differences.

He said; “Since it was

during the month of Ramadan that the Almighty Allah (SWT) sent down the Quran as a kind of mercy to humanity, our Muslim faithful should continue to honour the Holy month by making the Quran their number one companion.

“As Ramadan ends with today’s Eid-il-Fitri, I urge all Mumineen and Muminat to note that since the great Prophet of Islam, Muhammad described Ramadan fasting as a shield against vices, they should remain guided by that one month of total abstinence and keep away from those vices they abstained from during the fasting period.

Muslim faithful in their thousands on Sunday trooped to various praying grounds across Adamawa State to observe the Eid el Fitri Prayer amidst fanfare in spite of the security fears.

Earlier there were unconfirmed reports been peddled that there could be attacks by yet to be identified group, a situation that spurred deployment of heavy security personnel’s in most of the praying ground.

Reports across the 21

of the state indicated that the ceremony was observed without any hitch as no breach of peace was recorded.

The state Commissioner of Police Mr. A. J Abakasanga has earlier assured residents of a hitch free celebration as he said he has ordered all units of the command across the state to ensure that their jurisdictions were properly manned just as he said intelligence gathering was intensified.

Ado-Ekiti

Taraba Christians abandon Sunday Adamawa Muslims mark Sallah with pomp service for Eid-el-Fitri prayers Ibrahim Abdul, Yola local government areas Sabiu Mustapha, JALINGO As this year's Eid-elFitri fall on Sunday, the day which Christian faithfuls normally observe their weekly church services in their various places of worships, Christians in Zing Local Government area of Taraba state abandoned their Church services to follow their Muslim counterparts to prayers in the spirit of togetherness and brotherhood.

The Executive Chairman of Zing Local Government Council, and

the Taraba State ALGON Chairman, Mr. Kallamu Alhamdu, who led the Christians to witness the Eid prayers, at the central Eid ground in Zing town, said the action was in line with cordial and good relationship that exits between the followers of the two religions in the area.

"As you are seeing, I'm a Christian by faith and today I abandoned my Church service in order to go and observe Sallah with my Muslim brothers,'' said Alhamdu.

go back to their old ways which they have forsaken during the Ramadan period but ensure that they continue the good works of giving, forgiveness, tolerance to all, regardless of religion or ethnic differences.

"We should also cultivate the habit of praying for our great Nation. Nigeria is for all.

When there is peace in our land, then the atmosphere will be attractive for all, both citizens and foreigners.

"I also pray for peaceful election in Osun State, that Allah’s mind should prevail."

Muritala Ayinla As Muslim faithfuls across the globe celebrate this year's Eidel-Fitri, the lawmaker representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, has enjoined Nigerians especially, the Muslims to exploit the sanctity of the just concluded Ramadan Month to pray fervently for the nation.

With prayers, the lawmaker said, plethora of challenges currently confronting the nation

would be overcomed, charging all the religious leaders to work together in order to restore religious harmony in the country.

Ashafa said: "As the celebration continues, we should all reflect on the ideals of good living, which all religions preach, avoid any form of violence and promote peace, harmony and religious tolerance among all men regardless of ethnic, colour and religious affinity."

Islamic monarch preaches unity Hassan Jirgi, Damaturu Emir of Fika and chairman Yobe State council of chiefs, Dr. Muhammedu ibn Abali Muhammed Idrissa, has appealed to the people to support the security agencies so as to overcome the security challenges in the country.

He gave the advice in a Sallah sermon in Potiskum town. The monarch congratulated all Muslim faithfuls on the peaceful nature of the Sallah.

He therefore advised Nigerians to embrace peace, unity harmony and support the leaders in order to accelerate developments in the country.

He also thanked God that Shiekh Dahiru Usman Bauchi and Genaral Muhammed Buhari escaped the recent bomb attack in Kaduna. "We thank Allah that nothing happened to them.

We are advising our citizens again to continue to pray”, he said.

...Human Rights Group too An Osun based human rights group, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has congratulated Muslims across the globe, particularly in the state for successfully concluding the 30 days of Ramadan fasting.

This was contained in a Sallah message signed by the group’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Ad-

eniyi Alimi Sulaiman.

He wished all Muslims in Osun state a happy celebration and urged Muslims to use the period to pray fervently for the peaceful co-existence of the country by saving us from Boko Haram insurgents and also called for prayer to Allah to grant the state peaceful conduct of the election before, during and after it has been conducted.

Aregbesola, Omisore play politics

Adeolu Adeyemo, Osogbo Osun State candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Otunba Iyiola Omisore yesterday felicitated with all the good people of Osun state, particularly the Muslim faithfuls on the occasion of Eid-El Fitri celebration.

Omisore in a statement in Osogbo remarked: "It is note-worthy that the past one month has been

a period of penitence, sober reflections, repentance and closeness to the Almighy Allah by all Islamic adherents all over the world of which Osun people make a significant part.

"Without any doubt, the period afforded all patriotic indigenes opportunity to pray for peace, tranquility and development of the state and the Nation at large.

Osun 2014

48 NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

APC members will bite their fingers, says Omisore Adeolu Adeyemo

OSOGBO

eoples Democratic Party Pdidate (PDP) governorship canin Osun State, Sena-

A cross section of the mammoth crowd waiting to receive the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore and his entourage, during the house-to-house campaign of Ilesa East and West…yesterday

Commissioner warns against federal might Stories by Adeolu Adeyemo OSOGBO

State Local GovOer sun ernment CommissionKolapo Moruf Alimi,

at the weekend, warned the Federal Government against the use of federal might in achieving anti-democratic results in the August 9 gubernatorial election.

He, however, advised the PDP-led government to stay away from influencing the outcome of the election.

The commissioner, who gave the warning wh i l e a n swe r i n g questions from newsmen in Osogbo on the election, affirmed that the APC government would resist any undemocratic move from any quarter.

Speaking on alleged plan to impeach Governor Tanko AlMakura of Nassarawa State, Alimi warned the PDP not to truncate the country’s democracy.

“I want to charge the good people of Osun

State not to be scared by the expected turnout of armed security men and women on August 9, when the governorship election would be held, but should go all out to vote overwhelmingly for Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressive Congress (APC).”

Alimi further condemned the recent impeachment of Gover nor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, saying that due

process was not followed before the act was carried out.

According to him, the seven-man panel set up by the acting Chief Judge ought to have waited for a convenient time when Nyako and his deputy would have come and defended themselves of the sixteen allegations levied against them, adding that it was the only way to ensure fair hearing between the parties concerned.

Group accuses governor of child Action Alliance disowns abuse, threatens to sue him Oralusi as its candidate Osun State-based huAtrenman rights group, Cenfor Human Rights and

Social Justice (CHRSJ) at the weekend threatened to drag Governor Rauf Aregbeola and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) before the state high court for child abuse.

The group, which alleged that the APC government recently used children of public primary and post primary schools for its campaign in Osogbo, frowned on the development, describing it as child abuse.

In a statement signed by the centre’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, the group said it has notified its counsel, Barrister Hassim Abioye, to file an action against the governor and his party as a way of seeking redress for the hapless

pupils and students, who were forced out of school to join the campaign train of the governor.

