Binder1 02 december, 2014

SATURDAY

Sanctity Of Truth

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

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Vol. 1 No. 287

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

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Atiku, Kwankwaso, Okorocha reject Lagos for APC primaries }5

2015 budget in danger as oil price hits five-year low Ayodele Aminu and Adeola Yusuf

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rude oil price yesterday crashed to $67 per barrel, the lowest in five years, subjecting

the Nigerian economy and by extension, the nation’s 2015 budget into a new threat.

Brent for January settlement dropped as much as $2.62 to $67.53 a barrel CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

NEW TELE

GRAPH

TUESDAY,

DECEmbEr

2, 2014

Governors

hip race Agbaje won candidate ’t be PDP gube r in Lagos –Gbadam osi

Polit Reps gu ics n for

2015

16

Twelve me mbers of House of the Represe ntatives have thro wn the govern their hats into orship race couple of the lawma . A have bee kers n endorse d by their governors and stakeho lder are merely s, while others trying the PHILIP NYAM rep ir luck. orts

Ogun: Osob strength a, senators test with SDP

governo rship se ats

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s gove rnorship ries of primathe ties draw political parcloser, members a number quite sentativ of the Hou of serving se of Rep paigns es have inte nsified reto of beco realise thei cam r ambition min g their state chief exec utives s s. By clearer picture mid-Decemb of lawmaker er, a Tamb of whic uwal main elec s would mak h of these e it to various tions and the prob Governm ably the would ent have eme last coun rged. AsHouses t, 12 lawm at the Green akers became in the nominatChambers had House the second mem successf ion forms and bought to Governm move straight ber of the ully scre have been them have ened to Gus 2011, Hon ent House. au incumbe been endo . Some of In the . Jam rsed by form same state or nts and perh the also er memberes Bala Ngil ari, a of the elect some havezonal cauc aps their the imp ed as deputy House was resolved uses while in spit governor e to carr Nyako. eached Governo to on thei of the obvious y on Today, r Murtala r way. way obstacle he s gove back throughhas fought his rnor of The winn the Adamaw courts as ers In 2012 Since who was , Hon. Seri a State. members1999, only thre chairma ake Dickson, Com of the e n of the lucky House serving serv mittee on to House Justice ing Lower walk straight have been and was Chambe swift ridehis second ment rs to the from the term had Hou ment Hou to the Baye a Suswam se. Governo Governgovernor se after the lsa Governthe first of Benue Stat r Gabriel qualified , Timipre Sylvincumbent House serving mem e became to win all thes from contestina, was disnor in electionber of the e, a form 2007. Afte of the as gove er depu g. Before in the Hou r rty spea his se Hou ker the Gov se, he was two terms lic, Alhaji in the Third Repubwaso was Rabiu Mus di. In ernment Hou elevated to a elec 2011, Gov Kwa se, Mak Kan ted as Abubaka governornkernor ur- in o in 1999.

Abdulaz r Yari He lost 2003 to of of Zam fara Statiz Educatio the present re-election Minister n, Malam e arau of Ibrahim but claim the came back Shekin 2011 seat. to reThe loser s Ther bers of e are, however , luck butthe House whosome memAYODEL They inclgot their fing tried their E OJO DEPUTY uded form ers burn Hon EDITO t. . Ami ayodele.ojo R, POLI TICS contested nu Bello er Speaker, @newtelegr Mas aphonline.c norship in 2011 for Kats ari who om © Daily Telegraph defunct seat on the platf ina goverPublishing Change Congress for orm of the Company Limited Progress (CPC); ter of Stat the curr ive Majority e for Power ent Minisand Leader of the former House,

13

17, 20

Ihedioha Peterside Hon. Moh amm Borno under ed Wakil tried the platf PDP but in eral cons Lumumbwas shot dow orm of the a prin tituency and lost out. a Ade, also n, ditto Hon. cipa from Plat beginnin l officer he has been former Senator Vict all eau or Whip to g with depu through, when hemember of the Lar, also a and depudeputy Min ty Minority Hou tried se All Nige on the ority ty platformlost In 2011 Chief Whip. Leader A form ria People’s Part of with , against er Min y (ANPP).

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six pages of politics

Female bombers hit Maiduguri again INUE D

ON PAGE

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lSoldiers, Boko Haram battle for Damaturu

Quick Read

Editorial

Imperative of National Security summit

}19

Gunmen abduct nurses, LG officials, others in Ekiti }10

US cancels training of Nigerian troops

}7

Telegraph Vice-President Namadi Sambo (second right) and Kano State Governor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, commisserating with a victim of Friday's bomb attack on Kano Central Mosque, during a visit to the General Hospital, Kano...yesterday.

PDP files fresh suit to unseat Tambuwal lSpeaker petitions CJ, seeks disqualification of judge Philip Nyam and Tunde Oyesina

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed a fresh suit to compel House of Repre-

sentatives Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, to vacate his office.

The party in an ex-parte

motion heard yesterday by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja,

the party is seeking to compel Tambuwal to declare himself unfit to continue CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Travel Advisory

Your guide to local and international flights 44

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

News

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

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Female bombers hit Maiduguri again Emmanuel Onani Abuja

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any persons were feared killed yesterday as two female suicide bombers struck at Monday Market, Maiduguri in Borno State.

The explosions, which began at 11:20 am, occurred almost one after the other.

It was the second attack in a week on the market, coming after that of last week in which scores of people were killed.

Although the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Clement Adoda, confirmed six persons killed, including the two female bombers, others sources said the casualty figure was higher.

The attack on the market was suspected to have been masterminded by Boko Haram, whose members also engaged soldiers in about eight hours of gun duel yesterday in a bid to overrun Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.

Goni Abba, a witness at the scene, where two female bombers struck just last Tuesday, killing more than 45, said: “I counted 10 dead bodies and over 20 others have injuries.”

Another witness, Abba Ibrahim, who works as a security guard at a government hospital near the Maiduguri market, told journalists that the thunderous blasts caused several traders to scamper to safety.

“As it is now, people are running for dear lives, so one cannot confirm to you the extent of damage, but the two blasts we just heard were too loud that it could cause more damage than the ones of last week,” he said.

A trader, Dauda Bala, who spoke with journalists on phone said: “The security and other aid workers are trying to evacuate the dead and injured persons from the scene of the explosion…I can’t say how many were killed or injured but I have seen very many victims dripping with blood, others with parts of their bodies dismembered by the blasts”.

Another witness at the market, who gave his name as Mallam Bashir, said the explosions were caused by two suspected female suicide bombers.

“The explosions occurred at the area where fowls are being sold inside the market, very close to the First Bank branch.

Those close enough to the place said it was two girls who came into the market with the bombs,” he said.

The spokesperson of the Borno State Command of the Nigeria Police, Gideon Jubrin, confirmed the incident but said details were still sketchy.

“Of course we heard the explosions somewhere in town but it will be too early now to say what actually happened and what damage was caused by the ex-

plosion until much later,” he said.

In Damaturu, residents in the Gujba Road area of the city were rudely woken up by the sound of gunshots and explosions at about 4:45 am and many fled.

A source that gunmen attacked the Yobe State University in Damaturu

and other targets early on yesterday morning.

The fighters came from the bush and opened fire in the pre-dawn attack, according the witnesses.

The military has engaged them and gunshots were being heard around Damaturu, though the gunfire later moved away from the university and

into the bush as troops chased the fighters.

Some students and university staff fled to the bush and were holed up there. Residents of the city were largely remaining indoors as the gunfire continued while the military deployed around the area.

"We have left our homes.

We are now in the bush. We don't know what's going to happen," Umar Sada, who said a police barracks had been destroyed, told the AFP. "The gunmen came in numbers. They have burnt down the police barracks....

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Dr. Wiebe Boer; Entrepreneurship Director, TEF, Parminder Vir and Founder TEF, Mr. Tony Elumelu, during the launch of the $100 million Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP), designed to empower African entrepreneurs.. Lagos yesterday.

Atiku, Kwankwaso, Okorocha reject Lagos for APC primaries Ayodele Ojo

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rouble is brewing in the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the choice of its presidential standard bearer as four aspirants gang up against the party leadership over orchestrated plan to favour former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari.

Already, former VicePresident Atiku Abubakar, Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and Sam NdaIsaiah have petitioned the APC national leadership, questioning the rationale for the choice of Lagos for the December 11 national convention.

The quartet had last week met to review the development in the party and the direction at which the national convention is heading.

The aspirants feel that the choice of Lagos was to favour Buhari against other aspirants.

The presidential aspirants also kicked against the list of delegates from

Lagos State.

Of all the presidential aspirants, only Buhari failed to sign the petition.

The aspirants gave the party conditions on the way forward. One, that any list of delegates from non-constitutionally recognised councils should be rejected. Two, that the national convention of the party scheduled for December 10 and 11 be held in Benin City against Lagos or in the alternative, the date should be brought forward to the original date of December 7 and 8, and hold at Eagle Square, Abuja.

New Telegraph reliably learnt that the petition was submitted to the National Chairman of the party, Chief John OdigieOyegun, on Saturday at his Asokoro, Abuja residence.

Odigie-Oyegun confirmed the receipt of the petition when New Telegraph contacted him last night.

Disturbed by the development, the party leaders scheduled an emergency meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) for 7p.m. yesterday

and another meeting for 9a.m. today.

An impeccable source told New Telegraph that the party leadership has succumbed to the wishes of the presidential aspirants by moving the national convention to Benin City still on December 10 and 11.

A member of the NWC told New Telegraph that copies of the petition were circulated to the NWC members.

According to him, the presidential aspirants kicked against the choice of Lagos for the party’s convention.

“We are not comfortable with the choice of Lagos for the party’s convention holding on December 11. We know one of the leaders of the party and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is sympathetic to Buhari’s aspiration.

“So, we cannot hold our convention in Lagos. This informed our protest,” the source said.

The aspirants also protested against the list of delegates from Lagos State, especially those from the

37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

Atiku, Kwankwaso, Okorocha and Nda-Isaiah insisted that they won’t accept the list from councils which are not recognised by the constitution.

"We don't recognise that list. My principal (one of the aspirants) has made it abundantly clear that the delegates did not emerge through any democratic process and has therefore rejected it. One person cannot sit down and draw up a list because you want to manipulate the primaries to favour your candidate.

We want a level-playing field for all the aspirants," an aide of one of the presidential aspirants told our reporter last night.

One of the presidential aspirants, Nda-Isaiah, confirmed that they wrote the party leadership on the choice of convention venue. “It was not a petition but a suggestion. We thought Abuja would be better for us to hold the convention because Lagos is too far. As I’m talking to you, I just got a letter from the National Chairman that the convention has

been moved to Benin,” he said.

Oyegun confirmed the receipt of the complaint from the presidential aspirants, but denied that it was a protest. He said: “They have not petitioned about delegates’ list at all but they felt that Lagos was too far; too extreme.

That is true. And because they are so vital, we have heard and we will accede to that request and the venue has been moved to Benin. No problem about that.”

The national chairman said they would do everything possible to satisfy the presidential aspirants.

“We want to make sure that they are thoroughly satisfied in every particular so that they would be satisfied at the convention.

They have their representatives who were nominated into the Convention Planning Committee. We want to do everything to ensure that they are totally satisfied with the fairness and transparency of the convention. They said they are not happy with Lagos and we have moved to Benin.”

News

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Plaintiffs seek referral of Jonathan's eligibility suit to A’Court Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

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he Federal High Court sitting in Abuja was yesterday asked to grant an order of referral of the suit challenging the eligibility of President Goodluck Jonathan to re-contest in the 2015 general election.

The plaintiffs, Olatoye Wahab and Adejumo Ajagbe, had approached the court through their counsel, A.J Owonikoko (SAN) seeking to stop Jonathan from re-contesting in 2015.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, the plaintiffs brought an application pursuant to Sections 6(6b), 295(2) of the 1999 Constitution and Order 26, Rule 2 of the Federal High Court Rules 2009 requesting to make an order of referral to the Court of Appeal for interpretation of Sections 135(2) (a) and (b) and 137 (1) (b) of the Constitution.

They want the court to decide whether by the combined effect of Sections 135 (2) (a) and (b) and 137 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, a person sworn in to the office of the President of Nigeria on two previous terms is deemed to have been elected to that office at the previous elections.

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST LAGOS

32oC

26oC

Partially Cloudy

ABUJA

38oC

20oC

Sunny

PORT HARCOURT

26o C 18oC Thunder Storms

KANO

32oC

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Sunny

ENUGU

34oC

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Mostly Sunny

IBADAN

35oC

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CALABAR

32o C 23oC Thunder Storms

MAIDUGURI

ONITSHA

33oC 14oC Sunny

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They also want the court to decide whether in view of Section 137 (1) (b) of the Constitution of Nigeria, any person present himself for purpose of being elected as the president, that person having participated as candidate and emerged winner at two previous presidential election on account of which the person would have spent cumulative period of eight years in office by the time the winner of the 2015 general election would be sworn in.

In a 19-paragraph affidavit sworn to by one Efut Okoi, the plaintiffs averred that the case had raised constitutional issues which in the interest of justice must have the appellate court pronounce on same as soon as possible to enable the court dispose the case in accordance with the decision of the Appeal Court.

They further averred that the suit raises questions of interpretation and application of the 1999 Constitution, particularly with respect to the right of the aspirant to present himself for the purpose of being elected as President of Nigeria, having participated as candidate and emerged winner at two previous presidential elections on account of which he would have

spent a cumulative period of eight years in office by the time the winner of the 2015 general election would be sworn in.

The trial judge, Justice A.R. Mohammed later adjourned till December 15 for hearing.

The plaintiffs had anchored their suit against

Jonathan on the provisions of sections 132(1), 135(2)(a) and (b), 137(1)(b), 142(1) and (2) of the Constitution and the Supreme Court decisions.

The plaintiffs argued that by virtue of constitutional provisions, the president and the vice president elected in the same election

and sworn into office on the same date and ceremony were taken to have been elected for one single term of four years.

The plaintiffs also contended that by virtue of the oaths taken by Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo following the death of President Umaru

Yar’Adua in 2010 and their subsequent re-election in 2011, both of them were deemed to have completed the two terms allowed by law.

Meanwhile, the second suit was however adjourned due to the absence of the plaintiffs counsel, James Ocholi (SAN).

Chairman of the occasion, Mrs. Chika Balogun (left) and Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, at the ninth public lecture on youth and electoral violence in Africa: lesson for Nigeria’ in Abuja…yesterday.

Tambuwal petitions CJ, seeks disqualification of judge CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

representing the Kebbe/ Tambuwal Federal Constituency.

The suit came just as Tambuwal petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, praying for the transfer of the case seeking his removal from Justice E.S. J. Chukwu to another judge.

Justice Mohammed while hearing the PDP's ex-parte motion, asked the party to put the speaker and two others on notice in the suit which also sought an order of mandamus to compel the speaker to vacate his seat.

The party had through its counsel, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN) challenged the defection of Tambuwal.

The plaintiff is praying the court to compel Tambuwal to vacate his membership of the House because of his defection on October 28.

But Justice Mohammed after listening to the exparte application, ordered the plaintiff to put the respondents on notice.

He consequently adjourned until December 12 for hearing.

In another ruling,

Justice Mohammed also stopped the chairmen of Kebbe and Tambuwal Local Government Councils in Sokoto state, Bala Konkani and Sambo Bello Modo respectively from joining as co-defendants in the suit filed by Tambuwal, challenging the removal of his aides and seeking to stop the PDP members in the house to declare his seat vacant.

The court also stopped three members of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Abdulsamad Ibrahim Dasuki (Tambuwal East constituency), Suleiman Hanse (Tambuwal West Constituency) and Shuaib Umar ( Kebbe constituency) seeking to be joined as co-defendants.

The court stopped them on ground that their interest in the matter did not align with that of the defendants and as such they could not join as codefendants.

However, Tambuwal has challenged the assignment of another case to oust him from office, said to have been assigned to Justice E. S.J. Chukwu.

His petition followed the filing of another suit by a House member, Hon. Abiodun Ishiaq Akinlade,

seeking to compel him to vacate the speakership following his defection in October from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akinlade, in the suit before Justice Chukwu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, is seeking a declaration that Tambuwal's deputy, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, should take over the speakership upon the vacation of the speaker.

But Tambuwal in a petition he personally signed and dated November 30, said he wanted the case withdrawn from the judge because of likelihood of bias that could prevent him from getting justice.

The speaker, in his petition titled Re: Abiodun Ishaq Akinlade Vs Tambuwal, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria and INEC, a copy of which was obtained by New Telegraph yesterday, said: “My attention has been drawn to the above suit, which has been assigned to Court 8, presided over

by Justice E. S.J. Chukwu, and we wish to make the following observations: “Sometime in 2013, the said presiding judge,

Justice E.S.J. Chukwu presided over the case of Peoples Democratic Party and 12 ORS VS. INEC & 4 ORS, wherein he made a judicial pronouncement, which has been interpreted by some, to the effect that there was no division in Peoples Democratic Party. The above decision of Justice Chukwu was heavily relied upon and cited severally in the case of Peoples Democratic Party, House of Representatives; the speaker of the House of Representatives & 52 ORS, suit No. FHC/ ABJ/CS/4/2014.

“Consequently, Justice A.F.A Ademola, relying on the said judgement of his brother Justice Chukwu, even though the said suit before him had nothing to do with defection, ruled that there was no division within the Peoples Democratic Party. And as such, the defendants in that case, who are members of the House of Representatives, who have similar cases as mine, currently pending in the Federal High Court Abuja, were not protected by proviso to Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution. He rested his decision on that earlier judgement of Justice

Chukwu aforementioned.

“The said judgement of Justice A.F.A Ademola, is subject of four pending appeals at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division.

“My Lord, similar suits were variously instituted by various parties and are pending before the Federal High Court No. 7, presided over by Justice A.R Mohammed and are at various stages of proceeding pending before Court 7, presided over by Justice A.R Mohammed.”

According to Tambuwal, he did not have confidence that Justice Chukwu will able to dispense justice in the case as he had earlier "made a pronouncement on similar issues, in similar cases, decided by him, clearly shows that he has an iron cast judicial position or opinion in respect of suit no. FHC/ABJ/ CS/871/2014 concerning me sir which has just been assigned to him."

The speaker urged the Justice Auta to reassign the suit to "a neutral judge who has not made any judicial pronouncement on the issue or made public his own opinion on the issue at hand.”

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NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

Boko Haram: US cancels training of Nigerian troops

lEU, Spain condemn Kano bomb blast Onwuka Nzeshi ABUJA

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he United States yesterday announced a discontinuation of its training for members of the Nigeria's Armed Forces combating terrorism and insurgency in the North.

The cancellation of the training, the US said, was at the request of Nigeria.

In a statement issued by the Public Affairs Section, United States Diplomatic

Mission in Abuja, the US government expressed regrets about the termination of the training programme, but said that other aspects of its military cooperation with Nigeria will be maintained.

The statement read thus: "At the request of the Nigerian government, the United States will discontinue its training of a Nigerian Army battalion. The first two phases of training were conducted between April and August 2014, and had provided previously untrained civilian person-

nel with basic soldiering skills. Based on mutual assessment of the Nigerian Army and U.S. trainers, a third iteration of training was agreed upon with the intent of developing the battalion into a unit with advanced infantry skills.

"We regret premature termination of this training, as it was to be the first in a larger planned project that would have trained

additional units with the goal of helping the Nigerian Army build capacity to counter Boko Haram.

The U.S. government will continue other aspects of the extensive bilateral security relationship, as well as all other assistance programmes."

The relationship between the two countries has been rather strained in recent months particularly

after the United States government refused to sell its sophisticated fighter jets and other military hardware to Nigeria to boost her capacity in combating the deadly wave of insurgency and terrorism which Boko Haram launched in the country. The cancellation of the military training might not be unconnected with the frustration the Nigerian government

had had to contend with following the US refusal to assist in arms procurement and the apparent embargo it had placed on some other western nations to prevent Nigeria from procuring arms from them.

This embargo, New Telegraph learnt, has been hinged on the alleged violation of human rights by Nigerian troops.

Soldiers, Boko Haram battle for Damaturu CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

We have left our home. We are now in the bush. We don't know what's going to happen," he added.

Another local resident, a government official who asked not to be identified, said: "It's chaos all over the town.

"All I can hear is explosions and gunfire from my house. I couldn't go out for morning prayers because this started before dawn and I'm afraid to leave in case I get caught up in it."

It was learnt that the military had to send a fighter jet to repel the attackers.

Eyewitnesses said the insurgents attacked the Area Commander Division and Mobile Bases along Gujba Road in the

state.

One of the residents who fled the town said that the insurgents appeared from Gulani in Gujba Local Government Area, which has been under their control.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), said soldiers engaged the Boko Haram fighters in a fierce battle to rout them out of Damaturu.

Speaking with New Telegraph on the incident, which was said to have caused residents of the city to remain indoors throughout, the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major General Chris Olukolade, said everything was being done by the military to restore normalcy to the town.

President Goodluck Jonathan and President/Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mrs. Debola Osibogun, during CIBN’s visit to the president in Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN.

2015 budget in danger as oil crumbles below $65 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

on the ICE Futures Europe exchange, the lowest since October 2009, before paring the loss to trade at $69.94.

Prices declined 18 per cent last month and 37 per cent in 2014.

The further drop in the oil price came hours after the naira posted a record low closing level against the dollar yesterday despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) intervention to try and halt its slide, which is being driven by worries about the impact of plunging oil prices on Africa's biggest economy.

Nigeria, Africa’s biggest crude exporter, depends largely on proceeds from crude oil to service over 85 per cent of its budget.

A data compiled by Bloomberg revealed that crude prices have dropped below the level needed by Nigeria and nine other Organisation of Petro-

leum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member states to balance their budgets.

Nigeria, which penultimate week, scaled down oil benchmark in the 2015 budget to $73 per barrel, will now run a deficit of $8 on each barrel of crude it produces if the price remains at $65 per barrel.

Also, Barclays Bank yesterday lowered its expected average Brent crude price for 2015 to $72 a barrel, from $93 previously, in a sign that oil prices have become more bearish after last week's OPEC meeting during which the cartel voted to leave output at 30 million barrels per day.

Checks by New Telegraph showed that Nigeria will run a deficit of $8.4 million on the 2.3 million barrels production, which it intends to produce in 2015, with the new price.

But last Thursday, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minis-

ter of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had allayed the fears over the potential risks posed to the economy as a result of falling global oil prices.

She said Nigeria had the capacity to initiate appropriate fiscal and monetary strategies to contend with the crisis based on its scenario- approach methodology .

The minister said the government was considering sundry fiscal measures, including setting a target of increasing the non-oil revenues at about N480 billion within the next three years as well as introduction of tax reliefs for capital market operators, to mitigate the negative effect of the dwindling earnings from oil exports on the macro economy.

“Our scenario basedapproach to managing the impact of the oil price drop is proactive and comprehensive. Even if the price drops to $60 per bar-

rel, government is ready,” she said.

“The market is in panicking mode,” Hans van Cleef, energy economist at ABN Amro Bank NV in Amsterdam, told Bloomberg. “We expect it will bottom out and see an upward correction. Lower oil prices are a stimulant for economic growth, which means extra demand.”

Many of OPEC’s 12 members intended to trim 1.5 million barrels, or 5 per cent, from their collective quota, with non-member producers contributing an additional 500,000 barrels in reductions, according to Zanganeh’s account of the group’s November 27 meeting in Vienna.

“It’s clear that a production war is on and it will be survival of the fittest,” Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst at the Price Futures Group in Chicago, said. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude “will see a test of $60 soon.”

WTI) crude traded near the lowest level since July 2009 amid speculation that prices have further to drop before OPEC’s decision to maintain output slows US shale supply.

WTI for January delivery fell as much as $2.43 to $63.72 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $66.36 at 1:32 p.m.

London time.

Meanwhile, the naira posted a record low closing level against the dollar yesterday, despite the intervention of the CBN to try to halt its slide.

The banking watchdog sold an undisclosed amount of dollars to commercial banks, but dealers said it was not sufficient to lift the naira, which closed 2.9 percent weaker than at its previous close last Friday.

The apex bank has struggled to keep the naira within its preferred band even after devaluing the

currency by 8 per cent last Tuesday in a bid to halt a decline in the foreign reserves.

Yesterday, the naira touched an intraday low of N184.42 to the dollar before the banking watchdog's intervention.

Afterwards, it recovered very slightly to end at N184.10 to the dollar, a record low closing level.

Downward pressure came partly from concerns that foreign investors would demand dollars to pull out of local assets, dealers said.

The CBN's target band since the devaluation is 5 per cent plus or minus N168 to the dollar, but doubts remain about whether the devaluation went far enough given the likelihood of continuing low oil prices and the fact that Nigeria's oil savings were being depleted even when crude prices were at a record high, according to Reuters news.

8

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEW TELEGRAPH tuesday, december 2, 2014

News

national

9

Shettima: I want to govern human beings, not the dead Johnchuks Onuanyim, and Dan Atori

G

overnor of Borno State, Alhaji Kassim Shettima, has expressed concerns over incessant bombing and killings in his state, stating he can only govern human beings and not human carcass.

That was even as the Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, yesterday said it was imperative for the states to

Court threatens to arrest Daniel, Bankole, Salako

establish their own Police Force to be able to curb the insurgency in the country.

Shettima, who spoke in Abuja yesterday, volunteered to give up his life if that would return peace to North East states.

Decrying the incessant bombing and killings in the North East, he said, "People are in a state of shock. They have been terribly destabilized and uprooted from their homes.

They have become refugees in their own country".

The governor, who was in Abuja for his screening said: "So, we are in sorry state and honesty, l beg on you to down play the issue of my screening. It is a routine process and l am an internal optimist.

“They do hold elections in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc, but there is life beyond power. If only my life can restore peace in Borno, l

N2.61bn

The total capital importation value of the Shares sector in 2007.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics

93

am ready to give up my life for peace to return. None of the vagaries of power or holding it tenacious is attraction to me.

"So, it doesn't really matter. If we can restore peace, let there be election and peace is not an elusive commodity if there is a will" Aliyu said that most governors who are supposed to be the chief Security officers of their re-

The sex ratio of women to 100 men in Faroe Islands (Malvinas) in 2006.

Source: Un.org

spected states have become ‘toothless bull dogs’.

He made the remarks on Monday at the opening of a five day Capacity Building Seminar for Magistrates and Sharia Court judges.

He said: "We (Governors) need some sort of respect from the federating units. We are now toothless bulldogs. Many Commissioners of Police no longer take directives

35%

The percentage of pregnant women tested for HIV in low and middle-income countries in 2010.

Source: Who.int

from their governors.

"With the increasing spate of insecurity in many parts of the north, it is now imperative that state governments should be allowed to have their own police. Earlier opposition to the issue by the Northern State Governors Forum is because we felt the federal police will be in position to provide adequate security for lives and property in the states".

154,000

The total population of Channel Islands in 2012.

Source: Un.org

Akeem Nafiu

J

ustice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Lagos, yesterday threatened to grant an order to arrest the immediate past Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, should they fail to appear before him on December 15.

This was sequel to the failure of the duo to appear before the court yesterday to face contempt proceedings slammed on them by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Executive Committee members in Ogun State, led by Chief Adebayo Dayo.

Other alleged contemnors are the PDP, Dave Salako and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Ogun executives committee had initiated the contempt proceedings against them for allegedly disobeying court’s orders, compelling them to appear before the court.

The plaintiffs had alleged that the respondents had made surreptitious moves to sack them from office, despite two Federal High Court judgments affirming the legality of their positions.

Apparently furious with their absence, Justice Abang, warned that he would not tolerate any disobedience of his orders by anybody.

L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye; Governor Babatunde Fashola; his Deputy, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope–Adefulire and Chairman, Lagos House of Assembly Committee on Works and Infrastructure, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, at the signing of an executive order establishing sex offenders' register in Lagos …yesterday

APC charges DSS to make public findings on office invasion Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja

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he All Progressives Congress (APC) has charged the Department of State Services (DSS) to make public its findings after invading the Data Centre of the party.

The DSS had last week invaded the Lagos State Data Office of the party, alleging that the office was being used for cloning the Independent

Minister warns IOCs, others Adeola Yusuf

M

inister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has read the riot act to erring oil and gas companies in Nigeria over flagrant violation of Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for their staff.

Alison-Madueke, who

gave the warning in Lagos at the ongoing 16th International Health Safety and Environment Biennial Conference on the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, ordered the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to compel oil and gas companies to provide Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for their staff.

National Electoral Commission's Personal Voter Cards (PVC), The party, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said if no evidence of PVC cloning was found, the DSS should apologize to Nigerians for acting on the basis of faulty intelligence.

According to the party, any further delay in telling Nigerians the outcome of the investi-

gations, after almost 10 days, could mean that the DSS is trying to manufacture evidence to support its faulty intelligence.

The statement read in part, ''Without carrying out any investigation and with no shred of evidence, the DSS gleefully announced to the world that they stormed our data centre because they got information that Permanent Voters Cards were being cloned there.

South African group partner Nigerians Azubike Nnadozie

S

hortage and inadequacy of power in the nation’s manufacturing sector has been identified as the number one killer of incentives in the sector.

To this end, a South African industrial group under the aegis of Man-

ufacturing Partnership for African Development (MPAD) recently organised a week-long conference in Lagos tagged West Africa Power Industry Convention (WAPIC), with focus on financing, policies and regulation as well as how to provide power for manufacturing companies.

740,000 persons may not vote in 2015 elections Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

T

here are indications that over 740,000 persons may not exercise their franchise in next year's general elections.

These people, who are mostly from the North-East geopolitical zones, have been displaced from their homes as a result of insurgency in the region, and are therefore taking refuge in various displaced peoples camps across the country.

The Director General of The Electoral Institute

(TEI) an arm of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Abubakar Momoh, who expressed the fears yesterday, said the figure came from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Momoh, who spoke at 9th public lecture organised by the Institute yesterday, however, assured that no one would be disenfranchised in the ongoing Permanent Voter's Card (PVC) registration exercise despite the high number of IDPs.

'NNPC created to serve as FG’s cash-cow' Adeola Yusuf

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ormer Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has said that his administration established the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) after the civil war to help generate revenue for the government from the oil and gas sector.

Gowon, who said this at an event organized in his

honour, commended the Corporation for living up to expectation.

A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, said the elder statesman spoke over the weekend in Abuja at an event organized in his honour to induct him into the Living Legends Hall of Fame.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

10

Metro Juliana Francis

T

he Nigerian-born United States-based reggae star, Victor Essiet, is now in the custody of the police in Lagos over an alleged N16 million fraud.

Essiet, who ruled the music scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s with his late wife, Peggy Umanah, better known as the Mandators, was arrested on Saturday by the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS), Lagos.

He was picked up at the National Stadium, Surulere, during a concert with other reggae artists in Nigeria.

A police source said that Essiet was arrested after the police received a complaint from a petitioner who alleged that he gave Essiet N16 million two years ago to buy some trucks overseas.

According to the complainant, Essiet bought and sent only one truck and since then had not returned to Nigeria.

“The suspect just came into Nigeria to put up a show, which he said was to revive reggae in Nigeria. The show was taking place on that Saturday, when police went there to arrest him.

Other reggae stars were there when he was whisked away,” the source said.

Essiet was said to have begged the policemen to allow him finish the show that he would come to the station himself. He explained to them that he had pumped a lot of money

Reggae star, Mandators, held for N16m fraud into the show and also borrowed money to make it a success.

He said that not finishing the show means earning a lot of debt and also short-changing reggae lovers who paid to come and watch the show. But his pleas fell on deaf ears.

After a long sojourn in the United States, Essiet came to Nigeria with a reggae festival tagged: “Africa Meets Reggae.”

In attendance on Saturday night were top reggae stars like Orits Wiliki, Ras Kimono, Majek Fashek, among other musicians.

Fielding questions from the police, Essiet had denied knowing the complaint, adding that his current trouble might be traced to a politician who wanted to destroy his show.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed Essiet’s arrest.

He said: “I can confirm to you that the reggae star, Victor Essiet, the Mandators, was arrested. He was arrested in connection with a case of fraud.

Investigation is still on going to know his culpability in the case.”

Essiet

Gunmen abduct nurses, LG official, others in Ekiti Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

T Gov. Ayo Fayose

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

hree nurses, two men and the Director of Administration, Ado Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Mr Tayo Olawuyi, were at the weekend abducted by gunmen.

The nurses, whose identities were yet to be established, but are workers at Ifaki General Hospital, were kidnapped on Ifaki-Orin-Ido Road.

The two unidentified victims were also abducted at a bad spot on the same road on Saturday while returning from a social function at Ewu-Ekiti.

Olawuyi was also abducted at his home in Ado-Ekiti.

A source said yesterday in Ado-Ekiti that the nurses were going to Ido-Ekiti after the close of work when their abductors pounced on them and took them away in the private vehicle the victims were travelling in.

The source, who also works at the hospital, said: “The driver of the vehicle the victims were travelling in is called Mrs

Titilayo Ajiboye, one of the other women is called Mary but I do not know the name of the third person. Mrs Ajiboye was on morning duty. The incident has thrown the hospital into confusion. Mary and the other woman live at Igogo-Ekiti.”

Olawuyi’s kidnap was confirmed by an employee of the local government who craved anonymity.

He said Olawuyi was accosted by the kidnappers at the gate of his house located at Odo-Ado area of Ado-Ekiti at gunpoint.

The abductors, who were said to have come in a Toyota Camry car, drove the victim away in their car.

It was gathered that the five-man gang also took away Olawuyi’s official car.

He said: “Since that day, the

family has been trying to call him but the cell phone was switched off.

“In fact there is confusion everywhere. This is the second time Olawuyi would be kidnapped in three years.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Victor Babayemi, said they were still working on the incidents.

500 Lagos residents protest epileptic power supply Camillus Nnaji and John Edu

M

embers of Irepodun Community Development Association (CDA) in IkotunIgando area of Lagos State yesterday marched on the office of the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) on Odogbolu Street, Ikotun.

The protesters, numbering over 500, expressed their grievances over the epileptic power supply in the area.

The coordinator of the protest, Comrade Monsuru

Shoyombo, said the issue of power supply had been a source of serious concern to the people.

He said: “I have been living in this community in the last 30 years. Although we have been encountering this before now, it was not as bad as it is now that the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) has been privatised. We do not use light up to two hours in the two days we are supposed to have light because of load shedding.”

According to Shoyombo,

their bills are outrageous, yet they do not get the benefit of the money they pay.

The Senior Marketing Manager of IKEDC, Ikotun, Iro Bolarewa, commended the people for the peaceful protest.

Bolarewa, however, listed the challenges facing his company.

He said: “The issue of light is a general phenomenon in Nigeria, especially since the privatisation. Regulation of light has become an issue that cannot be handled in just a short time, particularly at a time like this.”

Metro 11

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY DECEMBER 2, 2014

Four suspects die during shootout with police Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

F

our suspected robbers were killed yesterday during a gun battle with the police at Nekede in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.

The suspects, according to the police, had been terrorising Nekede neighbourhood before they met their waterloo.

The Commissioner of Police, AbdulMajid Ali, who briefed journalists at the state command

headquarters, said a monitoring team had acted promptly after it got information that the suspects were robbing a shop.

He said all the robbers involved in the operation were killed during the shootout except one Lucky Amaechi, 33, from Umuyika Ngor in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area, who was arrested unhurt.

Ali said the command had maintained surveillance on the gang which, according to him, has been connected with

kidnapping, robbery and car-snatching in the area.

The commissioner also paraded two students arrested for unlawful possession of guns.

One of them, Ifeakachukwu Nwofor, who claimed to be a 200-level student of Government and Public Administration at the Imo State University (IMSU), was found with a locallymade pistol concealed in a notebook.

Nwofor, who also claimed to be a member of a secret cult, KKK,

Five injured in OAU cult groups’ clash Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

A

t least five students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, sustained injuries during a clash between two rival cult groups.

Members of the two groups freely used dangerous weapons such as cutlasses, axes, clubs and knives.

The crux of the matter was yet to be ascertained at press time but campus sources disclosed that crisis ensued be-

tween the cult members because a group said it was left out of the party addressed by President Goodluck Jonathan during his visit.

The group also accused the other group of collecting a substantial amount of money from the President.

The other group denied the allegation. But the denial was said to have infuriated those who felt they were left out.

Members of the first group allegedly launched a vicious attack on the other group.

But the second group also mobilised other cult groups for a reprisal attack.

At press time, those wounded were receiving treatment at different hospitals in Ile-Ife. The institution’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, confirmed the incident.

