Binder1 20 november, 2014

SATURDAY

Sanctity Of Truth

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

Thursday, November 20, 2014

/newtelegraph

Vol. 1 No. 275

Anxiety over Tambuwal as Reps resume

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Air fares to rise as operators lament naira's depreciation Wole Shadare

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ravellers may soon start paying more for trips as airlines

consider ways to cushion the effects of the continued depreciation of the naira on their operations.

The naira slid to a new low on Tuesday at N173.35 against the dollar, taking its decline for the year to 8.4 per cent.

@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

Some of the airline operators told New Telegraph yesterday that they may be forced to pass on to travelCONTINUED ON PAGE 6

NEW TELE

GRAPH

Interview

THURSDAY , novembeR

20, 2014

Eromosem for Nige e: Fiscal autonom ria’s soci o-politica y panacea l stability

24&25

Law

to the 774 country councils in the , it followin is cheery news g of Sectionthe amendment 1999 Con 124 of the stitutio Nationa n by the l Ass ceded full embly which adminis financial and trative aut to` their onomy favo relief may ur. But their be short-li as state ved gov up in arm ernments are s threaten against them, ing to circ the cou umvent ncil Howeve s’ autonomy. r, their way succour came in their as lawyers rose defe NAFIU and nce. AKEEM CHRIST APPOLOS IAN repo rt

N150

Jurist

Kalu: Muk a place htar deserves in histo ry

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Special

Report

Outgoing CJN blam judiciary woes, makes governors for es case for judg es

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Ananab up auto a, Ngige, Kehin d nomy fo r 774 co e thumb uncils

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fter year tion, the s of agitain Nig 774 councils eria Nationa sigh of relieheaved a f as the l Assemb ered them ly Ananaba and adm with full empowover theiinistrative financial r affairs. autonomy made auto possible Thi Ngige tion’s when s was cont nomy will cert legi roversia ainly be tober 21 slative body the nal one. a It is the of the amended Sect on Ocer state same scenario 1999 ion s save Ekit Kehinde But ther Constitution 124 Gov in othi Stat erno . scale thro e is an of pow braced r Ayodele Fayoe where hurdle ugh the the 36 countryers achievab states : Governors to endorsem National Asse se emle in the of are alre of mbly strengthewhich in turn autonom ent of the ady cont the federatio gove tional Asse councils’’s y. n esting democra n the nation’s would surv rnment shou Acco the mbly Naof the cy nascent ld be ive Secr rding to his councils’’s endorsem Ozekho . autonomon its own and able to some of me autonom ent Ade etary (CPS), Chief Press at the lusi, the breathin ous without be truly national said: “Indeed, Mr. Idow y as demned them have open battled the othe governor full supp g conferen u it. ly conso r “What down on its ce, we was in For inst ously withvigorously autonom ort of the the Fede is the busi neck. ance, and rigo ment of councils’ y. the gove conclude this issue “His Ondo and fina r- the mak ral Governm ness of rnit was that loca d and reco lly for ent ing posed excellency not in State has said to the auto is not the nati l governm mmende agreeme vehicles of number with be gove opd on’s tota plates nt with ? This nomy ents rnm shou lly highest body. to loca assi only stat autonomous should ernmld be left a func ent beca legislativ l for the gnment es in Nige and that e whe tional loca use he wants “It is ents. The serve local gova l reby gove ria ernm as cont which Federal should roversia ent that any federating be fully true democrarnment will Gov in seco also has no l bill cally. The be looked state that units, so cy will ndary create businessernance entrenched at criti At shou educ wish as the sinc is that concept of mus many ld be left ation and es to nat e govments t get to federatio - roots”, loca for Loca as it the gras Ade units. It of the state n confere ional existing it has or evenl govern- mus l Governm the States and and sGovernolusi said. ents states to is the responsi other ones shou colla t be r was do so. battled nce, we echoed ld be freepse of pow a serious . So, there yesterda cal gove determine issubility of so devolutio plauded by lawyers, to plau ers and “This y n and rigo vigorously where rnment but a es of lod the Nati I therefor governm is because bly for the Nationa who apthe rously wit for onal Asse e apthe loca the ame will give National situation l a matter ents are esse this issu tion 124 l thatpassing the ndment Assemmbl local goveAssembly e and fina h must rem for the stat ntially men makes the amended lawy grantingof the Constitu of Secrnments es and local gove lly ts auto conclud mended ain so. We also ministra full financia tion by it rned and “In fact nomous. recomresourcethat the distr rec 774 coun tive autonoml and ad, we om ther ibut even s mended cils in y went furAccoun from the Fede ion of conf than this the coun to the They tha local gov of the ts under Sect ration enti erence by at the nationa as a welc however desc try. ernments t Constitu saying ion done as though ome developm ribed it that thel tion shou 162 areare 774 loca should it was ent even be tota to the such that wha ld be scra s in Nig l government long A Sen Federal, eria FOLUSO t ior Adv overdue. autonomo lly cal Gov geria, States is due long pped because should be OGUNMO ocate Chief they will us of Nieach of ernments shou and Lo- unit er compris DEDE JUDICIARY Mike Oze said the no EDItoR prevent them directly ld go to Withs, only statee the federatin was desi councils’ autokhome foluso.ogun . This is g s newtelegrap modede@ laden the present corr nothing rable as ther nomy to know this, it mea will be ther syst honline.com e. ns, you © Daily uption e was ahead governm em where pendencebetter than Telegraph cann the cal ot Publishing number ents take the stat all the governm of the thirthe indee will government Company of lomon Limited d-tier ent, bein ernments ies of the virtually deci have. Stat areas a stat to the of g the people. them mon at source local gov- thei de to colla es can eith e to him This, accoclosest er pse or would payments ey for merand send will r local gove incr make devo rding with little e salary because rnment areaease lution left for it is with s at prerogat or noth developm ing ive’’ in thei “The ents. r Ozekho . tion of meaning of me ano was echo federalispowers or truedevolu- Nigether Senior ed by m is that Adv ria, Mr. fisca each tier l Paul. C. ocate of Ananaba of , CoN

Pages 21 -26

FIVE pages of LAW inside

Army, hunters liberate Adamawa towns tINU ED

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lNorthern govs back emergency rule extension lSenate summons service chiefs

Quick Read

Editorial

The proliferation of illegal oil refineries }19

Jet probe: Court fixes Dec 17 for verdict in Diezani's suit}5

L-R: Former Governor of Abia State, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu; former Head of State and All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, Major General Muhammadu Buhari and the party's National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, at a rally in Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI.

APC to FG: You've messed up the economy

lJonathan seeks approval for revised budget Chukwu David, Johnchuks Onuanyim and Emmanuel Onani

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he All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday lashed the Federal Government for mismanaging the

economy.

Its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said at a rally in Abuja that notwithstanding

the volatility in oil prices in the global market, the Nigerian economy would have been able to withstand the shock if it had

been better managed.

According to him, the Excess Crude Account (ECA), which serves as CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

News

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

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Army, hunters liberate Adamawa towns Dan Atori, Emmanuel Onani and Ibrahim Abdul

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combined team of soldiers, hunters and volunteers of the Civilian JTF(People Resistance Force) has liberated two towns in Adamawa State, Hong and Gombi, from the control of Boko Haram.

Sources told reporters yesterday in Yola that at least 10 members of the team and scores of the insurgents were killed in the liberation battle for Gombi, which had been under the sect’s control since last week.

The town, seen as an entry point to Yola, the state capital, was stormed by the Boko Haram sect last

Thursday with residents trapped.

The liberation of the two towns came just as the Northern State Governors' Forum (NSGF) threw its weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan's attempt to renew the state of emergency in place in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

Towards considering the president's request, the Senate has summoned service chiefs to appear before it and explain why senators should grant the president's request.

It was learnt that military authorities had earlier deployed helicopter gunships and a large number of troops in Gombi to contain the insurgents who shifted to the town after the recapturing of Mubi

from Boko Haram.

Residents of the town said the insurgents took on the troops who wanted to reclaim the town in a shootout but they had to flee due to the superior firepower of the combined team of soldiers and hunters.

“I can’t say the number of casualties during the fight but the sect members left the place,” a resident, Garba Abubakar, said.

A resident of Hong, Patience David, also said: “The terrorists who attacked our town have been effectively flushed out.

“The subsequent mopping up operation is still ongoing as troops and hunters continue the pursuit of fleeing terrorists and the arrest of the wounded."

According to her, the troops carrying out a mopup operation are pursuing the insurgents and are making success.

"We heard that the troops have since moved down to Pella. We are beginning to heave a sigh of relief," she added.

Dozens of hunters and other volunteers, it was gathered, were travelling to northern part of the state to join in the battle against Boko Haram and to regain all captured territories.

"The volunteers have so far scored great and unprecedented victories against the terrorists; sending them fleeing from liberated towns.

"You know after they were pursued, Boko Haram terrorists fled Maiha

and Mubi last Thursday south to Gombi and Hong from where they planned to advance to Yola.

"Some of the terrorists also fled Adamawa north through Chibok and holed up in a school in Manjakwa, Hawul Local Government Area, that’s why we are now mobilising across the North-East to all join hands with hunters and Civilian JTF from other states and assist in fighting the insurgents," secretary of the hunters in Adamawa State, Mr. Philip James, said.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in a statement yesterday, confirmed the liberation of Hong, Gombi and Pella.

In separate disclosures on the DHQ's twitter handle posted yesterday at 1:47

L-R: Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc., Mr. Herbert Wigwe; Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya and Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Maurice Newa, at the launch of Access Money in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Jet probe: Court fixes Dec 17 for verdict in Diezani's suit Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

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he Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday fixed December 17 for judgement in the suit filed by the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) seeking to stop the House of Representatives from inviting and probing her.

The House’s committee is probing the minister over an allegation that she spent N10 billion on a chartered aircraft.

Alison-Madueke had on April 11 challenged the move as she dragged the

National Assembly and the House of Representatives as 1st and 2nd defendants before the court, praying it for an order of perpetual injunction restraining them from summoning or directing her appearance before any committee particularly the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) set up by the second defendant.

At the resumed hearing yesterday, the plaintiffs through their counsel, Etigwe Uwa (SAN) submitted that the National Assembly has no constitutional power to carry out an oversight function on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government and hold hearing to adjudicate on petitions against them es-

pecially her ministry.

He further argued that before any summons could be issued out by the House or request for any documents or papers, the consent of the president must be sought, adding that the defendants never followed such process.

She further submitted that even if the summons was set aside, such must be published in the gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and must also be published in the journal of the National Assembly.

In addition, the plaintiffs added that the defendants without complying with Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution cannot summon them.

They further submitted that the actions of the

defendants via the language used in the vote of proceedings showed that they have taken a position against them without following the principles of fair hearing.

The plaintiffs, however, prayed the court to set aside the invitation and the probe.

Opposing the argument, the defendants through their counsel, A.B Mahmud (SAN) and Y. Mikyau prayed the court to dismiss the argument of the plaintiffs.

They added that the National Assembly has not issued any summon on the plaintiffs, rather an invitation.

They further submitted that the plaintiffs have approached the court be-

cause they were panic, of what the outcome of the invitation could be.

On publishing the summons in a gazette, the defendants submitted that the vote of proceedings for that day could be used as a journal.

They therefore prayed the court to allow the probe.

In the suit filed, the minister wants the court to stop the defendants from asking her to present papers, notes or documents before any such committee or the giving of any evidence by the relevant public officers.

After hearing all the parties, the trial judge, Justice A.R Mohammed, adjourned till December 17.

am and 1:50 am respectively, the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, said during the reclamation battle, some suspected insurgents were killed.

He added that many terrorists were captured while equipment and weapons, believed to have been stolen from the military, were recovered.

Meanwhile, NSGF Chairman, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu yesterday supported the president's request for the extension of emergency extension in some states in the north rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, saying: "There is a need to declare an emergency so that certain things can be covered properly."

Aliyu, who is also the governor of Niger State, said after he was screened for the senatorial position at the state secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Minna that the declaration of an emergency rule should not mean dissolution of political institutions.

According to him, "There are rules and regulations of engagement and fortunately for terrorists, they do not respect these rules. But as a government institution, we must respect rules which we have signed either at the United Nations level or rules as established by International Court of Justice and others."

While calling on the government to protect the institutions and the rules and regulations, he warned that if certain measures are not taken the country may have more difficulties.

He spoke just as the Senate summoned the service chiefs to appear today and brief it on the progress of the military operations in the North-East.

The summon was made despite stiff opposition to the president's request by Northern senators.

The Senate also denied the allegation that it collected bribe from the presidency to approve the extension of the emergency rule, just as it assured Nigerians that the martial rule would be extended after due consultations with the service chiefs and other stakeholders.

However, in addition to summoning the military leadership, the Senate had resolved to continue its debate on the request of the president as senators were not able to conclude the matter at a closed-door session that lasted for about two-and-a-half hours.

In his remarks after yesterday's closed-session, CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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News

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Tukur seeks court's nod to preside over PDP convention lWe're the party to beat, says Jonathan

Tunde Oyesina and Anule Emmanuel

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he suit seeking to sack the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, took a new twist yesterday as his predecessor, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, approached the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, for an order permitting him to preside over the national convention of the party, slated for between December 10 and 11.

Tukur also wants the court to grant an order allowing him to preside over the affairs of the party until 2016, when his tenure as the party's national chairman would have expired.

Tukur's position was contained in a counterclaim he filed at the registry of the court yesterday through his counsel, Adamson Adeboro.

The counter-claim was a response to a suit instituted by an aspirant to the House of Representatives in Ad-

amawa State, Aliyu Abuba Gurin, seeking to unseat Mu'azu and also to stop the party's planned delegates’ convention.

The trial judge, Justice Evoh Chukwu, will this morning hear Tukur's request.

New Telegraph had reported yesterday that Tukur said he was forced to resign his post as party chair for the five defected governors to come back to the party.

Tukur further revealed that following the defection of the five PDP governors to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013, pressure was mounted on President Goodluck Jonathan to remove him to enable the governors return to the party.

In the counter-claim filed yesterday, Tukur is

asking the court for an order setting aside his purported resignation letter dated January 15, 2014 and reinstating him as the substantive and duly elected chairman of the party at its national convention in 2012 until the completion of his term in 2016.

He also wants the court to restrain the PDP and INEC from further recognising, permitting or allowing Mu'azu to preside over the affairs of the party.

He had earlier asked the court to determine whether his purported resignation complied with Section 47(5) of the PDP constitution.

Tukur also asked the court to decide whether if his purported resignation did not comply with Section 47(5) of the PDP constitution, it will not render the resignation null and void.

The counter claimant also wants the court to decide whether the appointment of Mu'azu is not in contravention of Section 45(1) and (2) of the party constitution, Section 85(3) of the Electoral Act, 2010 and Section 223(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

In the original suit, the plaintiff is asking the court to stop the planned national convention of the PDP scheduled for December 10 and 11.

The plaintiff in the suit also contended that the resignation of Tukur did not comply with the provision of Section 47(5) of the constitution of the party which stipulates that a 30day notice be given to the National Executive Committee (NEC) by Tukur.

The defendants in the suit are the PDP, Tukur,

Mu'azu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Meanwhile, Jonathan yesterday said no group or political party could defeat the PDP in a free and fair election.

The president stated this when he hosted members of the presidential declaration committee to a luncheon in Abuja.

The president, at the occasion also formally dissolved the committee, chaired by former Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Bello.

The president who commended the committee members for the support they gave him and his administration, added that he remains committed to providing dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

31oC

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ABUJA

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KANO

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Security personnel screening pupils at the entrance of a primary school in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, following the resumption of public schools…yesterday.

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Air fares to rise as operators lament naira's depreciation

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IBADAN

32o C 23oC Thunder Storms

CALABAR

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MAIDUGURI

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

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST ABUJA

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

lers the cost of operations which will go up as majority of their expenses are dollarised.

Managing Director of IRS Airlines, Mr. Yemi Dada, told New Telegraph that the situation portends serious problems for the sector and the industry, stressing that carriers will spend so much on spare parts and maintenance, which he said are dollarised.

According to him, the only positive thing for the carriers is the drop in price of oil, which could force down the price of aviation

fuel.

The airline chief stated that the cost of aircraft maintenance could double coupled with insurance premium which could also be high.

It is already a tough era for operators in the Nigerian aviation sector as wary international aircraft lessors classified the country among "high-risk nations" for doing business.

As a result of incessant air mishap which claimed the lives of passengers and crew members, major aircraft leasing firms such as GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), Interna-

tional Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), Cab Tree and Aercap have raised the lease on aircraft to Nigerian airlines by over 40 per cent.

Dada said with the recent situation, airlines might have to pay more for these services and general cost of operations.

A former Assistant Secretary General of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Alhaji Muhammed Tukur, said the depreciation of the naira had serious implications for all segments of the economy.

He said for aviation, airlines would be forced to

increase air fares, adding that the era of charging N9, 000 for an hour trip is no longer realistic.

According to him, "You know, we charge air fares in naira but aircraft maintenance is done in dollars.

What it means is that you are using so much naira to chase a few dollars.

"Every other thing will go up and it is quite unfortunate that the country's currency has slid so low.

If you have to buy aircraft, there is no doubt that you will pay more. This will have a spiralling effect on every sector of the economy."

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

News

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

7

Anxiety over Tambuwal as Reps resume

lDSS, Sergeant-at-Arms beef up security lPDP lawmakers plan to force speaker to step aside

Philip Nyam Abuja

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s the House of Representatives reconvenes today, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Sergeant-at-Arms have beefed up security in and around the National Assembly.

There are, however, fears that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers may be plotting to force Speaker Aminu Tambuwal to step aside and allow Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha to take over by virtue of his defection to the minority All Progressives Congress (APC).

New Telegraph gathered that the whereabouts of the mace, the symbol of authority was not known as it was said to have been ferried out of the National Assembly to ensure that the speaker's opponents have no access to it.

A principal officer who spoke to New Telegraph last night on condition of anonymity, however, said the leadership of the House was prepared for any eventuality.

The principal officer, who made the disclosure shortly after a meeting of the leadership, explained that today's session is an emergency one and as

such, no 'extraneous' issue apart from the request for emergency extension would be entertained.

The principal officer said there was no cause for alarm as "we are fully prepared for any eventuality", but confirmed that the speaker may be asked to step aside.

He said: "The truth of the matter is that you guys should be ready for anything as anything can happen tomorrow."

He explained that: "Speaker Tambuwal is our creation, so bringing him down could be very painful because he is one of us.

"And you do know that Tambuwal could not be a judge in this matter, he has to step aside despite the fact that he convened the House."

He confirmed that the leadership was due to meet later in the night to perfect ways of wading off the anticipated antagonism from PDP lawmakers against the speaker.

But a principal officer from the North West told our correspondent that they have uncovered a plot by the PDP to sponsor a motion through a lawmaker from Plateau State, who is a member of Jonathan's Presidential Declaration Committee (PDC).

He said: "We are aware that the PDP hierarchy has instructed a

lawmaker from Plateau State to move a motion tomorrow (today) calling for the speaker not to preside over the session, but I can assure you, we are fully prepared.

"This House belongs to all Nigerians and if one party wants to make it ungovernable, we will resist it."

According to him, the order paper for today’s session has only three items instead of the normal nine items.

The order paper, which he made available to our correspondent, has only prayers, approval of votes and message from the president whereas the traditional one is made up of prayers, approval of votes and proceedings, oath, message from the president and message from the Senate. The rest are other announcements, petitions, matters of urgent public importance and personal explanation.

He said there will be

no other matter to be discussed at the sitting except the request for emergency extension.

According to him, after the prayers and approval of votes and proceedings, the speaker will invite the House Leader, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola to move the motion for the consideration of the president’s request. The Deputy Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor, is billed to second the motion after which the House will resolve into the

Committee of the Whole to consider the request.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly's acting Sergeant-at-Arms, Mr. Ibrahim Ndako described the report as a "rumour".

He told reporters on phone that the Mace was safely locked away inside the National Assembly.

It will be recalled that the House had adjourned on October 28, after the defection of Tambuwal from PDP to the APC, to resume on December 3.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Ambassador Musa Abdulkadir; Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga and Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council, Mr. Lateef Busari, at a media briefing on Top 100 Businesses in Nigeria in Abuja…yesterday.

Jonathan seeks approval for revised budget CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

buffer in crisis, should have had $50 billion in its kitty now instead of the over $4 billion that is there.

Other APC leaders such as former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari; Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi and a national leader of the party, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, also criticised the government at the occasion, which the party tagged: 'Salvation Rally'.

Their criticisms came on the day Senate President David Mark read a letter from President Goodluck Jonathan at plenary, in which the president is seeking approval for the revised Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) that will guide the preparations for the 2015 budget.

Odigie-Oyegun, at the rally in Abuja, also asked the president to explain the rationale behind the N2 billion given to each

state controlled by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said: "Only a few days ago, President Jonathan's administration declared austerity measures. Given the differences between the selling price of our crude in the international market of an average of $108 and the benchmark price of $78 in the last three years, the government should, today, have close to $50 billion in Excess Crude Account.

But as a result of corruption and arbitrary manipulation of the account, today, the government has declared that there is just $3 billion in this account "The president, embarrassed by the runaway success of the APC-controlled states, has, in the last two years, embarked on a wicked scheme to create disaffection among the electorate in APC-controlled states by not funding the Federation Account adequately. While this may appear a general problem

affecting all states, he has secretly and unconstitutionally been funding PDPstates. Not too long ago, he dashed all PDP-controlled states N2 billion each. Not only does this affect the letter and spirit of our constitution, it also portrays him as the president of the PDP and not that of Nigeria."

Odigie-Oyegun, speaking on the insurgency, also accused the Federal Government of deliberately killing people of the NorthEast for political reasons.

Also, Buhari expressed concern about the level of performance of the Federal Government and urged people to reflect on what the PDP has done from 1999 till date and they will find out how corrupt, inefficient and indisciplined the PDP government has been.

In his speech, Amaechi yesterday accused the president of stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from implementing the new polling units'

policy.

He also accused the president of sectionalism and parochialism, saying: Jonathan should explain if he is Nigerian president or president of a section of the country".

The rally, which commenced at the Eagle Square with speeches from the chieftains of the party, culminated in a procession on Shehu Shagari Way, which took members and supporters of the APC to the front of the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House.

But the police accused the APC chiefs of leading people to barricade the Force Headquarters (FHQ) A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, an acting Commissioner of Police, said Odigie-Oyegun and Amaechi led some politicians to barricade the entrance to the FHQ. It added that the police exhibited "maximum restraint" in the face of what

he described as an act of "provocation."

Meanwhile, the president yesterday sought the approval of the National Assembly for the revised MTEF. The president, in a letter read by Mark, said the Federal Government had reduced the 2015 budget figure from the initial proposal of N4.817 trillion to N4.661 trillion.

It has also reduced the oil benchmark as contained in the initial MTEF sent for approval before the onset of the decline in oil prices from the proposed $78 to $73 per barrel.

Part of the fundamentals of the 2015 budget is the fixing of the exchange rate at N162 to $1, down from N160 to a dollar earlier proposed.

The president's letter came against the backdrop of Sunday's press conference by Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Justice, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that the Federal Government

would introduce a tight fiscal regime to cushion the effects of the volatility in the global oil market.

Part of the austerity measures introduced is the revision of the budget and the oil benchmark.

The president, in his letter, also projected a capital expenditure of N1.2 trillion while recurrent expenditure is N2.62 trillion.

Earlier, the MTEF had proposed a capital expenditure of N1.02 trillion while recurrent expenditure was pegged at N1.8 trillion.

Jonathan had earlier submitted to the National Assembly the 2015 MTEF with the proposed oil benchmark of $78 per barrel for its consideration and approval preparatory for the laying of 2015 budget.

In the new letter, Jonathan explained that it became imperative to revise the initial proposed oil benchmark because of global economic indices.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

FG directs banks to get approval before granting loans to govts Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

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he Federal Government has given a fresh directive to deposit banks and other financial institutions to seek approval of the Ministry of Finance before a loan facility request by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), state and local governments before are granted.

The directive is in line with the commencement of full implementation of austerity measures the government rolled out on Sunday to shield the economy against steep fall in the price of crude oil.

New Telegraph leant that the directive has already been communicated to banks’ chief executives.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had espoused the belt tightening measure in her special briefing on the state of economy on Sunday in Abuja.

The source, who spoke to New Telegraph, said that the CME at a meeting she had with the Managing Directors/CEOs of banks before Sunday’s briefing explained the position of government on approval for loan request.

Sources privy to the meeting told our correspondent that the minister directed that prior approval of the Minister of Finance shall be sought and the purpose of borrowing and the tenor of such loans disclosed.

Banks are also required to disclose to the

Senate summons service chiefs

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

Senate President David Mark, said: "We had a very robust and detailed discussion and we will continue the discussion tomorrow.

"The Senate also resolved that we will invite the service chiefs to be part of our discussion tomorrow (today); to appear before the Senate tomorrow so that we get information from them on what is happening in the affected areas."

However, some of the Northern senators, who spoke on the issue still expressed stiff opposition to the idea of extending the emergency rule, saying that the last extension had made the matter worse.

Debt Management Office (DMO) and State's DMDs periodic reports on the drawdown and utilisation of such loans by the borrower.

It was learnt that these requirements are meant to control the high rate of borrowing by federal and state governments that has proved to be unsustainable. It is also to protect banks from getting into trouble.

Therefore, banks are

requested to state the type of facility requested for, purpose of the facility, date of disbursement, maturity date, interest rate, total fees, amount approved, amount disbursed and amount outstanding.

On Sunday, government announced the scaled down in benchmark for the crude oil price for 2015 budget from $78 to $73 and rolled out some austerity mea-

sures to cushion off the economy against falling crude oil prices.

Among the austerity measures, the government will increase significantly the country’s non-oil revenue to protect the economy against the shortfall in oil revenue with an aggressive Luxury Goods Tax which will be slammed on private jets, champagne, yachts and a list of others to be announced later.

Equally important, foreign travels by civil servants will be banned unless for purposes that could be fully defended as absolutely necessary while foreign training programmes would be stopped and all training done in the country.

The exception would be for only foreign sponsored trips and training abroad.

In addition, monetary policy measures should

also be expected in the efforts to ensure a stable Nigerian economy, despite the falling oil prices.

The government announced the policy measures to deal with the crashing crude oil price which has dropped to $77.76 per barrel, some cents below the $77.5 earlier proposed to the National Assembly as benchmark for the 2015 budget.

L-R: All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Senator Ganiyu Solomon; Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos State chapter, Idowu Adelakun and Chairman, Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, Obafemi Oyenubi, at the presentation of a 18-passenger bus to NLC by Solomon in Lagos…recently

Insurgency: Senate to amend Electoral Act for displaced persons Chukwu David and Onyekachi Eze

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he Senate yesterday passed for first reading a bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act to accommodate the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

The bill is to make provisions for the displaced persons by establishing polling units where they would exercise their franchise within their refugee camps in the 2015 general election.

The insurgency has affected the IDPs which would not allow them to cast their votes where they originally registered.

The bill, therefore, seeks to amend Section 42 of the Principal Act by inserting new Sub-clause 42 (2), which states that, “The Commission shall

establish Polling Units for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in their respective camps nationwide.”

The new amendment will be cited as the Electoral Act, 2010 (Amendment) Bill, 2014 if eventually passed into law.

The amendment bill states: “In accordance with Section 42, the Commission shall establish sufficient number of polling units in each registration area and shall allot voters to such polling units.

“From the above, the issue of establishment of polling units at IDPs camps has to be addressed before the issue of voting during elections. If polling units are not established as stipulated in Section 42; it will be impracticable for them to vote.”

Speaking to journalists after plenary, the sponsor of the bill, Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) stated that most of his constituents would be dis-

enfranchised if no provision was made to accommodate them as they had been displaced from their ancestral homes.

He said: “If this insurgency as it continues does not come to an end, what happens to people like me and so many of my people that are internally displaced? So, if we cannot go to the polling units, the polling units should be brought to where we are displaced.

“That is the main purpose of that amendment so that if eventually this war is not won till the time of the election, then we the internally displaced persons should be allowed to vote where we are.

“Majority of our people from Borno State are in Maiduguri, therefore, my polling unit now if I cannot go there, should be brought to Maiduguri where I can go and cast my vote.”

Meanwhile, the Inde-

pendent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will seek the amendment of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) in order to avoid legal challenges that may arise in an attempt to register IDPs to vote in the 2015 elections.

INEC chair man, Prof. Attahiru Jega, at a roundtable meeting with stakeholders on IDPs and the 2015 general election in Abuja yesterday, said INEC is learning from the experiences of other countries and other Election Management Bodies (EMBs) to ensure that every eligible voter in the country is given an opportunity to vote.

According to the INEC chairman, "upon exploring the provisions of the Constitution 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act (as amended), the Commission would require the National Assembly to intervene by considering the proposed

amendment to the relevant sections of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

"As we prepare for the 2015 general election, INEC’s objective is to ensure that every registered voter in this country has an opportunity to vote and exercise their civic rights. The context in which many people are misplaced from the three states under state of emergency is important that we learn from other cases and share from the experiences of other EMBs so that we know how to adequately cater for the displaced persons in preparation for the general election.”

Country Director, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), co-organisers of the roundtable, Mr. Shalva Kipshidze, described the Nigerian case as peculiar situation, but believed that sharing experiences with other EMBs would help.

NEW TELEGRAPH thursday, november 20, 2014

inspection

Goods when cleared bring goodness, but there is bad news over cargo inspection Wole Shadare

S

poradic shootings at the cargo section of the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, yesterday forced users of the area to take

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national

Two injured as agents attack Customs chief to their heels as officials of the Nigeria Customs Service battled clearing agents over alleged manhandling of the Customs Area Comptroller (CAC).

When New Telegraph visited the area at about 2pm, several gun shots were heard with agents, intending passengers and all those going to the international terminal running for their lives.

At the entrance to the

The sex ratio of women to 100 men (international migrants) in Colombia in 2010.

Source: Un.org

cargo section at NAHCo, Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) was seen strategically positioned to ward off any threat by the agent under the umbrella of the Association Nigeria Licence Customs Agents (ANLCA).

It was learnt that trouble started when the CAC attempted to enter the NAHCO warehouse to inspect and implement some reforms that would

155

The number of refugees in United Kingdom at the beginning of 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

make the clearing of goods seamless but was prevented from gaining entrance.

It was further learnt that despite introducing himself as the CAC, one of the agents was said to have pushed him, a situation that infuriated other Customs officers, who could not stand and watch their boss being assaulted by agents.

Attempts by other Cus-

76

The sex ratio of women to 100 men (international migrants) in Haiti in 2010.

Source: Un.org

toms officials to prevent the CAC from being assaulted, it was gathered, led to the fracas between Customs and the clearing agents.

Agents were driven out of their offices allegedly

by Customs officials, who allegedly reinforced from the Federal Operations Unit, while some were trapped in their offices, as they could not flee from the scene of the incident.

2.7%

The annual population growth rate of Gambia in 2010-2015.

Source: Un.org

L-R: Deputy General Manager, Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Mr. Ifeanyi Nwade; Prof. Anya O.Anya and former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu, at a lecture on Nigerian Democracy: Getting It Right in 2015” in Lagos …yesterday. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

SEC threatens ‘no work, no pay’ Jonathan off to London Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

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here are indications that the management of Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC) may apply a ‘no work no pay’ policy, should the leadership of the staff union press ahead with Monday’s strike as scheduled.

A senior staff cadre told New Telegraph that the SEC management was studying the situation and will respond adequately by implementing the rule of engagement to deal with the situation.

The staff, who spoke with our correspondent on conditions of anonymity, said the management was patiently waiting for 19th and 25th of this month, dates workers salaries are paid to see whether the union will dare management by embarking on strike.

“The management is

9

not joining issue on pages of Newspapers with the union. Let’s wait between 19th and 25th, the dates that they usually get paid.

If they choose to go on strike, the implication is that they won’t get paid.

The existence of this union has very dubious origin”, he said.

The Staff union of SEC operating on the platform of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employee (FCT) chapter had served the management, two tranche of ultimatum demanding management to implement enhanced welfare package, failure of which it has threatened to embark on strike.

The latest union ultimatum expires on Monday.

Meetings aimed at resolving contentious issues raised by the union held on Tuesday, a source privy to the meeting confided on our correspondent.

Anule Emmanuel

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resident Goodluck Jonathan will depart Abuja today for London where he is expected to preside over a meeting of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investment Council (HIIC).

A statement yesterday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Dr. Reuben Abati, said Jonathan will be accompanied to the

meeting by key ministers, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga; the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo; the Minister of Defence, Gen Aliyu Gusau (rtd.) and the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar.

Atiku condoles with Nda-Isaiah over father's death Johnchuks Onuanyim Abuja.

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ormer Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has condoled with the publisher of the Leadership Newspapers, Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah, over the death of his father, Pa Clement Ndanusa Isaiah.

Atiku described late

Ndanusa Isaiah, as an allround newspaper man, who had distinguished himself in his chosen career.

In a condolence message to the Leadership publisher and presidential aspirant, Sam Nda-Isaiah, the former Vice President recalled with joy that the late Clement Ndanusa had made a mark worthy of emulation.

Fasehun: UPN is broke Wale Elegbede

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head of the 2015 general election, the National Chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria, (UPN), Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, said his party is battling with the challenges of funding the election, stating that the possibility of holding its ward, local and state congresses would depend on the availability of resources.

Speaking yesterday in Lagos, Fasehun, who admitted that the UPN is divided into two factions, disclosed that its first national convention would hold on Wednesday, December 10 in Abuja.

He said: “Depending on the availability of resources, UPN’s various wards, local governments and state branches throughout the 36 states and Abuja have been scheduled to hold congresses."

At the ANLCA secretariat, a clearing agent, whose name could not be ascertained, who was badly wounded, alleged

by Customs officials, was brought in a bus with his clothes soaked in blood and was immediately rushed to undisclosed hospital at Mafoluku.

NUT threatens strike over LG autonomy Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

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he leadership of Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT) is poised for a showdown with the Federal Government over the harmonisation of amendments of the 1999 Constitution in which the National Assembly has proposed the scrapping of the State Joint Local Government Account.

NUT has threatened that it would ground the basic education subsector with an indefinite strike if the National Assembly goes ahead with the Bill for an Act to further alter the provisions of the 1999 Constitution which could possibly grant full autonomy to the 774 local council areas in the country.

The State Joint Local Government Account is an account run by the various state governments and Local government authorities, where the pool of funds for the payment of basic school teachers are domiciled.

President of NUT, Comrade Micheal Olukoya, who briefed journalists in Abuja yesterday at the end of the union's emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting said NUT would be left with no option than to embark on an indefinite strike if the National Assembly succeeds with its plan.

He argued that the abolition of State Joint Local Government Accounts through which teachers monthly emoluments are paid, would spell doom for the sector as local councils would not be able to foot the huge wage bill of teachers.

"Suppose the National Assembly goes ahead with this autonomy of Local Governments, we shall give a matching order to our members.

The moment the Constitution is amended against the wish of the Nigerian teachers, we shall experience what I would call total altercation in academic activities," Olukoya added.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

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Metro

Sisters take marijuana to brother in cell

CRIMINAL TRAIT Prison official arrests two sisters for trying to smuggle Indian hemp to their brother facing trial on alleged robbery while in inmates’ cell on the premises of court

Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

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he National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has given the Abia State Government a sevenday ultimatum to meet its demands including arrears of salary, promotion, minimum

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun.bello@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

The suspects Inset: The marijuana

Shola Adefuwa

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wo sisters, Shade Oyetobi, 24, and Atinuke Adebanwo, 32, were yesterday apprehend-

ed by the prison officials for allegedly attempting to smuggle 11 wraps of Indian hemp to their brother.

Their brother, Babatunde Oyetobi, was in the inmates’ cell at the Lagos State High

Court, Ikeja.

It was gathered that a prison official caught them just as they were about to hand the wraps to Babatunde.

Shade, who lives at Baale Street, Ijora-Badia, said she was a hair-dresser, adding that her brother’s friend, Jamiu, told her to give Babatunde marijuana.

She said: “I knew that my brother’s case would come up in court today that was why I brought the Indian hemp to him.”

Atinuke, who said she was a mother of three, explained that she was the eldest of the siblings.

She said: “I normally come to court to meet Babatunde, whenever his case comes up for trial. The truth is that I didn’t know that Shade had an ulterior motive. She went to give Indian hemp to Babatunde in cell.”

The prison officer, A. R. Muhammad, who caught the suspects, said that the sisters approached him, saying that they wanted to see their brother.

According to him, when he asked them what was inside the bag Shade held, she replied that it contained slippers.

He said: “She brought out the slippers on our insistence of the total disclosure; we discovered 11 wraps of Indian hemp.”

It was also learnt that Babatunde is facing trial for attempted robbery and assaults.

Shade and Atinuke were later taken to Area F Police Command, Ikeja, for further investigation.

NULGE threatens strike, gives Abia ultimatum

wage and leave arrears.

However, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Emma Nwabuko, said the workers had the right to go on strike.

The ultimatum is contained in a letter with reference number NULGE/ABSB/VOL 1/218, dated November 12, 2014, notifying Governor Theodore Orji of the impending strike, endorsed by the state President of NULGE, Comrade Onyenucheya Ijoma and Secretary, Peter Ene. The letter drew the attention of the governor to an earlier decision of the union on July 30, 2014 to embark on strike but for the intervention of the deputy governor.

NULGE said the proposed strike was suspended based on the agreement reached with the state government to look into the issues.

The letter reads in part: “To our greatest dismay and dissatisfaction, three months have now elapsed and not one single demand raised by the union has been addressed or resolved, instead more issues begging for urgent attention have been added to it and the outstanding one-month salary arrears since May, 2014 has continued to be rolled over to date.

“More frustrating and discouraging is the obvious fact that the government has no genuine intention or plans to fully and satisfactorily address

these lingering issues.”

The issues in contention include “the suspension of 2012 and 2013 promotion exercise and by extension of 2014 promotion with multiplier effects on workers’ retirement (e.g. eight years’ retirement policy on directors’ level); nonpayment of outstanding salaries and leave allowances; four months’ arrears of salaries to Bende Local Government workers since 2012, payment of CONHESS and CONMESS allowance to health workers.”

Reacting to the ultimatum on the phone, Nwabuko said that since the union chose to go to the press instead of toeing the path of dialogue there was nothing he could do.

Delta nurses, midwives embark on indefinite strike Gabriel Choba Ughelli

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urses and Midwives under the aegis of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANM) yesterday down tools indefinite to protest lingering unresolved issues with the Delta State Hospital Management Board (HMB).

The contentious issues range from non-compliance of the creation of additional 10 positions for special grade one nurses, refusal to recruit nurses to address shortages in hospitals, non-implementation of salary and payment of promotion arrears to nurses promoted to SG(II) since 2011 in HMB, victimisation of a nurse, D. O. Okemezi, nonpayment of promotion salaries/arrears to Eku Baptist Hospital nurses absorbed by the state government.

The state Secretary of NANM, Mr Frank A. Okoh, said in a statement that the association decided to down tools after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum given to HMB.

Livingword Church holds marriage seminar

L

ivingword Family Church will this weekend hold a two-day seminar on the art and science of a happy marriage and how to lay a solid foundation for a peaceful home.