He said: “The group decided to take the step as part of its social responsibility to save the future of the affected pupils and students, because Gover nor Aregbesola has used his office illegally to expose the children to political danger for selfish reasons.”

According to him; “Using school children for campaign by Governor Rauf Aregbesola seems barbaric and a show of shame on the part of a governor that is supposed to protect the children.

“This is child abuse of the highest order and it should be strongly condemned and the governor should be cautioned against this anti-democratic act.”

he leadership of the AcTOsun tion Alliance (AA) in State at the weekend

disowned Mr. Babatunde Oralusi, as the party’s governorship candidate in the August 9 election.

Chairman of the party, Alhaji Rufai Omoaje, who frowned on the recognition given to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s flag bearer, said Oralusi was not known to the party.

He said it was Mr. Niyi Fadahunsi that emerged as the governorship candidate of the party through a transparent democratic process.

“Oralusi was not known to any of the AA leaders as he joined the party after the primary election had been conducted and won

by Fadahunsi.

“The party’s authentic governorship candidate is Mr. Niyi Fadahunsi, while

Oralusi only influenced his recognition by INEC through some national officers of the party.”

The chairman argued further that “Fadahunsi contested the governorship primary election held on May 10 this year and emerged the winner of the election.

“During the primary election, representatives of INEC and officials from the National Secretariat of the party, supervised the election, and that was why we are worried about the recognition given to Oralusi by INEC instead of Fadahunsi.”

Omoaje, however, hinted that “the leadership of the party in the state has approached a federal high court to seek redress on the choice of Oralusi, whose name was published by INEC as the party’s flag bearer.

National Pilot endorses Aregbesola for second term Pilot,anIlorin-based Ntheational newspaper, has endorsed incumbent Governor of OsunState,Rauf Aregbesola, for a second term in office.

The medium’s endorsement was premised

on the conviction of its management that Aregbesola, who is recontesting in the August 9 governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress,

deserved re-election based on his achievements in office.

On the governor’s achievements, the paper listed them as employment of about 40,000 youths under the Osun Youth

Empowerment Scheme; 5,000 youths trained and empowered in Information Communication Technology under the Osun Youth Empowerment Technology (OYESTECH).

tor Iyiola Omisore, at the weekend, said Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his party supporters would bite their fingers politically after seeing the victory that would be recorded from the electorate.

The Director-General of Omisore Campaign Organisation, Hon. Lere Oyewumi, who said this at a press conference in Osogbo, argued that the APC-led government is not popular among the

electorate and that they would be voted out by them.

Oyewumi maintained that; “No amount of blackmail by the APC on the person of Senator Omisore will prevent him from becoming the governor come August 9.

“God has been so wonderful to Omisore, he has been vindicated. The more they nail him, the more triumphant he becomes.

“All efforts by the governor to discredit the person of Omisore has been futile and the more he (Aregbesola) tries to tarnish Omisore's image, the more acceptability he gains.”

Oranmiyan condemns candidates’ absence at debate n Osun State indigenous ASupports group, Oranmiyan Group has con-

demned the actions of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyiola Omisore, and others who refused to honour an invitation for a debate on the August 9 election.

The debate was organised by a United States-based organisation, the Inter national Republican Institute (IRI).

The debate had only the incumbent governor and candidate of the All

Progressives Congress (APC), Rauf Aregbesola, on the hot seat.

The group also berated the other candidates, who rely on material inducements to woo the electorate rather than intellectual engagements.

In a statement issued in Osogbo, following the absence of Omisore and others during the debate, leader of the group, Mr. Ayo Akinola said: “Debates are used all over the world to sell political programmes and manifestoes to the electorate."

SDP: Thugs, thugs everywhere he Social Democratic Tship Party (SDP) governorcandidate in the

August 9 election, Mr. Olusegun Akinwusi, at the weekend, accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of “rearing thugs” ahead of the August election.

Thepartysaidbothparties areSiamesetwinsthatcannot beseparatedwhenitcomesto anti-democratic behaviours.

Akinwusi, while addressing members of SDP in Ibokun, after the party’s campaign tour of some communities said;

“Recently, security agents arrested several thugs in Ilesa, the other day it was terror in Ile-Ife, when members of the two parties engaged themselves in a deadly brawl that led to the destruction of properties worth several millions of naira."

“Some of them in APC and PDP are going around now like ‘born again people,’ but we know that they are wolfs in sheep’s clothing.

Characteristically, we know what they are and who they are. How many of them can withstand the test of integrity,” he stated.

LP discredits debate Party candidate in Lshipabour the Osun State governorelection, Alhaji Fatai

Akinbade, at the weekend, frowned on the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) for disallowing his running-mate, Chief Michael Ishola Adenipekun, from participating in the debate organised for governorship candidates.

Akinbade in a statement by his spokesperson, Mr. Kayode Oladeji, and made available to newsmen in Osogbo, condemned the

act, saying it was uncalled for. “Though Akinbade did not attend the programme, because of other pressing matters, which he had to attend to, he however, as a matter of courtesy, sent his Deputy, Adenipekun, who was disallowed by the organisers, from participating in the debate.

“My deputy, who was accompanied to the venue of the programme by the Chairman of our party, Tunde Olatunji, and others, was shabbily treated. He was not allowed to feature in the programme,” he said.

NEWS 49

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

calls for vigilance, Obiano: APC to challenge Fashola peace among nigerians judgment at Supreme Court

T

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed its plan to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Enugu, which dismissed its petition in the Anambra governorship election on Saturday.

The Appeal Court sitting in Enugu had struck out four suits filed against the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) challenging the candidature of Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra at the November 2013 gubernatorial election. The suits were filed by the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The petitioners are PDP governorship candidate at the election, Mr Tony Nwoye and an APGA governorship aspi-

rant, Mr Chike Obidigbo.

According to a report

by The Cable, an online news medium, the Anambra Chairman of the APC, Mr Emeka Ibe, said the party would appeal the judgment of the court in a higher court.

“We are happy with what they did with regards to giving the judgment within the time frame. With this, we now have basis to appeal. This court is not the final court.

The final court with respect to election petitions is the Supreme Court. I want to say that we are going to appeal against the judgment.

“We are not going to rest until the Supreme Court gives the final judgment and we will be bound by it,” Ibe said.

A five-man panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, while delivering the four separate judgments on the appeals, said the appeal was struck out for incompetence and lack of merit.

The court, however, affirmed the judgment delivered on June 4 by the Anambra Election Petition Tribunal in Awka, and awarded the sum of N50,000 each to the respondent in the four suits.

“Having considered the preliminary objections by the respondents and the motions filed by the appellant, I will not read the judgment word to word but will deliver it as provided by the court.

“I have considered the objections raised by the counsel with regards to

the first and fourth respondent, and I hereby uphold the decision made by the tribunal in Awka,” Garba said.

Reacting to the judgment, the Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, commended the judiciary for upholding the rule of law. “I am grateful to God Almighty.

The Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision dismissed all the appeals standing against our victory at the lower tribunal in Awka following our victory at the governorship election in 2013.

“We were not in doubt that all these appeals will be dismissed because APGA and its candidate won the election with landslide margin with the vote of the people.

