Binder1, jan 5 2015 by Newtelegraphonline

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SATURDAY

Sanctity Of Truth

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS /newtelegraph

Vol. 1 No. 320

Monday, January 5, 2015

@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

N150

214 House of reps members warmed bench in 2014 }2

TUC, APC push for fuel price cut Temitope Ogunbanke

he Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oyo State chapter, yesterday called

on the Federal Government to review downward the pump price of fuel in view of the sliding price of oil in the global market. They said in separate statements that there was

no continued justification to maintain the current price regime when the price of oil had crashed in the last few months to about $57 per barrel, as at last week.

The pump price of petrol currently sells at a regulated price of N97 per litre, diesel at between N130 and N150 per litre while the official price for CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

NEW TELEG

RAPH MOND AY, JANUA

Money Line

RY 5, 2015

CACS: UBA, Zenith, FirstB disburse ank lion share of N245bn

Stock Wat ch

Cutix: Profit s shrink on milieu harsh

Insurance

Accounts: A&G, licence –NAI UNIC, others may lose COM

Business Power ge nera

Interview

Governmen t building –Fucmust encourage capacity hs

Page 21

What's neW s

Aviation’s GDP rise input to s

tion sh dips supp ly below 3 rinks, ,500MW

Aviation stakeholde that the domestic rs have said industry air trans port is measured fast growing when services. by demand for air

p.22

CHALLENG ES Gas still pose s challenge generatio to n

Hydro plants sho w early cyc lical low wa ter

This, accor ding to ally come him,

and May s up in March, usu- the plant the feele of every year, April ginning s is that they rs we are are to “but cyclical show early signs be- tenance. having ndications from water level of due to lack weekend emerged at the “All five of adeq problem units in hydro powethat the three uate main the 760 geria - Kain r plants in NiCONT INUED ji, Shiro Jebba, have ON PAGE ro Profession 22 ly cyclical begun to show and of the Nigerals under the auspi which has,low water prob earces lems Estate Surveian Institution , the powe in retur n, of yors and dipped (NIESV) Valuers 3,500 Megar generation have below implement commenced Watt the New Teleg s (MW). of fees for ation of a new range raph learn this chall their servic t that es. comes up enge, which usua lly May of between Marc h worsenedevery year, has and also the inabi plants lity of to capacity produce at optimthe . al p.36 Generatio n, which the third has ing fluct quarter of 2014since MW and uating between bedipped 3,700 MW, had 3,000 to earli ber, 2014. 3,500 MW in Nove er mThat time, gas short according age was, Adviser to the Senior Spec on Gas to of Powe the Mini ial The Business r, sponsible Mr Frank Edoz ster Desk ie, refor the fall. ayodele aminu Edozie Deputy Editor L-R: Direct generatio who confirmed (Busine or, Brand Bayo akomo ss) the drop n shortage said the Spero and Direct and Marketing, lafe Asst. Editor was due to 3,500 mega that series in Lagos or, Legal and Comp Airtel Nigeria, Obinn (Maritim watts a Aniche any Secret sunday Ojeme e) lines and to sabotage of ; Producer, ary, Airtel Asst. Editor pipeAirtel inadequate Nigeria, ply. (Insurance) Gbenga Rotim Touching Lives gas supProgramme, Godson Ikoro i, at the premi The senio Patricious Asst. Editor ere of Touch Dele Alao r special (Money Market said that ing Lives adviser TV ) Dele alao eration available powe otwithstan r Industry & Agric Editor stood at capacity curr gending the in 6,000 ently the price Dayo ayeye fall megawatts system mi capa the coun of crude oil, Property Editor megawatts city stood at while revenue try’s bigg 5,000 earn . adeola Yusuf est er, nomic “The growth Nigeria’s ecoEnergy Editor ever, worssituation has, is hit betw hoween five expected to ened in Wole shada by six recen per poor re per cent cent and t years Aviation Editor this year, and lack water managem repo mains posit ent rivatrt from the Fina a latest Chris Ugwu ive and the hydr of maintena to rang is ive ncial nce proje o stations,” Capital Market e between Company of Dected this at the Mini (FDC) has per cent in five a source said. abdulwahabEditor 2015, marg and six driveprojected grow this news stry of Powe low the “The Isa inally beth will r told n by the paper. estimated Finance Editor be notwithstdecline (oil price) for 2014. The lowe 6.4 per cent the report said.non-oil sector,” Kunle azeez economic anding, Nige jection It adde Senior Corresp is large r growth proria’s growth d that the ly due ondent pact tor outlook Chuks Onuan re- of of oil revenue to the im- costwould be affec real secyin other secto on fund ted of borr INFLATION ing Energy owing, by high rs. The RATE November as singl bulk of nnamdi amadi 2014.. Rates e October 2014.. ......................7.9% LENDING Dashbo CONT INUED Reporter RATE InterBank a ON PAGE r Johnson adeba d September ..........................8.1 Rate............ 22 % 2014............ yo ........12.57% Prime Lendi Asst Produc EXCHANGE .........8.3% tion Editor ng Rate.. RATE (Parallel .........17.93% Maximum As at Dec. 28) USD . . . . Lending Rate.. EXCHANGE . .26.83% Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RATE N180 . (Official As Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N290 at Dec. 26) USD . . . . l Foreig ......... . n Reserv . . . . . . . .N238 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . es – $35.19 . N168 . bn as at 18/12/2014 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .N263 ......... Source: CBN . . . . . . N205.39 .41