The presiding pastor of the church, Charles Ikoabasi, said in a statement that the event, which holds by 9am on Saturday and Sunday, would also give singles an orientation on the principles for choosing a life partner.

Pastor Oluyide Ukachi, a seasoned marriage counsellor and pastor in He’s Alive Chapel headquarters, Amuwo, Lagos is the chief speaker at the seminar holding at Livingword Centre, Abiitos House, Sangotedo on Lekki-Epe Expressway.

According to Ikoabasi, the trend in which a lot of marriages are being endured rather than enjoyed is due to wrong expectations and lack of knowledge.

He said: “Love is not enough to make a happy marriage.

No matter how much you love your brand new car, if you do not have knowledge of how to handle it, you will wreck it.

Metro 11

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

Students escape death in Lagos auto crash past with his entourage.

Oyeyemi jumped down from his car and rushed to the wounded students.

The corps marshal rushed the students in his car to County Hospital at Ogba.

A witness, who refused to give his name, said that the Mercedes Benzes truck, carrying crates of beer, was on top speed when the driver suddenly lost control.

He said: “The driver was shouting break failure! Break failure!

The driver eventually crashed into a Siena Toyota car parked by the roadside. The FRSC entourage took the victims to County Hospital Ogba, for proper medical attention.

“If not for God’s intervention, the students would have died on the

FRSC officials at the scene of the accident.

Photos: Godwin Irekhe

Taiwo Jimoh

F

our students of the Ikeja Junior High School yesterday narrowly escaped death by a whisker after a truck carrying them crashed on

ACME Road, Ogba, Lagos State.

It was gathered that the truck marked Mus 420 XC, which had given some students lift, crashed after a brake failure.

The truck rammed into a Siena bus with registration number AGL437BJ parked by the roadside

before it fell on its side.

Witnesses said the four students, all boys, were lucky to have escaped with injuries.

The accident happened just as the Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, was driving

NDLEA burns N133m drugs in Kogi Juliana Francis

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he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed by fire narcotics valued at N133 million in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

The NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Ahmadu Giade and the Kogi State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Steven Tayo Aremu, led other invited guests in setting ablaze 13,372.209kg of drugs.

Aremu, who represented Governor Idris Wada, pledged support for drug control programmes in the state.

He said: “Kogi State Government is happy that these dangerous drugs seized by the NDLEA are being destroyed. This will promote peace in the country and we are prepared to assist the NDLEA in the state to achieve greater results. Working to eradicate illicit drugs from the society is in the interest of all.”

Giade said that cannabis was the most abused drug in the country.

He added: “We have a total of 13,372.209kg of drugs for destruc-

Officials running away from the burning drugs

tion. Cannabis Sativa, otherwise called hemp, constitutes the largest chunk of the drugs with 13,319.829kg, diazepam is 3.40kg, rohypnol is 180grms, tramadol is 850grms and volatile solvent is 47.950kg.

“These statistics attest to the fact that cannabis is the most abused drug in the country. I’m satisfied with this public burning of drug exhibits aimed at promoting national peace and security.”

The state NDLEA Commander, Mr Idris Bello, said that 576 suspected drug traffickers had been apprehended in the state this year.

He said: “Out of this number, 89 had been convicted, while other cases are still pending. The command also provided counselling services for 191 persons with drug abuse problem in the state.”

Kogi State is a crucial gateway between cannabis cultivating states in the South-West and the northern states.

Some spectacular seizures of cannabis made were exhibited in pictures while vehicles with false compartment used in smuggling drugs were brought to the venue of the destruction.

Giade emphasised the need for public sup-

port in the fight against drugs.

He said: “Drug trafficking is associated with money laundering, violence, organised crime and terrorist activities.

The use of drug influences criminals to perpetrate dastardly acts.

“Parents must be knowledgeable and educate their children on the dangers of drug trafficking and abuse. Teachers must sensitise students to the threat of endangering their career by indulging in drug trafficking and abuse. Opinion leaders, local and international organisations must lend their voices to the anti-drug campaign.”

spot. Immediately the accident occurred, people were scared and could not rescue the victims.”

The Lagos State Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr Hyginus Omeje, said: “We were on the entourage of the Corps Marshal, who is on a familiarisation tour of media houses when we suddenly stumbled on the accident.

“As part of our primary assignment is to save lives, we stopped by and rescued the victims.

I personally took the victim to County Hospital for medical attention, while our men were also on ground to control the traffic with the support of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).”

Omeje urged drivers to always be mindful of other road users.

We were not carrying human blood, suspects tell police Camillus Nnaji

T

wo men arrested with 50 litres of blood have told the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Lagos, that the two contained cow blood.

The suspects, Alfa Balogun Tajudeen Ogunsanya and another man, were arrested at Gberigbe town in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State for being in possession of what was suspected to be human blood in two jerry cans while trying to alight from a car.

They were arrested by policemen attached to Imota Police Station in Ikorodu but were later transferred to SCID for further interrogation.

But a police source said that the men have told interrogators that it was the blood of cow not that of human beings.

According to them, they had scooped the blood from abattoir to feed their pigs.

“After preliminary investigation, the SCID granted the suspects bail until a scientific test shows that the blood was

CP, Kayode Aderanti

not from any human being,” the source added.

A resident of Gberigbe, who gave his name as Mr Amos Oludero, also said that the two men had been released by the police.

He said: “We have seen that the Alfa and his colleague have been granted bail by the police. Police came back here with them on Thursday and after more investigation granted them bail.”

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kenneth Nwosu, said investigation had been concluded on the matter.

He said: “We have investigated the matter and have traced it to the source; we found out it was animal blood meant for their farm.

“But to prove beyond any atom of doubt, we have taken the blood sample to a laboratory for forensic analysis. We are waiting for that final proof.”

Nwosu added that if it was confirmed, the matter would become null.

We were not carrying human blood, suspects tell police

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News

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

NATION’S CAPITAL

Union seals NAFDAC office

•DG threatens to take legal action Obinna Odoh Abuja

T

he office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) in Abuja was sealed yesterday following an industrial action embarked upon by the union.

The union members

decided to take their destiny in their hands and adopted different approach which saw taskforce members move round all the NAFDAC’s office nationwide, including the border posts to chase workers out of the offices. That was following the refusal of NAFDAC staff to comply with their directive to quit office.

It would be recalled

that the union had given a seven day notice to the agency’s leadership to attend to the six issues it demanded; ranging from upward review of job specific allowance, skipping, payment of productivity allowance, promotion arrears, training allowance and eight months pension arrears.

Responding to the latest development, the

NAFDAC’S Director General, Dr. Paul Orhii, threatened to proceed to court to challenge such actions, which he termed unconstitutional.

Orhii stated that yesterday in Abuja during a press briefing organised by the agency to inform journalists of the efforts made by NAFDAC leadership to avert the industrial action.

Orhii accused drug

traffickers of masterminding the strike, so as to see an opportunity of bringing in counterfeit drugs in this season.

“Locking up NAFDAC’s offices and the border post is illegal and in that, I will take a legal action. I will invite a lawyer, who will proceed to court to stop the union members from harassing and victimising workers, who refuse to join strike action. Trade union law did not make it compulsory for anyone wishing

not to join union’s strike to do so” said Orhii.

The NAFDAC’S boss disclosed that” this period(Christmas season) is the busiest time for NAFDAC’s Staff because this is when people travel to bring into the country fake drugs. I suspect that the drug traffickers have hijacked the strike to have the borders open, free from check, so as to have the opportunity to freely bring in their fake products.

FEC approves N273m for Abuja rail project Anule Emmanuel

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L-R: Head, Federal Civil Service, Mr. Danladi Kifasi; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and VicePresident Namadi Sambo, at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja…yesterday.

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

FCT psychiatric hospital treats 69 patients in one month Yekeen Nurudeen Abuja

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total of 69 patients suffering from psychological and behavioural challenges have been admitted and treated at the newly completed Karu General Hospital, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja in the last one month.

According to the FCT Secretary for Health and Human Services, Dr. Demola Onakomaiya, who disclosed this to journalists after inspecting the facility, the hospital took off on October 2 with

clinical services at its Behavioural Medicine Unit.

He noted that the development marked the commencement of services to patients with psychological and behavioural challenges and saying that “to date, a total of 69 patients have been for diagnosed and treated.

Dr. Onakomaiya said that the era of referring patients with psychological and behavioural challenges to Kaduna Psychiatric Hospital was over as the Karu Specialist Hospital has both human and material resources to diagnose and treat dif-

ferent forms of psychological and behavioural challenges.

He added that the hospital has a dedicated building for behavioural medicine which according to him, is the only one of its kind in the whole of the Middle Belt of Nigeria.

The Secretary added that the Behavioural Medicine Unit of the Hospital is equipped with the state-of-theart equipment including Electro Encephaco Grain (EEG) Machine, Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) Machine and Laboratory Equipment

Doctors duplicate job at National Hospital Obinna Odoh Abuja

M

edical doctors at the National Hospital, Abuja, have taken over services previously provided by nurses and others to provide succour to patients who are being frustrated over the strike action embarked upon by JOHESU members.

A cancer patient, who choose to be anonymous, disclosed this to New

Telegraph, when he paid a visit to the hospital.

“I have been here since two days struggling to be attended to but the problem is that it is only medical doctors, who are working and attending to patients. I came all the way from the east and the radiotherapy machine will work for few hours and stop. The machine has become obsolete and it is the only one serving almost all the cancer patients in the north central.

We are many here and it is only doctors, who do their own work and that of others.

“The doctors are doing their work, that of the nurses and provide other services to see that we do not die. The doctors sort the folders themselves and do every other work done by nurses. If not, many people would have died within this period. They refer us to pharmaceutical stores outside to get drugs.

in addition to good satellite Pharmacy that is stocked with specialized drugs and has a number of specialists including four consultants, a Senior Registrar, senior Medical Officers and other support staff.

Onakomaiya further added that behavioural services in FCT administration’s hospitals have now been centralized as the Units formerly rendering such services in Asokoro, Kubwa and Wuse Hospitals have been closed down, except that Wuse still provides out-patient clinics two days in a week.

he Federal Executive Council has approved contract worth N273million for the provision of consultancy services for the feasibility study and conceptual design of the Abuja Rail Mass Transit network.

Supervising Minister of Information, Dr. Nurudeen Muhammed, disclosed this yesterday while briefing State House Correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said lots 4, 5 and 6 of the rail project were awarded at the cost of N272.7m and have a completion period of one year.

The Minister explained that funding for the contract would be sourced from a provision of N280million in the 2014 FCT Statutory Appropriation for the project.

“The Minister of the FCT brought a memo to council seeking approval for the award of contract for the feasibility study and conceptual design of Lots 4, 5, and 6 of the Abuja Rail Mass Transit network for the Federal Capital Territory.

“The FCT Rail Mass

Transit system is designed primarily as a mover of people within and between the satellite towns and the different phases of the city.

“Also, the Abuja rail system will be integrated with the planned national rail network.

“There is a provision of N280 million in the 2014 FCT Statutory Appropriation for the project.

“The projects, upon completion, will reduce traffic congestion, shorten journeys distances and reduce pressure on existing public transport services.

“The project will also provide employment opportunities to about 5,000 skilled and unskilled workers, while about 4,500 skilled workers will be engaged in the direct operation of the system on completion,” the minister stated.

Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed also explained further that Lot 4 of the rail system begins from Kuje to Karshi; Lot 5 from Kubwa to Bwari; and Lot 6 from Airport to Gwagwalada.

According to him, Lot 2 of the rail system will convey passengers from Nyanya to city centre and to Kubwa in Bwari Area Council.

2015: Obi tasks youths to shun violence Onwuka Nzeshi, Ladi Patrick Abuja

F

ormer Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, has urged Nigeria youths to shun violence and not to allow themselves to be used as thugs by desperate politicians who may want to hijack power by all means in the 2015 general elections.

Obi gave the charge yesterday at the National Conference Organised by the Save Nigeria Group, SNG in Abuja. He also urged the youths to embrace

peace as the only means to salvage the present security challenge bedevilling the nation.

The former governor, who launched the Peace Apostles of Nigeria (PAN), said ;”As true apostles of peace, we shall find ways to quench the rising tensions in the country because if we continue to pretend, neglect or fail to start this deliberate and effective campaign for security and peaceful co-existence in Nigeria now, the country may be driven to that ugly state where we may have to pay very heavily for our deliberate failures and negligence.”

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

House of Rep

Power tussle

Performance

Election

14

15

16

17

Tambuwal’s defection in order, says Jime

Adegbenro: No evidence of misrule against Jonathan

Akande, Tinubu, others are rebels –Adebanjo

13

Nigeria’ll survive 2015 –Babawale

Politics

My N500m bribe story, by Anosike

Senator Emmanuel Anosike is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) panel that conducted the contentious ward congress election in Cross River State. In this interview with CHUKWU DAVID, he explains the intrigues and the N500 million bribe allegation that trailed the exercise. Excerpts: You were part of the electoral panel that conducted the ward congresses in Cross River State on November 1.

Reports now indicate that your panel was actually compromised. What really happened?

I refused initially to talk on this issue, but after secretary of the Peoples democratic Party (PDP) spoke on a television programme, I decided to speak out in order to clear my name. Before that day, I had gotten a lot of calls to speak on the matter but I refused.

First of all, the convention of our party, the PDP, is that immediately you get to a state, you pay a courtesy call on the governor.

When we got to Cross River, we duly paid a courtesy call on the governor, interacted with him, and so on.

Personally, as a politician, I asked the governor if there was any problem here, and whether there was any interest anywhere?

He replied me that there’s no problem whatsoever but that he wanted the law and the rule of the PDP to prevail. I then asked further: in what area? Governor Liyel Imoke told me that: ‘based on the PDP arrangement, some forms were returned late...’ I then said no, the instruction from the party national headquarters when we were coming to Cross River State was that anybody who bought the nomination form, irrespective of the place you got the form from, whether it

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY EDITOR, PoLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

was bought in Cross River or you got the form in Abuja, the person is entitled to contest.

The party told us not to entertain any reason whatsoever; that every aspirant should be allowed to contest; that we should collect forms, even at the venue of the congress. He said, ‘no problem’ and that we should go ahead. On leaving that place, the state chairman of the party was excited and said to me, ‘Senator, you and your team have sav.ed the day. If you didn’t say what you said, we are not sure we will survive in Cross River because the environment was charged.’

When we got to the party office, everybody insisted that we must meet with the stakeholders and having a chairman of the electoral panel, who is a seasoned politician, he sent a text to the state chairman that we must meet with the stakeholders so that we can tell them what we’ve been told. In that caucus meeting, because when we got to the office, we had a little caucus meeting, they told us they have shortlisted some people that would contest and we told them that there’s no shortlisting as the mandate we got from the party was that everybody must be allowed to contest and that as far as we were concerned, we wanted to do transparent congresses and go home.

At that juncture, we left to tell the stakeholders that ‘if you bought your form in Abuja, you have the right to contest. If you bought your form in Calabar, you also have the right to contest. Immediately they heard that, the environment changed. Everybody was happy. We then asked the party about the arrangement put in place for the election and they replied that they’ve provided electoral officers for us and we were okay with that.

We told them that since you are the party here, we will follow you and we truly followed them and

Anosike

distributed the electoral officers who went to work according to the posting of the state chapter of the party. We told them to go and work according to their own posting not according to ours.

So, at what time did you encounter problems?

At about 12:00 midnight, we had problems. When the Calabar South (Cross River South senatorial district) results came in, they felt disturbed that, even though they sent their own people to conduct the elections, they lost! And the person who even brought the result was their returning officer.

They now called me and said: ‘Senator, where are you? The result of Calabar South is there.’ We took it and then, the state chairman came back to me and said: ‘please, look, what they had from the field was not the correct thing.’ I then asked him: ‘what do you mean by what you had not being the correct thing? This is the result and we will not tamper with the result.’

At that juncture, they became jittery that some of their men they sent to the field, maybe, did not play according to instructions.

We said okay. Meanwhile, they now arranged for an office, that we

They accused me that one of the gubernatorial aspirants has given me N500 million.

Between me and God, I’ve not seen the man

should go to that office and that everything that comes, we will work with them. I told them point blank that we are not working with you people. ‘Let your people return the result.’ We were with the executive members of the state chapter of the PDP till 5a.m. on Sunday, November 2. As at 4:30a.m., they insisted that they wanted to photocopy the results. We went beyond our duty and agreed. We said ‘okay, go ahead and photocopy the result.’ At that juncture, even the state chairman was jittery with the result because he felt they didn’t do well.

As at 2p.m., the National Assembly members, including the Senate Leader and members of the House of Representatives came to meet with us to register their protests.

They told us that they were uncomfortable with what they were hearing that was emanating from the office; that some of the results were being changed and so on. We told them it was not so and that we needed to bring in the chairman to also listen to their complaints.

Immediately the state chairman came in and saw the National Assembly members, he said he was not ready to listen to this nonCONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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Politics | Interview

You nominated Aminu Tambuwal as Speaker of the House of Representatives in June 2011, today there are calls on him to resign based on his defection to the APC. What is your take on this?

First, I think that defection, as far as the practice of our democracy is concerned has become what you may call an acceptable norm of how we have conducted our business from 1999 till now. There have been several defections, very high profile defections in the past.

Most of the time those defections have been from other parties to the PDP. You will want to recall governors elected on the platform of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and most of the members who were elected into the National Assembly on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

Those were defections that were for the most part in the direction of the PDP. Every time there were defections, in most cases either the president himself or the leadership of the PDP moved with champagne bottles to celebrate the capture, so to speak, of the big fishes that were coming from the other parties. For the most part, and I say with the greatest respect, that they are either being mischievous or maybe to a lesser extent, ignorant of what the laws of the nation pertaining the question of defection is.

And that is why I said I would prefer to take a holistic look at the concept of defection and whether it is anathema to the practice of democracy. And my humble opinion is that there is nothing wrong with defection in so far as that defection is consistent with certain principles. I don’t see why that should become such a big problem. Added to that is the hypocrisy that has been brought to bear on this conversation. Why is it okay to defect to the PDP? Why is it morally wrong to defect from the PDP? Now, my reading of Section 68 subsection 1(g) provides that you cannot defect from the party on whose platform you are elected simplicita. The proviso to that section is to the effect that where there are certain conditions, one of which is that if there is a faction, or if there is a division or there is a merger in the party on which platform a member of the National Assembly was elected.

That is the proviso that, I think people out of either mischief or ignorance, are deliberately refusing to focus on. There are decided cases in our country right now at the Federal High Court. I can remember three of those cases.

One by the Judicial Division of the Federal High Court in Sokoto, the second by the Judicial Division of the Federal High Court in Ilorin in Kwara State, all of which have actually decided the issue of whether there was a division in the PDP or not.

And there is also the judgement of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court that has spoken to the fact that there was no division in the PDP even when it was clear that the issue before that court was not about whether there was a division or not. I would prefer that we should look at the judgement that has been delivered by these two Divisions, Sokoto and Ilorin where specifically the question of defection, whether it is constitutional, whether it is valid.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Tambuwal’s defection in order, says Jime Hon. Emmanuel Jime is the chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT). As a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker, he nominated Hon. Aminu Tambuwal for the position of Speaker in 2011. In this interview with PHILIP NYAM, he speaks on the defection of the Speaker and his governorship aspiration. Excerpts:

Jime

And so far, the Hansard that we have gotten from the court is that so far as the proviso to Section 68 sub Section 1 (g) is available, a member can defect. So, I would prefer as a lawyer to argue from the point of view of law instead of worrying so much about morality. What does the law say with regards to the ability of someone who has been elected on a platform to be able to defect?

How does this relate to Tambuwal’s case?

It is from that platform that I’d like to situate the issue currently in play, which is the defection of Mr. Speaker from the PDP to the APC. First, you have to remember that when the Speaker read out his defection statement on the floor, he actually referred to the situation in Sokoto his home state and I have already mentioned the fact that the Sokoto Division of the Federal High Court has held that there is a division in the PDP. Now, the Speaker being a member of the new PDP which had now merged with the APC in my own opinion, rightly, constitutionally, legally and validly could defect. And that is what the Speaker has done.

I would think that if anybody had questions with regards to this matter therefore, instead of the approach that the PDP has taken, which is to go extra-legal, which is to begin to make pronouncements that appear as if they are also judging the matter, the proper thing to do is to take up this matter with the law courts with the view to finally ascertaining whether a

I don’t see why that should become such a big problem.

Added to that is the hypocrisy that has been brought to bear on this conversation.

Why is it okay to defect to the PDP? Why is it morally wrong to defect from the PDP?

sitting member can defect or not to the extent and in so far as there is no final court judgement from our justice system. I think that for now, not only is it prejudicial and peremptory to begin to make those assertions that the Speaker should vacate the seat that he is occupying at the moment.

So, are you saying there is no basis for the Speaker to vacate office?

In my opinion, there is no legal basis for the request that has been made that the Honourable Speaker should resign his position.

There have been arguments that the Speaker should reconvene the House before December 3rd to enable Mr. President present the 2015 appropriation bill. What is your take on this?

When the House Leader, who is the leader of the PDP in the House, moved the motion for the House to adjourn till December 3, she, more than anyone else, ought to know if the executive had any intention of bringing in the budget because all of such collaborations with the executive are actually anchored.

She is the direct channel through which the presidency, because it is the ruling party, through which communications are done. Therefore, for her to stand on the floor of the House and to move the motion for us to adjourn it has to be taken that there was no communication whatsoever that the presidency had any intention.

So, this is an afterthought. But it’s all politics and I think members of the public ought to be aware.

And let them be knowledgeable enough to know that this is only a trick that is being pulled. There is no intention whatsoever for any budget to be presented even if we resume before December 3.

Finally, on that point I want to suggest even if you present the budget in December, there is nothing that stops us from passing the budget before January. Because we have the mechanism within the National Assembly to pass a budget in a very record time if the will is there for us to do our jobs.

You were elected to the House on the platform of the PDP but defected and now you are contesting for governorship in APC. There are assumptions that the APC’s popularity is waning in Benue State?

I really do not agree with this assertion. People have to understand that the APC in Benue State is truly a movement. It is a movement that started in 2011 with the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). So, clearly APC in Benue in 2015 is definitely not the same as ACN in 2011. Because there is now a greater mass of individuals that have come together to team up in order to form this party.

I call it a movement because this is a direct reaction of our people against maladministration; this is a direct reaction of our people against poor policies of the PDP especially in Benue State.

The PDP has been in governance in Benue for the last 15 years and during that period it is fair to say that not very much has happened in terms of how the welfare of the people has been enhanced. Rather, what we have seen is that there has been a serious degradation in terms of human capacity of our people.

So, if that is the situation, the question then will be what is the alternative?

The real problem is the selfdestruction button that the PDP itself has pressed which now stands the APC in a very good position. So, I am not one of those who think that the fortunes of the APC in Benue are dwindling. The greatest campaign manager for the APC in Benue is the PDP. The only way, quite frankly, that the PDP expects to win any election in Benue State is by rigging. And since we know what the strategy is, I think we have a duty to ensure that we do not provide for them an opportunity to be able to rig this election in 2015.

What are your expectations on the coming gubernatorial primaries?

I have very high expectations.

Without meaning to be immodest I truly believe that I am a candidate to beat in the APC. I believe that leadership recruitment in our country in a time when democracy is beginning to take root must be anchored on the antecedents and record of performance of people who are in offices. It should no longer be an all comers affair.

I have a record on which I am running and I challenge anybody who is running for office to also bring up his record so that we can put it on the table and then let the people be the judge. I truly know from my consultations and the discussions we have had with both leaders of the party and stakeholders, from the outpouring of support that I am getting, if we have a truly free and fair primary nobody is going to see my back.

Politics | Interview

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

15

Akande, Tinubu, others are rebels –Adebanjo Chief Ayo Adebanjo, 86, is a chieftain of Afenifere and former National Chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). In this interview with TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, he speaks on President Goodluck Jonathan, recommendations of the national conference, insurgency in the North and the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). Excerpts:

those who left us then on account that we were tribalistic are rebels because those of us who were the leaders of AD did not accept the nonsense they wanted to do. Because they are in power, they have money. They have acquired a lot of money since we put them into power.

We know what all of them were worth before they came into office. Almost all of them used public office to enrich themselves.

President Goodluck Jonathan has officially declared his ambition. How do you see his re-election bid?

He wants to contest and he has the right to contest; there is no issue about that. It is now left for the nation to judge him and it is for him to show what he has done to justify re-election.

Do you think he has done enough to get a second term?

Talking about second term; one big point that I hold and why I believe Jonathan should go back is for him to implement the confab recommendation. As far as I am concerned, implementation of the confab recommendations are more important than whatever anybody is saying. I will support anybody who will implement the confab recommendations that I believe will address the roots of our complaints. The recommendations of the confab will address corruption and other problems we are battling with in the country.

A lot of the complaints we are having is because we have a fraudulent constitution. As far as I am concerned, that is the main thing. The All Progressives Congress (APC) doesn’t believe in the confab, so if you vote for them, you just put the confab report in a waste bin.

Why do you think so?

When the confab was about to commence, Bola Tinubu described it as diversionary and I criticised him for that.

Tinubu is the last person to oppose confab because that was the condition under which we voted for him. I was the chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the position of Afenifere and AD was that without the confab we were not going to take part in General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s election in 1999. But because Abubakar insisted that he hasn’t got time for all that; that was why we took part in the election.

After we won the election, the leaders of the AD led by Pa Abraham Adesanya told all the Houses of Assembly controled by the AD to pass a resolution for the convocation of the National Conference and Tinubu as a governor was part of it. So, how can a man like that; knowing that the confab was part of our party’s election manifestoes say confab is diversionary?

The truth is that anybody who will implement the confab recommendation is my candidate in 2015. And you know, APC did not believe in the convocation of the confab.

How do you see the constitutional amendment being carried out by the National Assembly?

What is the constitution that the National Assembly is amending? Is it

Adebanjo

not the military constitution? Is that not the constitution the whole country say is not our constitution? Is that not the constitution Rotimi Williams said is a fraudulent document? That it disguises to be federal but not federal and it describes itself being a document by we Nigerians; it is not by Nigerians but by the army.

As far as I am concerned, that constitution should be put in a waste basket as long as convocation of National Conference has been held and its recommendations have been passed. And since we ended the conference, nobody has said that what we did there is unacceptable. In fact, President Jonathan praised the confab for passing about 600 recommendations unanimously.

We never believed that the confab recommendations should be approved by the National Assembly. It is the National Assembly that said it must be subjected to them because referendum is not in the constitution. Our own stand is that whatever it takes to get the recommendations done, let Jonathan do it. And that was why he said he was going to talk to the National Assembly members to insert into the constitution the provision of a referendum.

We didn’t recommend that the confab report should go to the National Assembly; we recommend that the thing must go for a referendum. We should create the atmosphere, conditions and legal framework to make the wishes of the people a reality.

In the Second Republic you were one of the active members of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) under the leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. How do you see the resurrection of UPN by Dr. Frederick Fasehun?

Fasheun doesn’t know anything about the UPN. He was never a member and when you don’t know about the beginning of something, how can you talk about its rebirth? They are the people that are just forming organisations to explore people and to use other people’s name for chop-I-chop politics. So, I don’t take them seriously. What does he know

about the UPN to say that he wants to bring it back?

You want to talk about UPN and Ayo Adebanjo doesn’t know about it. How can he talk about UPN without Lateef Jakande, Olanihun Ajayi, Chief Reuben Fasoranti and Senator Ayo Fasanmi, knowing about it? Who will now talk about the UPN when we are still alive? Fasehun might be an admirer of Chief Awolowo as he said but he does not have the training we had in the UPN to make him feel that he can revive it.

So you don’t believe in Fasehun’s UPN? It is a fake. He just wants to explore Chief Awolowo’s name for personal gain. When somebody doesn’t know what he is talking about, that is the end of the matter. He is the least person to talk of reviving the UPN. How do you see the defection of former Governor Segun Osoba and some lawmakers in Ogun State to the Social Democratic Party (SDP)?

They were part of the weeds that left Afenifere. I called them rebels. All

Bisi Akande, Bola Tinubu are all rebels. I created them and I signed their governorship forms. Ask them why did they leave AD?

But there are Awoists in APC like Chief Bisi Akande, who served as deputy governor on the platform of UPN in the Second Republic.

Who tells you Bisi Akande is an Awoist? He is part of the rebels. Bisi Akande, Bola Tinubu are all rebels. I created them and I signed their governorship forms. Ask them why did they leave AD? What is it that they want to do that is in consonant with Awolowo’s policy that made them to leave? I say they are rebels.

There is none of them that was not my creation. Anybody who is somebody in APC today, they were my creation through the AD. Nobody can talk about them more than I do. There is no background they will say they have that I don’t know. They only grew haywire when they got into office. As a matter of fact, by the time they were elected, the instruction we gave them was they should not go to Abuja for anything after the election expect there was a National Conference because that was the basis on which they were elected. They got there and said that is not possible. Because they are in office; they are the ones distributing largesse and all the party members must follow them. That was the beginning of the problem.

How do you see the insurgency in Nigeria, especially in some parts of the North?

How many years have they been voting money into defence that insurgents would now be more equipped than our soldiers? Where are all the budget allocations to the Ministry of Defence from the days of Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and before? What happened to the budget and what have they been buying? People are not asking these questions, all they are doing is blaming Jonathan for the insecurity problems. Is it Jonathan that inaugurated the army?

Are you saying Jonathan should not be blamed for the insurgency in the country?

How can Jonathan be blamed for the insurgency? What should he do that he has not done? What is within his powers to command that he has not done?

Was he the one that employed the army?

Was he the one that bought the military equipment that are rotten? People should think very well. Jonathan is not related to me. I am a statesman and I must say the thing as it is. You don’t say things just to win an election. They are making politics from Boko Haram, by the time they finish us there would be nobody to rule. That is what the opposition are not thinking of.

I am not comfortable with the way the opposition are blaming Jonathan for the insurgency and for not cooperating with him. It is a national issue.

Insurgency is not typical to Nigeria. Is United States not having insurgency problem? The Britain and many other countries are also battling with this irrational people, finding how to face them. Why are we making our own to look special?

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

16 Politics | Interview Adejare Adegbenro is a grandson to both Chief Dauda Adegbenro, former Premier of the defunct Western Region and Pa Alfred Rewane, the late financier of the defunct National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). In this interview with WALE ELEGBEDE, he speaks on political developments in the country and the security challenges.

Excerpts: Why didn’t you delve into politics despite coming from political families maternally and paternally?

Well, given the political terrain that you see today, there is no fear of God. And what I am afraid of in my life today is the wrath of God who I worship. And anything that will lead me to worship any other being beside Him, I will not dabble into it. Many of these politicians despite their claim to be worshiping God are not doing the bidding of that God they claim to worship. Majority of them are selfish and self-centred. In addition to that, are we able to conduct free and credible elections that would throw up real winners? Where then do I put myself in all this? And because of that, I don’t believe that the type of politics we play in Nigeria is in tandem with my nature.

That is why I have not thrown my hat into the political ring. But I can assure you that, outside the political ring, I have been doing my best to help humanity and I will continue to do so. And part of the way I help humanity and the society is by coming out occasionally like this to make comments on the state of the nation.

As a Nigerian with parents and families across ethnic nationalities, how do you relate that to real life in Nigeria?

It will interest you to know that, apart from my parents who were from different cultural backgrounds, I also have a son from the north. From Zaria, Kaduna State to be very precise. That makes me a complete Nigerian. My mother is from Delta, father from Ogun State and son from Kaduna State. And that is the reason for my fears for this country because should anything happen, God forbid, nobody would be spared. And that is why we must join hands with the government to salvage the country.

And from what I see in today’s Nigeria, it is disheartening! It is not like how it used to be when Nigerians used to see themselves first as Nigerians before remembering their ethnic origin.

As far as I am concerned, my grandfathers – Alfred Rewane and Dauda Adegbenro (former Premier of the defunct Western Region) came before their time.

Now should have been their time to teach us how to be true Nigerians who would consider God first, others second and self last.

Our problem is that Nigeri-

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Adegbenro: No evidence of misrule against Jonathan

Adegbenro

ans are no more truthful. And the bane of our society today is that we don’t say the truth. We know the problems of Nigeria and how they came about, instead of facing the reality and making suggestions on how to move the country forward, we keep on blaming President Goodluck Jonathan. Yes, agreed, Jonathan is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria today, but can he be everywhere in Nigeria at the same time? What does that suggest? It simply suggests that, security of the country, economy of the country and welfare of the country is the collective responsibility of all of us.

Who should carry the blame?

We are all to blame. Mr. President is a nice guy; I don’t have anything against him. But remember he has aides and lieutenants who are supposed to offer useful advice. My advice is that if these aides cannot chip in properly, they should chip out for God’s sake.

Jonathan must be a super human and an extraordinary person to still remain focused in the face of security challenges that can run a normal human being crazy

Are you worried about the way ethnicity and religion has crept into politics?

It shouldn’t be. Ethnicity and re-

ligion should not be part of politics.

Let me give you a typical example.

My best friend is a northerner and a Muslim. My father is a Muslim. I am a Christian. My wife is a Christian. My son is a Muslim. And we coexist peacefully under the same roof. Why are we using religion to divide ourselves? What has religion and ethnicity got to do with politics and performance in government?

Majority of us who sponsor religious disharmony are hypocrites.

Some of us who indulge in that have wives and children across all these religions and other cultural bases. What is killing us in Nigeria today is hypocrisy. In addition, pull him down syndrome is also pulling us backward.

What do you now suggest to be the criteria for consideration in choosing a leader?

First of all, he must be capable and competent to deliver the common good to the generality of the citizenry. He may be a Muslim, a Christian, a pagan, atheist or anything. The honest truth is that the world has gone beyond certain people in this country.

What has happened to the youth between 25 and 35 years of age?

Are they still in existence in Nigeria? During 1999 general election, how old were the majority of those governors that won the election? We keep blaming ourselves when the real problem is within us.

Take for instance, when we take a flight to London where the system works, everybody will behave. But coming back to Nigeria, 15 minutes after landing, there is already chaos. Arrogance would become the order of the day. This arrogance should be checkmated by discipline. And that discipline is what we have totally lost as parents. Our leaders have lost it also because there is no discipline in Nigeria. That is one of the key areas we have to look at because we cannot move forward without discipline.

How can you access the Jonathan administration?

I don’t know Mr. President personally. But from what I see, the problem he inherited had started ways before him. And he is trying his best to address the problems.

That is why he has some foot soldiers to assist in addressing the problems. Jonathan must be a super human and an extraordinary person to still remain focused in the face of security challenges that can run a normal human being crazy. Yet, he is still focusing on other sectors that have bearings on the life of Nigerians. But what have we done to assist him to succeed beside needless criticism?

We should not see Boko Haram as a northern problem because it is a Nigerian problem. Muslims are getting killed and Christians are getting killed. And whether we are Muslims or Christians, where are all one. When we watch football matches that involve Nigeria, do we discriminate? That is how it should be.

If you go back to my grandfather’s days, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was a Christian. My late grandfather, Dauda Adegbenro was a Muslim and he was Awolowo’s loyal lieutenant. And he stood by him. We are now talking about Muslim/Christian combination. Have we forgotten that the best election we ever had in this country was won by Muslim/Muslim ticket in 1993. Didn’t Christians vote for the combination? Why are we using religion now?

So, if you say President Jonathan is bad, give us the evidence.

I have not seen the evidence. Then instead of pulling him down, assemble a formidable force to defeat him. It happened in America where Obama was defeated in the mid-term poll.

People say Jonathan has problems, but how many of them apart from Dangote, Elumelu and a few others have put their money in the system to help him?

‘Akande, Tinubu, others are rebels’ C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 5

In those countries, no opposition is blaming the government for the insurgency. They always join hands and put their heads together to solve their problems. The way they are doing things in Nigeria will not help the country.

What is your take on the defection in the polity?

Look at those cross-carpeting now, who among them have crossed from the PDP to APC because what the PDP promised to do to people, they have not done it.

Most of them are defecting on personal reasons. They are cheating the people. Because politics has been monetised, the middle class has been impoverished, so the rich just go to where they want. And when election comes those

who have money will win. I believe there must be level playing ground for both the rich and the poor.

As an elder statesman, what do you think is the way forward?

The way forward is for the people of Nigerians to elect people who have their interest not people who have their own political agenda. We should look for credible candidates in 2015.

Politics | Interview 17

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

Nigeria’ll survive 2015 –Babawale and I think the local government system is being constrained and castrated by state governors and something has to be done about that. In so many states of the federation today, the local governments have become comatose.

They are not doing anything because they are existing at the behest of their governors and that was not the situation even under the military.

Prof. Tunde Babawale, former Director-General of the Centre for Black Art and Civilisation (CBAAC), is a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Lagos. He speaks with ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA on the state of Nigerian politics, 2015 elections and stomach infrastructure, among other issues On deepening party politics The tragedy of our circumstance as a people is that it doesn’t seem as if the nature of politics has changed. Politics is being seen as an avenue for cutting corners, for personal aggrandisement, for mere acquisition of power for the sake of it.

There are party politics, setting agenda for the society, suggesting alternative policies to the government, recruiting political leaders for the future, aggregating and mobilising the opinion of the public in order to put it at the centre of public discourse. These are things that politics should be about and ultimately the greatest good for the greatest numbers.

But to what extent are our politicians doing that? But everything is politicised, in a sense that it is only targeted towards meeting the selfish interest of those who are politicising the issues.

On national security I expect that the issue of security should have elicited a summit of political parties so that they can rally the president and say this is a common challenge facing all of us and then offer alternative view point order than just occasional fitful and superficial criticisms.

Let us offer very sound, well thought out options, alternative measures that need to be adopted.

I saw that briefly from the Senate recently when for the first time David Mark on behalf of the Senate said we are at war. Why are we just getting to know that?

But it is a welcome development because the reality is dawning on everybody that we need to have alternative options which we can put on the table for those who are in charge, so that together we can solve what appears to be a common problem facing all of us.

Nigeria’s improved election Yes, election has improved since 2011 but we must always not rest on our oars to believe that we are there yet. There are still some hidden practices or malpractices of the old, which undermined the political process, which are still at work. But as I said since 2011, I must confessed that things have been getting better. We no longer

My fears for 2015 The only fear I have is how to curb insurgency so that it does not introduce distraction. From what I have seen on ground and the few elections that have been held in Anambra, Ondo, Edo, Ekiti and Osun states, I don’t think we would have a problem managing our election in 2015, but I would have been happier if those elections are more staggered than they are so that we can have adequate security.

We have seen the example that if you have adequate security at the level of the state you are likely to have a free and fair election at the gubernatorial level. So why are we not exploring that possibility instead of attempting to do all the governorship election in one day because we don’t have the manpower.

That is the only fear that I have but if there is a way we can overcome that I don’t see us not surviving. I think we will survive in 2015 and I also believe that we are going to have relatively free and fair elections. Because I am going by the record of the regime since 2011.

I don’t have any pointer to the contrary and the odds as far as I am concerned are very favourable to a free and fair election in 2015. The urgent task at hand is to combat and confront this monster of insecurity and ensure that we cut off this gangrene that is called Boko Haram.

Babawale

have the kind of violence that we used to experience and the games that politicians used to play with the ballot boxes seem to be rescinding and becoming a thing of the past. But there are still malpractices that people are playing that we need to get rid of in order to bring it at par with international best standard.