Muritala Ayinla Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) , has sought the cooperation of all Nigerians in finding lasting solution to the challenges confronting the country, saying only Nigerians can take it out of the doldrums.

In a Sallah message to the people, the Governor said it is only by embracing peace, unity and fairness that Nigerians can put the country back on its leadership

pedestal and urged them to embrace the spirit of love, tolerance, forgiveness and brotherhood preached by Islam and other religions.

He observed that the country, with all its potentials, has no business with poverty if only its citizens can join hands to give it the right focus and called on them to cooperate and stamp out intolerance, discrimination, cheating, violence, disobedience to the law and other ills from the system.

A’Ibom 2015: Ekere pleads divine guidance Tony Anichebe, uyo As the 2015 gubernatorial race gathers momentum, the immediate past Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Nsima Ekere has admonished his teeming supporters in the state to put God first in their dealings.

Speaking during the inaugural monthly fasting and prayer meeting of

the Akwa Ibom Consolidation Project (AKCP) in Uyo yesterday, Mr. Ekere argued that it paid better to trust in God than in chariots and horses.

He said it was obvious that the project was being driven by God and was, therefore, heading for success given the numerous battles, known and unknown, God had fought and won on its behalf.

Ibibio Elders’ forum endorse Emmanuel

Tony Anichebe, uyo Ibibio Elders’ Forum has unanimously resolved to back the governorship aspiration of the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government (SSG), Mr. Udom Emmanuel, for growth, unity and sustainable development in the state.

The forum, which is

made up of elders from the Ibibio Land, yesterday in the palace of the Chairman of the forum, made this known while playing host to the SSG in Uyo, stressing that they were motivated by what they described as the humane disposition, humility and administrative ingenuity of Mr Emmanuel.

APC spokesman laments listing of Enugu among parasitic states L-R: Fezi Production Director, Mr. Israel Eboh; Hafeez Oyetoro and Dayo Liadi, during the Amukoko Ingenious for Christ, Pride of Talent, organised by the Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria (CYON), Saint Matthews Catholic Church in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

Urhobo commend Jonathan on Bozimo PFN frowns on attempt at Buhari's life Gabriel Choba, Ughelli The Urhobo in Delta State have commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the recent appointment of former Chief Judge of Delta State, Justice Roseline Bozimo as the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute.

Chief Vincent Okudolor, who spoke on behalf of the Urhobo in a meeting weekend also described Bozimo as highly principled and incorruptible judicial officer with high integrity.

According to him, “I thank President Jonathan

for appointing a God fearing former chief judge of Delta State because she was highly principled and incorruptible judicial officer with high integrity and a crusader for social justice that has done the state very proud”.

The community leader also expressed gratitude to Governor Uduaghan for his confidence on her and assured that the Urhobo people and Ekurode Urhobo community that he is solidly behind his (Uduaghan) government and future political ambition.

Islamic clerics blast Edo lawmakers

Cajetan Mmuta, BENIN Leaderships of Muslim communities in Edo State have blasted the nine lawmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State House of Assembly for the “attempt to hijack the apparatus of

government”.

The Islamic clerics under the aegis of League of Imams led by their Chairman and Chief Imam of Benin, Mallam Abdulfattah Enabulele, said “they say we (religious leaders) should continue to pray

Cajetan Mmuta, BENIN President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Reverend Felix Omobude, yesterday felicitated with the Muslim faithful across Nigeria for the successful conclusion of the one month Ramadan fast.

Omobude also condemned last week’s assassination attempt on General Muhammadu Buhari, in Kaduna State.

The PFN President in his Sallah goodwill message to the Muslim community in the country urged them to reflect on for peace to reign in the country but wondered how God can answer such prayers when agents of oppression, suppression, aggression refuse to allow the moral virtues of justice, equity and fair-play, honesty and sincerity be their guarding principles?

the lessons of Ramadan, asking them to continue in that spirit in their daily lives.

He said: “We the Pentecostal Christians in Nigeria rejoice and stand with you. We should join our faith together on issues concerning love, peace and unity in our great country.”

According to him, “There is need for us to stand together and join the government to build a virile, peaceful, united and prosperous nation that we will all be proud of.”

Uwakwe Abugu, Enugu T he South-East spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, yesterday lamented over the recent listing of Enugu State among the so-called parasitic states in the Nigerian federation.

He wondered why the assessors, a pro-President Goodluck Jonathan

group discountenanced the huge coal deposits abandoned by the Federal Government in the state.

He wants the Federal Government to tell Nigerians what it has done with the whopping N1.1billion earmarked for year 2014 for the survey on coal deposits in Enugu and Gombe States.

Benue governorship aspirant promises to woo investors Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

Benue State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has promised to woo foreign investors into the state to encourage industrialisa-

tion if elected governor of the state in 2015.

He said in order to sustain the initiative; he would create an enabling environment for the investors to operate successfully to further boost the economy.

Canada supports Nigeria’s youth entrepreneurship programme Onwuka Nzeshi, ABUJA The government of Canada yesterday announced its support for a new project to promote youth entrepreneurship and increase job opportunities among young people in Nigeria.

The project will help

stimulate private-sector-led growth in Nigeria’s Cross River State by creating the conditions to responsibly manage its forestry, agriculture and fisheries sectors.

Senator Don Meredith made the announcement

on behalf of the Hon. Christian Paradis, the Canadian Minister of International Development. The announcement came in an address to the inaugural national convention of the Akwa Cross Association of Canada.

50

WORLD | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

North Korea marks war anniversary

T

he 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, meaning the two Koreas remain technically at war. But in North Korea, the anniversary of the agreement ending the hostilities is commemorated as "Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War," a major national

holiday. Yesterday's 61st anniversary was low-key. There were no large-scale military parades or public appearances by leader Kim Jong Un, who privately paid his respects just after midnight at the mausoleum where his father and grandfather lie in state. Veterans, now in their

70s and 80s, many wearing uniforms laden with medals and clutching bouquets of flowers, were celebrated in patriotic events around the country.

In Pyongyang's central plaza, Kim Il Sung Square, the aged veterans, some crying, told war stories. A mass cho-

rus of schoolchildren sang odes to Kim Jong Un and a crowd of college students was exhorted to be "the new generation" in building North Korea under Kim's leadership. To lighten the mood, they were also treated to a show of square dancing and taekwondo. After watching the

official events, many people in Pyongyang took advantage of a sunny day off to enjoy family outings along the capital's riverside promenades. Estimates for the war dead vary between 2.5 million and 4 million, and the border between the two Koreas remains one of the most heavily fortified in the world.

Gunmen attack British diplomat in Tripoli

A

North Korean war veterans express varying degrees of emotion as they watch a parade celebrating the 61st anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War, yesterday in Pyongyang

Investigators scour through debris at Air Algerie crash site

F

rench investigators yesterday scoured through the debris of a shattered Air Algerie jetliner in Mali's remote desert north to get to the cause of the third global air disaster in eight days.