He said: “Two different groups clashed when one alleged that it was not involved in the discussion with President Jonathan when he visited the campus.”

150 UNN cleaners protest non-payment of salaries Uwakwe Abugu Enugu

A

bout 150 cleaners at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) yesterday besieged the office of the ViceChancellor, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, to protest non-payment of their four months’ salaries.

The cleaners, who are casual workers, according to sources, were engaged by an Enugubased firm, Sonafem.

The former ViceChancellor, Prof. Bartho Okolo, reportedly engaged 200 of the cleaners, who are mostly women, but later sacked 50.

One of the protesters, a woman, said the authorities had refused to provide them with tools and materials needed for their job.

She said: “We have been using our hands to wash the toilets. Even soap, the management has refused to give us.”

Another cleaner, who

said he was merely protecting himself with the gun.

Another suspect, who claimed to be a new student at the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Chinemerem Obielu, was also found in possession of a pistol, during a stop-andsearch at a checkpoint at Umuguma.

Ali, however, assured the residents of the state of adequate protection during the Yuletide.

He added that the suspects would soon be charged.

IG, Suleiman Abba

Dog attack: Delta, NGO sponsor boy’s overseas treatment Muritala Ayinla

T

he father of the four-year-old victim of dog attack in Lagos, Mr Odia Abraham, has explained why he took away his child from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

While presenting 2015 budget estimates to the state House of Assembly, Governor Babatunde Fashola had announced that his administration had approved an overseas treatment for the boy, said Omonigho Abraham.

But Abraham told our correspondent yesterday that Omonigho had been flown to India for treatment.

He said that the trip was sponsored by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and the Delta State Government.

Abraham added that he was not at any time informed of the Lagos State Government’s offer to treat the boy abroad.

But the Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, said that the boy was discharged against medical advice by his father from the Burns & Plastics Unit

Little Omonigho

of LASUTH. Idris said arrangement had earlier been concluded to fly the boy to Rak Hospital in Dubai, UAE for surgery, following Fashola’s order.

The commissioner spoke yesterday while reviewing report of the plastic surgery specialists at LASUTH who attended to Omonigho.

He said Abraham took illadvised step and chose to take his son out of the hands of the plastic surgery specialists at LASUTH on November 28 against medical advice.

According to the commissioner, Abraham was told that healthy granulation tissue growing on his son’s skull must not be interrupted.

We lost N10m to Lekki/Ajah clash, say drivers Taiwo Jimoh

T The protesting cleaners

identified himself as Benjamin Eze, said it had been a harrowing experience working as cleaner at UNN. He explained that the last salary the cleaners were paid was in July after Ozumba assumed office.

Another protester, who gave her name simply as Mrs Ugwu, explained that last month, the cleaners met with the VC over their plight.

According to her, Ozumba had assured them that once the stu-

dents returned from vacation, they would be paid their outstanding salaries.

But nothing had been bout the promise, which prompted the protest.

A male official from the office of the vice chancellor met with the protesters in front of the main administrative building yesterday and told them that Ozumba was not in the office.

He urged the cleaners to go back to work, promising that the authorities would attend to their demand.

he Chairman of Shuttle Drivers, Lekki Peninsular Estate, Mr Jimoh Yakubu, has denied claims that five people were killed during the clash between commercial bus drivers and commercial motorcyclists at Lekki/Ajah area of Lagos State on Friday.

According to him, five people were only injured, while 31 vehicles damaged.

He also said 26 people were arrested.

Yakubu added that his association incurred over N10 million debt from damage done to about 31 buses by the irate motorcyclists.

He regretted that there seemed to be no end in sight in the ongoing feud between bus drivers and motorcyclists in the area.

The chairman alleged that on Sunday, the motorcyclists

attempted to attack the drivers, but the attack was aborted owing to heavy presence of policemen.

On Friday, motorcyclists and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) clashed.

Yakubu explained that the crux of the matter was the decision of the Community Development Association (CDA) to ban motorcycles in the estate.

The chairman said the CDA’s action CDA did not go down well with the motorcyclists.

He said: “Before the Friday attack, the motorcyclists attacked us on Thursday, claiming that we connived with the police and the estate residents to chase them out of the park.

“On that Friday, we were at the park, picking passengers when suddenly we saw about 30 motorcyclists, wielding dangerous weapons and coming towards our park.”

12

News

Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

E

kiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has said he has taken the decision to trim the number of ministries in the state from 36 to 26 due to dwindling resources and the need to reduce the cost of governance.

He said with what the state was passing through financially, there was no way the state can accommodate 36 ministries.

He stated this at the inauguration of the new Head of Service, Mr. Gbenga Faseluka, four

67.9%

SOUTH-WEST

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Fayose trims ministries over paucity of funds permanent secretaries and one Special Adviser to the Governor.

Those appointed as permanent secretaries are Mr Ademiloye Ojo Fasikun, Mr Lawrence Babatope Ojo, Ayodeji Ajiboye and Mrs Olabisi Akindele, while the former HOS, Mr Bunmi Famosaya, was inaugurated as Special Adviser, Governor Office.

Fayose said, “There

are 36 ministries in Ekiti when I came in but I have to reduce them to 26 because of finance. The recent fall in oil price is worrisome and it indicates that tough days are ahead, our source of revenue is nose-diving and this calls for careful measures.”

He explained that he made the appointments as a way of rewarding loyalty, adding that his government would continue

to reward loyalty which he said is the hallmark of his administration.

“We will continue to show commitment, the hallmark of my administration is to reward loyalty. Famosaya, became my Permanent Secretary many years ago, he has served very well, why should he be personal Special Adviser? It is because he has so much to offer this state, he has been loyal.

2.7%

446

“Describing the new Head of Service as an intelligent man who has what it takes to head the state’s Civil Service, Fayose, promised that he would appoint more permanent secretaries when there is need for it.

He said the appointment of a woman as permanent secretary was for gender balance and local government representation.

40.99

The percentage of the urban popu- The number of suspected cases of Ebola virus dis- The annual rate of increase in population The number of fixed-telephone subscriplation of Austria in 2012. ease (EVD) in Sierra Leone as at October 19, 2014. of Middle Africa in 2010-2015. tions per 100 inhabitants of Austria in 2007.

Source: Un.org Source: Who.int Source: Un.org Source: Itu.int

L-R: Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Oyo State chapter, Chief Akin Oke; Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi and former Gombe State governor/Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee, Senator Danjuma Goje, at the APC governors’ screening in Lagos …yesterday

APC clears 186 for primaries in Ondo Babatope Okeowo Akure

A

head of its primary elections, the All the Progressives Congress (APC), in Ondo State has cleared 186 aspirants for different elective offices in the party.

The aspirants cleared included 10 senatorial aspirants from the three districts, 38 House of Representatives from the nine federal constituencies and 138 House of Assembly aspirants from the 26 state constituencies.

The State APC Chairman, Isaacs Kekemeke, said yesterday that 38 House of Representatives and 10 senatorial aspirants were screened by the national screening committee of the party.

He also expressed satisfaction over the screening exercise for the House of Representatives and Senatorial aspirants of the party that was concluded last weekend, saying the exercise was thorough and the games were played according to the rules.

His words “The spirit of tolerance and transparency had been displayed at the exercise.We would play by the rule, the leadership of the party both at the national and state, at this level would play the game by the rule to ensure that the people would be the decider of who their representatives would be.”

Kekemeke, revealed that nobody would force any candidate on the party and that the spirit of the party members are very high in winning the next general elections in the state.

Oyo CP warns parents against Oyo LP considers waiver for Alao-Akala as guber candidate wards involvement in violence Sola Adeyemo (PDP), New Telegraph with the former goverHe said that the party

Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

I

n an effort to instill discipline in upcoming members of the society, the Oyo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Kola Sodipo, has warned community leaders and parents to caution their children and wards against violence as the 2015 elections draw near.

Addressing community leaders, parents, who formed members of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), during a meeting held at the state police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan yesterday, Sodipo stated that the call became necessary for parents to avert any embarrassment from the committal of any unwholesome act that could come from way-

ward children during the coming election.

Calling the meeting as an assessment of the security situations in the state, the police boss assured members of the public that the police would not tolerate lawlessness in the state and would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that lives and property were adequately protected in all the 33 local government areas of the state before, during and after the 2015 general elections.

According to him, “We want you (community leaders) to collaborate with us. We want you to give us information. We want you to know that we are here to assist you. We want you to tell your wards when you get back to your communities that they should make sure that they don’t foment trouble.”

Ibadan

O

yo State Labour Party, is considering granting former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, a waiver to contest the governorship election of the state on the platform of the party if he eventually dumps the Peoples Democratic Party

learnt yesterday.

The indication to this development emerged through a governorship aspirant of the party, Nurudeen Akinyo, who officially declared his ambition to run in 2015.

When asked if it was true that the Labour Party had an agreement

nor on its governorship ticket as being rumoured, Akinyo, who spoke at the party secretariat, Oke Ado, Ibadan, said AlaoAkala was yet to join the party, but that the party had taken a decision to grant anyone who wanted to join the party a waiver to contest election.

would settle for primaries or consensus whenever Alao-Akala finally dumps the PDP for Labour Party.

The disclosure confirmed the rumour already making the rounds that Labour Party wanted Alao-Akala to join the party and bring his teeming supporters to boost its popularity.

Obanikoro’s candidate loses Lagos Assembly primaries Wale Elegbede

T

he case of a mixed political fortune played out at the weekend for Senator Musiliu Obanikoro at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Lagos State Assembly primaries. His supposed sponsored aspirant, Owoyemi Wahab Elegbeleye, was defeated by Saheed Atebo, a protégé of Jimi

Agbaje, with in the Lagos Island Constituency 1.

However, Babajide, the first son of the erstwhile Minister of State for Defence emerged winner of the House of Assembly primaries for Eti-Osa Constituency 2.

At the end of the polls at Lagos Island Constituency 1, Elegbeleye secured only eight votes

against Atebo’s 38 votes.

At Eti-Osa 2, Babajide polled 18 votes to defeat his rival, Mr. Muyiwa Ariyo, who scored nine votes.

The returning officers at the primaries, Mr. Akinwale Shamsudeen and Miss Raheem Olaide, said the younger Obanikoro, was returned as winner after

emerging victorious at the polls conducted in a serene atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Agbaje, yesterday washed his hands off calls that Obanikoro, should withdraw from the Lagos governorship race, saying that he is positive of emerging as the party’s standard bearer for the 2015 election.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECember 2, 2014

Governorship race

Agbaje won’t be PDP guber candidate in Lagos –Gbadamosi

16

13

2015

Ogun: Osoba, senators test strength with SDP

17, 20

Politics

Reps gun for governorship seats Twelve members of the House of Representatives have thrown their hats into the governorship race. A couple of the lawmakers have been endorsed by their governors and stakeholders, while others are merely trying their luck.

PHILIP NYAM reports

A

s governorship primaries of the political parties draw closer, quite a number of serving members of the House of Representatives have intensified campaigns to realise their ambitions of becoming chief executives of their states. By mid-December, a clearer picture of which of these lawmakers would make it to the main elections and probably the various Government Houses would have emerged. As at the last count, 12 lawmakers in the Green Chambers had bought nomination forms and have been successfully screened. Some of them have been endorsed by the incumbents and perhaps their state or zonal caucuses while some have resolved to carry on in spite of the obvious obstacles on their way.

The winners Since 1999, only three serving members of the House have been lucky to walk straight from the Lower Chambers to the Government House. Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State became the first serving member of the House to win election as governor in 2007. After his two terms in the House, he was elevated to the Government House, Makurdi. In 2011, Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari of Zamfara State

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY Editor, POLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Tambuwal

became the second member of the House to move straight to Gusau Government House. In the same 2011, Hon. James Bala Ngilari, a former member of the House was also elected as deputy governor to the impeached Governor Murtala Nyako. Today, he has fought his way back through the courts as governor of Adamawa State.

In 2012, Hon. Seriake Dickson, who was chairman of the House Committee on Justice and was serving his second term had a swift ride to the Bayelsa Government House after the incumbent governor, Timipre Sylva, was disqualified from contesting. Before all these, a former deputy speaker of the House in the Third Republic, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was elected as governor of Kano in 1999. He lost re-election in 2003 to the present Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau but came back in 2011 to reclaim the seat.

The losers There are, however, some members of the House who tried their luck but got their fingers burnt.

They included former Speaker, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari who contested in 2011 for Katsina governorship seat on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC); the current Minister of State for Power and former Majority Leader of the House,

Ihedioha

Peterside

Hon. Mohammed Wakil tried in Borno under the platform of the PDP but was shot down, ditto Hon. Lumumba Ade, also from Plateau lost out. Senator Victor Lar, also a former member of the House lost when he tried on the platform of All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP).

A former Minority Leader, Hon. Umar Mohammed Kumalia also contested for the coveted seat in Borno State and equally lost The aspirants How far can the 12 representatives go in their quest to climb up their political ladder to various Government Houses in the country? Will they be as lucky as the likes of Governors Suswam, Yari, Ngilari and Dickson? Who are these Reps who want to transform to governors?

Aminu Tambuwal The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, is indeed the All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant to beat in Sokoto State. Political pundits have concluded that baring any obstruction, Tambuwal will clinch the governorship seat come February 28, 2015.

Tambuwal represents Kebbe/ Tambuwal federal constituency. A lawyer by profession, Tambuwal began his political career as a personal assistant on legislative matters to erstwhile Senate Leader, Senator Abdullahi Wali. In 2003, he contested and won election to represent Kebbe/Tambuwal fed-

eral constituency and he has been a principal officer all through, beginning with deputy Minority Whip to deputy Minority Leader and deputy Chief Whip.

In 2011, against all odds and with the tacit support of his colleagues, he aborted the PDP’s zoning arrangement and became Speaker by beating the party’s anointed candidate, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola. Since becoming Speaker, he led a non-partisan House and took decisions that angered his party.

That Tambuwal is a shrewd politician is not in doubt. As Speaker, he has cleverly avoided partisan statements. Having been in the House since 2003, he understands the terrain and knows what leads National Assembly leaders into temptation-corruption. He has avoided it like leprosy. Since 2011, no allegation of corruption has been raised against him. Not even the two bribery allegations that have rocked the lower chamber under his leadership have been linked to him.

His defection to the APC is today an issue that is heating up the polity. It was because of the defection that the police invaded the National Assembly on November 20, apparently to stop him from accessing the chambers and get him impeached. It is in the aftermath of his defection that an impeachment notice is being contemplated against President CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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Politics

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Tambuwal, Ihedioha, Ugwuanyi, Peterside, C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

Goodluck Jonathan. Even in the APC, Tambuwal caused a scare when his colleagues bought the presidential Expression of Interest form for him. He cleverly turned down the request explaining that his decision to jettison the presidential race was in the interest of the unity and cohesion in the party.

Tambuwal’s chances to clinch the APC’s ticket in Sokoto are very bright as presently, there is no aspirant with his clout and popularity aiming for the same seat in the party. The governor, Aliyu Wamakko, is well at home with the Speaker and had endorsed him even before he defected to the APC. At the general election, Tambuwal will certainly beat any candidate that may be presented by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The deputy governor, Mukhtar Shagari is likely to be the PDP’s candidate but he cannot stand Tambuwal because presently, the state is an APC state.

Emeka Ihedioha The Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha has not hidden his desire to unseat Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State. He represents Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala federal constituency and is serving his third term in the House. Having been in the House since 2003, he is one of the most experienced legislators today. A founding member of PDP, he has come a long way having received tutelage from great political strategists: former Senate President, late Senator Chuba Okadigbo and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, whom he served at different times in varying capacities.

From being chairman of the House Committee on Marine in 2003, Ihedioha fought his way to become the Chief Whip in 2007, when his kinsman and coaspirant for governorship, Hon. Bethel Amadi was shoved off the position after the removal of Hon. Patricia Etteh as Speaker. In 2011, he worked with Tambuwal to thwart the PDP zoning formula by contesting and becoming Deputy Speaker.

The Food Technologist-turned politician has launched a robust campaign and has toured the entire state seeking for support. His popularity is not in doubt and is also financially stable to execute his gubernatorial campaign.

Besides, Ihedioha is said to have performed well in the recently concluded ward congresses and many believe that he has a fairly good chance of getting the PDP ticket at least. The Deputy Speaker is also from Owerri zone, the area where the governorship seat has been zoned to according to the PDP’s zoning arrangement. He is also said to be heavily supported by leaders from Orlu, Okigwe and Owerri zones.

But Ihedioha’s biggest headache and Achilles heels seems to be his ‘sin’ of rebelling against the party’s position in 2011. There are other strong aspirants seeking for the same position such as former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, Senator Chris Anyanwu, President, Pan African Parliament, Hon. Amadi, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume and a host of other party top shots. Although, Ihedioha has long ago repented from his disloyal attitude and working closely with the Presidency lately, it is not clear whether the PDP hierarchy would forgive and forget. Many commentators say it may be difficult for the PDP to trust Ihedioha as to give him their gubernatorial ticket for fear that he may later betray them.

The Deputy Speaker is also said to be at loggerheads with PDP’s power brokers in the state such as Senator Hope

Jime

Uzodinma, who is believed to be competing with Ihedioha as to who is the leader of the party in the state. This is another issue that may be a bulwark to his gubernatorial aspiration. In addition, some of the aspirants such as Amadi and Anyanwu are said to be ready to gang up against him if it becomes clear that he will fly the party’s flag. Anyanwu had shortly after the ward congresses petitioned the national headquarters of the party, urging it to reprimand the Deputy Speaker whom she accused of manipulating and hijacking the election in her ward, Enyiogugu.

In the event that the Deputy Speaker is able to overcome the challenge from his opponents and clinch the party’s ticket, he will be the candidate to beat.

The incumbent, Rochas Okorocha has stepped on so many toes and some people are waiting to pay him back in his own coin. But whether Ihedioha will be able to beat Okorocha is also not an easy puzzle to unravel.

Dakuku Peterside Hon. Peterside represents Andoni/ Opobo/Nkoro federal constituency in Rivers State and serving his first term in the House. He is the chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream). He is one of the lucky aspirants as he has been anointed by Governor Rotimi Amaechi and the APC caucus. His main obstacle before now was the aspiration of Senator Magnus Abe, who reportedly stepped down for him at the meeting held at Government House, Port Harcourt to choose a consensus candidate.

The major hurdle now is the PDP, which is likely to feature former Minister of Education, Barr. Nyesom Wike.

Peterside is from the Riverine area and should the PDP give its ticket to Wike who is from Ikwerre like Amaechi, the sentiments may work well in his favour since the riverine people have insisted that it is time for power to shift to them.

Though a young man, he has also paid his dues. He began his political career as a Senior Special Assistant on Youth and Students Affairs to former Governor Peter Odili. He later served as Commissioner for Works in Amaechi’s first term before winning an election into the House of Representatives.

Peterside is a very close confidant of Governor Amaechi and was among the first set of lawmakers to defect to the APC after the defection of the governor.

His election is a contest between President Jonathan and Governor Amaechi,

Elumelu

hence the governor will deploy all in his powers to ensure that he beats the PDP to succeed him. Although, his opponents have argued that he lacks the maturity to lead the state, his efficient handling of the Petroleum Committee in the House has however vindicated him.

Emmanuel Jime Currently, the chairman, House of Representatives committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Jime represents Makurdi/Guma federal constituency. A former speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly during the aborted Third Republic, he dumped the PDP for the APC in December 2013, where many believed he stands a good chance of coasting home with the gubernatorial ticket.

Jime is also very popular especially amongst the youths. A cerebral lawyer with progressive instincts, he is not a neophyte to the state politics and is indeed the aspirant to beat for the APC ticket. If he eventually clinches the ticket, he will be a thorn in the flesh of the PDP come 2015.

Hailing from Makurdi Local Government Area, the hub of MINDA, Jime’s ambition is also on track. A clever politician, he has initiated a scholarship programme for law students across the 23 local government areas of the state and this has endeared him to hearts of not a few youths.

The vocal lawmaker is said to be in the good books of the leader of the APC in the state, Senator George Akume and considering his towering political image in his last seven years in the National Assembly, Jime may be the aspirant to beat in APC and if he gets the ticket, he may spring some surprises at the governorship election in 2015. Jime is courageous, outspoken and independent minded and this informs his nomination of Tambuwal in 2011 as speaker against the directive of his then party, the PDP. Some analysts have contended that some highly placed politicians in the state are not favourably disposed to Jime’s principled lifestyle and may not support his candidature. Yet, others have argued that when the chips are down, he may not have the intimidating financial wherewithal to bulldoze his way to the top.

Ndudi Elumelu Elumelu represents Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency of Delta State and is the chairman of the House Committee on Health. He came to the House in 2007 and shot himself to prominence as chairman of the House Committee on Power, when he conducted an investigation into the alleged wasteful spending of $16 billion on the power sector by the

Sumaila

Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

Although, the report of that committee ran into hitches, many still believed that Elumelu did a wonderful job. Elumelu and members of the committee were accused of soliciting and accepting bribe from some corporations and individuals to clear them of the allegations against them. These were however not proved.

From the 88 recommendations made by the Elumelu committee, only eight were eventually taken after a review was ordered by Speaker Dimeji Bankole. Incidentally, it was Tambuwal, then deputy whip of the House that led the review committee. The lawmaker was consequently arraigned in court alongside his Senate counterpart, Senator Nicholas Ugbane for allegedly defrauding the Rural Electrification Agency of millions of naira. After a long legal battle, Elumelu was cleared by the courts and the corruption charges dropped.

The lawmaker, who only declared last week for the governorship race is said to be close to the Presidency as he is often seen at most events with President Jonathan. Elumelu comes from a very popular and influential family in Delta State. He also has a pedigree and a deep pocket. He is said to have done so well for his constituents as a legislator but whether this would translate to victory on a larger scale in the state is another matter entirely. He hails from the part of Delta that has continually argued that power must shift in the state. Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has reportedly anointed another candidate to fly the PDP flag but Elumelu is convinced that the governorship seat should go to his part of the state in 2015.

Elumelu’s chances are also threatened by the aspiration of other aspirants from his senatorial zone. The PDP is indeed a crowded terrain.

Can Elumelu’s popularity, wealth and closeness to the seat of power in Abuja give him the PDP ticket for Delta? Only the December 8 primaries will tell.

Suleiman Kawu Sumaila The deputy minority leader of the House, Sumaila has represented Sumaila/Takai federal constituency of Kano State since 2003. A gregarious and down to earth personality, Sumaila was one of the first lawmakers to declare his intention to govern his state come 2015. He has consistently argued that there is a disconnect between the leadership and the people, a development he will correct if elected Kano governor.

Kawu played a leading role in the emergence of Tambuwal as speaker in 2011. He was one of the initiators of the project and fought to ensure that it suc-

Politics 15

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Gusua, others race for Government House

Akinlade

Ugwuanyi

ceeded. His support for Tambuwal is not in doubt and this could be seen from the recent police invasion of the parliament as he led other members of the opposition to facilitate the entry of the speaker into the chambers.

Unarguably a thoroughbred grassroots politician, Kawu is very popular among his constituents and the people of Kano.

This has ensured his election to the House for three consecutive terms. The 46-year-old politician was a member of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) and a member of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) that merged with other groups to form the PDP in 1998. In 2002, he contested for state House of Assembly seat on the platform of the PDP. He refused to dump the APC when his erstwhile leader Ibrahim Shekarau abandoned the APC for the PDP early this year. Surprisingly, it was at Shekarau’s House in Kano that Kawu declared his governorship intention and Shekarau actually raised his hand as the preferred candidate. Unfortunately, the platform, which Kawu has conveniently used in the past to boost his political career, has been divided as some have left with the former governor to the PDP. Kawu’s aspiration has however suffered a major drawback following the reported adoption of the deputy governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Umaru Ganduje as the APC’s consensus candidate by Kwankwaso. Before now, Kawu was one of the leading aspirants and was tipped by many to clinch the ticket in a free and fair primaries. This development may have dimmed his chances of presiding over the affairs of the state in 2015 as even the opposition PDP is crowded with several high profile aspirants and it is also too late for him to defect to any other party at this stage. Kawu may just be on his way back to the House as compensation for his lost gubernatorial aspiration.

Kaka Kyari Gujbawu Gujbawu represents Maiduguri Metropolis federal constituency of Borno State and wants to govern the state on the platform of the PDP. He began his political career as a Special Adviser on Agriculture to Yobe State governor between 2003 and 2007, Buka Abba Ibrahim. He was first elected to the House in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. He is a member of the Committee on Banking and Currency, Rules and Business, Population, Communication and Legislative Compliance. A strong supporter of President Jonathan, he is unlikely to be handed the ticket of the party only on that score.

The entry of former governor of the state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff into the PDP has changed the political calcula-

Amadi

tion in the state. Sheriff is already said to be lining up his younger brother to fly the party’s ticket in the general election.

Gujbawu is certainly not in Sheriff ’s calculation and as it is today, only a candidate with the endorsement of the former governor can pick the party’s ticket because he is firmly in control. Besides, Gujbawu does not possess the financial muscle to force his way through. Even if he were to be given the PDP ticket, he is not the kind of candidate that can defeat Governor Kashim Shettima of APC who is unarguably on ground.

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi Like Speaker Tambuwal, Ugwuanyi is clearly in line as the preferred candidate of the PDP in Enugu State. His chances of becoming governor are as bright as those of Tambuwal. Governor Sullivan Chime endorsed Ugwuanyi to the chagrin of other aspirants like the chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Ayogu Eze, who has vowed to contest the party primaries. Apart from being anointed by the governor and key PDP stakeholders, Gburugburu, as Ugwuanyi is popularly called, is said to wield a lot of influence based on his sterling performance in the House particularly as chairman of the Committee on Marine Transport.

His uncommon humility has worked well for him. Ugwuanyi does not discriminate between the rich or the poor and is always ready to assist. He is said to have provided jobs and empowered a lot of widows and youth in his constituency and in the entire state. He represents Nsukka/Udenu federal constituency of Enugu State and comes from Enugu North senatorial zone, where the governorship has been zoned to. He was first elected in 2003 and has remained in the House since then. Although some politicians in Enugu State are challenging the endorsement, the opposition is not strong enough to elicit apprehension.

A stakeholder and former national chairman of the PDP, Dr. Okwesielize Nwodo has described the emergence of Ugwuanyi as consensus candidate as “a political master stroke by Enugu North leaders, who have successfully waded off political invaders keen on taking the position zoned to us by the state PDP.” Ugwuanyi will certainly emerge as the PDP’s flag bearer after the primaries and go ahead to win the general election because the opposition is not so strong in the state. Besides, all the dissenting voices against his endorsement do not have the capacity to garner enough protest votes against him come February 2015.

Bethel Amadi Amadi, president of the Pan African

Parliament since 2012, represents Ikeduru/Mbaitoli federal constituency of Imo State and has been in the House since 2003. He is the chairman, House Committee on National Planning.

His aspiration for governorship is boosted by the fact that it is generally agreed in the state that the next governor should emerge from the Owerri political zone where he hails from. In 2011, when majority of his colleagues pitched tent with Tambuwal and Ihedioha to thwart the PDP’s zoning formula, Amadi stood solidly behind Akande-Adeola and was the rallying point for the campaign in support of the party’s candidate.

Amadi’s greatest asset is his loyalty to the party, which has been acknowledged even by the presidency. He is said to be very close to the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan and is married to the daughter of the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion. But can these alone give him the party’s ticket? Even if he gets the PDP ticket, can he stand Okorocha? He will first of all have to contend with Ihedioha, Ohakim, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume and Anyanwu for the PDP ticket.

Bello Matawalle Matawalle represents Bakura/ Maradun federal constituency of Zamfara State and is the chairman of the House Committee on Security and Intelligence. He came to the House on the platform of the ANPP in 2003 and became deputy Minority Whip between 2003 and 2007 and held the same position between 2007 and 2011. Before coming to the House, he served as Commissioner for Local Government Affairs in the administration of Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima.

Mutawalle’s ambition to govern the state in 2011 forced him out of the ANPP to the PDP. The lawmaker who had considered himself as the natural choice of the ANPP leader, Yerima, to take over from the defeated governor, Alhaji Mahmud Shinkafi suddenly fell out with the senator, who instead endorsed Yari.

Following this development, Mutawalle defected to the PDP and picked the House ticket to return to the National Assembly.

In the wake of the plot to stop the PDP’s decision to zone the speaker to the SouthWest, Mutawalle was also considered at the initial stages but his candidature later abandoned when Tambuwal came into the picture.

His chances to clinch the party’s ticket look bright because of his popularity and acceptance within his constituency. But he is also squaring

Matawalle

up against other formidable aspirants such as Hon. Ibrahim Gusau and the former governor, Shinkafi. He is wealthy and will not have any problem executing his ambition. If he gets the PDP’s ticket, he will have to contend with the influence and popularity of Yerima, whose control over the state is never in doubt. The incumbent governor, Yari has also been able to build his own political empire and may pose a stiff opposition to Mutawalle.

Shehu Ibrahim Gusau Gusau represents Gusau/Tsafe federal constituency of Zamfara State and is the chairman of the House Committee on Information Communication Technology (ICT). Before his election to the House, he had served as special adviser and later commissioner in the state.

This will be the second time, Gusau, who holds a doctoral degree from the Washington International University, will be taking a shot at the prime position in the state. He tried in 2011 but was at a point advised to step down and vie for the House of Representatives. The lawmaker is the youngest among the aspirants for the PDP ticket.

Gusau defected from the APC to the PDP early this year in protest to the domineering attitude of Senator Yerima. His political base is believed to be weak. He will have to face the likes of Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, who is incidentally from Gusau, and a former director at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and Alhaji Sagir Mohammed Hamidu who also have their eyes on the governorship seat.

Abiodun Akinlade Akinlade represents Yewa South/ Ipokia federal constituency of Ogun State and is the chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, a position he held during the 6th Assembly.

He was elected to the House in 2003 and 2007 on the platform of the PDP and in 2011 on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) but recently defected to the PDP to realise his governorship ambition when it became impossible for him to do so under the umbrella of APC since the incumbent, Governor Ibikunle Amosun is going for another term. He is vying for the PDP ticket against the likes of former speaker of the House, Hon. Dimeji Bankole and former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Sarafa Ishola.

Akinlade’s chances hangs in the balance because the Ogun PDP ticket cannot be given to a new entrant in the party looking at the quality of aspirants on the queue.

16 Politics Mr. Babatunde Gbadamosi is a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Lagos State. In this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE and WALE ELEGBEDE, he speaks about his chances at the forthcoming governorship primaries and the state of governance in Lagos, among other issues In the build up to your party’s primaries, there are speculations that your party is working towards the endorsement of a particular aspirant as the party’s governorship candidate?

Rumours are going around and people are entitled to initiate rumours if they think that is what is going to give them advantage. But our leaders have denied endorsing anyone. I have spoken to Chief Bode George about it and he said he has not endorsed anybody. That is what he said to me. We have spoken to the President of Nigeria and he has said he has not endorsed anybody. As far as the national party is concerned, they have not endorsed anybody. The state executive of the party in the person of the chairman, Captain Olatunji Shelle has said they have not endorsed anybody. Where these rumours are coming from is obviously individual aspirants looking for ways to promote themselves and create the impression somehow that they are favoured above everybody else.

How confident are you about the primaries looking at the fact that in the 2011 election, you didn’t garner enough votes. What do you think went wrong?

Well, everything went right at that election because as far as many of the party faithful were concerned at the time, I was a new breed. Most of them didn’t really know me that well. The truth is, with the benefit of hindsight, it wasn’t very likely that I was going to win that primaries. It wasn’t, even though I had a message that I was selling, because people were not familiar

TUESDAY, DECember 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Agbaje won’t be PDP guber candidate in Lagos –Gbadamosi picture. Yes, I have a lot of respect for the Jimi Agbaje brand but that respect does not extend to the point of political submission. The fact is, in terms of followership, Agbaje has an uphill task, if he has any chance whatsoever of getting the PDP ticket. Politics is a grassroots thing and if you are talking about grassroots, I think you will be talking about me; Doherty and Obanikoro. If it is indeed true that the leaders of the party are neutral, then Jimi Agbaje doesn’t have a chance.

What about Obanikoro; are you not scared of his entrance into the race?

Of course not. Everybody is entitled to express their political aspirations and Senator Obanikoro has fulfilled the requirement of the rules by resigning his position as a minister before he joined the fray. He will make the victory sweater, in my opinion. By the quantum of work that we have done over the years, I believe that the vast majority of the grassroots want a PDP victory. They don’t want a divisive figure. I trust that at the end of it all, we will have somebody who will take us to victory and I believe that person will be me.

Gbadamosi

with me. But we have had the opportunity over the last four years to engage very closely with the ranks and file of the party from the top to the bottom and I think that Gbadamosi of 2011 is very substantially different from the Gbadamosi of 2014. I am fairly confident that at the next primaries, I will carry the day.

Since the 2003 general election, PDP has always been going to elections a divided house.

And having realised the need for unity, the party leaders early this year were reported to have been united but in recent time the entrance of Jimi Agbaje into the party seems to have divided the party. Don’t you foresee a repeat of history in PDP in 2015?

It is a very interesting question that you asked. In the run-up to the 2003 elec-

tion, late Engr. Funsho Williams defected to the PDP and ultimately he was given the ticket. I think most likely because of that act of giving the ticket to Williams, the party divided and the party’s candidate in 1999, Chief Dapo Sarunmi, crossed over with large number of people to the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat the mistake of the past. It is interesting you bring up the Jimi Agbaje issue. There are rumblings in the party regarding the emergence of Agbaje. But the PDP is a party of people that have a sense of history and I want to assure that Agbaje’s entrance however heralded and celebrated by whoever is promoting him, is not enough to split PDP in Lagos; not anymore.

Today, there are strong contenders in the party. There were aspirants like me, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Deji Doherty before Agbaje came into the

But there are speculations that there is pressure on you to step down for Obanikoro I have heard the rumour that I will step down for Senator Obanikoro. Let me reiterate to you again that I have never been in government before, I have never been a government contractor, I have never owed any bank money and I have never collected fuel subsidy money. So, the question now is; what will motivate me to step down for anyone? The people of Ikorodu are agitating that it is their time to produce the next governor and I happen to be from Ikorodu. So, if I were to step down today, they will lynch me.

If I were to think for a second that I will step down, I will never be able to enter Ikorodu again because their hopes and aspirations are pinned on myself and or two other aspirants from other political parties from Ikorodu that are running for governorship seat. So, I couldn’t even contemplate that.

Abia: Group endorses Ogah for guber race The governorship ambition of the Chief Executive Officer of Masters Energy Ltd, Dr. Uche Ogah, has continued to receive the support of various stakeholders in Abia State, FELIX NWANERI writes

T

he 2015 governorship ambition of Dr. Uche Ogah has continued to receive boost from groups across Abia State since the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cleared him to contest its governorship primaries.

Among the groups that have endorsed the Chief Executive Officer of Masters Energy Ltd, to emerge the next governor of the state include political leaders and youths of Abia North zone; National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW); Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN); traders

unions and the Association of Catholic Professionals, Aba. To leaders of these groups, Ogah has what it takes to take Abia State out of the woods, so his vision for the state should not be dimmed by zoning.

Leader of the Abia North political stakeholders, Chief Pius Nwokoma, who said there is no justification for the zoning of the governorship to any section of the state, said: “Only the best is good for the state. We have looked at all the aspirants, their antecedents and what they stand for and realise that Dr. Ogah stands out. That is the reason we are supporting him.”

He added: “Even though we are from Abia North, a zone that believes that it is their turn to produce the governor, but on a second thought, it occurred to us that merit should not be sacrificed on the altar of zoning or rotation. Only the best is good for Abia.”

A leader at the biggest market in the state, Ariaria Market, Aba, Chief Linus Mbaoguru, said the prayers of traders in Abia State have been answered with the nod given to Ogah by the PDP to contest its governorship primaries.

Noting that God has started to show that Abia is His own state, Mbaoguru added that Ogah has what it takes to transform Abia as he has positively impacted on the lives of lots of people in the state.

“Ogah has been doing this not because of politics, but his interest in transforming the lives of people. That is why members of the various associations and groups in the state have urged him to come out and contest to liberate the state from the abyss of underdevelopment. His coming out to run for the office is the response to that request,” he said.

The market leader also carpeted those clamouring for the zoning of the gubernatorial seat, saying Abia has suffered so much and only the best from any part of the state is what is needed to reposition the state on the path of development.