Celebrating nation’s democracy There is a lot to celebrate. Besides the security challenges that we face as a people we have had healthy competition among states.

The states of the federation now compete in a rivalry that is positive. Yes, we don’t have as much as we need but things are getting better.

Our governors are now being challenged to deliver the public goods and they are now beginning to think that election properly provide opportunity for them to give account of their stewardship. Before it really didn’t matter whether you deliver the public goods or not if you belong to the right party you are going to win election but it is no longer the case now in Nigeria.

That is one lesson that we have learnt in the past 15 years. Call it stomach infrastructure or whatever derisive name that some people want to call it you must meet the needs of the people. If the people say that it is stomach infrastructure they want then let them have it. That is what pays them at the moment.

There is no society in the world that does not take into consideration the importance of stomach infrastructure even when it provides other infrastructure. This is why you have welfarism, which is why you have unemployment benefits in western societies.

So it is not anathema to our own

system and it is not something that our people don’t require. So I think there are developmental strides in many states of Nigeria that we can point to. Even at the federal level, regardless of what we might say. Yes, there are some downsides in the area of corruption which I think could be better tamed than it is at the moment.

But giant strides are being made in road construction or rehabilitation as it were. There are evidences that certain things are taking place, which we never knew were going to be possible some years ago. New universities have been established, but I am not saying that is what we need as a priority but given the numbers of people that are always left out of the admission quota every year not because they didn’t pass JAMB but because there are no spaces.

On employment gap Nigeria is a country that is blessed with material and human resources but the level of unemployment is an embarrassment to the country. We must address it critically and declare a state of emergency in unemployment such that we can say that in the next 10, 15 years we can say that we are going to take away such number of people away from the unemployment market.

There is also need for a marshal plan for education in Nigeria.

That is a sore point that the government needs to address. Yes, I know that provisions have been in SURE-P and YouWin programmes but those are like drops of water in an ocean that is huge and vast.

Freedom for local governments There must be greater scrutiny of the activities of government at the state, local and federal levels

I don’t see us not surviving.

I think we will survive in 2015 and I also believe that we are going to have relatively free and fair elections

Ministerial scrutiny of National Conference In my view, it shouldn’t have gone through that route of what I call a circuitous route to implementation. There must be a greater sense of urgency in the implementation of critical aspects of the recommendations. If government feels some of the recommendations need to pass through the Federal Executive Council they can start by doing that. It doesn’t need to do everything in one fell swoop.

It can be in piecemeal as those that can be handled administratively must be handled with dispatch and decision taken immediately. Secondly, those that required to be passed to the National Assembly should also be done immediately. I think that we should have tasked the conference itself in terms of segmenting these recommendations, in terms of implementation strategies and guidelines rather than giving the assignment to ministers who have other matters to attend to.

But I must say that there are far-reaching recommendations that were made which if implemented would make Nigeria better than it is and promote our unity and national integration.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion

Okotie’s battle to sanitize CAN

Idonije Imoisele

F

iat justicia et pere at munious (Do the right thing, come what may).

Why is this Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor’s aircraft’s connection to the Federal government arms deal such a significant watershed in our religious and political evolution as a nation? It is because of the names involved, when viewed in line with current issues like Boko Haram’s financing, proliferation of arms around the country, the tensions being generated by the coming general elections in 2015 and the ‘prophecy’ of Nigeria’s break-up in 2015.

In addition, there’s the gloomy climate in the country’s socio-economic life, the attitude of government, the timing of the disclosure and the inability of Oritsejafor, the Federal Government and those who have acted as the cleric’s spokesmen to proffer sensible and evidential defence for the man. That’s the reason for this hue and cry, especially after Rev. Chris Okotie’s insightful reaction on the matter.

It was an investigation by Sahara Reporters that revealed that the private jet caught in Johannesburg with $9.3 million belongs to Oritsejafor, the head of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and close confidant of President Jonathan.

So, could Oritsejafor be secretly involved in procurement of arms for defence of his god-son, President Goodluck Jonathan, in view of the charge of the country being un-governable, should he win the coming elections and the charge by Asari Dokubo to defend him by force of arms Many people may not be bold enough to ask the question they habour in their hearts, or may just not have the platform, but nonetheless, the questions are being asked and admonitions given by Okotie for Pastor Ayo to quit his CAN post, to put this issue to rest is on point.

This covert but scuttled bid could easily pass for a stock piling of arms for reprisals by the Niger-Delta

militants in anticipation of an already guaranteed Jonathan re-election- Oritsejafor and Jonathan may as well be putting the neck of Christians under the political and religious guillotine. $9.3 million cannot finance the military’s need for an arms war-chest in the face of potent threats like Boko Haram; not by a long shot, but it can go a long way in supplying arms to political instruments of instability.

When Okotie advised that Oritsejafor resigns as President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, the organization launched an attack of calumny against him. No one has satisfactorily absolved Pastor Ayo of complicity; all they have said is that he leased the plane out to an operator, and does not know who the operator contracted it out to- that is totally inconclusive. Now, it’s not only Rev. Okotie who saw fit to call for independent investigation of the deal and an immediate resignation of Pastor Ayo from CAN, millions of Nigerians who CAN cannot denigrate with domestic accusations are asking too.

Raising questions about Oritsejafor’s involvement in this transaction is open to all and sundry, irrespective of religious persuasion. It is a legal issue, and CAN’s reckless attack on Okotie is a denial of his constitutional right of freedom of expression. Like a writer noted; none of those who charge Okotie with ill motive, can themselves honestly stand up to scrutiny and absolve themselves of any guilt. So, what is their grouse? It is not the Reverend’s domestic life that has brought the nation down on its knees today.

Is Okotie’s faith based on his dos and don’ts; would that not be like misapplying Judaism to Christianity?

Sunny Oibe, who signed the statement that denigrated Okotie on behalf of CAN needs to properly study the scriptures. How can he claim to be a leader and representative of Christians? Like Nicodemus, he does not understand simple things concerning the faith. When the blind lead the blind, they both fall into a ditch.

Silence sometime connotes complicity. This may

just be one of those times. Our penchant for avoiding confrontation is like the ostrich which buries its head in the sand: The trouble never disappears. Many writers have raked-up questions that are pertinent to the exculpation or guilt of Oritsejafor. CAN’s vehement reaction to Okotie was intended to whip-up the demeaning sentiments, rather than attend to the questions raised by those who were not satisfied by the scantiness of answers provided, since the organization had saddled itself with the duty of laundering its boss’s image in the heat of this arms-deal scandal. The vehemence of CAN’s response to a timely and well-intentioned opinion only goes to re-enforce my conception about them.

When I recall that CAN similarly kept mute during the T. B. Joshua and Rev. King controversies, and several misdemeanors by some ministers of God, it is really not surprising. But it bodes ill for the integrity of Christianity in Nigeria. But then again, the Bible in Philippians 2: 20-21 says, “For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state, for all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s”.

The children of this age are indeed for their generation wiser than the children of light. Now, two prominent leaders of the Christian faith, Pastor Enoch Adeboye and Bishop Mike Okonkwo, have lent their support for Oritsejafor- have they also investigated the matter, have they relied solely on Pastor Ayo’s explanation or were they divinely briefed? The protectionist attitude of solidarity with the CAN leader cannot be in-line with the biblical injunction of righteousness exalting a nation, or even loving righteousness and hating iniquity.

Christianity and chiefly Pentecostals are labouring under the burden of questionable practices, because of these kinds of innuendoes and accusations; their image is like filthy rags- in tartars.

• Imoisele wrote from Edo State

Emerging campaigns for 2015 elections Mike Arayuwa Wilkie

T

he forth-coming general elections for 2015 commencing with effect from February 14, 2015, has kicked-off some seriousminded campaigns amongst political contestants from the two major political parties: the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC). It is glaring that INEC, which is constitutionally charged with the singular responsibility to conduct such an election is yet to declare that campaigns should start in accordance with the rules and regulations of the electoral body.

Inspite of this, the political gladiators have jumped the gun, campaigning under the simulation and rugged pretence of meet the people tour, commissioning of projects, town hall meetings, birthday parties, get together parties, political consultations, thanksgiving services in churches and mosques, burial ceremonies of their parents who probably died about half a century ago and so on.

These are organized celebrations with political undertones in order to circumvent and beat INEC’s open declaration that campaigns should not commence.

The utterances being canvassed by aspirants, preparatory to elective positions including those who play Area boys’ politics do not even have their party’s programme of action or manifesto for administration and for purposes of the development of their constituencies, if elected. It is rather surprising to observe that the PDP and APC do not have

a working document of development which the two political parties ought to invoke as campaign issues. I will like to draw their attention to the defunct Action Group (AG) and even the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) which had well focused manifesto such as free Education, integrated rural development, free health care for citizenry, Agricultural development and others. This blue-print of action is what makes a political party thick.

In the conspicuous absence of manifesto, I wonder what the politicians are canvassing to encourage the voters to perform their obligatory duty as an enlightened electorate. A situation whereby the individual aspirant puts forward a self-made agenda lacks the harmony of compatibility, appropriateness which bothers on incongruous political behaviourial pattern within the context of an organized political party. All known political parties in the world have their own manifesto as a matter of compulsion. In Nigeria, it would appear that the electorate is pleading and begging to see, hear and appreciate the political agenda of the PDP and APC. This is not good enough for the healthy political situation of a Nation State.

The emerging campaigns, for now, indicate the replications, reverberations and ripostes of political jobbers in their quest to attain election tickets through the various standards in accordance with the dictates and accepted due process of their political parties.

In the process, political posters are littered all over the place especially in ar-

eas adjudged to reflect the beauty of the cities and environ. In most cases, these sticking posters are usually posted at night in order to avoid being molested by descent patriots and perhaps, security operatives. The appearance of posters in Nigerian politics is to announce the arrival of the politician and to inform his political party, that indeed, there is an intention to contest his party’s primaries for an elective post.

Till date, none of the two political parties has organized primaries for its aspirants. I foresee that after the envisaged primaries, there is bound to be a reshape in the fortunes of the PDP and APC. In the usual mannerism of our contemporary politicians, those who fail to be ordained as candidates will hopefully defect to the other political party as an evidence of disapproval of the primaries’ exercises.

It is also evidently clear that not all the posters’ aspirants are actually aspirants.

Majority of them are concerned with the intention to up-grade their resume for history and posterity to judge while a few others are thoughtless jokers and inconspicuous characters in politics. To these politicians, a few of them intend to force the leading aspirants to roundtable discussions, settlements and the way forward. The fact of the matter is that the aforementioned set of politicians may not necessarily be settled or accommodated through Government appointments after the primaries and elections’ proper. The unexpected scenario is capable of putting the said politicians in the coolers until the emergence of another

regime, which may perhaps, be friendly to them.

Another indisputable fact is that some posters’ politicians are fully aware that they have no business winning any party’s ticket to enable them contest elective positions. The purpose as far as this class of politicians is concerned is to elevate their popularity and class status, if any, in their immediate society or constituencies. The opportuned and privileged amongst them, who may scale through the rigours, asperity and severity of their political party’s primaries and the elections would prefer to play God when, if fact, they were absolutely nothing before they won elective posts. They forget so soon that majority of them experienced genuine and lethal poverty before democratic norms and values rescued them from emotional paralysis, palsy, social stroke and financial incompetence.

In conclusion, the negative characteristics being displayed by the present and sitting political office holders will certainly not be different from the political misfits who are positioning themselves for the 2015 contests. Some of the so-called Honourable members, as presently constituted, deliberately refuse to pick their calls. Equally, they also do not respond to text messages. I wonder why these political adventurists and crass opportunists in politics can be said to represent the interest of their constituents in the political equation and dispensation of the various offices which they hold.

• Wilkie can be reached at pmikky1950@yahoo.com (08023097251)

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

19

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The proliferation of illegal oil refineries

T

he Nigerian Navy recently in Warri, destroyed over 260 illegal refineries and apprehended five persons suspected to be involved in running the refineries. The Navy ship, NNS Delta, was used in destroying the illegal refineries during the eight-hour operation inside Oteghele Phase One and Two forest, in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. Addressing newsmen at the scene of the operation, the NNS Delta Commanding Officer, Capt.

Musa Gemu, said that the operation would be a routine process.

According to him, “We destroyed about 260 underground illegal refineries and also burnt over 100,000 metric tons of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) diesel,” adding that, “We also apprehended five suspects; two women and three middle-aged men. The Navy also seized one small generating set, two pumping machines and two boats from the suspects.” Gemu said that the suspects would be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for prosecution.

In a related development, the Navy on Thursday, November 13, 2014 burnt down two illegal refineries in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State with Base Operations Officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, Commander

Chido Yahaya disclosing that two Cotonou boats loaded with stolen crude oil were also set ablaze. Yahaya availed to newsmen that the destroyed refineries were capable of producing N8 million worth of diesel on a daily basis.

In Yahaya’s words: “We went out on patrol and based on intelligence report; the patrol team was able to discover this illegal crude oil refining sites at Opobo creek close to Abonema town. He explained that, “there are two active illegal crude oil refining sites (which) as at the time the patrol team arrived early this morning, were still working. On this refinery, you have crude oil and the crude oil is being refined to obtain AGO (diesel) and some quantity of kerosene. Based on the sizes of the (refining) tanks, there are about 15, 000 litres of refined AGO that have been produced while the remaining litres of crude oil that they are yet to be refined runs into thousands of litres.” He further explained that the decision to destroy the refineries and boats was taken as no arrests were made at the scene of the crime.

These settings raise a number of questions that we as a country must find answer to, in order to progressively chart a new course and move forward. The first question is, why have oil-bunkering and illegal oil refineries become very commonplace in some parts of the country including Lagos

State? The technology and finances required to set up this illegitimate enterprise indicates that those behind the illegal business must be wealthy, so who are the masterminds of this illicit trade?

The fact remains that while the country is losing billions of naira as a result of these economic saboteurs, individuals are making unlawful returns, yet, no big wig has been apprehended and prosecuted.

The other very germane question is, we have proliferation of illegal refineries, yet the four refineries in the country are comatose in spite of the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) carried out, gulping several billions of tax-payers money. The refineries in the country are decrepit, therefore, we have to refine our crude oil in the private refineries of some people abroad, and this nauseating development does not make any good economic sense. If Nigeria as a country cannot build new refineries then instead of destroying the illegal ones, perhaps the government can take them, ahead of importing refined crude from abroad. This sad development would have been understandable, if Nigeria is not an oil bearing country.

The truth of the matter is that, Nigeria has crude oil, but she is clueless about how to put it to great advantage, in the same way, the various environmental

and ecological challenges of the Niger-Delta have been papered over. However, it is not too late in the day, for the country to retrace its steps and get its act right. In spite of the dwindling oil fortune the nation is presently witnessing, Nigeria can still have several oil refineries within and outside the country just like Venezuela, and still make stupendous revenue from lesser economic powers in need of oil, and they are legion.

For so long, we have bemoaned our fate, but now is the time to take concrete positive steps. The government must wake up from its slumber and stop the fleecing of the national economy under whatever guise. Government must build more refineries and private individuals as well as ventures should be allowed to participate too. It is when oil is in short supply that oil- bunkering and illegal oil refineries will thrive.

Beyond oil, government must look at various ways and means of systematically diversifying the mono-cultural base of the economy. There are several areas that could be looked into which have been neglected over the years, such as agriculture, tourism, gas, aviation, solid minerals, sports just to mention but a few. Nigeria can ill-afford to be stagnated and an exception in the comity of nations where other countries with lesser abilities, capacities and resources are forging ahead.

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20 Politics | Interview

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

‘I’ve been humiliated over PDP congress’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

sense. We reminded him that these were also stakeholders in the congresses.

He refused and insisted he was not ready to listen to any nonsense. He left.

Let me also point out that while all these was going on, the deputy governor was present. He came to greet the electoral panel chairman. Maybe when he left us, he scolded the chairman, I don’t know.

But some hours after, the state chairman came to my hotel room and knelt down and said he was sorry for

what transpired earlier. I told him to forget the matter; that it’s just politics but that the only person he should apologise to was the chairman of the electoral panel because he’s 80 plus. This was in the early hours. At about 5:15a.m. to 5:30a.m., since we had made arrangements to get a plane to bring us back to Abuja, the secretary of the state chapter was also ready. He didn’t even tell us that he would go back to Abuja with us.

So the same state secretary

of the PDP came on TV to criticise the Congress poll?

The same Cross River PDP secretary. In fact, the next thing was that we saw him at the airport at about 6:30a.m. saying that he wanted to go to Abuja with us. We said okay, you can join us so that we can go and submit the results together.’ He did and we got to Abuja and went to the PDP and submitted the results in his presence. This time around, he said about 200 and so etching results were changed. Please, at what point did we change

these results? There are 196 wards in Cross River and if you multiply that by three, it’s close to 600; and you are complaining that close to 200 results were changed?

Are you now telling me that all the members of the National Assembly, Senators and members of the House of Representatives couldn’t have won even their wards? Even if they had zero, assuming everybody had zero, it would have been a correct figure to him?

I’m laying everything bare because I’ve been

humiliated, they’ve called me names severally. They’ve humiliated even the chairman of the electoral panel, they’ve reported me everywhere but I will refuse to back falsehood. The governor of Cross River State and his team should go and put their house in order.

If at that first result, they lost in Cross River South, and subsequently, they lost in other senatorial districts, and the National Assembly members have about 250 out of almost 600 results, why are they ac-

cusing the electoral panel?

Are you saying that the result you presented to the party in Abuja is also the same you got from the field?

Look, I’m telling you that I submitted the result in company of the state secretary. We came back together; he joined us in our plane from Calabar. For the avoidance of doubt, the secretary I’m referring to is the PDP state secretary.

Instead of them talking to their governor on why they didn’t do well, maybe based on the arrangements they had on ground in the state, face their governor and admit that it was their fault, they are blaming someone else. What I think they did was to formulate something to convince their governor that what was submitted was not right, probably to save the face of the governor. I refused to talk until now because I thought all the parties would have solved the matter between themselves.

Did you reach out to Governor Imoke to let him know what happened?

Oh yes! I tried to reach the governor on phone at least four times. At a point, I told the Chief of Staff. In fact, his Chief of Staff was with us all through. We went out of our brief to even allow the Chief of Staff and his men to go and photocopy the results. We didn’t even go with them because we trusted them. I told him at a point, ‘please, I need to speak with the governor.’ He went out, came back and told me that the governor would call me. As I’m speaking with you, the governor has not called me. I’ve not heard from him. They accused me that one of the gubernatorial aspirants has given me N500 million.

Between me and God, I’ve not seen the man. I don’t even know what he looks like. These are stories flying all over the place.

Have you been given N500 million now?

(Laughs) For where? If you give me N500 million now, I will resign from politics. What am I doing in politics if I’m given that kind of money?

Has the PDP NWC accepted the result you tendered?

Of course. After we returned from Cross River, we headed straight to the party, gave them the result. It was accepted and stamped in my presence.

Moreover, I told them, this is politics. The PDP has its own rules and regulations. Immediately you go for congress, there’s an appeal panel put in place.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, november 20, 2014

21

Interview

Jurist

Special Report

Eromoseme: Fiscal autonomy panacea for Nigeria’s socio-political stability

Kalu: Mukhtar deserves a place in history

Outgoing CJN blames governors for judiciary woes, makes case for judges

24&25

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Law To the 774 councils in the country, it is cheery news following the amendment of Section 124 of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly which ceded full financial and administrative autonomy to` their favour. But their relief may be short-lived as state governments are up in arms against them, threatening to circumvent the councils’ autonomy.

However, succour came their way as lawyers rose in their defence. AKEEM NAFIU and APPOLOS CHRISTIAN report

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fter years of agitation, the 774 councils in Nigeria heaved a sigh of relief as the National Assembly empowered them with full financial and administrative autonomy over their affairs. This was made possible when the nation’s legislative body on October 21 amended Section 124 of the 1999 Constitution.

But there is an hurdle to scale through: Governors of the 36 states of the federation are already contesting the National Assembly’s endorsement of the councils’ autonomy as some of them have openly condemned it.

For instance, the government of Ondo State has said it was not in agreement with the nation’s highest legislative body.

“It is a controversial bill which will be looked at critically. The concept of federation is that of the state and other units. It is the responsibility of states to determine issues of local government but a situation where the National Assembly will give local governments

FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE JUDICIARY Editor

foluso.ogunmodede@ newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Ananaba, Ngige, Kehinde thumb up autonomy for 774 councils

Ananaba

autonomy will certainly be a controversial one.

It is the same scenario in other states save Ekiti State where Governor Ayodele Fayose embraced the National Assembly’s endorsement of the councils’ autonomy.

According to his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Idowu Adelusi, the governor was in full support of the councils’ autonomy.

“His excellency is not opposed to the autonomy to local government because he wants a functional local government whereby true democracy will be fully entrenched since governance must get to the grassroots”, Adelusi said.

Governor was yesterday echoed by lawyers, who applauded the National Assembly for the amendment of Section 124 of the Constitution by granting full financial and administrative autonomy to the 774 councils in the country.

They however described it as a welcome development even though it was long overdue.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome said the councils’ autonomy was desirable as there was nothing better than the independence of the third-tier of government, being the closest to the people. This, according to him would make devolution

Ngige

At the national conference, we battled so vigorously and rigorously with this issue and finally concluded and recommended that local governments should be totally autonomous

Kehinde

of powers achievable in the country which in turn would strengthen the nation’s nascent democracy.

Ozekhome said: “Indeed, at the national conference, we battled so vigorously and rigorously with this issue and finally concluded and recommended that local governments should be totally autonomous and that only states in Nigeria should serve as federating units, so that any state that wishes to create as many local governments as it has or even collapse existing ones should be free to do so.

“This is because the local governments are essentially a matter for the states and it must remain so. We also recommended that the distribution of resources from the Federation Accounts under Section 162 of the Constitution should be done as such that what is due to the Federal, States and Local Governments should go to each of them directly. This is to prevent the present corruption laden system where the state governments take virtually all the monies of the local governments at source and send them money for mere salary payments with little or nothing left for developments.

“The meaning of devolution of powers or true fiscal federalism is that each tier of

government should be able to survive on its own and be truly autonomous without the other breathing down on its neck.

“What is the business of the Federal Government with the making of number plates for vehicles? This assignment should be left for the local governments. The Federal Government also has no business in secondary education and it should be left for the States and Local Governments. So, there must be a serious devolution of powers and I therefore applaud the National Assembly for passing the amended law that makes the local governments autonomous.

“In fact, we even went further than this at the national conference by saying that the entire 774 local government areas in Nigeria should be scrapped because they will no longer comprise the federating units, only states will be there.

With this, it means, you cannot know ahead the number of local government areas a state will have. States can either decide to collapse or increase their local government areas at will because it is within their prerogative’’.

Ozekhome was echoed by another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Paul. C. Ananaba, CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Law | News

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, november 20, 2014

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‘Councils’ autonomy will usher in development at grassroots’ CON TINUED FRO M PAG E 21

who simply said “in my opinion, it is a wonderful and a welcome development. And I see it as a tool to fighting corruption but we must also be careful because we have seen things that were meant for good in the country later turned otherwise. Though I haven’t seen the amendment, I hope it also provide means of checking and keeping the local government councils in line. And lastly, it is my desire to see the provisions of the amendment in practice in our country”.

Another Senior Advocate, Mr. Norrison Quakers said the autonomy was a perfect development as there was no use making the third-tie of government to be subservient to other federating units in a federal system.

He said: “We are operating a three tier system of government and I don’t see why a particular part should be subservient to the other. Before now, don’t forget that the local governments have always been complaining about being strangulated of fund.

“So, if they have been given autonomy except where you apply the doctrine of covering the field, in which case, there are certain areas in which the local government cannot legislate upon or go into. But, what

the autonomy simply means is that, in other certain areas where they can exercise jurisdiction or control, they will now be given the opportunity to develop and raise their own revenue in order to meet up with their needs’’.

To the Editor of the Nigerian Weekly Law Report, Oluwole Kehinde, while throwing his weight behind councils’ autonomy said the development would transform the 774 councils in the country.

He said: “They do not have the structure to manage their autonomy but I know one day they will get there. The second argument is that they will mismanage the resources, but that is already a national tragedy, affecting both the Federal and State governments. So, it would not be peculiar to the local governments.

“I was not surprised to see that the most vocal opponents were the APC Governors. Already in Lagos, the local governments are completely castrated. LASAA has taken over advertisement, Land Use Charge took over tenement rates while markets have been handed over to developers by the State Government. So, the states merely share out peanuts to them when it likes. And this also applies in virtually all over the other States”.

In his view, a Senior Advocate

Ozekhome

Already in Lagos, the local governments are completely castrated. LASAA has taken over advertisement, Land Use Charge took over tenement rates...

Varsity teacher blames police, court for delay in justice system Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

D

ean of the Faculty of Law and Professor of Public and International Law in the University of Ibadan, Adeniyi Olatubosun, has blamed much of the delays in the dispensation of justice in the counjtry on handling of cases by the police and wide powers conferred on them to arrest and detain suspects.

Speaking on a lecture entitled: “Tough on crime but soft on justice”, at the 2013/2014 inaugural lecture of the university, Olatubosun identified several causes of delay in adjudication, but specifically pinned it on lower courts, particularly at magistrate courts where prosecution of cases are usually handled by police officers.

He said: “Nigeria’s criminal justice system had witnessed undue delays in the dispensation of cases over the years to such an extent that delays have become the norm rather than the exception. Indeed, the maxim: justice delayed is justice denied has been honoured more in its breach than in its compliance in this country”.

Having in attendance, the Vice-Chancellor of the premier university, Professor Isaac Adewole and many other principal officers, as well as his wife, Oluyemisi and children, Olatubosun asserted

Olatubosun

at the Trenchard Hall of the institution that the wide powers conferred on the police to arrest and detain criminal suspects on suspicion of committing crime were often abused, “resulting in the violation of the fundamental rights of the citizens”.

The don reasoned that the incidents of indiscriminate and inordinate delays in the criminal process violate the constitutional and statutory provisions that criminals should be brought before a court of law within a reasonable time.

He submitted that “the police have no power to detain a suspect beyond 24 hours except by the order of a court whether or not investigations are completed. The presump-

tion of innocence in favour of a suspect which is an expressly recognized fundamental principle, unfortunately remains as unfulfilled dream for the suspect awaiting trial in prison or police custody nationwide”.

Noting that many suspects had died under the inhuman conditions in the prisons and police cells nationwide, painting a replica of a living cell, Olatubosun advised that “the administration of justice demands parity of treatment which invariably demands the maintenance of a complete balance in the scale of justice.

“The degree of its attendant consequences in the society is of the highest magnitude and as such, concerted efforts must be made on the part of everyone connected with the administration of criminal justice in particular and the public in general to minimize, if it cannot completely eliminate these delays in the wheel of criminal justice system in Nigeria”.

Noting that the brunt of criminal justice is often more felt by the defence than any other person involved in the administration of justice, the legal icon therefore advised counsel representing any accused persons to “exhibit high sense of responsibility, dedication and hard work to present every defence that the law of the land permits for the accused.

of Nigeria, Chief Emeka Ngige said “financial and administrative autonomy to the local council authorities is a huge plus to our democratic development.

In fact, I think this is one of the best amendments done by the National Assembly in recent times. It shows that however people think and speak negatively to our government and country, we are rather heading somewhere better and to a point where the change and best we crave for will come to light’.

To Dr. Anthony Okorodas, the Yenagoa chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) “I am of the view that complete financial and administrative autonomy would be counter-productive.

At the political level, there is no reason to empower Houses of Assembly to remove chairmen of local councils elected by the people of the local government area. That power should be limited to the legislative arm of the council. Otherwise, you get a situation (as it is presently the case) where you have assemblymen from one local government area taking part in the removal of the chairman of another local government area.

“Since there are councillors empowered to impeach chairmen, Houses of Assembly should be constitutionally barred from

performing the same function.

As for financial autonomy, if states have no real power to create local government areas, as appears to be the cases now, statutory allocation from the Federation Account should be paid directly to the local governments subject to lawful deductions at source.

This would prevent the current reported abuse of the State Joint Local Government Account by some state governments.

“However, if states are given complete power to create local government areas, then it would be preferable to pay to each state a lump sum, determined mainly by population, and allow it to fund any number of local councils it wishes to have. On the issues of administrative autonomy, I am completely against it. It is of absolute importance that local government administration, and in particular, issues of appointment, promotion, discipline, posting and training of staff be unified and managed under the Local Government Service Commission as it is presently the case. Allowing each to do so would be chaotic and counter-productive. In the final analysis, the appropriate level of autonomy would depend on the kind of local government system that we really want”.

Tussle over Plateau’s chieftaincy stool shifts to Supreme Court litigation

Family at war over chieftaincy title, takes case to apex court Tunde Oyesina Abuja

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he lingering legal battle over who should occupy the contentious Sumpyem stool of Pyem Chiefdom in Jos, the Plateau state capital, has shifted to the Supreme Court.

Two aggrieved members of the royal family, had approached the apex court to challenge the decision of the Court of Appeal, Jos division which upheld the selection of Charles Mato Dakat as the occupant of the stool.

The choice of Hudu Ibrahim Mamomi, who was selected by eight of the 11 kingmakers on May 17, 2004 had been set aside by the Court of Appeal, Jos division on January 26,2012.

Dissatisfied, Abdullahi Abbas and Mamoni had contended that the purported selection of Dakat on November 26, 2013 without recourse to any legal procedure was

illegal because vacancy never existed to warrant the conduct of a fresh selection that brought him (Dakat) since the legal tussle surrounding the earlier selection was not over.

The duo of Abbas and Mamoni, however urged the apex court to stop Dakat from parading himself as Sumpyem of Pyem chiefdom pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.

They also want an order of court setting aside the decision of the Court of Appeal, Jos division delivered on January 26, 2012 which nullified the selection exercise of May 17, 2004 where Mamomi was selected as the Sumpyem of Pyem Chiefdom.

The appellants also want the apex court to make an order affirming the decision of the High Court of Plateau state delivered on April 13, 2006 which upheld the selection of the first appellant as the duly elected Sumpyem of Pyem chiefdom.

Furthermore, the appellants are asking for an order of the apex court declaring the fresh selection of November 26, 2013 to the stool of the Dumpyem of Pyem chiefdom as null, void and of no legal effect whatsoever.

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Law | Interview

THURSDAY, november 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Eromoseme: Fiscal autonomy panacea for Nigeria’s socio-political stability Constitution and modify it in such a way as to suit each locality and operate it subject to the overall national interest. The constitution should allow for fiscal autonomy and resource control. This concession would spur the federating units to prospect for and develop their mineral and other natural resources and more importantly their human capital in order to meet the concomitant responsibilities of maintaining a state police and other paraphernalia of government and no longer depend solely on the central government for revenue allocation.

Alletor Christopher Eromoseme is a rights activist. In this interview with AKEEM NAFIU, he speaks on the ongoing constitution amendment, councils’ autonomy, separation of the office of Attorney-General for the federation and the Minister for Justice, security challenges and sundry issues.

Sir, do you share the view that Nigeria needs a new constitution and not the ongoing amended version?

The operative question at the bottom of the agitation as to whether we need a brand new constitution or continue to amend the present constitution is: how do we handle our constitutional challenges as they arise? The challenge has always being the process of constitution amendment. I am not an advocate for a brand new constitution, let us identify the short comings of the present constitution and make the necessary amendment.

Talking about formulating a new constitution every time we are confronted with a constitutional issue is akin to a child who after recording a low score in his school work discards his old exercise book and buys a new one in the hope that with a new exercise book he would record better grade not realizing that the fault is in himself and not in the old exercise book. My belief is that we have to shift the paradigm.

The discussion has always centered on whether to enact a brand new constitution or to continue with the present constitution.

The shift should be towards ‘Nigerianising’ and making the constitution people oriented rather than trying to fashion it along the American model or trying to make it conform to any other model for that matter.

We should adopt an innovative and indigenous approach to constitutional development.

The Nigerian Constitution is meant for the Nigerian people and as such should meet with the needs of the Nigerian people.

What we have had in the past is a situation where Nigerians are being forced into the mould of a constitution fashioned after the American constitution. The constitution is made for a people and not the people for a constitution. Constitutional challenges are bound to arise from time to time and since that is the case, our best option is to continue to amend the constitution to meet our constitutional challenges as they arise rather than think of a

Eromoseme

new constitution every time we are confronted with challenges that we did not contemplate or could not have contemplated or unforeseen or other situations that are entirely novel.

We cannot just pause our national life in order to craft a new constitution. The difficulty we have always had is the failure to meet the challenges as they develop. We have always treated the question of constitution amendment or enactment as if a constitution has inherent in itself the powers to envisage future challenges or meet existing challenges in such a way as to avoid crisis. No constitution has the inherent powers to formulate itself or the powers to formulate answers to particular constitutional challenges as they arise. It is citizens who first and foremost generate a constitution which should regulate them in their dealings with each other and where along the line they feel the need for further and better rules of engagement; they make provisions in the constitution to meet those needs.

As humans, we are fallible and we should admit that. It is possible to omit or overlook certain issue in the process of formulating the rules of engagement and challenges come up in those areas, a good constitution should

We should adopt an innovative and indigenous approach to constitutional development

have provisions to enable the citizens to immediately go back to the drawing board and make the necessary amendment. A good constitution would also have provisions to meet with entirely novel issues. Even if we go for a brand new constitution and we fail to embed a simple process of constitution amendment, we would continue to have constitutional problems as we continue in the journey of our national life.

In any case, the areas of our national calling for constitutional amendment do not call for having to have a brand new constitution. The areas in my opinion are: states and local government creation, state police, fiscal federalism, control over natural resources, the model of government and or legislature suitable for our stage of national development: whether or not we need a presidential or a modified presidential system of government, a unicameral / bicameral legislature or a modified hybrid suitable and adaptable to our peculiar needs and purposes as a nation or whether our legislature should operate on a parttime, full time or part time basis.

The most important innovation we should make in our constitution is to make provisions for states to adopt the Nigerian

There is a school of thought that the nation’s rule of law will be on the dwindling side until the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice is separated. Do you share this?

The office of the Minister of Justice is an appointment and of course, he will have an allegiance to the person who appointed him into the office. The same individual operating as the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation or of a State will surely lead to a clash of interest where the party who appointed him into the office as a Minister or a Commissioner for Justice has an issue that borders on the constitution or the law and he has to defend his paymaster.

So, I think the office of the Minister of Justice should be seen as separate and in fact be separated from the office of the AttorneyGeneral who is the Chief Legal Officer of the country or the state and these persons should be able to perform their functions without fear or favour. When the two offices are combined, the dividing line is no longer there.

Many have castigated the President for choosing to declare his interest for the 2015 election a day after some scores of students were murdered in Potiskum, Yobe State.

What would you have done were you to be in his shoes?

I think plans should have been in place for the President’s declaration before the unfortunate incident happened. He would have printed invitations, called people to attend, made arrangement for the venue where the event will be held and so on. In fact, so many logistics would have gone into planning that event.

Unfortunately, a day before the event, terrorists without informing us as they have done in the past, went into operation and detonated a bomb that killed about fifty or so students. It is very unfortunate, but I think it should be seen against the background of terrorism and terrorist acts.

These are people who are prepared to instill fears in our lives to prevent us from going about our normal activities. President Goodluck Jonathan would have become a victim of the pranks of these terrorists if he had put off his declaration because CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

Law | Jurist

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, november 20, 2014

Kalu: Mukhtar deserves a place in history He is a Law professor and former Abia State Justice Commissioner and Attorney-General. Chief Awa Kalu, SAN, speaks on judiciary, the retiring Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, TAN and sundry issues. TUNDE OYESINA met him.

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hief Awa Kalu is a professor of law. Kalu who was elevated into the Inner Bar alongside Dr. M.E. Ajogwu, Mr. Tanimolal Aderinola Molajo, Dr. Olukonyinsola Ajayi, Chiefs Felix O. Fagbohungbe and Anthony Idigbe and others on September 25, 2000, reviewed the nation’s third-arm of government and concluded that judiciary deserves a pass mark.

According to the former Abia State Attorney-General, judiciary remains the ‘only stabiliser’ of Nigeria’s unity hence democracy as it had not witnessed any vacuum since independence.

Kalu said: “I think the judiciary deserves a pass mark having survived and done very well in the last 54years. There has been an uninterrupted judicial action. It is the only arm of government that has not experienced interruption since independence in 1960 unlike the legislative arm, which was suspended during the military rule, the judiciary has always been functioning and functioning very well, even, during the military rule.

Notwithstanding the unusual and unnecessary intervention from the executive, he insisted

that the judiciary had towered far above other organs of government.

Particularly, the law professor applauded the retiring Chief Justice, Mariam Aloma Mukhtar for registering her name on the sands of time as one best Chief Justices of Nigeria that ever traversed the nation’s highest judicial echelon.

He said: “It is on record that she is the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria and that alone deserves a place in the history of the country. She is also the one who has been able to instill discipline among judicial officers and has also attacked corruption in the judiciary headlong. Within the short period she has been in office, she has been able to rid the judiciary off corrupt element.

Although he disagreed on the alleged violation of electoral laws following the activities of the Transformation Agenda of Nigeria (TAN), a platform at the forefront of President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid, Kalu said TAN being not a political party, its activities could not in any way constitute an abuse and a violation of the Constitution especially when the 1999 Constitution recognizes political parties as the only platforms to

Kalu

It is on record that she is the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria and that alone deserves a place in the history of the country

canvass votes.

He said: “The question is whether what people describe as a campaign actually qualifies as one. The Constitution recognizes a political party as the only organization that can canvass for votes for political office. So, when you have a non-political party doing rally in their own name, it is debatable whether that amounts to a campaign.

Since no date has been fixed for election, no one can canvass for votes. For instance, if a man watches his hands in anticipation of food from the kitchen because of the aroma, you cannot say that person is eating. So, to that extent, to the best of my

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knowledge, no campaign is taking place.

On whether President Jonathan was eligible to contest for the 2015 presidential election, Kalu said it was erroneous to assume that the 1999 Constitution limits tenure of President to number of Oath of office he had taken.

He said: “My view is that the 1999 Constitution does not limit the tenure of a person in the office as President by the number of the oath of office he has taken. President Jonathan started by being a deputy governor and moved on to become the Governor. As governor, he moved on to become the Vice President and also swore to an oath of office from where he also moved on to become the Acting President and later the president after the demise of late President Umaru Yar’Adua. If oath could kill, he would have died long time ago.

The framers of the 1999 Constitution were also careful by not limiting the years in office to the number of oaths a person takes.

“The Constitution recognizes four years in the first instance and another four years in the second instance, if re-elected.

The question is, has President Jonathan been re-elected? If you do a calculation and look at the circumstance that brought him into office and find out that he had spent more than 8years, you will have a legal question to answer.

“He served out the tenure of his late boss, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, so, it is debatable whether a person who served out the tenure of his boss was elected into office. If you were a deputy governor and by circumstance you become the governor, it does not mean that you have been elected as a governor.

So, when Jonathan became the President by virtue of the death of Yar’Adua, it would be difficult in law to claim that he was elected. The 1999 Constitution is very clear by saying “after being elected”.