Experts from France's Bureau of Investigations and Analyses agency (BEA) that probes air accidents arrived at the site late Saturday and began their delicate task. "They will try to glean the maximum information," BEA chief Remi Jouty said in Paris. Their work will take a "few days", he said, adding that they will examine the plane's data flight recorders and any other information including the prevailing weather conditions at the time. "It is too early to make any conjecture" about the reason for the crash, he said.

French President Francois Hollande, who met families of some of the victims in Paris on Saturday, said the bodies of all 118 victims would be repatriated to France and a memorial would be erected at the site. Officials who had already reached Mali's remote, barren Gossi area described a scene of devasta-

tion littered with twisted and burnt fragments of the plane.

No one survived the impact of Thursday's tragedy and entire families were wiped out.

France bore the brunt with 54 of its nationals being killed in the crash of the McDonnell Douglas 83, which had taken off from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso bound for Algiers. Travellers from Burkina Faso, Lebanon, Algeria, Spain, Canada, Germany and Luxembourg also died in the crash, increasingly being blamed on bad weather that forced the pilots to change course. Hollande said flags would fly at half-mast from government buildings for three days from today (Monday) to mourn the victims.

In Burkina Faso, President Blaise Compaore met the families of the victims of diverse nationalities and opened an investigation into the tragedy.

Lebanese national Pierre Hage sought Compaore's help so that he could recover the "remains of my relatives either wholly or in part." Prayers were held yesterday for the victims in many churches in Burkina Faso. At the airport in Ouagadougou

people left a teddy bear, flowers and lit candles next to the photos of some of the dead. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said weather conditions appeared to be the most likely cause of the accident, the worst air tragedy for French nationals since the crash of the Air France A330 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris in June 2009.

The Air Algerie crash was the third worldwide in the space of just eight days, capping a disastrous week for the aviation industry. July 17, a Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down in restive eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. And a Taiwanese aircraft crashed in torrential rain in Taiwan, Wednesday, killing 48.Apart from the BEA experts, France has also dispatched 20 police officers to try to identify the victims and determine the cause of the disaster. One of the flight recorders of the plane was retrieved almost as soon as rescuers arrived on the spot, while the second black box was found late Saturday, according to Radhia Acouri, the spokeswoman for the MINUSMA UN stabilisation force in Mali.

British embassy convoy in Tripoli came under fire yesterday in an attempted carjacking but no-one was hurt, a spokesman for London's mission in Libya said.

"Early this morning a British embassy convoy was subject to an attempted carjacking. Shots were fired at our vehicles but they managed to drive on and leave the area," spokesman Bob Phillipson said. "All embassy personnel are safe and accounted for and there were no injuries," he said.

The attack took place in western Tripoli, witnesses said, and came after Washington evacuated its mission in the embattled Libyan capital under air cover Saturday. Carjackings are common in Tripoli and armed

groups target the armoured vehicles used by foreign diplomats for theft. Britain advised its citizens to leave the country on Sunday, following weeks of deadly clashes between rival militia around the airport road in Tripoli. Berlin also advised German nationals to leave because of the unrest in the capital. Tripoli international airport has been closed for two weeks because of deadly clashes in the area, and the United Nations evacuated its staff from Libya, July 14 because of the violence.

Phillipson said that "in light of travel restrictions in and around Tripoli, we are reducing the number of staff at the Embassy," but that the mission "remains open for core business".

Gaza: No truce yet

H

amas Islamist militants have agreed to a 24-hour humanitarian truce in their conflict with Israel in the Gaza Strip, a spokesman for the group said yesterday, hours after fighting between the sides resumed.

"It has been agreed among resistance factions to endorse a 24-hour humanitarian calm," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters, saying the calm should start at 2.00 p.m. (7.00 a.m. EDT).

However, as 2.00 p.m. came and went, the sound of heavy Israeli shelling could be heard within Gaza and sirens sounded in Israeli communities near the border area, suggesting Palestinian militants had fired missiles at them.

Israel had called off its own 24-hour truce earlier in the day after Hamas launched rockets into southern and central Israel, and Palestinian medics said at least 10 people had died in the wave of subsequent strikes that swept Gaza. Some 1,060 Palestinians, mainly civilians and including many children,

have been killed in the 20-day conflict. Israel says 43 of its soldiers have died, along with three civilians killed by rocket and mortar fire out of the Mediterranean enclave.

Israel and the Hamas Islamists who control Gaza had agreed to a 12-hour ceasefire, Saturday to allow Palestinians to stock up on supplies and retrieve bodies from under the rubble. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet decided to extend the quiet until midnight yesterday, on condition that its forces could continue to track down and destroy militant tunnels that criss-cross the Gaza border.

After initially rejecting the extension, Hamas spokesman Abu Zuhri said Hamas had accepted a U.N. truce request yesterday in light of the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which is expected to start in the next couple of days. Netanyahu was due to convene his cabinet later yesterday to decide how to move forward, and at least one senior minister said Israel must step up its offensive. "

Okagbare makes semis, targets gold lJelks also qualify for 100m semi-final

T

Okagbare

eam Nigeria’s top medal hopeful at the ongoing Commonwealth Games, Blessing Okagbare, has declared that her target was the gold medal after she coasted to the semi-finals in a time of in 11.20s ahead of England’s Asha Philip.

She however said that making it to the semis was just the beginning as she would not rest until she grabbed the gold for

Nigeria.

“I’m happy to have qualified for the semi-final, my target is the gold medal, that is the ultimate and I will not be satisfied with anything less,” said an upbeat Okagbare who broke no sweat in winning her heat.

Meanwhile, Team Nigeria started the opening day of athletics events on a winning note, with all the Nigerians making it

SPORT

to the next round.

Marks Jelks cruised home in 10.28s to win his heat ahead of Bahamas’ Warren Fraser who claimed second in 10.31s.

Another Nigerian, Mozavous Edwards, qualified in second position in his heat in 10.40s behind England’s Adam Gemili who won the race in 10.15s.

Ogho-Oghene Egwero, in another heat involving a Nigerian

51

athlete in the men’s 100m, raced to the finish line in 10.38s behind South Africa’s Akani Simbine to book a semi-final ticket.

The story was the same in the women’s 100m. Besides Okagbare, Gloria Asumnu also booked a place in the semi-final with only Justina Sule failing to make it to the semi-final.

Asumnu finished second in her heat in time of 11.43s behind Jamaican Veronica CampbellBrown.

NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/sports

ADEKUNLE SALAMI, DepUTY Editor, SPORTS kunle.salami@newtelegraphonline.com adekunles@yahoo.com

AUTHORITATIVE VOICE IN GLOBAL SPORT

Monday, July 28, 2014

Senate President stops Keshi’s Bafana job

lAssured coach he won’t work with Maigari, others AjibadeOlusesan

I

f not for the intervention of the Senate President, David Mark, Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi could have been named the coach of Bafana Bafana of South Africa, New Telegraph can authoritatively reveal.

Keshi was heavily linked with the South African job with reports suggesting that the former Super Eagles skipper had accepted terms with the South Africa Football Association. But SAFA, on Saturday, named Shakes Mashaba as the successor to Gordon Igesund whose contract had expired.