The Catholic professionals, through their president, Uche Nwafor said: “After diligent and careful scrutiny of all the governorship aspirants in the PDP for the 2015 governorship election in Abia State, we have unanimously adopted D

Ogah

Ogah as our sole candidate for 2015 Abia State governorship election.”

The group listed Ogah’s qualities to include sincere concern for the common man, philanthropic gestures and his background as a known technocrat.

Ogah described his clearance to contest the PDP primaries as divine. He also said he was overwhelmed and humbled by the support his ambition has received from across the state, promising to make Abia the envy of all states in terms of development if given the mandate.

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The die is finally cast in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State as former Governor Olusegun Osoba and his loyalists joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to unseat Governor Ibikunle Amosun in the 2015 election. KUNLE OLAYENI reports

Ogun: Osoba, senators test strength with SDP

A

head the 2015 general election, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is fast etching its name on the political landscape of Ogun State. Until penultimate week when the three senators representing the state in the National Assembly formally defected to the party, the battle for 2015 in the state was a threehorse race.

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) had hitherto appeared in the frontline of political manoeuvrings and deft scheming, and plotted permutations towards the crucial elections. But with the arrival of SDP, actively promoted by former Governor Olusegun Osoba and his political associates, the contest for elective positions in the Gateway State may have taken another dimension.

Osoba, who was twice governor of Ogun State, dumped the APC where he was a national leader to join the SDP. His exit from the APC was inevitable; it was the climax of the struggle for the soul of APC between him and incumbent governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

While the SDP has upped the political game and further widened the gulf between loyalists of Amosun and Osoba, the party’s emergence may also be posing serious threat to the APC’s bid to retain power. Observers believe the unfolding development has rekindled the memories of succession politics that consumed the PDP in 2011 when the then ruling party lost power due to the formation of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN).

On November 12, the three senators from Ogun State – Adegbenga Kaka (Ogun East), Akin Odunsi (Ogun West) and Gbenga Obadara (Ogun Central) – presented their letters of defection from the APC to the SDP, to Senate President David Mark. They attributed their action to the factionalisation of the APC in their state, which had led to the formation of two parallel executives.

Kaka, who addressed journalists on behalf of the lawmakers in Abuja, explained that seven out of the nine House of Representatives members from the state, have also submitted their letters of defection. The House of Representatives members are Adekunle Adeyemi, Abio-

Osoba with supporters at a rally.

dun Abudu-Balogun, Kehinde Odeneye, Bukunola Buraimoh, Babatunde Ogunola and Olumide Osoba.

The development came barely 24 hours after three members in the Ogun State House of Assembly announced their defection to the SDP. They include Oludaisi Elemide, Olufemi Allen-Taylor and Elizabeth Anifowoshe. Their formal defection also coincided with the cross-carpeting of five state legislators to the PDP at a plenary session held on November 11.

The state Deputy Governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, has also defected to the SDP. However, he has not formally announced his defection.

Amosun’s camp has yet to formally react to the defections.

But insiders in the state government said the governor and APC leaders in the state were not unmindful of the unfolding drama and its probable implications on their re-election bid.

Genesis of the APC feud The Ogun APC originally started with the fusion of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and a faction of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) led

by Amosun. It was on the ANPP platform that Amosun contested the 2007 governorship, which he lost to Otunba Gbenga Daniel of the PDP. But shortly after Amosun’s inauguration as governor on May 29, 2011, cracks gradually appeared in the ruling party. Across the local governments and down to the ward levels, the dichotomy in the party became more intense as the administration grew older.

In spite of the party’s domination

Speculations are rife that the SDP may have emerged to spoil the chances of Amosun and by extension, the APC at the 2015 general election

of the state House of Assembly with comfortable majority, the ruling party’s legislators were also caught up in the schism.

The feud initially manifested in the sharing of appointments.

Party stalwarts, who boasted of being the original ACN members, complained of marginalisation.

They alleged that only Amosun’s supporters, who defected from the ANPP, were favoured with political positions.

The Osoba camp rued its inability to play significant role in the nomination of commissioners, special advisers, local government chairmen, councillors, council consultants, boards’ members and other appointees.

As a result, loyalists of the former governor waited to have their pound of flesh.

But Amosun’s loyalists equally had their reservations. They had complained before the 2011 poll that the slots given to their group by the ACN leaders were inadequate. Several moves to get the party leadership to reverse the decision then were rebuffed.

When he eventually assumed office, the governor saw it as an opportunity to accommodate his supporters. Even in the House of Assembly, Amosun ensured that his loyalists were installed as principal officers.

When the merger of the legacy parties – ACN, ANPP, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and a faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – was eventually consummated to form APC, the squabbles in Ogun State chapter did not abate. Notable ANPP and CPC leaders joined

forces with the camp opposed to Amosun, thus aggravating the situation.

Failed harmonisation and congresses The Ogun APC continued to trudge on with sharply divided camps while the party’s national leadership looked for means to forge reconciliation. But attempts to set up a harmonisation committee for the state chapter suffered a setback when suspected thugs invaded the venue and unleashed terror. Several people were injured during the incident.

Some vehicles and property were also vandalised in the attack.

After the constitution of the harmonisation committee ended in a fiasco, the APC moved towards conducting its wards, local government and state congresses. Before that, some prominent traditional rulers in the state had tried to broker a peace deal between Amosun and Osoba. The truce did not last long.

What transpired on the field during the congresses rubbished whatever reconciliation that was forged between the rival factions.

Claims of disenfranchisement and logistics problems marred the exercise in many of the 236 wards of the state. Violence also broke out at some wards, resulting in severe injuries for several party members.

The handling of the complaints arising from the congresses by the Hon. Ope Salamiled State Congress Committee (SCC) was not satisfactory to the National Assembly members, who alleged that the exercise was skewed in favour of Amosun.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

18

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion Orji Kalu and the aborted Senate odyssey (1) Iheukwmere Echewodo

T

wo asymmetrical incidents happened almost spontaneously in the past 10 days. The first was the special waiver granted by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to former Governor Orji Kalu to contest for the Abia North Senatorial seat, which was greeted with thunderous applause by his supporters all over the country. The second was the withdrawal by the former governor from the same Senate race for which the special waiver was granted, less than four days after. Both incidents have continued to generate mixed feelings from a wide spectrum of Nigerians. Even those without any political inclinations have had something to say about the incidents.

While reading the one-page advertorial the former governor placed in the Sun newspaper announcing his withdrawal from the race my mind was in deep pain. Up till the time of writing this piece I was still in quandary why the former governor should withdraw in such a manner as to leave his numerous supporters in the lurch. I wonder if he consulted widely before taking such a monumental decision. If he did, then why did he come out in the first place? Was he hoodwinked into going for the bait?

In any case, the focus of this piece is to express my feeling of despondency over the sad incident and to ponder the possible repercussions for all the dramatis personae involved in the show of naked power and hatred.

There are three characters involved in the struggle for control of Abia politics. The first is Orji Uzor Kalu, who, to me, is the Godfather of Abia Politics. The second is Governor Theodore Orji – the major beneficiary of Orji Kalu’s political prowess and mastership. And the third are the good people of Abia State whose support led to what Governor Orji is today politically. Somebody may wonder why

I did not mention the national leadership of PDP the referee in the imbroglio between Orji Kalu and his ambitious successor. I chose not to mention the leadership of the party for the simple reason that it acted in accordance with the dictates of a higher authority. Why should the party reverse itself so dramatically by refusing to clear him to contest for Senate when it had already given the former helmsman a special waiver?

The fact is that PDP leadership lacked the courage to hold the bull by the horns by seeing through something it started when it knew ab initio that it was not going to be an easy fight. Who actually stood as a wedge between the decision of the NWC and its implementation? Fingers should naturally point in the direction of President Goodluck Jonathan. Why should the President, if it is true that he was the obstacle between Orji Kalu and his ambition to represent his people in the Senate, be a stumbling block when he knows the electoral worth of Orji Kalu?

I have asked these salient questions to enable me to burrow into the real reasons the former governor called off his journey to the Senate. Nothing else in the realm of proper reasoning could have warranted the former governor to withdraw in the manner he did if not frustration. From the stories we have been reading the former governor rejoined PDP in his Igbere Ward in 2012 and was just granted a special waiver in November 2014. Why did it take the party this long to grant the former governor waiver when it had done the same to other applicants?

Reading through the one-page advertorial Orji Kalu placed in the Sun adducing reasons for his decision to withdraw from the Senate race my mind wandered to Governor Theodore Orji. How does he feel about the withdrawal? Does he beat his chest that he has won a pyrrhic victory? Does he have any remorse at all for working to stop a man who singlehandedly made him governor? What does he think will happen in future when he must have left office as governor, when the financial resources available

to him now are no longer there? Does it bother him what would happen between their children in future when their paths cross?

I am sorry, I cannot stop asking questions, because what is happening between Orji Kalu and Theodore Orji has got out of hands. It is titling very dangerously such that something needs be done to contain it before it degenerates to ethnic conflict of epic conflagration. We should not forget that both men have their supporters, relations, friends and associates. What will happen when these interests clash?

It is painful that PDP has sunk into a base political level where intrigues characterize every decision it makes. Why should the party not stand by its decision to grant the special waiver to Kalu when it knew from the onset that it was the proper thing to do? Does any political party have the right to stop any Nigerian from joining its fold, let alone a founding member of the party?

Delving into records it is clear that Orji Kalu has not been fairly treated. This is a man who gave the PDP the financial lifeline it needed when it mattered most. He was reported to have given the party N500 million to enable it to fund its take-off programmes.

He was also reported to have donated one million US dollars to former President Olusegun Obasanjo to fund his presidential campaign in 1998. He also gave out money to some state chapters of the party in 1998 to enable them to consolidate. The greater percentage of the victory of PDP nationally should be ascribed to this young man.

Now, how did Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, as President, treat Orji Kalu? Obasanjo’s volte face in his relationship with Orji Kalu jolted many Nigerians. Obasanjo did everything possible to destroy the regime of Orji Kalu, using the federal might.

Fortunately for Kalu, God did not sanction the evil machinations of his enemies.

• Echewodo writes from Ikwuano, Abia State.

Farming as preoccupation for Ogun (1) Yusuph Olaniyonu

T

he title of this piece came from a popular Yoruba song which is taught in schools. The full lines of the song state that: “Western education without basic knowledge of farming and other food production methods is inadequate because ours is an agrarian population.

Those who refuse to work hard will resort to stealing.”

The lines of the above stated song apply more to Ogun State than most other states in our country in several ways. The state has 16,432 square kilometres of land, 80 per cent of which is arable. As part of the state’s profile, it is noted that it has “evergreen forest vegetation and soil suitable for the cultivation of cash and food crops like cassava, rice, oil palm, cocoa, rubber, kolanut, pineapple, vegetables, cotton, cocoyam, citrus and banana.” What this translates to, is that the state is traditionally agrarian in nature and by its population.

Also, the third item on the five cardinal programmes of the current administration in the state is increased agricultural production leading to industrialisation.

In a more symbolic manner which demonstrates that Western education must go hand in hand with the knowledge and promotion of agriculture, Governor Ibikunle Amosun appointed an urbane corporate lawyer, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, as commissioner in charge of the ministry, with the responsibility to execute the plan to use

agriculture as a means of creating wealth, generating employment among the teeming youths, increasing food production thereby eliminating hunger among the people, eradicating poverty among the rural populace, stemming rural-urban drift, creating synergy between the farms and the factories thereby promoting the government’s industrialisation agenda, and increasing the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

As a good model, Sokefun has actually taken up the challenge by leading a team which is pursuing initiatives aimed at positioning the state as a food basket of the nation, dependable source of raw materials for agro-based industries and exporter ready to earn more foreign exchange.

The team has been discharging its roles by using investment in equipment, provision of technical, financial, material and advisory support to farmers, revival of inherited farm estates, creation of large state-owned demonstration farms through which they create employment, spread knowledge about new farming techniques and encourage partnership between government and farmers (both small and big). Other means through which the Amosun government is executing its increased agricultural production agenda are creation of a corps of graduate farmers who will serve as model employers for others to emulate and embrace farming, liberalisation of access to land by potential investors and partnership with the Federal Government to enhance agricultural production.

I will discuss how these initiatives are manifesting themselves by revisiting the various programmes on livestock production, fisheries, crops production (cotton, cocoa, cashew, cassava, rice, tomato and vegetable), mecha-

nisation, provision of soft loans, supporting graduate farmers, general training, fertiliser supply and development of markets for farm produce.

For instance, the state has embarked on an all-year round pullet rearing for sale to farmers aimed at replacing culled layers during all festivals. Thus, 75,000 pullets were reared and sold to over 200 small-scale poultry farmers. It is intended that the pullets would produce over 100 million eggs in a year. The pullet production programme will end up helping to achieve self sufficiency in poultry meat and egg production to improve the nutritional status and the standard of living of people.

Also, the government has rehabilitated the Central Livestock Feeds Depot which had been moribund for 15 years. The feed mill has not only helped in achieving the pullet rearing plan, it is now the major supplier of feed to the 8000 layers owned by the 40 graduate farmers resident in the Owowo Farm Settlement.

There is also the Balekan Poultry Project which has been given a face-lift with increased capacity to produce a total of 3,866,383 eggs while the Oke Eri Poultry also owned by the government produces 1,175,051 eggs. The aim here is to ensure the state supplies eggs that are daily consumed in Lagos and other South-western states.

There is also an on-going beef multiplication project at Odeda which has successfully upgraded indigenous breed of cattle by crossing the Ndama and the White Fulani. This is aimed at helping local farmers to increase the population of their herd. The government also increased the number of staff in the veterinary department to enhance ser-

vice delivery.

In the area of fish production, the Amosun administration has rehabilitated the three government fish farms located at Odeda, Ilaro and Ikenne, all of which have been in a serious state of disuse in the past years. The pond reservoirs were then supplied fish seeds of Heterotis, Clarias, Tilapia and Common Carp. Today, the three farms produce an average of 29 tons of table-size fish per annum.

To increase the capacity of these fish farms, the government also constructed three new hatcheries with ability to produce an average of 500,000 fish seeds per year for sale to farmers at a subsidised rate.

The government also installed modern smoking kilns for fish processing for the three fish farms. These have provided better opportunity for value addition in fish production. Again, the Amosun administration has provided basic implements for local farmers at subsidised rates. These include 13 outboard engines, 226 bundles of fishing nets, 1,111 rolls of twine and 4,444 floats. The facilities have helped to rejuvenate fish production and energise the local economy in riverine areas of the state.

Realising that during the golden era of the Western region when agriculture provided 67 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, cocoa, rubber and other tree crops were sources of the wealth, the department of tree crops and rural development was mandated to provide high quality seedlings and extension services to farmers.

Thus, the department provided one million cocoa seedlings for farmers at no cost.

• Olaniyonu is Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ogun State.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

19

EDITORIAL

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Imperative of National Security summit

W

ith the speed of lightning, Nigeria is gradually running into a dark tunnel watered with the blood of innocent souls while our politicians stand aside, hands akimbo, offering little, saying much without any hope for tomorrow.

Violence has come to live with us, apparently struggling with the proverbial national cake and it is going round without inhibitions. Kano was in the news again last Friday as dare devil murderers stormed the City’s huge Central Mosque, leaving behind hundreds of mutilated bodies. In the house of God. It has become a national threat.

Last Friday it was Kano, of course, for the umpteenth time. In Damaturu, we have lost count, in Potiskum there have been series of attacks.

Jos, Bauchi, Gombe, Abuja and Kaduna. The story is the same.

The insurgents have no face, no clear ideology and have simply refused to come to the table for dialogue. They claim to be muslims fighting for an Islamic state, yet they spare neither mosque nor mullah.

Initially, they could have had sympathizers based on the belief that the political equation tilted towards the South. That feeling must have evaporated now as Emirs have been disgraced, even frontline politicians were target.

The 2015 elections are coming close now and our leaders, if we

should so describe politicians, are so busy with their campaign of calumny, that while the nation bleeds, they are feeding fat on propaganda.

At the end of every blast, the reactions are predictable.

While government claims to be on top of the situation, the opposition uses it as a campaign tool. Even our statesmen have not done enough to look for a way out of the calamity.

Most dance to the gallery.

We are tired of press releases and grandstanding. Nigerians deserve more from government and our leaders. This is time for action. Now is time for all to unite in the name of our great country.

According to Vladimir Lenin, War is merciless. Nigeria is at war again, we must realize that. No consideration of what is just or unjust ,political or geographic should becloud the sense of responsibility. The good people of Nigeria deserve protection from those who are sitting over us.

The first way out of this is unity of purpose. Anyone who sees insurgency as President Goodluck Jonathan’s war is as good as the brigands. Nigerians are losing their lives in beastly ways. Families have been eliminated, separated and more orphans are roaming the streets.

Unity of purpose involves all. In terms of security, the high offices of minister of Defence and National Security Adviser must put their differences aside. What we demand is action. However they do it, whether they have to bend backwards to put

the situation under control, Nigerians need that assurance.

The language of the gun is always ready to repair the silence of the law. We therefore call on President Jonathan to call a Security Summit immediately to deliberate on new ways of tackling insurgency, since so far, all efforts have not stemmed the fundamentalists.

It is new dawn in the world of security. What worked in the Civil War years cannot work in 2014.

Intelligence gathering has gone beyond the books of the Criminal Intelligence Department. Trainings and constant trainings show that the world of terrorism is even faster than the old rules.

We have to embrace modern methods. The Americans were able to eliminate Osama bin Laden because they used Special Forces, the Navy Seals. And this they did, in faraway Pakistan. The insurgents in Nigeria are holed up in our Sambisa forest and our tactics have yielded nothing. What that tells us is that we have failed.

The Security Summit should involve not just the military and paramilitary officers, experts from all spheres of the economy should play a huge role. We may have to look at our Forces, maybe, there is need for overhaul. Lumping everybody together during training may be part of the shortcomings.

Here in Nigeria, our military officers train at the Nigeria Defence Academy, Kaduna. The Army, the

Navy and the Airforce. They are commissioned after five years training as graduate officers.

It is not exactly so in the United States. Army Officers go to the Military Academy, West Point in New York. There is the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Air force cadets choose the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs, the Marines have Kingspoint and the Coast Guards are sent to New London, Connecticut.

These cadets come out as well grounded officers, and training is continous. Before operation Desert storm in 1991, US forces were moved to the desert area of Nevada because they knew what to expect in Iraq.

In Nigeria, it should disturb us that some seamen in the Navy cannot swim. This much was even confirmed recently by an Admiral, who is also a Flag Officer Commanding [FOC].

So, while we blame our forces, is it not possible that apart from using obsolete weapons, we could be sending amphibious troops to fight insurgents in the forest. There are still surviving officers who trained in jungle warfare, even if they are out of service. One of them is Col. Josiah Madaki who is now a Christian knight in Abuja. Such men should be part of the Security Summit as resource persons.

This calls for an emergency and when our nation is under threat, we all, the people, are also involved.

The way our country is drifting, we dare say let there be unity of purpose.

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

Felix Oguejiofor Abugu

Managing Editor n Suleiman Uba Gaya

Editor, Daily n Yemi Ajayi

Editor, Saturday n Laurence Ani

Editor, Sunday n Emeka Madunagu

Deputy Editors, Daily n Emeka Obasi, Ayodele Ojo

Bureau Chief, Brussels n Leo Cendrowicz

Bureau Chief, Washington DC n Marshall Comins

Editorial Coordinator, Europe n Sam Amsterdam

Ag. Bureau Chief, Abuja n Onwuka Nzeshi

News Editor n Geoffrey Ekenna

Business Development Manager n Taiwo Ahmed

Ag. Sales/Circulation Manager n Uchey Okezie

Head, Graphics n Timothy Akinleye

Head, Admin. n Robinson Ezeh

20

Politics

TUESDAY, DECember 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

Consequently, the development gave rise to the formation of parallel executives at the local and state levels. While Alhaji Roqeeb Adeniji was elected state chairman by Amosun’s camp, Chief Olu Agemo was produced as chairman by the Osoba group.

In the ensuing supremacy battle, the APC national leadership recognised and upheld the factional executive loyal to Amosun. As a result, the Osoba group kicked and vowed to tackle the governor at the general elections.

“The fight is a politi-

Can APC overcome SDP scare? cal fight. Some people said we should go to court. I said this is not a judicial issue, it is political. If they are greater than us or not, let’s wait till the elections. We will wait for them at the poll,” Osoba declared.

Why Osoba, others settled for SDP Osoba and his supporters thoroughly examined the political options before them before settling for the SDP. There were speculations initially that the Osoba

loyalists later resolved to take their destiny to the SDP. The SDP was the platform on which the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, contested. After the election, the General Ibrahim Babangida regime proscribed the SDP as well as the National Republican Convention (NRC) which also featured at the poll.

But in the build-up to 2015, SDP has been re-

group planned to defect to the PDP following reported pressure by the Presidency and certain PDP chieftains. But the PDP option was turned down because it was considered “a conservative party.”

The options of defecting to the Labour Party (LP) or Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) as well as floating a new political party were also considered. But Osoba and the

vived and re-registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

An Afenifere chieftain and former minister of finance, Chief Olu Falae, is the national chairman of the party.

At the state level, Chief Pekun Awobona has been appointed as the SDP’s interim chairman. However, Agemo, who is the chairman of Osoba’s faction in APC, may eventually emerge as the SDP chairman when the party is for-

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mally unveiled in December. A solid arrangement has been worked out in the party, according to an impeccable party source, to ensure that the SDP does not convulse under group struggles. The source also explained that the party leaders had thoroughly considered the constitutional implications of re-registering the SDP, saying they do not entertain any fear.

“Before we settled for SDP, we called several lawyers and weighed the constitutional implications of running on SDP platform. You will recall that Babangida used decree to establish the SDP and NRC but this latest registration of SDP came through due process set

by INEC. So, there is no fear about any litigation scuttling the chances of the party,” one of the SDP leaders in the state, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told New Telegraph.

SDP as game-changer or spoiler?

To the discerning observers, what is playing out in the ruling APC is similar to the crisis that ravaged PDP in 2011.

Then, the breakaway PPN scuttled the chances of the PDP to retain power. As a result, speculations are rife that the SDP may have emerged to spoil the chances of Amosun and by extension, the APC at the 2015 general election.

But Senator Kaka debunked the claim that the SDP was out to play a spoiler role. Speaking with New Telegraph, the senator maintained that the SDP was interested in winning elections.

He said: “SDP is not out to spoil anybody’s chances; we are out to win election because we are the true representatives of the people.

“So, if we have promoted some people and they have failed the people, we still have to go back to the people and tell them: that is not the message we sent them, that is not the direction we want them to go. This is the direction, this is the way forward and that’s the exact thing we are doing and we are so confident that the people know their leaders and they know those that have tried and they have their trust in them.

“So, by the grace of God, we are far from doing any spoiler role, we are out to win and win handsomely to the chagrin of those who are destroying the state.”

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

21

BOOK

I want to write 100 short stories in 100 pages, says Tony Marhino

22

Arts

CULTURE

Pomp in Yenagoa, as CBAAC holds colloquium Tony Okuyeme

T

he serene city of Yenagoa the capital city of Bayelsa State, was agog with performances and cultural displays showcasing Nigeria’s cultural heritage. I was indeed, kaleidoscope of clourful costumes and parade of stars in the Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood.

The event was the opening ceremony of the 2014 edition of the International Cultural Festival and International Conference, organized by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), held last Wednesday November 26, 2014, at Peace Park, Yenagoa. The event which was on the theme, Using Culture to Drive the Transformation of Africa and the Diaspora, brought together, array of dignitaries including heads of government, traditional rulers, cultural administrators, and the crème de la crème in Nollywood, as well as students from secondary schools in Yenagoa. It was organised in collaboration with the University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Bayelsa State Ministry of Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, and the Niger-Delta University, Amasoma, Bayelsa State.

The Director-General, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), Sir Anikwe Ferdinand, in his address titled A Dynamic Insight into Culture as an Index of Power, described culture as the power base from which the sum total of the existence of a people derives. According to him, from a common sense point of view, culture presents itself as both the foundation and the root of human development, whether as individuals or groups.

“This is essentially true because there is reciprocity between humans who founded culture and culture which in turn moulds and refine humans. It

TONY OKUYEME tony.okuyeme@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Nollywood stars, Pete Edochie (left), Chinedu Ikedieze (second left), Patience Ozokwo (third left) and Alex Osifo (right) showcasing Nigeria’s cultural heritage at the event.

then becomes the case that culture provides a holistic orientation for humans, in the sense that culture as the totality of the vital system of ideas of a people constitutes the value orientation upon which such a people organises their whole affair in search of happiness. This is the reason why the defence and sustenance of culture, marks the whole essence of what is called civilization. If the defence and sustenance of culture marks the essence and goal of civilization, it means that it (culture) ultimately, is the very source of fountain from which the power of any people derives and revolves.

“Culture is the power base from which the sum total of the existence of a people derives. However, culture has two sides to it.

These are the non-physical and the physical aspects of culture. The non-physical aspect of culture is the same as the spirit of culture, while the physical aspect of culture is the material aspect of culture. The material aspect of culture can and does need to undergo modification, but the spirit of culture must and should never be lost. The point to note here is that in the spirit of culture lays the power that upholds culture,” the CBAAC DG said.

African artists and actors, he said, have become the vehicles through which African cultural genres are internationalised.

He called on Diaspora Nigerians and Africans to endeavor as much as possible to promote African fabrics and food. This, in a way, has endeared African foods and fabrics to the hearts of most foreigners which have become strong factors in their way of

lives. He also said that African States must continue to harp and invest on our artists and actors that have become the Continent’s great cultural ambassadors.

“While it is true that African artists and actors, and creative writers alike have strived to internationalize African cultures, the point must be made that such lofty attempts by such artists, actors and creative writers need to be institutionalized and strengthened for more effect internationally. Please permit me to state unequivocally that we can only underrate our culture at our own peril. We are witnesses to the impact that western culture has had on the minds of our youths through music, movies, novels, football, religion, internet activities, costumes and fashions.

It is in this wise that we must remain eternally indebted to the fathers of African Literature such as Chinua Achebe.

Wole Soyinka, J. P. Clark, Ngugu Wa Thiongo, Chimamanda Adichie, and a host of others for pioneering African writers series with its robust cultural background, that capture the minds and attention of our youths,” he said.

The chairman Governing Board of CBAAC, Senator Brimmo Yusuf in his address commended the Centre for organizing the event, noting that, “No method appears more effective in tackling the continent’s numerous challenges than using culture and making a culture of the examples set by the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

We can only underrate our culture at our own peril.

through the transformation agenda specifically tailored at addressing the problems our country Nigeria faced before his assumption of office.”

Also, in his address, the Traditional Ruler of Opume, Obigbo Mikimiki, Opume, Ogbia Clan, Bayelsa State, His Royal Majesty, King (Dr.) Amalate Johnnie Turner, also commended CBAAC for organizing the festival and colloquium, adding that the he was particularly enthused by the fact that the theme “is in tandem with the federal government’s transformation agenda which continue to impact positively on our lives.

The successes recorded by the programme, I am sure, must have informed the Centre’s decision to build the theme of this event around “Using Culture to Drive the Transformation of Africa and the Diaspora in a New Global Order”.

“The transformation agenda of His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan who by God’s grace would be returned come 2015 is driven by the need to mitigate the challenges that stood in our country’s path to development and greatness. The institution of the agenda has without any iota of doubt corrected the problems of continuity, consistency and commitment which before now was albatross to the growth and development of Nigeria. Since its steady implementation, it has provided a sense of direction for our country,” he said.

Also in attendance at the ceremony include Nollywood stars such as Pete Edochie, Alex Osifo, Patience Ozokwo, Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, Ejike Asiegbu, Chinedu Ikedieze (a.k.a. Aki), Francis Duru, among others.

Highlights of the ceremony include dances performances by the Enugu State Council for Arts and Culture, cultural parade by the Nollywood stars and students from some secondary schools in the state.

The colloquium held on Thursday and Friday November 27 and 28, saw scholars from different parts of the country presenting papers that explored the theme of the colloquium which is “Using Culture to Drive the Transformation of Africa and the Diaspora”.

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Arts

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

XXX

A scene in the stage adaptation of Tony Marinho’s book The Epidemic

Marinho: I want to write 100 stories in 100 pages Tony Marinho is a gynaecologist by profession; he is also a playwright, novelist, song writer, poet, Newspaper columnist and photographer. Recently, he had over week-long creative and inspirational activities in Lagos, which included stage play production and exhibition. He had a chat with EBERE AMEH before the presentation of his works.

A

s a child, Tony Marinho wanted to be a carpenter, or a policeman. Today he is a distinguished Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with a flourishing practice at Ibadan. Using You Dont Know Me!, a series of activities including photo art exhibition, stage play, song performances, streaming of snippets from his novel, children matinee, he has shown that he is much more than we know - a mere ob-gyn.

“I am a gynaecologist by training and work, but I know sometimes that I don’t even recognise who I am. So when I titled this work, You Don’t Know Me!, it’s a rhetorical question that I don’t know you either.

Many of us have some of the things that we do that nobody else knows. You may be a writer, poet or even a singer.

“You are here to learn a little more about me, and about my works, which span various genres of art. This is not to boast about myself, it is to say we all have talents and you can develop yours as well.

“As a young person starting out in a career, we all have skeletons in our cupboard; but there are good and bad skeletons. We keep the bad skeletons and

nobody hears about them, our good skeletons are our talents and hobbies that we suppress because you want to be good lawyers and doctors, or business persons. Here we are today to show my own. So, shake your cupboard, find those good skeletons and bring them out so everybody will see the different things you can do if given the opportunity. This is my opportunity and I hope you will stand on your own stage one day telling us your own story of who you really are,” Marinho said in his opening speech before the performance of his works in Lagos.

Many have heard of Lawyers turned artistes, but a doctor? Is there really a connection? You asked. “The relationship between arts and science is fictitious,” he said, adding that any scientific discovery requires art to make it presentable to the public.

“Most arts are based on science. For example, if you have a model, like a car, the scientist designs it but artists make the model presentable. The line between arts and science is very blurred. That’s why I think that children should not be made to separate into arts and science too early in school.

I developed a keen interest in medicine later in life. I wanted to be a policeman or a carpenter. These are wonderful fields, you know, but as you get older, you decide where exactly you want to be

They should be allowed to enjoy more information about more subjects.”

A versatile artiste and doctor, Marinho didn’t set out to be a medical doctor, neither was he aware he would one day become a writer or photographer.

He wanted to be a policeman or a carpenter.

“I developed a keen interest in medicine later in life. I wanted to be a policeman or a carpenter.

These are wonderful fields, you know, but as you get older, you decide where exactly you want to be. My father was a doctor but I was always afraid of giving patients the wrong medicine so I wasn’t interested in medicine earlier. Besides, I found that my father was always reading. That was another reason I didn’t want to study medicine. I didn’t want to live my life reading even in old age. But here I am now, reading, a lot, and enjoying it. Now I’m a ‘bad role model’ too because I’m reading a lot and most children don’t like that.”

Marinho who was the Headboy at St Gregory’s College, Lagos, where he schooled, did his primary education abroad, and his university in the University of Ibadan (UI). It was during his medical undergraduate years at UI that he got exposed

to the stage, acting with the likes of Cyril Etomi, Tunji Oyelana, Sunbo Marinho (his uncle) and a host of others.

He has published quite a number of books but bemoans the fact that people don’t read and publishers are not helping matters by not publicising peoples’ works; a reason he decided to go public on his own through You Don’t Know Me! “Publishers don’t generally publicise work here unless you are a Chinua Achebe or a Soyinka. It got to a point where I realised that a lot of Nigerians don’t really know some books are out there. And because people don’t read as much as they used to, so I decided to turn some of my written works into a play form believing that they see it as a play and say let me read.”

On the children’s matinee, which saw a good number of children in attendance, the author said; “The thing about children is that sometimes they are very difficult to please. But when you see them smiling and giggling, not just from eating the cakes and popcorns, you know you have done well.”

With a collection of over 10,000 photographs, Marinho’s trouble started when as part of the activities that preceded the premier of his works, he had to extract 70 from the lot for a photo art exhibition.

He eventually did after six months and had an amazing exhibition that wowed many.

Marinho gets the inspiration for his works from everything around him. From a bad generator to an accident on the road, living in UI and what he hears or sees, he is inspired and according to him he “documents the current local position for posterity.”

The belief that artists are prophets played out in one of Morinho’s works. Writing a play titled ‘The Epidemic, Marinho, he foresaw the possibility of an epidemic and constructively used the work to prescribe measures to avert it. He did not leave out the issue of corruption and poor leadership, which has been the bane of the country’s development. Prophetically, an epidemic (ebola) occurred 20 years later.

“There was no epidemic 20 years ago, when I wrote it, but I could see that with the decay all around, it is possible. I could see that if it happens, there will be danger. Sometimes, one is predictive, but not in a condemning way. Predictive in the sense that if only we had thought about it and taken precautions, this thing would not have happened.”

Decrying the poor reading culture of Nigerians, the prodigy said that we can resuscitate it “if people remember that Christmas and Ileya and birthdays and so on, are days of giving books, not just giving cakes, ice cream and new clothes; which all decay, but the book remains.

“We are hoping that by sharing these works, people will be able to pick them up and read, because you can’t put everything on stage, but you can put everything in a book.

To me, one leads to the other, it is either you see a book, you go to the stage or you see a play, you go to the book. I like short stories because people are too busy to read novels.

My ambition is to write hundred short stories in hundred pages.

For a writer, a closed book is like a death sentence, because nobody is reading it. A writer who is not read is as good as dead. Writing is to be read or its dead,” Marinho intoned.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

Mom&Parenting

23

House helps: Unwanted but necessary evils

Nanny Tumuhiirwe caught beating and stamping baby Arnella

T

he story of nannies and their ‘eye-service’ treatment to children is as old as time. If only parents can do without them, it will be much safer for the kids and their environment. Some children have, as a result of nannies ,ill-treatment, been sent to their early graves; some kids

Team Oluwatosin Omoniyi lCoordinator

Grace Essen

lContributor

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

It is the fad in most homes. House helps, nannies, male ones or any type of minder in the house are often employed by homes to help take care, especially for working class parents. But often times, the story of the helpers does not always end in a pleasant way. Many have had reasons to regret their engagement. Yet, it continues, as OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI writes. have been negatively influenced or ‘possessed,’ while some mothers (careless) have been lucky with nannies, who helped in positively shaping the life of their kids.

By now, the story and viral video of a Ugandan nanny, who ill-treated a kid to almost the point of death must have been well saturated. The video footage of the child’s maltreatment received a global frown and condemnation. It was indeed a callous treatment to the innocent baby

(two- year-old), who suffered in the hands of her nanny. A summary of the video showed the nanny feeding a two-year-old girl some porridge or so it seemed. The video also showed the rough speed with which the nanny-Tumuhiirwe, was feeding the baby and the baby found it difficult to swallow, threw up. At this point, she landed heavy torrent of slaps on the baby’s face, after which she threw the baby off the sofa onto the floor, stepping on her back repeatedly. Again, she used a

PHOTO: WWW. MIRROR.CO.UK

rechargeable torch to flog the baby’s buttocks and kicked her severally. Suddenly, the baby became still, unable to move.

Then she lifted the baby off the ground and disappeared into a room.

However, luck had it that the baby survived and is currently receiving treatment. It is definitely a pathetic story but that is because this is reported. There are several worse issues of such that go unreported.

One of such is little Tosin(two years old) whose mother is a teacher with a government school and father is a businessman, who travels a lot. To avoid the usual problem with female nannies, Tosin’s mother employed the service of a male nanny. All seemed well until little Tosin started having chest and breathing problem. After several medical check-ups, she was discovered to have a blocked air passage caused by sperm. How possible and CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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Mom&Parenting

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Unwanted, but necessary evils

MOM’S ALERT with

Grace Essen

grace.essen@gmail.com

Is your child safe with your nanny?

L Baby Arnella receiving treatment CO NTINUED FROM PAG E 23

how come? That was the bewildering question on the lips of the little girl’s parents, doctors and laboratory technician. After a long search, the girl’s parents’ trap eventually caught their male nanny giving his penis to little Tosin to suckle. Whatever devil got into the nanny’s head, he destroyed that baby’s health to a large extent. At five years of age, the baby couldn’t walk nor could she breathe properly.

Of course, her parents made sure their daughter got justice by torturing and sending the nanny to jail.

There is also the old story of a little girl who always cry from morning till evening when the mother returns from work.

This practice went on for long to the chagrin of neighbours.