‘Blame northern leaders, not FG for insurgency’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24

their act is to stop us in our national lives. The unfortunate bombing in Potiskum was not the only incident the day before the President made his intention to run in the election known. There were other unfortunate incidents all over the place. I believe we are giving these terrorists too much attention and that is the kind of headlines they actually want. They want the entire country to concentrate on them alone and our best bet is to step up military offensive against them so as to put them in check once and for all. So, the President has not done anything wrong by declaring his intention to run. In my own believe, I think these acts of terrorism should be traced to political opposition. I recalled that on the eve of the 2011 General Elections, some corps members in Bauchi State were roasted to death while serving their nation at INEC office because of some pronouncements made by certain politicians.

When the result of the elections was announced, the reaction was bomb blasts all over the place sig-

Eromoseme

naling a rejection of a validly conducted election. Nigeria is a place where everybody has a right to run

for elections but only a few have a right to win elections. It appears Jonathan does not have a right to win that election. That is why I believe his government is having all these problems. It seems certain offices in the country are reserved for certain individuals from certain geographical locations of the country. If you look at the present insecurity problems confronting the country, it is confined to three states in the northern part of the country.

These are: Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States. These are places where things like the Hizbah Movements that now translated to terrorists movements under the coloration of religion. The people in power in these areas armed their youths and created a monster that could no longer be tamed and has eventually become a national problem. Thus, to me, the problem of insecurity in the North-East is political and hence, the Federal Government should not be blamed for the emergence of the insurgents.

But, where I think the Federal Government should be blamed is the seeming lack of courage to tackle

the problem frontally. They know the sponsors of these persons; they know their motives but failed to arrest them. These sponsors should be arrested because they are not above the law. After this is done, I believe the situation will come under control. The political opposition in this country cannot legally carry arms but they have an armed unit in Boko Haram. So, I believe the insurgents’ crisis is political.

Following the amendment to Section 124 of the Nigerian Constitution, the National Assembly have granted full financial and administrative autonomy to all the 774 local council authorities in the country. What does this action portends for the nation’s policy?

If the autonomy is followed through to the letter, it will make for developments at the grassroots.

I will also advocate for fiscal autonomy and control over natural resources so that state governments can raise and generate revenue internally instead of looking up to the Federal Government all the time.

This will help them to meet up with the needs of their localities.

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Law | Special Report

THURSDAY, november 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Outgoing CJN blames governors for judiciary woes, makes case for judges’ work condition Justice Mariam Aloma Muhktar, the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria will bow out of office today after attaining the statutory age of 70. In one of her last assignments, Justice Mukhtar, at the opening of the 2014 Magistrates’ conference in Abuja, heaped blames on governors, describing them as clog in the wheels of the nation’s judiciary. Also, the retiring CJN bemoans work condition of judges. TUNDE OYESINA reports.

A

s the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar bowed of the judiciary today, having attained the statutory age of 70.

Although her tenure made some significant impacts on Nigeria’s justice system, she blamed some of the challenges bedeviling the nation’s judiciary on state governors while bemoaning deplorable condition of service of judges and magistrates as well as the eyesore state of courts in the country.

Justice Aloma however put the blame on governors for refusing to obey the constitution which they swore to uphold.

Justice Aloma however urged judges and magistrates in the country not to use the existence of these problems as a reason to perpetrate fraud or indulge in dishonest dealings and unwholesome conducts.

The CJN who stated this in Abuja at the opening of the 2014 Conference of All Nigeria Judges of the lower courts, organized by the National Judicial Institute (NJI), added that she was aware that judges of the lower courts in many states were working under horrible and sordid conditions.

She said: “Some customary and area courts sit in rented apartments.

I am also aware that in some states, courts have been closed down due to political squabbles among politicians. I have heard of stories of magistrates being abducted and in many cases murdered by unknown persons due to lack of security. All these factors are so debilitating on the performance of judicial functions.

“Nobody would like to work under such deplorable and unsecured environment. Some of these problems are man-made. These are occasioned by the refusal of some state governors to respect the constitution they have swore to protect and defend.

How can they protect and defend what they do not respect?”

Justice Mukhtar however called on state governors to implement the constitutional provisions in line with the judgment of the Federal High Court in this respect.

“If this is done, some of these problems would become issues of the past”, she added.

L-R: Former President, Court of Appeal, Muhammed Abdullahi; Former CJN, Justice Idris Kutigi; Outgoing CJN, Justice Mukhtar and Justice Zainab Bozimo.

Earlier, the Administrator of the NJI, Justice Rosaline Bozimo had said the theme of the conference: “Repositioning the Lower Courts for Improved Justice Delivery” was chosen to connect the conference with the ongoing processes of judicial reforms.

According to her, the participants occupy a very veritable position in the judicial system.

She said that in most cases the lower courts, especially the Magistracy, acted as the breeding ground of future judicial officers of the Superior Courts.

“They are the academies from where Judges of the superior courts are appointed. That being the case, they must be properly groomed, nurtured and crafted in the best way possible to make them suitable for, and conformable with higher judicial office and responsibilities.

“It is through this type of conference that we ensure that we maintain standards, promote efficiency and improve on the quality of judicial service at the lower courts”, Bozimo stated.

In a paper titled “Promoting Integrity and Transparency in the Lower Courts: An examination of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers in Nigeria, the speaker, the Hon Justice N.P. Emehelu called on Judges drafted to deal with Election Petition to avoid any petition lapsing.

Emehelu said: “This can be done by being in charge of the proceedings of the tribunal and stopping delay tactics which some lawyers and litigants especially the respondents employ during proceedings. But once the records of the courts bears out that the lapsing of the petition was not attributable to the fault of the tribunal and or the parties the Appeal Courts as seen in Abah’s case(supra) will not say there has been denial of fair hearing and the Judges themselves will feel satisfied in conscience that the fault is not theirs”.

Justice Emehelu also stressed the need for a court to be free, independent and not tied to the apron strings of the extrinsic pressures and control from the legislature or the executive arms of government or from

other forces or persons in the society.

“The Judges should be free to carry out their functions to individuals and public in line with their respective understanding and according to the dictates of their conscience. A court should therefore be manned

by Judges who are courageous, firm, knowledgeable and incorruptible”, Emehelu said.

The judge went on: “Let me say that of the three arms of Government i.e. the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, the Judiciary is the first if not the only arm of government that has made a code of conduct for its Judicial Officers apart from the Code of Conduct for Public Officers under Sections 172 and 209 of the 1999 Constitution which also apply to Judicial Officers”.

The Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice George Nnamani has stated that the applicability of the law of circumstantial evidence in the Customary Courts was not only necessary but also inevitable since it naturally takes the place of direct evidence in certain cases.

According to Justice Nnnamani in a paper entitled “admissibility and use of circumstantial evidence in the Customary Courts”, “in States where the criminal jurisdiction of the Customary Court is unwittingly or by deliberate official neglect restricted to breaches of local government bye-laws, rules of statutory corporations, etc, the law of circumstantial evidence finds scant application.

Owing to that, there is a crying need for a quick boost to or enrichment of the criminal jurisdiction of the Customary Court in States where it is poor. Where it is otherwise, the needed panacea is enlightenment of the police and other stakeholders in the administration of criminal justice on the jurisdictional competence of the Customary Courts. This will not only stave off the current underutilization of the Customary Courts which undeniably are overburdened with the high numerical strength of cases pending in them’’ The Chief Judge of Enugu State with lawyers, some of whom are qualified to be appointed Judges of Superior Courts of record now pre-

siding over most Customary Courts in some States, adjudication competence was no longer a cause for concern.

Hon Justice Hannatu Balogun in a paper titled effective management in lower courts: practical hints and guides urged the Federal Government to ensure that the supremacy of the law is maintained at all times as practiced in developed democracy.

Delivering the paper at the All Nigeria Judges Conference of the Inferior Courts at the National Judicial Institute NJI Abuja, Hon Justice Balogun said that ensuring a fair hearing within a reasonable time was a strong pillar of justice in any society.

“A society where justice is delayed or frustrated by delay cannot progress much and if care is not taken can even regress into self-help, survival of the fittest and anarchy. In recent times a lot of effort has been put into revamping and repositioning the Judiciary for effective and efficient service to public. It is for this reason that a lot of attention is being placed on judicial performance, accountability and efficiency. This being so, we all have to think of ways to effectively and efficiently manage our Courts so as to reduce delay, decongestion and the frustration that they bring” She said that indeed justice delayed is justice denied “Justice within a reasonable time is one of the principles provided for in our constitution under the human rights provisions. Delays in disposing cases could give rise to the effect of other features like inflation, devaluation of the naira, market forces etc. I recall, i inherited a case in 2003 which began in 1987 but had changed hands severally. To enhance effectiveness and efficiency of the justice sector, certainly, if cases are decided fast, the justice sector will be more effective and all will be able to see the result and people will know they can always rely on the courts as the last hope of the common man” Justice Balogun reiterated the need for Judicial Officers to set form trial dates and just chance dates and ensure that once a case is fixed for hearing, it should a s much as possible be adjourned from day to day until it is concluded.

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Sidelining adolescents hinders national development –AHI

Causes, managing adult acne

Long-term cellphone use triples brain cancer risk

Fidson advocates healthy diet, lifestyle for diabetes prevention

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Health Obinna Odoh

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he United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) signed by all United Nations member states of which Nigeria is a member, is a legal document which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children.

The Convention defines a child as any human being under 18 years, except the age of majority is attained earlier under a state’s own domestic legislation.

Today, Thursday, November 20, 2014 is the 25 Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child from which Nigeria’s Child Rights Act 2003 was derived.

This provides an opportunity to assess how well the nation has fared during this period so as to plan for a better Golden Jubilee celebration. Socrates said that “unexamined life is not worth living.”

With the myriad of challenges which Nigerian children face, UNICEF and indeed other international organisations like the World Health Organisation (WHO) observed the following challenges as bane of child rights: lack of access to health care especially people in the rural communities who constitute over 70 percent of the nation’s population; HIV/AIDS deaths claiming both children and adolescents between ages 10 to 17 years; poverty leading to street hawking, child labour; child trafficking; limited access to education including deprivation of girl child education, school drop-out, the practice of ‘Alamajiri’ in the north; and child trading in the east; among others.

Others problems facing children are environment/impact of climate change including chemical pollution; humanitarian crises/social crisis- terrorism (kidnap of Chibock girls) and other children, activities of Boko Haram, a terrorist group

Appolonia Adeyemi appolonia.adeyemi@newtelegraphonline.com

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Improving child’s life through legal framework that has sent many Nigerian children out of school; and limited supply of safe water resulting to poor sanitation and hygiene, etc.

One cannot easily forget the kidnapped Chibok girls and how the federal government’s several promises to get them released has not yielded any positive result. However, highlighting some the global achievement made since 1989 when CRC was signed, UNICEF listed them to include: * Reduction of under-five children who die each year by nearly 50 percent from 12.7 million in 1990 to 6.3 million in 2013. *In 1990s, 35 per cent of pregnant women were not cared for by skilled health providers even once before giving birth. However, by 2012, that proportion had been halved to 17 percent. *In 1990, 57 per cent of child deliveries were attended by skilled health personnel, compared with 69 per cent in 2012. *The global proportion of infants who are exclusively breastfed hardly changed between 2000 and 2012, but improvements have been made in the least developed countries. *Deaths caused by measles were reduced by 80 per cent between 2000 and 2013, largely due to high levels of immunisation coverage. *New HIV infections among children globally have declined by nearly 60 percent from about 580,000 persons in 2002 to 240,000 in 2013, mainly due to the expansion of services for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Similarly, adolescents have not been left behind in the international AIDS response. *A child living in 2012 was much more likely than a child in 1990 to have access to improved drinking-water sources, rather than relying on surface water or other unimproved sources.

But hundreds of millions of children still rely on drinking water from sources that may be contaminated with faecal matter or chemical pollutants. *Although 1.9 billion people gained access to an improved form of sanitation between

Limited access to safe water exposes children to diseases

Millions of children still rely on drinking water from sources that may be contaminated with faecal matter or chemical pollutants

1990 and 2012, 36 percent of the world’s population had no access to improved sanitation facilities (toilets and latrines) in 2012, and one billion people are still practicing open defecation. *Globally, enrolment in early childhood education increased from 27 per cent in 1990 to 54 percent in 2012.

Relatively Nigeria as a nation through National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), National Action for the Control of AIDS (NACA), the Federal Ministry of Health, etc has recorded great achievement in health care which includes: Nigeria’s total case of polio count for 2014 remains six.

The most recent case had onset of paralysis in July 24 in Sumaila Local Government Area (LGA) of southern Kano State. Besides, no new type 2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2) cases were reported in the past week.

In addition, the certification of Nigeria by the WHO as free from both Guinea worm disease and Ebola Virus Disease are remarkable.

PHOTO: www.globalgiving.org

As a measure to provide health care delivery to the citizenry, government launched Universal Health Coverage to provide 30 percent access to health care and also introduced save one million child initiative to reduce preventable death and improve health in Nigeria.

In the areas of education, worthy of note is the recent introduction of Alamajiri school in the north, building of more schools in the south to reduce out-of-school children as well as the establishment of additional 12 federal universities.

In the areas of water provision, there are more boreholes today than last 10 years as government at all levels have keyed into it.

Though all these efforts are aimed to eliminate the hardship children face, they are still far from meeting the demands of CRC as many children suffer as a result of poverty, malnutrition, school drop-out, sexual harassment, rape, among others.

The Executive Director, CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

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Health News

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

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

Causes, managing adult acne L-R: Mrs. Fatimoh Niniola; her son; Hawael Niniola; and Head, Lagos Health of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Dr. Martins Obasohan, examining Hawael for the HEWS Foundation Free Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery mission, sponsored by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and its Joint Venture Partners, at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Lagos on Monday

Sidelining adolescents hinders national development –AHI Appolonia Adeyemi

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takeholders at the 21st Annual ‘Festival of Life’ have identified the sidelining of adolescents particularly out of school girls in public programming and policymaking as a major challenge to national development.

To this end, they have challenged the three tiers of government, individuals and societies to support health care and education of adolescent girls defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as people between ages 10 to 19.

Similarly, they have called for their protection from violence, exploitation and abuse as well as advocating economic/social empowerment for them.

In addition they are calling for the participation of adolescents in decision making which is fundamental to empowering them to achieve their potentials.

Addressing partici-

pants at the programme with the theme: ‘Assuring the Well-being and Development of Out-ofSchool Adolescent Girls’, Executive Director, Action Health International, Dr. Uwem Essien said out-of-school adolescent girls must be empowered with knowledge of sexual and reproductive health, knowledge of their rights as well as livelihood skills to negotiate safer sexual practices and engage in less risky behavior. Also, programme implementation for out-of-school adolescent girls must address each group unique needs, he stressed. The specific groups include: Married Adolescents; Out of School Adolescent Girls exposed to forced labor; Out of school adolescent girls living in slum communities; and out of school adolescent girls trafficked and engaged as domestic help. UNICEF (2011) estimated that global number for this population is 1.2 billion.

According to the 2006

population and housing census, adolescents aged 10 to 24 constitute 31.7 percent of the total population of Nigeria, with nearly equal proportion of males and females (50.1 percent males versus 49.9 percent females.

Essien lamented that the challenges they face include social isolation, discrimination, physical violence, sexual exploitation, neglect and all forms of discrimination which not only infringes their fundamental human rights but is counter-productive to personal and national development. These abuses are further compounded in poor and socially disadvantaged or slum communities, he said.

According to him, although, Nigeria has witnessed an increase in public, private sector programmes targeted at girls, “these programmes have not sufficiently addressed and acknowledged the important differences among young people.

Why it is difficult to convict fake drug offenders, by NAFDAC Obinna Odoh

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ational Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) recently secured the conviction of Mr. Sunday Okeke who was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for his role in making available counterfeit drugs and wholesome processed food.

In reaction to the development, the general public continues to express dissatisfaction over the issue and to ask what actually is hindering the agency from taking the issues of convicting fake

drug offenders seriously considering the severe negative impact of fake food and drug on the health of consumers.

However, highlighting some of the agency’s challenges to convict offenders at the annual workshop organised by the National Association of Judicial Correspondents (NAJUC) in Lagos recently, NAFDAC’s director general, Dr. Paul Orhii said part of the key constraints are outdated laws, judicial/ prosecution bottlenecks and the absence of control over police officers

attached to the Agency.

According to Orhii, the Agency has secured more than nine convictions from 2009 till date and maintained that the number of convictions was a far cry from the arrests the agency made within the period.

He however affirmed that the recent judgment is a further testimony of the resolve of leadership of the agency to rid Nigeria of criminals perpetuating fake, substandard, and unregistered NAFDAC regulated products in the system.

Dear doctor, I stumbled on your article on acne rand recently, I discovered blackheads on my face and it is really giving me a deal of concern. I attribute it to the fact that I have stopped the use of facial cleansers for years but I have started using them again and it seems not to be working. I will like to go back to when my face was devoid of black head. Miss U Answer: I feel your frustration. Adult acne can be difficult to get rid of because it comes at a time when you have passed your entire growth spurt and your hormone levels are expected to have balanced out.

One of the main causes of adult acne if not genetic is stress related. As we grow older, life experiences are handled differently.

Again, some food type does not agree with your skin as one age. Some of us women use products because they are in vogue but they may not necessarily agree with your skin. Hence, you have to do an analysis of what skin products you are using and any recent changes to them.

Adult acne is a bit more aggressively handled by using three antiacne treatments at one time, preferably hypoallergic products.

First look for any product that has a less than five percent concentration of either benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid because anything higher than five percent concentration might cause changes in

Acne on the face of a woman

your pigmentation. Wash your face AT LEAST 2 X /DAY, steam your face two to three times a day to open the pores of the skin for your skin to get adequate oxygenation.

The most common bacteria that causes acne is killed by oxygen, and step two, use an anti bacterial soap /lotion mostly a prescription from a doctor in the form of very low percentage of erythromycin, clindamycin, adapalene, dapsone, these antibiotic topical lotion/cream in 90 percent of cases clean out the acne but in most severe cases an oral antibiotic daily for six weeks in addition to good facial

PHOTO: www.healthway.co.za

treatments takes care of the problem.

Adequate fluid intake (lots of water at least two liters/day) is recommended as well as non sugar beverages.

Cut down on soda, alcohol, fatty/greasy food/ fried food. The key is keep skin clean at all times.

One of the main causes of adult acne if not genetic is stress related

Treatment of alcoholism Dear doctor, How do you treat alcoholism? My mother drinks a lot and I am worried about her.

David A Answer Successful treatment of alcoholism is based on the person admitting he/she has a problem and is willing to change. Most alcoholics are in denial

and claim they can stop when they want to.

The first three days of stopping drinking is the most difficult. During this period, alcoholics can develop shivering, severe headache, high blood pressure and agitation and the fear of the feelings will not let them stop drinking.

Sometimes they are on low dose anti-anxiety medication to deal with

the withdrawal effects, but if counseling and abstinence does not help, a special treatment called the antabuse program may be used but will require close monitoring.

Person will be placed on a medication; taking alcohol on these medications make one very sick and if not treated, might lead to death. So, most physicians do not use it if compliance is in doubt.

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NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2014

Oral health: Colgate champions cavity-free future Appolonia Adeyemi

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L-R: Marketing Director, Colgate Palmolive Nigeria, Mrs. Hannah Oyebanjo; General Manager, Mr. Davis Kanyama and Colgate Brand Manager, Mr. Gbadesola Adenrele, during a media interactive session to formally announce the entrance of Colgate into the Nigerian Market in Lagos last week.

Fidson advocates healthy diet, lifestyle for diabetes prevention

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oncerned over the increasing rate of diabetes in Nigeria, Fidson Healthcare Plc has joined the International Diabetes Federation, World Health Organisation (WHO) and other global organisations in encouraging healthy diet and lifestyle for the prevention of diabetes, in commemoration of 2014 World Diabetes Day marked globally on November 14.

The leading pharmaceutical company advised Nigerians to steer clear of unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle that could increase their chances of developing the life-threatening disease.

Marketing Manager, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr. Friday Enaholo advised that living a healthy lifestyle through eating a balanced diet, avoiding excessive alcohol intake, engaging in regular physical exercise, reducing salt intake, maintaining a healthy body weight

and avoiding smoking amongst other predisposing factors are ways of preventing diabetes.

According to Enaholo, the rate of diabetes globally is worrisome and should be a major concern for Nigerians, therefore all stakeholders must join hands and support government in making concerted effort at reducing diabetes in the country through public enlightenment on the importance of healthy diet and lifestyle as a preventive measure.

“We cannot fold our hands and watch diabetes ravage the health of Nigerians.

The health of the people is the health of the nation. We therefore need to prevent this impending menace by educating Nigerians on the danger of diabetes and how they can prevent it through healthy eating and living”, he said.

This is in view of recent statistics from World Health Organisation (WHO) and In-

ternational Diabetes Federation (IDF) which reported a global estimate of 347 million people living with diabetes, with 19.8 million people from Africa. According to IDF 2013 report, Nigeria has the highest number of people with diabetes in Africa, with 3.9 million cases and 4.9 percent national prevalence rate.

Diabetes is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an abnormally high level of glucose in the blood (hyperglycaemia).

Hyperglycaemia or raised blood sugar is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels, leading to irreversible blindness, stroke, kidney failure, erectile dysfunction, limb amputation, among others.

Long-term cellphone use triples brain cancer risk

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wedes who talked on mobile or cordless phones for more than 25 years had triple the risk of a certain kind of brain cancer compared to those who used wireless phones for less than a year, a new study suggests. The odds of developing glioma, an often deadly brain cancer, rose with years and hours of use, researchers reported in the journal of Path physiology. “The risk is three times higher after 25 years of use. We can see this clearly,” lead researcher Dr. Lennart Hardell said.

His finding contrasts with the largest-ever Study on the topic - the international Interphone study, which was conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and funded in part by cell phone companies.

That study, published in 2010, failed to find strong evidence that mobile phones increased the risk of brain tumors.

Even if the odds of developing a glioma were doubled or tripled, however, the risk would still remain low. A little more than five out of 100,000 Europeans (or 0.005 percent) were diagnosed with any kind of malignant brain tumor between 1995 and 2002, according to a 2012 study in the European Journal of Cancer. If the rate triples, the odds rise to about 16 out of 100,000 (or 0.016 percent).

Hardell, an oncologist from University Hospital in Orebro, Sweden, and his colleague Michael Carlberg matched 1,380 patients with malignant brain tumors to people without such tumors and compared their wireless phone use. People who reported using wireless phones for 20 to 25 years were nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with glioma as those who reported using them for less than a year, the study found. Those who used cell and cordless

phones for more than 25 years were three times more likely to develop one of these tumors.

The study did not show an association of wireless phones with malignant brain tumors other than glioma.

Participants who recalled talking the most – more than 1,486 hours – on wireless phones were twice as likely to develop glioma compared to those who said they used the devices the fewest hours – between one and 122 hours, the study found. Case control studies such as this suffer from a number of limitations, however, the most serious being the need for participants to remember their behavior patterns from decades earlier.

Chairman of PSN, Olumide Akintayo disclosed this in his speech at the opening ceremony of the 87th Annual National Conference of the PSN which held in Uyo, Akw Ibom State recently.

ental cavities among children and adults are a major problem worldwide. If some of these are not promptly tackled, they could result in infections and sometimes severe ailments and even death.

Although, cavities which are holes in the teeth caused by tooth decay and often called caries, are common in developing countries including Nigeria, medical experts say they can be prevented while those that develop can also be effectively treated and well managed.

How to prevent cavities for Nigerians so as to ensure good oral health is one of the focus of Colgate-Palmolive Company, a new $18 billion U.S. dollars global consumer product company which has entered the Nigerian market.

Dental cavity is the most prevalent disease that Colgate-Palmolive Company is fighting, said David Kanyama, general manager, Colgate-Palmolive Company at a media interactive session to announce the entrance of the firm into Nigeria.

The company focuses on four key area among which is oral care featuring Colgate and Elmex toothpastes as well as toothbrushes, among others. Other areas of focus for the company

are personal care, pet nutrition and home care.

Disclosing the plan of the company, Kanyama said the organisation would sponsor and create awareness on caries, as a strategy to improve knowledge on the condition while equipping Nigerians with skills to prevent and tackle it.

Although, many untreated dental cavities ultimately result to tooth extraction, Kanyam said, “removing the teeth is not a solution really but education and the use of good paste with fluoride such as Colgate will help.

“Many children around the world do not have access to basic dental care and education,” he stressed, adding that as a leading provider of oral care products, Colgate has a unique ability to educate and improve the oral health of children and their families. “Colgate’s flagship “Bright Smiles, Bright Futures” (BSBF) program is among the most far-reaching, successful children’s oral health initiatives in the world,” said the general manager of ColgatePalmolive Company.

He disclosed that the company would partner with the Ministry of Health, Nigeria Dental Association and dentists to execute BSBF program in Nigeria.”

Child right convension: Challenges and prospects CO N TI N U ED FROM PAGE 27

Overseas Development Institute, UNICEF, Kevin Watkins observed that the CRC has prompted major advances for children. Yet, for all its achievements it remains a promissory note that has come back marked ‘insufficient fund’.

“Ultimate responsibility for upholding the Convention rests with governments - and holding governments to account requires a mix of formal accountability and political mobilisation” noted Watkins.

Watkins added that turning the spotlight on policies that are corroding the intent of the Convention can raise visibility of vulnerable children and provide a point of engagement for civil society in the process.

Furthermore, he called for effective enforcement of child rights to challenge those responsible for rights violation.

Supervising minister of health at the FMOH, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan during National Newborn Health Conference recently, observed that in Nigeria newborns currently account for more than 33 percent of all deaths of children under- five of

which 2013 records showed that about 260, 000 babies who died in their first month of life and additional 295,000 were stillborn.

Consequently, he called on government at all levels, development organisations, professional bodies, youth groups and the traditional/religious leaders to rise up to this challenge.

“Nigeria shall stop housing the greatest burden of newborn deaths in Africa. The time to act is now,” Alhassan stated.

Alhassan

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Breast cancer: IESL advocates regular screening for women Charles Ogundiya

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he chairman of International Energy Services Limited, Dr Diran Fawibe has advised women to constantly check their health status to avoid falling victim of the dreaded breast cancer disease.

Making this declaration over the weekend during the organisation’s power walk for breast cancer awareness in Lagos, Fawibe said people should be more enlightened and stop associating cancer to an attack from enemies or family members.

“People should be aware of this deadly disease. There is need for women to check their status constantly and do the needful so as to prevent the disease,” he said.

While explaining the reason for the awareness, the chairman said; “it is part of our corporate social responsibility. We really want to do something to let people know that they can prevent cancer from killing them by detecting it early.

“This is to give back to the society. It is not just to cre-

ate the awareness, but to give room for free ultrasound scan for those that come, and I can tell you that anyone detected to have breast cancer, we will try to do more in helping such person.”

In her own words, the president of Care Organisation Public Enlightenment (C.O.P.E), Ebunola Anozie said an early detection of breast cancer will help the victim to manage it and probably cure it.

According to her, it is not just enough to go for scan but to do something about it when detected. She however said people should stop associating cancer to family attack.

While talking about the best way to prevent breast cancer, Anozie said good hygiene and the consumption of fresh food all the time is the first step.

“We need to eat fresh food daily and stop taking preserved foods. If we look at our grandparents, they lived longer because they prepared their food daily. Personally, that is what I do till date and it has been helping me and my family,” she said.

Total launches campaign against HIV/AIDS in Rivers Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

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otal Upstream Companies in Nigeria and Total Nigeria PLC have launched a campaign against tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS through an education programme to protect the people of its host communities in Rivers State against the deadly diseases.

Total said that it was better to prevent contracting any of the diseases and that the only way to achieve that was by educating the people in communities on how to live without diseases.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive of Total Upstream in Nigeria, Elizabeth Proust, who stated this at the company’s Expanded HIV/AIDS preventive awareness and care project, at Total Filling Station, Slaughter Roundabout, Port Harcourt, said it was possible to have an HIV/AIDS free society.

Proust, who was represented by Dr. Mrs. Nkoyo Attah, the Deputy General Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Deep Water Total Upstream, said the company, was

committed in addressing the HIV/AIDS challenges in line with the National Strategic Framework (NSF) 20052006.

She said: “Our fight against HIV/AIDS is a fight to protect our great nation Nigeria, our host communities, employees, families, organisations and society. This fight has been adopted by the Total Group worldwide as an essential component of our group’s Sustainable Development Policy.

“For us, the watchword is prevention, which obviously is far less expensive and less complicated than cure.

We all know that as at today, the only known cure for HIV is prevention, using education as the vaccine.”

She added that the company would monitor the use of the screening machines it donated under the HIV/AIDS programme to “ensure sustainability and durability of the project.”

The highlight of the event was the presentation of health equipments and materials to trainees that would penetrate communities to educate the people on HIV/AIDS.

L – R: Ag. Head, Department of Food Technology, Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, Dr. Olu Malomo; Managing Director/CEO, Nigerian Breweries PLC, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde; Prof. Bankole Omotosho of the Department of Drama, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa; and Senior Strategy Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Tony Agenmonmen at the first Nigerian Beer & Health Symposium held at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos recently.

Beer not responsible for pot belly -Expert

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utritionist and Professor of Human Nutrition at University of Ibadan Oyo State, Professor Tola Atinmo has stated that people suffering lower abdominal obesity (also known as pot or ‘beer’ belly) should blame other attitudes in their lives than drinking for their predicament.

Prof. Atinmo made this known while presenting a paper titled: “Beer As Part of A Healthy Lifestyle” at the First Nigerian Symposium on Beer and Health which held in Lagos recently.

Against longstanding beliefs that beer contains chemicals and is injurious to health and do not go well with food as against alcoholic beverages like wine, Professor Atinmo stated that beer is made from four natural ingredients - water, barley, hops and yeast and ranks as one of the world’s healthiest drinks ever.

Much in line with the Editor of Harvard Men’s Health Watch, Harvey B. Simon’s, reply to a young man’s eagerness to know if beer is really responsible for his ‘Pot belly’?”, Prof. Atinmo stated that beer cannot be blamed for pot bellies.

While it is common for

people to describe fat bellies as “beer bellies, empirical researches have proved beer is not to be blamed for it.

“Is there something about beer, specifically, that leads to weight gain around the middle? New researches are showing probably to the contrary,” Harvey wrote.

Citing empirical research findings and reports, Prof.

Atinmo unearthed numerous health benefits derivable from moderate consumption of the beverage adding that beer seems to play no role in the so-called ‘beer belly’ and is no potential obesogen, neither in men nor in women.

“Moderate alcohol consumption decreased fasting insulin and HbA1c concentrations.

There is a lower risk of type 2 diabetes with moderate alcohol consumption due to improved insulin sensitivity or improved glycemic status,” he said.

Despite the name and the stereotypes, experts affirm beer is not specifically responsible for the beer belly.

Research from the beer-loving Czech Republic tells the tale. In a study of nearly 2,000 adults, beer consumption was not related to girth.

The question is, if it’s not beer, what is to blame? The

culprit, according to health and nutrition experts, is calories. Several reports posit that if you take in more calories with food and drink than you burn up with exercise, you will store the excess energy in fat cells. And unfortunately for men, their abdominal fat cells seem to enlarge more readily than the abdominal fat cells in women.

When it comes to weight gain, many want to find a specific cause for those extra pounds, which is one possible reason that the myth of the beer-induced gut has stuck around so long. But science shows that is not just a few too many hoppy beverages that is causing your excess abdominal fat.

Atinmo

Coca-Cola, Red Foundation battle HIV with music

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n support of global efforts to halt mother to child transmission of HIV in Africa, the Coca-Cola Company, has joined forces with anti-HIV campaign group, RED Foundation, leveraging its unique entertainment platform, Coke Studio, to battle the scourge by raising awareness of the need to provide anti-retroviral drugs for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Brand Manager, Colas, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Olufemi Ashipa disclosed that legendary Haitian singer, songwriter and music producer, Wyclef Jean, an ambassador for Red-

Foundation, has recorded an African version of a HIV awareness song with Nigeria’s Chidinma, which would be used to increase HIV/AIDS awareness on the continent.

“Music transcends all barriers- age, language, distance, so it is a vital tool for delivering such an important message across a continent as diverse as Africa,” Ashipa said He further highlighted that the anti-HIV hit-track would feature prominently on the final episode of Coke Studio Africa Season 2, during which tag-line for downloading the song would be

made available.

“Wyclef ’s anti-HIV song, which features Chidinma and five other Coke Studio Season 2 artistes, will be played during the final episode of the series. We expect that both Wyclef and Chidinma would be available as we approach the season finale, so Nigerians can phone in during radio programmes to speak with them and also enter a fun lyrics contest to win free airtime” he added.

The partnership with RED Foundation further expands Coca-Cola’s interventions in the fight against HIV in Nigeria.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

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Industry

ICT

ITU World 2014: Spotlight on Nigeria’s $32bn telecoms

Nigeria’s low 3G uptake worries NCC

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Ebola scare takes shine off Lagos Trade Fair

Business What's news

Oil workers to Jonathan, others: Cut spending The president, ministers and 36 state governors must slash spending on political appointees, which have been described as “excessive” by oil workers.

Gas supply: Ghana mulls fresh $10m fine on Nigeria DISDAIN Ghana accuses FG of disregard for contractual

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e-Commerce: Konga. com targets 500,000 orders daily Nigeria’s e-commerce place, Konga.com, is preparing itself to be able to handle as much as 500,000 orders from its e-commerce platform on a daily basis.

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The Business Desk Ayodele Aminu

Deputy Editor (Business)

Bayo Akomolafe

Asst. Editor (Maritime)

Sunday Ojeme

Asst. Editor (Insurance)

Godson Ikoro

Asst. Editor (Money Market)

Dele Alao

Industry & Agric Editor

Dayo Ayeyemi Property Editor

Adeola Yusuf Energy Editor

Wole Shadare Aviation Editor

Chris Ugwu

Capital Market Editor

Adeola Yusuf

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hana has heightened plan to slam another $10 million fine on Nigeria over what it described as “the Federal Government of Nigeria’s perpetual disrespect for its contractual agreement” to supply Ghana with gas.

Nigeria, under the agreement, is expected to send 123 million cubic feet of gas to Ghana, but the country is only able to supply around 49 cubic feet of gas.

Describing the 74 million cubic feet gas supply shortfall as “woefully inadequate,” Ghana’s Energy ministry said that this is collapsing the power generation and worsening the country’s load shedding exercise.

Speaking through the Communications Consultant, Edward Bawa, the Energy Ministry, allegedly revealed plans to ensure that Nigeria pays fully for its failure to meet its contractual agreement.

The penalty, for the entire contractual period, if Nigeria fails to meet the supply requirement, is $20 million; an amount Bawa said was not punitive enough.

The Federal Government had earlier been fined $10 million in the first quarter of this year, but Bawa suggested that the full fine, which will soon be slammed on the country, is not even enough for the damage to

the agreement.

“That is peanut to them, so they don’t have incentive, especially when they have other thermal plants that are asking for gas, to supply Ghana the required quantities of gas,” he told Joy News.

He accused Nigeria of dis-

respecting its contractual agreement to supply Ghana with gas.

Since the inception of the West African Gas Pipeline Project, Nigeria, which is responsible for supplying Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic with natural gas, has proven

to be unreliable, Bawa further said.

The 74m scuf shortage, he said, has been wrecking havoc on power generation plants.

“This is woefully inadequate to enable us to power our generating plants,” he remarked.

L-R: Chairman, Nigeria Agribusiness Group, Alhaji Sani Dangote; Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Mekoh Augustine; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina; Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Muniru Baba; Project Leader, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Dr Alfred Dixon and Project Director, Agra Innovate Nigeria, David Ross, at the opening of International Conference and Exhibition in Lagos.

Kunle Azeez

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he Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has continued to gain traction in the area of .ng domain name registration in the country as the body has registered additional 15, 625 domain names this year.

President of NIRA, Mrs Mary Uduma, disclosed this to New Telegraph in a telephone chat.

Providing update on the

NiRA registers 15,625 new domain names domain name uptake since the beginning of this year, Uduma, who cited NIRA’s Domain Report for 2014, spanning January to October, said: “In January, 1,425 were registered; 1,498 in February; 2,317 in March; 1,691 in April; 1,408

in May; 1,335 in June; 1,402 in July; 1,437 in August; 1,531 in September and in October, the registered domains were 1,581, bringing the total to 15,625.”

Also, Uduma said that about CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Abdulwahab Isa Finance Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

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

LENDING RATE InterBank Rate....................11.57% Prime Lending Rate...........16.93% Maximum Lending Rate...25.83%

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at Nov. 14)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N176 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N278 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N220

l Foreign Reserves – $37.59bn as at 13/11/2014

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Official As at Nov. 14)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N157.39 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N249.82 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N195.64

32

Business | News

REPROACH

PENGASSAN says austerity measures will further impoverish Nigerians Adeola Yusuf

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he president, ministers and 36 state governors must slash spending on political appointees, which have been described as “excessive” by oil workers.

President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Francis Johnson, made the position of his colleagues known in Lagos.

The Federal Government had pledged to trim spending in the face of plunging oil prices. It proposed to reduce the budget to N4.66 trillion

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Oil workers to Jonathan, others: Cut spending ($27 billion) next year, including measures such as tightening the rules on foreign travel for officials and raising taxes on luxury goods such as cars, jets and champagne.

But oil workers said that government at all levels in Nigeria must, instead of imposing an unnecessary austerity measures on Nigerians, prune the number of their political aides as a means of cutting cost.

“The large number of political appointees as aides to the Presidency, the ministers, state governors and their commissioners is simply, a waste of national resources, which is put-

ting pressure on the economy,” Johnson said.

The PENGASSAN president also cautioned the Federal Government, especially the Federal Ministry of Finance, against stifling the economy through withholding of funds for human and developmental projects. Instead, he said that government should tighten the noose around all avenues of leakages and wastages.

He argued that the austerity measures currently being imposed on Nigerians by the Federal Government would further

impoverish and inflict more pains on the people.

He said: “The cost of governance in Nigeria is too high and irrational and if we are looking for ways to cut cost, I think the first place to exemplarily focus on is in the direction of reducing the numbers of political appointees to the barest minimum.

“The huge amount we spend in paying these aides can be used on developmental projects and boosting of the nation’s economy.

“The governors, ministers and federal and state

legislators should also be made to reduce their aides to a sizeable number that our economy can bear and whatever is gotten from this exercise should be used in supporting and bolstering the economy.”

The union leader also called on the Federal Government to develop other sectors along with the extractive and manufacturing industries as a way of diversifying the national economy from its over-dependence on oil revenue.

It is only the development of the other miner-

als, agricultural and the manufacturing sectors that could, according to him, help Nigeria to escape the vagaries of the challenges posed by the dwindling global oil price, especially as the countries agrarian potential are being left underutilised.

He noted that the price of oil is critical to the world economy, given that oil is the largest internationally traded commodity both in volume and value terms, adding that only oil is linked, to some extent, to the prices of other products.

NiRA registers 15,625 domain names CO NTINUED FROM PAG E 3 1

10,256 domain names have also been renewed within the period with 626 on transfer.

“More awareness is being created on the benefits of having and maintaining the .ng domain names. Thus far this year, as at October 31, 2014, we had 15,625 domain names registered; 10,256 renewed and 626 on transfer,” she said.