However, our correspondent reliably learnt that Keshi was indeed contacted

by SAFA and the coach had reached agreement with the soccer body to sign the deal to take over their national team shortly after the World Cup. Sources told New Telegraph that Senator Mark was the one who prevailed on Keshi to drop the idea of moving to South Africa. The Senate President had assured Keshi that the atmosphere would be

more conducive for him if he decided to continue as Eagles coach.

The source said; “It is no news that South Africa had been courting Keshi since he won the Nations Cup last year, but they made official contact with him about five months ago.

“Keshi had made up his mind not to renew his contract with Nigeria because he felt the environment was not conducive and the body language of the leadership of the NFF suggested that they would not extend his stay.

“However, Senate President is Keshi’s friend and he is the one who told him that something will be done. Mark believes Keshi has done tremendously well in his position and deserves to continue. Let me tell you, Keshi is the main cause of Alhaji Maigari’s problems because he told Mark that he could not work with that board and Mark assured him that as a government, they will do something about it, but that he must inform SAFA that he was no longer interested in the job. That was why they postponed the naming of a new Bafana coach.”

Mark

Keshi

Moses (left)

52

SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

‘I used to smoke 20 cigarettes a-day’

Way leading the marathon field in Glasgow

A

former 101 kilograms couch potato (a television freak) who smoked 20 cigarettes a day ran the biggest race of his life on Sunday and celebrated by going to the pub.

Steven Way, 40, only took up running seven years ago after his weight ballooned.

His cigarettes and alcohol habits were making him ill.

So he pulled on his trainers and went out for a jog.

And in Glasgow on Sunday, the England man threw his arms up in the air in jubilation as he was cheered across the marathon finishing line with a personal best time in tenth place.

Moments later, with a huge smile across his face, he said: “I’ve always said my wedding day was the best day of my life, but this equals it and I think Sarah won’t mind me saying that.

“All my goals were top ten, personal best, British vet record and I’ve managed all three. I could not have hoped for a better day.”

And he knew exactly how he was going to celebrate.

“I do need to go and have a drink though. And I’m not talking water. I am going to have a pint. I have not had a pint for three months. There will be a couple. I may be around Glasgow.

“Unfortunately I can’t go completely off the rails because I’ve got a 90k trail race in Sweden at the end of August.

“What I would like to do for the next week is just go ballistic in the food hall in the village, but unfortunately I have got to keep the weight partially under control because I have got to go and take on some ultra runners in

Way competing at the London marathon

Sweden.”

Way laughed as he told how he found himself leading the race in the early stages.

“I’ve punched a little bit above my weight here. I was leading at 10k which is quite good fun. I knew the best way for me to get to the finish was just to run my own race so I found myself leading.

“I thought it might be a bit scary, but to be honest it was just really good fun.”

And he hopes his performance will inspire others to follow his example.

“I had just got to the point where I was the heaviest I had ever been. I had spent a few weeks really suffering with my smoking and a cold and just waking up in the middle of the night and my lungs were really starting to be

impacted by the heavy smoking.

“It was just a realisation that things were only going to get worse if I did not do something about it. It turned out I ended up doing quite a lot about it.

“Just to have one person say that they have given running a try because of me makes it all worthwhile, but I have certainly had more than one.

“There are quite a few people out there who say they are getting themselves off the couch and getting out the door and seeing if there is a marathon runner underneath that couch potato.

“The number of people in Glasgow, the locals, who knew me, was fantastic.

“I had loads of support from the English guys but there were just so many Scottish people who

were calling me Steven, or Marigold, my nickname, so they obviously knew me and knew my story.

“That made it really special. It made it feel like a home Games.”

He finished with a time of two hours, 15 minutes and 16 seconds and laughed as he said he had not ruled out running in the Rio Olympics.

“It’s ridiculous. I’ll be 42 years old, but I am not going to stop trying.”

Seven years ago Way weighed 104 kilograms, had high blood pressure and 20 a day smoking habit.

He started running to change his lifestyle and has not stopped. Now 73 kilograms, he was picked for England’s Commonwealth Games marathon team.

He runs up to 140 miles a week, while still doing his 9-5 bank job.

Before the Games he admitted: “At school I was the guy who hid in the bushes with my fat mate during the first lap of the cross country and then re-

Way... still looking a little overweight

joined the field when they came round again.

“I have never competed in a major championship before and until recently I had almost no contact with British Athletics.

And now I will be running at the Commonwealth Games.”

He was picked for the squad after an astonishing run in the London marathon, when he finished 15th and 33 seconds under the qualifying standard for the Games.

When the stewards attempted to usher him to the tent where the marathon’s biggest stars were having their post-run massages and recovery drinks, he told them: “Er, my kit is over that way with everyone else’s.”

He had only decided to run the London race eight days earlier.

Before Sunday’s race he told his family, friends and family on his website: “I WILL NOT BE S * …..and if I am at least the irony of it all will give us something to giggle about.”

SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Nigerian women qualify for 400m semis lMoziafailsinmen’sshotput

T

he trio of Regina George, Omolara Omotosho and Folashade Abugan, on Sunday made it to the semi-final of the 400m women’s event at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. The three quarter milers finished in the second positions in their respective heats.

Abugan finished with the best time among the trio; she raced to the finish line in 52.84s, while Omotosho and George secured their place in the semifinal in 53.02s and 53.92 respectively.

The semi-final is scheduled for today, while the final is slated for tomorrow.

More Nigerians will be in action in various events later today as the country continues its quest for medals.

Meanwhile, Nigerian hopeful in the Okagbare winning her 100m heat men’s shot-put event, Stephen Mozia, finished in the seventh position as he exited the competition without a medal.

Nigerian throws fear into boxing

P

alpable fear is in the air in the heavyweight boxing class at the ongoing Commonwealth Games with the first round knockout of his opponent by Efetobore Apochi.

Taking no chances, the captain of the Nigerian boxing team promptly sent Borucki Krystian of the Isle of Man to the canvass in less than half of the duration of the first round leaving no time for spectators in Glasgow to see the fight.

The development has left many boxing camps confused as there has been no such decisive performance in the boxing event, and there are doubts as to whether there is any heavyweight on ground to stop the Nigerian bulldozer.

Speaking shortly after the bout, Efetobore revealed that he had to go for the kill in other not to risk the unpredictable scoring by the judges.

“We had seen a number of fights in which we thought our men had the upper hand, but the judges decided differently. I had to adopt this approach not to leave anything to chance.

Nigeria deserves at least a gold medal in boxing here. It’s been long that boxers won gold for Nigeria and I needed to send the warning and instill fear in the other camps. I have a lot more fights before I get to the gold medal range, and I have to be calculative. I have seen all the other heavyweights and I do not think they can cope with what I have. They are already talking about me as that Nigerian guy being a bully and that is exactly what I intend to dish out. I am the captain of the team and as we are looking forward to the Olympics and to reverse the poor fortunes of Nigerian boxing in recent times, I have to lead by example. If nothing else, our coaches, Adura Olanlehin and Peter Konyegwachie deserve to get a gold medal for their efforts.”

53

Team Nigeria fails to make Table-Tennis final

T

eam Nigeria captain to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Segun Toriola, on Sunday failed to inspire Nigeria Table-Tennis team to the final of the men’s team event.