Estate surv service fee eyors raise by 100%

Adeola Yusu f

42-43

problems

12 pages of incisive Business

Stop 2015 elections N

Nigeria’s ec onomic growth to hit 6% in 20 15

lBuhari's ex-running mate, Bakare, seeks two-year transitional govt }2

Quick Read

Editorial

Travel Advisory Your guide to local and international flights 4

L-R: Wife of the All Progressives Congress (APC) vice-presidential candidate, Mrs. Oludolapo Osinbajo; her husband, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; wife of the General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Mrs. Folu Adeboye; her husband, Pastor Enoch Adeboye; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; his wife, Abimbola and APC presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, at the Lagos State Annual Thanksgiving Service in Lagos...yesterday.

PDP unveils ‘war team'

lNigerians’ll decide election outcome, says APC Ayodele Ojo

head of the February 14 presidential elec-

tion, President Goodluck Jonathan will today unveil his ‘war commanders’ who will prosecute the all-

important election on his behalf. The unveiling of the Jonathan’s war command-

ers will take place this afternoon at the Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Improving the teaching profession }19

Jonathan loses younger sister }12 Onwuliri: Only Jonathan can unite Nigeria }47

News

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Bakare calls for suspension of 2015 elections Wale Elegbede

ith less than two months to the 2015 general election, the Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, yesterday called on President Goodluck Jonathan to postpone the elections and institute a transitional government to address some fundamental problems currently facing the nation. Bakare, who was the running mate to former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 presidential election, said in a state of the nation address at his church in Lagos that the president was constitutionally empowered to postpone the election, stressing that, “if the

president considers that a part of the federation will be disenfranchised by reason of the Boko Haram plague, a postponement of the election may not be out of place.” Bakare, who titled the address, “The Gathering Storm and Avoidable Shipwreck: How to Avoid Catastrophic Euroclydon,” drew similarities in the country from what occurred in the book of Acts 27, where Apostle Paul warned of an impending shipwreck but was ignored, adding that the only way to avert the storm in 2015 is to urgently address some fundamental flaws in the polity. Citing Section 135(3) of the 1999 Constitution that says “If the Federation is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is physically involved and

the president considers that it is not practicable to hold elections, the National Assembly may by resolution extend the period of four years mentioned in subsection (2) of this section from time to time; but no such extension shall exceed a period of six months at any one time”, Bakare added that the invasion and annexation of Nigerian territory by insurgents launching attacks from the country’s borders and neighbouring countries, is an example of war. “I hold the view that the drafters of the law feared for mass disenfranchisement of Nigerians who will refuse to risk their lives, hence the requirement that the nation wins the war before conducting an election. “However, I must state

that the proposal for suspension of elections is not with a view to giving the president an avenue for undue tenure elongation but for the purpose of building a coalition that will bring lasting solutions to our problems. “In suspending the elections, to gain the support of all stakeholders, the president must not act with the intention to seek re-election. Rather, he should, within the period, commit himself to building a non-partisan coalition comprised of major stakeholders and competent statesmen from each geopolitical zone. This coalition, headed by the president, will constitute a combined force that will tackle terrorism and address what I have earlier referred to as fundamentals, within a time frame

of two years or less.” He listed seven signs of the gathering storm awaiting the nation as: poor level of election preparedness, safety and security risks, likely minority king-making, looming constitutional and legal crisis, impending post-election tension, looming economic collapse, and potential religious confusion, betrayals, scandals and persecution. Bakare stressed that current geopolitical structure of federalism and the consequent lopsided economic structure in which a single product from one region of the country contributes the bulk of the revenue of the entire nation, is at the root of Nigeria’s problem. The Convener of the Save Nigeria Group, (SNG), who lamented the level of unpreparedness of

Godswill Akpabio Unity Choir during the Guinness World Records Attempt at Uyo Township Stadium, Uyo.