Uduma noted that the number of NiRA-accredited registrars has also increased to 46 with some registrar applications still undergoing processing.

From 2009, when NiRA was established, the body, which is responsible for the management of Nigeria’s Internet identifier, has been able to increase uptake of domain names from 2,000 about 60,000 as at the end of 2013.

Reacting to what NiRA is doing about some domain names that have been registered but are now offline, Uduma said: “We are still bringing some intervention to the fore to ensure that those who have domain names, but have not been able to develop a website, are encouraged to begin to use their domain names.

They registered with the registrars, but currently, they are offline. So, we want to make sure they are online again.”

She said that with little money, they will join the league of website owners and users, as NIRA has put in place various interventions that will encourage Nigerians including stu-

dents, small scale businesses, artisans and so on, to register on .ng.

“There is also a zone dedicated to educational institutions, the .edu.ng.

It’s not only the educational institutions that are given priority. The military, businesses, in fact, every sector has its designation. To achieve this, the registrars have sought for reduction in the amount they remit to NiRA and we are not relenting on this, as we have also taken steps: “We are not taking much from them and we have even gone ahead to remove any cap on what they can register. We told them, from whatever you sell; just give us a little amount. It is no longer percentage-based. We just need little amount of money to run the secretariat; pay our bills, et cetera,” she said.

Meanwhile, Uduma has allayed Nigeria’s fears regarding the security of the .ng platform being managed by NiRA. She said: “Well, let me state it clearly that there is no website or online platform that is not prone to hacking. Even in the United States and other advanced economies, we have had plethora of reports showing how hackers have dealt with top security agencies’ domain.

“But what is really important is to fortify the domain names with adequate security. Invariably, there is no string of Internet domain that is more secured than .ng. We have said this time without number.

L-R: Executive Secretary/CEO, National Health Insurance Scheme, (NHIS), Dr. Femi Thomas; General Manager, ICT, Mr Olufemi Akingbade and Coordinator, Lagos Zonal Office, Mr Nasiru Ikharo, during a press conference in Lagos.

e-Commerce: Konga.com targets 500,000 orders daily EXPANSION

The online mall now has point of presence in every city in Nigeria

Kunle Azeez

N

igeria’s e-commerce place, Konga.com, is preparing itself to be able to handle as much as 500,000 orders from its e-commerce platform on a daily basis.

The company, which currently handles 3,000 orders per day, said the ‘big picture’ it has for itself is to be able to drive electronic commerce in Nigeria where people can stay within the comfort of their homes and offices and do online shopping with ease.

Fulfillment Operators Director of Konga.com, Mr Wale Adisa, disclosed these during a roadshow organised to unveil Konga Express, aptly tagged ‘K-Express’, which is the logistics handling arm of Konga.com According to Adisa, under K-Express, the company has procured over 50 delivery vans; 150 motorcycles and a number of other trucks to ensure quick and seamless delivery services to customers who make purchases on Konga’s website.

In addition to this, he said that Konga has also employed over 300 Nigerians to work with K-Express, which will exclusively handle all delivery activities of Konga working with its over 7,000 merchants.

Adisa said that as part of measures to serve Nigerians better, Konga has established

point of presence (PoPs) in every city in the state, stressing that the company was looking for how to continuously take effective delivery system further through K-Express as the fulfillment arm.

“Konga is just two years old and within the short time, we have been able to make life much easier for people. A few months ago, we created K-Express to ensure that we further expand our delivery system. We believe that with Konga.com, we would make significant change in the way people live their life and better impact on the e-commerce ecosystem in Nigeria,” he said.

Meanwhile, a mobile phone maker, Infinix Mobility, has partnered with Etisalat and Konga.com to sell its newly-launched android smartphone, christened Infinix Hot X5O7.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

N5bn feed mill opens in Cross River p.34

33

Industry

Delta to pay interest on N2bn loans p.35

Ebola scare takes shine off Lagos Trade Fair DISCORDANT Organisers, exhibitors offer divergent views on the 10day event Dele Alao

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he 2014 Lagos International Trade Fair has come and gone, but both the organisers and exhibitors alike have continued to talk about the low patronage and attendance perceived to have been caused by the recent outbreak of the dreaded Ebola Virus disease.

The Fair, which ended last Sunday, held at the Main Arena, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, which has a total exhibition space of over 40,000m2.

It is being organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) and staged every year with the support and co-operation of the federal and the state governments.

This year’s fair had as theme: “Promoting the Nigerian economy as a preferred investment destination.”

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, commended the organisers, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), for keeping faith with the event this year in view of the numerous challenges.

The governor, who was represented at the closing ceremony by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mr Wale Raji, highlighted efforts of his government at improving the business environment.

Less foreign players On his part, the chamber president, Alhaji Remi Bello, said that the 2014 fair witnessed a good measure of domestic and foreign participation.

Bello said: “We have participation from Indonesia, EU, Cameron, Japan, India, Pakistan and Arab Republic of Egypt.”

He added that the number of foreign participants would have been more, but for the Ebola incident in July this year.

“Some of the prospective foreign participants cancelled their bookings on account of this unfortunate incident despite the fact that Nigeria has since been declared Ebola free by the World Health Organisation (WHO),” he said.

“We are pleased with the participation of many large corporate bodies, small and medium enterprises (SME) in the country from practically all sectors of the Nigerian economy,” Bello added.

The LCCI boss said that no fewer than 1,600 exhibitors participated, taking a total space of 30,000 meter square as against the 2013 performance of 1,300 exhibi-

Scene at the recently concluded Lagos International Trade fair.

PHOTOS: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

L-R: Chairman, Trade Promotion Board, Lagos Chamber of Commerce (LCCI), Dr, Micheal Olawale-Cole; former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Sosan; representative of Lagos State governor, Mr Wale Raji and President, LCCI, Alhaji Remi Bello, during the Lagos State Day, at the closing ceremony of the 2014 Lagos International Trade Fair, held at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

tors and 23,000 meters square of space utilised.

He said that the theme of the fair was chosen to underscore the critical importance of creating an enabling environment to attract new investments and grow existing ones.

“It is also to underline the imperative of building an economy that is diversified and sustainable.

There is perhaps no better time to do this than now,” he said.

He said that the pressing and overriding contemporary challenge in the nation’s quest for economic diversification and transformation is to fix the impediments to productivity and competitiveness in the economy.

“These include the state of infrastructures, especially public power supply; the challenge of substandard and fake products in the country which had done and is still doing serious harm

Some of the prospective foreign participants cancelled their bookings on account of this unfortunate incident...

to manufacturers; poor state of our roads; the high cost and limited access to funds, policy inconsistencies and the growing insecurity to mention a few of the inhibiting factors,” he added.

Also, the chairman of Trade Promotion Board, LCCI, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, said that the chamber has done its best within the limits of prevailing circumstances to ensure a hitch-free fair.

Loss of revenue Olawale-Cole, however, lamented the loss of over N60 million in revenue as a result of the lastminute withdrawal of the Chinese delegation from the event.

He said that the organisers lost hundreds of participants who had initially indicated interest in the fair. The situation, he said, was linked to the fear of Ebola virus that pervaded the na-

tion at the time preparations for the fair were going on.

Olawale-Cole said that the LCCI had already embarked on plans and registration for the fair when the EVD incident occurred.

He noted that as soon as that happened, the number of those who registered from China dropped.

As he tried to assure the ones who were still registering that there was no cause for alarm, the situation worsened, causing the delegation from China to withdraw completely, “I received an email one day telling me that nobody was coming from China. The few ones who are here are the ones who have contacts and businesses in Nigeria. Ghana also failed to send a full delegation,” he said.

Despite the challenges, OlawaleCole noted that the fair was the best organised in the recent history of trade fairs in the state.

“We spent a lot of money to ensure that the ambience was perfect for the exhibitors. We also recorded the highest volume of participation in spite of the fact that some countries were not fully represented. We had 1,600 local and foreign exhibitors,” he said.

“We are confident that our valued exhibitors got value for their participation at this fair,” OlawaleCole added.

Divergent views Meanwhile, different exhibitors who spoke to New Telegraph also expressed divergent opinions on the fair.

Public Relations Manager, Dogan’s Sugar, an exhibitor at the fair, Vovk Anna, said that the fair afforded them opportunity to promote the company’s products as a new entrant into the market.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

34

Business | Industry

N5bn feed mill opens in Cross River

PROJECT Firm establishes new plant to boost capacity Stories by Dele Alao

F

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

lour Mills of Nigeria Plc has inaugurated a N5 billion Eastern Premier Feed Mill Ltd, its subsidiary in Calabar, Cross River State.

The high-tech, fully automated and integrated poultry feed mill, is one of the largest in Africa.

With a total installed capacity of 370,000 metric tons per annum (MTPA), the new mill brings the group’s total milling capacity to over 720,000 MTPA, providing huge support to the livestock industry in Nigeria through the provision of high quality nutritious products under the repu-

table TOPFEEDS Brand.

Chairman of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, Mr John G. Coumantaros, who pledged that the firm was committed to addressing the protein deficiency in Nigeria by making Cross Rivers State the “Home of Chicken,” said that Eastern Premier Feed Mill would create over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs.

He said that the feed mill products are intended to produce the biggest, fattest, most tender and delicious chickens in Nigeria, a positive step to confront hunger in Nigeria.

Also at the event, the special Guest of Honour and Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, who expressed delight at the project said: “I

am excited that Flour Mills is increasing its investments in the state and in a few years, Cross River will become the Home of Chicken.”

The governor said that the state, through its enabling policy, has created the right environment to become an investors’ haven and attain the status of a key destination through publicprivate partnership (PPP).

Inaugurating the modern feed mill, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, lauded Flour Mills as being one of the first investors to key into Nigeria’s Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) by investing in various businesses to create employment in many parts of the country.

The Eastern Premier Feed Mill plant complements the group’s existing 350,000MTPA feed mill, Premier Feed Mills Ltd., in Ibadan, Oyo State, also owned by Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN).

Group Managing Director of FMN, Mr Paul Gbededo, stated that this strategic investment was in tandem with the group’s business model of improving group synergy, diversifying its product base, responding to business dynamics and creating employment and long term sustainable wealth and value for its stakeholders.

He added that “it is a key feature of FMN’s strategic drive to grow its food and agro-allied value chains in consonance

with Nigeria’s industrial revolution plan and government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA).

Eastern Premier Feed Mill will service farmers in the SouthSouth, South East and North Central regions of Nigeria and has the ability to produce and bag three different feed types simultaneously. The plant would require 150,000 MTPA of Maize and 115,000 MTPA of Soybean which would be partly sourced from the Group’s farms in Niger State. The Soybean will be preprocessed into Soya Meal after extraction of the edible oil at the group’s new state of the art ROM Oil crushing facility at Ibadan, Oyo State, which was commissioned later in the same week.

BOI’s N613bn generates 1m jobs

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Managing Director, CEO, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde (left), and Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsany, sharing a point of interest at the 8th annual The SERAs - Nigeria CSR awards held in Lagos.

Ebola scare takes shine off a fair CO NTINUED FROM PAG E 3 3

“Our company is new and we came here (trade fair) to promote our products,” she said. She added that the fair met her expectation.

But, managing director, Fumdiya, Adetayo Kayode, an exhibitor from Osun State, who stated that he had been attending the fair for the past 18 years, lamented the absence of many states at.

This, he noted, also contributed to low attendance at the fair compared with past ones.

“Many people from different states do come to the fair because of the participation of their states. But, such people could not attend this year’s event because their states were absent,” he said.

He also attributed the low patronage at the fair to the economy.

To the Business Development Manager, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Seun Soyelu, the fair was well organised.

“It is better organised this time. The only challenge is that the turn-out has been extremely low. It has been lower than the previous years.

The customers or the consumers did not really attend the fair and the money spent has not been high. I guess it is a reflection of the state of the economy and inability of people from West African region to travel in probably due to the Ebola situation and the rest of them,” he said.

He added: “But, as for the organisation, it is okay. It is far better than previous years.”

Furthermore, a manager at Timeless Steel Nigeria Ltd., Ebong Benson, who said that he had been participating at the fair in the last four consecutive years, said this year was better than the 2013 edition.

“I think it is better than last year, and I hope next year will be even better than this year,” he said.

Benson, however, called on the organisers to move the trade fair to the permanent site so that exhibitors could have enough space and more customers could come in.

“We want them to move this trade fair to the permanent site so that we would have enough space and enough people coming in,” he said.

he Bank of Industry (BOI)’s disbursement of N613 billion to over 200 entrepreneurs has generated over one million jobs in the country.

Managing Director of the bank, Mr Rasheed Olaoluwa, said this at the bank’s special day at the just concluded Lagos international trade fair.

The managing director restated its commitment to supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) development in the country.

Olaoluwa explained that SMEs are vital for any country aiming to be one of the top 20 economies of the world by 2020.

The managing director, who was represented by the Executive Director, SME in

BOI, Mr Waheed Olagunju, said that 30 per cent of the bank’s risk assets would be focused on SMEs in order to touch and impact more positively to improve the standard of living of the citizenry.

He said: “We have designed more products to help SMES in the country because we believe a lot more can be done in terms of development for small businesses rather than large businesses.”

He noted that one of the objectives of its Cottage Agro Processing (CAP) launched months back was targeted at Small and Medium Industries (SMIs) at the low-technology; labour intensive end of the agroprocessing spectrum.

SMEDAN partners Computer Warehouse

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n a bid to ensure the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) Plc. The MoU according to a statement, is aimed at providing an ICT technology platform for the use of MSMEs at very little cost; this would also avail them the services of an Enterprises Resource Planning (ERP) platform known as small and Medium Enterprise Resource Planning (SMERP).

This platform will allow the MSMEs to manage their business operations and provides functionalities such as accounting management, inventory management, sales and order tracking. The MOU’s Second objective is to provide an e-commerce platform that enables MSMEs to sell their goods and services online by creating a virtual store for each SME on the

internet.

In his remark at the signing ceremony, the DirectorGeneral of SMEDAN, Alhaji Bature Umar Masari, lamented the major issues affecting MSMEs, including access to finance and markets. He said that the signing of the MOU between SMEDAN and the Computer Warehouse Group will effectively ameliorate these challenges.

Masari noted that the challenges facing the country today would be a thing of the past if the potentials of the MSME sub-sector of the economy was fully realised.

He said that the development of the MSME sector is key to poverty alleviation, adding that the collaboration with CWG Plc is crucial to the development of MSMEs in the country.

Responding, the Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) and Entrepreneur in resident at Columbia Business School (CBS), Mr Austin Okere, said that the SMEDAN/CWG collaboration would boost the

development of MSMEs in the country.

He noted that the latest World Bank Doing Business Report indicated that Nigeria had moved five places up, adding that this is well above the average improvement of two positions by the MINT countries comprising of Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey.

Okere added that starting a business and getting credit pillars saw the most significant changes moving up nine and 73 places respectively, a situation, he said, was significantly aided by the contribution of SMEDAN. Okere said: “We know that unemployment is a big issue in our country, according to statistics from the NBS, unemployment in Nigeria today stands at 23.9 per cent or 16 million people. If this project helps the 17.7 million MSMEs to build capacity so that they each employ one additional person, we would have helped to create 17.7 million jobs.”

Business | Industry 35

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

Delta to pay interest on N2bn loans

PALLIATIVE Government to shoulder financial burden Stories by Dele Alao

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he Delta State government has promised to pay the interest on a N2 billion loan the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is giving the state for the development of its micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

At a ceremony organised to launch the loan, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan said that the state’s decision was aimed at ensuring that every-

body had access to the loan at a zero per cent interest rate.

The funds will be accessed by potential entrepreneurs in the state to boost the state’s economy.

Uduaghan described the gesture as one of the state government’s initiatives aimed at shifting the economy of the state away from its mainstay crude oil – to agriculture and other sectors.

He said: “When small businesses are properly managed, they will grow to big businesses.”

The fund originally comes

with a nine per cent interest rate and the micro credit payment is payable within 12 months while medium and small enterprises are payable within two to five years, depending on the project.

But the governor said that the state government would pay the nine per cent interest on the N2 billion, which is about N180 million.

“We will pay the interest rate to ensure that it will get to the beneficiaries at zero per cent interest so that when they are making the returns, they do not have to pay with inter-

est. This is one of the ways that we will support the programme to ensure that it will succeed,” he said .

Eighty per cent of the loan goes to micro business, 18 per cent goes to small and medium enterprises while two per cent goes to physically challenged persons, including albinos.

Also, 60 per cent of the total sum will go to women.

The Central Bank of Nigeria had, some months back, earmarked N220 billion for small and medium enterprises development to be managed by state governments.

Out of the money, Delta State received about N2 billion from the CBN funds.

The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, said that the loan would help solve the challenges of unaffordable finance for SMEs. The loans, he said, are being disbursed through commercial banks in different states.

Emefiele disclosed that micro business owners could access a maximum of N500,000 per annum while small and medium small enterprises could access a maximum of N5 million per annum.

Lagos promises improved taxes for private sector

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he Organised Private Sector (OPS) in Lagos State has been assured that efforts are being made to address various excess charges that have hindered smooth business operations in the state.

Governor Babatunde Fashola gave the assurance at the closing ceremony of the just-concluded Lagos International Trade Fair.

Represented by the Permannent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Wale Raji, the governor said that almost all the issues ranging from multiplicity of taxes, multiple government agencies visiting private companies and charges by local government officials were being addressed.

Fashola said: “It is either the ministries, department and agencies (MDAs) have addressed or are addressing the issue of high charges by Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA), multiple levies and charges by local government officials.”

The governor added that

government was making efforts to facilitate and enhance the ease of doing business in the state.

He said: “Our development imperatives as a state place on us the responsibility of developing strategies that will help harness public and private investments. This is with a view to having a dynamic and expanding economy that is functional and visually attractive.”

Fashola added that the MDAs must attract more private sector investments into the state from overseas, nationally and locally in order to create jobs and increase productivity. He noted that as a proactive government, the administration would not rest until investment opportunities grow in the state because it was not easy to achieve the goal of sustainable trade and industrial development. “It behoves us to make sound policies that will stand the test of time and also provide the needed road map for our journey to economic sustainability, he said.

Bayswater Industries holds grand finale for Mr Chef reality show

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ayswater Industries Ltd has concluded arrangements to hold the grand finale of the Mr Chef First Lady Reality Show.

Mr Chef First Lady Reality Show is a 3-in-1 project that aims at producing wellrounded home-makers with the right combination of beauty and brains matched with great entrepreneurial spirit.

The show, which was opened to young, unmarried women within the 18 to 35 years age bracket, drew 37 contestants picked from nation-wide auditions hosted by its technical producers, X-Media Communications Ltd. Winner of the show will cart home a sports utility vehicle and N1.5 million whilst the first and second runners up will go home with N1 million and

N500,000 respectively. These would be in addition to other prizes that include LED television sets, refrigerators and other household items.

Managing Director of Bayswater Industries Ltd, Mr. Piyush Nair, described the show as a corporate initiative to nurture women of substance as well as promote strong family values in order to build a strong Nigeria.

“Mr. Chef took up sponsorship of the innovative women development programme, the First Lady Reality Show, because of our firm belief in women empowerment,” Nair said adding, “Our goal is to discover ready-to-face-theworld women who are not only beautiful but are brilliant, homely and economically productive,” he said.

L-R: Head, Digital Media, Etisalat Nigeria, Adia Sowho; Winner, Etisalat Prize for Innovation (Product/Service Category), Anthony Oniwon and Director, Consumer Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Oluwole Rawa, at the AfricaCom Awards, held in Cape Town, South Africa.

Canada invests N2.4bn in Cross River

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he Canadian government is partnering with Cross River State to spend N2.4 billion on capacity building investment aimed at promoting environmentally sustainable and market-driven employment and entrepreneurship for young people.

This is coming on the heels of increasing youth unemployment in the state.

Deputy Governor, Mr Efiok Cobham, alluded to the rise in youth unemployment in the state in Calabar during the unveiling of the ‘YouLead’ project aimed at tackling unemployment.

The deputy governor stated that the unemployment rate rose from 7.9 per cent in 2002 to 18.2 in 2011.

He said: “The general household survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that 23.9 per cent of the adult working population is unemployed, while further researches indicate that over 32 million youths in Nigeria are unemployed.”

“More worrisome is the fact that the unemployment rate has exhibited a wors-

ening trend, rising from 8.2 per cent in 1999 to 23.9 per cent in 2011. In Cross River State specifically, the rate increased from 7.9 per cent in 2002 to 18.2 per cent in 2011,” he added.

Cobham said it was in recognition of the circumstances that the state government saw entrepreneurship development as a veritable means of livelihood for youths. .

He said that the state has enjoyed long and productive relationship with Canada, adding that the project would promote economic growth, employment and check rural drift.

Speaking on the N2.4 billion venture, the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Perry Calderwood, said that the investment would span five years.

“The project aims to reduce youth unemployment through better quality technical vocational training in natural resource sectors.

“Through this project, Canada is proud to help increase employment, support small entrepreneurs and enable the youth of

Cross River to achieve sustainable livelihoods,” he said.

Calderwood said the need for meaningful, sustainable employment, especially for youth, is a pressing issue in Nigeria, as well as in many other developing countries.

He said: “Nigeria has a young population and its youth is energetic, creative and keen to realise its potential and contribute to the country’s development. YouLead builds on Canada’s previous and on-going work with various Nigerian organisations and government bodies to improve how your country manages the development of its natural resources.

“In promoting sustainable livelihood, we are committed to sharing proven Canadian approaches and experience on how best to manage natural resources,” he added.

Chairman of the YouLead Project Steering Committee, Prof. Ndem Ayara, said that 5,000 micro-small youth entrepreneurs would be employed by the project.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

36

ICT

Software: FG moves to reverse 90% failure rate p.37 As the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Telecom World 2014 draws closer, the Nigerian government is also getting ready for a sterling show of huge untapped investment potential in the nation’s $32 billion telecoms industry writes KUNLE AZEEZ

NBC pledges seamless digital TV migration by 2015 p.38

ITU World 2014: Spotlight on Nigeria’s $32bn telecoms

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igeria is again set to leverage the opportunity provided by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2014 where the country will further showcase the huge investment potentials in the country’s bourgeoning telecoms industry to global investors.

The ITU Telecom World 2014, to be held from 7 to 10 December in Doha, Qatar, United Arab Emirate, will bring together public and private sectors, emerging and developed markets, experts and investors from across Information and Communication Technology ecosystem, from government, regulatory bodies, consultancies and academic institutions around the world.

With the overarching theme of the conference being ‘Future in Focus’, interactive discussions at the event shall examine the key trends and developments in technology, regulatory and policy issues, business models, services and applications focusing on three major scenarios including navigating industry disruption, discussing intelligent solutions and building sustainable partnership.

As such, preparations are currently upbeat by the Nigerian government – to be represented by the Ministry of Communication Technology and the country’s telecoms industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to learn and tell the story of how Nigeria has become a fastest-growing telecoms market.

Specifically, Nigeria’s leading role in telecoms world will also come on the front burner as the Minister, Dr. Omobola Johnson, and the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, are billed to join other topnotch experts in high-level debate,

Johnson

networking, innovation showcasing and knowledge-sharing.

Information from ITU shows that country chief regulator, Juwah, will participate in a five-man panel discussion on ‘Broadband Rollout in Emerging Economies - What comes next?’ Juwah is expected to share a lot of milestones so far recorded in Nigeria’s telecoms sector with global ICT community.

With Nigeria vigorously pursuing a 30 per cent broadband penetration by 2018 up from its current six per cent in line with the provision of the National Broadband Plan 2013-2018, Juwah is expected to highlight the sound regulatory regime and the various policies in place to attract and protect Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the sector.

Over the years, NCC has become a standard bearer for many other countries, which have come to Nigeria to understudy the methods and strategies that have been adopted by the Commission in accelerating the development of Nigeria’s telecoms sector in the last 13 years of the sec-

ITU’s Secretary-General, Dr. Hamadoun Touré

tor’s liberalisation.

Today, various studies conducted

by International Data Corporation and Pyramid Research, among others, have rated Nigeria as a favourable telecoms investment haven, saying this will continue in many years to come.

“Currently, Nigeria’s telecoms sector has recorded phenomenal growth. From an investment of about N500 million in 2001, the industry has grown tremendously, recording over $32 billion FDI as at the end of July, this year. Similarly, telephone subscriptions have grown from about 450,000 to over 132 million while Internet usage has also grown to over 32 per cent of the population,” Juwah said.

In addition, Juwah noted that the regulator’s operations have been strengthened by the Nigerian Communication Act (NCA) 2003, which guarantees greater independence for it to be able to carry out its regulatory activities in a most transparent manner, thereby building and sustaining investors’ confidence in the

Oracle targets 75% IT efficiency for businesses

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global Information and Communication Technology giant, Oracle Corporation, is targeting 75 per cent efficiency for businesses in Nigeria.

As such, it has advocated the need for businesses to adopt cloud solutions in order to reduce cost of deploying and maintaining selfowned ICT infrastructures for running their operations.

The company said that cloud technology offers cost-saving strategies for businesses as it allows them to focus on innovation, customer satisfaction and growth.

Speaking during the Oracle Day 2014 held in Lagos, Oracle Vice

President, Central Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa, Mr. Janusz Naklicki, said: “We believe in simplicity. We gear the whole company towards simplicity. Customers say they are tired of fixing things; they just want to get things to work. The best way to do this is to bring them products that are simple and seamless. That is what we do at Oracle.”

Naklicki noted that for most businesses today, the budgets were flat while expectations from businesses were growing. “About 75 per cent of the budget is spent by businesses on maintaining the business while only 25 per cent go into innovation.

But if we can reverse the situation,

businesses will grow better and to address this issue, we need to embrace digital disruptions.”

According to him, disruptions happen when the digital platforms become where customers can make things cheaper and better, thereby creating value, stressing that digital disruptions consist of five basic elements that must work together to have a complete digital ecosystem in business.

These, he said, include big data and analytics, mobility, social media, Internet of Everything (IoE) and the cloud, saying that the Oracle Open Day is all about unveiling various options for businesses to explore cloud opportunities.

With Nigeria vigorously pursuing a 30 per cent broadband penetration by 2018 up from its current six per cent in line with the provision of the National Broadband Plan 2013-2018, Juwah is expected to highlight the sound regulatory regime and the various policies in place to attract and protect foreign direct investment (FDI) into the sector

telecoms market.

Also, with teledensity growth from less than one per cent to over 94 per cent between 2001 and 2014, the industry has also become a major contributor to the country’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at nine per cent.

“It is a known fact that Nigeria today is the fastest growing telecommunications market in Africa since the deregulation of the industry. The transformation of the telecoms industry has led to more FDIs, employment and efficient business transactions, among others. This emphasises the importance of ICT in the development path of a nation,” he said.

Nevertheless, Juwah said that for a country of about 180 million people as at 2014, having over 130 million subscriber-base, “we cannot afford to be contented. ICT remains a priority for us in Nigeria and we believe that by driving the investment frontier in our telecoms industry, we can engender broadband revolution and provide a win-win regulatory environment both for the investors and the country.”

Juwah noted that Internet and broadband have been globally acknowledged as the foundation for the nation’s transformation to a knowledge-based economy, saying that the ITU Telecom World 2014 is one of such fora for Nigeria to showcase its telecoms investment potential to the world.

Analysts, over the years, have noted that the Commission had been driving transparent auction processes and delivering rancour-free programmes towards promoting the country’s broadband development agenda.

It was learnt that apart from the series of spectrum auction already conducted by the Commission since 2001, the NCC has specifically auctioned the remaining 30megahertz spectrum slot in the 2.3 gigahertz spectrum in February this year with plans afoot to auction the 2.6 gigahertz spectrum to further drive broadband growth.

According to industry observers, past spectrum auctions were conducted in line with international best practices even as the forthcoming ITU forum will discuss all of these achievements and policies with the international community while encouraging more investment into the sector.

Meanwhile, in a fast-moving sector such as ICT, largely driven by technology, there is a recognised gap between the regulator’s toolkit and those seeking market opportunities; quite often, the rules are out-dated, non-existent or inadequately enforced. Some see the gap widening and worse, some market participants see little need to improve efficiency, knowing there are a few consequences in remaining inefficient.

Business | ICT

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

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Software: FG moves to reverse 90% failure rate TARGET ICT innovations driven by government to position Nigeria as Africa’s hub Stories by Kunle Azeez

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he much-documented 90 per cent failure rate associated with the growth of local software entrepreneurship in Nigeria is being addressed by the Federal Government, Minister of Communication Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson, has said.

Johnson said in a presentation in Lagos that software innovation is one area where Nigeria can leverage to boost its status on the global Information and Communication Technology industry map.

According to her, Nigeria is accelerating the innovation process by harnessing the energy of youths towards creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship necessary for creating jobs and wealth.

“Through the Information Technology Developers Accelerator (iDEA) and Techlaunchpad initiatives, the accelerator approach taken by Nigeria is reversing the well-documented failure rate of 90 per cent in the Nigerian software entrepre-

neurship space. Two accelerators have been set up in Lagos and Calabar with more to come later.

“These accelerators provide space, support, funding and mentorship critical for the development of successful technopreneurs and companies. Software developers are currently being encouraged to have a business orientation and not just write codes and applications.

“We have termed this a ‘Companies not Code’ approach. The ‘Companies not Code’ philosophy is systematically being enabled through our Information Technology Developers Accelerator IDEA and Techlaunchpad initiatives.”

Johnson further added that “in the near future, efforts and innovative solutions currently provided by government will ultimately transform Nigeria into a digital economy and the ICT Hub in Africa.”

Meanwhile, the minister has said that there was a need to encourage massive investment in the ICT sector to drive broadband penetration.

According to her, in almost every sector, broadband is playing key defining roles be it in education, health, agriculture, innovation, trade and investments, e-commerce, and so on.

“No sector is immune to the transformational benefit of

broadband, but enabling broadband access is not cheap. Considering the huge sums we anticipate the National Broadband Plan will require for complete implementation which runs into billions of dollars, we need more investments.

“Though Foreign Direct Investment of $32 billion has been attracted into the telecoms sector since the beginning of liberalisation till date, we still need

said that it had agreed to leverage its resources and capacity to help galvanise citizen action around the campaign and to provide individuals across Africa and globally with an opportunity to contribute.

It said that it is also working with some of Africa’s most celebrated musicians to produce an inspirational song for digital download on its MTN Play store, it added that all proceeds from sales, post publishing rights and subscription payments will be donated to the AU campaign.

MTN has been an integral part of efforts to tackle the spread of Ebola in countries where the company operate,

Group President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Sifiso Dabengwa, said that “MTN is supporting this campaign to give further impetus to concerted efforts aimed at combating the Ebola epidemic and saving lives.

“At MTN, we believe the only way to start reversing the devastating effects of the outbreak is to come together to tackle the spread of the disease and ease the suffering it continues to inflict on families and communities.”

In affected countries where MTN operate such as Guinea Conakry and Liberia, MTN is working closely with authorities to curb the spread of the disease.

Tenece wins global partnership award

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multi-competency enterprise transformation and technologyconsulting firm, Tenece Professional Services Limited, has been awarded the best global partner of Imperva for 2014.

The award recognised Tenece’s commitment towards growing Imperva’s business and supporting their best-in-class database security solutions and other solutions that protect web applications against advanced cyber-attacks.

Also during the event,

Tenece was appointed a Professional Services partner for Imperva.

Under this arrangement, Tenece will facilitate implementation and support of Imperva’s products globally.

Speaking at the award presentation, Managing Director of Tenece, Mr. Kingsley Eze, said: “We are exhilarated to be selected as the Imperva partner of the year.

This award is an incentive to our efforts and a testament to the strong collaboration between Tenece, Imperva and Data Group IT, Imperva’s

works and more requirements for fast, affordable connectivity.

“Apart from the level of demand, the distribution of the available bandwidth resources to end users poses some challenge. Government is making efforts at incentivising the private sector to invest in broadband distribution even to areas where the commercial viability of such venture is not guaranteed in the short run.

L-R: Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr Eugene Juwah; Director, Bureau of Telecoms Development, International Telecommunications Union, Mr. Brahima Sanou; President and Chief Executive Officer, Corporation for National Research Initiative, Mr. Robert Khan; and Deputy Director, ITU Telecommunications Standardisation Bureau, Mr. Reinhard Scholl during ITU event on combating counterfeit devices held in Geneva, Switzerland

MTN Group commits N1.6bn to Ebola fight he MTN Group has Roundtable hosted by the AU with special emphasis on T committed $10 million in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Guinea-Conakry and Liberia. (about N1.6 billion) to fight The telecoms operator Commenting, MTN again Ebola disease while inviting its over 219 million customers across Africa and the Middle East to join hands with the company in a three-month campaign.

From December 1, the telecom company said it will start raising funds for a ‘United against Ebola’ initiative, while encouraging its customers to participate in a Short Messaging Service (SMS) campaign to donate a minimum of $1.

To fight Ebola, MTN and other leading companies in Africa had earlier committed logistical support and in kind contributions as part of the first wave of pledges at a recent Africa Business

more private sector investments to achieve our desired objectives in the area of broadband penetration,” she said.

While noting that technology evolves at the speed of light as new technologies are springing up faster than one can play catch up, Johnson also noted that there is a global hunger for more bandwidth as more and more people get connected, thus putting more pressure on net-

distributor in Africa.”

He noted that the award reinforces Tenece’s position as a trusted security partner and stressed that Tenece will continue to strengthen confidence of Imperva’s customers through professionalism and deep technical competence.

Also speaking, Imperva’s Regional Director for Europe, Middle-East and Africa, Mr. Haiko Wolberink, said: “The award is an acknowledgement of Tenece’s outstanding performance in the previous financial year.”

Nigeria’s low 3G uptake worries NCC

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he Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has expressed worry over what it termed ‘slow 3G connectivity takeup’ in the country despite the increased 3G network expansion by the mobile networks.

Major telecoms operators in the country such as Etisalat, Airtel, MTN and Globacom have invested in and expanded their 3G coverage in the country in recent past.

While Etisalat and Airtel have deployed 3.75G in major cities in the country, the other two mobile operators have maintained their hold on effective 3G services delivery.

However, while voice connection has grown tremendously, the telecoms regulator said it was dismayed at the slow rate of 3G services by telecoms subscribers, especially at a time when data culture such as broadband is critical to economic development.

Speaking at a Telecoms Consumer Parliament (TCP), organised by the NCC in Lagos, Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Eugene Juwah and Corporate Services Executive of MTN, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, confirmed that the country currently has an estimated 12 million 3G devices connected on mobile networks.

The TCP is one of the ini-

tiatives of the Commission established to provide a platform for key stakeholders to meet and address important consumer related issues.

Meanwhile, Juwah stated that the figure was disappointing given the fact that operators have invested in 3G technology, but consumers are not yet deploying data in running their business and private lives more effectively.

However, the NCC boss said that the Commission is providing enabling environment for effective data service delivery with its policy on broadband development in the country.

He said: “Our open access model has the ability of ensuring high quality internet experience for all stakeholders. The deployment of fibre optic cables by reputable service providers such as Main One, MTN, Glo, Wholesale Access Service Licensee, among others, has placed Nigeria among the comity of nations providing efficient internet service to its citizens.

According to him, the Commission had licensed infrastructure companies (InfraCos) that would provide this service to Nigerians in ways that would ensure good quality service, saying: “Our broadband policy is robust enough to bring about good data delivery.”

Business | ICT

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

NBC pledges seamless digital TV migration by 2015 INVESTMENT A TV firm has invested N100 million on platforms to boost viewers’ experience Clem Khena-Ogbena

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he National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has assured Nigerians of its commit-

ment towards ensuring that the much-awaited switch from analogue to digital television broadcasting due for next year is achieved seamlessly.

June 2015 has been set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as deadline for all countries around the world to migrate from analogue to digital transmission.

According to the DirectorGeneral, NBC, Mr. Emeka Mba, the Commission was doing all that are needful within

its power towards ensuring that Nigeria does not have to face the consequences of not meeting the deadline which include signal interferences and withdrawal of technical support for analogue equipment.

“At the moment, we are neck dip in this whole digitisation process which is a very onerous responsibility that we are charged with to ensure that Nigeria successfully transits to digital broadcasting. It is our belief that the digital

L-R: Zonal Business Manager, Airtel, Mr. Olawale Alao; Airtel Insurance claimant, Mrs. Emiowei Bridget Ofune and Managing Director, Life & Retail, Cornerstone, Mr. Tokunbo Bello, during the cheque presentation to the beneficiary of Airtel Insurance Scheme in Lagos.

Samsung deploys smart TV in Lilygate Hotel

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amsung Electronics West Africa, in partnership with one of Nigeria’s leading hotel network technology and interactive solutions provider, Hospitality Quest, has deployed its Smart TVs in the hospitality industry in Nigeria.

The state-of-the-art HC690 Series hospitality screen and content management solution has been deployed in The Lilygate, a 74-room fourstar luxury hotel located in the heart of Lekki Phase 1 in Lagos. The Lilygate is the first hotel in Nigeria to feature this technology.

The HC690 Series combines high picture quality and enhanced energy efficiency to help hoteliers deliver the ultimate in-room guest experience. Available in 32,” 40”, 48” and a 55” models, the solution fits perfectly into any hotel environment, from standard rooms to lavish suites.

Each display is equipped with Samsung’s unique suite of applications and smart TV features that provide guests with access to various apps and widgets, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Guests can also stream movies, music and much more from their laptops, tablets or smart-

phones as part of their inroom entertainment and content experience.

Samsung’s Hospitality TV solution offers guests a premium experience that features both free and videoon-demand content and internet capabilities on existing hotel networks, without the need for, or additional cost of extra HDMI cabling or set-top boxes.

With just a touch of buttons on their remote control, guests can request hotel services such as laundry pickup or taxi service, access up-to-date restaurant menus and hotel activity schedules, check messages, access current flight information, review their accounts with the hotel and check out, in addition to many other services.

Commending The Lilygate Hotel for the foresight to embrace the solution, Director of Samsung’s Enterprise Business Division, Mr. Charles Ojei, said that Samsung’s HC690 series hospitality TVs are designed to bring hoteliers the best equipment for innovative content management and cost savings while helping them provide their guests with a premium in-room experience and rich viewing content.

future is one which Nigerians will be part of,” he said.

Mba stated this during the issuing of an operating licence to ChaptersDTV, thereby ending the long period of efforts to acquire legal status to commence full operation of television broadcasting.

Speaking before handing over the licence to the Chairman of ChaptersDTV, Godwin Akpobire, Mba said that the commission had the responsibility for sectorial regulation of broadcasting in the country.

“The commission, as you know, has responsibility for sectorial regulation of broadcasting even as we face our task of transforming Nigeria’s economy from analogue to digital television broadcasting ecosystem in line with set international standards,” he said.

He was optimistic that millions of Nigerians would take advantage of the on-going digital revolution in the country and access it for their social, economic and political benefits.

Mba said: “We believe that millions of Nigerians currently have access to the digital platform. We believe that the digital television will help to deepen our access to digital programme, because broadcasting in television, especially will normally help to shape opinions and minds of the digital public. You can get

a lot more people involved in it. On the economic side, it is creating content.”

He, however, advised the management of ChaptersDTV to offer rich content, saying “In the digital broadcasting era, content will be king and it is contents and programming that will attract subscribers and viewers to your platform.”