The Nigerian pingpongers were overwhelmed by the firepower of favourite, Singapore, losing 3-1 despite spirited effort

by Aruna Quadri who won the only game in the team’s event.

Toriola started by losing 3-2 to Ning Gao before Quadri drew Nigeria level.

Since the competition started no team has won a game against Singapore, but Quadri defeat-

ed J. Zhan 3-1 to dent the 100 percent record of the Asian side.

Singapore restored their lead with a victory in the double against the duo of Bode Abiodun and Toriola, with the game ending 3-1.

Abiodun’s 3-1 single loss to Jian Zhan in the fourth game confirmed Nigeria’s elimination in the semi-final as the team look forward to a classification match against England or India later on Monday.

The women team could not progress beyond the knockout stage despite managing to qualify from the group.

They were bundled out by Malaysia in the

Nigerian weightlifters sweep 63kg medals

N

igerian weightlifters continued their impressive outing in Glasgow, Scotland, sweeping the gold and silver medals in the women’s 63kg.

Oluwatoyin Adesanmi won Nigeria’s second gold medal in the competition ahead of her compatriot, Obioma Okoli who won the silver medal.

Despite the two ladies lifting 207kg, Adesanmi was adjudged to have an edge and got the gold medal ahead of Okoli because

she has a lesser body weight of 62Kg / 136 lbs as against 63Kg / 138 lbs for Okoli.

With the victory, Nigeria has moved up the medals table with six medals, two gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal.

Weightlifting remains the only sport that has won medals for Nigeria with other sports like athletics hoping to make the medals table on Monday.

Usain Bolt poses with schoolchildren and Clyde the Mascot

Quadri

Shelley, Cheyech win gold medals A

ustralian Michael Shelley has won Commonwealth gold in the men’s marathon in Glasgow with Kenya’s Flomena Cheyech Daniel winning the women’s event.

Shelley, 30, ran clear in the final 5km to beat Kenyan Stephen Chemlany by 43 seconds and set a new personal best of two hours 11 minutes 15 seconds.

Cheyech won from compatriot Caroline Kilel

and Australian Jess Trengove.

“Now I have had a bit more experience, to come away with my first win is indescribable,” said Shelley, who won Commonwealth silver at the Delhi Games of 2010. “I dug deep and I was hoping I wouldn’t blow-up like I have done in the past.

“You just try to run the best you possibly can and it was a dream to be honest. I’m still buzzing.”

I always wanted to race at C’wealth Games - Bolt

U

sain Bolt, by some margin the biggest individual attraction of Glasgow 2014, made a triumphant arrival on Saturday, claiming it had always been his long-term desire to compete in a Commonwealth Games.

The six-time Olympic champion, who has also won eight world titles and remains the world record holder over 100 and 200 metres, entered the stage alongside Clyde the Mascot and six local schoolchildren, and

posed for the obligatory “lightning bolt” before fielding questions from by far the largest press corps yet seen at these Games.

Although Bolt is not competing in either of his two individual event, he confirmed he would participate in the heats for the 4x100m relay as well as the final, meaning there is no prospect of his team-mates failing to qualify and him being unable to run.

“For me it was very important [to be

here],” he said.

“I expressed it to my coach and I am happy to be here. I have always wanted to compete in the Games, the first one in Australia [at Melbourne in 2006] I strained my hamstring and in [Delhi] 2010 in India it was in October, which is a bad time for me.

“I got injured earlier in this season and I didn’t want to take anyone’s spot so I decided, ‘Why not just come in the 4x100m?’”

Transfer Updates

54 SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Arsenal complete Ospina deal have completed the capture of Afromrsenal Colombian international David Ospina French side Nice.

Remy fails L Liverpool medical

iverpool have pulled out of a deal to sign Loic Remy from Queens Park Rang-

ers.

Remy, 27, had joined up with the Reds in Boston on their pre-season tour of the United States after the two clubs agreed an £8 million deal.

But problems detected during medical examinations have concerned the Merseysiders and they have backed away from the transfer.

Remy’s move from Nice to Marseille in 2010 was held up due to heart complaints, but he was later cleared to play top-

The 25-year-old goalkeeper has put pen to paper on a long-term contract, and could even make his debut against Benfica in the Emirates Cup weekend.

The Gunners are yet to announce a fee, however with his contract running out next summer it is thought Ospina would cost a modest £3m.

The signing of the impressive Colombian will put pressure on Wojciech Szczesny, who, with the exit of Lukasz Fabianski, had been Arsenal’s only recognised first-team keeper. level football following second tests carried out by specialists.

He joined QPR seemingly without issue three years later, and spent last season on loan with Newcastle United.

The France international had been attracting interest from Tottenham and Arsenal earlier in the summer, but Spurs pulled out of the race shortly before a fee was agreed with Liverpool despite having held talks with the player’s camp.

Remy had always favoured a move to the Gunners, but he was not one of the Londoners’ priority targets.

Pogba close to signing new Juventus contract

he news that is dominating the Italian T press is that Serie A champions Juventus are close to tying in-demand midfielder

Paul Pogba down to a new contract that will keep him in Turin until 2019.

This will come as a blow to Premier League sides Chelsea and former club Manchester United who have both expressed an interest in the France midfielder over the summer.

Tuttosport claimed Juve general manager Beppe Marotta and the player’s agent Mino Raiola are close to agreeing a renewed contract that will see the 21-year-old’s wages increase to €3.2m per season, plus another €1m bonuses.

Barcelona plot €15m bid for Agger

arcelona’s quest to land a centreB back this summer has been boosted the Catalans are linked, again, to Liver-

pool’s Daniel Agger.

In the latest updates, Barcelona, having seen efforts to sign Marquinhos from PSG fall by the wayside in recent days, are now reconsidering a move for Liverpool’s Danish defender, whom they believe is available for €15 million.

Whilst Barca are also said to be chasing Daley Blind, Thomas Vermaelen and Jan Vertonghen, SPORT now believe Agger is “the most affordable”.

Agger is deemed on the periphery of the first team squad at Anfield, with the Merseysiders set to sign Dejan Lovren from Southampton before the new campaign kicks off.

Di Maria wants Real Madrid exit S R

Liverpool, Man United get renewed hope for Falcao

eal Madrid winger Angel Di Maria reportedly wants to leave the Santiago Bernabeu outfit this summer with Manchester United said to be ready to make a record £45m bid for the Argentina international.

According to The Daily Star of England, Di Maria is unhappy that he has been deemed surplus to requirements at Los Blancos after the club signed World Cup winner, Toni Kroos and Colombia star, James Rodriguez for a combined

reported fee of €110 million this month.

The winger was being tracked by Paris SaintGermain but, while Real’s asking price of about £45m for Di Maria would not be an issue to finance, the French side’s Financial Fair Play sanctions imposed by UEFA earlier this year could scupper any deal for the player.

With PSG stalling over the transfer, reports claim that Di Maria is leaning towards a move to Old Trafford.

Eagles’ transfer Update West Brom keen on Moses

A

fter the celebrated club record signing of Brown Ideye, West Bromwich Albion are said to have pushed ahead for a loan deal for Nigerian international, Victor Moses.