They told the mother of the baby to watch out. She obeyed.

A day came and she pretended to have gone to work. After two hours she was perceived to have reached her office, the house help changed into her real being- a huge Cobra, and the baby started her sonorous cry. The mother couldn’t help it; she cried out for help.

Beneath the calm look of Blessing Tive, a house help inside the Omole estate area of Lagos State, is a naked wickedness.

She looked very innocent. One can hardly see her look hurt.

Rather, she looks bland and usually stone cold. Any time, her madam rebuked her; she will make sure she adds excessive pepper or salt to the food she will serve her madam’s child whenever madam was not around. It happened too frequently to the extent the seven year-old-boy couldn’t bear it anymore. He complained to his mother that his lunch was always too salty; that it also tasted different from the one usually served at dinner.

Upon inquiry, Blessing confessed that her madam nagged a lot and shouts too much at her.

“I am somebody’s child too. My madam should show me love and care too, not only her child,”

she said at the Estate Police post.

Similar to Tosin’s, experience is Destiny, whose mother tried to avoid the nasty experiences that usually accompany nannies’ prank. Her mother, Thelma Onwudike thought that going to the village to get a girl of about 13 years of age to stay with her eight year-old daughter would save the ugly tales. How wrong was she?

The girl, Chinyere turned out to be a village champion in sex escapades. The moment Onwudike leaves the house, Chinyere would call Destiny and begin to practice all sorts of sex styles with her. Destiny probably enjoyed it for she never told her mother or father about it. Until a day the mother in an odd hour rushed home to pick a file she forgot at home. Alas! She was shocked.

First, her child was supposed to be in the classroom by that time of the day. Secondly, the position she met the two was terrible. Chinyere slept off with Destiny’s mouth on her breast, while entrusting her hand into Destiny’s genital. She fainted on the spot. The rest is history.

The above cases are the very few out of many out there that are unreported. There are some extreme nasty and bad human beings, some are not just bad, their bosses probably woke up the devil inside them. For instance, Blessing in her explanation, said her madam nags a lot.

She felt unloved and unsecured.

Tosin’s nanny gave the excuse that his madam does not allow him go out to ease anytime he was on heat. And in the case of the Ugandan nanny, she alleged that the girl's parents refused to pay part of her salary which she intended to send to her sickly father for treatment. Report has it that the girl’s mother, a Rwandese does not work but chose to stay away from the baby. Why? These are the questions begging for answers According to Doctor Ernest Ugiagbe, a Sociologist of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology of the University of Benin, the Ugandan lady may not be mentally alright. He gave

PHOTO: WWW. PEACEFMONLINE.COM

an analogy of snake and other dangerous animals that do not harm children; same goes for human beings. He believes that if the madams are nice to their house helps or nannies, there wouldn’t be violence from the nannies to their children. He noted that the problem is usually with women and not men. “Men hardly have time especially for trivial issues but women would not,” he said. Ugiagbe said when the women show love, they and their children will surely receive love in return. He, however, quipped that women should be tolerant and selective in hiring their nannies. “They should use psychological approach in selecting. They should also be prayerful,” he advised. “Above all, they should treat their nannies and house helps as friends and give them sense of belonging within the household,” he said.

Princess Olufemi Kayode, a child rights activist, told New Telegraph that quite a number of reasons could make nannies and house helps be aggressive towards their bosses’ children.

According to her, it ranges from anger, pressure, confusion and frustration and others that could make them nasty towards the children. But most important reasons of all is the mental health of these nannies and house helps, according to her. “It’s more of psychological, although it is weird and abnormal” she said.

Kayode however stated some steps parents could take when dealing with a nanny. She advised them to always check their stress level. “Africans are known to cope with stress though; mental health care is necessary and should be inculcated into our health system,” she said.

She added that parents should be humane, sensitive, generous and considerate to their helps.

She also urged employment agencies to be considerate with their employees. “People don’t have to be at work all the time especially in these days of internet facilities,” she said.

ast week we all woke up to see a very shocking footage of a nanny mistreating a child left in her care. All the little girl (just about 2) could do was cry and probably wishing mommy and daddy could just come and save her from such heartless ‘aunty’. Unfortunately, no one heard her cry. Apparently her parents must have suspected that the nanny was not treating their girl well, so they installed a surveillance camera in their sitting room. Otherwise how many of us have one in our homes? I am so sure they never anticipated what they saw! In case you haven’t seen this video, I will suggest you take a look at it, just google it. When I heard about it at first, I said: “What is it we haven’t seen before?” But after watching it, I was too shocked to react, in my mind I wondered how a full grown woman, could treat another woman’s child that way?

This may have happened in far away Uganda, but doesn’t it look like it happened next door?

How many could have passed unnoticed? When a case becomes known, others begin to come to light; haven’t we heard of a maid that continually forced candles into a baby’s vagina until she began to bleed, how about a guy who was so close to a couple, just like a brother, caught on top of their daughter who was less than 10? And the case of a mum who left her baby’s medication for the maid to administer; she give an overdose, resulting to the death of the baby? Is it limited to child minders? Nope. A man was reported to have so beaten his sick son for defecating on the bed, and never knew the boy had died when he didn’t hear his cry anymore? When we watch such videos and listen to other horrific stories that were not caught on camera, we go, “Oh nooooo!” How are we sure our children are not victims? Well, maybe not to this extent? I wouldn’t in the least wish that for any mother.

Another question that kept coming up in my mind and also in the minds of many, judging from reactions is: What could have made the nanny torture that little girl like that? Could it be that the parents of the girl treated her the same way? Is it a case of unimaginable wickedness towards another human, especially a weaker one? Or could it be a combination of the two?

When a full grown woman

slaps another woman’s daughter and forces her to gulp down her food while crying, flings, hits, kicks and jumps on her like she was a doll for crying out loud, it becomes very disturbing! Whatever the reasons - the girl threw up and messed up the floor, her parents didn’t treat her well, she was frustrated … how can one justify such action on a fellow human, a child at that? From the way she even picked her up from the floor, only God knows how she would have flung her into the bathroom, unfortunately it was out of camera range! The act is totally barbaric and there can be no justification for it whatsoever. The nanny could have left that home if she felt she wasn’t treated well. Her anger completely overcame her reasoning, and at that moment she wasn’t seeing the little girl, she was seeing her parents and she acted.

It’s a reflection of our society, where the weak are easy targets. Where the vulnerable, the weak and the defenceless are constantly intimidated and tortured by those stronger and more powerful. The attitude of the nanny towards that baby says it all, and the victim is expected not to speak. I hope we all will draw the lessons in it and realize that punishing the girl is only an easy way out. She needs help. The middle class in Africa is growing, and the challenges that poses to traditional family structures need to be revisited. Nothing should be taken for granted, not even the job of a nanny.

The couple, most likely educated and well off enough to be able to buy and install a surveillance camera in their home, and civilized enough to have selfcontrol to keep such evidence and hand over the case to the authorities. Really how many people in such a situation can exercise such restraint and let the law take its course? But then one would also expect that they took care of their disgruntled employee such that she does not get so frustrated and take it out on their innocent child.

A story like this carries a message in one way or the other for us all, given that one of us, or our family or friends or neighbours, may find themselves faced with similar situation. It teaches us just how much we all need to be very careful with whom we trust with our children.

This mom could have easily come home to find the lifeless body of her baby, with the nanny no where to be found.

• Grace Essen is the founder and president Mum To Mum Support Initiative.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

Property

Energy

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Aviation

Oil majors, others account for 97% of Nigeria’s crude production

Post-rebasing: Estate surveyors weigh impact on real estate

Some airlines doctor their safety certificate – Discovery Airline boss

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Business What's news

FG, military, police still owe N100bn electricity debt –Investigation New owners of electricity distribution firms across the country are yet to recoup over N100 billion debts from Federal Government’s Ministry, Department and Agencies (MDAs), as well as military and Police formations across the country, New Telegraph has gathered.

p.28

FG insists on N1.9trn capacity growth target for power firms DOUBTFUL Pessimism grows over government’s ability to meet 5,000 MW generation target before year end

on-going Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, however, said that government is still expecting this volume of CAPEX from new owners of power facilities.

Meanwhile, a former World

Bank senior consultant on Oil, Gas, Chemical and Mining, Gbite Adeniyi, has said that the gas supply inadequacy is still a major impediment to government’s target to generate 5,000 Mega Watts (MW) of electricity by end of 2014.

Adeniyi told New Telegraph that law to boost gas supply for

power generation has eluded Nigeria.

“For the past 10 years, Nigeria has not enacted a law that will modernise the gas sector and I think that is not a good news for the gas and power sector,” he said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Adeola Yusuf

Palm oil: Nigeria produces 930,000 out of global 63.29m metric tons A new report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has estimated that out of the world’s palm oil production of 63.29 million metric tons between 2014/2015, Nigeria produces just 930, 000 metric tons.

p.28

The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Godson Ikoro

Asst. Editor (Money Market)

Dele Alao

Industry & Agric Editor

Dayo Ayeyemi Property Editor

Adeola Yusuf Energy Editor

Wole Shadare Aviation Editor

Chris Ugwu

Capital Market Editor

T

he N1.872 trillion ($11.7 billion) Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) funding requirements for the privatised Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) successor companies is still achievable, the Federal Government has reiterated.

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), which said this, added that funds are still needed to ramp up and expand the capacities of the power sector.

A breakdown, which was gleaned from the post-acquisition plans submitted by the investors, showed that the Ughelli Power Plc would need $604 million in CAPEX, Sapele Power Plc ($394 million), Geregu Power Plc ($200 million) while Afam Power Plc needs $850 million.

Also, Kainji Hydro would gulp $456 million, Egbin Power Plc ($1700 million), while the Green Field IPP would require $7,500 million.

“Gas Industry sources estimate that $1.5 billion will be required yearly for the next five years if we are to address gas challenges in the power sector.

In other words, a total of $7.5 billion is required in the next five years for gas infrastructure,” the document stated.

This does not, however, include the requirements of prospective green field and

L-R: Executive Director, Technical, Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC), Mrs. Folashade Onanuga; Executive Director, Finance & Investment, Dr. Adekunle Wright, Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Training & Pensions, Mrs. Florence Oguntuase and Director-General, LASPEC, Mr. Rotimi Adekunle Hussain, at the 14th Retirement Bond Certificate presentation in Lagos.

Nigeria takes delivery of N7.56bn stealth patrol boats Bayo Akomolafe

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igeria has taken delivery of N7.56 billion ($42 million) two stealth patrol vessels from Qidong in eastern China’s Jiangsu province to fight sea robbers in the coastal waters.

The deal for the two 1,800ton patrol ships was made in 2010 during the African Aero-

space and Defense Exhibition.

Also, the country has paid an additional $6.5 million to buy helicopters and replacement parts for the two vessels.

It was learnt that the country would be the first to use a Chinese warship - the first vessel with hull number F91 in West Africa.

The F91 is equipped with one 76mm gun and two 30mm guns. With the capability to

carry 70 crew members and a helicopter aboard, the vessel can reach 40 kilometre within an hour.

Rear Admiral Yin Zhuo of the PLA Navy said that the 1,800-tonne vessel had certain stealth features to defend itself from potential enemy attacks.

He said that the radar section on the vessel is approxiCONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Abdulwahab Isa Finance Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE October 2014............................8.1% September 2014.....................8.3% August 2014............................8.5%

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

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at Nov. 28)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N182.50 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N286 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N226

l Foreign Reserves – $36.85bn as at 27/11/2014

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Official As at Nov. 28)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N168 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N262.80 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N209.54

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Business |News

IMPEDIMENT

Debt collection doubtful with current erratic supply Adeola Yusuf

N

ew owners of electricity d i s t r i bu t i o n firms across the country are yet to recoup over N100 billion debts from Federal Government’s Ministry, Department and Agencies (MDAs), as well as military and Police formations across the country, New Telegraph has gathered.

The debts were inherited from the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and checks by this newspaper revealed that the MDAs alone owe over N20 billion out of the

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

FG, military, police still owe N100bn electricity debt –Investigation debt, while about N80 billion is being owed by the military and police formations and barracks nationwide.

Although some of the new owners have publicly threatened to disconnect the debtors as a new strategy to recoup the debts, it was gathered that this strategy failed because most of the staff declined instructions to go and disconnect military and police formations for fear of harassment and arrest.

“At the management level, we have organised courtesy visits to the top hierarchy of these formations and they promised to start paying the debt on monthly basis, but as I am talking to you

now, this promise has not been fulfilled,” the managing director of one of the distribution companies told New Telegraph.

Several appeals by the Ministry of Power and the defunct PHCN to the debtors to pay had been unsuccessful.

Spokesperson for Professor Bart Nnaji, former Minister of Power, Don Adinuba, had disclosed government’s efforts to collect the debts.

“Initially, we worked with deduction at source in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, but

the result was still not impressive, especially with about N100 billion still outstanding.

“Another alternative was to ensure that all Federal Government agencies operate on the prepaid meters, which would compel them to always be in credit, or stay without power supply.”

When this did not also work, he said that government tried to employ a debt-collector to help recoup the debts.

The Registrar, Institute of Credit Administration, Nigeria, Dr. Chris

Onalo, foresees difficulty in the collection bid for the N100 billion debt.

He said that it would be difficult for any debt collection firm to work on debt owed PHCN because of its erratic service provision and disputable billing system.

Onalo who doubled as a director of CBS Credit (UK) Limited, a debt collection handler, said that rather than consider outsourcing debt collection, power firms should do a thorough overhaul of their system and make it one that supply services with

a credible billing system.

A check by an online news agency on the Debtcollectionste ps. com website shows that “outsourcing a debt collection firm involves a third party entity, different from the original creditor, who collects unpaid debt on behalf of the creditor.”

The firms are, according to the agency, paid on a percentage and they keep a portion of any money collected, while others purchase blocks of bad debt from creditors.

FG insists on N1.9trn capacity for power firms CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

Meanwhile, Dikki noted that the objectives of the Federal Government’s power reform programme was to reduce the cost of doing business in the country so as to attract new investments through provision of quality and dependable power supply to the economy for industrial, commercial and sociodomestic activities as well as improve the overall efficiency of the distribution, generation and transmission network.

Taleveras Group had emerged top bidder for the Afam power plant with a $260.05 million bid while North-west Power Limited emerged winner for the Kaduna Disco, having offered the

highest aggregate technical commercial and collection loss reduction figure (ATC &C) of 29.26 per cent.

Dikki also disclosed that two of the preferred bidders for the 726-megawatt Afam Generation Company and Kaduna Distribution Company have paid their mandatory 25 per cent initial down payment for the acquisition of the assets to BPE. In response to a question on the status of the outstanding Afam and Kaduna privatisation exercise, the BPE boss had said: “Kaduna and Afam, the preferred bidders have paid the 25 per cent on due date. They now have to pay the balance of 75 per cent in another six month or so.”

Nigeria takes delivery of patrol boats CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

mately equivalent to a 500-ton warship. The radar can detect it only when it is very close to an enemy.

Designed by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group, this type of offshore patrol vessel is very suitable for the Nigerian Navy to use while conducting missions against pirates and local terrorist groups. With the F91 and its sister ship, the Nigerian government can also strengthen the defence of its offshore oilfields.

According to Want China Times, the price of the vessel was between 65 per cent and 75per cent the cost of a patrol vessel

from Western nations.

China is looking for more potential oversea consumers in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.

In May 2014, the Nigerian Navy announced that it had acquired additional eight ships in its fleet to boost its capacity to police the country’s maritime environment.

Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, explained that eight of the ships in the custody of the Navy were Chinese ships, adding that the acquisition of the additional ships would further help in checking and stopping acts of illegality.

L-R: General Manager, Gas, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mr. Ubaka Emelumadu; Student of Christ the King Grammar School, Okigwe, Imo State, Master Patrick Iwu; teacher, Mr. Ambrose Alamanjo; another student, Master Victor Nwankwo and Assistant Corps Marshall, Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Shehu Zaki, at the presentation of trophy to the students whose school emerged winner of the 2014 NNPC-Shell National Safety Competition for Nigerian Secondary Schools, in Lagos.

Palm oil: Nigeria produces 930,000 out of global 63.29m metric tons DISMAL

Country trails behind Indonesia, others Dele Alao

A

new report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has estimated that out of the world’s palm oil production of 63.29 million metric tons between 2014/2015, Nigeria produces just 930,000 metric tons.

The country thus trails behind Indonesia (33,500,000mt), Malaysia (21,250,000mt), Thailand (2,250,000mt) and Colombia (1,070,000mt).

Nigeria was ranked among leading palm oil produces a few decades ago.

USDA said that palm oil

production last year was 59.56 million tons.

“This year’s 63.29 estimated million tons could represent an increase of 3.73 million tons or a 6.26 per cent in palm oil production around the globe,” it stated.

Nigeria’s palm oil output is a far cry from local demand of close to two million metric tons. As a result, imported palm oil holds sway and therefore, constitutes a threat to local production.

A few days ago, a major local investor in the sector, Presco Plc, called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, protect local investments from foreign dominance.

It noted that for local industries to grow and remain profitable, it would require a good policy framework that would protect local investment.

Managing Director, Presco

Plc, Mr. Uday Pilani, said that the palm oil industry is a sector with huge potential for good returns, but has been hampered by unstable government policies, lack of funding and high cost of doing business, among others.

Pilani, during a trade event supported by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, explained that Nigeria remains one of the best places for the cultivation and production of palm oil, but for some basic problems such as “land title, government’s talk not walk, policy inconsistency, palm oil production business is fast becoming uncompetitive.”

He said that the inability of government to get this right would lead to locally produced oil selling higher than the imported ones, thus killing the local industries.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

29

Why Nigeria’s power plant relies on Niger Republic’s gas –Nebo p.31

Energy

NLNG to expand LPG supply to local market p.30

Oil majors, others account for 97% of Nigeria’s crude production MARGINAL PLAYERS

Marginal fields operators contribute just 2.56% of production Adeola Yusuf

T

he joint ventures operated by the international oil companies (IOCs) and other big players in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry still account for 97 per cent of the country’s 2.3 million barrels daily production.

The IOCs are Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total and Eni. Data obtained from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), showed that seven out of the 29 marginal fields’ operators accounted for only three per cent of the total production.

Between January and October 2014, for instance, the marginal field operators produced just 2.56 per cent of the nation’s crude production, the document showed.

General Secretary, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (PENGASSAN), Mr. Bayo Olowoshile, in a statement, expressed concern over this low productive capacity of the marginal fields.

This, he said, was partly caused by a number of the indigenous investors who are financially handicapped and may not be able to pool the necessary resources to fund the acquisition and production.

“In reality, the indigenous investors are still far from pooling that resources for the oil and gas business, and, as such, most of them act as fronts or proxy for the real foreign owners, who truly buy the asset and pay commissions to indigenous owners.

“Even though bidding is believed to be influenced by the powers that be, the current challenge is funding the bids, paying the signature bonuses and financing the exploration and production processes,” he said.

“Oil production is highly technical and capital intensive. And it goes with a lot of risks, especially as it affects the investment layout. More so, access to the colossal amount of funds required for oil and gas business is becoming a big challenge going by the difficult environment that Nigeria poses to investors and financiers from the outside world that

Oil rig

want to partner with the indigenous owners and operators of marginal field.

The NNPC data showed that marginal players have continued to show their lack of capacity to fully contribute significantly to the country’s crude output.

Those seven companies produced 1.734 million barrels of crude, compared with Nigeria’s total crude production of 2.183 million barrels.

The highest producers are

Oriental Energy -1.054 million barrels, Midwestern Oil and Gas -352,458 barrels, Energia Limited 91,246 barrels, and, Waltersmith – 85,880 barrels per day.

The least producing firms were Pillar Oil – 43,774 barrels, Platform Petroleum 50,856 barrels, and, Niger Delta Petroleum 55,408 barrels.

Brittania-U, despite been listed on the production schedule, did not record any production in the month under

review.

As at December 2013, 12 companies out of all the companies awarded the fields since 2003, were, according to Africa Oil + Gas report, yet to commence production.

The journal attributed the inability of the operators to commence production to a number of factors, ranging from fraud allegations, and funding challenges to distractions.

These companies are, Guarantee Petroleum/Owena, own-

ers of the Ororo field; Bicta Energy Ogedeh field; Sogenal Limited Akepo field; Bayelsa Oil, Atala field; Movido, Ekeh field; Goland Petroleum, Oriri field; and, Eurafric, the Dawes Island field.

Others are Network Exploration and Production Company for the Qua Iboe field, Universal Energy, Stubb Creek field, Associated/Dansaki, Tom Shot Bank field, Green Energy, the Otakikpo field; and All Grace, operator of the Ubima field.

Shell’s livewire investment hits N300m UPGRADE

Company mulls upgrade for 5000 trainees into supply contractors’ status Adeola Yusuf

S

hell said at the weekend that its investment in the livewire scheme has exceeded N300 mil-

lion.

The Programme Manager, Livewire, Mrs. Monica Umah, who said this on the sideline of the graduation ceremony for 20 fresh trainees in Lagos, said that the company was ready to do more to support small businesses and enterpreneurs in Nigeria.

Over 5,000 Nigerians have, according to Umah, been trained and given financial support to start small busi-

Company trains 5,000 in 11 years nesses.

“In all, we have invested well over N300 million in the programme,” she said.

Livewire, according to her, is Shell’s social investment programme, which was started in Nigeria in 2003.

She said: “Globally for Shell, it (livewire) was inaugurated in 1982.

Today, what we are doing here is that we have been able to train 20 young people from different parts of the country - different states in the country.

“This is about Shell livewire programme. We had a classroom tutoring where we put them through different enterprises training on how to start and sustain small businesses.

“Today, like I said, we are graduating about 20 and we are en-

abling them with a cash advance of N750,000 each to enable them to start their businesses.

“Ten out of these 20 people are technology-based because their businesses are ICT-inclined and they don’t require a lot of space.

What they require is a table, a chair and a small space where they can put their desktop to work.

“So, we will take them to a centre, which we have set up in Marina.

There, they will be studied for one year.

“Part of what we want to achieve with this incubation centre is to relieve them of the overhead costs that businesses struggle with: Rent, Internet, cleaning, and all that. It takes away all that. What they need to do is to sit down and do their businesses with their customers. They will be there for one year.

30

Business | Energy

PRAISE

Company commends New Telegraph’s high level of professionalism Adeola Yusuf

T

he Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) has reaffirmed plans to augment its supply of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), also known as cooking gas, into the Nigerian market.

General Manager, external relations, NLNG, Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke, who said this during a courtesy visit to the corporate headquarters of New Telegraph newspaper in Lagos, said the planned expansion of LPG would be above 250,000 metric tonnes (mt) per day.

He said that the company’s plan to supply more gas to the local market is borne out of its corporate commitment to the Nigeria project.

The NLNG spokesperson said the company would contribute efforts to solve the shortage of LPG in the Nigerian

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

NLNG to expand LPG supply to local market Says FG gets over 70% of its proceeds Laments human, structural challenges market.

Accompanied by a staff of the NLNG’s external relations department, Mrs Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, EresiaEke said that over 70 per cent of the company’s proceeds goes to the government.

“On the gas supply shortage at the domestic market, we discovered that we cannot be supplying to the global market while the domestic market continues to run short of supply. So, we started with 100, 000 metric tonne, increased it to 150, 000 mt and now we are supplying 250, 000 mt to local market and we have said that if Nigerians want more we are ready to supply more,” he said.

He added, however, that this “intention to supply gas more” is be-

ing faced by drawbacks from some human and structural challenges.

He praised New Telegraph for its high level of professionalism in the Nigerian media industry within the short period of its establishment, stating that the “way the paper has broken in into the Nigeria’s media space is something for people to learn about” He promised his company’s partnership with the newspaper, stressing that the it has dis-

tinguished itself with its content and layout in the Nigeria’s media industry.

“The way the New Telegraph has broken in into the Nigeria’s media space is something for people to learn about.

You are doing very well.

Your design is a very good one.

“I cut my teeth at The Guardian and as a professional, one of the things I admire in your paper is its content and the way it looks,” he said.

Deputy Managing Director, New Telegraph, Mr. Gabriel Akinadewo, who led the company’s team to receive NLNG team, said that the management is spurred to do more in its bid to sustain the standard set by the newspaper.

He said: “The paper started publishing on February 3, this year and the newspaper has within months of establishment attained some heights. We are the first paper in Africa to get

partnership with International New York Times and we have started a 12-page pull out every Monday beginning from October 6.”

Editor, New Telegraph, Mr. Yemi Ajayi, corroborated Akinadewo’s view, and sought “mutually-benefiting partnership” NLNG and the newspaper, which is one of the best in Business and Politics.

Editor, Saturday, New Telegraph, Mr. Laurence Ani and his Sunday counterpart, Mr. Emeka Madunagu, promised the newspaper’s commitment to stand by truth in its reportage at all times.

Newspapers readers in Nigeria, Ani said, are very intelligent, adding, “we set out that what the national dailies are doing, we will do better.

Today, we are doing better, what every one else is doing.”

Glut looms as oil hits new four-year low

B

rent crude fell to a fresh four-year low under $72 a barrel at the weekend after OPEC decided not to cut output, a move investors said would leave oil markets heavily oversupplied.

A further blow to global oil demand could come when China releases official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data for November that could show slower growth, according to a Reuters poll.

Saudi Arabia blocked calls from poorer members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries for output reductions last Thursday, triggering a rout in oil markets.

The sell-off continued at the weekend with Brent reaching a low of $71.12, its weakest since July 2010. By 0945 GMT, Brent had recovered a little to trade around $71.90, down 68 cents.

U.S. crude oil hit a low of $67.75 a barrel on Friday, its lowest since May 2010 and down from Wednesday’s close of $73.69. U.S. financial markets were closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving.

“Welcome to the new world of oil,” said Michael Wittner, senior oil

analyst at French bank Societe Generale. “Saudi Arabia and OPEC will no longer be the mechanism to balance the market, they have relinquished that role.”

“Instead, the market itself - prices, in other words - will be the mechanism to rebalance the market. We cannot overstate what a dramatic and fundamental change this is for the oil market,” he added.

Brent was headed for its steepest monthly decline since November 2008, after falling more than 15 per cent this month.

It has lost more than a third of its value since June, falling from above $115 a barrel as increasing shale output in North America has helped create an oil glut at a time of sluggish global economic growth.

“The market is looking for a new paradigm, a new range to settle into. Where that is, is anybody’s guess. It could be $60, $70, or maybe even $80 a barrel,” said Eugen Weinberg, head of commodities research at Commerzbank in Frankfurt.

“We think somewhere between $70 and $80 a barrel is probably about right. But we shall see.”

L-R: Managing Director, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, Paul Obelley; General Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation, NCDMB, Chijioke Okorie and Chief Executive Officer, Wellmann Group, Mr. Chris Iyovwaye at Wellmann’s long term service award in Warri.

Suez power project: AfDB okays financing plan revision INVESTMENTS

$73.5 million bank’s loan to be used for covering part of the project’s local costs Adeola Yusuf

T

he Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has agreed to revise the financing plan for the on-going Suez Thermal Power Plant project.

The move will allow the Government of Egypt to leverage bank financing to cover part of the local costs

of constructing a 650 MW steam cycle power plant at a site located in the vicinity of Suez city, approximately 150 kilometres east of Cairo.

In December 2010, the AfDB extended a loan of US $550 million to the Government of Egypt for on-lending to the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company, EEHC/East Delta Electricity Production Company, EDEPC, to finance the Suez project.

The AfDB loan was originally intended to cover part of the foreign currency cost of the project. The recent restructuring of the project’s financing plan will allow the equivalent of US $73.5 million of the Bank’s loan to be used for covering part of the proj-

ect’s local costs as well.

Alex Rugamba, Director of the AfDB’s Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department, explained, “We recognize that, in addition to the Suez project, EDEPC is also implementing three other power generation projects as part of the utility’s generation expansion plan.

The financial obligations that EDEPC has to meet to finance all of these activities are challenging. Lifting some of that burden will improve the flow of resources to the projects, including the Suez Thermal Power Project. The result will be projects that progress more smoothly, finish on time and meet their intended objectives.”

Business | Energy

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

ADDITION

Plant to add 1,000MW to generation capacity Adeola Yusuf

A

$1 billion power plant to be sited in Kastina State would get gas supply from Niger Republic due to gas supply challenges in Nigeria, Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, has said.

The Federal Government has signed a $1 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Strancton Limited for the construction of a 1,000 megawatts power plant in Katsina State.

Nebo, who appended his signature on behalf of government, also signed another MoU with Greenville Oil and Gas Limited for the supply of liquefied natural gas to the Kaduna power plant.

Noting that the proposed power project was highly innovative, the minister declared that its promoter, Strancton, working with Katsina State, would use gas from Niger Republic to fire the plant.

The project was, according to him, a call on Nigerians to take full advantage of gas reserves by building infrastructure for its

FOR LADIES

Company supports 1,200 mechanics in self and Ladies Mechanic Initiatives Adeola Yusuf

O

ando Plc intends to boost its investments in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in 2015, to accommodate more supports for quality initiatives.

The Chief Executive Officer, Oando Downstream, Mr. Yomi Awobokun, said this during the 10th anniversary of Lady Mechanic Initiative (LMI) in Lagos.

He disclosed that his company had invested in training and support for 5, 000 mechanics.

“Over 5, 000 mechanics are to be trained over a two to three years period

by Oando downstream,” he said on the sideline of the event.

Fielding questions from newsmen, Awobokun said: “I challenge everybody here to support this LMI. We should all support this

31

Why Nigeria’s power plant relies on Niger Republic’s gas –Nebo utilisation, adding that gas alone could boost the country’s economy even without oil.

In a statement by the Deputy Director of Press, Federal Ministry

of Power, Mr. Timothy Oyedeji, Nebo promised to support the project as it was another way to stabilise the nation’s grid system.

He challenged other

states to emulate the Katsina State’s initiative by investing in the sector.

Corroborating Nebo’s view, the Minister of State, Mr. Moham-

med Wakil, said the signing of the MoUs was a proof that the efforts of the government in wooing investors were yielding positive results.

L-R: Dr. Nkoyo. E. Attah, DGM Corporate Social Responsibilities Deep water Total Upstream, presenting the HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria Hi-Tech screening machines to Mrs Edisua Usang Isong, Executive Chairman Bakassi Local Government, Cross Rivers State and Dr. Kenneth Takim, representing the commissioner for health, at the Total Upstream and Total Nigeria Plc expanded HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria preventive awareness and care project in Calabar.

Oando to boost CSR investments in 2015 initiative, we should expose them internationally, we should correct them when they go wrong, we should say good words of encouragement to them so that the world will be able to see the good in Nigeria through them.”

Earlier, the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the LMI, Hajia Bintu Omosefe Tinubu, said that the initiative would continue to strive to ensure that women are respected and dignified based on quality contribution to humanity.

She said: “We want the women of Africa to be dignified and respected all over the world based on their contribution to global technological and mechanical development.

“We will continue to strive to ensure that this is done through this initiative and through other laudable initiatives.”

Her view was corroborated by the commissioner for commerce and

industry, Mrs. Olusola Oworu, who represented Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola at the ocassion.

“I congratulate Miss Sandra, the brain behind this initiative, for her desire to pursue her dream and go against gender restrictions.

“Women achievers challenge status quo to attain heights in hitherto main dominated society.

“It is now proven that many women are now in decision and policy making board rooms as much as men. We need more participation in all sphere of our economic and political lives,” she said.

Oworu said: “It is “commendable to note that this initiative has 700 women, a record number by all standard.”

The Deputy Consul General, Consulate of the Federal Republic of German, Jorg Steckhan, said in a goodwill message that the government of Germany sees the training of over 700 ladies as

not only an enormous contribution to woman empowerment and gender equality in Nigeria, but it could serve as a role model internationally.

“The government of Germany is assuring you that we will continue to support this initiative,” he said.

“The equipment of young ladies with professional skills in the field of automotive repairs will help them to earn their living independently, and thus reduce their vulnerability as victims of poverty, human trafficking and exploitation.

“Through the financial contribution of the German Consulate General in 2012, the Lady Mechanics Initiative could further equip its repair shop with a mechanical tool box, a tyre changer and a hand trolley.

“We look forward to our cooperation in the future and will continue to gladly render our support to this outstanding initiative.”

The realisation of the project would, according to Wakil, bring Nigeria nearer to the target of 20,000MW by 2020 as contained in the vision 2020 document.

He observed that the project, which would run on gas from Niger Republic, would assist in bridging the gap of non-availability of gas, adding that “the planned supply of LNG to Kaduna Plant will give us a good footing.”

The Chief Executive Officer, Strancton Limited, Mr. Edozie Njoku, who spoke on behalf of the two companies, noted that the plant would be the first gas pipelinefed electricity project in northern Nigeria.

The estimated $1 billion project, according to Njoku, will lead to reduced energy cost, industrial development, creation of skilled jobs and improve the quality of livelihood in Nigeria.

He added that the initial target for the first phase was 300MW with a 30-month construction period, adding that the plan was to move steadily to 1,000MW in years ahead.

Ghana approves Eni’s $6bn offshore gas project

G

hana’s government has given Italian energy firm, Eni, the final green light to develop gas resources in the Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) block, expected to begin production in 2017.

The government of Ghana, which said this with hope to boost oil and gas production, maintained in a statement that it also planned to acquire a third floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, to be used for the $6 billion offshore project, which must now be approved by Ghana’s parliament.

“This project promises to deliver up to 170 million cubic feet of gas per day for the next 20 years and put Ghana on its way to a future where one of the critical constraints to power generation (cheaper fuel) will be addressed,” it said.

A senior official at Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), a partner in the project, said the $6 billion total covers all costs leading to production of oil and gas, including the initial cost of the FPSO, which will be leased.

Eni operates the OCTP block, in partnership with commodities trader Vitol and GNPC. Ghana produces around 100,000 barrels per day from the offshore Jubilee field, which also produces 120 million cubic feet of gas.

32

Business | Energy

LOCAL CONTENT

Nigeria to remain poor if its people do not get involved in the service end of the oil industry

Adeola Yusuf

T

he Federal Gover nment has challenged indigenous service companies to explore creative strategies of motivating their staff so as to retain the skills and capacities they have developed within their companies.

Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Ernest Nwapa, stated this at the long-term service award organised at the weekend in Warri

by Wellmann Group, an indigenous oil servicing firm with expertise in heavy lifting and marine transportation, which offered stakes in the company to four of its long serving staff, as strategy of rewarding and further motivating them.

This came as the Managing Director of Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC), Paul Obelley, declared that the success of Nigeria’s multi-billion dollars oil and gas industry partly depends on the servicing sub-sector.

Obelley, who chaired the event stated: “No matter how much Nigeria is rich in crude oil, if our people do not get involved in the service end of the industry, we would remain poor and unable to create jobs.”

He extolled NCDMB for creating a climate that has encouraged Nigerian companies to thrive.

According to him, the Nigerian Content Act is a good initiative for unlocking the wealth of the economy for Nigerians.

Other recipients of the awards were the company’s strategic partners and clients such as Nigerdock, Shell, Chevron, Subsea7, Total among others.

Nwapa, who was represented at the event by the board’s General Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation, Chijioke Okorie, explained that retaining quality staff within service companies was fundamental to developing Nigerian Content as it would help firms develop institutional, technological and infrastructural capacities to deliver on projects.

Okorie described the

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Employee’s motivation: FG challenges service firms achievements of Wellmann as a confirmation that the Board’s implementation strategies were working and yielding results.

He said: “There were a number of jobs that some operating companies tried to give out to international service companies. The Board intervened and the jobs were placed with Wellmann. That helped to build the company’s capacity and infrastructure over the years.

Wellmann is a good representative of Nigerian Content and the Board is proud of its growth.”

In his welcome address, the Chief Executive Officer of Wellmann Group, Mr. Chris Iyovwaye, explained that the benefitting employees had worked devotedly in the establishment for over 10 years and had become stakeholders of the company.

He noted that they joined when the company was barely able to pay meagre salaries, hence deserve to receive a percentage of profit declared at the end of every financial year.

Iyovwaye commended the NCDMB for its

implementation of the Nigerian Content Act, crediting the policy for the growth of the company especially in an area that was dominated by foreign players.

He said “Wellmann is just one of the many success stories scattered all over Nigeria, doing well because of

the implementation of the Nigerian Content Act. With determination and focus, we have grown from a company that hires equipment whenever it wanted to work, to a company owns every type of equipment whenever it goes to work.”