Akpobire said earlier that the organisation’s entry into broadcasting in Nigeria would bring the desired revolution to the industry.

He also said that the organisation was fully ready to key into the digitisation programme currently in process in the country, adding: “We believe in the next few years, you will begin to see what we have for Nigerians; it will be a refreshing point from the status quo of what we have now.

“Television broadcasting, as in anywhere, is driven by content, and Chapters is going to invest heavily in local content, and that is the strategy we have. Beyond that, we want to be able to make Nigerian homes have access to international arena. One of the difficulties we have in terms of that is the negotiation of content.”

Akpobire assured that the company would endeavour to implement the Nigerian laws in the course of broadcasting, as directed by NBC, the regulatory authority in the country.

EMC to catalyse Nigeria ICT devt o catalyse the growth and the industry. lighting best practices in the The event will also facili- IT sector, using case studies T development of Nigeria’s Information Technology sec- tate access to information on to help organisations meet tor, a global leader in IT and business transformation, EMC, is set to hold the annual EMC Forum in Lagos.

This year’s edition, scheduled to hold at Eko Hotel on November 25, Victoria Island, follows the highly successful 2013 event.

Aimed at helping businesses make the transition to software-defined enterprise by leveraging the power of cloud computing and big data, the one-day forum will see top decision makers and IT professionals from different organisations brainstorm on the latest challenges and trends in

the latest technologies that enable enterprise owners better manage critical operations, optimise resources and costs as well as enhance customer engagement.

Key speakers expected at the event include Vice President and Global Chief Technology Officer of EMC, Patricia Florissi and Managing Director of EMC Levant and Emerging Africa Region, Nazim Fraijat.

The company’s Regional Manager for West Africa, Rasheed Jimoh, will also be in attendance to engage participants in interactive discussions aimed at high-

the demands of the dynamic global IT landscape.

Jimoh said, “EMC has long established a reputation as a global leader in helping businesses and service providers transform their operations and deliver information technology as a service.

The annual EMC Forum is another demonstration of this commitment.”

In addition to keynote presentations, the forum will feature an IT exhibition designed to enable participants familiarise themselves with the latest technologies and solutions from EMC and its partners.

Apple lauds Glo’s introduction of iPhones

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he creative way Globacom handled the sale of the recently-launched iPhone 6 to the first set of customers in Nigeria has elicited praises from the phone manufacturers, Apple.

Globacom had opened its Gloworld on Adeola Odeku, Lagos, in the early hours of Friday to enable tens of its subscribers who turned up at the retail outlet to purchase the handsets.

Apple Regional Sales Manager for Africa, Mr. Paddy McManus, who gave the

commendation at the unveiling ceremony of iPhone 6, expressed delight at the impressive turnout of subscribers, adding that he was pleasantly shocked and surprised.

“This is a very loud move from a loud network in Lagos. I am extremely impressed. This is what usually happens all over the world when Apple is launching its products. Nigerians are really great,” McManus exclaimed.

An On Air Personality, Mr. Folajinmi Akinsola, became

the first Nigerian to own an authentic iPhone 6 sold by any telecommunication network in Nigeria when he purchased the phone at the Gloworld shop on Adeola Odeku, Victoria Island, Lagos immediately after it was officially unveiled at 12.05am on Friday.

Former beauty queen, Miss Tobi Phillips kept vigil to emerge the first Nigerian female to own an authentic iPhone 6 when she paid for the phone which she earlier pre-ordered.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

L-R: Trustee, ACTS Generation, Mrs. Funke Kuti; Visionary, Mrs. Laila St Mattew Daniel and Adviser, Mrs. Susan Dahiru-Gumel, at a Press Conference to announce the forth-coming International Conference on Domestic violence, Sexual abuse and Human trafficking in Lagos.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

L-R: Corp Marshal/Chief Executive Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC),Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi; Chairman, Mr. Felix Chukwu and Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, at a sensitization forum on the implementation of speed limiting device in Nigeria in Abuja.

PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

L-R: Managing Partner, West Africa, Ernest and Young, Mr. Henry Egbiki; Chairman, Honeywell Group, Dr. Oba Otudeko and Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Segun Aganga, during the presentation of the Ernst and Young Lifetime Achievements Award, at the 2014 Ernest and Young Award to Otudeko in Lagos.

L-R: Member, House of Representatives, Mrs. Blessing Nseigbe; Sen. George Sekibo; another member, House Representatives, Mr. Bright Gogo and Rivers PDP Governorship aspirant, Chief Nysom Wike, at the inauguration of new Rivers vision campaign office, at Okirika Local Government Area

Photo | News

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L-R: Ven. Cornelius Agbo; Ven. Uche Nwokocha; Ven. Duke Amobi and Anglican Bishop of Enugu North, Rt. Rev. Sosthenes Eze, during the 2014 Anglican Communion’s Friends of God Sunday service at St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Trans-Ekulu in Enugu

L-R: President, Nigerian-Spanish Association, Dr. Olusola Dada; Doyen of Accountancy, Mr. Akintola Williams; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Henry Odein Ajumogobia; wife of Lagos State Governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola and Guest Speaker, Dr. Newton Jibunoh, at the 2nd Oye Williams Bienial Lecture in Lagos.

PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

L-R: Chairman, Reckitt Benckiser Nigeria Limited, Chief Olu Falomo; Owa Obokun Adimula/the Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran; Osun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Honourable Kunle Jaiyeola and Chairman of the Occasion, Prince Tunde Awobiyi, during the Summit on Industrialisation of Ijesaland, at Ibis Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE

Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, addressing traditional rulers and chiefs of Akinyele Local Government Area of the state during his tour of the 11 local governments in Ibadan.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Business | Money Line

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

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FG’s austerity measures glib, says Rewane EXTRA BUDGET

Government might require a supplementary budget for 2014 if revenues decline sharply Godson Ikoro

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he Managing Director and Chief Executive of Financial Derivative Company (FDC) Mr. Bismarck Rewane has described the austerity measure announced by the Federal Government as therapy for oil shock as “a drop in the ocean.”

Finance Minister Okonjo-Iweala, had last Sunday pledged to trim spending in the face of plunging oil prices, which fell to a four-year low of $76.76 a barrel on Nov. 14. She said the Federal Government will propose to lower the budgeted benchmark oil price to $73 per barrel next year from $77.5 this year as well as reduce the budget to N4.66 trillion ($27 billion). Other austerity measures proposed include tightening the rules on foreign

travel for officials and raising taxes on luxury goods, such as cars, jets and champagne.

But Rewane, in his latest economic review, argued that although these measures were necessary but they may not be sufficient to plug the leakages, which he claimed can lead to a fiscal relapse.

While acknowledging that the government’s move to mitigate the impact of lower oil prices is a step in the right direction, “How adequate and effective are these measures?”

“A 6 per cent reduction in the 2015 budget benchmark oil price to $73pb at a time when oil prices are trading between $77- $78pb is cutting it too close; it is also under the assumption that oil prices may not fall below $70pb in 2014. Not only have oil prices fallen below the 2014 benchmark of $75pb but also there is a high possibility that they would fall further below the proposed 2015 target of $73pb.

“If this happens, Nigeria has no savings. In addition, the government might require a supplementary budget

for 2014 if revenues decline sharply.”

Noting that the benchmark price is set to determine the level at which savings accrue to an economy, he said any price above the target price is considered as savings or used to build up the external buffers.

“So far, Nigeria has been unable to build up its external buffers even when crude prices

were as high as $120pb.

Therefore a $5 (6 per cent) reduction in the benchmark when compared to the 30 per cent decline in oil prices is like a drop in the ocean and although necessary, may not be sufficient to plug the leakages,” he added.

The expert averred that a sustained decline in oil prices could result in a 70 per cent reduc-

Godson Ikoro

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enaissance Capital (RenCap), one of the leading emerging and frontier markets investment bank, said yesterday that it has summarised the top five things investors need to know about StanbicIBTC even as it rolled over its updated guidance for Diamond Bank.

The company maintained a buy rating for both Stanbic and Diamond bank at N35.4 and N8.3 trading profit respectively.

In separate statements made available to New Telegraph, RenCap said that Stan-

As at N14,737,618.7m N16,509,472.5m 8 0.0000 12 10.899 7.96 17.01 US$109.9 US$42,604,781,796.6

Description

TTM

4.00% 23-Apr-2015 13.05% 16-Aug-2016 15.10% 27-Apr-2017 16.00% 29-Jun-2019 16.39% 27-Jan-2022 10.00% 23-Jul-2030

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 2/5/2014 1/20/2014 11/6/2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 1/20/2014 2/5/2014 Source:CBN

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

Offer Yield 13.01 13.40 13.47 13.49 13.44 13.59

Price 90.35 99.40 104.40 109.65 114.45 76.90

Tenor (Months) 1 2 3 6 9 12

Rate (%) 12.1827 12.2737 12.3744 12.8521 12.8535 13.8443

Treasury Bills Maturity Date 08-May-14 07-Aug-14 22-Jan-15

Bid 12.10 12.10 12.05

FX

Bid Spot ($/N) 163.28 THE FIXINGS –NIBOR,NITTY and NIFEX of February 6,2014

NITTY

Yield 12.86 13.33 13.35 13.42 13.38 13.53

Money Market Offer 11.85 11.85 11.80 Offer 163.38

of 2014 and are expected to decline further with the end of the US Fed tapering. The excess crude account is down to $4bn and may be drawn down by 50per cent, according to the Minister of Finance.

The combination of lower oil revenues and portfolio funds he said, could push the balance of payments into negative territory.

RenCap upholds ‘buy’ rating for Stanbic IBTC, Diamond

Economic Indicators M2* CPS* INF IBR MPR 91-day NTB DPR PLR Bonny Light Ext Res**

tion in a balance of trade surplus and completely erode the current account balance; thereby creating a trade gap.. But the level of Nigeria’s external reserves, of which a significant amount is from portfolio funds and hot money, has depleted approximately 14 per cent year to date.

Rewane noted that portfolio inflows have reduced since the start

Open-Buy-Back (OBB) Overnight (O/N)

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

bic remains one of its top picks in Nigeria.

Ventilating the beauty in diversity of Stanbic, it said the lender comprised two core businesses, namely personal and business banking [PBB] and corporate and investment banking [CIB]) and wealth (pensions, asset management and trusteeship).

In the third quarter of this year, the bank according to RenCap, represented 79 per cent of revenue, 89 per cent of costs, 62 per cent of PBT, 86 per cent of equity, and recorded CIR of 66 per cent and ROE of 28 per cent.

Wealth represented 21per cent of revenue, 11 per cent of costs, 38 per cent of PBT, 14 per cent of equity, and recorded CIR of 30 per cent and ROE of 71per cent.

It argued, the advantage of this group structure, in its view, was that in an environment of rapidly changing banking regulations, Stanbic’s earnings are relatively defensive.

While that the PBB has been loss-making since 2010 due to significant infrastructure investments to gain critical mass, it believed that the customer numbers have now crossed the critical mass target of 1million, at about 1.4million.

Before tax, PBB’s losses declined from NGN7.7billion in FY13 to a 9M14 annualized level of NGN593mn (9M14 actual: NGN445mn). “This has been driven by a combination of growing revenue, cost control and improved asset quality”, RenCap said.

“Management acknowledges PBB is likely to remain loss-making over the next 24 months, as additional investments need to be made, stressing that keeping losses to a minimum will be key.”

On Diamond Bank, RenCap said it has revised and rolled over our forecasts post updated guidance and maintain a buy rating with a new N8.3 (from NGN8.0).

On the first conference call as held by Uzoma Dozie as CEO-designate of Diamond, RenCap believes that that it is pretty much business as usual, at least that is the plan

today and there could be an incremental focus on retail and SME banking under his tenure, given this is his area of expertise.

RenCap said that it awaits the announcement of the results of the rights issue, which it understands from management, has been delayed by regulatory verifications and final approvals.

While it thinks that the capital overhang has been dealt with, management reported a 9M14 Basel 1 CAR of 16.9 per cent, which drops to 13.5 per cent under Basel two-third. If the rights issue is factored in, CAR returns to about 17 per cent according to management.

However, RenCap said that management did not disclose its CBN composite risk rating owing to regulatory constraints, but noted that it remains in capital conservation mode. As such, it plans to retain as much capital as possible while slowing credit growth to 10-15per cent over the medium term, from its previous expectation of 20per cent.

Although revenues improved in 3Q14 from their 2014 lows in 2Q14 (up 6per cent QoQ), costs remained elevated as the bank continued rolling out its expansion strategy. RenCap noted: “Branches are up 5per cent YtD to 265, from 252 in FY13, with a year-end target of 300, slowing into 2015; direct sales agents are up 13% YtD to 1,764 from 1,567 in FY13; and ATMs are up 18per cent YtD to 789, from 671 in FY13. The net impact of these investments is that CIR remained high at 66 per cent in 9M14 (flat on 1H14) vs. the 62 per cent and 60 per cent recorded in 1Q14 and FY13, respectively.

“In line with management’s 14 per cent lower FY14E PBT guidance of NGN30bn, delays in receiving the proceeds from the rights issue and elevated CIR YtD, RenCap have reduced our FY14E PBT forecast to NGN31bn and we are now 11per cent below Bloomberg consensus estimates.

Business | Financial Market News

42

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

19-Nov-14

The FMDQ Daily Quotations List (DQL) comprises market and model prices/rates of foreign exchange ($/N) products, fixed income securities and instruments in the OTC market. The use of this report is subject to the FMDQ OTC PLC Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement on www.fmdqotc.com.

Bonds

Price

FGN Bonds Issuer

Rating/Agency

NA

NA

Description 4.00 23-APR-2015 13.05 16-AUG-2016 15.10 27-APR-2017 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.20 14-MAR-2024 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 10.00 23-JUL-2030 12.1493 18-JUL-2034

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

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

4.00 13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.1493

535.00 563.89 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 371.68 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 130.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,675.13

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,466.79

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM

Description

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

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

0.42 1.74 2.44 2.69 2.78 3.53 4.61 4.93 7.19 9.32 14.03 14.51 15.00 15.67 19.66

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

12.20 13.81 13.79 13.81 13.79 13.66 13.49 13.49 13.63 13.74 13.87 13.88 13.88 13.78 13.55

11.82 13.71 13.72 13.74 13.72 13.54 13.41 13.39 13.57 13.69 13.83 13.82 13.81 13.72 13.50

96.67 98.80 102.60 91.32 89.99 91.92 108.35 77.17 112.35 102.30 106.88 91.44 66.42 75.95 90.40

96.82 98.95 102.75 91.47 90.14 92.22 108.65 77.47 112.65 102.60 107.18 91.74 66.72 76.25 90.70

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

0.51 1.25 2.06 2.42 2.63

2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

14.86 15.51 15.88 14.85 14.82

92.90 102.10 99.37 96.80 93.96

31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19 02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19 10-Oct-20 27-Nov-20 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 06-Jan-21

0.78 0.62 0.91 0.91 2.41 1.46 3.12 2.29 3.87 2.29 2.29 2.67 2.92 5.01 2.89 3.44 6.02 6.12 3.60 3.63

4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 4.78 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.74 1.00 1.00 1.94 1.44 1.95

17.05 15.61 17.24 16.27 19.44 14.53 15.52 15.66 14.59 14.86 18.64 14.81 14.77 14.49 16.51 14.67 14.57 15.52 15.08 15.59

96.74 99.16 97.37 99.69 82.43 99.16 96.31 97.13 98.24 99.39 91.61 99.41 101.80 100.02 96.16 100.24 95.79 97.95 98.56 98.57

18-Dec-14 31-Dec-14 17-Aug-15 09-Dec-15 06-Jan-16 29-Sep-16 25-Oct-16 30-Sep-17 30-Nov-17 09-Apr-18 09-Sep-18 09-Sep-18 22-Sep-18 18-Oct-18 17-Feb-19 01-Apr-19 14-Nov-20 30-Sep-24 30-Sep-24

0.08 0.12 0.50 0.57 0.65 1.86 1.93 2.86 1.68 1.89 2.05 2.05 3.84 2.16 2.24 3.12 5.99 9.86 9.86

5.21 8.71 4.88 1.00 2.63 1.00 1.34 1.00 1.88 3.48 5.20 5.06 1.35 2.29 6.11 2.16 2.76 1.00 1.00

16.83 20.45 17.09 13.31 15.06 14.80 15.18 14.78 15.57 17.29 19.08 18.94 14.95 16.16 19.97 15.89 16.33 14.86 14.86

99.66 99.47 97.06 99.34 99.81 97.12 98.46 95.92 104.59 98.26 98.61 101.85 97.24 99.47 95.20 100.31 95.97 85.02 91.76

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

322.97

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

312.83

Sub-National Bonds A+/Agusto A/Agusto A-/Agusto A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro A/Agusto A-/GCR

KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE LAGOS *OSUN *OSUN LAGOS KOGI *EKITI *NASARAWA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

31-Aug-10 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 14-Feb-12 02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12 10-Oct-13 27-Nov-13 31-Dec-13 31-Dec-13 06-Jan-14

12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50 14.50 14.75 14.75 13.50 15.00 14.50 15.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

471.68 453.03

Corporate Bonds Aa/Agusto Nil Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto BB+/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A-/Agusto A/GCR BBB-/GCR Nil A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR A/Agusto; A/GCR Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR Nil A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A/GCR A/GCR

8.50 4.18 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00 34.14 9.00 14.96 11.13 27.00 16.23 80.00 27.51 11.40 87.50 5.00 4.78 4.79

GTB µ NGC *UPDC *FLOURMILLS *CHELLARAMS NAHCO FSDH UBA *C & I LEASING *DANA# *TOWER# *TOWER# UBA *LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS# *DANA NAHCO STANBIC IBTC STANBIC IBTC

13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014 10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020 182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024 13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

18-Dec-09 01-Apr-10 17-Aug-10 09-Dec-10 06-Jan-11 29-Sep-11 25-Oct-13 30-Sep-10 30-Nov-12 09-Apr-11 09-Sep-11 09-Sep-11 22-Sep-11 18-Oct-13 17-Feb-12 01-Apr-14 14-Nov-13 30-Sep-14 30-Sep-14

13.50 17.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 13.00 14.25 13.00 18.00 16.00 18.00 16.00 14.00 15.75 17.00 16.00 15.25 11.93 13.25

13.17 2.00 3.61 13.62 0.60 15.00 5.53 20.00 0.73 6.30 2.90 0.80 35.00 2.40 0.41 4.50 2.05 0.10 15.44

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

144.16

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

140.12

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

AfDB

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

3.23

1.00

14.71

88.68

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

4.45

1.00

14.49

90.09

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

24.95 22.31

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

5.57

5.40

106.12

107.00

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

4.64

4.40

101.60

102.42

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

5.85

5.73

103.49

104.37

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,556.05

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

8.52

8.52

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

4.87

4.87

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

6.83

6.83

101.00

101.00

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

9.44

8.95

92.57

93.93

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.32

5.95

98.89

100.17

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

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

6.46

6.46

99.20

99.20

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

9.28

9.02

98.09

99.00

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

8.11

8.11

99.75

99.75

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

AFREN PLC III

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

8.11

8.11

93.00

93.00

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC II

9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021

24-Jun-14

9.25

400.00

24-Jun-21

9.44

9.18

99.25

100.50

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK LTD

8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021

23-Jul-14

8.00

450.00

23-Jul-21

8.45

8.45

96.75

96.75

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

8.47

8.23

100.42

101.63

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,760.00 4,726.01

Business | Financial Market News

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

43

Stocks fall further by N251bn

PROFIT TAKING

Profit taking takes toll on the local bourse

activities on the floor of the market closed on a negative note, as the listed equities lost points and remained on the red territory following sell pressure on blue chip companies.

The twin market performance measures - the NSE ASI and market capitalisation, dropped by 2.2 per cent, as the market tempo reduced.

Stoies by Chris Ugwu

T

he bearish trend on the Nigerian stock market yesterday continued with the overall market indices depreciating by 2.2 per cent.

Consequently, trading

At the close of trading, 17 stocks recorded price appreciation, while 35 others constituted the losers table.

The twin market indicators, the All-Share Index dropped by 756.8 basis points or 2.2 per cent from 34,902.59, the previous day to close at 34,145.79, while the market capitalisation dropped by N251 bil-

Tiger Brands reports 22% profit drop on Dangote write down

T

iger Brands Limited (TBS) said fullyear profit dropped 22 per cent after South Africa’s largest food producer wrote down the value of two businesses in Nigeria.

According to Bloomberg News, the company’s profit declined to 2.02 billion rand ($183 million) in the 12 months ended Sept. 30 from 2.58 billion rand a year earlier, the Johannesburg-based company said in a statement yesterday.

The average of nine analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg was for N2.69 billion rand.

Tiger Brands will impair the value of its Dangote Flour Mills business in Nigeria by 105 million rand, in addition to a 849 million-rand write down in the first half, it said.

The company also recognised 68 million rand of impairments relating to its acquisition of Deli Foods, a biscuit manufacturer in

lion or 2.2 per cent from N11.564 trillion to N11.313 trillion.

Further analysis of the day’s trading showed that RT Briscoe Plc topped the day’s gainers’ table with 8.97 per cent to close at 85 kobo, while Champion Breweries Nigeria Plc followed with 4.97 per cent to close at N9.71 per share.

On the flip side, Trans-

corp Nigeria Plc led losers with a drop of 5.23 per cent to close at N3.99, while Oando Nigeria Plc shed 5.17 per cent to close at N21.81 per share.

On the activity chart, other financial services sub-sector dominated in volume terms with 93.8 million shares worth N602.6 million in 901 deals. The sub sector was enhanced by the ac-

tivities in the shares of FBNH and FCMB Plc. The banking services sub-sector boosted by the shares of GTB Plc and Zenith Bank followed with 63.1 million units, worth N972.2 million in 1,269 deals.

In all, investors exchanged a total of 268.1 million shares, worth N3.3 billion in 4,217 deals.

Okumo’s pre-tax profit grows by 56%

O

Africa’s largest economy, which it bought 2011.

“Although the shortterm challenges relating to DFM persist, there are encouraging signs of improvement as remedial actions to improve product quality, reduce the fixed-cost base and drive top-line growth start to bear fruit,” the company said.

Tiger, which makes Jungle Oats and All Gold tomato sauce, bought a 63.5 per cent stake in Dangote Flour Mills from Dangote Industries Limited in September 2012 for about $190 million, its third and largest purchase in Nigeria.

Tiger targeted acquisitions in the West African country as it saw limited opportunities in its home market.

The company declared a final dividend of 6.11 rand a share, taking the total for the year to 9.40 rand, 9 percent more than 2013.

komu Oil Palm Plc has recorded a 56 per cent growth in pre-tax profit for the third quarter ended September 30, 2014.

The company in a filing with Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) posted a profit before tax of N2.077 billion for the period under review, as against N1.612 billion during the comparable period of 2013.

Revenue stood at N6.899 billion as against N6.787 recorded in 2013, representing a growth of 1.6 per cent.

Okomu’s performance indicators for the year ended December 31, 2013, decreased as the company’s profit after tax dipped to N425.09 million against the N8.95 billion posted in 2012.

The results, which were contained in the company’s audited result released by the Exchange, indicated a decrease of 95.25 per cent in net profit over the figure in 2012.

Profit before tax also declined by 38.17 per cent to N2.69 billion from N4.35 billion achieved in the corre-

sponding period of 2012, while gross profit stood at N4.99 billion in contrast to the N6.31 billion achieved in 2012, a decrease of 20.92 per cent.

The company’s turnover stood at N8.86 billion against N10.15 billion achieved in 2012, representing a decrease of 12.71 per cent.

The firm attributed the drop to a tough operating environment for agri-processing companies, especially seen in lower than average commodity prices and/or volumes.

However, the company recorded 17.5 per cent growth in pretax profit during the second quarter ended June 2014.

Similarly, profits grew from N1.427 billion during the comparable period of 2013 to N1.730 billion in 2014, indicating a growth of 17.5 per cent.

The revenue inched up marginally by 0.8 per cent from N4.829 billion in 2013 to N4.869 billion during the period under review, while total asset increased by 6.5

per cent to N32.594 billion from N30.491 billion during the comparable period.

The company plans to invest about N8 billion over the next four years for business expansion.

The firm’s Chairman, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode said they would plant at least 10,000 hectares of oil palm within the next three years and thereafter, a new 60 tonnes/ hour oil mill would be erected to process the FFB produced under the proposed investment plan.

At the company’s 34th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Abuja, Oyebode said whilst prospects may not currently seem too optimistic, the company’s board feels there was still underlying potential for the company’s development within Nigeria, promising that opportunities exit to offer better returns for the shareholders in the future.

He said the company has begun the expansion of its current oil mill from 30t/hr to 60t/ hr at a cost of about N2.5 billion.

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

19-Nov-14

The FMDQ Daily Quotations List (DQL) comprises market and model prices/rates of foreign exchange ($/N) products, fixed income securities and instruments in the OTC market. The use of this report is subject to **Treasury FIXINGS Money Market the FMDQBills OTC PLC Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement on www.fmdqotc.com.

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) DTM 8 15 FGN Bonds 22 36 Rating/Agency 43 50 57 64 71 78 85 92 99 106 NA 113 127 134 141 148 155 162 169 176 TOTAL OUTSTANDING 260 288

VALUE

Maturity 27-Nov-14 4-Dec-14 11-Dec-14 25-Dec-14 Issuer 1-Jan-15 8-Jan-15 15-Jan-15 22-Jan-15 29-Jan-15 5-Feb-15 12-Feb-15 19-Feb-15 26-Feb-15 5-Mar-15 NA 12-Mar-15 26-Mar-15 2-Apr-15 9-Apr-15 16-Apr-15 23-Apr-15 30-Apr-15 7-May-15 14-May-15 6-Aug-15 3-Sep-15

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

Bid Discount (%) 11.00 12.50 11.20 12.30 Description 12.30 12.40 4.00 23-APR-2015 12.10 11.60 13.05 16-AUG-2016 12.40 15.10 27-APR-2017 12.30 9.85 27-JUL-2017 10.60 9.35 31-AUG-2017 11.65 10.70 30-MAY-2018 12.60 16.00 29-JUN-2019 12.35 7.00 23-OCT-2019 12.15 16.39 27-JAN-2022 12.70 14.20 14-MAR-2024 12.50 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.25 12.49 22-MAY-2029 12.00 12.45 8.50 20-NOV-2029 12.30 10.00 23-JUL-2030 12.20 12.1493 18-JUL-2034 11.50 12.20 11.70

Offer Discount (%) 10.75 12.25 10.95 12.05 Issue 12.05Date 12.15 23-Apr-10 11.85 11.35 16-Aug-13 12.15 27-Apr-12 12.05 27-Jul-07 10.35 31-Aug-07 11.40 30-May-08 12.35 29-Jun-12 12.10 23-Oct-09 11.90 27-Jan-12 12.45 14-Mar-14 12.25 28-Nov-08 12.00 22-May-09 11.75 12.20 20-Nov-09 12.05 23-Jul-10 11.95 18-Jul-14 11.25 11.95 11.45

Bid Yield (%) 11.03 12.56 11.28 12.45 Coupon 12.48 (%) 12.61 4.00 12.33 11.84 13.05 12.71 15.10 12.63 9.85 10.87 9.35 12.00 10.70 13.05 16.00 12.81 7.00 12.62 16.39 13.29 14.20 13.10 15.00 12.86 12.49 12.61 13.14 8.50 13.01 10.00 12.93 12.1493 12.18 13.36 12.89

Bonds

NIBOR

Tenor Rate (%) O/N 15.7950 1M 14.3228 Outstanding Value Maturity 3M 14.8625 Date (N'bn) 6M 15.6026 535.00 23-Apr-15 563.89 16-Aug-16 452.80 NITTY 27-Apr-17 20.00 27-Jul-17 Tenor Rate (%) 100.00 31-Aug-17 1M 11.9475 300.00 30-May-18 2M 12.1221 351.30 29-Jun-19 3M 12.1756 233.90 23-Oct-19 6M 12.2477 600.00 27-Jan-22 9M 13.4069 371.68 14-Mar-24 12M 14.3219 75.00 28-Nov-28 150.00 22-May-29 200.00 NIFEX 20-Nov-29 591.57 23-Jul-30 Current Price ($/N)18-Jul-34 130.00 BID($/N) 173.5550 4,675.13 OFFER ($/N) 173.6550

4,466.79

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

15.58

Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums Rating/Agency Issuer **Exclusive of non-trading t.bills

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM Modified Duration Buckets

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION<3 Sub-National Bonds A+/Agusto A/Agusto A-/Agusto A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A-/GCR

3<5 >5 KADUNA Market *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO

Description

Issue Date

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 III 06-JUL-2017 PorfolioLCRM Market Total Outstanding Value(Bn) Volume(Bn)

1,021.69 1,054.73 947.05 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 3,023.47

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

1,016.68 951.30 1,093.25 3,061.23

Coupon (%)

24-May-10 0.00 03-Apr-12FMDQ FGN17.25 BOND 09-Dec-11 0.00/16.00 20-Apr-12 0.00/16.50 Weighting by Weighting

by Mkt 06-Jul-12 0.00/16.50 Outstanding Vol Value

33.21 31.08 35.71 31-Aug-10 100.00 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 14-Feb-12

33.79 34.88 31.32 12.50 100.00 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50

Outstanding Value (N'bn) 24.56 3.00 112.22 116.70 66.49 Bucket Weighting

INDEX

322.97

0.33 312.83

0.31 0.36 8.50 1.00

4.18 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00 34.14 9.00 14.96 11.13 27.00

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Price

Spot 174.05 174.15 O/N 16.00 7D Yield 170.72 170.96 Offer Offer TTM (Yrs) Bid Price REPO Bid Yield (%) 14D 170.99 171.31Price (%) Tenor Rate (%) 1M 171.62 172.25 0.42 12.20 11.82 96.67 96.82 Call 12.08 2M 172.83 173.96 1M1.74 13.20 3M 174.03 175.70 13.81 13.71 98.80 98.95 3M2.44 14.00 6M 177.86 181.36 13.79 13.72 102.60 102.75 6M2.69 14.89 1Y 185.61 193.79 13.81 13.74 91.32 91.47 2.78 13.79 13.72 89.99 90.14 NOTE: 3.53 13.66 13.54 91.92 92.22 4.61 13.49 13.41 108.35 108.65 :Benchmarks NA :Not Applicable 4.93Bond 13.49 13.39 # :Floating 77.17 77.47 * :Amortising Rate Bond 7.19Bond 13.63 13.57 ***: Deferred 112.35 112.65 µ :Convertible coupon bonds 9.32Management Corporation 13.74 13.69 102.30 102.60 AMCON: Asset of Nigeria 14.03 13.87 13.83 †: Bond rating 106.88expired 107.18 FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria 14.51Mortgage Bank 13.88 13.82 N/A :Not Available 91.44 91.74 FMBN: Federal of Nigeria IFC: International Finance Corporation 15.00 13.88 13.81 66.42 66.72 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables 15.67 13.78 Management 13.72 75.95 76.25 NAHCO: Nigerian Company 19.66 Aviation Handling 13.55 Company 13.50 NGC: Nigeria-German 90.40 90.70 UBA: United Bank for Africa O/N: Overnight UPDC: UAC Property Development Company WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company

*for the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration #

Tenor

Maturity Date

24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 % Exposure_ 06-Jul-17 Mod_Duration

14.67 30.48 54.85 31-Aug-15 100.00 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

0.51 1.25 2.06 2.42 2.63 Implied Yield

13.80 13.59 13.73 0.78 13.70 0.62 0.91 0.91 2.41 1.46 3.12 2.29 3.87 2.29 2.29 2.67

# Risk Premium (%)

2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 Implied 1.00 Portfolio Price

117.2055 130.2558 97.8475 4.44 114.3477 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 4.78 1.00

Valuation Yield (%) 14.86 15.51 15.88 14.85 14.82 INDEX

1,113.21 1,102.96 1,144.01 17.05 1,091.92 15.61 17.24 16.27 19.44 14.53 15.52 15.66 14.59 14.86 18.64 14.81

Indicative Price 92.90 102.10 99.37 96.80 YTD Return 93.96 (%)

11.3213 10.2956 14.4009 96.74 9.1920 99.16 97.37 99.69 82.43 99.16 96.31 97.13 98.24 99.39 91.61 99.41

Printed 19/11/2014 15:10:31.031

Daily Summary (Equities) Activity Summary on Board EQTY FINANCIAL SERVICES FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals

Daily Summary as of 19/11/2014

Printed 19/11/2014 15:10:31.031

44

2,281

HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC Pharmaceuticals Totals

Business | Capital Market Daily Summary (Bonds)

197,088,638

1,596,303,443.85

THURSDAY, 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH No. ofNOVEMBER Deals Current Price Quantity Traded Value Traded

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH

4 30 8 8 8 58

2.20 3.40 52.00 1.50 0.92

20,000 1,642,900 36,952 111,200 21,274 1,832,326

41,800.00 5,586,314.00 1,893,864.12 167,696.00 19,781.36 7,709,455.48

1,832,326

7,709,455.48

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at November 19, 2014

No Debt Trading Activity

Daily Summary (Equities)

HEALTHCARE Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals

Symbol OKOMUOIL PRESCO

Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 42 12 54

Current Price 25.70 27.50

No. of Deals 28 28

Current Price 2.13

AGRICULTURE Totals

82

CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries Daily Summary as of 19/11/2014 A.G. 15:10:31.031 LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. Printed 19/11/2014 TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals

Symbol AGLEVENT TRANSCORP UACN

No. of Deals 11 233 59 303

Daily Summary (Equities)

CONGLOMERATES Totals

Current Price 1.30 3.99 44.70

303

Quantity Traded 1,088,686 1,590,981 2,679,667

Value Traded 28,095,186.89 43,681,989.23 71,777,176.12

Quantity Traded 1,253,950 1,253,950

Value Traded 2,680,644.50 2,680,644.50

3,933,617

74,457,820.62

Quantity Traded 133,400 16,433,139 1,225,075 17,791,614

Value Traded 175,518.00 66,013,480.06 55,811,082.23 122,000,080.29

17,791,614

122,000,080.29

IT Services TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC.

Daily Summary as of 19/11/2014 IT Services Totals Printed 19/11/2014 15:10:31.031

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE

Current Price 0.89

Quantity Traded Page 162,596 162,596

1Value Traded of 11 145,104.64 145,104.64

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

Symbol JBERGER ROADS

No. of Deals 26 1 27

Current Price 63.84 6.29

Quantity Traded 252,100 25,000 277,100

Value Traded 16,094,064.00 165,000.00 16,259,064.00

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

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 46 46

Current Price 11.03

Quantity Traded 637,632 637,632

Value Traded 7,162,109.42 7,162,109.42

1,077,328

23,566,278.06

89

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 32 32

Current Price 149.00

Quantity Traded 119,664 119,664

Value Traded 17,823,923.53 17,823,923.53

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

Symbol DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR NASCON NNFM

No. of Deals 73 51 25 40 1 190

Current Price 5.95 48.65 3.28 7.57 19.00

Quantity Traded 2,149,849 288,698 853,722 952,912 982 4,246,163

Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals

Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

No. of Deals 14 45 59

Current Price 46.63 900.22

Quantity Traded 25,170 44,043 69,213

Value Traded 1,115,295.50 38,132,646.54 39,247,942.04

Household Durables

Symbol VITAFOAM

No. of Deals 29 29

Current Price 3.70

Quantity Traded 679,991 679,991

Value Traded 2,575,658.61 2,575,658.61

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

No. of Deals 52 50 (Equities) 102

Current Price 23.00 33.92

Quantity Traded 302,643 621,676 924,319

Value Traded 6,971,352.70 21,132,053.22 28,103,405.92

8,598,253

473,766,913.44

Daily SummaryVITAFOAM as of 19/11/2014 NIG PLC. Printed 19/11/2014 15:10:31.031 Household Durables Totals Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals

Daily Summary

CONSUMER GOODS Totals EQTY Activity Summary on Board

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock DIAMOND BANK PLCExchange © ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITYasBANK PLC Daily Summary of 19/11/2014 WEMA BANK PLC. Printed 19/11/2014 15:10:31.031 ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CORNERSTONE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC. Activity Summary on Board EQTY

FINANCIAL SERVICES Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC MANSARD INSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. Published by ThePRESTIGE Nigerian Stock ExchangeCO. © PLC. ASSURANCE SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

643

Symbol ACCESS DIAMONDBNK ETI FIDELITYBK GUARANTY SKYEBANK STERLNBANK UBA UBN UNITYBNK WEMABANK ZENITHBANK

No. of Deals 107 44 52 43 342 59 35 230 41 2 7 307 1,269

Current Price 7.25 5.84 17.20 1.70 23.10 2.59 2.31 4.43 8.05 0.50 0.99 21.07

Quantity Traded 3,318,762 Page 2,011,161 6,551,291 1,830,898 18,273,603 1,606,545 3,337,410 8,340,738 909,922 629,368 72,447 16,278,854 63,160,999

Symbol

No. of Deals 18 3 14

Current Price 0.82 0.91 0.50

Quantity Traded 910,645 520,000 35,011,000

Daily Summary (Equities) AIICO CONTINSURE CORNERST

of

11

Value Traded 13,061,902.26 14,057,511.21 2,815,595.38 7,221,924.93 17,725.10 37,174,658.88

Quantity Traded 8,950 155,000 131,849 280,700 Page 16,200 200 100 2,987,634 40,022,278

Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals

Symbol NPFMCRFBK

No. of Deals Current Price 4 0.89 4

Quantity Traded 22,250 22,250

Value Traded 19,690.00 19,690.00

Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FBN HOLDINGS PLC Daily Summary as of 19/11/2014 FCMB GROUP PLC. Printed 19/11/2014 15:10:31.031 ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS FBNH FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals Current Price 35 3.09 31 3.85 694 9.04 47 3.29 13 0.50 26 27.50 55 1.71 Daily Summary (Equities) 901

Quantity Traded 236,999 10,179,782 43,929,740 33,518,746 2,775,885 1,500,847 1,741,112 93,883,111

Value Traded 727,306.49 40,692,699.16 406,770,387.97 108,230,727.99 1,394,906.02 41,872,774.62 2,989,306.36 602,678,108.61

Page

HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC Pharmaceuticals Totals

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH

HEALTHCARE Totals ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC Computer Based Systems Totals IT Services TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. IT Services Totals ICT Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS

No. of Deals 4 30 8 8 8 58

197,088,638 Current Price 2.20 3.40 52.00 1.50 0.92

58

of

Quantity Traded 1,196,776

Value Traded 27,547,349.06

Page

6

of

11

Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

Symbol CUTIX

No. of Deals 9 9

Current Price 1.54

Quantity Traded 361,994 361,994

Value Traded 556,451.89 556,451.89

Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC.