According to Mirror, the Baggies were first linked with the Kaduna born player, Victor Moplayed at the World Cup for the Super Eagles of Nigeria

ses who last month.

Moses, the Wigan stand out performer in 2012 has failed to replicate the form that made Chelsea play £9m in 2012 for his services.

He had a below average performance last season while on loan at Liverpool and he isn’t in Jose Mourinho’s plan for next season, but the interest from West Bromwich Albion may be the life line Moses need to reignite his career.

Swansea target £3m-rated Azeez wansea are weighing up a move

S for Almeria’s £3million-rated midfielder Ramon Azeez.

The 21-year-old was named Young Player of Year at the La Liga club last term and capped a stellar season by being named in the Nigeria’s squad for the World Cup. Azeez is a dynamic midfielder that has been highly-rated within the Super Eagles camp for some time now.

He began his career in the Almeria B team but after two terms of rapid improvement, he was promoted to the senior team.

Indeed, his game continued to blossom as he featured in over 30 games for the team, drawing praise for his all-round midfield game.

everal Premier League teams, including Manchester United and Liverpool, have been given renewed hope in their chase for a big-name striker this summer, with the news that Real Madrid will not be following up their interest in Radamel Falcao.

The European Champions had been linked with a sensational swoop for the Monaco striker, and there were even suggestions in the Daily Mirror they fancied a season-long loan with a €12.5m loan fee included.

Arribas agrees Sevilla move ormer Osasuna defender Alejandro F Arribas has agreed to sign a two-year contract with Sevilla, pending the result

of medical examinations.

The 25-year-old centre-back from Madrid is a free agent having recently terminated his contract with relegated Osasuna.

A statement published on Sevilla’s official website said Arribas would travel to the Andalusian club’s preseason training camp in Neuruppin, Germany, after passing a medical and putting pen to paper.

Sevilla were rebuffed in a bid to sign Arribas, who made 70 league appearances in two seasons with Osasuna, last summer.

Strootman to cost Man Utd £79m

anchester United have been told to M come up with £79m if they want to sign Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman

this summer.

United boss Louis van Gaal has been rumoured to be keen on bringing the Dutch interna- tional to Old Trafford ahead of next season despite the 24-year-old being out of action with a knee injury.

But, Roma coach Rudi Garcia has dismissed the transfer – saying that the only way that United will land Strootman this summer is by offering a record fee of at least £79m (€100m).

SPORT 55

Sanctity of Truth

Monday, July 28, 2014

Don’t sack Keshi -Kalu

lRecommends Emenalo, Okpala as assistants

A

s Nigerians wait for what the future holds for Stephen Keshi, former Abia state governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, yesterday threw his weight behind the coach, asking for a new four -year contract to keep the ‘Big Boss’ as Eagles manager.

Kalu’s backing comes amid uncertainty over Eagles preparations for the 2015 Nations Cup, and it is a bold statement geared towards sustaining the quest for continuity.

He said; “There should be no vacuum. I want the football federation to keep Keshi. He must learn from his mistakes. This is not the time to hire a new coach. Mike Emenalo and Sylvanus Okpala should be engaged to work with him”.

The ex- governor advised that Keshi’s designation should be changed to accommodate his former teammates so that all the tactical deficiencies in the team could be corrected.

“Keshi could become Technical Adviser. Emenalo takes the position of Chief Coach while Okpala assumes the responsibility of Assistant Coach. That combination would be unbeatable. Emenalo knows so much about modern club football and is tactically sound. Ok-

Musa

pala sees a lot from the bench too,” Kalu added.

He also urged the NFF to send Keshi to Germany on a threemonth refresher course in the bid to take Nigerian soccer to the next level.

“That is what he needs. The Germans have a lot to offer in terms of modern soccer technology. You saw what their squad did to Brazil. That should be the next destination point,” Kalu offered.

He also advised Keshi on the way forward; “There should be two standing national teams with one comprising players from the local league. It does not help a coach when he has to

rely entirely on Europe-based footballers to prosecute games.

It showed in Brazil. Home based defenders could have done a better job at the World Cup.” On the decision to leave out Ikechukwu Uche, Kalu unequivocally declared that it was a wrong move; “That was one costly mistake Keshi made. Eagles must be made up of players who can score goals. I am sure we have not seen the best of that young man. And Keshi must change his mind. We have not seen the last of Uche. We should also start preparing for Russia 2018 now. Time waits for no one,” Kalu summed up.

Aston Villa target Musa AjibadeOlusesan

P

remier League club, Aston Villa, have joined the chase for World Cup star, Ahmed Musa, but the Super Eagles player told New Telegraph that neither he nor his representatives have been contacted.

Musa has become one of the hottest properties in Europe after a brilliant performance at the last FIFA World Cup. His sublime display against Argentina in Eagles’ last group game where he scored two goals and his overall performance at the Mundial, has alerted several top clubs to his potential.

He’s been linked with a number of clubs in England,

Spain and Italy, but according to reports emanating from England, Aston Villa, who are looking to boost their squad ahead of new season, have identified Musa as a potential star to help the club and are ready to break the bank to lure him away from CSKA Moscow.

The club is reportedly keen to meet the player’s £10million valuation and complete the deal as soon as possible.

But when contacted, Musa said, “I do not know anything about that and my agents have not told me anything either about Aston Villa or any other club. My job is to concentrate on football and if there has been anything I am sure my agents would have told me.

160 Youngsters for ARS 4 national final

A

bout 160 players made up of five zonalmaleandfemaleteamswill be vying for honours when the National Finals of the season four of the annual Airtel Rising Stars U-17 tournament kicks off in Lagos on Wednesday, July 30 at the Yabatech Sports Complex, Lagos.

The number consists of a male and a female team of 16 players from each of the five participating zones namely Port Harcourt, Enugu, Ilorin, Abuja and Lagos. They qualified for the National Championship after emerging champions

at the respective zonal championships concluded recently The four-day national finals promises to offer the best of grassroots football laced with excitement, entertainment and fun with football artistry on display from the participating youngsters. The winner of the National Championship in each category will represent the country at the Africa Championship to be hosted in Gabon in the last week of August.

In a related development, the

draw for the National Finals was held on Friday in Lagos under the supervision of Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria, (YSFON), Airtel officials, Technical Advisers of the participating teams and the sports media.

Defending champion in both categories, Port Harcourt will square up against Lagos male and female teams in the first set of matches lined up on the opening day of the tournament. Enugu zonewillalsolockhornswithIlorin zoneinbothcategoriesontheopen-

and are all now in Canada for pre-tournament training.

“The two batches left Abuja on 24th and 25th of August and made a stopover at Frankfurt and Toronto before moving to their training base in Moncton Canada,” the media officer said.

Carr said that the team is camping at Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts Down Town Moncton and will be there till August 1st.

She added that the only foreign-based player in the team, Courtney Dike, has joined the team from her base in USA. She said the player arrived on Saturday.

Keshi(right) and Daniel Amokachi

September date for Korean Ambassador’s tourney Emmanuel Tobi

T

he 2014 edition of the Korean Ambassador’s Championship will take place in Lagos from September 12 to 14.