The CEO listed some

of the company’s equipment to include self-propelled modular trailers, with capacity to lift and transport over 4000tons of structures at a single lift; modular jacking and weighing systems; offshore barges; ballast and mooring equipment and cranes.

He attributed the suc-

cess of the company to the ploughing back of resources generated from the business and expressed readiness to invest further in barging and tugboat business, which according to him, was still dominated by foreign companies, thus contributing to huge capital flight.

L-R: Commissioner, Government and Consumer Affairs Divison, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Mr. Abba Ibrahim; Managing Director, Resources Operating Group, Accenture, Mrs. Abayomi Olarinmoye and Chief Operating Officer, Shiroro Hydroelectric Power Station, Mr. Daudu Abdul-Aziz, during the West African Power Industry Convention in Lagos.

RIPPLES

Russia could lose around 500 billion roubles from budget revenues in 2015

Adeola Yusuf

R

ussia sees an average oil price of between $80 and $90 per barrel in the medium and possibly in the long-term, Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov, has said, underlining growing pressure on the Russian budget.

Russia needs an oil price of $100 per barrel to balance

Russia sees average oil price at $80-90 in medium, long-term its 2015-2017 budget and has watched nervously as Brent has lost around 30 percent since June.

It traded at around $78 per barrel last Wednesday before an Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting to discuss the price.

“We are now in a new environment ... so our budget, economic plans should be built assuming the new macro environment, which, we think, will not change any time soon,” Siluanov told Russia’s upper house

of parliament.

“The new oil price of $8090 per barrel is most likely to stay over the medium- or even longer-term.”

Russia is among the world’s top three crude oil producers but its scope to limit supply to the global markets is limited.

Even if there was a way to curb supply to shore up prices, Russia could lose market share and a vital source of revenue.

In Vienna, talks between Saudi Arabia, fellow OPEC member Venezuela and non-

members Russia and Mexico yielded no agreement last Tuesday on how to address the growing oil glut, ending without any plan to cut output.

Siluanov said if the oil price did not change and the rouble remained weak, Russia could lose around 500 billion roubles from budget revenues in 2015. Coupled with lower economic growth, the total loss could reach 1 trillion roubles, he added.

Siluanov also said that Russia was unlikely to tap foreign capital markets next year.

First all Nigerian-built subsea production tree inaugurated

F

MC Technologies Incorporated, one of the leading global provider of technology solutions for the energy industry, has announced that it has inaugurated its first subsea production tree built entirely in Nigeria.

The equipment, manufactured for Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd. (SNEPCo) Bonga Northwest proj-

ect, marks the company’s first subsea equipment engineered, manufactured, tested, installed and serviced entirely in the country.

Oil production from the first well at the Bonga Northwest deepwater development off the Nigerian coast began on August 5, 2014.

Four oil producing wells and two water injection

wells in the Bonga Northwest Phase 1 development will be connected to the Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel from where oil is loaded onto tankers for shipping around the world.

FMC Technologies is providing the subsea production systems to support the development, which is led by SNEPCo.

Shelagh Daley, the Area Manager of FMC Technologies Africa Region Subsea said in a statement: “We have been working with SNEPCo to supply subsea systems for the Bonga Northwest development since 2010. This local manufacturing of equipment marks a significant milestone for the company and for the country’s energy industry.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

Surveyors’ Board declares war on fake practitioners p.34 REFORMS Experts seek reforms of the land law, cost of money to accelerate growth Dayo Ayeyemi

33

Property&Environment

Post-rebasing: Estate surveyors weigh impact on real estate es to investors have to do with high interest rates, title issues, poor infrastructure, corruption and currency risk. He added that issues with practitioners in the real estate sector have to do with poor office arrangement, poor salaries, lack of proper and training.

Chairman at the forum, Mr Yemisi Shyllon, an engineer, noted that 45 per cent of the nation’s population are youths, noting that with the figure, Nigerians have capacity to move the economy forward but they have failed to tap into the potential.

He pointed out that the nation’s manufacturing has been growing because of foreign interest, but regretted that these foreign investors were also repatriating their profits.

He warned that the government needs to invest in infrastructure development and urged developers to tap into the tourism sector, citing France and Dubai as countries that generate much revenue from tourism.

W

ith the recent rebasing, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) has risen to N80.2 trillion or $509.9 billion, from N42.4 trillion or $269.5 billion.

The nation is now the 26th largest economy in the world and the largest economy in Africa, ahead of South Africa.

However, despite the perceived expansion of the economy, six months after the rebasing, experts in the real estate industry are now weighing its impact on their sector. Specifically, looking at some of the issues that must be tackled to accelerate growth of the industry.

GDP rebasing is the process of replacing old base year price structure in compiling volume measures of GDP with a new or more recent base year, usually at five years average interval.

GDP is the total market value of all final goods and services produced in a country in a given year, equal to total consumer, investment, government spending plans and the value of exports, less the value of imports.

Experts’ perspectives The experts, who spoke at a forum of the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development organised by the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Lagos State chapter, listed some of the opportunities the rebasing exercise has offered the real estate sector in terms of increased activities in the areas of office and commercial developments and services.

However, they warned that the structure around the cost of funds would need to be addressed for the residential segment to take off.

Besides, they pointed out that laws around land ownership, which has been major bottleneck has to be tackled.

Justifying their argument, they stated that rented apartments would continue to be in high demand as majority would not be able to afford the cash-andcarry nature of ownership.

Reforms required Dr. Doyin Salami, a lecturer at the Lagos Business School, said that there would be need for reforms in the areas of cost of and access to fund, poor access to long-term fund, cost and time for foreclosing on a property, lack of housing supply, regulatory burden, credit risk, lack of knowledge on mortgage of income, and difficulty with property registra-

2015 budget: Lagos to spend N49bn on housing p.34

Model of Heritage Place, Lagos

tion and titling.

He noted that credit to the real estate and construction sector is growing, pointing out that aggregate credit has risen by 3.18 per cent year-to-date (ytd) compared with 2.27 per cent decline in same period in 2012.

Effects Analysing the real estate sector’s growth, he said: “On the average, credit to the private sector has risen by 7.42 per cent in comparison to 2012. Credit to the private sector rose Y-o-Y by 10.43 per cent in September –September Y-o-Y CPS figures grew at a rate above the Y-o-Y. “Credit to real estate and construction sector rose ytd by 2.27 per cent to N673.14bn in Aug 2013 from N539.76bn in Dec 2012 and grew y-o-y by 22.85 per cent from N547.92bn in Aug 2012.”

He also noted that loans to the real estate and construction sector accounted for less than 8 per cent of total lending portfolio of commercial banks, blaming

There would be need for reforms in the areas of cost of and access to fund, poor access to long term fund, cost and time for foreclosing on a property

low activities in the sector on absence of long-term funding and high lending rates, adding that liquidity tightening has been responsible for observed increase in lending rates.

Principal Partner, Estate Links Limited, Mr Gbenga Olaniyan, said that the rebase of the nation’s GDP has offered opportunities for commercial and residential developments, noting that a lot of international firms have been involved in the building of more malls in the country, citing the on-going Maryland and Isapa Malls in Lagos.

He stated that many office developments have also taken off, enjoining estate surveyors to update themselves and have right perception about the industry, develop research capabilities and embrace mergers and acquisition to be able to compete globally as their foreign counterparts.

Challenges Olaniyan stated that challeng-

Opportunities The size of opportunity space offered the Nigerian housing sector through the recent rebasing of nation’s GDP has been estimated at $385 billion.

Salami explained that real estate sector is currently the 6th largest sector in the economy after crop production, distribution, crude petroleum and natural gas, information and communication, telecommunication.

On the implication of the rebased economy for real estate, he said it would lead to increase in investment opportunities, adding that as activities in the services sector increase, there would be an increase in investment and real estate infrastructure.

On the nature of opportunity, he stated that the rebased GDP numbers has put the per capita income in Nigeria at $3,010, describing it as a mark of improvement, which has moved the nation from the low-income bracket to the low-middle income classification.

According to him, this suggested better purchasing power of an average Nigerian and it has implications for commercial real estate in particular, “as there is high and positive correlation between increasing per capita income and organised retail shopping.”

He stated that the rebase has offered another opportunity to fill the nation’s mortgage funding gap of $58 billion (as at 2011).

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Lagos mulls LUFASI Park for biodiversity, recreation URBAN FOREST The 25-hectare facility is dedicated to the protection of rare species of plants and animals Stories by Dayo Ayeyemi

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n urban forest and animal sanctuary has been officially opened to the public in Lagos. The initiative, located on the Lekki expressway, in keeping with the on-going “greening” programme of the Lagos State government, is aimed at providing the metropolis with recreational green space in a most tranquil setting that hosts hundreds of mature palm trees and some of the last remnants of the rare, endangered Ekki (iron) wood tree.

Named Lagos Urban Forest and Animal Sanctuary Park, the project which is being actualised in collaboration with Lagos State government, is also the home base for the on-going development of a world class animal hospital, dog kennels and horse rescue centre.

At the opening ceremony of the park, Governor Babatunde Fashola who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative, Dr. Olajide Bashorun, said that the project was a realised dream of the Lagos State government. According to him, though efforts about the project have been on for a long time, the involvement of the La-

gos State government was not too long ago.

He said: “Lagos State government is very supportive of this project and we are very happy about it. By next year, before the tenure of Governor Babatunde Fashola is over, we are hopeful that all aspects of the project shall have been fully realised.

“The main structure, the animal hospital, would soon be completed. The animal hospital is going to be a Veterinary Hospital with all facilities. The intention of government is making efforts to ensure that we don’t have stray animals on the streets of Lagos.

“Already, we have made provisions and gotten some people who are interested in animal transportation system with specialised vehicles. We have a control unit that will get the stray animals, particularly horses and dogs. Part of the efforts is that there will be stables here where such animals will be kept,” he added.

The founder, Lagos Urban Forest and Animal Sanctuary Initiative, Desmond Majekodunmi, said that the 25-hectare urban forest is dedicated to the protection of some rare species of plants and animals.

“We have worked for some years now to protect the place and develop it as a Nature Park for the preservation of nature. For instance, we have the popular ‘Ekki Tree’ here. This is a rare species of hard wood known to man. The nature park is also the abode of some rare species of birds like the bald vulture which, according to or-

nithologists, are very important birds because they help as crucial scavengers to balance up the ecology.”

Majekodunmi, an environmentalist, added that the project has dedicated a large portion of the land for a children’s Play Park where children can interact with nature.

He said: “There is going to be an environmental education college as well where children and students can learn about ecology and the importance of preserving nature. We have to remember that every single thing that we need for our survival comes from a healthy environment.

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state Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVANBON) said it has put requisite machinery in place to reduce drastically the nefarious activities of quacks that are giving the profession bad names.

This machinery, the Chairman of ESVANBON, Mr. Williams Odudu, said, was in collaboration with the relevant law enforcement agencies to check the spread of pseudo practices and bring to book culprits found guilty of the offense.

Disclosing this during the induction ceremony of 126 new members into the profession of estate surveying and valuation in Nigeria, Odudu said the board has instituted actions in courts against quacks who would not heed its warning.

He said: “Let me emphasise here that the focus of the current board is to battle quacks to a stand-still.”

Odudu, who was also a past President of the Nige-

rian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) told the inductees that the focus of the board was to substantially reduce the nefarious activities of quacks by registering many more qualified estate surveyors and valuers.

He admonished the inductees to give a good account of themselves and be good ambassadors of the body, adding that the stamps, seals and certificates being given to them remained the property of the board and that it reserved the right to withdraw the items at any time if recklessly used.

Odudu said: “The rule and regulations of the board should be the guide of any registered estate surveyor and valuer and their violation will not be tolerated. Therefore, the ethics and ethos of the profession should be carefully guarded by all and sundry.”

NIESV’s President, Mr James Omeru, admonished

contribution to the wonderful greening environmental programme of the Lagos State government,” he said.

Speaking on the management of the park, a Trustee of the initiative, Helena Van Dieirendonck, described the centre as a non-profit making organisation that would help Nigerians appreciate nature more.

According to her, the park would serve many purposes, which include a training centre for young veterinary doctors in Nigeria as well as environmental education centre for the children while preserving the biodiversity of the place.

Lufasi Park Lekki-Lagos with recreational facilities

Surveyors’ Board declares war on fake practitioners lInducts 126 new members

He applauded the Lagos State government for its full collaboration and endorsement, saying the governor has been keeping an eye on the place. “He is very keen to see it established as a well-protected Nature Reserve and Animal Hospital. There will be an animal sanctuary here, because you see a lot of these poor animals around in Lagos, especially some of these horses, in very terrible conditions. We will be going out and taking them away from those situations and put them in a far more humane kind of settings where they will be rehabilitated. We have already started that process. So, it is our little

the inductees on the need for continuous learning and the need for them to develop sense of responsibility in their practice.

“Your action must be above board; you need to be honest and devoted. Devotion is the hallmark of practice. There must be devotion in rendering service to your clients, government and in agency practice,” he stated.

Guest of honour at the event, Mr Emmanuel Omuojine, tasked the inductees to live a life of moderation and to imbibe the tenets of punctuality in the course of practice.

He also enjoined them to explore various specialties the profession has offered them for their benefits, adding that they would need to seek for more knowledge through training and retraining programmes in order to be the best.

“You must have self-esteem, be confident, dress well, eat well and don’t drink too much,” he said.

2015 budget: Lagos to spend N49bn on housing f the 2015 budget proposal lion or 0.71 per cent in 2014) ILagos of N489.69 billion by the • Housing and communiState government to ty amenities: N49.03 billion the state House of Assembly is anything to go by, activities in the housing and environment sectors will again receive a major boost in terms of funding during the year.

In the new budget’s proposal, the state government intends to spend N49.03 billion (or 10 per cent as against N50.54 billion or 10.32 per cent in 2014) on housing and community amenities, while environmental protection takes N34.95 billion (or 7.1 per cent instead of N39.72 billion or 8.11 per cent it was allocated in 2014).

The breakdown of key budget is as follows: • Education: N82.11 billion (or 16.6 per cent as against N77.42 billion or 15. 81 per cent recorded in 2014).

• Environmental protection: N34.95 billion (or 7.1 per cent instead of N39.72 billion or 8.11 per cent it was allocated in 2014) • Recreation, culture and religion:N3.12 billion (or 0.6 per cent as against N3.48 bil-

(or 10 per cent as against N50.54 billion or 10.32 per cent in 2014) • Health: N44.62 billion (or 9.1 per cent instead of N37.81 billion or 7.72 per cent it was voted in 2014) • Public order and safety: N15.55 billion (or 3.2 per cent instead of N17.98 billion or 3.67 per cent it got in 2014) • Social protection: N1.59 billion (or 0.3 per cent as against N2.47 billion or 0.50 per cent in 2014) Speaking, Govenor Fashola said that the budget size was retained in order to keep zero deficits for the incoming government.

According to him, 2015 budget would focus on payment of contractors’ liabilities to enable the government completes as many projects as possible before handing over to the next administration.

He pointed out that out of the 400 roads he promised, over 190 roads have been completed in the last three years, with 210 at various advanced stages.

Business | Property & Environment

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

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‘Ambassador Height ready by Dec 2015’ Yusuf Shuaib Abuja

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he high-end residential development being built adjacent to the Moevenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, Ghana, is due for completion in December 2015, the Sales Manager, Ambassador Height, Robert Davis, has said.

Davis, who made the disclosure to some journalists during a break-

fast meeting in Abuja, explained that with respect to other reasons for his visit to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, he was meeting with prospective development partners for a potential Moevenpick hotel and residential project on Jabi Lake Abuja Nigeria.

“We want to create a small community by the Jabi Lake in Abuja, from a density stand point, because there is huge opportunity to do in Abuja what is done in Accra, Ghana”

the sales manager noted.

Developed by globally recognised Kingdom Hotel Investments, Ambassador Heights, which is located adjacent to the Moevenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra Ghana was rebuilt in 2005 and reopened in 2011.

He added that the residential addition, which is the Phase 3 of the overall project would create the first 5-Star mixed used development in the country and region.

According to Davis,

the property, which comprised of 18 luxurious and exclusive homes is one of the most sought-after locations in the city.

“It will deliver world class design and build quality in addition to modern glass facades, manicured private gardens, and beautifully styled interiors that will compliment an unrivalled ownership experience, just as the impressive development will offer immediate access to all of Accra – from the Ambassador Hotel to the

sprawling seashore and the growing city, he added.

“Each home expected to cost $1.5million Dollars for 3-4 bedroom will have direct access to the services and amenities of the surrounding complex; private concierge, world class dining, shopping, fitness, swimming, meeting and event facilities with all the comfort of being in a secure environment supported by continuous 24 hour electricity and water supply”, not to mention how owners will

enjoy an unparalleled lifestyle experience at these luxury exclusive homes.

Ambassador Heights would deliver world-class design and build quality, coupled with modern glass facades, manicured private gardens, and beautiful interiors complete with luxury finishes, fittings and appliances, that would complement an unrivalled ownership experience, he maintained.

The 18 exclusive homes for the investment focused buyers will avail prospective buyers, rental management options and opportunity through the hotel the best luxury and investment flexibility of renting long-term or through the hotel on a short-term basis, depending on the customer.

Prospective residents will enjoy a fully serviced lifestyle experience that will include swimming pool, spa, fitness, restaurants, retail, meeting and event facilities. In addition, the luxury services of the hotel will be extended to the Residences allowing homeowners to enjoy housekeeping, in-room dining, laundry, valet services, and much more.

CNN reveals Adenowo’s passion for buildings

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ast week, one of Nigeria’s foremost female architects, Olajumoke Adenowo, was featured on ‘African Voices’, CNN’s International weekly halfhour programme highlighting Africa’s most engaging personalities.

‘African Voices’ focused on Adenowo’s passion for functional and beautiful buildings from a young age, and how continuous travelling with her parents across Europe exposed her to historic landmarks and buildings with inspire architecture across the world.

Adenowo told the programme how growing up with two educated parents fortified her passion, and how a boss who believed and encouraged her through thick and thin contributed to her success in the architectural industry.

She narrated how she went on to start her own company, A-D Consulting, at the age of 25 and has designed over 70 buildings in the past 20 years.

The projects encompass gated communities, institutional buildings and 2,500 sitter auditoriums of all kinds.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

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For Chidoka, a wake up call p.37 Nobody knows Nigeria’s exact population figure, but it is believed that it could be over 170 million.

That should ordinarily excite investors, particularly airline operators. Aviation Editor, WOLE SHADARE, writes that it is not the case, as less than 10 per cent of Nigerians take to air travel. It is also one of the reasons airline business in Nigeria is not profitable

Aviation

Arik raises frequency on Enugu, other routes p.37

Wanted! Incentives to lure Nigerians to embrace air travel

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nofficially, Nigeria’s population oscillates between 160 and 170 million. By all standards, this ordinarily should excite investors.

While some firms are said to benefit from this huge market, others are finding it very tough to operate. For domestic air travel, it is not a good story to tell.

The number of Nigerians that travel by air both on international destinations and domestic routes is less than eight per cent of the population, which is 14.2 million. In countries with highly developed air transportation industry, a significant segment of the population travels by air.

With favourable government policy, a boost in the economy and incentives to airlines, more Nigerians can be attracted to the airports and passenger movement could be increased to 20 per cent of the population. So, the total passenger movement could increase to 35 million per annum.

Domestic, international traffic figure The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had recently in its “Domestic Air Passenger Traffic - January 2012 to December 2013” data released in April 2014, put both domestic and international traffic at 14, 227,410.

According to the statistics, about 50 per cent of average total passenger that travelled by air between 2012 and 2013 were via Lagos airports (domestic and international), while about 25 per cent were through Abuja airports. Together, Lagos and Abuja airports were responsible for over 75 per cent of the total air passenger travel for both 2012 and 2013.

In summary, the NBS disclosed that air transport contributed N32.6 billion to Nigeria’s “rebased” Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2010; N36.6 billion in 2011; N42.7 billion in 2012 and N48.8 billion in 2013, representing an average of 4.8 per cent of

Crowded passengers inside the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

to shun the airports as they are now taking to road travel despite the sorry state of both federal and state governments’ roads. The roads have become death traps.

transport and storage sector and an average of 0.05 per cent of total nominal GDP during the period.

With this data, it shows that Nigeria’s economy has done incalculable damage to the purchasing power of over 60 per cent of the populace with average income said to be less than N100,000 or a little over N100,000 monthly.

Experts’ prediction Experts predicted that more Nigerians would shun air travel next year due to austerity measures or belt-tightening policy of government, occasioned by the devaluation of naira.

It is not out of place to say that Nigeria has one of the least developed air transport industries in the world, but the multimillion dollar question is: How the numerous airlines that are in operation today are going to survive, taking into consideration that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is at the verge of issuing Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to over 16 more carriers?

The airlines are coming in when the lifespan of airlines in Nigeria is put at less than 10 years. It is very curious that there is more investment in the sector when the return on capital is abysmally low.

The question experts are asking is: Where are the passengers they are going to carry? This is coming at a time several people are taking to land transportation despite the fact that air travel is the safest and fastest means of transportation.

Already, people are beginning

Experts predicted that more Nigerians would shun air travel next year due to austerity measures

Air fare crash The crash of air fares by virtually all the airlines has not really helped matters. Virtually all the carriers, with the exception of two, now charge travellers less than N12,000 for one hour journey. In spite of that, the fare reduction has not made people to travel by air. To them, air travel is still a luxury they would be able to afford when their pay rise.

A managing Director of one of the carriers told New Telegraph that there is the need to find a lasting solution to the dwindling fortunes of airlines in the country, warning that the situation could also affect various aviation agencies, which are sustained by the different charges they get from the travelling public.

According to him: “The airlines are equally affected as revenue is expected to drop drastically. If care is not taken, they will be saying good night to an industry, which has so much potential for growth, but one which is not run effectively by policy formulators.”

The source noted that in spite the huge potential for growth, the airlines are still not able to compete favourably with European airlines, whose capital flight out of Nigeria is put at over N300 billion annually.

Government to the rescue Managing Director of IRS Air-

lines, Mr Yemi Dada, lamented that the operating environment is not conducive; there is high overhead cost for airlines and Nigeria’s price of Jet A1, that is aviation fuel, is the highest in the world. He noted that because fuel constitutes over 40 per cent of operational cost of an airline, it becomes major components of the ticket.

How does one explain that Nigeria which ranks as the fifth producer of crude oil cannot refine locally except it is taken abroad?

Does it not bother government that aviation fuel costs more in Nigeria than in any other part of the world? Does it not also worry government that foreign airlines prefer to refuel in neighbouring African countries of Ghana and Benin Republic, thereby depriving the country of huge revenue.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) charge oil marketers certain percentage on each litre of fuel dispensed to airlines.

Nigeria is the only country in the world where aviation kerosene, otherwise known as JET A1, is more expensive than Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). The marketers seem to be taking advantage of the deregulated nature of the industry.

Apart from the high cost of JET A1, the operators are equally reeling under the weight of excessive Value Added Tax (VAT) on air travel. Investigation also shows that Nigeria is the only country in the world that charges VAT on air travel. The VAT Decree No. 102 of 1993 exempted all CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

Emirates to add seven flights to Maldives EXPANSION The increased cargo capacity on the route would also help facilitate business Stories by Wole Shadare

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mirate has announced a third daily service to Malé, the capital of the Maldives. The new service started on December 1, 2014.

Emirates Senior Vice-President, Commercial OperationsWest Asia and Indian Ocean, Ahmed Khoory, said in a statement “The Maldives has proven to be a strong market for leisure and family travel.

“With a wide range of luxury

hotel chains, romantic beaches and adventurous water sports activities; it certainly has something for everyone. Emirates’ additional daily flight to Malé will give our customers greater flexibility in their travel plans allowing them to visit this exciting destination and connect seamlessly to other flights on Emirates’ extensive global network.”

He stated that the increased cargo capacity on the route would also help facilitate business between the Maldives and its key trading markets.

The airline chief noted that both flights offer excellent connecting times to flights from and to key destinations in the UK and Europe, adding that for passengers visiting Malé, for

example, the connecting time in Dubai for inbound Emirates flights from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Paris, Milan, Moscow, Frankfurt and Zurich is less than three hours.

Similarly, the new outbound flight offers a connecting time of three hours or less with Emirates flights to London, Birmingham, Manchester, Frankfurt and Madrid.

He further disclosed that both cabins are equipped with Emirates’ award-winning ice entertainment system with up to 1,800 channels on-demand entertainment to choose from, including movies, television programmes, games, audio books and music from across the world.

Emirates’ A380 aircraft in flight

Arik raises frequency on Enugu, other routes n a bid to cope with pas- Abuja-Ibadan, Abuja-Kano, aging Director/Executive Itravellers sengers demands and give Abuja-Asaba and Lagos- Vice President, Mr. Chris more options for Kano services now operate Ndulue said, “There is an same day return trips, Arik Air has released its 2014 winter schedule with increased capacity in key domestic routes.

The new schedule, which came into effect on November 17, 2014, according to the management of the carrier, saw an increase in the frequency of flights on the Lagos-Calabar, Lagos-Enugu, Lagos-Benin, Abuja-Benin, Lagos-Kano, Abuja-Kano, Abuja-Asaba and AbujaIbadan routes.

The frequency on the Lagos-Calabar and LagosEnugu routes have been increased from daily (seven weekly) to double daily (14 weekly) while Lagos-Benin has been increased from 14 weekly (double daily) to 20 frequencies (three times daily and twice on Saturdays).

Similarly, the Abuja-Benin flight frequency has been increased from daily (seven weekly) to 13 weekly (i.e. two daily and one on Saturdays).

daily.

With the new winter schedule, the days of operation for the Lagos-Luanda service has now been changed to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. This flight was hitherto operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Commenting on the new schedule, Arik Air’s Man-

increasing demand from our guests on our domestic routes. Arik Air is committed to providing all of its guests with a range of flights at suitable times. We have identified and delivered on the demands and are continuously reviewing our route network to offer increased convenience and seamless connections.”

AIR RAGE

modes of transportation.

Rail, road, shipping and inland waterways do not pay VAT, but air travel pays.

Foreign airlines do not pay VAT on air travel.

Wake up call for Chidoka Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, has set up a com-

mittee with a view to finding a lasting solution to the myriads of challenges confronting the airline industry. Stakeholders are, however, impatient to see him match his words with action and not the usual rhetoric and euphoria that accompany the appointment of individuals in Nigeria into higher offices.

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Wole Shadare

For Chidoka, a wake up call

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hen Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, was appointed, many heaved a sigh of relief that a fixer has being appointed to tackle the problems of the sector.

The optimism was high in some quarters because of the transformation he was said to have brought to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

For others, they did not expect much from him considering the enormity of the rot in the sector. Some others felt Chidoka was overhyped as a Corps Marshal. Since his assumption of office, the Minister has been elusive, choosing to work underground unlike propaganda that characterised the tenure of past administrations.

But Chidoka needs to come out of his shell and let the industry know his exact agenda. He seems not to have a clear cut direction of steering the ship of the industry. Some of his supporters said he is a silent worker; a man who works quietly to achieve his objective rather than being a ‘noise maker.’

But majority of stakeholders said this is the time for him to take the bull by the horn to bring sanity to a sector that is life-dependent.

Let it not be said that it was during his tenure that majority of the carriers died due to huge burden of high taxes and bad policy that has not only stunted the growth of Nigerian airlines, but one that could finally lead to their extinction.

It could be argued that

Incentives to lure Nigerians to embrace air travel CO NT INU E D FRO M PAGE 36

WITH

Business | Aviation

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

Chidoka

the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), as a regulatory body, is capable of regulating the sector and could be given a pass mark in its duties.

Just recently, the minister set up a committee to look at what the airlines termed double charges. For government to help domestic operators, they should put all these charges into one pocket. It could be minimal to reduce the overhead of all the airlines because the major enemy of the game is aviation fuel.

We keep going forward and backward to the extent that fuel in Nigeria still goes for between N154 and N165 per litre. In some areas, it goes for N170 per litre. The business is down.

Also about maintenance, nobody in this country is capable of providing any of the major checks in this country. It is very sad, very unfortunate.

The money the airlines collect goes to the parallel market. The dollar is now exchanged for N182.

It is very sad. If they make money in naira component, they want to do services or maintenance on their aircraft, they go to the parallel market and buy at N182, what is left for them to handle? This is critical to the survival of the airlines.

Stakeholders are, however, impatient to see the minister match his words with action and not the usual rhetoric and euphoria that accompany the appointment of individuals in Nigeria into higher offices.

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Business | Aviation

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Some airlines doctor their safety certificate – Discovery Airline boss through. We had our calculations, bought those machines and they were fully paid for and not on lease including the insurance. To let you know, we have insurance of one year paid for already.

Our insurance abroad is Brokers and Willies. It was formally AON, but we had to shift from that to the new one.

To answer that question, when you are applying for your AOC and doing your demo, as I speak with you, other airlines like Okada want to return to operations and looking for their AOC. NCAA as an organisation has a lot it is doing right now. When we were going through that process, AZMAN, Air Peace and a couple of others were also going through the same process, so, we were many in the hands of NCAA. At times, you might think you will finish your AOC process within six months and it took you 18 months and with this, how many number of time do you have to go for a major check like the C-Check? That was what happened.We didn’t earn any income for 18 months and we’ve been paying salaries and I can tell you we paid nothing less than N400m in salaries over those periods of time and shortly after that.

As I speak with you today, we do not have any exposure with any bank in Nigeria.

One of Nigeria’s start-up airlines, Discovery, has been in the news for the wrong reasons. In this interview with WOLE SHADARE, chairman of the airline, Babatunde Babalola, said the airline is not insolvent. He unfolded the carrier’s plan to expands, its fleet to match demand as he looks into the regional market. Excerpts What is the financial state of your airline as it has been alleged to be unhealthy?

We are not insolvent. A few questions have been asked about Discovery Air that bothers on state of affairs of the airline. The airline is one of the new airlines that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) issued Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), about five months back and then, before now, we have been going through the process, one of them was the certification that would lead to the issuance of AOC. That took us about 18 months to go through and from day one, NCAA insisted on having the full complement of staff as a prerequisite for the issuance of AOC. If I recall as well, I think we were paying N39 million monthly as salary from inception without any form of revenue then and that we did for 18 months.

The AOC was issued in July and we started operations immediately with two aircraft, Boeing 737-300 and less than a month after the commencement of operation, we had to send one of the aircraft for a C- Check. We believe so much in safety, we cannot compromise safety. In the time past, some other airlines used to doctor their safety certificate, but we didn’t do that, we had to take our machine to one of the best Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO), facility in England.

Normally, when you go for a C-Check, you spend an average of about $300,000 in other places like Turkey, Poland and some other countries, you can get it cheaper, but on this particular one, we spent nothing less than $800,000.

There was an online medium, which wrote that the company is going under, we owe workers’ salaries and so on. I think they are not fair to us because they didn’t write from informed position. However, I believe the media is doing their job for the benefit of Nigerians. For them to say we are broke, if we were broke as a company, how would we have spent about N150 million on a C-Check.

I’m glad to tell you that come November 27, 2014, we are going to commence Owerri route, Enugu on December 1, 2014 and same week we are going to start, Enugu-Abuja-Port Harcourt, Abuja-Enugu-Owerri, Abuja-Uyo. On regional routes, this should start latest first week in January 2015.

Please can you throw more light on your route expansion programme?

I don’t want to tell you the fleets that

Babalola

are coming in because of the competition, but we have additional aircraft coming in.

One of the challenges Nigerians are having is the utilisation of your machines. You can have 50 machines and if they are not properly utilised, you won’t achieve anything and that has been the problem many of the airlines are having.

How many machines did Air Nigeria have when they were going to all routes? They had about 12 and they were all over the place. It indicated that somebody somewhere was planning the utilisation properly. By regulation, we are allowed to use each machine for six landings within the speculated number of hours that each crew sector should work without infringing on the regulation because the regulation says a pilot and the cabin crew should not fly for more than a certain hours in a month.

How are you coping with two aircraft?

I’m an engineer by training and I know your engineering and practical drawings are two different things. But, let me say this, we have to be frank with ourselves. Our flying populace cannot sustain the number if aircraft per airline that we want to deploy and at the same time, when you are buying a brand new aircraft, you want to know the number of years you will use it.

There are lots of economics about this that we need to understand.

Early maintenance check of your aircraft I don’t want to start pushing blame on anybody, NCAA is my regulator. I would not say anything negative about my regulator. I’m in a business of making money, but there are processes you have to go through, which we went

What I have seen in aviation is that there is no way the Nigerian economy or the flying public can support a machine of $100 million

There are allegations that you owe workers salaries?

Talk about salaries for the staff, a good business owner should not knowingly owe his staff. The salaries we are working on are those we owed before the issuance of AOC, which we are working on to make sure we pay and don’t forget within that period, we were not earning anything. The salaries we owe were the ones of the last three months to the issuance of AOC. However, we have been paying salaries regularly apart from those three months.

We are just trying to amortise it and gradually we are paying the arrears that we owe. Yes we owe, but gradually we are paying it off, there is nothing to hide.

Why do you think Nigerian carriers have short lifespan?

What I have seen in aviation is that there is no way the Nigerian economy or the flying public can support a machine of $100 million. I didn’t buy a brand new aircraft and that is why our own strategy is quite different.

Our machines are in the neighbourhood of $7 million and $8 million. So, if I’m competing with the likes of Arik and others and my overhead, I learnt that an airline is paying a salary in the neighbourhood of N650 million monthly. This is on how many passengers of N10,000 each?

Are you worried that at the moment, just a few Nigerians are flying?

What I think government is trying to do at the moment is to try and open more airports, which I think is a good move, but unfortunately, most of our airports do visual operations. For instance, you can’t go to Calabar Airport by 7pm and likewise some other airports in the country.

Want I want to say here is that we are evolving, it’s a process for us as a country, but are we really patient to go through those processes. What the airline operators need is to build airlines that are sustainable.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY DECEMBER 2, 2014

39

Leisure Arcade NUTS

By Kaycee

NTPuzzle

Today, we thank our parents, families, and our friends for your love, suipport, and encouragement. You have touched us in so many ways, and we would not be who we are today if it weren’t for you.

N C X U N D M R O Y J O O Z R E Y E D J N C W E O T D P G S R O L N D I M S B A I S M A

MAMA LASISI

By Aliu Eroje

V H N A Y R N L M I N W C L O B E G I H R K V V T I V S N E I T G F S G T Y M V V Q A T V X J R A B G H A M C Z V E V O G X M R Q K P G J D D O Q K V G Z F B R I D E M S F T N A G O O N A T A H C T

MOYIN & FRIENDS

By Ayo Oyerinde

BRIDE

WHITED

GROOM

RINGS RYAN I DO

HONEYMOON KISS

VEIL

CHATTANOOGA

MEGAN

MATRIMONY

NTJokes Why you need to always show some love to your spouse - Naija joke

SUDOKU - Answer to No 3

SUDOKU - No 4

Then the men were told to exchange their

is the awkward Truth About some husbands.

phones so one can read the other wife’s reply

A group of men gathered at a church

to the love message.

conference on how to live in a loving relationship with their wives. The men were asked, “How many of you love your wife?” All the men raised their hands. Then they were asked, “When was the last time you told your wife you love her?” Some men answered

How to play Sudoku ALIU EROJE

CHIEF CARTOONIST aliu.eroje@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

The objective is to fill a 9x9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3x3 boxes (also called blocks or regions) contains the digits from 1 to 9.

A cell is the smallest block in the game. A row , column and region consists of 9 cells and the whole game consists of 81 cells.

A region has thicker lines surrounding it. This simply makes it easier to play the game.

sweetheart…

Hahahahaha!! I just can’t stop laughing at this Naija joke. This

today, some yesterday, majority didn’t remember. The men were then told to take their cell phones and send the following text to their respective wives: I love you,

Here are some of the replies: 1. Have you impregnated someone again 2. That was then, not now 3. You wan borrow money abi?

4. What did you do again?

I won’t forgive you this time.

5. Meaning?

6. Is that a new song?

7. Am I dreaming?

8. If you don’t tell me who this message is actually for, you will die today!

9. U dis man!! I asked you to stop drinking.

10. Abeg na who be this?

40

Photo | News

L-R: Senator Annie Okonkwo; General Manager, Koztex Electrical and Energy Technologies Turkey, Mr. Kerem Ozdemir and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Amb. Godknows Igali, after the singing of MoU between ministry of Power and Koztex Electrical and Energy Technologies Company in Abuja

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

L-R: Participants, Etisalat Community Support Initiative, Mrs. Sefina Aminu; Mrs. Lesatu Usman; Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Binta Jubril and Head, Government and Community Relations, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Mohammed Suleh-Yusuf, during the presentation of certificates in Kano.