Symbol BETAGLAS

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 22.05

Quantity Traded 2,284 2,284

Value Traded 52,874.60 52,874.60

2,695,346

99,421,048.73

Quantity Traded 15,000 15,000

Value Traded 148,650.00 148,650.00

15,000

148,650.00

156 Symbol

No. of Deals 6 6

Current Price 10.43

Daily Summary (Equities) ALEX

6

Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Daily Summary of and 19/11/2014 IntegratedasOil Gas Services Totals Printed 19/11/2014 15:10:31.031 Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIAonPLC. Activity Summary Board EQTY

Symbol JAPAULOIL

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 0.50

Quantity TradedPage 24,228 24,228

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 283 283

Current Price 21.81

Quantity Traded 29,124,841 29,124,841

Value Traded 691,621,395.04 691,621,395.04

Symbol No. of Deals CONOIL 2 ETERNA 13 Daily FO Summary (Equities) 81 MOBIL 26 MRS 5

Current Price 49.23 3.30 202.00 165.00 56.00

Quantity Traded 138 184,432 148,041 69,330 5,500

Value Traded 6,454.26 608,005.28 29,152,591.95 10,869,787.50 292,600.00

Symbol TOTAL

No. of Deals Current Price 20 163.00 147

Quantity Traded 36,869 444,310

Value Traded 5,938,925.00 46,868,363.99

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals Current Price 33 442.00 33

Quantity Traded 480,031 480,031

Value Traded 204,222,805.70 204,222,805.70

30,073,410

942,724,678.73

465

Value Traded 7 of 11 12,114.00 12,114.00

Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals Current Price 20 0.85 20

Quantity Traded Page 449,603 449,603

Value Traded 8 380,162.55 of 11 380,162.55

Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals

Symbol REDSTAREX

No. of Deals Current Price 6 4.20 6

Quantity Traded 19,367 19,367

Value Traded 77,600.67 77,600.67

Employment Solutions

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals Current Price 7 0.50 7

Quantity Traded 695,700 695,700

Value Traded 347,850.00 347,850.00

Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals

Symbol IKEJAHOTEL

No. of Deals Current Price 32 3.67 32

Quantity Traded 2,860,160 2,860,160

Value Traded 10,199,255.21 10,199,255.21

Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals

C &19/11/2014 I LEASING PLC. Daily Summary as of Employment Solutions Totals Printed 19/11/2014 15:10:31.031

Daily Summary (Equities)

Page

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Activity Summary on Board EQTY

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

9

of

11

Symbol ACADEMY LEARNAFRCA UPL

No. of Deals Current Price 3 1.05 2 1.43 5 4.13 10

Quantity Traded 66,200 3,000 35,000 104,200

Value Traded 69,518.00 4,320.00 137,550.00 211,388.00

Road Transportation ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Road Transportation Totals

Symbol ABCTRANS

No. of Deals Current Price 5 0.60 5

Quantity Traded 29,336 29,336

Value Traded 18,191.05 18,191.05

Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals

Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

No. of Deals Current Price 2 1.66 30 4.70 32

Quantity Traded 30,000 450,729 480,729

Value Traded 47,400.00 2,113,413.30 2,160,813.30

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

Symbol CAVERTON

No. of Deals Current Price 16 3.60 16

Quantity Traded 159,300 159,300

Value Traded 587,513.12 587,513.12

128

4,798,395

13,982,773.90

4,217

268,170,927

3,354,217,183.10

Daily Summary as of 19/11/2014 PrintedSERVICES 19/11/2014Totals 15:10:31.031

EQTY Board Totals

Daily Summary (Equities)

Activity Summary on Board ASeM FINANCIAL SERVICES

Carriers, Brokers and Published byMortgage The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Services

OMOLUABI SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Symbol OMOSAVBNK

No. of Deals 1 1

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals

11

Quantity Traded 20,000 1,642,900 36,952 111,200 21,274 1,832,326

Value Traded 41,800.00 5,586,314.00 1,893,864.12 167,696.00 19,781.36 7,709,455.48

1,832,326

7,709,455.48

No. of Deals 5 5

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 265,000 265,000

Value Traded 132,500.00 132,500.00

Symbol TRIPPLEG

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 1.86

Quantity Traded 2,000 2,000

Value Traded 3,540.00 3,540.00

267,000

136,040.00

Current Price 0.64

Quantity TradedPage 55,000 55,000

1

10 of 11 Value Traded 35,200.00 35,200.00

55,000

35,200.00

ASeM Board Totals

1

55,000

35,200.00

Equity Activity Totals

4,218

268,225,927

3,354,252,383.10

1,596,303,443.85

Symbol COURTVILLE

6

136,040.00

Value Traded 736,325.00 224,048.60 2,961,565.45 13,933,892.40 9,496.03 53,399,045.70 98,811,722.24

SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Published by The R Nigerian StockPLC. Exchange © T BRISCOE

Value Traded 4,475.00 446,400.00 67,242.99 186,849.00 4 of 11 8,100.00 100.00 50.00 1,898,177.27 21,325,548.47

5

267,000

OIL AND GAS Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY 2,281

Value Traded 3,540.00 3,540.00

Quantity Traded 85,450 6,056 270,771 75,237 11,441 685,337 2,331,068

Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals

Value Traded 735,194.21 473,460.00 17,505,500.00

No. of Deals Current Price 4 0.50 4 2.88 3 0.51 19 0.66 2 0.50 1 0.50 1 0.50 38 0.65 107

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals

Quantity Traded 2,000 2,000

Current Price 8.70 36.60 10.90 185.20 0.87 78.00

OIL AND GAS Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

Value Traded 24,687,437.84 3 of 11 11,693,760.74 111,393,907.82 3,108,517.69 422,083,094.84 4,062,208.38 7,709,244.46 37,682,713.62 7,364,174.64 314,684.00 68,824.65 342,111,528.09 972,280,096.77

Symbol INTENEGINS MANSARD MBENEFIT NEM PRESTIGE SOVRENINS UNITYKAP WAPIC

Published FINANCIAL

by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © SERVICES

Current Price 1.86

No. of Deals 3 4 14 17 3 42 145

OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals

Value Traded 3,795,822.10 13,499,321.07 1,607,542.50 329,938,638.79 348,841,324.46

2

No. of Deals 1 1

Activity Summary on Board EQTY NATURAL RESOURCES Totals

Quantity Traded 392,652 84,202 58,350 2,023,699 2,558,903

Page

Symbol TRIPPLEG

Symbol BERGER CAP CCNN DANGCEM DNMEYER WAPCO

NATURAL RESOURCES Metals ALUMINIUM EXTRUSION IND. PLC. Metals Totals

Current Price 9.71 160.25 29.00 162.20

GOODS PublishedCONSUMER

by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Value Traded 132,500.00 132,500.00

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals

No. of Deals 25 27 8 171 231

Daily Summary (Equities)

Quantity Traded 265,000 265,000

Building Materials BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC DN MEYER PLC. LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals

Daily Summary as of 19/11/2014 Totals Packaging/Containers Printed 19/11/2014 15:10:31.031

Symbol CHAMPION GUINNESS INTBREW NB

Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Current Price 0.50

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol No. of Deals Current Price ASHAKACEM 62 23.00

Published

by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © INDUSTRIAL GOODS

No. of Deals 16 16

CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC Daily Summary as of 19/11/2014 INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. Printed 19/11/2014 15:10:31.031 NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals

No. of Deals 5 5

6

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Symbol COSTAIN

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals

Symbol COURTVILLE

ICT Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY Structure/Completion/Other Published Building

by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © COSTAIN (W A) PLC. Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals

58

ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC Computer Based Systems Totals

Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund

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

Symbol NEWGOLD VETGRIF30

No. of Deals 1 3 4

Current Price 2,014.00 15.43

Quantity Traded 7 32,810 32,817

Value Traded 14,098.00 507,562.30 521,660.30

ETF Board Totals

4

32,817

521,660.30

ETP Activity Totals

4

32,817

521,660.30

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Page

11

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11

NEW TELEGRAPH thursday, november 20, 2014

temporary

Ekiti APC may still be wandering what happened right before their chambers in AdoEkiti

Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, have declared that Dr Adewale Omirin of the All Pro-

7.8%

News 45

south - west

Omirin is still speaker, say PDP legislators gressives Congress (APC), is still the Speaker, saying he has not been removed from office.

They also reiterated that what happened on Monday was only the election of a temporary Speaker in accordance with the rules of the Assembly.

Five of the PDP lawmakers, led by Hon Samuel Oyedele Ajibola, stated this in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, when market

The percentage of individuals using the internet in developing countries in 2005.

Source: Itu.int

women led by their leader, Chief Mrs Olabisi Eunice Okunmolale, the Iyaloja General of Ekiti State, paid a courtesy visit to the Assembly Complex.

Ajibola, while answering a question on the controversy trailing the identity of some of the lawmakers that attended Monday's session, insisted that 10 members of the Assembly attended the session.

"Before the inaugura-

14

The life expectancy of men in Niger Republic at age 60 years in 2010-2015.

Source: Un.org

tion of Governor Ayo Fayose, I was the only PDP member in the Assembly and we worked on the APC members and six others joined us. I can tell you authoritatively that three other APC members are cooperating with us administratively and another set of three APC lawmakers would soon join us to boost our number in the Assembly, "he said.

Asked to mention the

515

The number of pending asylum seekers of Burkina Faso at the beginning of 2010.

Source: Blatantworld.com

names of the three APC currently cooperating with the PDP, he said,"You want me to put the lives of my colleagues in danger. I cannot do that, if we had gone to town listing the names of those to defect on the day of inauguration, the thing would have flopped.

"When the three and the other set of three lawmakers finally decide to defect publicly, it will be a bright day like October

31.8m

The estimated number of people living with HIV worldwide in 2007.

Source: Who.int

16, this year.

"The attendance of lawmakers at any plenary session is always part of the Votes and Proceedings that would be made available for the lawmakers when next they sit and the compilation of such is done by the staff of the Assembly. That is not our duty," Ajibola said.

Unease over 'strange' Ekiti lawmakers Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

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L-R: Chief Programme Officer, ICT Department, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Mr. Mohammed Nasir; Zonal Coordinator, South-West, Mr. Olusegun Jebota; Deputy Director, National University Commission (NUC), Mr. Haruna Lawal Ajo and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof. Kolawole Salako, at TETFund Capacity Building workshop on entrepreneurship development in Nigerian Public Tertiary Institutions, in Ogun State…yesterday.

Kekemeke: APC will give tickets to popular candidates Babatope Okeowo AKURE

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he All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ondo State yesterday said it will not give its ticket to candidates who lack the requisite financial ability to fund their political ambitions.

The Chairman of the party, Hon Isaac Kekemeke, said gone were

the days when people seeking the nomination of the party would beg for money to pay for party's form and later move from one party leader to another to seek fund for election.

Kekemeke, who spoke while receiving some computer systems donated by an aspirant of the state House of Assembly on the platform of the party said any-

NMA charges govt on standard Adeolu Adeyemo OSOGBO

N

igeria Medical Association (NMA), yesterday called on government to improve the country’s health sector to global standard to be able to combat all kinds of diseases without seeking external assis-

tance.

Osun state chapter of the association made the call through its chairman, Dr. Suraj Ogunyemi in osogbo, during a press conference in preparation of the opening ceremony of this year's Physicians Week of Osun NMA slated for Friday, November 21.

body who could not fund his campaign would be denied the opportunity to run on the platform of the party.

He lamented the situation of aspirants who resorted to financial assistance to pay for party's ticket wondering how such aspirants would get funds to run their electioneering campaigns.

Also, he insisted that the party would not

thread the path of imposition in the choice of candidate for the 2015 elections noting, that APC would only follow the wishes and aspiration of the people in the state and will not bow to any external interference.

According to him, those who claimed to have been endorsed by some leaders of the party outside the state are

2015: Ekiti police move to mop up illegal arms Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

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he Ekiti State Police Command, has said it has commenced moves to mop up all illegal arms in the state ahead of next year's general elections, saying it is giving those in possession of illegal arms 14 days to surrender them.

According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Victor Babayemi, the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Mr Taiwo Lakanu, enjoined politicians in the state and their supporters to play the game by the rules and eschew any act that could cause breach of the peace.

merely spreading falsehood, noting that it is an attempt to frustrate other aspirants within the party.

The chairman reassured all aspirants as well as members of the party of level playing ground, as he said God was magnificient in the way the fortune of the party has risen in the state within the shortest period.

group, the Ekiti Youth Vanguard, has urged security agents in the state to unravel, arrest and prosecute three persons who it alleged impersonated as members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly during the Assembly's sitting on Monday.

The group, said the unknown persons joined seven Peoples Democratic Party members to conduct the sitting of the Assembly on the said day.

Coordinator of the group, Mr Charles Fakunle, in a statement in AdoEkiti yesterday, said the handling of the case should go beyond the illegality of the matter with the investigation and prosecution of those who had hands in the illegality.

It also called on the Inspector General of Police to identify the policemen deployed to provide a shield for the seven PDP members that sat that day.

Fakunle added, “The whole exercise is an illegality and null and void because the speaker did not call the plenary and all the rules that must apply if the speaker is unavoidably absent for an important and urgent sitting were flagrantly ignored. Whether seven sat or indeed ten sat, it is not important, what is important is that it is an illegal sitting and a nullity aided by a battalion of policemen without the knowledge and approval of the speaker who should call such a sitting."

Lagos sets four new judges Shola Adefuwa

L

agos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola has approved the appointment of four new judges for the State High Court.

A statement issued yesterday by the Lagos High Court Public Relations Officer, Mrs Grace Alo, noted that the governor’s approval was

sequel to the recommendation of the National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar.

The newly appointed judges include the current Lagos High Court Registrar, Mrs Iyabo Olamide Akinkugbe and Mrs. Serifat Iyabode Sonaike.

46

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POPULARITY

Seven years out of government, Kalu is still a crowd puller and man of the people

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ajor cities in the South eastern part of the country including Aba, Umuahia and Nsukka, were agog with jubilations as former gover-

SOUTH-EAST

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Jubilation in South-East as Kalu gets PDP’s waiver for Senate nor of Abia state, Dr. Orji Kalu, was granted a special waiver by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to contest for the Abia North Senatorial District, in the 2015 general elections.

Rising from its meeting yesterday, the National Working Committee

of the PDP, announced the granting of a special waiver considering the fact that he rejoined the party in January 2011.

The party leadership also directed that Kalu should be screened in Abuja in the ongoing screening of National Assembly aspirants.

Kalu had a few weeks ago picked and submitted his expression of interest and nomination forms to run as a senator.

Thousands of Kalu’s supporters including market men and women, artisans, students, aged women thronged the streets of Aba, Umuahia,

Onitsha and Igbere to celebrate the development, which they termed a wise and timely decision.

Speaking to our correspondent, an indigene of Abia State, who is a student of Economics in University of Nigeria (UNN), Peter Chuks, said: “We appreciate the decision of

Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha (left) and the former Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, after their meeting at the Villa, in Abuja… yesterday

the PDP in granting our mentor a waiver to contest. Dr. Kalu is the adopted father of students everywhere in Nigeria. We love him and we believe in him. He is a dynamic and selfless leader. We are all celebrating the waiver across universities”.

A former Chairman of Arochukwu LGA of Abia State, Mazi Chibuike Jonas, also told our correspondent that though the waiver was long overdue, nevertheless the party has given hope to all members that justice and fairness are the tenets of the party.

PDP will continue to wax stronger not just in Abia but Nigeria as a whole.”

In a telephone conversation with the beneficiary of the waiver, Kalu, he said: “I believe our party, PDP has been fair to all.

The decision to grant me a waiver is a laudable effort of the leadership and members of the party. I am indeed happy. Let me use this opportunity to inform our followers, supporters and party stalwarts that political differences in the state have been put to rest.

“We should all ignore the past and move forward in the interest of the party and Nigeria. We would ensure victory for Mr. President and all PDP aspirants running for positions in Abia State,” Kalu added.

Seven aspirants oppose Chukwumerije’s fourth term bid Igbeaku Orji Umuahia

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even Senatorial aspirants for the Abia North District, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party have kicked against the fourth term bid of Dr. Uche

Chukwumereije in the Senate.

The aspirants, Dr Eme Okoro, Chiefs Ndidi Okereke, Leo Ogba, Ota Kalu, Ama Abraham Nnanna, Mazi Donatus Okorie and Professor Okwu Alaezi, said it was time to have an alterna-

More trouble for Chukwu in Ebonyi Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

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eoples Democratic Party (PDP), stakeholders in Ebonyi State under the aegis of the of Ebonyi PDP Forum have urged the former Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu to withdraw from the governorship race, as he would not receive the support of the forum in the election.

The group, advised Chukwu to see the handwriting on the wall and turn down his ambition because the electorate in the state were already aggrieved about the way and manner he emerged as consensus candidate.

The call was the second in the series after Second Republic Senator of Abakaliki zone and one of the governorship aspi-

rants, Chief Offia Nwali, had told Chukwu to continue with his national drive for the fight of Ebola Virus Disease and “not to mess himself up with the situation in the state politics”.

New Telegraph gathered that four members of the PDP caucus in the Federal House of Representatives had also distanced themselves from Chukwu’s adoption, insisting that there should be a level playing ground in the conduct of the elections.

The forum, through a statement signed by its Coordinator, Chief Mathias Igboke, urged the National Working Committee to examine from the various aspirants whether due process was observed before the purported adoption of Chukwu by a section of Olds Abakaliki political bloc.

tive and more vibrant representation for the area in the senate.

The aspirants said stakeholders in a particular democratic environment are the ones who should decide who would represent them and vowed to resist im-

position of candidates.

While they have not agreed on the candidate who would fly the party’s flag, the seven aspirants noted that Chukwumereije as a distinguished Igbo son would be useful more in organizations like the

Ohaneze Ndigbo, where his wealth of experience would be of immense benefit to the Igbo nation and not any longer in the senate.

The spokesman of the group, Dr Eme Okoro said, “We represent the Abia North and we are

worried by the representation in the senatorial district, when there is bad governance those who bear the brunt of bad leadership are the stakeholders, we are worried by reports that a particular candidate has the automatic ticket.”

Seven years after, 22 MASSOB detainees’ case suffers setback

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he trial of 22 members of the Movement for the Actualization for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB),arraigned in court for the first time since their detention in seven years before a Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, has suffered a set back.

The court failed to entertain their case, due to the absence of the trial judge, Justice M. L. Abubakar. A

new date was given to their counsel for November 27.

The 22 members of the movement were arrested seven years ago and charged with treasonable felony The detainees were returned to Awka and Onitsha prisons respectively.

Speaking with newsmen on the development, the Director of information of MASOB, Uchenna Madu, called for the immediate

release of his members , saying keeping them for seven years without trial was enough punishment, especially when they were a non violent group.

He said, “In the spirit of late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, we appeal to the leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to intervene in this matter” “We urge Governor

Willie Obiano,who we believe shares the same political ideology with Ojukwu to ensure the release of our brothers who have suffered unjustly in Awka and Onitsha prisons,” Madu added.

“MASSOB lament the unhealthy condition of our brothers and sisters who have been abandoned for more than seven years in prison.”

Anambra residents demand probe into N39bn river dredging Okegwo Kenechukwu ONITSHA

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ictims of the 2012 flood disaster in Anambra State, have called on the National Assembly to set up probe into the alleged N39 billion contract awarded for the dredging of the River Niger.

The Chairman, Anam-

bra State Industrial Harbour Layout,Ogbaru L.G.A, Chief Paul Okonkwo, who made the call when he received the Chairman of the Local Government council Chief Victor Agolua, in his office at Odoekpe, said the probe has become necessary to clear the Federal Government of the accu-

sation that it has no plan for industrial growth and development in the area.

Okonkwo, told the council chairman that over 25 per cent of the industries in the industrial layout have been shut down since the flood disaster, which he said almost submerged the entire Ogbaru Council area.

According to him, the layout has the largest concentration of small and medium scale industries in the entire South East Region, but noted with regret that since the incident happened, both the Federal and State Government are yet to do any reasonable thing to give succor to the people who he said were devastated.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2014

CAPTIVITY

It is not only Boko Haram that holds people captive, the Niger Delta is also getting hot Joe Obende Warri

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aily independent regional editor, Mr. Emma Amrubi, one of the journalists abducted and brutalised by armed Ijaw lieutenants of former militant, Mr. Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) in the waterways of Warri, has been discharged from hospital.

Arubi, who suffered multiple lacerations on his back and injuries on

News 47

SOUTH-SOUTH

Kidnapped journalist discharged from hospital his face, following severe flogging from his abductors, was immediately admitted into a Warri hospital after his release from captivity on Sunday.

The abducted journalists, who were regional editors and correspondents of various media houses include; Emma Amaize (Vanguard), Sola Adebayo (Leadership), Emma Arubi (Daily Independent), Shola O’neil and Bolaji Ogundele (both of The Nation) were returning from Ogidigben, one of the Ugborodo communities hosting the Federal Government’s $16 billion EPZ

in Warri South-West Local Government of Delta State after a rally and press briefing held by Itsekiri people in the community.

Also abducted were Awoso Harry of Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS) Warri, Olu Philis and Odedeyi both of Channels Television, Osarose Sadoh and Alex Omoniyi, both of AIT, Anthony Ebule, Celestine Ukah, Josephine Ughweri and Victoria Nwaeze, all of Fresh Angle newspaper, a Warri-based community tabloid.

The 14 journalists and six members of the Ogi-

digben community were returning to Warri from Ogidigben, when they were accosted by a hoard of fierce-looking persons, suspected to be militants, around Oporoza community in a number of speedboats and were later diverted off their route into a compound.

New Telegraph gathered from reliable security sources that attempts to rescue the abducted persons earlier in the day were blocked by their abductors and that it took a higher reinforcement before they could be made to accede to

security pressure.

According to one of the sources, “We have it on authority that those who abducted the journalists were very displeased that we rescued them unhurt, so it is our duty to see to your safety and be sure you are secure indeed.”

The journalists, who were abducted about 1.00pm some distance away from Oporoza Jetty, were taken to a base where they were held hostage and tormented till they were handed over to a joint team of officers of the army and navy about 7.00pm Sunday evening.

L-R: Senator Domingo Obende; former Vice President and APC Presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar with the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, during Atiku’s courtesy visit of to the Governor in Benin City…yesterday.

Ex-militants back Emerhor Gabriel Choba Ughelli

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group known as the Concerned ExMilitants for Jonathan/ O’tega 2015 (CEJO) yesterday vowed to mobilise thousands of voters from the riverine areas in Delta State to vote in President Goodluck Jonathan and Cheif O’tega Emerhor, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the governorship position in Delta State in the 2015 general elections.

In a statement signed by the spokesman of the group, Lugard Atigbi, the group advised PDP leaders to look beyond the party in building the future of Delta State, noting that what the people want is a perfect gentleman, who would not renege in his electioneering promises.

The statement reads in part; “We are tired of playing politics with deceivers, who would claim to transform Delta after being elected, but at the end of the day, would deviate from electioneering promises and decide to toe another line of action, thereby causing commotion; not minding the pains people are passing through.

“We want a man that can take Delta to the next level of transformation and O’tega Emerhor is the answer to that question.”

Atiku woos Oshiomhole Okocha: Some guber aspirants can’t deliver Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

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ormer Vice-President and All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant in the 2015 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, yesterday visited Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole and leaders of the party to seek their support ahead of next year’s polls.

Atiku, who was accompanied by some of his aides and campaign team during the visit solicited for the cooperation of Governor Oshiomhole, the party leaders and people of the state towards the realisation of his ambition to secure the presidential ticket of the APC. The visit according to findings is coming ahead of the party’s preparations for its convention slated for the second week of December.

It is expected that Ati-

ku, who was the country’s former vice-president under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007, will slug it out with former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, during the party’s primaries.

He is believed to be making positive political overtures to garner more support towards the epic battle to swing the support of the party leadership and members across the 36 states of the federation to his side.

Atiku said he was in Benin to meet with the governor as well as interact with party faithful in the state.

He said: “I am here this morning to have an audience with you and also to interact with party faithful in the state and I want to thank you for this opportunity and I hope we will make the best use of the day in Edo today.”

Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

F

ormer President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Chief O. C. J. Okocha, yesterday said that some of the 16 aggrieved governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot even deliver their wards to the

party in the 2015 elections.

Okocha, who stated this in his office while chatting with newsmen, urged them to work collectively for the party and ensure that the most qualified governorship aspirant gets the governorship ticket, pointing out that the party’s interest towers above individuals’ interests.

He urged the aggrieved aspirants to respect party supremacy, which he said they cannot challenge.

He said: “I will only say to them that they will have to be charitable in their thinking; they have to be open-minded in their perception, just as I have given them free-

dom to formal opinions, which are theirs...

“Focusing particularly on the 16 names, I want to say, with all sense of responsibility that every man is taught, in our folklore, to use his tongue and count his teeth before he starting to say anything that may be controversial.”

Amaechi fit for presidency says APC chief Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

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chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has said that Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has the qualities to become the country’s president come 2015.

He also said that as far as the All Progressives Congress (APC)

was concerned, the governor remains a factor in determining who gets the party’s nomination for the presidential election.

Eze, who was the former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), noted in a statement that Amaechi has over the years acquired the requisite political stature and experience to influence

the outcome of the battle among the aspirants eyeing the presidential ticket in the APC. He noted that Amaechi’s key role in stabilising and repositioning APC and his contributions towards the growth of the party speak eloquently of his relevance, but pointed out that the governor was focused on ensuring that the party defeats the People Democratic Party (PDP) in the

general elections.

“Although Amaechi is eminently qualified to be President and would make a good one if given the opportunity, his preoccupation at this moment is to flush out the ‘evil regime of the PDP’ come 2015, but if the All Progressives Congress (APC), of which he is one of the pillars, decides to support him for any elective post, so be it,” Eze said.

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thursday, november 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

north

Stop playing politics with people’s lives, says aspirant Ahmed Miringa Maiduguri

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senatorial aspirant for Southern Borno senatorial districts on the platform of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Nicolas Mshelizza, has warned politicians to stop playing politics with people’s lives.

Mshelizza, who made the call yesterday while interacting with journalists in Maiduguri said: “It is unfortunate that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government in Borno State closed the gate of the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) camp when we visited them to present some relief materials, depriving them of their livelihood.”

He said it is unfortunate that politician are playing politics with the security challenges facing the state, as he believed that the relief materials will assist both the government and the IDPs, stressing that after all, what government is giving them is their right, as the materials were bought with government resources.

Tsav blames FG for Nassarawa killings Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

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ormer Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, yesterday blamed the Federal Government for the recent killings in Nasarawa State, saying the government refused to take action on previous attacks in the state.

He said the recent killings were carried out because the Federal Government failed to act on previous attacks by Ombatse militia in Alaikyo village, which resulted in the killing of innocent citizens.

Tsav said in an interview that the recent violence was because government refused to take action against the Ombatse group in respect of the 74 security operatives that were ambushed and killed in cold blood last year.

He wondered why the Federal Government has remained adamant as nothing serious has been done to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crimes and their sponsors to justice.

He said it was unfortunate that perpetrators of violent crimes are allowed to walk the streets freely despite the magnitude of their crime.

L-R: National President, Actors Guild Of Nigeria (AGN), Ibinabo Fiberesima; National Secretary, Mr. Abubakar Yakubu and immediate past President, Mr. Segun Arinze, at their visit to the Internally Displaced Persons camp in Gombe …yesterday.

Borno reopens primary schools hope

There is hope for normalcy as children go back to school Ahmed Miringa Maiduguri

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he Borno State government has reopened primary schools in the state, following eight months of closure on account of the security challenges facing the state.

With the reopening of the schools, learning activities have commenced in schools across the

state, especially those in the metropolis.

Our correspondent, who went round the schools in Maiduguri metropolis, said that already learning and teaching activities have picked up in earnest.

The Principal of Gwange 111 Universal Primary Education Primary School, Mallam Ibrahim Idi, said the turnout of students and pupils was impressive, as over 50 per cent of the students and pupils have resumed fully.

He said: “Over 900 out 2, 500 students in the school have resumed, with over 600 students of our junior secondary school already in while

all the teachers are in attendance.”

Idi said parents, pupils and students in all the schools were happy with the re-opening of the schools as such informed the impressive turnout of pupils and students, adding that the PTA chairman of the school also visited the schools to show appreciation.

A student of the school, Ahmed Tujjani, said he was happy with the re-opening of the schools, as they were tired of staying at home, thanking the Borno State government.

A teacher, Abdullahi Audu, said they were happy with the development, as they were tired

Yero: Why I have not initiated new projects Ibraheem Musa Kaduna

K

aduna State Governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, yesterday gave reasons why he has not initiated new projects since he became the governor of the state after the demise of the former governor, Sir Patrick Yakowa, in 2012.

He said his administration has been busy trying to complete projects initiated by his predecessors, adding that he would be coming up with new projects if given the mandate in the 2015 general elections.

The governor, who made this known when he received leaders and members of the Yoruba community, who paid him a courtesy call in

his office, said his administration believes in continuity and will not abandon ongoing projects to initiate new ones.

According to him, “I believe it is more economical and wise to complete ongoing projects, because public funds have already been invested by past administrations that awarded the contracts. It will amount to wastage for us to just come and abandon such projects when monies have already been invested in them simply because we want to initiate new ones.”

Yero recently came under criticism for not initiating new projects, almost two years after he assumed office, following the demise of his predecessor.

The governor com-

mended the Yoruba community for living peacefully with other ethnic groups, while also urging them to actively participate in all development initiatives of the state.

He said Kaduna State accommodates all ethnic groups irrespective of their religions, “as long as people are ready to obey laws, we have no discrimination against them.” He also promised to provide more economic opportunities for the Yoruba and all other communities in the state.

Earlier in his speech, President General of the Yoruba community in the 19 northern states, Allhaji Ganiyu Oguntoyinbo, thanked the governor for his efforts at promoting peaceful co-existence in the state.

of staying at home, adding that even in Afghanistan and Iraq, schools are still open.

The Chairman of the high powered 19-man committee on the resuscitation of primary education in Borno State, Dr. Mohammed el-Nur Dungel, said government has concluded arrangements to deploy two soldiers and two civilian JTF each to all the 450 out of the 1, 353 primary schools within Maiduguri metropolis and its environs.

He said: “It is mandatory for us to ensure that there is adequate and proper security in these primary schools that we reopened pending the improvement in

the security situation in other parts of the state, especially in the eight local government areas that that are affected or captured by the Boko Haram insurgents.

“However, you people should know that we only reopened primary schools for now and not secondary schools, because our children have stayed at home for almost nine months.”

On the children of the IDPs from other local government councils that are currently taking refuge in the state capital, Dongel said: “We are also looking at the situation carefully to enable us incorporate the IDPs’ camps into the system."

‘NLC’s creation of caretaker committee for Labour Party illegal’ Muhammad Kabir Kano

L

abour Party (LP) executives yesterday rejected the constitution of a caretaker committee for the party by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), describing it as illegal.

The party said such committee, set up to oversee its activities, is in clear violation of the party’s constitution and the existing laws.

The Labour Party leaders, who briefed newsmen in Kano yesterday, reminded the NLC and the TUC that the unions have no specified function in the constitution of the party, as they are only mentioned as National Executive Council (NEC) members without any special powers given

to them.

Chairman of the Labour Party in Kano State, Alhaji Mohammad Abdullahi Raji, who spoke with the media alongside his Secretary, Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim, said “ordinarily, if not for the purpose of clearing some issues, the action of the NLC and its counterpart would simply be considered as balderdash by a group of desperados already dismissed by the party.”

He continued: “Secondly, the response became necessary to set the records straight that the Labour Party is not an extension of the NLC and the TUC, because our party was legally registered

by INEC and it has an existing constitution and mandatory provisions of INEC laws and the electoral law is what is fully binding on the party."

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2014

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NATIONAL

Lawyer writes Fayose, alleges threat to APC lawmakers Adesina Wahab Ado-Ekiti

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L-R: Regional Vice-President, RIFAN, Tony Muoneke; General Manager, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), Abimbola Okoya; Senior Representative, Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA Nigeria Office), Hiroshi Kodoma and Director, External Relations and Capacity Building Market II, USAID, Godson Ononiwu, at the NEPAD Business Group Nigeria’s 2nd Nigeria Rice Investment Forum in Abuja…on Tuesday

lawyer, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, has accused Ekiti State governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, of threatening the lives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the state House of Assembly, who refused to defect to the governor’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In an open letter dated November 18, 2014 to the governor, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in AdoEkiti yesterday, the lawyer accused the governor of harassing the lawmakers for holding on to their political belief.

Adamawa accuses Fintiri of doctoring financial records Aspirant decries imposition Ibrahim Abdul Yola

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damawa Government has accused the state Assembly Speaker, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, of lying about his 89 days tenure as Acting Governor. The governor accused Fintiri’s interim administration of massive embezzlement of state’s funds, adding that the administration surreptitiously borrowed about N5.5billion which it lumped on the

loans it inherited from Nyako’s regime.

A statement yesterday

by Mr Phineas Elisha, the Director Public Affairs to Governor Bala Ngilari, said the claim

by Fintiri in a recent world press conference on his stewardship that he inherited a debt of N12 billion from Murtala Nyako administration was not correct.

“We wish to categorically state that the actual debt position of the state government was

N7.6 billon and not N12.

8 billion as claimed”, the statement said.

It accused Fintiri of adding the amount his administration borrowed on the N7.6 billion to arrive at N12.8 billion.

“However, we realized that the figure of N12.8 billion presented as total liquid cash owed by the state, was prepared by the Financial Consultant (Ahmed Bawa & Co) engaged by the former Acting Governor.

“In arriving at the

N12.8 billion figure, the consultant with the tacit consent of the former Acting Governor added the following amounts that were tactically borrowed by his administration into the state’s total loan portfolio inherited from the previous administration”, the statement said.

It also faulted Fintiri on his claim on repayment of loan and the saving of N2 billion from the review of interest rate on the loan.

Ahmed Mohammed Katsina

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retired Director of State Security Service (SSS) and APC governorship aspirant in Katsina State, Alhaji Sada Ilu, yesterday expressed concern over the imposition of candidates by political parties against the popular choice of party members.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after submitting his nomination

form, Ilu said such imposition has continued to hamper the growth of democracy.

He called for a change, so as to ensure a successful conduct of the 2015 elections and give the electorate the opportunity to elect leaders of their choice.

On why he joined politics, he said the reason was to fight injustice, inequality and oppression and firmly reestablish democratic values and the rule of law.

Nwazunku applauds PDP for Party shifts screening of Ajimobi thanks aspirants to Keffi dissolving Ebonyi exco Ibandan for support disturbances in Lafia, shortly after his return yo State governor, local government areas Cheke Emmanuel Charles Onyekwere which claimed lots of from Abuja, he said the O Abiola Ajimobi, has in Ibadanland.

LAFIA ABAKALIKI lives and property leadN15 billion bond applied expressed appreciation The governor paring to the grounding of by the governor, Chief to the people of Ibadan- ticularly commended he People’s Demombattled Speaker land for their unflinch- the support of the Ol- Eof the Ebonyi State Martin Elechi, from the Tcratic Party (PDP) social and economic acing cooperation and ubadan of Ibadanland, House of Assembly, Hon. capital market is unnec- in Nasarawa State has tivities in the last three support for his administration in the last three and a half years, saying this has helped tremendously in the achievements so far recorded.

He stated this while addressing the people of Oluyole Local Government as part of his working visit to the 11

Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I and the Olubadan-in-Council for his administration’s environmental sanitation and urban renewal programme, which he said had changed the face of Ibadan from being the dirtiest city in Nigeria to a modern capital city.

Party chieftain wants Ihenacho barred from screening Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

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ess than 24 hours to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) screening of governorship aspirants, a chieftain of the party, Mr. Kennedy Onyemara, has dragged Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho, a governorship aspirant on the APGA platform to a high court in the Mbano/ Etiti judicial division in

Imo State, asking the court for an interlocutory injunction restraining Ihenacho from further parading himself as a member of the party.

The suit, which was filed last Monday, also prayed the court to restrain Ihenacho from presenting himself before APGA’s screening committee or any other organ of the party in connection with the 2015 governorship election.

Chukwuma Nwazunku, yesterday commended the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alahaji Adamu Mu’azu for dissolving the state working committee of the party in Ebonyi, to avert more crises in the state.

Nwazunku made this known in Abakaliki while addressing journalists

essary and uncalled for.

According to him, “You know that we are on recess. We sat on 10th of this month and we believe that we are going to resume again on December 15. I heard that some people, about eight in number, went to a private house and talked about impeachment, but I thanked God that the court has restrained them.

‘APC’s template for Nigerians unbeatable’ Adeolu Adeyemo OSOGBO

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chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Fola Akinosun, yesterday assured Nigerians that the party’s template for the 2015 presidential race remains unbeatable by other political parties in the country.

Akinosun, who gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen on his ambition for the senatorial

position in Ibadan/Ibarapa federal constituency, said the party’s template is people-oriented and charged the people to cast their votes for the party in the forthcoming elections.

The aspirant further pointed out that “the committee set up by the leadership of the party under the chairmanship of former Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to organise a crisis-free primary election, is capable of presenting the best person for the job.”

shifted its screening of senatorial aspirants being conducted by the national secretariat of the party in Abuja from Lafia, the state capital, to Keffi in Keffi Local Government of the state.

The shift in the venue followed the civil

days.

State Chairman of the party, Mr. Yunana Iliya, told newsmen at the venue of the screening in Keffi that the prevailing security challenge in Lafia, forced the party to shift the exercise to Keffi.

Wamakko to contest senatorial election Umar Danladi Ado Sokoto

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fter months of speculation, Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State yesterday declared his intention to contest the Sokoto Central senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in 2015.

Wamakko said he decided to park all his languages from the Government House to his village, but resolved to contest to show appreci-

ation to APC elders who volunteered to donate the nomination form to him.

APC Treasurer and Chairman, Pilgrims Welfare Agency (PWA), Alhaji Mukhtari Maigona, made the presentation to the governor at a colourful ceremony attended by the ANPP stakeholders in the state.

The nomination form was purchased and presented to him yesterday by over 250 groups and political associates of the governor from across the eight local governments in the zone.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

Honduras’ Miss World contestant, sister murdered

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Honduran beauty queen has been found murdered just days before she was due to compete in the Miss World pageant in London, police said yesterday. The bodies of Maria Jose Alvarado, 19, and her sister Sofia were found buried near a river in the mountainous region of Santa Barbara, about 180 km (110 miles) from the capital Tegucigalpa, said

Leandro Osorio, head of the criminal investigation unit.

Alvarado, a student who aspired to become a career diplomat, had been due to take part in the Miss World events that start Thursday and culminate in the final in London Dec. 14.

She and her sister had been missing since last Thursday, when they were seen leaving a party in a car without a license plate. “I can confirm that the

Alvarado sisters were found.

We also have the murder weapon and the vehicle in which they were transported to the site where they were buried,” Osorio told local television.

Interior Minister Arturo Corrales told Honduran media that Plutarco Ruiz, the boyfriend of the beauty queen’s sister, was responsible for the crime. Police arrested Ruiz and another man Tuesday, confiscating two

pistols. Alvarado was crowned Miss Honduras World 2014 in April, beating 18 other contestants to the top spot. She could not live without lip gloss or the Web site Wikipedia.org according to her official bio on the Miss World competition page.

Organizers of the event, which began in the United Kingdom in the 1950s, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Honduras

is the world’s most violent country with a murder rate above 90 people per 100,000, about double the rate of its closest peers Venezuela, Belize and El Salvador.

Mexico’s drug cartels have expanded into Honduras in recent years, making the impoverished Central American nation a major thoroughfare for trafficking South America cocaine to the United States and driving a surge in violence.