The three-day tournament, which is now in its fifth year, is a joint project of the Korean Embassy and the Nigeria Taekwondo Black Belt College (NTBBC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) and the Lagos State Taekwondo Association.

The reigning champions are the Nigerian Security

Dolphins end Kano Pillars 11-match unbeaten run Charles Ogundiya

D

olphins FC, on Sunday, ended Kano Pillars’ unbeaten run in the Nigeria Professional Football League with a 1-0 win in a Week 20 encounter decided in Port-Harcourt.

Emem Eduok first half goal was all Dolphins needed to put an end to the reigning league champions’ 11-match unbeaten run, with all subsequent efforts by the Masu Gida Boys to draw level coming to nought.

In another Week 20 game, Giwa FC gained a psychological edge over Enyimba ahead of both sides upcoming Federation Cup semi-final

clash on Thursday, with a 1-0 victory over the People’s Elephants in Jos. Thursday’s Federation Cup game will take place in Abeokuta.

NIGERIA PREMIER LEAGUE

Rangers 2-0 El-Kanemi Abia Warriors 2-1 Nasarawa Utd Lobi 2-1 Heartland Giwa FC 1-0 Enyimba Warri Wolves 1-0 Kaduna Utd FC Taraba 1-0 Gombe Utd Bayelsa Utd 1-0 Crown FC Sunshine 1-0 Nembe Akwa Utd 1-0 Sharks FC Dolphins 1-0 Kano Pillars

Ambassador Ehiobuche fetes Golden Eaglets lAs Nigeria beat DR Congo 1-0

FIFA U-20 Women World Cup: Falcons arrive Canada N N igeria U-20 women team, Falconets, have arrived Canada ahead of 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. According to a statement signed by the media officer of the team, Elizabeth Carr, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent, the contingent left Nigeria in two batches

and Civil Defence Corps team and they will compete against teams from within and outside Nigeria with 32 male and five female teams expected to compete at this year’s championship.

To be in tandem with what is obtainable globally, this year’s championship will adhere strictly to the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) guidelines to make it more exciting, while special awards will also be given to some pioneers of taekwondo in the country, as well as former presidents of the NTF.

igeria’s Ambassador to the Congo Democratic Republic, His Excellency Dr. Grant Ehiobuche, hosted the Golden Eaglets to a dinner reception on Saturday, after the national Under-17 team defeated Les Leopards 1-0 in Kinshasa.

The dinner had in attendance Association of Nigerians in Diaspora in Congo DemocraticRepublicas well as officials of Nigeria Football Federation including leader of delegation, Mr, Rafiu Yusuf, Mr. Emmanuel Adesanya and Mr. Kut Kut Fon.

“Personally, I’m happy for so many reasons apart from the fact that you beat Congo DR today,” stated the debonair diplomat who had previously served in Mexico, Japan, Sierra Leone amongst others.

“I actually prayed and fasted that this match should not be played in Lubumbashi because it is a more difficult terrain and I wouldn’t be able to host you well. “ My other prayer point was for you to come and beat Congo DR and God answered all my prayers regarding this match; and I’m so happy for the team and Nigerians as a whole.”

World Record

On Marble

If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.

American Kim Goodman can pop her eyeballs a creepy 0.47 inches beyond her eye socket. The feat was measured in Turkey in 2007.

Sanctity of Truth

– Booker T. Washington

w w w. new tel eg rap ho nl i ne. co m

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth – Buddha

N150

MONday, JULY 28, 2014

A new frontier for Kenya and Africa F Guest Columnist or yet a third year, I have kept my tradition of starting the New Year with a visit to Sub-Saharan Africa—a region that truly offers great promise! As the world economy has remained focused on the crisis of the advanced economies, Africa has quietly forged ahead with strong growth led by a vibrant private sector and surging foreign investment. Over the past decade SubSaharan Africa has posted growth averaging 5.6 percent a year.

The countries of East Africa have done especially well. So, what better place to begin my travels this year than in Kenya, which has emerged as one of the region’s “frontier economies”—countries whose recent performance is propelling them toward middle-income status?

Kenya is a remarkable economic story. It is now one of the top five destinations for foreign direct investment in Africa and boasts a dynamic business community led by a service sector that is helping the country to develop into a regional hub. Kenya’s successful development of mobile communications has spurred the rapid expansion of online banking.

It has the highest share of the population with access to financial services—more than 70 percent—in all of Sub-Saharan Africa. This dynamism is evident in the bustling streets of Nairobi. I was struck by the vitality and entrepreneurial spirit of the people in the markets. This is a country on the move.

Meeting with Kenya’s leaders, including President Uhuru Kenyatta, its business community, parliamentarians, prominent women, and civil society figures, I was also struck by the deep commitment to the policies that can ensure the country’s recent achievements form the foundation for future success.

There is wide recognition that the economic reform process that has already brought low inflation, strengthened buffers, and increased capital flows must continue; and indeed, be further strengthened. This is important to make growth more sustainable—especially in creating opportunities and jobs for Kenya’s young population; and to make growth more inclusive—with the benefits flowing to all Kenyans.

In my meeting with some of Kenya’s young entrepreneurs in Nairobi, we discussed the keys to build-

Christine Lagarde

Kenyetta

ing on the country’s momentum and what I called the necessary “Three Cs”.

• The first “C”: completing fiscal devolution. As part of the new constitution, Kenya is transitioning to a new form of devolved government.

This process carries significant risks, and careful implementation is crucial to enable all parts of Kenya to gain access to fiscal resources and ensure that the benefits of growth are spread more equitably.

• The second “C”: closing infrastructure gaps. Kenya still has large infrastructure needs. Investment in roads, railways, power generation, and all of the other sinews of a modern economy is all the more important for the country to take-off.

The country’s new-found natural resources wealth—properly and transparently used— offers an opportunity to invest for growth and job creation.

• The third “C”: continuing regional integration. Regional integration can offer East Africa the prospect of new markets and new opportunities.

I was struck by the vitality and entrepreneurial spirit of the people in the markets

Lagarde

Kenya has led the way in this effort; it is now the second-largest investor in the region. Last November, the heads of state of the East African Community (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda) signed the Monetary Union Protocol, which sets in motion the process toward a common currency. This is an opportunity but also a major challenge. Drawing upon the experience and the lessons learned from other regions can be instructive in successfully managing this process.

All of this gives me great hope for Kenya’s future. This is a country that has faced extraordinarily difficult challenges in recent years—the impact of the global crisis, drought in the Horn of Africa, and the terrible attack on the Westgate Mall in September. Throughout these difficulties, the Kenyan people have demonstrated great fortitude and courage. The IMF has stood with Kenya—providing financial backing and policy advice. We will continue to support the Kenyan people

as they stand on the threshold of a new future for their country, and for Africa.

OmoBaba

OSUN: DON'T TRADE YOUR VOTERS' CARDS FOR MATERIAL THINGS - APC

– Even in the face of hunger?

Printed and Published by Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Ltd: Head Office: No. 1A, Ajumobi Street, Off ACME Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja-Lagos.

Tel: +234 1-2219496, 2219498. Abuja Office: Orji Kalu House, Plot 322, by Banex Junction, Mabushi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Advert Hotline: 01-8541248, Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: YEMI AJAYI.