L-R: Head, Human Resources, Nutricima Limited, Mrs. Bose Ogundipe; IMC Manager, Mr. Funsho Jacob; Managing Director, Mr. Suneel Vasudevan; Sales Director, Mr Bola Arotiowa and others, at the presentation of award and foundation magazine to Nutricima Limited by the Down Syndrome Foundation of Nigeria (DSFN) in Lagos

L-R: Chairman, Screening Committee, All Progressives Congress (APC) North Central, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Kwara State Governor, Dr, Abdulfatah Ahmed and Chairman, APC, Kwara State, Mr. Ishola Balogun, at the presentation of Governorship clearance certificate to the Governor at APC Secretariat, in Ilorin

L-R: National Treasurer, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr. Clarkson Nnadi; Leader of Afenifere Lagos State, Chief Supo Shonibare; National Chairman, SDP, Chief Olu Falae; Chairman, Lagos State, Mr. Reuben Osula and Secretary, Lagos State, Babafunso Kufeji, at the presentation of the party’s leaders by Chief Falae in Lagos.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

L-R: Mother of a National distinction award recipient for the 2013 May/June WASSCE, Mrs. Anyanwu Patricia Ngozi; Chairman, WAEC, Chike Uwaezuoke and Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, during the presentation of prizes to the National distinction award winner in Minna

L-R: Chief Chidi Mbamara; Deputy Commandant, Gallant Community Protection, Larry Morgan; Eze Igbo of Ojo, Eze Pat Eneh; and Francis Anyawu, at the Ogho cultural dance, in Lagos.

L-R: Director General, Tony Obuh Campaign Organisation, Mr. Nduka Ogochukwu; frontline Delta State Peoples Democratic Party Governorship aspirant, Sir Tony Obuh; PDP Chiefs, Mr. Fred Majemife and Chief Frank Nwogo, after the clearance of Obuh, in Port-Harcourt.

Business | Money Line

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

MORE CAPITAL

The mobile money scheme would have shareholders’ fund of N2billion by 2016 Godson Ikoro

M

obile Money Operating (MMO) companies in Nigeria have executed transactions worth over N430billion since 2012, Head, Payments Systems Policy Oversight Division, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Musa Itopa Jimoh has revealed.

Jimoh, who said this while fielding questions from reporters at the 2014 NDIC sponsored FICAN workshop, in Katsina Motel yesterday, said the mobile money scheme would have a shareholders’ fund unimpaired by losses of N2billion by 2016.

He said each of the operating mobile money operators are doing an average of N14million every month with services rendered to over 15million subscribers.

Furthermore, he said that the mobile money operators currently have about 780,000 agents, which interface between individual subscribers and the mobile money operators.

Mobile money transactions hit N430bn There are seven mobile banks existing among the currents mobile money operators.

Earlier in his paper on the overview of mobile money payments services framework in Nigeria, Jimoh explained why the CBN excluded the Telecommunication Companies (TELCOS) from leading any of the mobile money scheme models.

These stemmed from regulatory oversight issues predicated on the fact that the CBN do not regulate the TELCOS, which fall under the purview of the Nigerian Communication Communications (NCC) Again, given that TELCOS provide telecommunications and ancillary services to the mobile money operators, they could become dominant and prioritise transactions from other networks.

Consequently, he said the TELCOs were excluded because they are not Deposit Money Banks (DMB) who is licensed to partake in clearing the activities, stressing that it was to avoid the duality of control of both the CBN and the TELCOS.

In addition, he said the collateral management of banks might become a big issue because the TELCOS do not place any collateral pledges with the CBN. Nevertheless, he said the roles of TELCOS in the money operation is the provision of telecommunication infrastructure and the provision of Value Added Services (VAS), the SMS alert services and the

Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) to MMO and provision of agent network services as a member of the consortium.

On the other hand, the role of the settlement banks revolves round the management of the pool of funds for the subscribers, provision of settlement on behalf of the MMOs as well as provision of monthly

I

n response to criticisms, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said that it would soon review the guidelines for the N220billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Fund to fast-track easy access to it.

The Acting Director, Development Finance Department of CBN, Mr Mudashir Olaitan, dropped this hint at a workshop, “Recent Development in the Nigeria Banking System” organised by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) for reporters in Kastina.

While presenting a paper on ‘’Framework for the N220billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund’’, Olaitan, said that five commercial banks had already signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the CBN.

Economic Indicators As at M2* CPS* INF IBR MPR 91-day NTB DPR PLR Bonny Light Ext Res**

N14,737,618.7m N16,509,472.5m 8 0.0000 12 10.899 7.96 17.01 US$109.9 US$42,604,781,796.6

Description

TTM

4.00% 23-Apr-2015 13.05% 16-Aug-2016 15.10% 27-Apr-2017 16.00% 29-Jun-2019 16.39% 27-Jan-2022 10.00% 23-Jul-2030

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 2/5/2014 1/20/2014 11/6/2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 1/20/2014 2/5/2014 Source:CBN

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

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

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

statement of the pool account transaction of the MMOs. NCC Shall also issue licensed MMOs short codes while the CBN among other remedial measures may in the event of infractions to the regulation, suspend operation s or revoke the licence of an MMO. The apex bank he explained, provides regulation- licensing to provid-

ers of mobile payments services and their technology must also be the type approved by the NCC, which also issue licenses for MMOs short codes.

Jimoh averred that the CBN is not unmindful of the protection of users of financial services including mobile payments, pointing out that customers of the MMOs are under intense monitoring of the CBN.

CBN to ease access to N220bn MSME funds According to him, they include United Bank for Africa (UBA), Skye Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith Bank and Fidelity Bank.

He said that the commercial banks were however, ‘foot-dragging’ because of the small volume of the lending under the fund and the little profit margin from their intermediation role, hinting that the authorities are looking at reducing the rate to two percent to increase the margin.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CBN gave out the loan at three per cent while banks such as commercial banks, micro finance banks and development banks charge nine percent on loan accessed under the fund.

Olaitan added that the CBN launched the N220billion MSME development fund to close the financing gap of the sub-sector, estimated at N9.6 trillion as at 2010.

However, he said that the bank recognised that access to finance remained the most critical challenges to MSMEs development and could not play their roles effectively.

Olaitan noted that the MSMEs globally serve as engine of economic growth, vehicle for job creation, drivers of production and income generation as well as tools for poverty reduction and wealth creation among others.

The assistance director averred that 60 per cent of the fund had been earmarked to provide financial services to women to cater for their peculiar financial exclusion circumstance.

Furthermore, he said that the CBN allows the ratio of 50:50 for on-lending to micro enterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), adding that 20 per cent of the wholesale component of the fund was meant for economically active persons with disabilities.

Barclays Africa eyes revenue from outside S’Africa

Treasury Bills Maturity Date 08-May-14 07-Aug-14 22-Jan-15

41

Open-Buy-Back (OBB) Overnight (O/N)

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

B

arclays Africa Group’s investment banking division expects countries outside South Africa to contribute more than half its revenue in five years’ time after taking on most of its parent’s operations on the continent.

Barclays Africa’s corporate and investment banking (CIB) arm according to Reuters News, is now expanding businesses such as trading government bonds into nearly all of the lender’s 12 operations in Africa, said CIB Chief Executive Stephen van Coller.

Countries other than South Africa currently account for about a third of CIB’s revenue, but it says that is increasing.

“We’ve grown revenue in the rest of Africa faster than South Africa, but that is to be expected,” van Coller said, referring to the low base from which those countries are growing.

Under a deal concluded

last year, Britain’s Barclays handed over ownership of eight African businesses to its South African subsidiary in exchange for a 62.3 percent stake in the new Barclays Africa entity.

In some of those countries, the company had fairly small investment banking operations, offering just basic foreign currency and money market services.

The CIB division’s net revenue - income excluding impairment losses on loans - rose 14 percent in the first half of this year to 6 billion rand ($543 million), and it expects to maintain that level of growth in the next few years.

About 80 percent of CIB’s revenue is from traditional corporate operations such as transactional banking, trade finance and foreign exchange, but van Coller expects to see more fixed-income trading and derivatives business in coming years in countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.

Business | Financial Market News

42

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

1-Dec-14

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

Bonds FGN Bonds

Price

Rating/Agency

Issuer

NA

NA

Description 4.00 23-APR-2015 13.05 16-AUG-2016 15.10 27-APR-2017 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.20 14-MAR-2024 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 10.00 23-JUL-2030 12.1493 18-JUL-2034

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

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

4.00 13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493

535.00 573.89 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 396.68 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 150.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,730.13

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,590.15

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

23-Apr-15 16-Aug-16 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34

0.39 1.71 2.40 2.65 2.75 3.49 4.58 4.89 7.16 9.28 13.99 14.47 14.97 15.64 19.63

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

12.97 13.42 13.75 13.79 13.78 13.74 13.67 13.66 13.51 13.24 12.76 12.72 12.69 13.02 13.15

12.56 13.32 13.67 13.72 13.71 13.62 13.59 13.55 13.45 13.18 12.72 12.68 12.63 12.97 13.10

96.63 99.40 102.65 91.45 90.10 91.77 107.70 76.78 112.90 105.00 114.46 98.46 72.22 80.00 93.00

96.78 99.55 102.80 91.60 90.25 92.07 108.00 77.08 113.20 105.30 114.76 98.76 72.52 80.30 93.30

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

24-May-10 03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

24.56 3.00 112.22 116.70 66.49

24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.48 1.21 2.02 2.38 2.60

2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

15.94 15.47 15.60 14.75 14.79

92.88 102.12 100.34 97.45 94.45

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM

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

322.97

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

315.01

Sub-National Bonds A+/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.75

4.44

17.68

96.46

A/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.59

3.23

16.56

98.80

A-/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

6.27

30-Jun-16

0.87

4.46

17.63

96.98

A+/Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

7.37

30-Jun-16

0.88

3.48

16.65

99.27

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.38

5.59

19.34

82.78

A-/Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

29.92

30-Jun-17

1.43

1.00

14.30

99.43

A/Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

3.08

1.79

15.55

96.27

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

2.26

1.80

15.50

97.47

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

3.84

1.00

14.72

97.88

A/Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

14.96

09-Dec-18

2.25

1.00

14.70

99.66

A-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

11.13

12-Dec-18

2.25

4.78

18.48

91.89

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.64

1.00

14.79

99.46

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*GOMBE

15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019

02-Oct-12

15.50

16.23

02-Oct-19

2.89

1.00

14.78

101.80

Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR

LAGOS

14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019

22-Nov-12

14.50

80.00

22-Nov-19

4.98

1.00

14.65

99.48

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019

12-Dec-12

14.75

27.51

12-Dec-19

2.86

2.74

16.52

96.15

A/Agusto

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

11.40

10-Oct-20

3.41

1.00

14.75

100.05

Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR

LAGOS

13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.99

1.00

14.56

95.86

A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

KOGI

15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020

31-Dec-13

15.00

5.00

31-Dec-20

6.08

1.94

15.49

98.08

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

31-Dec-13

14.50

4.78

31-Dec-20

3.56

1.44

15.18

98.30

06-Jan-14

15.00

4.79

06-Jan-21

3.60

1.95

15.69

98.30

A/Agusto A-/GCR

*EKITI *NASARAWA

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

471.68 452.95

Corporate Bonds Aa/Agusto Nil

GTB NGC

13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014

18-Dec-09

13.50

13.17

18-Dec-14

0.05

5.21

19.55

99.67

µ

17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014

01-Apr-10

17.00

2.00

31-Dec-14

0.08

8.71

22.71

99.41 96.67

Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto

*UPDC

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

17-Aug-10

10.00

3.61

17-Aug-15

0.47

4.88

18.14

*FLOURMILLS

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

09-Dec-10

12.00

13.62

09-Dec-15

0.54

1.00

14.36

98.48

BB+/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.60

06-Jan-16

0.62

2.63

15.94

99.10

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

1.83

1.00

14.50

97.61

A-/Agusto

FSDH

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

1.90

1.34

14.88

98.95

A/GCR

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

2.83

1.00

14.78

95.95

BBB-/GCR

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.64

30-Nov-17

1.85

1.88

15.39

104.76

Nil

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

09-Apr-11

16.00

6.30

09-Apr-18

1.85

3.48

16.99

98.78

A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

18.00

2.90

09-Sep-18

2.02

5.20

18.80

99.09

#

AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR

*TOWER

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.80

09-Sep-18

2.02

5.06

18.66

101.85

A/Agusto; A/GCR

UBA

14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018

22-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

22-Sep-18

3.81

1.35

15.07

96.91

Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.40

18-Oct-18

2.13

2.29

15.93

99.91

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

17-Feb-12

17.00

0.41

17-Feb-19

2.21

6.11

19.79

95.53

BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR

#{r}

Nil

*DANA

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

3.08

2.16

15.92

100.24

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.95

2.76

16.32

95.99

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

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

30-Sep-14

11.93

0.10

30-Sep-24

9.83

1.00

13.99

89.12

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

13.25

15.44

30-Sep-24

9.83

1.00

13.99

96.08

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

144.08

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

140.62

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

3.20

1.00

14.76

88.67

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

4.42

1.00

14.69

89.52

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

24.95 22.23

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value ($mm)

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

5.73

5.52

105.20

106.32

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.84

4.53

100.94

101.97

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

6.09

5.90

101.88

103.17

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,540.10

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

AFREN PLC I

11.50 FEB 01, 2016

01-Feb-11

11.50

450.00

01-Feb-16

8.43

8.43

103.30

103.30

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

4.80

4.80

103.75

103.75

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

7.46

7.46

99.48

99.48

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

9.63

9.00

92.09

93.83

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.91

6.32

96.90

98.91

B/Fitch

AFREN PLC II

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

9.67

9.67

102.00

102.00 99.00

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

6.51

6.51

99.00

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

9.69

9.25

96.64

98.20

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

8.09

8.09

99.75

99.75

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

10.70

10.70

82.25

82.25

9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021

24-Jun-14

9.25

400.00

24-Jun-21

9.97

9.60

96.63

98.38

8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021

23-Jul-14

8.00

450.00

23-Jul-21

8.80

8.80

95.00

95.00

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

8.54

8.25

100.00

101.43

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

AFREN PLC III

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC II

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK LTD

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,760.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,649.28

**Treasury Bills DTM 10 24 31 38 45 52 59 66

FIXINGS Maturity 11-Dec-14 25-Dec-14 1-Jan-15 8-Jan-15 15-Jan-15 22-Jan-15 29-Jan-15 5-Feb-15

Bid Discount (%) 11.90 12.85 13.45 13.35 13.25 13.10 13.15 12.90

Offer Discount (%) 11.65 12.60 13.20 13.10 13.00 12.85 12.90 12.65

Bid Yield (%) 11.94 12.96 13.61 13.54 13.47 13.35 13.44 13.21

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 13.3000 13.7099 14.3443 15.1255

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

12.25

O/N Tenor Call 1M

12.75

REPO

Rate (%) 12.50 15.14

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

184.00 175.68 175.96 176.61 177.85 179.08

184.10 175.92 176.28 177.25 179.01 180.79

Sub-National Bonds A+/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.75

4.44

17.68

96.46

A/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.59

3.23

16.56

98.80

A-/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

6.27

30-Jun-16

0.87

4.46

17.63

96.98

A+/Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

7.37

30-Jun-16

0.88

3.48

16.65

99.27

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.38

5.59

19.34

82.78

A-/Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

29.92

30-Jun-17

1.43

1.00

14.30

99.43

A/Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

3.08

1.79

15.55

96.27

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

2.26

1.80

15.50

97.47

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

3.84

1.00

14.72

97.88

NEW A-/Agusto; TELEGRAPH DECEMBER 2, 2014 A-/GCR TUESDAY, NIGER

Business | Financial Market News

43

A/Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

14.96

09-Dec-18

2.25

1.00

14.70

99.66

A-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

11.13

12-Dec-18

2.25

4.78

18.48

91.89

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.64

1.00

14.79

99.46

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*GOMBE

15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019

02-Oct-12

15.50

16.23

02-Oct-19

2.89

1.00

14.78

101.80

14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019

22-Nov-12

14.50

80.00

22-Nov-19

4.98

1.00

14.65

99.48

14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019

12-Dec-12

14.75

27.51

12-Dec-19

2.86

2.74

16.52

96.15

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

11.40

10-Oct-20

3.41

1.00

14.75

100.05

13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.99

1.00

14.56

95.86

31-Dec-13

15.00

5.00

31-Dec-20

6.08

1.94

15.49

98.08

SELL-OFFS Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR

LAGOS

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*OSUN

A/Agusto tumble on *OSUN Equities Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR LAGOS resumed sell-offs KOGI A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

Market capitalisation dips by N208bn

KOGI 31-DEC-2020 lion Euros. and market capitalisaN11.196 trillion. 4.78 volume15.18 terms with 69.09 continued 15.00 off-loading 31-Dec-13 14.50 31-Dec-20 3.56 1.44 98.30 A/Agusto *EKITI 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 their shares following tion, dropped by 1.85 per Further analysis Cadbury Nigeria Plc 1.95 million15.69shares 98.30 worth 06-Jan-14 15.00 4.79 of 06-Jan-21 3.60 A-/GCR *NASARAWA 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021 followed with 4.99 per N856.9 million in 1,554 cent, as the market tempo the day’s trading showed TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE uncertainty in invest471.68 Stories byMARKET ChrisCAPITALISATION Ugwu ment space occasioned lowered. cent to close at N45.67 deals. The sub sector that Mansard Nigeria TOTAL 452.95Plc At the close of trading, topped the day’s gainers’ per share, while Costain was enhanced by the acby fall in the value of the Corporate he Bonds Nigerian naira and security chal- 17 stocks appreciated, table with 8.25 per cent to West Africa gained 4.95 tivities in the shares of 13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 18-Dec-09 13.50 13.17 18-Dec-14 0.05 5.21 19.55 99.67 Aa/Agusto GTB Stock Exchange while 33 others consticlose at N3.41per share. per cent to close at N1.068.71 UBA and GTB Plc. lenges. µ 17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014 01-Apr-10 17.00 2.00 31-Dec-14 0.08 22.71 99.41 NGC Nil per share.

(NSE) opened the tuted the losers’ table.

Market watchers atThe financial services Specifically , the twin 10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 17-Aug-10 10.00 3.61 17-Aug-15 0.47 4.88 18.14 96.67 Bbb-/Agusto *UPDC indi- tributed market performance week on a negaoutOn the flip side, Oan-1.00 sub-sector by the 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015The twin market09-Dec-10 A-/Agusto 12.00the positive 13.62 09-Dec-15 0.54 14.36 boosted 98.48 *FLOURMILLS 14.00NSE CHELLARAMS 06-Jan-11 14.00 0.62 losers 2.63 activities 15.94 on the99.10 measures, the ASI06-JAN-2016 tive BB+/GCR path; as investors cators, the All-Share In- look of Insurance 0.60 firms do06-Jan-16 Nigeria Plc led shares *CHELLARAMS 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 dex dropped by 628.8 A+/Agusto; A-/GCR 29-Sep-11 15.00last 29-Sep-16 14.50 Plc followed 97.61 NAHCO ba- to the 13.00 announcement with a drop of1.839.44 per1.00 of FCMB 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 A-/Agusto 14.25 5.53 25-Oct-16 1.90 14.88 FSDH million98.95 units, cent to close at N18.801.34 with 65.6 sis points or 1.85 per25-Oct-13 cent Friday that its majority 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 A/GCR 30-Sep-10 13.00 20.00 30-Sep-17 2.83 1.00 14.78 95.95 UBA from 34,543.05 last Friday , shareholder Assur Afriper share, while UBA Plc worth N1.5 Billion in 709 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 BBB-/GCR 30-Nov-12 18.00 0.64 30-Nov-17 1.85 1.88 15.39 104.76 *C & I LEASING to close at 33,914.25, while ca Holding Limited, shed 6.24 per cent MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 09-Apr-11 16.00 6.30has 09-Apr-18 1.85to close 3.48 deals. 16.99 98.78 Nil *DANA#{r} the market capitalisabeen acquired

by AXA, a at 09-Sep-18 N1.81 per share.

In all, MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 09-Sep-11 18.00 2.90 2.02 5.20 18.80 investors 99.09 exA-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR *TOWER# MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 16.00 0.80 in09-Sep-18 2.02 chart, 5.06 changed 18.66a total 101.85 AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR *TOWER# tion dropped by 09-Sep-11 N208 multinational French On the activity of 213.6 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 billion or 1.85 per22-Sep-11 A/Agusto; A/GCR 14.00 bank for 35.00 22-Sep-18 UBA cent vestment a total the banking 3.81 services1.35 million15.07shares,96.91 worth 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR 18-Oct-13 15.75 2.40 18-Oct-18 2.13 15.93 99.91 *LA CASERA to consideration N64.36 million, which from N11.404 trillion s part of its corof 198 mil- sub-sector dominated in2.29 N4.4 billion in 4,398 deals. # MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 17-Feb-19 2.21 6.11 19.79 95.53 17-Feb-12 17.00 0.41 BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR *CHELLARAMS porate social #{r} the bank was yet to col16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 01-Apr-14 16.00 4.50 01-Apr-19 3.08 2.16 15.92 100.24 Nil *DANA r e s pA-/GCR o n s i b i l iNAHCO t y lect. But the15.25 he Nigerian Stock Ex- 2.05 bank a NAHCO in II 14-NOV-2020 A+/Agusto; 14-Nov-13 15.25 14-Nov-20 5.95 2.76 16.32 95.99 CSR), Ecobank Nigeria change (NSE) CSR initiative 182DgraciousT.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024 A/GCR 30-Sep-14 11.93yester0.10 30-Sep-24 9.83 1.00 13.99 89.12 STANBIC IBTC 13.25outstandSTANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024 A/GCR handed over 30-Sep-14 13.25 show 15.44 30-Sep-24 9.83 1.00 13.99 96.08 STANBIC Plc has a IBTC day began a road ly forfeited the TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE ing balance and injected to Asia, as part of efforts 144.08 multi-million naira hosaimed at enhancing foreign 140.62 tel complex to the Delta additional N10 million TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION investors’ participation in tion, participants will have “We are delighted to tell our State University, Abraka. to renovate the hostel Supranational Bond the Nigerian capital market. the opportunity to interact story to this dynamic region.

Speaking at the event, before the handover to 10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018 AAA/S&P IFC 11-Feb-13 10.20 12.00 11-Feb-18 3.20 1.00 14.76 88.67 A statement from the Ex- with the major institutional We are all familiar with mathe Executive Director, the school.” 11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021 Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P AfDB 10-Jul-14 11.25 12.95 01-Feb-21 4.42 1.00 14.69 89.52 change, said the high level investors and fund manag- jor Asian direct investment South South and South Umadia reiterated TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 24.95 investment delegation, com- ers, and explore business op- into Nigeria, but our initial East, Ecobank Nigeria, that the bank has been TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION engagement with the Asian prising listed companies, 22.23 portunities,” he said.

Mr. Kingsley Umadia, involved in various inmarket operators and topOutstanding“The said the project was in tervention measures in roadshow tagged market also indicates conValue Description Rating/Agency Issuer Issue Date Coupon (%) Maturity Date Bid Yield (%) Offer Yield (%) Bid Price Offer Price Nigerian government of- ($mm) ‘Investing on the Nigerian siderable appetite for portline with the bank’s CSR the education and other ficials will visit Singapore, Stock Exchange: Investing, folio investment into our policy toEurobonds give back to the sectors of the economy.

FGN Prices & Yields Hong Kong and Beijing with Partnerships & Governance’, capital market, and we look communities where it In his response, the 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P 07-Oct-11 6.75 500.00 5.73 5.52 106.32 the objective of developing will bring 28-Jan-21 together African forward to 105.20 meeting their maoperates. out-going Vice ChancelHeBB-/Fitch; explained that the lor, partnerships and improving focused investors and fund jor financial institutions Delta State UniverFGN 5.13 JUL 12, 2018 12-Jul-13 5.13 500.00 12-Jul-18 4.84 4.53 100.94 101.97 and BB-/S&P flow of deals into the Nige- managers to discuss ways to corporates face to face”. abandoned 166 room 4 - sity, Prof. Eric Arubayi, BB-/Fitch; 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 12-Jul-13 6.38 500.00 12-Jul-23 6.09 5.90 101.88 103.17 rian capital market. strategically position themJalo-Waziri said that WingBB-/S&P female hostel was commended Ecobank for The Chief Executive Of- 1,500.00 selves, develop partnerships there is still widespread completed and made TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE handing over the hostel habitable by the bank to the school, despite the ficer of Exchange, Mr. Os- 1,540.10 and expand into Nigeria in unawareness of Nigeria’s TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION with the sum of N118 fact that it was yet to colcar Onyema, explained that order to grow and gain com- potential.

Corporate Eurobonds million under a Build, lect half of the funds it the roadshow, which is ex- petitive edge in the region’s “The first challenge is to 11.50 FEB 01, 2016 B/Fitch; B-/S&P AFREN PLC I 01-Feb-11 11.50 450.00 01-Feb-16 8.43 8.43 103.30 overcome 103.30 the Operate and Transfer pected to end on December high growth market. Addiconfront and spent to complete the 7.50 MAY 19, 2016 B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC I 19-May-11 7.50 drive 500.00 4.80ex4.80 103.75 103.75 (BOT) Agreement enabandoned hostel com5, is part of the NSE’s tionally, the19-May-16 meeting will perceptions that exist in the 7.25 JUL 25, 2017 ACCESS BANK PLCunder BOT agree25-Jul-12 participation 7.25 25-Jul-17 7.46 7.46 99.48 99.48 outto increase by 350.00 teredB+/S&P into by both instiplex plore the role of governance minds of some people 6.88 MAY 09, 2018 B/Fitch; FIDELITY BANK PLC 09-May-13 02-May-18 9.63in9.00 Nigeria.

92.09Asia has 93.83 Asian investors in 6.88 the Nige- 300.00 tutions inB/S&P 2007. ment. in facilitating trade and side a con6.00 NOV 08, 2018 B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC 6.00 400.00 6.91 6.32 96.90 98.91 rian 08-Nov-13 capital market.

He added: “the UniHe assured that the vestment 08-Nov-18 for businesses, siderable pool of investible B/Fitch AFREN PLC II 08-Apr-12 08-Apr-19 9.67 9.67 102.00 102.00 “The event will 10.25 highlight 300.00 hoster would be put 10.25 to APR 08, 2019 versity recently apand share insights on doing funds looking for attractive 6.25 APR 22, 2019 B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P ZENITH BANK PLC 22-Apr-14 6.25 500.00 22-Apr-19 6.51 6.51 99.00 99.00 business successfully in Nithe robustness of our capiopportunities and we need to proached the bank to good use.

8.75 May 21, 2019 B/Fitch; B/S&P DIAMOND BANK PLC 21-May-14 8.75 200.00 21-May-19 9.69 9.25 96.64 98.20 geria,” Onyema noted. takeB-/Fitch; overB/S&P the managetal market as well as showinform their investors of the According to him, 8.25 AUG 07, 2020 FIRST BANK PLC 07-Aug-13 8.25 300.00 07-Aug-20 8.09 8.09 99.75 99.75 case The Exchange and its Executive Director, Busiopportunities available in the mentB-/Fitch; of the hostel and ‘this handover is a great 6.63 DEC 09, 2020 B/S&P AFREN PLC III 09-Dec-13 6.63 360.00 09-Dec-20 10.70 10.70 82.25 82.25 pay B-/Fitch; our bank the outcompanies and ness Development, NSE, Mr. Nigerian stock honour thisUSDisLIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 listed24-Jun-14 9.25/6M B/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC II to me as 9.25market 400.00 24-Jun-21 9.97 9.60 96.63 market,” 98.38 Jalooperators. destina- 450.00 Haruna Jalo-Waziri, said: Waziri said.95.00 standing balance FIRST of BANK my 8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021 B-/Fitch; B/S&P LTDlast day in office.

23-Jul-14 In each8.00 23-Jul-21 8.80 8.80 95.00

T

Bank donates N75m hostel to varsity

A

B-/S&P

T

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

NSE showcases Nigeria to Asian investment community

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

14-Aug-21

8.54

8.25

4,760.00

100.00

101.43

1-Dec-14

4,649.28

The DQL contains data relating to, amongst other things, market and model prices, rates of foreign exchange products, fixed income securities and instruments in the financial market (the “Information”). The Information does not **Treasury Bills financial or investment advice. We attempt to ensure the Information is accurate; however, the Information is provided FIXINGS Money Market constitute professional, “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE” basis and may not be accurate or up to & date.

We do not Foreign Exchange (Spot Forwards) DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) for a particular Offer Discount (%) of any of Bidthe Yield (%) Tenor (%) on the basis of the Information. guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, performance or fitness purpose Information, neither do we accept liability for the results of any actionRate taken NIBOR FGN

10 24 31 Bonds 38 45 52 Rating/Agency 59 66 73 80 87 94 101 115 122 NA 129 136 143 150 157 164 248 276

11-Dec-14 25-Dec-14 1-Jan-15 8-Jan-15 15-Jan-15 22-Jan-15 Issuer 29-Jan-15 5-Feb-15 12-Feb-15 19-Feb-15 26-Feb-15 5-Mar-15 12-Mar-15 26-Mar-15 2-Apr-15 9-Apr-15 NA 16-Apr-15 23-Apr-15 30-Apr-15 7-May-15 14-May-15 6-Aug-15 3-Sep-15

11.90 12.85 13.45 13.35 13.25 13.10 Description 13.15 12.90 4.00 23-APR-2015 12.65 13.05 16-AUG-2016 13.00 15.10 27-APR-2017 13.00 9.85 27-JUL-2017 11.75 9.35 31-AUG-2017 13.00 13.20 10.70 30-MAY-2018 12.85 16.00 29-JUN-2019 12.95 7.00 23-OCT-2019 13.00 16.39 27-JAN-2022 13.10 14.20 14-MAR-2024 13.00 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.45 12.49 22-MAY-2029 12.65 8.50 20-NOV-2029 12.50 10.00 23-JUL-2030 12.00

12.1493 18-JUL-2034

11.65 12.60 13.20 13.10 13.00 12.85 Issue Date 12.90 12.65 23-Apr-10 12.40 16-Aug-13 12.75 27-Apr-12 12.75 27-Jul-07 11.50 31-Aug-07 12.75 12.95 30-May-08 12.60 29-Jun-12 12.70 23-Oct-09 12.75 27-Jan-12 12.85 14-Mar-14 12.75 28-Nov-08 12.20 22-May-09 12.40 20-Nov-09 12.25 23-Jul-10 11.75

11.94 12.96 13.61 13.54 13.47 13.35 Coupon (%) 13.44 13.21 4.00 12.98 13.05 13.38 15.10 13.42 9.85 12.12 9.35 13.49 13.77 10.70 13.43 16.00 13.57 7.00 13.66 16.39 13.81 14.20 13.73 15.00 13.15 12.49 13.41 8.50 13.66 10.00 13.20

Bonds

18-Jul-14

12.1493

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Tenor O/N 1M 3M Outstanding 6M Value

(N'bn)

OBB

Rate (%) 13.3000 13.7099 14.3443 15.1255

O/N

Maturity Date

535.00 23-Apr-15 NITTY 16-Aug-16 573.89 452.80 27-Apr-17 Tenor Rate (%) 20.00 27-Jul-17 1M 13.3218 100.00 31-Aug-17 2M 13.5005 3M 13.5167 300.00 30-May-18 6M 13.5779 351.30 29-Jun-19 9M 13.6012 233.90 23-Oct-19 13.8713 12M 600.00 27-Jan-22 396.68 14-Mar-24 75.00 28-Nov-28 NIFEX 22-May-29 150.00 200.00Current Price ($/N) 20-Nov-29 591.57 23-Jul-30 BID($/N) 182.6975 18-Jul-34 OFFER150.00 ($/N) 182.7975

12.75

Tenor Call 1M 0.39 3M 1.71 6M

REPO

TTM (Yrs)

Rate (%) 12.50 15.14 12.97 16.16 13.42 16.91

Bid Yield (%)

Tenor

Spot 7D 14D Offer 1MYield 2M (%) 3M 12.56 6M 13.32 1Y

2.40 13.75 13.67 2.65 13.79 13.72 2.75 13.78 13.71 :Benchmarks 3.49 13.74 13.62 * :Amortising 4.58 Bond 13.67 13.59 µ :Convertible 4.89 Bond 13.66 13.55 AMCON: 7.16 Asset Management 13.51 Corporation of Nigeria 13.45 FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria 9.28 13.24 13.18 FMBN: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria 13.99 12.76 12.72 IFC: International Finance Corporation 14.47 12.72 12.68 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables Management 12.69 Company12.63 NAHCO:14.97 Nigerian Aviation Handling 15.64 13.02 12.97 O/N: Overnight 19.63 13.15 Company 13.10 UPDC: UAC Property Development NOTE:

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

184.00 184.10 Price 175.92 175.68 175.96 176.28 176.61 177.25 Bid Price Offer Price 177.85 179.01 179.08 180.79 96.63 96.78 183.03 186.60 99.40 99.55 191.02 199.35

102.65 102.80 91.45 91.60 90.10 90.25 NA :Not91.77 Applicable 92.07 # :Floating Rate Bond 108.00 107.70 ***: Deferred coupon bonds 76.78 77.08 112.90 113.20 †: Bond rating expired 105.00 105.30 N/A :Not Available 114.46 114.76 {r} :Issuer in receivership 98.46 98.76 72.22 72.52 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 80.00Bank for Africa 80.30 UBA: United 93.00 93.30

WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company

4,730.13

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION *for the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration

12.25

4,590.15

#

Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums **Exclusive of non-trading t.bills

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Agency Bonds 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 Total Outstanding Modified Duration Buckets0.00/16.50 PorfolioLCRM Market Value(Bn) ***LCRM II 20-APR-2017 Volume(Bn) 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017 FMBN

Coupon (%)

24-May-10 FMDQ FGN 0.00 BOND 03-Apr-12 17.25 09-Dec-11 0.00/16.00 Weighting by Weighting by Mkt 20-Apr-12 0.00/16.50 Outstanding Vol Value 06-Jul-12 0.00/16.50

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

<3

1,035.24

1,026.68

32.95

33.18

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

3<5

1,055.75

951.30

30.53

33.84

>5

1,029.27

1,138.25

36.53

32.99

Market

3,120.26

3,116.23

100.00

100.00

Sub-National Bonds

Outstanding Value (N'bn) 24.56 INDEX

3.00 112.22 Bucket Weighting 116.70 66.49

322.97 0.33 315.01

0.31

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 % Exposure_ 20-Apr-17 Mod_Duration 06-Jul-17

0.48 1.21 2.02 Implied 2.38Yield 2.60

#

Risk Premium (%) 2.63 2.27 2.00 Implied 1.00 Portfolio Price 1.00

Valuation Yield (%)

15.94 15.47 15.60 INDEX 14.75 14.79

Indicative Price

92.88 102.12 100.34 YTD Return 97.45 (%) 94.45

14.12

13.59

118.0505

1,121.24

12.1239

29.40

13.56

130.9361

1,108.72

10.8717

0.37

56.48

13.11

101.8999

1,191.39

19.1389

1.00

100.00

13.31

116.0849

1,108.51

10.8509

A+/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.75

4.44

17.68

96.46

A/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.59

3.23

16.56

98.80

A-/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

6.27

30-Jun-16

0.87

4.46

17.63

96.98

A+/Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

7.37

30-Jun-16

0.88

3.48

16.65

99.27

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.38

5.59

19.34

82.78

A-/Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

29.92

30-Jun-17

1.43

1.00

14.30

99.43

A/Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

3.08

1.79

15.55

96.27

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

2.26

1.80

15.50

97.47

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

3.84

1.00

14.72

97.88

44 Travel Advisory

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

International Flight Schedule

Local FLIGHT SCHEDULE 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 ARIK AIR LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 07:00; 08:00; 09:00; 11:00 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00; 20:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 09:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI)07:00; 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 (SAT) 07:00; 11:00; 15:00 (SUN) 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 09:00; 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 (SAT) 07:30; 11:30; 09:00; 13:00; 17:00 (SUN) 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 ABUJA-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30; 16:50 (SAT/SUN) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30 PORT-HARCOURT-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10; 18:30 (SAT/SUN) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10 AZMAN FLIGHT SCHEDULE WEEKLY SCHEDULE Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Abuja 10:30am Abuja-Lagos 12:40pm Lagos-Abuja/Kano 4:00pm Abuja-Kano 5:45pm Kaduna-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kan 10:10am Kano-Abuja/Lagos 12:40pm Abuja-Lagos 1:00pm Abuja-Lagos 2:40pm Lagos-Kaduna 5:00pm WEEKEND SCHEDULE SATURDAY Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Abuja 10:30am Abuja-Lagos 1:00pm Lagos-Kano 4:00pm Kaduna-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kano 4:00pm Sunday Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kano 10:30am Kano-Abuja/Lagos 1:20pm Abuja-Lagos 2:40pm Lagos-Kaduna 5:00pm

British Airways flights from Nigeria (Mon - Sun) Flight path

Departure

Arrival

Lagos (LOS) to London Heathrow (LHR)

23.30hrs

05.30hrs

Abuja (ABV) to London Heathrow (LHR)

08.00hrs

14.00hrs

Flight path

Departure

Arrival

London Heathrow (LHR) to Lagos (LOS)

11.00hrs

17.30hrs

London Heathrow (LHR) to Abuja (ABV)

00.00hrs

06.00hrs

British Airways flights to Nigeria

Daily flights from Nigeria (Lagos, Abuja) (Mon - Sun) Airliner

Airports

Departure

Arrival

Arik Air

London to Lagos

21:30hrs

03.30hrs

Arik Air

Lagos (LOS) to New York (JFK)

23:35hrs

05:30hrs (NY time)

Arik Air

New York (JFK) to Lagos

12:00hrs (NY time)

06:00hrs (Nig. time)

Delta Airlines

Atlanta to Lagos

23:00hrs

16:00hrs

Delta Airlines

Lagos to Atlanta

22:20hrs

05:30hrs

Emirates Airlines

Lagos to Dubai

14:30hrs;

12:50hrs

KLM

Lagos to Amsterdam

23:10hrs

05:10hrs

KLM

Amsterdam to Lagos

11:30hrs

05:30hrs

Virgin Atlantic

Lagos to London

11:00hrs

17:00hrs

Lufthansa

Abuja to Frankfurt

23.10hrs

05.10hrs

Lufthansa

Lagos to Frankfurt

21.00hrs

03.00hrs

South Africa Airways

Lagos to Johannesburg

22.15hrs

03.15hrs (SA time)

United Airlines

Lagos to Housten, Texas

22:10hrs

-

Air France

Abuja to Paris

23:55hrs

05:55hrs

Air France

Lagos to Paris

21:20hrs

03:21hrs

Ethiopia Airways

Abuja to Addis Ababa

20.10hrs (Nig Time)

00.10hrs (Addis time)

Ethiopia Airways

Lagos to Addis Ababa

14:00hrs (Nig Time)

18:00hrs (Addis time)

Qatar Airways

Lagos to Doha

14.23hrs

-

Air Maroc

Lagos to Casablanca

06:25 hrs

12:45 hrs

Etihad

Lagos to Abu Dhabi

09:50hrs

-

Air Ivoire

Lagos to Abidjan

10:15hrs (Sun and Mon)

-

Cam Air

Lagos to Yaounde

15:25hrs (Mon, Tues and Wed)

South African Airways international travel tips South African Airways Check-in Internet check-in is available between 24 hours and 3 hours before departure. Self check-in via kiosks at the airport is available up to 90 minutes before the flight. Check-in counters are also offered by the airline. Mobile check-in is also available for flights out of Johannesburg.