Clashes as Hong Kong protesters attempt to break into parliament

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ong Kong police clashed with pro-democracy demonstrators yesterday after a small group attempted to break into the city’s legislature, as splits emerged within the movement ahead of the expected clearance of protest camps.

Around 100 police used pepper spray and batons as they battled hundreds of protesters, some in helmets and waving umbrellas, a symbol of their movement in an angry confrontation that broke out in the early hours. Officers made six arrests. “Police strongly condemn such acts by the protesters, which disrupted public order,” the police force said in a statement.

The clashes were sparked when a group of around a dozen masked protesters smashed their way through a side entrance to the southern Chinese city’s Legislative Council (LegCo) using metal barricades as battering rams. “Smash it open then get inside,” one protester was heard saying in footage aired by the local TVB channel.

At least one demonstrator made their way into the building, according to the Apple Daily newspaper. A regular session of the chamber was cancelled yesterday and visitor tours of the complex were suspended, the government said in a statement.

Demonstrators have been camped on three major Hong Kong thoroughfares for seven weeks, demanding free leadership elections for the semi-autonomous city, but public sup-

port has ebbed as the weeks pass with little progress.

Beijing insists that candidates for the 2017 vote for the city’s top post must be vetted by a loyalist committee, an arrangement the protesters say will ensure the election of a pro-Beijing stooge. The authorities moved in for the first time Tuesday to take down some barricades at the main protest camp, which is close to the legislative building in the downtown Admiralty district, after a court granted an order to remove obstructions.

The break-in was the clearest indication yet that a small faction of protesters wants to ramp up rather than scale down action after the court-backed bailiffs’ action at Admiralty. The execution of a second injunction ordering the clearance of a protest site in the Mongkok district on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong is expected within days, and though that area is smaller it has been the focal point of violence between police, protesters and anti-Occupy groups in the last few weeks.

“I think we should all move to occupy inside government headquarters and Legco,” a 23-year-old protester who gave his surname as Wong told AFP in Mongkok.

“In Taiwan, activists occupied the parliament on the first day. Now we have been sleeping out here for 50 odd days before we actually do it,” he added, referring to a month-long sit-in by students opposed to a trade pact with China.

Egypt expects new African trade bloc

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hree African economic blocs will merge into a new 27-nation free-trade zone under an agreement to be signed in Cairo next month, uniting markets worth 58 percent of the continent’s economic activity, Egypt’s industry and trade minister said. The deal will combine the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the South African Development Community (SADC), and the East African Community (EAC).

Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour said Cairo is also pursuing trade agreements with the Eurasian Economic Community and the South American trade bloc Merco-

sur in order to win back foreign investors who left Egypt due to the political turmoil that began with a popular uprising in 2011. The Africa initiative will create “one huge free-trade union” allowing foreign investors in Egypt to more easily reach 260 million consumers from South Africa to Ethiopia.

“It is going to happen immediately. We expect to sign, absolutely,” Abdel Nour told Reuters in an interview at his office overlooking Tahrir Square. “The execution, like any free trade agreement is done in stages, for some countries quicker than others depending on their economic structure, their ability to compete. But it’s going to be done.”

Maria Jose Alvarado during a beauty contest in San Pedro Sula.

Burkina Faso names army colonel PM

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urkina Faso’s transitional government named Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida as prime minister yesterday, four days after he restored the country’s constitution under pressure from the African Union and the West.

Zida declared himself head of state, Nov. 1 after mass protests toppled President Blaise Compaore who then fled the West African country. The African Union gave Zida two weeks to restore civilian rule or face

economic sanctions.

As Prime Minister, Zida, a large, bespectacled man with a trademark red beret, will help Burkina Faso’s newly appointed interim president, Michel Kafando, to appoint a 25-member government that will steer the country to new elections in 2015. Neither Kafando, a former foreign minister and ambassador to the United Nations, nor Zida will be allowed to take part in next year’s presidential elec-

tion. Compaore triggered the protests against his rule last month when he tried to change the constitution and extend his 27-year grip on power.

Compaore was a regional power broker and a key Western ally against Islamist militants. France has a Special Forces unit based in Burkina Faso as part of a regional counter-terrorism operation. The country has long been one of Africa’s cotton producers and is now also mining gold.

Ukraine rules out direct talks with separatists

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ussia urged Ukraine’s leaders yesterday to talk directly to separatists to end the conflict in the east, but Kiev rejected the call and told Moscow to stop “playing games” aimed at legitimizing “terrorists”. Kiev and the West accuse Russia of destabilizing Ukraine by providing the rebels with money, arms and reinforcements. The West has imposed sanctions on Moscow over the conflict in which more than 4,000 people have been killed since mid-April.

Russia backs the separatists but denies it is directly involved in the conflict in the Donbass region. “We are calling for the establishment of stable contacts between Kiev and Donbass representatives with the aim of reaching mutually acceptable agreements,” Russian Foreign Min-

ister Sergei Lavrov said in a policy address to the lower house of parliament in Moscow. But Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk hit back, accusing Moscow of trying to push Ukraine into recognizing the pro-Russian rebels who are fighting government troops to split parts of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions from Kiev.

Speaking at a government meeting, he declared Kiev would not speak directly to the separatists and repeated the phrase slowly in Russian for emphasis, saying: “We will not hold direct talks with your mercenaries.” A ceasefire was agreed on Sept. 5 in the Belarussian capital of Minsk as part of a wider deal between Moscow, Kiev and the rebels under the auspices of the Organization

for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) - with a former president representing Kiev to avoid formal recognition of the rebels. But the truce is under constant pressure, with deaths of government troops and civilians reported daily. Kiev and the West accuse Russia of sending tanks and troops to back the rebels but Moscow denies the charges.

Lavrov and president Vladimir Putin held talks with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Moscow on Tuesday but failed to overcome deep rifts over Ukraine. Yatseniuk called on Moscow to “stop playing games aimed at legitimizing bandits and terrorists.” “If you (Russia) want peace - fulfill the Minsk agreement,” he said.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

51

Sport News

International Sport

Bankrupt David James sells football memorabilia

Ivory Coast, Cameroon secure tickets

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AFCON: E’Guinea hires 50 Cuban doctors for Ebola

Sport News

Sport

Did you know?

That India pulled out of the 1950 world cup because players were not allowed to play without shoes

GROUP A table

1South Africa 2 Congo 3 Nigeria 4 Sudan

P 6 6 6 6

W D 3 3 3 1 2 2 1 0

L 0 2 2 5

F 9 6 9 3

A 3 6 7 11

GD Pts 6 12 0 10 2 8 -8 3

Eagles lucky to escape defeat –Mashaba Ajibade Olusesan Uyo

H South Africa’s Tokelo Rantie trying to dribble Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama Photo: Shengol Pix

Keshi, Eagles sneak out of Stadium Ajibade Olusesan Uyo

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ollowing the embarrassing ouster of Nigeria from the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday, Super Eagles Head Coach and the players shunned the media after the match.

After the 2-2 draw against the Bafana Bafana at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Coach Shakes Mashaba and his skipper attended the post-match conference at the stadium.

Journalists however waited in vain for coach Keshi but he never showed up. The Big Boss and his players sneaked out of the stadium by failing to honour the mandatory media session.

A disappointed South African journalist could not hide his frustration following the development as newsmen waited for close to 90 minutes for Keshi to speak with the media.

“Keshi and the Eagles did not show a good spirit of sportsmanship. The match was not lost and they should have thought of the implication of their actions on the media. It is very bad,” he said.

ead Coach of South Africa, Shakes Mashaba, said the Super Eagles were lucky to have escaped defeat on Wednesday in the last Africa Nations Cup qualifying match which ended 2-2 at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo. Mashaba said on Wednesday night that the inability of South Africa to beat Nigeria in a competitive match over the years was not due to superiority of the Eagles but luck.

Shortly after the match, Mashaba said; “My boys did very well and I am so proud of them. We got the two goals but lost shape towards the end of the match and that was how Nigeria got their two goals.

crash out

Ajibade Olusesan Adekunle Salami Deputy Editor, Sports

Emmanuel Tobi Assistant Editor, Sports

Ifeanyi Ibeh Sports Correspondent

Ajibade Olusesan Sports Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya Sports Correspondent

© Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Mashaba

Wingless eagles

lAluko’s two goals not enough to earn ticket The Sport Team

“I don’t want to believe that because we have not defeated Nigeria in a competitive match is a measure of brilliance, it is largely due to luck.”

The coach said he was happy with his team’s unbeaten run in the qualifying series and he vowed to strengthen the side before the Nations Cup finals next year.

Uyo

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igeria will not be at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations after playing out a disappointing two-all draw with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana on Wednesday at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium.

And the Stephen Keshiled technical crew members would still be asking one another why they kept Nigeria’s two-goal hero, Sone Aluko, and Aaron Samuel out of the starting-lineup, and why they opted to pair in central defence an unfit Kenneth Omeruo alongside a lethargic Azubuike

Egwuekwe whose lack of strength and pace were exposed by South Africa’s two-goal hero, Tokelo Rantie who opened scoring for the visitors in the 42nd minute after using his pace to outwit Raheem Lawal and Egwuekwe before shooting past Vincent Enyeama in the Nigerian goal to silence the home crowd.

It was a well-taken goal

by Rantie who, as early as the fourth minute of the encounter, ought to have shot the South Africans ahead after stealing the ball midway into the Nigerian half from Omeruo only to blast his shot wide with Enyeama at his mercy, and with teammate Kermit Erasmus unmarked in the area.

Rantie however made amends for that earlier miss three minutes into the second half when he bundled Omeruo off the ball before going past an onrushing Enyeama and slotting the ball into an empty net to give the visitors a shock 2-0 lead.

Five minutes later, Aluko came on for Lawal, and on 68 minutes the Hull City star pulled a goal back for the Eagles after latching onto Ikechukwu Uche’s initial effort which rebounded back into play after coming off the inside of Darren Keet’s left upright.

Reneilwe Letsholonyane was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 71st minute but it wasn’t until added time before Aluko

pulled the Eagles back on level terms with a thunderous drive from the edge of the area that beat Keet in the Bafana goal.

But with Congo defeating Sudan 1-0 in Khartoum, Aluko’s second goal proved insufficient to take the Eagles to January’s AFCON with fans left to rue what might have been had Ahmed Musa been able to get the better of the Bafana keeper on the three occasions he came face-to-face with the K.V. Kortrijk of Belgium goalkeeper in the opening 17 minutes of the game.

In the eighth minute, the CSKA Moscow forward embarked on a darting run from the Nigerian half and into the South African box before unleashing a vicious shot that beat Keet but came off the crossbar and back into play.

Nine minutes later, Musa was put through on goal twice within the space of a minute but on both occasions failed to get the better of the 25-year-old, who seven minutes later was also on hand to stop a rasping long range drive from Uche.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

AFCON: E’Guinea hires 50 Cuban doctors for Ebola Emmanuel Tobi

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resident of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, George Ashiru, has lauded the country’s 16-man contingent to the just concluded 6th Commonwealth Taekwondo

Championships, held in Edinburg, Scotland.

Nigeria won four gold, one silver and four bronze medals to finish fourth on the medals table with nine of the country’s athletes winning medals in their var-

Echiejile (right)

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he head coach of Nigeria Beach Eagles, Adamu Ejo, has said his target was to retain the Copa Lagos as the team prepares for the fourth edition of the competition.

According to the coach, the team is battle ready to retain the cup as the tournament takes center stage from December 12 to 14, at the dynamic Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Lagos.

“Preparation is in top

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ious weight categories.

Ashiru described the feat in Scotland as the best the team had achieved in any international tournament, surpassing the three gold, one silver and one bronze won at the 1987 All Africa Games. He expressed the hoped the feat would help the country’s qualification for the 2016 Olympics.

Nigeria’s gold medallists were Jamilu Mohammed, Sola Olowookere, Adamu Isah and Esuku Josephine.

Beijing Olympics medallist, Chika Chukwumerije, added a silver medal, while the quartet of Asigbe Adaeze, Blessing Nwakama, Uzoamaka Otuadinima and Segun Olushola grabbed bronze medals.

England, Canada and host Scotland topped the medals table ahead of the 20 other nations that took part in the competition held at the Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburg.

Beach Eagles coach vows to retain Copa Lagos Charles Ogundiya

Dolphins hit Ijebu-Ode for Federation Cup final

gear for the Copa Lagos, though, the Super Eagles Nations Cup must-win qualifier against South Africa on Wednesday had put everything on standstill,” he said.

He added that his training programme had been approved by the NFF while waiting for the resumption date for camping.

He maintained that the Beach Eagles will still retain their trophy despite the challenge that they would face this year against countries like Ghana, Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire.

igeria Federation Cup finalists Dolphins hit Ijebu-Ode on Wednesday in preparation for Sunday’s final against Enyimba.

The former Nigeria champions said the idea behind the Ijebu-Ode training camp was for concentration just before the big game against Enyimba on Sunday, something they may not get in Port Harcourt with the distraction from friends and fans of the club.

The team departed from Port Harcourt on Wednesday to Ijebu-Ode and then head to

Serena strips down in Australia

F

ive-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams swapped the tennis court for the photographer’s studio as she stripped down for an Australian lingerie company.

The 33-year-old, who has won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, posed for Berlei as part of a new TV advertising campaign.

‘I’m a normal woman - I can get self-conscious. But I think that is just natural for women to feel that way,’ she said.

‘I have learned to be proud of my curves and to embrace them. It’s important to love who you are and realise that you’re beautiful, no matter what society says.’

he eighth edition of Heineken/Le Meridien Open Golf competition will tee off on November 28 at the prestigious 18-hole Le Meridien Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort, Uyo Akwa Ibom State.

The two-day competition that will end on November 30, will be sponsored by Heineken, the world’s leading international premium lager beer.

The Le Meridien Ibom Golf Course, which is regarded as the most challenging golf course in West Africa, will see over 120 top golfers from within and outside Nigeria slugging it out in the championship.

Heineken has been a major sponsor of the tournament since its inception four

years ago. According to Senior Brand Manager, Mrs. Ngozi Nkwoji, the brand is a “Big Friend” of the game hence its continued sponsorship which is an attestation to its resolve to strengthen and promote the game of golf in Nigeria.

“Heineken, a world class beer has decided to associate with the game of golf, an international sport. We intend to help build the image and standard of the sport through our continuous support,” She added.

General Manager/ Consultant IMG, Ibom Golf Club, Sam Logan said he was very pleased to have “Heineken as part of this tournament.

Heineken is a brand we are happy and excited to be associated with.

Serena

Taekwondo boss salutesrecord-breaking team Emmanuel Tobi

P

resident of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, George Ashiru, has lauded the country’s 16-man contingent to the just concluded 6th Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships, held in Edinburg, Scotland.

Nigeria won four gold, one silver and four bronze medals to finish fourth on the medals table with nine of the country’s athletes

winning medals in their various weight categories.

Ashiru described the feat in Scotland as the best the team had achieved in any international tournament, surpassing the three gold, one silver and one bronze won at the 1987 All Africa Games. He expressed the hoped the feat would help the country’s qualification for the 2016 Olympics.

Nigeria’s gold medallists were Jamilu Mohammed, Sola Olowookere,

Adamu Isah and Esuku Josephine. Beijing Olympics medallist, Chika Chukwumerije, added a silver medal, while the quartet of Asigbe Adaeze, Blessing Nwakama, Uzoamaka Otuadinima and Segun Olushola grabbed bronze medals.

England, Canada and host Scotland topped the medals table ahead of the 20 other nations that took part in the competition held at the Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburg.

Mashaba hails grand reception in Uyo

120golfersexpectedforHeineken/LMOpen

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Lagos on Friday.

“We will have a light work out on Wednesday morning and then leave for Ijebu-Ode,” coach Stanley Eguma said.

“Although the time is short, we believe the two days away from Port Harcourt before that crucial game will do the boys a world of good.”

Dolphins have played the Federation Cup final four times - 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007 - winning all of them against El Kanemi in 2001, against Enugu Rangers in 2004 and 2007 and against Bendel Insurance in 2006.

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Charles Ojiokpota of Bright Touch, 100 Metres winner Samuel Uduokhai of Dominio Faith Church, Onyinye Madukwem of CWAY and Coordinator Alimosho schools carnival Tayo Adeyemo during the Alimosho carnival in Lagos at the weekend.

outh Africa head coach, Shakes Mashaba, has praised Nigeria for the reception his team has received since landing in the country on Monday.

Most times away teams in Africa complain of hostile conditions when they go for away matches but coach of South Africa, Mashaba has acknowledged the fact that his team doesn’t do that because that’s beyond his team’s control.

“Let me tell you, we don’t do that because it’s beyond our control. We don’t have the same resources in different countries. If you look at the facility in Uyo, it’s a world class stadium. You can play a World Cup game in this stadium. It depends on the resources available to each countries,”Mashaba said.

He continued: “no complaints since our arrival in Nigeria, good welcome, good hotel, getting the best food though we don’t know if it’s before the game ( he laughs)” Mashaba said with a smile on his face.

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

Bankrupt David James sells football memorabilia

F

ormer England goalkeeper David James’ football memorabilia has been auctioned off after the star went bankrupt.

James, 44, who played for Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham, Manchester City and Portsmouth, was declared bankrupt in May despite earning around £20m.

Signed shirts, shorts and balls were amongst the items sold by auctioneer Hilco at a sale registered in Kent.

An England shirt the player wore in the Three Lions’ 1-0 World Cup win over Argentina in 2002

fetched £672.

A Liverpool FC goalkeeper’s jersey worn during the Reds’ 1995/96 season sold for more than £160 while a Portsmouth No 1 top James wore in 2008 went for £480.

An England home kit signed by the team and a Portsmouth goalkeeper’s jersey were among the items sold Other goods included a boxed and unused retro Raleigh Chopper bike, which went for more than £1000.

Hilco’s Spencer Chapman said there had been “interest from around the world with more than 1,000 registering interest across the

10-day sales period”.

“We’ve not really dealt with a sale on behalf of a sporting celebrity like this before and clearly that had added some value to the lots,” he said.

“Sports memorabilia is a very popular market and signed shirts are the kind of items you can’t really put a price on, but there were also some very quirky lots in there too.

“There were more than 1,800 vinyl records, DJ decks and a customised Vauxhall Astra van, which attracted a lot of interest and sold for a very reasonable price.”

Tiger Woods angry over satire interview

Tiger Woods

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Japan 2 – 1 Australia Thailand 2 – 0 New Zealand China 0 – 0 Honduras Iran 1 – 0 South Korea Slovakia 2 – 1 Finland Belarus 3 – 2 Mexico Greece 0 – 2 Serbia Slovenia 0 – 1 Colombia Austria 1 – 2 Brazil Estonia 1 – 0 Jordan Romania 2 – 0 Denmark Ukraine 0 – 0 Lithuania Hungary 1 – 2 Russia Ireland 4 – 1 USA Italy 1 – 0 Albania Poland 2 – 2 Switzerland Portugal 1 – 0 Argentina Spain 0 – 1 Germany France 1 – 0 Sweden

Abu Dhabi GP: Palmer earns test drive

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James

ewly-crowned GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer will be a test driver for Force India following the final grand prix of the season in Abu Dhabi.

The 23-year-old, son of F1 driver Jonathan, became the first Briton to win GP2 since Lewis Hamilton in 2006.

He said: “Getting into F1 is harder than ever, so this is an opportunity to demonstrate I deserve to be there.”

Palmer will spend a full day driving the Force India car on the Abu Dhabi circuit on Tuesday, November, 25.

World championship contenders and Mercedes team-mates Hamilton and Nico Rosberg head into the season finale this weekend, with either able to clinch the title because of double points.

England organise Germany, France friendlies E

ngland will play glamour friendlies against world champions Germany and France in the build-up to UEFA EURO 2016.

The Football Association announced on Wednesday that the Three Lions will host France on November 17 next year, and it also confirmed England will play a friendly in Germany in March 2016.

Negotiations are also under way regarding potential preEURO 2016 friendlies against Netherlands and Spain.

The FA has already announced fixtures against Italy for March next year and a fixture against the Republic of Ireland at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium

on June 7.

England manager Roy Hodgson said: “It’s very encouraging that our search for opposition in the international weeks has led to quality teams such as France, Spain and Germany - with Italy and the Republic of Ireland already announced for 2015.

“They will complement the important EURO qualifiers which remain the top priority and we are taking nothing for granted. However, these six potential fixtures will provide the type of test we’re looking for going forward.”

The France friendly will not take place in the highly unlikely event that England are involved in a EURO 2016 play-off.

Nadal targets Australian Open

afael Nadal says it is his goal to be fully fit for the Australian Open and competitive enough to challenge for a 15th Grand Slam title.

Nadal missed the ATP World Tour Finals in London after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix.

The 28-year-old has also battled knee, wrist and back problems, with doctors confirming his rehabilitation included stem

Int’l Friendly Results

Scotland 1 – 3 England

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ormer world number one Tiger Woods has asked for an apology from veteran golf writer Dan Jenkins after being made the subject of a parody interview.

Jenkins, who has covered golf for more than 60 years, wrote the spoof for Golf Digest, stating its fictitious nature.

He ridiculed the 14-time major winner’s failed marriage and joked that the 38-year-old enjoyed firing people and disliked paying tips.

Woods described it as a “grudge-fuelled piece of character assassination.”

Jenkins, 84, who has reported on more than 200 majors, said he wrote the piece because he has never been granted an exclusive interview with Woods, who has not played since August because of injury.

Woods countered: “I like to think I have a good sense of humour, and that I’m more than willing to laugh at myself.

“Good-natured satire is one thing, but no fair-minded writer would put someone in the position of having to publicly deny that he mistreats his friends, takes pleasure in firing people and stiffs on tips - and a lot of other slurs, too.”

Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg, who was mentioned in the fake interview, has written to Golf Digest asking for an apology.

However, Jenkins wrote on Twitter: “My next column for Tiger: defining parody and satire. I thought I let him off easy”.

INTERNATIONAL SPORT 53

cell treatment.

“I have a month before Australia to get to my best level,” said Nadal.

“I hope to be healthy enough to work as much as I need and want, and if that happens I really feel confident I can come back strong.”

Nadal, who won the the French Open title in June for the ninth time in 10 years, will begin his comeback in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi on January 1.

Nadal

The Three Lions are six points clear at the top of Group E after four matches.

England players celebrating

Low eyes new start in 2015 after Spain win

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oachim Low is relishing a fresh start for Germany in 2015 after their 1-0 friendly win over Spain capped their World Cup-winning year in style following several below-par performances.

Toni Kroos’ 90th-minute winner in pouring rain in Vigo on Tuesday gave Low his first win over Spain at the third attempt and after seven years in charge with an experimental team affected by several injury withdrawals.

“We haven’t delivered particularly convincing performances recently and lag behind a little in our European Championship qualifiers, so it’s nice to end this sensational year with the feeling of success against a top team,” said Loew.

“I still have a few appointments (in 2014), and after such a great and exciting year, it will be good to come back, following a bit of rest, after the winter break.

“In January and February, we will then start working again as a coaching team with the squad and individual players.

We’ll also discuss which new approaches we’ll take in 2015.”

The win over European champions Spain was the icing on the cake for Low following Germany’s fourth World Cup triumph in Brazil in July.

“I think we couldn’t ask for a better end to the year,” he said.

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SPORT

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014 NEW TELEGRAPH

2015 AFCON QUALIFIERS

Akpan out for three months Emmanuel Tobi

S

uper Eagles midfield revelation Hope Akpan has been ruled out for three months after dislocating his shoulder whilst on international duty with Nigeria.

Akpan came off early in the second half of Saturday’s game against Congo, and has now seen a consultant back in Berkshire and will undergo surgery next week.

According to a statement on the club’s website, www. readingfc.co.uk,“The news

Group B P W D L F A GD Pts 1 Algeria 6 5 0 1 11 4 7 15 2 Mali 6 3 0 3 8 6 2 9 3Malawi 6 2 1 3 5 9 -4 7 4 Ethiopia 6 1 1 4 7 12 -5 4

is a real blow for the 23-yearold, who recently made his 50th appearance for the club and has started 10 of our 17 League games this season.

“When he picked up the injury he was playing only his second game for his country, having proudly broken into the squad this season.

The statement further added that, “Everyone at the club would like to send Hope their best wishes for South Africa’s Oupa Manyisa of in action the quickest possible recov- against Efe Ambrose ery.”

Group D P 1 Cameroon 6 2 Ivory Coast 6 3 DR Congo 6 4 Sierra Leone 6

W D 4 2 3 1 3 0 0 1

vory Coast secured qualification for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals after playing to a goalless draw with Cameroon in Abidjan on Wednesday.

The Elephants needed just a point to ensure they finished second in Group D behind the Indomitable Lions and in a match that failed to come alive, they were able to play out a tame draw that suited both teams.

The pace of the game was

noticeably sedate in the heat and humidity of Abidjan, with the teams generally content to play within themselves in an effort to conserve energy.

Cameroon were dealt a blow when midfielder Georges Mandjeck had to be replaced by Franck Kom due to injury, but in striker Vincent Aboubakar they had a dangerous attacking outlet.

The forward almost opened the scoring late in the first half

L 0 2 3 5

F 9 13 10 3

A 1 11 9 14

GD Pts 8 14 2 10 1 9 -11 1

Group E P W D L F A GD Pts 1 Ghana 6 3 2 1 11 7 4 11 2 Guinea 6 3 1 2 10 8 2 10 3 Uganda 6 2 1 3 4 5 -1 7 4 Togo 6 2 0 4 6 11 -5 6

Group F P W D L F A GD Pts 1 Cape Verde 6 4 0 2 9 6 3 12 2 Zambia 6 3 2 1 6 2 4 11 3Mozambique 6 1 3 2 4 4 0 6 4 Niger 6 0 3 3 4 11 -7 3

Ivory Coast, Cameroon secure tickets

I

Akpan

HOW THEY STAND

with a fine low shot that forced a good save from Sylvain Gbohouo, while the rebound fell into the path of Clinton N’Jie, but he couldn’t force the ball home from a tight angle.

Cameroon were reduced to 10 men a few minutes before the hour mark in the second half when captain Stephane Mbia was adjudged to have denied Gervinho a clear scoring opportunity. Television replays suggested it was a harsh decision from the referee.

RESULTS Ivory Coast 0-0 Cameroon DR Congo 3-1 Sierra Leone Nigeria 2-2 South Africa Sudan 0-1 Congo Ethiopia 0-0 Malawi Mali 2-0 Algeria Ghana 3-1 Togo Guinea 2-0 Uganda Niger 1-1 Mozambique Zambia 1-0 Cape Verde

55

NEW TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

Time to turn the tide Thursday with Yemi YEMI AJAYI 0807 991 0957 (sms only) yemiajayi3010@yahoo.com

S

he tried to raise the alarm without sounding hysterical. But no matter how she did it, there is just no good way of breaking bad news. After months of assurances that the economy is on an even keel, Nigeria’s chief economic superintendent, who goes by the double-barrelled title of Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Sunday came clean. The economy is in danger, she said, but not in the exact words and Nigerians should better prepare for a future of a belt-tightening regime.

Her emergency press briefing last Sunday finally acknowledged what other key watchers of the economy such as the Chief Executive of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, have been saying since the onset of the volatility in the global oil market: Nigeria’s economy is going south.

Nigeria’s economy is in a dire strait, no thanks to the continued decline of oil prices in the global market.

At its 93rd Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in January 2014, the then Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who is now the Emir of Kano, had warned: “2014 will be a difficult year, as a result of a number of external reasons.

It will be tough for the CBN and the fiscal authorities, particularly with the elec-

Okonjo-Iweala

tions coming up in 2015. But as the inflows begin to slow down, we need to retain our oil revenues; we need to stop the theft and the vandalism and the leakages and save the money to build reserves.”

Unfortunately, none of his suggestions was taken seriously and the country is now to pay the price.

Although oil constitutes a meagre 14 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), proceeds from its sales make up 80 per cent of the government’s revenue. So, it is understandable that when the global oil market sneezes, as it has been doing in about three months, Nigerian economy catches the flu.

Besides the problem with the instability in global oil prices, Nigeria has faced challenges in meeting its production quota due to growing incidences of oil theft and pipeline vandalism that have affected the fundamentals of the 2014 budget.

This year’s budget was based on output of 2.39 million barrels a day, while estimated production in October was 2.09 million. What this means is that Nigeria has been in an incipient economic crisis right from last year. However, the Federal Government has been able to paper the cracks by falling back on accruals from the Excess Crude Account, which had declined to less than $2.5 billion as at January 17, 2014, from the standing balance of about $11.5 billion as at December 2012.

Being an election year, Okonjo-Iweala has the unenviable task of balancing the economy without collateral damage to her principal, President Goodluck Jonathan, who unlike in 2011 when he first vied for the presidency, is in for a fiercer contest in February, especially with the amalgamation of the nation’s major opposition parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC) As at last month, Okonjo-Iweala put the ECA balance at $4.11 billion, half of which she said on Sunday, would be used to protect the economy from the sliding global oil prices’ aftershocks.

Long before the minister’s alarm, states have been crying out loud over their inability to meeting their contractual obligations as a result of dwindling revenue from the Federation Account on which about 90 per cent of them depends for survival. For example, Rivers State, whose monthly allocation has fallen from N25 billion to N12 billion per month in recent time is among about 27 states of the federation that have fallen back on paying workers promptly.

But after months of self-delusional hope, Okonjo-Iweala agreed on Sunday that the economy is in a dire straits and its needs urgent surgery. Part of the surgery is a review of the fundamentals on which next year’s budget will be anchored on as contained in the 2015 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). The Federal Government is revising downward the oil benchmark from the projected $78 per barrel as contained in the MTEF to $73.

The 2015 budget has been scaled down from N4.8 trillion to N4.66 trillion to reflect the new reality occasioned by the continuous slide in oil prices. The government is also to take more from the rich, through the imposition of taxes on luxury goods and private jets, among others, as part of efforts to expand the revenue base from the non-oil sector. There are also restrictions of foreign trips by government officials.

Although she did not give further details, there is no doubt that there are more stringent austerity measures in the offing. Being an election year, OkonjoIweala has the unenviable task of balancing the economy without collateral damage to her principal, President Goodluck Jonathan, who unlike in 2011 when he first vied for the presidency, is in for a fiercer contest in February, especially with the amalgamation of the nation’s major opposition parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the measures outlined by the minister are mere tokenism, not enough to change the fundamentals of the nation’s economy that has made it susceptible to exogenous shocks.

The signs have been there for long that Nigeria cannot continue to depend on

a rent-collection economy and hope to remain in a good shape.

Okonjo-Iweala’s austerity measures are considered by many as a kneejerk reaction that cannot effectively remedy the situation. What the nation needs is a set of policies that will turn the tide away from this oil dependency.

The Jonathan administration, with its Agricultural Transformation Agenda, supervised by Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, is focusing on the value chain and has started treating agriculture as a business with the potential of contributing significantly to the country’s GDP. This is a step in the right direction that should be doggedly sustained.

Besides, there is an urgent need to slay the monster that the oil industry has become. Although the jury is still out there whether oil is a curse or blessing to Nigeria, there are many, especially oil communities and the proletariat, who are of the conviction that Nigeria’s woes begin and end with oil and its attendant crises.

While other oil nations have used oil proceeds to develop their economies, Nigeria has continued to use its to breed a class of indolent rich.

The oil industry is not only the major source of corruption in the country, proceeds from oil sales, right from military era, have never been transparently managed for the benefits of it. Oil has become a common patrimony which the military and political elites have cornered. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which manages the oil on behalf of all, has been turned into the purse of whichever party is in power to source slush funds. That is why states and the Federal Government are always bickering over the opaque financial system that operates in the oil corporation that makes it difficult to determine what is exactly due to the Federation Account from oil proceeds.

Besides, the Jonathan administration must find a way to cut the Gordian knot that the fuel subsidy scheme has become.

Don’t know how this administration should be so comfortable with spending about 20 per cent of the national budget to sustain this inefficient system. There has been no demonstrable action to stop fuel importation as a result of the poor state of the nation’s four refineries. Everybody has been banking on the Petroleum Industry Bill to address the rot in the oil sector, but the politicians and the key players in the oil sector are united in their conspiracy not to let the bill see the light of the day, five years on.

Therefore, as the nation steps into a new tight fiscal regime, there is the need to harness wastages in public expenditures such as fuel subsidy, on which government pays about N46 on every litre consumed and channelled savings from such areas to more productive ventures.

However, for the public to support such a gesture, the political class, who have turned themselves into economic parasites, must make the greater sacrifices. The president and his cabinet members should reduce the number of aides and also take a pay cut as part of the cost-saving measures. Lawmakers, majority of who take an elephant’s pay for an ant’s work, should brace up for a drastic reduction in their entitlements.

I know this is a tough call, but it is all about public service; after all, that is why many of them lobbied the electorate to be elected into offices and their aides begged for appointments to serve. Or is that not why?

Sanctity of Truth

On Marble

Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.

– J.M. Barrie

Yemi Ajayi

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

Time to turn the tide THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

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PDP, APC thugs and national security

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ne doesn’t need to be a seer to know that the 2015 election has been programmed to fail.

From the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to those constitutionally mandated to provide security, Nigerians are being told that many of them will be disenfranchised. And voters who were lucky to be registered for the election, their security cannot be guaranteed. Whichever way it goes, the stage is already set for a major crisis in the country. Whether the country will remain one after this remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: politicians are the major problem of this country. To them, the more confusion in the system, the better for their inordinate ambition of lording it over hapless Nigerians. If an exercise as simple as distribution of the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and Continuous Voters Registration by INEC can generate so much anger in the land, only God knows what will happen if the result of the presidential election goes either the way of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or the All Progressives Congress (APC).

To say that the exercise is in disarray is an understatement. What is happening is abysmal.

It is Nigerians’ constitutional rights to vote. The law states that every four years, they must exercise their franchise and vote for their preferred choices in all elective offices.

Within these four years, millions of Nigerians will attain 18 years and adequate preparation must be made for their registration. But what happened in the last two weeks shows that some people are toying with the future of this country. If preparation for the exercise could be shoddy like this, only God knows what will happen during the February 14 and 28, 2015 elections.

Last week, I told one of the security men in my office to check the registration centre nearby for me to register. When I got there, I discovered there was no point waiting. I got there around 2pm and a woman told me she got to the centre around 8am and she didn’t even know when it would get to her turn. And that was her second day at the centre. When I checked the one beside my house the next day, the situation was worse. The Head of Special Projects, New Telegraph, Biodun Durojaiye, told me that when he got to the centre beside his house, the slip handed over to him read number 246. After waiting for hours, he left.

Why are we like this in this country?

Citizens provide almost everything – from security to basic amenities for themselves. Now to obtain just a card to vote for their candidates, people spend hours and days. How can I spend hours or days just because I want to get a voter card? Why? It is only in this country that a nomovement order will be given because of a local government election. During the election into the world’s mostpowerful office in the United States (U.S.), nobody will even know that such an exercise is going on. People

Talking Tough GABRIEL AKINADEWO gabyfola@hotmail.com

08023010222, 08052097814 (sms only)

INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega

IGP, Suleiman Abba

will leave their offices, vote and return. During the last exercise in November 2012, I saw some construction workers at 18th Street, Washington D.C., voting across the road and returning to their work. They didn’t stop their work and they exercised their franchise.

In Nigeria, reverse is the case.

What has INEC been doing since 2011 to ensure that the exercise is flawless?

Honestly, since the Commission has maintained that there will be no use of temporary cards as only permanent cards would be used in 2015, this is a grand design to disenfranchise Nigerians.

And fraudulent politicians are already at work. In Edo State, it was reported that 4,658 PVCs were snatched during the distribution of the cards.

Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Baritor Kpagih, reportedly said that the commission had reported the theft to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). I am sure readers will agree with me that that is the end of the story.

Now, another phrase has entered our political lexicon as Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State accused some politicians of importing ‘mercenary voters’ into the state.

After monitoring the Continuous Voter Registration exercise at Ward 10, Iyamho, Etsako Central Local Government Area, he alleged that busloads of mercenaries were imported into the state and were given cover by suspected soldiers.

Oshiomhole said: “I have heard

that some politicians are bringing in people from neighbouring states and I find that very strange. I was told that somewhere in Uromi, a PDP Leader brought in soldiers to provide escort while they brought in people with buses from neighbouring states to register in one of the Wards in Uromi and I find that very worrisome because the whole idea is not to import mercenary voters”.

The whole situation is really very worrisome. I was going through the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) when I stumbled on Section 91 which put maximum spending by a candidate for presidential election at N1 billion; N200 million for governorship; senatorial N40 million; House of Representatives N20 million; House of Assembly N10 million and local government chairman N10 million. Of course, everyone knows this law is being observed in its breach.

There is a particular governor who has bribed the leadership of his party with more than N300 million to secure the ticket for his loyalist/successor. And the law says spending for governorship must not be more than N200 million.

With the way everything has been monetised, including rented crowd, are all these figures realistic?

Isn’t it ridiculous that what the law is saying is different from reality? What system will allow presidential aspirants to pay close to N30 million to collect form? Is that not laying a solid foundation for corruption?

The situation has further been complicated with the lack of preparedness for the 2015 election by security agents.

It is a universal principle that you don’t appease evil, you deal with it.

When you have malaria, you don’t give it an ultimatum. You go to your doctor immediately and his or her prescription will deal with the illness immediately.

Curiously, Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo, a few days ago, issued a 14-day ultimatum to politicians, suspected thugs, cultists and supporters of various political parties to surrender all illegal arms in their possession or face the law. Obviously, these thugs work for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said: “The possession of illegal weapons is unauthorised. The command warns everyone in the state, irrespective of their status, to surrender to the office of the commissioner of police within a period of fourteen days all illegally acquired weapons in their possession. Failure to adhere to this ultimatum will spell danger for anyone arrested with such illegal weapons. The anti robbery and other special squad have been directed to identify, raid and confiscate such illegal weapons and prosecute offenders in competent law courts. Insecurity is a threat not only to the fast approaching elections, but to the security and wellbeing of the citizens as well as business activities in the state” The question is: which thug will willingly go to the police and surrender a knife, talkless a gun?

His counterpart in Ogun State, Ikemefuna Okoye, raised the same alarm over alleged stock-piling of arms and ammunition by unnamed individuals and groups in the state ahead of the 2015 general elections.

These politicians and thugs didn’t just fall from the sky. They are Nigerians, indulged by the polity for years.

Politicians and thugs work together to perpetrate evil during election. And they have started. Politicians manipulate the electoral system and security apparatus. Many Nigerians will not vote next year because they have been disenfranchised. Some of those with cards will be too scared to go near polling booths because of violence.

That was why former Health Minister, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, a few days ago described our brand of politics as “full of evil, deceit and dishonesty”.

He said: “I will never be a politician in Nigeria. My reasons are that I used to when I was growing up, I thought I was going to be interested in politics, during the First Republic. Now, we have some politicians around that do not have the interest of the people at heart. Today, we have deceitful politicians. A typical politician in Nigeria has his own personal interest, and the personal interest overides the corporate interest. To be a successful politician in Nigeria, you must know how to tell some lies. All the things they promised they would do, they will not do them. That is why when I see politicians, I run away from them.”

Need I say more?

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by Banex Junction, Mabushi, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Advert Hotline: 01-8541248, Email: info@newtelegraphonline.com Website: www.newtelegraphonline.com ISSN 2354-4317 Editor: YEMI AJAYI.