South African Airways baggage allowance Hand luggage: Economy Class passengers are allowed one piece of hand luggage with a maximum weight of 8kg (18lbs) and maximum size (height, width and depth added together) of 115cm (45in). Business Class passengers are allowed two items of hand luggage, each of the same maximum weight and size.

Hand luggage must be able to fit under the seat in front or in the overhead lockers.

Checked: allowances vary according to route, however on many flights Economy Class passengers are allowed up to 23kg (50lb) of checked luggage, Business Class passengers are allowed up to 30kg (66lb) and First Class passengers are allowed up to 40kg (99lb).

Excess: fees vary according to route, according to either the weight or piece concepts. On most routes, excess baggage is charged at a rate of 1.5 per cent per kg of the highest normal direct one-way adult Economy Class fare. Any one item of baggage that is more than 32kg (70lb) will be classed as cargo and charged at the corresponding rates, and if total excess baggage is more than 100kg (218lb) this will need to be organised at the time the reservation is made or at least 24 hours in advance of departure.

South African Airways legroom In Economy Class, passengers can expect a seat pitch of 81cm to 86cm (32-34in). In Business Class there is a seat pitch of 198cm (78in), and in First Class there is a seat pitch of 210cm (83in).

Pre-arranged seating Seats are assigned during the booking process and may be changed during check-in if available.

Passenger change details Reservations can be changed or cancelled online or by calling Reservations.

Child fares Infants under two years of age are subject to infant fares, which are around 10 per cent of an adult fare. Children from 2 to 11 years of age, meanwhile, will travel via child fares available at around 75 per cent of an adult fare. Baby meals may be requested at the time of reservation, and cabin crew can heat up milk and food brought onboard for your child.

Infants are allowed 10kg (22lbs) of checked baggage as well as one fully collapsible buggy. In terms of hand luggage, infants are allowed one carry-on bag of less than 8kg (17lb) free of charge.

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

45

Features

Mubi and the lesson for Nigerian democracy Nigerians in Mubi momentarily forgot their social, economic, political, religious and ethnic differences and gave one another a helping hand while running from Boko Haram members, writes BUHARI BELLO

M

ubi, reputed to be the biggest commercial town in Adamawa State, was thrown into chaos the day Boko Haram members descended on the city.

That day, the people found themselves running in every direction to escape.

Guns were booming as the terrorists were shooting sporadically.

The staccatos of gunshots resonated across the city. The terrorists killed many people while those who could escape jumped into available vehicles and fled to safety.

Christians, Muslims, Igbo, Yoruba, Tiv, Hausa and other people of different tribes or religions, jumped into available vehicles going out of the town.

The Nigerian soldiers scampered into trucks with civilians, begging to be saved, while hundreds of people, who could not get any vehicle, ran into the hills.

In their frantic effort to stay alive, no one paid attention to anybody’s religion or ethnicity before asking them for help or helping them to stay alive.

In fact, it was a community of people, united by their desire to escape the common enemy that hunted them all without discrimination.

Ethnicity and religion vanished.

All they were left with was their humanity. Those climbing the hills stayed together, helping one another stay on their feet as they all tried to survive.

The irony of the attack and capture of Mubi, which the terrorists renamed Madinatul Islam, meaning the City of Islam, is that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Marshal Alex Badeh, is from the town.

It was reported that a few hours before the attack, helicopters flew in and evacuated Badeh’s family members from the town.

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Some residents fleeing into the bush

Students of Adamawa Polytechnic preparing to leave the campus

The CDS is the most senior military officer in Nigeria and controls the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Before that sad day, some people from Mubi would have boasted that the CDS is from their hometown.

But on the day that it mattered most, he evacuated only his family members and abandoned everyone else to their fate.

It means the CDS had information of the impending attack and as the most senior military commander he did not fly into the town to lead his men to battle to defend his community.

He quietly saved only his family and left even the soldiers without an inspiring commander to motivate them to engage the terrorists and defend his community.

Although Badeh reportedly denied he evacuated his family, it also shows gross incompetence on the part of military hierarchy if, despite all the intelligence-gathering apparatuses, it had no prior knowledge of the attack.

PHOTOS: ONLINE

On the other hand, if it had the knowledge, why did Mubi fall so easily into the hands of terrorists like a badly arranged pack of cards?

One lesson all Nigerians must learn from the experience of the residents of Mubi is that as a people, all they have is their neighbour.

An observer says “when you need some help at home you knock on the door of your neighbour.

“The president, governor, senator or minister is not there to help you. Why then should you continue to fight your neighbour because of a man or woman who cares only about his own family? Our elite may deceive us about sharing the same religion or ethnicity with us, but time and again, they have proven that they do not care.

“We have been fools, killing one another on the basis of religion and ethnicity while they stay united across all the divides and plunder our wealth. The time has come for us to rise, educate one an-

other and unite to fight our biggest common enemy.

“The politicians are our enemies and not the poor struggling men and women in our neighbourhoods.”

What now will the people of Mubi boast about as the gain of having their son as the Chief of Defence Staff ?

If someone goes to Otueke where President Goodluck Jonathan hails from, there are many people who live in excruciating poverty.

There is still a lot of poverty and suffering in the hometowns of all the governors, ministers, lawmakers and former presidents, while they and their families live in scandalous affluence.

The Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, is yet to defend herself and office from the allegation that she spent over N10 billion to hire a private jet. That money can end the poverty ravaging several communities in her state.

While in office, former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, was accused of buying two cars for N120 million while there are people in her hometown who do not have N500 to feed their families in a day.

The time to throw away religious and ethnic sentiments cannot be at any other time than now.

Many commentators on the country’s politics have urged Nigerians to support only a man or woman who has a just heart and will serve everyone and every community regardless of where they come from.

“The moment anyone begins to talk to you about religion or ethnicity, reject him summarily. We need leaders who will unite us because our shared humanity is greater than differences between us.

“If someone does something wrong or fails in governance, do not support him or her come 2015. Such person cannot be the leader Nigeria needs,” a commentator said.

46

FEATURES

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Empowering women through skill acquisition A firm and an individual recently trained 25 ladies, mostly school dropouts, to become mechanics, reports CAJETAN MMUTA

T

he maxim, what a man can do, a woman can do even better, has, for many years, been demonstrated by Nigerian women to

be true.

Many women in the country have shown that they have what it takes to make life meaningful and contribute to nation building.

Gone are the days when the potential of the girl-child was at the background.

Women, in recent times, have proven that apart from being the pillars of the home through their support to the menfolk, they are also the key drivers behind the wheel of growth of any nation.

It is argued in some quarters that given the needed education and enabling environment, a good number of women have the ability, more than the men, to bring about change.

It was not a surprise, therefore, when recently many Nigerians, associates, family members, friends and wellwishers, managers of various reputable institutions, officials of government at all levels, captains of industry, politicians, traditional rulers and the media gathered at Eyean community in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State to cheer, wine and dine with 25 ladies who distinguished themselves in a skill acquisition programme.

The ladies, drawn from different communities, states and local governments, were trained to become mechanics.

The event was the graduation ceremony of second batch of the Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC)/Ladies Mechanics Initiative (LMI).

The initiative is designed to train willing young girls and ladies who are dropouts or who have no means of livelihood.

It is a three-year training programme.

It was another milestone in the quest for Nigerian women to contribute their own quota to the nation’s growth.

The event became a convivial atmosphere as the ladies spoke on their past and present experiences.

However, there is no doubt that the three-year training programme was eventful for the beneficiaries as the initiators rolled out the red carpet for the guests in celebration of achievement and womanhood.

The First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, was on hand to add colour to the ceremony.

Coincidentally, apart from the graduation, the First Lady also launched Africa’s first Female Auto Mechanics Villa located on an expansive land in the agrarian community.

The piece of land was donated by the Enogie of Eyean community.

Besides, the beneficiaries went home with boxes of tools for their work and words of encouragement from various stakeholders for standing out to challenge the men.

About 300 ladies have so far been trained by the body. About 80 per cent of the trainees are gainfully employed by reputable national and multinational companies while others are on their own.

Speaking at the event, Mrs Jona-

Aguebor-Ekperuah flanked by some of the ladies

This is a productive venture that adds value to the lives of citizens of the state than said the skills acquisition and empowerment programme would enable women to contribute their quota to nation’s development.

She described the initiative as a viable asset for promoting peace and education.

The First Lady added that the gesture would further serve as avenue for opportunities to further enhance their potential as drivers of growth and pillars of development in the country.

Mrs Jonathan, who spoke through a director in the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, said the initiative was in line with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government.

According to her, it has opened the path for women seeking higher positions.

She added that the Federal Government had, in recent times, encouraged women to rise to higher positions like their male counterparts in different fields.

The First Lady urged the ladies not to relent in their chosen fields.

She said: “The initiative offers a transformation approach that is gender-sensitive by challenging gender stereotypes. The Federal Government is proud to be associated with the great strides of LMI through the support provided by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for the training of some of the trainees of the centre and other similar programmes.”

The First Lady expressed appreciation that LMI, which at the moment operates in Lagos, Edo, Kaduna and Kano states as well as Abuja, has so far trained more than 200 ladies as mechanics, drivers, generator technicians, water pump and speed boat mechanics.

Mrs Jonathan described the initiator of the programme, Mrs Sandra Aguebor-Ekperuah, as a visionary and commended her for the giant strides aimed at repositioning the society for better.

According to her, there is an urgent

need for women to attain economic independence.

She said: “It is imperative that we continue to strategize on ways to actualise economic independence for our women.

“Economic independence is an essential dimension of women empowerment. It improves their access to and control of resources and promotes increased investment in human capital which in turn improves children’s health, nutrition, education and future growth.”

The Chief Executive of the NBC/ LMI, Aguebor-Ekperuah, said the graduates were the second batch in the series under a partnership her organisation entered with NBC in December 2009 to empower disadvantaged young women living in Edo State through the acquisition of skills.

Aguebor-Ekperuah explained that in 2013, 47 female mechanics graduated under the partnership.

She added that the body had received several requests from autofirms in Europe and the United States to employ the services of the trainees.

The idea to start the initiative which regularly scouts for interested ladies in parts of the country, Aguebor-Ekperuah said, started when she had a dream when she was 13 where she was repairing a car.

She added that the dream only became a reality when she became the nation’s first lady mechanic and went on to set up the initiative in 2003.

The Managing Director of NBC, Mr Ben Langart, said the partnership with the LMI was, “to identify and recruit 100 disadvantaged and deprived women, rehabilitate them and show them the benefit of learning a trade and living a positive life based on commitment and hard-work”.

Langart commended the Edo State Government for the invaluable support in the NBC’s investment programmes.

According to him, the company places high value on women development.

He lauded Aguebor-Ekperuah for her foresight and commitment in her idea which had translated to a remarkable partnership.

In his remarks, the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa I, urged the young mechanics to show themselves as worthy ambassadors of Nigeria and their families.

The monarch, who spoke through

the Enogie of Eyean, HRH Osazuwa Aiwerioghene Iduriase, said he was proud of the ladies and pledged to always assist the LMI initiator.

The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, said the state was proud to have the initiator of the LMI as an indigene at a time it was coming out of the dark years when her ‘daughters’ were being returned home from Europe where they had gone for prostitution.

The governor, who spoke through the Commissioner for Transport, Mr Orobosa Omo-Ojo, said government was proud of the NBC for the enormous task to invest in the young Nigerian girls and efforts at repositioning the society.

While expressing appreciation to NBC for its friendly investment in the state and for adding value to the lives of people through its numerous products, he tasked other firms to key into his administration’s policy of revamping the state through its massive developmental strides in road construction, provision of electricity, guaranteed security, urban renewal programme in the beautification of city centres and other people-oriented programmes.

Oshiomhole challenged the lady mechanics to take their new profession with the needed seriousness and as a springboard to launch themselves into greater potential for growth and development of their families and society.

“This is a productive venture that adds value to the lives of citizens of the state,” he added.

Three of the graduates, Miss Joy Osarulyi, Miss Sarah Okpoto, and Miss Blessing Johnson, emerged tops in the batch.

Blessing, 23, said she dropped out of Idia College, Benin. She said her mother could not pay her Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WEASCE) registration fees because of her brother’s protracted illness.

She said: “I am proud to be a mechanic. I now own a workshop in Abuja and I am happy because now I can make enough money to pay my brother’s school fees and take care of my mother.”

Blessing also pledged to continue in the footsteps of her mentor, AgueborEkperuah, by setting up her workshop in any part of the country with a view to training more women and girls so that, “they can shun prostitution and other vices”.

The event also featured cultural dance, presentation of kits and gifts to the best beneficiaries.

NEW TELEGRAPH tuesday, december 2, 2014

News 47

south — east

Why I want to sack my brother from Senate, by Chris Uba bad blood

Brother digs pit for brother over Senate seat

A

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Anambra State, Chief Chris Uba, yesterday gave reasons why he decided to replace his elder brother, Andy, in the Senate next year, saying his sibling is too elitist for contempo-

41,990

rary politics.

Uba, who spoke with New Telegraph at his Udoka residence, Awka, said: “Representatives of the people should be able to feel the heartbeats of the people and ensure that the people feel robustly fine and healthy within the contractual period.”

He said he had observed that over the years, what most politicians do is to detach themselves from the masses shortly after elections, thereby sub-

The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions of Congo DR in 2010.

Source: Itu.int

jecting the masses to untold hardship.

He said the situation needs to be changed, as according to him, “power belongs to the people and not to the politicians.”

He said for this reason, he had to purchase the form for Anambra South senatorial district to contest in the primaries of the party on Sunday.

He said: “It’s not true that I’m at war with brother Andy, over this bid. But this is politics;

5.92%

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Bhutan in 2007.

Source: Itu.int

everybody has his interests and objectives to accomplish in life. I think I have helped so many people to actualise their ambitions and be great, so that they could help others, but I think most people are selfish and greedy.

“This time, I want to go there myself and help the less privileged in the seven local gover nment areas that make up my constituency and beyond. As I drive pass each time, I notice that many people

64,330

The number of air travel passengers of Ilorin airport in 2012.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics

L-R: Vice-Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Vincent Tenebe; Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; member of House of Representatives, Hon. Toby Okechukwu and Special Adviser to the DSP on Public Affairs, Hon. Alex Ogbonna, at the unveiling of the commemorative plaque to commission NOUN’s Community Study Centre, at Awgu, Enugu State…yesterday

Obiano plots against Obi’s loyalists Chukwu urged to withdraw Tony Okafor Awka

A

ssociates of former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, who are currently vying for various elective positions on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2015 polls, may have been shut out of the race.

Governor Willie Obiano was said to have surreptitiously ordered that the result of the congress of November 25 and 27, that favoured such contestants be jettisoned and a fresh arrangement be made for another one.

A source close to the governor’s camp put it this way: “In spite of the fact that the governor sent serving commissioners to act as returning officers to the congress, the governor appeared not to be satisfied with the outcome of the congress, which repre-

sented the will of the people in the various wards.

“Therefore in an apparent move to subvert the will of the people in favour of the governor’s cronies, the governor relocated to his village with the Chairman of APGA, Chief Mike Kewntor, armed with the delegates’ list, with the obvious intention ‘to doctor’ the list against certain candidates that include Dubem Obaze, Mike Are, Maja Umeh, Victor Afam Ogene, among several others, who are contesting against the governor's candidates.

“For instance, in Anambra South senatorial district, Governor Obiano allegedly instructed that the list be doctored in favour of Chief Enest Ndukwe, former chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), thereby shutting out Maja Umeh, Mike Are, former loyalists of ex-governor Obi.”

from governorship race Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

A

group, Concerned Ebonyi Leadership Forum (CELF) yesterday urged the former Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, to withdraw from the gover-

norship race, because all the people that adopted him as consensus candidate have abandoned him.

The forum also blamed Governor Martin Elechi for drafting the former minister into the race, when he knows that he has no party structure on ground to deliver him.

Scientist raises hope on degenerative brain diseases Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

N

igerian scientist and researcher, Dr. Philip Njemanze, has said that the Phase 1 Trials on the Light Theory as postulated by him in 2010 may reveal a more effective way of combating degenerative diseases.

Njemanze, who spoke exclusively with New

Telegraph before leaving for Germany for the trial, noted that the success of the ongoing Phase 1 Trials which is funded by the German government will help researchers determine which group of patients can best benefit from the breakthrough, which would, to a large extent, change the course of medical science in the near future.

are suffering without hope and this is the time to change the situation.”

He promised to donate his salary throughout

his tenure to a board of trustees in his district if elected, saying he is determined to use his position for the overall interest of the people.

Violence, controversy delay Abia PDP primaries’ result Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

F

orty eight hours after the conduct of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Assembly primaries in Abia State, the party is yet to officially release the result of the candidates that emerged from the exercise.

This was even as the exercise was rescheduled in four constituencies where the primaries were reportedly marred by violence and a re-run was held at the Umuahia township stadium yesterday.

The four constituencies affected include Umunneochi, Bende South, Ohafia South and Isiala Ngwa South. At the rescheduled primaries, Chief Chima Mgbeke was elected for Umunneochi, while Chief Ikerionwu Okarimea was elected for Bende South.

Chief Kingsley becomes the flag bearer for Ohafia South while Chikwendu Kanu is to fly the party’s

flag in Isiala Ngwa South constituency.

However, before the commencement of the exercise, Prince Ikedi Ezekwesili, one of the aspirants and the member representing Umunneochi, described the exercise as a charade, saying he would not be part of it. He described the PDP as irresponsible, alleging that it had manipulated the list of delegates to favour Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejiocha’s candidate.

“It smacks of irresponsibility on the part of the party, I am not subjecting myself to this charade, I can’t be part of this devilish manipulation, if the election should be credible and acceptable the original list should be followed,” he said.

At the time the four rescheduled constituencies were being conducted, that of Ukwa East was still hanging. PDP officials said it would be conducted by 2.30pm yesterday after the other four would have been concluded, but it could not hold.

PDP committee to reconcile Elechi, other stakeholders Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

F

ollowing the confusion that trailed the conduct of last Saturday's House of Assembly primaries in Ebonyi State, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set up a threeman committee to reconcile Governor Martin Elechi with major stakeholders in the state.

Elechi had said that the primaries did not hold because Ebonyi State was one of the four states where the primaries were allegedly postponed by the PDP national secretariat.

But the PDP in a statement by its National Publicity, Olisa Metuh, said the Ebonyi State House of Assembly primary was successfully conducted.

“The NWC states that the result of the exercise has since been received at the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja.

“The national leader-

ship urges members of the party, especially in Ebonyi, to totally disregard any report to the contrary as incorrect,” the statement noted.

The party consequently set up ‘a special three-man reconciliation committee’ to reconcile all major stakeholders to achieve the desired unity before the general election.

The committee includes Governors Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, Theodore Orji of Abia State and Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State.

It will be recalled that the Ebonyi State government had, through the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Dr. Onyekachi Eze, alleged that the PDP national secretariat has postponed the House of Assembly primaries in the state.

It alleged that some disgruntled politicians have continued “the deliberate acts of misinformation and falsehood” to blackmail the party and sow the seed of discord.

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Clement James CALABAR

T

he Cross Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has cleared 10 aspirants to contest for the party’s Governorship ticket at the primary election slated for December 8.

Those cleared by the party for the primary election include serving Senator Ben Ayade, a lawyer Mike Aniah, the immediate past Secretary to the State Government; Engr. Emmanuel Ibeshi, former Executive Secretary of the National Planning Commission, Chief Fidelis Ugbo, Barrister Legor Idagbor and Joe Agi, among others.

Speaking in Calabar on Monday, one of the cleared aspirant, Barrister Joe Agi, while confirming his clearance, said he was optimistic that he would emerge the flag bearer after the primaries.

He said, “Last Thursday, 10 of us were cleared by the party’s governorship screening committee and I am confident of getting that ticket to fly the party’s flag in the February 2015 general election”. Speaking on wide range issues affecting the PDP, Agi noted that the alleged impeachment move against President Goodluck Jonathan by some members of the National Assembly would not see the light of the day.

Agi, who described the threat as a politically motivated one, said it would subside as soon as issue

SOUTH-SOUTH

PDP clears Ayade, Idagbor, others for C’Rivers guber race of automatic ticket for Senators and the wrangling by some state governors within the ruling PDP, was resolved.

The governorship aspirant, noted that the challenges confront-

CALABAR

T

he Cross River State government has described the current prevalent rate of 7.1 per cent of the HIV/AIDS scourge in the state as alarming, saying everything should be done to reduce it.

The State Deputy Governor, Mr. Efiok Cobham, who expressed governments position on yesterday at the occasion of the commemoration of World AIDS Day in Calabar, said with a population of 3.1million people, the state cannot afford to have such a prevalence rate, calling on International donor partners to redouble their assistance.

“As a government, we have put in a lot of resources to ensure zero prevalence HIV/AIDS rate. For a population of 3.1 million people, the current prevalence rate is high and we must do everything to ensure that we reduce this rate to zero level,” he said.

ing the ruling party at the moment were enormous, arguing however, that such disagreements would not lead to mass defection from the party.

He said, “The so called impeachment move

N1.27bn

The IGR realized from road taxes sources of revenue of Taraba State in 2011.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics

against President Goodluck Jonathan is apparently politically motivated and it will be solved politically.

The impeachment threat will soon subside. You are aware that there are issues of automatic ticket for sen-

70

The life expectancy of women at birth in Bangladesh in 2010-2015.

Source: Un.org

ators and some governors are opposing it.”

Describing the disagreement as a family affair, he said, “I can confirm that along the line, the party will meet and sort it out. It will

26%

The percentage of pregnant women tested for HIV in low and middle-income countries in 2009.

Source: Who.int

definitely lead to a give and take resolution. It is true that the challenges facing the PDP are enormous and it is not unusual to find such challenges and disagreements in a large family.”

£1.3m

The average yearly salary of Italy’s Serie A players in 2013-2014 season.

Source: Soccernet.com

L-R: Minister of Sports, Mr. Tammy Danagogo; Rivers State PDP governorship aspirant, Mr. Nyesom Wike; Chairman, Bonny Local Government Area, Mr. Simon Hart and former Director General, Nigeria Stock Exchange, Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, at the inauguration of New Rivers Vision office in Bonny Local Government Area, Rivers State…yesterday

World AIDS Day: C’River advocates zero HIV level Clement James

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

According to him; “Everybody must be involved in closing gap; the gap of infection, that of stigmatization and the gap of information.”

He, however, warned against stigmatization and discrimination against persons living with the virus, saying the state government was conscious of the antistigma law passed by the State House of Assembly.

This year World AIDS Day in the state was sponsored by the United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM), with the theme: `close the gap, stop stigmatization and discrimination’. ``The government of Cross River State has passed the anti-stigmatization law with the intention that we would implement that law to the letter. For those persons living with HIV/ AIDS, it is important to report cases of stigmatization because that would help the government to drive the process,” Cobham charged.

Navy, Red Cross collaborate on training

T

he Nigerian Navy has entered into collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the training of its personnel on international arms laws and conflict resolution.

The training, according to the Commandant of the Nigerian Navy College (NNC), Onne, Commodore Atiku Abdulkadir, would improve its personnel knowledge on how to conduct themselves when deployed to conflict areas.

Speaking while declaring open a three-day training in Onne, Abdulkadir, said the exercise would also look into counterterrorism and counterinsurgency, noting that the naval headquarters looked to ICRC to help the navy act in line with International Humanitarian and Human Right Laws.

He also said that newly graduated officers from the Nigerian Defence Academy and those under direct Short Services Cadets would par-

Emmanuel Masha

Death toll in Omoku shooting rises to 15

Port Harcourt

T

he death toll in last Friday’s shooting in Omoku, a community in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government of Rivers State, has risen to 15.

Gunmen numbering about 10 had stormed the community in the early hours of Friday, and ransacked houses, forcing people out of their houses before shooting a score of people in the early hours mayhem.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was said to be among those killed by the hoodlums as the Rivers Police spokesman, Ahmad Mohammed said that only seven persons were killed in the incident.

While the Police, attributed to a cult clash by rival cult groups, a member representing Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Gift Woko-

ticipate in the training.

He said: “All officers and trainees’ must be adequately informed on what their responsibilities are, when they find themselves in conditions and situations that they have to apply the impulse of this (international arms) law, appropriately.

“The armed forces; particularly, the navy is always involved in resolution of one conflict or the other; be it in direct conventional warfare

cha, said that a total of I5 persons lost their lives in the incident, urging the people of the area to live peacefully and shun acts capable of destroying the area’s economy.

He said, “There is no need for rancor and acrimony in Omoku. The place is an oil producing community, and the people have to be protected,” just as he decried the spate of kidnappings in the area.

“People are now living

and counter-insurgency or counter-terrorism.

“In all these, it is expected that personnel will be getting in contact, either with armed personnel who are no longer in capacity to continue to fight, or a civilian who acted against the law, and maybe carrying arms.

“So, we need to educate our officers and men on how they should relate, and how they should behave in conflict and in resolution of conflict.”

in fear.. Some are moving away. If the economy of Omoku is crippled, who will live there and do business?” he added.

Wokocha, also appealed to those leaving the community due to fear a reoccurrence to reconsider their action, assuring that the authorities were doing everything humanly possible to prevent a recurrence and to protect lives and property in the community.

NEW TELEGRAPH tuesday, december 2, 2014

News 49

north

Crisis rocks Adamawa PDP Assembly primaries troubled primaries Electoral committee chairman does a U-turn to douse tension

Ibrahim Abdul Yola

T

here was confusion yesterday at the Presidential Lodge of the

Books on Sokoto caliphate gulp N60m

Adamawa State Government House, Yola, during a press conference convened by the electoral committee sent to Adamawa State by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to superintend the conduct of the House of Assembly primaries.

Trouble started when the Chairman of the committee, Ambassador Tim Ihemadu, announced that he had concluded the assignment which brought him to the state by making available duplicate copies of the result sheets to the

party’s executives.

But the suspended Chairman of the party, Chief Joel Madaki, who was at the venue, insisted that the electoral committee chairman must announced the names.

A disagreement then ensued between the electoral committee chairman and Madaki, which charged the atmosphere as other party executives joined Madaki in their insistence that the result must be announced.

Spurred by Madaki's and the party executives' demand, Iheamadu said the announcement of the

winners was outside the constitutional mandate of his committee, adding that he was working in consonance with the guidelines of the conduct of the election.

“I have the guideline and I am working in consonance with the guidelines that was given to me to conduct this election.

“I have done my work, and if you believe my work is not properly done, you have the appropriate quarters to channel your complaints to.

“The electoral guidelines for the purpose of the House of Assembly

primaries states clearly that at the various constituencies where these various nominations are conducted, the returning officer in charge should announce the results publicly before those who took part in the election and is declared there and then,” he said.

However, when the pressure became too much for him, he tactically rescinded his decision and gave one of the members of the committee, Sani Aliyu, the list, which he announced.

Earlier in his speech, the chairman said he

went through tough times in the conduct of the primaries and that, at a point, he had to succumb to the wishes of the party executives.

“The atmosphere was so charged and because we are Nigerians and we know what is happening in Adamawa State, I and members of my team decided that it is not going to be proper that we add to the crisis in the state.

“We decided in our wisdom to do the needful and in consideration of the need to have peace, we continued with the process,” Ihemadu said.

Umar Danladi Ado Sokoto

T

he Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar III, has spent over N60 million on the publication of books written by founders of the Sokoto Caliphate over 200 years ago.

This was disclosed

by Chairman, Board of Trustees, Centre for Intellectual Services on Sokoto Caliphate, Prof. Sambo Junaid.

Junaid revealed this while briefing newsmen yesterday on the second phase of the 2014 Quiz Competition on Sokoto Caliphate's Literatures entitled; “Taskar Daular Usmaniya.”

He said: “These books were either translated into Hausa or English and they were published in Egypy. They are being distributed free across the country, he said.

L-R: Supreme Court Justice, Justice Musa Dattijo; Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu and state’s Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Fati Lami Abubakar, at the opening ceremony of a capacity building seminar for Magistrates, Sharia Judges and Administrative Staff, in Minna…yesterday

CNPP, Saraki condemn attack on journalists Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

T

he Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) and a gubernatorial aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Gbemisola Saraki, yesterday condemned the weekend assault on some reporters by persons suspected

to be thugs working for a faction of the party in the state.

Addressing newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State, Chairman of the CNPP, Alhaji Adebayo Lawal, said the attack was the worst in the history of the state, adding that it once again exemplified the PDP as a perpetual threat to the peace and stability of the state.

On her part, Gbemisola said the incident was a demonstration of impunity and is condemnable irrespective of party affiliation.

The crew members of Channels Television, led

by AbdulHakeem Garba, were molested at Yebumot Hotel, where they had gone to cover the PDP House of Assembly primaries even when they had prop-

erly identified themselves.

Their camera was also broken as thugs descended on them and they had to run for dear lives.

The CNPP, while calling on other professional bodies and the media to speak out against the incident, argued that only a political party that has issues to hide will attempt to prevent the media from mirroring its activities.

Ibeto declares, says Aliyu’s Community asks Jang to anointed not peoples’ choice reopen Jos market Dan Atori MINNA

D

eputy Governor of Niger State, Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, has said that Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu's endorsed candidate for the 2015 gubernatorial election in the state is not the peoples' choice.

Ibeto said this yester-

day when he declared his intention to contest the governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said at the press conference after his declaration that Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu's endorsed candidate, Umar Nasko, is not the choice of the people and the delegates.

Buhari Bello Jos

T

he Hausa-Fulani community in Jos under the auspices of Jasawa Community Development Association (JCDA) has called on the Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang, to reopen the Terminus Market and the road that passes

through it and the city centre, the Murtala Muhammed Way. Speaking at the commemoration prayer for victims of the November 28, 2008 Jos crisis, JCDA President, Shehu Ibrahim Masalla, said the closure of the market and the main access way to and out of the city centre had placed hundreds of people in untold hardship.

Sokoto recruits 2, 200 youths as corps marshals Umar Danladi Ado Sokoto

N

o fewer than 2, 200 youths have been recruited, trained and posted to the 23 local council areas of Sokoto State as corps marshals by the state government.

The job of the newly recruited marshals is to assist

in the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the state.

Under the arrangement, our correspondent gathered that a synergy with security agencies had been arranged while 500 out of the trainees would be serving in the state capital as traffic, environmental and security officials to give support to various agencies in the state.

N12bn revenue target not tenable, says Chairman Musa Pam Jos

T

he Chairman of the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Samuel Pam, said the target of saving N12 billion annually as internally generated revenues cannot be achieved as the result of the downfall in oil prices has affected the economy.

He said the state revenue service in 2013 met the N12 billion target, adding that this year 2014, the state will only be able to realise N6 to N7 billion annually.

Pam disclose this to New Telegraph in Jos yesterday while leading hundreds of workers of the revenue board on a street walk to create awareness that it is time for them to pay their taxes.

50

News

WORLD | News

FG deploys 504 volunteers to West Africa to contain Ebola Appolonia Adeyemi

I

n order to provide needed assistance to three West African countries being currently plagued by Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the Federal Government is now sending 504 volunteers to those countries.

Speaking at the threeday training of the first batch of the contingent comprising 250 doctors and volunteers, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute, who was represented by Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi, the Director, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)

said, “On the whole, there will be 504 volunteers.

This first batch is made up of 250 people and they are drawn from all over the federation, mostly from Lagos, Rivers, and other states.

Apart from Nigeria, other African countries, Uganda and Congo are also sending human and material resources to Ebola affected nations of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, as part of international efforts to contain Ebola worldwide.”

According to the permanent secretary, the Federal Government is providing life coverage insurance, health disabil-

ity, injuries insurance for all the participants in the contingent. “We have made arrangement for your insurance in case of any eventuality,” Awute said in his address to the volunteers at the opening ceremony of their training, adding, “We will also make our isolation Centre active throughout your stay outside the country.”

Similarly, he said both the Nigerian government and the African Union have guaranteed that all volunteers including doctors, nurses and other volunteers are going to be paid their allowances fully in dollars.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

WFP suspending assistance programme to Syrians

T

he United Nations World Food Programme yesterday suspended a food voucher programme serving more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees, citing a funding crisis after many donors failed to meet their commitments.

Cutting the programme, which provides Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt with electronic vouchers to buy food in local shops, means that "many families will go

hungry," the U.N. agency said in a statement. "The suspension of WFP food assistance will be disastrous for many already suffering families," said WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin, adding it will also "endanger the health and safety of these refugees and will potentially cause further tensions, instability and insecurity in the neighboring host countries."

Syria's three and half year-long civil war has killed more than 200,000 people and touched off a massive humanitarian

crisis, forcing more than three million to seek refuge abroad and displacing another 6.5 million within the country.

Trying to meet the needs of those affected by the crisis has put a tremendous strain on countries that have taken in refugees, as well as organizations that provide humanitarian assistance.

Cousin said that many donors have not honored their commitments, leaving the agency's Syria emergency operations in critical need of funding.

Court orders DSS to release detained APC Staff Akeem Nafiu

J

ustice Mohammed Yunusa of a Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the release of the five staff of the All Progressives Congress (APC) detained by the Department of State Security Service,(DSS).

The detainees, Chinedu Atuche, Fayemi Olaposi, Augustine Onuchukwu, Ebun Ilori and Esther Enemy were arrested by the DSS when it invaded the APC data office in the Ikeja area of Lagos on November 22.

The invasion, according to the DSS was sequel to an intelligence report that some unwholesome activities were being per-

petrated within the said building.

At the resumed hearing yesterday in a fundamental rights enforcement action, filed on behalf of the five APC Staff by Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), Justice Mohammed Yunusa declared the continued detention of the officers by the DSS as unlawful.

The judge, in a Bench ruling, said it was against the provision of Section 35 of the Constitution to continue to hold the officers in detention while the DSS was conducting its investigations.

Justice Yunusa however, ordered their immediate release in addition to an order restraining the

DSS from further arresting the five APC Staff pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Yunusa held, "The arrest and detention of the applicants for the purpose of investigations is a clear violation of Section 35 of the Constitution.

"The remand order, whether valid or invalid, has exceeded the time limit permitted as reasonable by the Section 35 of the Constitution.

"The same arrest and detention of the applicant is hereby nullified.

Yunusa subsequently adjourned till January 19, 2015 to hear the substantive suit.

David West congratulates OPEC president

O

ne-time Petroleum Minister, Prof.

Tam David West yesterday described the emergence of Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke as new OPEC President as a plus for Nigeria.

According to David West," I want to first congratulate the Petroleum minister on her selection as the first female OPEC president. It is also a good one for Nigeria. But I will have to add that the po-

sition is not for the individual, it for the country and there is nothing new about it."

The Professor of Virology, who served as minister under Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and later Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, took time to correct what he termed the erroneous impression that Alison Madueke was elected.

"I am forced to make the following corrections. In the first place,

the OPEC president is not elected, it is by selection. Whenever there is a meeting of OPEC oil ministers, the first item on the agenda is selection of president. And emphasis is on country,not on individual.

"Again, the tenure is only for the duration of that particular meeting.

In the next meeting, a new president will emerge. It is a great honour to Nigeria," he added.

Africa converges on Lagos for Social Media Award

S

ocial Media practitioners, enthusiasts, influencers and users from the African continent will converge on Lagos, Nigeria for the first Social Media Awards Africa this weekend.

The event, which is powered by Sterling Bank Plc, will kick off with a Summit on Friday December 5, 2014 at the Event Centre, Alausa, Ikeja with the

theme: Social Media for Governance, Leadership & Development, while the grand event, the Award presentation will hold on Saturday December 6, 2014 at BICS Garden, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. Most of the participants from Kenya, South Africa and Tunisia have started arriving in Lagos for the Award. Papers will be presented by Social Media experts across the globe.

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN); the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Yemi Adeola and the Minister for Communications & Technology, Madam Mobola Joghnson are billed to attend the Social Media Summit and deliver the Host’s message, Partner’s Goodwill Message and Chief Host’s message respectively.

A Syrian refugee woman with her children preparing food near her tent in a camp for Syrians who fled their country's civil war

South African AIDS group says treatment stalling

O

ne of South Africa's largest AIDS awareness groups said the country's response to the disease is beginning to stall.

Marking World AIDSDay in Johannesburg yesterday, the Treatment Action Campaign said that while governmentissued drugs had saved

millions of lives, South Africa's health care system is struggling to ensure that every HIV-positive person is receiving treatment.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is chairman of the National AIDS Council, said in a separate statement that about 2.7 million people are receiv-

ing treatment, but warned that an estimated two million HIV positive people do not know they are infected with the deadly virus.

According to the South African government, more than 6.4 million South Africans are living with HIV, and about 400,000 more are infected each year.

Japan starts chemical weapon destruction in China

A

Jap anese-bui lt facility in China yesterday began destroying the largest cache of World War II chemical weapons abandoned in the country, Tokyo officials said, in a rare case of co-operation between the two countries.

The facility has been built in Harbaling in the northeast, where some 300,000 to 400,000 chemical weapons are believed to have been left behind, a government official at Japan's Cabinet Office told AFP. Both Japanese and Chinese staff work at the facility, the official said, adding: "As our responsiblity, we will sincerely proceed with the disposal by paying great attention to the safety of local people and

the environment."

Relations between Tokyo and Beijing are at their worst for years over a territorial dispute in the East China Sea, and the continuing legacy of Japan's brutal 20th-century occupation.

"Abandoning these weapons was one of the severe crimes Japanese militarist invaders committed during their invasion of China," China's official news agency, Xinhua on Sunday cited an unnamed Chinese official as saying.

In 1999 Tokyo and Beijing agreed to destroy the devices, with Japan providing all necessary funds, technology, experts and other resources. Originally the process was meant to be completed by 2007, a deadline later pushed back to 2012. It has since been de-

layed further.

The Japanese government's Abandoned Chemical Weapons Office says on its website that a total of 47,000 chemical munitions have previously been "excavated, recovered and stored".

Beijing, which regularly calls on Tokyo to show sincerity in confronting the past, urged Japan to work faster on the issue.

"The progress is still lagging far behind the plan set by China and Japan," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying told reporters.

"China asks Japan to increase their input both in terms of personnel and materials and accelerate the destruction of chemical weapons left by Japan in China."

NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

51

Sport News

international sport

Ronaldo, Messi, Neuer for Ballon d’Or award

AWCCC: First Bank bounce back after opening day loss

52

53

53

Glo-CAF Awards: Nominations excite Oparanozie, Oshoala

Basketball

Sport Ajibade Olusesan

N

igeria Football Federation has refuted claims that they have offered coach Stephen Keshi a new contract to continue as the handler of the Super Eagles.

Reports were rife in the media that the coach had signed a oneyear contract worth N7 million per month.

But the media director of the federation, Demola Olajiire, told

Did you know?

That the first FA cup final was in 1872. However referees did not use whistles until 1878.

NFF denies offering Keshi new deal

l Akpoborie warns against rewarding mediocrity our correspondent that the reports were untrue, insisting that the soccer body had not opened contract discussions with the coach.

“I can confirm to you that it is untrue that the coach has signed a new contract. I can also tell you that NFF is yet to meet with the

New Eagles:

coach on a new contract let alone agreeing a deal. I don’t know where that report is coming from and I want you to disregard it,” he said.

Meanwhile, ex-international, Jonathan Akpoborie, has warned the federation against offering the coach a new deal.

The former Wolfsburg of Ger-

many striker said that it would amount to rewarding mediocrity if the coach was allowed to continue.

“Keshi getting a new contract is a taboo, a coach is as good as his last result and Keshi failed to qualify the team to the Nations Cup. I don’t understand where that new contract is coming from and I don’t want to know.

“It is funny that NFF wants to reward mediocrity, even if you are under pressure you must also think about the future,’ he said.

Learn from S’Africa, Congo l Chukwu tells NFF Uche vying with South African players

Chukwu

Ajibade Olusesan

The Sport Team Adekunle Salami Deputy Editor, Sports

Emmanuel Tobi Assistant Editor, Sports

Ifeanyi Ibeh Sports Correspondent

Ajibade Olusesan Sports Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya Sports Correspondent

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ormer Super Eagles coach, Christian Chukwu, has urged the Nigeria Football Federation to learn from South Africa and Congo in its bid to reorganise the national team.

He said it was important for the NFF to sanction a process that would ensure the national team was rebuilt around the homebased players.

The former captain of the national team said that it was unnecessary to continue to rue the failure of the team to qualify for the 2015 Africa Nations Cup. He said this was the time to look inwards with a view to

restructuring the national team ahead of future engagements.

Chukwu stated that it was important to take positive lessons from the AFCON fiasco, one of which was the fact that the teams that knocked the Eagles out of the qualifiers (South Africa and Congo) were made up of young players most of whom ply their trade in their domestic leagues.

He said that although he was not suggesting that the national team should be made up of wholly home-based players, it was easier to work with them than to have the national team filled with foreign-based players who

are lacking in motivation and commitment.

The former Eagles skipper said; “It is sad that we did not qualify; just like most Nigerians.

I wanted to see us play in Equatorial Guinea but there is nothing we can do but look inwards at what we did wrong and how we can avoid a repeat of what happened. I think this situation has presented us with an opportunity to look at football and tell ourselves the truth that we are not moving forward.

“We have to rebuild our national team with home-based players.

South Africa and even Congo that beat us to the

ticket have teams that are predominantly homebased, they are young and determined. They wanted to win and you could see the way they out-ran our players because they were very young. The NFF can add young and committed foreign-based players to mix so that we can have the right balance.

“The kind of team I am looking at is one that can last for like 10 years, and that is why we have to go for youth.”

The Draw for the Nations Cup holds on Wednesday in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. 16 countries will take part in the continental football fiesta.

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Glo-CAF Awards: Nominations excite Oparanozie, Oshoala Emmanuel Tobi

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uper Falcons top striker, Desire Oparanozie, has expressed delight over her nomination in the shortlist for the 2014 GLO-CAF African Woman Player of the Year award.

The Confederation of African Football revealed the names of the five finalists on Sunday in Cairo.

They are the Nigerian duo of Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala; South Africa’s Portia Modise; Cameroon’s Annette Ngo Ndom and Namibia’s Zenatha Coleman.

And speaking in an interview with New Telegraph from her base on Monday, the AVP Guingamp of France player said that the CAF nomination would spur her to greater heights.

“I’m happy being recognised by CAF as one of the best five players in Africa. I really appreciate my Super Falcons teammates and my club teammates, but I want to say that the nomination is a reason to

work harder and strive to be the best in whatever I do,” she said.

Similarly, Super Falcons forward, Oshoala, has described her Glo-CAF award nomination as a reward for dedication and perseverance.

“I’m so grateful to Allah for the recognition especially for lifting me from nowhere to a height I never expected.

I was not expecting to be considered for such a great award even though I have had a wonderful season this year,” said the Rivers Angels player.

Oshoala who will also battle Super Falcons’ teammate Uchechi Sunday, Cameroon’s Fabrice Ondoa and Congo Brazaville’s Kader Bidimbou for the CAF Youth Player of the Year award, said she was poised for greater challenges at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles captain, Vincent Enyeama, has thanked Nigerians after he made the shortlist of five for the

Oshoala and Oparanozie with their awards at the Africa Women Championship

2014 Confederation of African Football Player of the Year award.

Enyeama, who along with Super Eagles teammate Ahmed Musa, were announced in the final five said he owes it to Nigerians for the love and support they had shown to him.

“I have to thank Nigerians for their love and sup-

In the men’s singles, reigning CBN Open champion Babalola was the first big casualty of the day as he lost to Emmanuel Idoko 7-5, 6-7 (4), 2-6 while threetime CBN Open winner Lawal also made an early exit as he bowed to the superior firepower of men’s singles winner at the recently-held 14th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship, Moses Micheal.

Bewarang carpets Nigerian coaches

Bewarang

Charles Ogundiya

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ormer Super Eagles coach, Bitrus Bewarang, has carpeted Nigerian coaches for failure to improve themselves.

Speaking with our correspondent at the weekend, the assistant coach to Dutchman Clemens Weterhof, said the coaches found it difficult to take out of their own money to develop themselves for a better output.

“Seriously, our home coaches need development and you can only do that if you invest on yourself. Saying your remuneration is poor is not an

Ifeanyi Ibeh

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port,” Enyeama told sl10. ng.

“I am really grateful to them and I hope a Nigerian wins it this time.

“I thank them for helping me get this far and I appreciate their support.”

The Glo- CAF Awards Gala nite will take place on Thursday, January 8, 2015 in Lagos, Nigeria.

NPA Tennis: Babalola, Lawal crash out in first round T wo major upsets were recorded in the first round of matches decided yesterday, at the 1st Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) National Open Tennis Championship as former top players Abdulmumuni Babalola and Lawal Shehu were bundled out of the N5.7m prize-money event taking place at Package B arena of the National Stadium, Abuja.

Flying Eagles begin two-month training in Kaduna

excuse for failing to improve on your knowledge.

“We often depend on Nigeria Football Federation’s sponsorship, but we are trying to tell them to make effort despite their little income.

“I have told the coaches that if we continue to wait on the NFF, we will not meet up with CAF and FIFA demands and before you know it some of us will be out of job; imagine we have few A license coaches in Nigeria,” the president of the Nigeria Coaches Association said.

The chairman of Jos-based Plateau United said added that association had concluded plans to arrange training courses for the coaches so as to attain the standard required of them.

He said: “We have already started with the Grade C category and by the end of the year, we would have concluded the courses. Then those that qualify will start the Grade B by next year and before you know it, most of our coaches will be having the Grade A certificate.”

Sunday Emmanuel proved too strong for national junior player, Tswako Abubakar with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 triumph just as Nonso Madueke overpowered Chinedu Akagha with an easy 6-0, 6-3 win.

In the women’s singles, number one seed, Sarah Adegoke breezed past Ngozi Dirisu, 6-3, 6-0 while CBN Open reigning champion, Christie Agugbom walloped Afolarin Akosile, 6-1, 6-2.

Babalola commended Idoko for his brilliant play noting that, “It is still a shame that people like us are still defeating the youngsters because I started defeating the senior players as a youngster.”

oach of Nigeria’s U-20 national team, Manu Garba, formally kicked off preparations for the 19th African Youth Championship at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, on Monday, with the FIFA U-17 World Cup-winning coach starting his build-up with 30 players.

The squad comprises mostly of players Garba coached to the title at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, in the United Arab Emirates such as Musa Muhammed, Dele Alampasu, Mustapha Abdullahi, Wilfred Ndidi, Izu Omego and Zaharadeen Bello.

Also in camp is Enyimba FC midfielder, Kingsley Sokari, who made his international debut for Nigeria at last month’s international friendly between Nigeria

and Ghana’s Olympic team at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo. Garba is expected to perfect strategies with his team in Kaduna for two months before embarking on a training camp in February ahead of the AYC, coming up in March in Senegal.

It won’t be strictly training though for the Flying Eagles as the Nigeria Football Federation plans to arrange a number of friendly matches for the six-time African champions.

“We know that apart from the training programme, the team needs good knock –around games against quality opposition.

We are working hard to ensure that we get strong teams to play the Flying Eagles before the 2015 African Youth Championship,” said NFF’s Director of Competitions, Mohammed Sanusi in Abuja, on Monday.

W/Cup draw: Falcons coach departs for Canada Thursday ead coach of Nigeria’s Netherlands, Germany, H women’s national France, Spain, Switzerland, team, Edwin Okon, will on Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, CamThursday depart Nigeria for Canada ahead of Saturday’s draws for the 7th FIFA Women’s World Cup, Canada 2015.

Okon, who led the Super Falcons to a seventh African title in Namibia in October, will be joined by the team’s administrator, Ruth David, and media officer, Gracious Akujobi.

The draw ceremony will be held in Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, with the 24 finalists to be divided into six groups comprising four teams each.

Already qualified for the finals are host Canada, United States of America, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Norway, Sweden, England, Japan, Australia,

eroon, China, Korea Republic, Thailand and New Zealand.

The last spot will be taken up by the winner of the intercontinental playoff between Ecuador and Trinidad &Tobago.

Okon

Mobil School sports final holds Jan 10 Bankers Games: Skye, UBA

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tudents who made it to the finals of the 14 AKS/NNPC/MPN Schools Athletics Competition will slug it out on January 10, 2015.

In a press release on Monday, the Consultant to the project, Mr Paul Bassey, said: “ After due consultations with the facilitators and other parties and given the tight sports schedule in December and the school calendar that was affected by the closure of schools due to the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak, we have decided to move the grand finale to January 10 next year in Uyo” Bassey who said 506 students had qualified for the competition this year from the eight sports zones of the state hinted of a

new format that would see all the qualified students undergo a one week intensive orientation course in the use of modern sports equipment including spike shoes, starting blocks etc.

“After running barefoot for 12 years on the beaten tracks of Eket Stadium, last year, we took the students to the U J Stadium in Calabar and for them it was a delight wearing spike shoes and running on tartan tracks for the first time in their lives. This time around, you can imagine the expectations of the kids having to feature in one of the best stadiums in the world, the Akwa Ibom International Stadium in Uyo,” he said.

set up second straight finals

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idelity Bank has been declared the overall winner of the 2014 Nigeria Bankers Games as the final match of the football event will for the second year running be a straight contest between last year’s finalists, UBA and defending champions, Skye Bank.

Fidelity finished as the all-round best in the other events with a total of 18 medals which included nine gold medals, four silver and five bronze medals. The bank which also emerged overall winners at last year’s edition, dominated the athletics events, winning gold in both the men and women 100m and 200m as well as in the relays.

Fidelity also claimed the gold medals in women’s chess, as well as in the women’s singles and doubles tennis events.

Diamond Bank are second on the overall medals log with three gold medals, two of which were won by Ijeoma Arum in the women’s table tennis singles and doubles events.

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NEW TELEGRAPH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014

Ballon d’Or: Ronaldo, Messi, Neuer in final list

Lack of goals frustrates Suarez

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ristiano Ronaldo will be challenging Lionel Messi and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to retain the Ballon d’Or. Ronaldo won the 2013 honour to end Messi’s three-year run as the world’s best player since FIFA and France Football merged their awards.

While Messi has broken the Champions League and Spanish league scoring records this month after winning the Golden Ball at the World Cup, the Argentina forward will end 2014 without a team honour.

Argentina lost to Germany in the World Cup final. Neuer kept a clean sheet as the Bayern Munich goalkeeper followed up winning the German league and cup by lifting football’s biggest prize.

Ronaldo’s World Cup campaign with Portugal ended in the group stage, but he won the Champions League and UEFA Super Cup with Real Madrid.

Messi (left) and Ronaldo

arcelona striker Luis Suarez has admitted his frustration at finding himself unable to end his Liga goal drought, lamenting that “the ball doesn’t want to go in” for him.

The Uruguay international netted for the first time in a Blaugrana shirt in Tuesday’s Champions League win at APOEL but he has yet to open his Primera Division account since making his debut against Real Madrid on October 25.

Suarez had two major chances to score in Sunday’s 1-0 victory at Valencia, which came courtesy of

Tiger Woods returns at World Challenge

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Van Gaal laments Christmas games

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anchester United manager Louis van Gaal joined the growing list of critics slamming the Premier League’s busy Christmas period.

United are preparing to embark on six league matches in December, starting with the visit of Stoke City to Old Trafford on Tuesday.

The Manchester club will also play three Premier League games in the

space of eight days over Christmas - Aston Villa (December 20), Newcastle United (December 26) and Tottenham (December 28).

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman was scathing of the heavy fixture list last week, labelling it as “crazy”.

And while the situation is far from ideal for Van Gaal and his players, the 63-year-old Dutchman is willing to adapt to life in England’s top flight.

Tiger Woods

he Hero World Challenge will feature the scheduled return to tournament competition of former World No. 1 Tiger Woods after a layoff while recovering from back surgery earlier this year.

Taking place at Isleworth Golf and Country Club, the tournament will feature 18 of the PGA TOUR’s top players competing in a 72-hole, stroke play event for a $1 million prize.

Golf Channel will air live coverage Thursday, December 4 and Friday, December 5, followed by weekend coverage on both Golf Channel and NBC, Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7.

Basketball Flakes

Ugoka glad to be back

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igeria and Vigarano of Italy star, Uju Ugoka, has expressed delight after making a victorious return to action for her Italian women’s league side following a two-week injury induced layoff.

The 6-foot-1 forward picked up a knee injury while playing for her club a fortnight ago, but showed no sign of rustiness as she scored 14 points in her team’s 75-59 win over Saces Napoli.

“It feels good to be back.

It wasn’t a serious injury, thank God for that, but my coaches felt I needed

to get back to fitness and wouldn’t risk playing me.

That was why I had to sit out some of our games,” said Ugoka.

“But I am back and glad I was able to play some part in our win,” added the Nigeria international, whose shooting was slightly over 41 per cent on the night, having made five of her 12 shot attempts.

It’s a shooting percentage the former Virginia Tech star hopes to improve upon in the coming weeks, even though what matters more is helping her team achieve more wins and climb higher than their current 10th position in the 14-team table.

“It will definitely get better but what is more important is playing my part in winning games for my team,” she said.

EuroLeague: Ogwumike named star of the week

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Ogwumike

nemkadi Ogwumike has been named the EuroLeague Top Performer for last week’s round of matches after her all-star performance for Dynamo Kursk in the Russian club’s 92-70 win over Good Angels Kosice in the EuroLeague Women Regular Season.

The 24-year-old forward scored 19 points and grabbed 12 re-

bounds for her third double-double in as many games this season en route to an efficiency ranking of 27.

It is the second Top Performer coronation for Ogwumike this season after also topping the charts in Week 2.

Confirming her excellent form is the fact that she currently leads EuroLeague Women in scoring with 21.1 points

per game.

The win over the Slovenian side was Dynamo Kursk’s first-ever EuroLeague Women away win, and Ogwumike dominated on both ends of the floor as the visitors got out in front early and held on to their advantage with consistent good looks at the basket, resulting in a 54 per cent field-goal percentage.

Enyeama loses BBC award to Algerian

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igerian Vincent Enyeama has lost the 2014 edition of the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2014 to Algerian Yacine Brahimi.

The 24-year-old midfielder becomes the first Algerian to win the award, which is decided by football fans.

After a record number of votes were submitted from fans in 207 Fifa-registered countries, Brahimi came out on top ahead of Enyeama, Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ivorian pair Gervinho and Yaya Toure.

“This trophy is going to give me more strength, more desire to work, to get better, to learn so that I can keep having great performances,” Brahimi said.

with Ifeanyi Ibeh 08054175662

AWCCC: First Bank bounce back from opening day loss

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Ugoka

Sergio Busquets’ last-gasp strike, but he was denied by a brilliant first-half save from Diego Alves before then being incorrectly flagged offside after tapping home with 20 minutes to go.

“It’s an odd situation,” the former Liverpool striker told reporters after the game. “The ball doesn’t want to go in but I’m always working on it.

layers of First Bank have expressed optimism about their chances of progressing to the quarterfinals, and even beyond that, at the on-going FIBA Africa Club Champions Cup for Women in the Tunisian city of Sfax after recording their first win of the tournament on Monday.

First Bank, seeking a third ACCCW title following their earlier successes in 2003 and 2009, lost their opening game of the tournament to Angola’s Primiero de Agosto 87-77, but bounced back from that loss to last season’s runners-up by defeating home side, CS Sfaxien, 77-66.

Joyce Ekworomadu led the Elephant Girls in the scoring department with 23 points, including four successful threepointers. She also had eight rebounds to go with it, and she expressed confidence that she and her teammates will get better as the tournament progresses.

“We lost by 10 points in our first game but it was okay as we learnt from it and got better as a result,” she said. “We made some crucial mistakes on defence and were leaving them wide open.

“But we were better today (Monday) and we hope to continue with this momentum and possibly go all the way,” added Ekworomadu.

Sarah Ogoke, who scored 17 points, to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds, also expressed confidence about her team’s chances as they get set to confront INJS of Cameroon on Tuesday (today).

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The search for peace: Recommending the AUN-API model

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ast week Friday, I undertook my first trip in eleven years to Yola, the capital of Adamawa State.

In 2003, I served in a media committee that organised the golden jubilee anniversary of the then Lamido of Adamawa, Dr. Aliyu Musdafa, of blessed memory. Mr. Femi Adesina, Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of the Sun newspapers, who is also the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, had two days earlier asked me to represent him at the 2nd Regional Peace Conference taking place at the American University of Nigeria (AUN) Yola. In concert with Adamawa Peacemakers Initiative (API), the AUN felt obliged to contribute in a big, decisive way towards encouraging peaceful coexistence among the diverse people of not just Adamawa State, but the rest of the North-Eastern flank of the country.

At the height of the insurgency ravaging that part of the country, a trip to Yola - I thought - was suicidal.

But Mr. Femi Adesina happens to be one of the best human beings I have come across thus far. There is just no way I couldn't say NO to him, even if I was not his Vice President in charge of Abuja and the whole North. But the fear and trepidation in my mind soon evaporated on arrival at the sprawling, peaceful, very beautiful campus of the AUN. There are indeed pockets of insurgent attacks in some parts of Adamawa State, but Yola was very peaceful.

The API seeks to promote harmony, development and stability in the North-East through a collaboration of local religious, community and business leaders. It fosters peace through education, 'peace through sports,', IT training and girls education, youths empowerment and community development.

After nationwide strikes against the removal of fuel subsidies in 2012, AUN President Professor Margee Ensign and former chairman of the AUN board Ahmed Joda, reached out to religious and community leaders of Yola to understand the sources of tension and find ways to promote peace and stability.

The result was the strong partnership forged by AUN and API, through which they created unique programmes that have had a broad, constructive impact on the community. In a region of great poverty and high illiteracy, API members identify vulnerable youths who are then offered training and support in a number of AUN-funded and organised initiatives. These have included literacy, sports, entrepreneurship and ICT training.

The culmination of many of the projects occurs at the annual Yola Peace Day, held each year in the fall on the university campus. To date, over 4000 vulnerable youths and community members have benefitted from the AUN-API training and projects.

Concerned also about the nature of reporting in different strata of the Nigerian media, the AUN organised, as part of the Yola Peace Day, a workshop on Peace Journalism. Reputable professors like Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob and Don North covered important topics like Principles and Practice of Peace Journalism, Models of Peace Reports, etc. Professor Ensign delivered the keynote address with the theme: Media and Democratic Reform in a Changing World: Building Alliances for Good Governance and Accountability. Along with the NUJ

Brass Tacks SULEIMAN UBA GAYA suleimanuba1@gmail.com 08035676295 (sms only)

Graduates of AUN-free-ICT training receiving certificates

PHOTO: www.peoplesdailyng.com

Ensign

Garba

President Mohammed Garba and Musikilu Mojeed of Premium Times, I served on a panel that dissected Objectivity In Peace Journalism. We had a highly productive interactive session involving many local and

international reporters based in the North-East.

During the Conference, it emerged that one of the reasons insurgency has taken a firmer root in Borno State was because of lack of a common front to promote and encourage peace. Just as the Jama'atu Nasril Islam is making good efforts in its own ways, the Christian Association of Nigeria is also toeing its own defined path. Within these groups also, you find others working independently, without any recourse to the other.

There was no unity of purpose. By the second day of the conference however, delegates from Borno decided to forge a unified front by appointing a group that would unite and strengthen Muslims and Christians to fight a common enemy.

If anything, this noble initiative will go a long way to disproof the wild claims in some quarters that northern elders are doing nothing to stop the ongoing war against peace. This column recommends the AUN-API model to not just the states ravaged by insurgency, but to all of Nigeria. A stitch in time saves nine.

419: New Initiative To Dupe

The API seeks to promote harmony, development and stability in the NorthEast through a collaboration of local religious, community and business leaders

Newspaper Columnists.

Just imagine this scenario: You are a newspaper columnist of several years standing. Only the previous day, your latest column was published. Though you wrote clearly that all responses to your article should be done by text message, some respondents would usually feel strongly about what you write that they ignore that and place a call to you. Some would commend you, others would curse you, depending on which side of the divide they belong.

But on this particular afternoon, you are seated in your office, very busy with the day's work. Suddenly you received a call. You ignored it, perhaps because it wasn't registered in your phone book. The caller, however, intensified, and you relented.

He introduces himself as a top ranking officer of the Nigerian Navy, calling to commend you for your writeup published the previous day. He showered all sorts of encomiums and asked you to keep it up, asking you to save his number and maintain contact with him.

Five minutes later, the same person sends a text message, asking you to quickly recommend two females and one male graduates for employment into Air Peace, one of the latest entrants to the Nigerian aviation industry. You ask for time but he insists you have to supply the names there and then because it was already Thursday and training for prospective employees ends the next day. You feel you don't want to be selfish, and decide to consult among colleagues to recommend two of the three slots, leaving just one to yourself.

Then the naval officer calls again.

"Ask those you want to recommend to call me directly. They should also be in Abuja tomorrow, where they would do a documentation at the Abuja office of the airline. Their air tickets to Abuja will be refunded, and they are going to be issued tickets to Lagos. There is no time to waste," he warned you. It sounds normal, isn't it? You happily pass the info and they place the call. But unknown to you, one of the girls, resident in Jos, was asked to pay fifty five thousand naira into a certain GT Bank account, belonging to a woman. She did not have the money and had to resort to borrowing. Even at that, all she could raise is twenty five thousand naira, which she innocently paid into the account.

Then the next day, the man starts dribbling the prospective employees, asking them to go to Transcorp HiltonHotel, and then insisting in being paid fifty five thousand naira by each of them. But because you already have smelt a rat, you ask them not to pay a dime without your knowledge.

You then do a background check and discover it was a fraudster out to use your good name to cheat innocent, desperate young Nigerians.

This was what happened to me last week. I had to immediately pay back the young woman, and raised transport fare for the other two. A police officer told me this is the latest trick employed by fraudsters to cheat unsuspecting Nigerians, using newspaper columnists. So, if you are a columnist or radio or television presenter, the next time anyone calls to commend you for your article/work, or offers to help others courtesy of you, treat it with the biggest dose of suspicion until you are very sure he or she is genuine.

Suleiman Uba Gaya

Sanctity of Truth

On Marble AIMS without MEANS are USELESS.”

– Shaikh Mustafa

Leisure & Puzzle

The search for peace: Recommending the AUN-API model

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My takeaway on Democracy Gate GUEST COLUMNIST Babatunde Fashola

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watched dumbfounded, probably like many other Nigerians, and perhaps as many foreigners on global television, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his colleagues locked outside the National Assembly. Many thoughts came flooding through my mind.

But the most important for me of those thoughts was simple yet profound. I asked myself when we will live by the rules that we make.

As I pondered that question, my mind also went back to about 41 years ago, when my mother bought me my first rubber football. I had never played competitive football beyond kicking the ball around in our yard. I think it was my 10th birthday and I had done everything to get what I wanted – A football.

So off to the playground I went with my ball. To my surprise, all those I met there were bigger, older and more talented.

They took my ball and did not allow me to play. It hurt. I protested. At a time, they stopped the game, asked me to take my ball and never come back.

If I wanted to play, they said, I had to learn I had to earn my right to play, and owning the ball did not give me that right.

Those were the rules of engagement.

It was skill, talent and hard work. Not who got to the field first or who owned the ball. Indeed, some people were selected in absentia, while we who got there first, had to wait, to see if we would get the unlikely chance to play.

It never happened. At least not soon enough.

I made my decision. I would play by their rules.

On the first day as I said, I did not get a game. To add salt to my personal injury of disappointment, the ball (made of rubber) hit a sharp object, promptly got deflated and destroyed.

I left without a game, with a deflated ego and a deflated and permanently damaged ball.

But my resolve was strong. I went back many times without getting a game. I made myself busy as a spectator. One day, the regular goalkeeper did not come. They needed one. I had no goalkeeping skills but offered to be in goal.

It was the only way to get in the game.

Surprisingly they agreed. I threw my feet, my body and anything I could move at the ball. I prevented many goals without knowing how. Somehow, they were making a discovery. They thought I was a great goalkeeper.

From that day, my story changed. My reputation in the neighbourhood went ahead of me. They called me all sorts of nicknames after famous goalkeepers and I even started getting picked while still at home and games were delayed for me to arrive.

After a length of time in goal, our star striker suddenly travelled, I asked

Fashola

if I could try to play outfield. Luckily another boy, Idris, was showing promise as a goalkeeper. My movement outfield gave him a chance. He seized it as I seized mine.

I scored in that game and my ordeal in the goal ended forever, while Idris relished his position in the goal. The place he favoured most.

We survived by following these unwritten rules of street side football in Lagos and I am sure these rules still prevail.

Nobody locked the field, removed the goal posts (often made of all types of materials) or stopped us from playing.

Many members of my generation who grew up in Lagos in the 1970s will remember these rules. It was not first come first served. It was survival of the fittest. At least in terms of footballing skills, and also lobbying your friends who had the skills and had earned their stripes to pick you.

It was not a matter of my way or the highway. That was why I did not walk away with my ball, which incidentally was the only ball available on that first day.

Many years later, as a member of a veterans football club, the All Stars International Football Club in Surulere, that rule remained applicable.

We had by then become men; husbands, fathers, and business leaders.

We had a club constitution but the rules applicable on the field of play was not the constitution. It was talent and ability, lobbying and friendship, not who got to the field first.

It worked injustice as far as some less endowed members were concerned. But those were the rules.

The dissatisfied or excluded members bid their time. They gathered their numbers, lobbied the club executive and at a general meeting gathered enough majority to turn the tables against us.

They changed the rules without bringing down the house.

The majority of members voted for first come, first to play. The club coach was mandated to get a register and people recorded their arrival numerically

and by time.

Many of us “the Stars” as we considered ourselves, felt hard done by. We came late as was our old habit (and they die hard) only to see that the early birds had started the game. You could not register by proxy.

Why is all this relevant you might wonder?

It is about rules. Every human endeavour is governed by rules. Written and unwritten.

Those who thrive in life are those who make it their business to know these rules and how to ‘use’ them to their advantage without physically damaging the process.

I have used the football metaphor, because football is life. Every game of football has many of life’s challenges and experiences embedded in it.

Passion, from fans and players, contest and competition from them, errors by players and officials, injustice by officials, joy, pain, disappointment, victory, defeat and many more are all human experiences that are embedded into each football game of 90 minutes, or more.

You will see tears and laughter as well on a football field. Tragically deaths have also occurred. Ask Bebeto how he felt when Kanu scored that wonder goal.

Romance and love have existed in and around football if you ask David Beckham and Gerard Pique.

Drugs and gambling are present from time to time, and so is violence, if you ask Zidane and Cantona.

There is a lot of drama too, if you ask referee Festus Bolaji Okubule.

Football has endured because all the stakeholders have chosen to live by the rules, sometimes very unfairly.

We have seen faked fouls where officials are deceived to award undeserving penalties, erroneous red cards and sending offs, that alter the course of the game. But that is why football is life.

We play on, in spite of these, because there is a next game, and what goes around comes around. If only we could manage our politics like football. How really pleasant this would be.

And this is the reason for my takeway on Democracygate, as I choose to call the assault on the National Assembly by the Executive.

Yes, the Executive, because the police is an agency under the direct control and supervision of the Executive and the buck on this matter must stop at the desk of the Chief Executive.

The genesis of that event is all too well-known.

Since 1999, the party in power has had the run of things. Governors and legislators had left other political parties in droves to join them.

From 1999, when that party had only 21 governors, it grew in size by fair and foul means to almost 30 governors at one time.

For 16 years, it had a commanding majority in both chambers of parliament. Senators and House of Representatives members elected on other party platforms deserted their platforms to join the party in power.

It did not matter whether there was a faction or not within the party, they left.

The parties they left went to court but those cases often expired because the tenures of the parliamentarians often ended before the courts could decide.

The party in power enjoyed their spoils. In spite of the clear constitutional provisions they turned a blind eye. These were the rules as they wanted them.

The ‘losers’ did not lock down parliament. They did not try to take the Mace.

They sharpened their skills to play this game on the rules defined by the party in power.

If you like, they were like a Manchester United of the Premier League in the 1990s. They could buy any player, they had more money, at least until a Roman Abramovich came to Chelsea and Etihad came to Manchester City.

Obviously the party in power did not see this day; when five of its governors would leave, and when a principal officer and indeed the head of one chamber of parliament it controls would also leave. Or did they ignore the signs?

It is my takeaway that they must live by the rules they invented until the courts can determine the matter.

They cannot be allowed to invent new rules; such as shutting down the parliament. It is nothing short of treason.

Parliament is the greatest expression of the will of the people in a democracy. If you aggregate the number of votes that elected each and every Member of Parliament, I would like to think that they will exceed the votes that elected the Executive.

If democracy is about the majority, the Executive is in the minority here.

It cannot have its way.

As Charles Umeh put it recently in the Guardian Newspaper quoting Wael Ghonim: “the power of the people is greater than the people in power.”

I find it incomprehensible and indefensible that the Executive could have attempted to subvert parliamentary independence and the will of the people.

We have seen some parliamentary brinkmanship even in the more developed democracies. But their Executives have not resorted to the type of impunity that we were assailed with back home.

Can you imagine the Capitol Hill or the House of Commons being taken over by policemen?

The matter is compounded by an attempt to change the story and talk about people jumping the fence or climbing the gate.

That may well be wrong, but we must never forget that events in life are a series of “causes” and “effects.”

But jumping the fence or the gate does not subvert the will of the people.

It is an illegal taking over of parliament that is an assault on Nigeria.

Parliament is the stadium where politics is played. The rule book is the Constitution, the laws and rules made under it, and the conventions that have evolved.

Any assault on it is an assault on the people. You cannot do that. It is unconstitutional. Let us play by the rules. We will be better for it.

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