214 Reps warmed bench in 2014

lHouse introduces 668, passes 101 bills in 3 years Philip Nyam Abuja

arely six months to the end of the tenure of the seventh House of Representatives, 214 members have not sponsored a single bill since their inauguration in June 2011. The House bill progression chart obtained by New Telegraph showed that of the 360 members in the House, only 146 have so far sponsored bills as at December 18, 2014 when the House adjourned for Christmas and New Year break. The chart, however,

showed that 668 bills have being introduced in the past three-and-a-half years and 101 passed into law. The information further revealed that the House has passed 120 resolutions while 23 bills were rejected. The House, during the period, made a total of 244 legislative outputs during plenary sessions in 42 months. Data obtained from the chart, which assessed the performance of the lawmakers per state, showed that those from Lagos State emerged tops with 51 bills, Abia (42), Akwa Ibom (36), Delta (33), Kaduna (31), Edo (28), Rivers (26),

Anambra (26), Imo (26), Benue (22), Cross River (20), Kogi (20), Borno (14), Oyo (14), FCT (12), Kano (11) Enugu (11) and Osun (10). On individual performance according to the chart, chairman of the House Committee on Justice, Hon. Ali Ahmed (APC, Kwara), has so far sponsored the highest number of bills totalling 30. He is followed by Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta (PDP, Abia) with 24 bills while House Minority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) has sponsored 16 bills and Chairman, House Com-

mittee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hon. Emmanuel Jime (APC, Benue) sponsored 15 bills. Other major bill sponsors include Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Albert Sam-Tsokwa (PDP, Taraba) with 13 bills; Hon. Robinson Uwak (APC, Akwa Ibom), 12 bills; Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) and Chairman, Committee on Sports, Hon. Godfrey Gaiya (PDP, Kaduna) both have 11 bills to their credit. Hon. Raphael Igbokwe (PDP, Imo) and Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta) have 10 bills each; while the Deputy Major-

ity Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor (PDP, Delta) and Hon. Karimi Sunday (PDP, Kogi) both have nine bills. Chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa (APC, Lagos) and Hon.Bassey Dan-Abia (PDP, Akwa Ibom) both sponsored eight bills each. Majority Leader, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola (PDP, Oyo) and Chairman, Committee on Aviation, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejocha (PDP, Abia) recorded seven bills each. Others with up to five bills on the bill sponsorship chart include the Deputy Minority Leader, CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as evident in the manner the distribution of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) was carried out, also stressed that his political loyalty lies with Buhari, who is now the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate. Bakare, also came hard on the leadership of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), stating that the two bodies are already divided between those rooting for the emergence of Jonathan because of their selfish gain and those who are inclined to support Buhari because of the choice of his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, a pastor in one of the leading Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. He said: “What will be the position of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), organisations that have been massively behind the president and who are likely biased against APC as PFN’s 2015 round-the-clock circulated prayer bulletin reveals? Would there be reminders that this same incumbent has knelt before us at our conventions where we laid hands on him and supposedly endorsed him? Or, would we make a U-turn now that this is “our own”? Other proposals according to him, include addressing the fundamentals which calls for immediate implementation of the report, or part thereof, of the 2014 National Conference, conducting an accurate census and establishment of a truly independent electoral body, creating a true people’s constitution, and conduct of a free, fair and credible election. “Reasonable people are inclined to ask how prepared the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is for the upcoming general elections. Despite the desperate efforts of the Commission to manage preelection logistics, the tales of woe that have trailed the Permanent Voters’ Card collection exercise have raised a lot of questions as to the level of preparedness of the Commission with many Nigerians fearing disenfranchisement. “ I must also warn that if we sail into general elections at this time without fixing the fundamentals, no matter what precaution is taken by the helmsman and the owner of the ship, once the ship sets sail from Fair Havens, an encounter with Euroclydon would be inevitable,” Bakare stated.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

Travel Advisory

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

International Flight Schedule

Local FLIGHT SCHEDULE FIRST NATION AIRWAYS LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 06.50; 09:30; 11:45; 16:00 (SAT) 06:50; 11:45 (SUN) 11:45; 16:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 09:00; 11:30; 13:40;18:30 (SAT) 09:00; 13:40 (SUN) 13:40; 18:30 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 14:45 (SAT) 16:15 (SUN) 14:45 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:50 (SAT) 18:20 (SUN) 16:50 AEROCONTRACTORS LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 06:50; 13:30; 16:30; 19:45 (SAT/SUN) 12:30; 16:45 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 13:00; 19:00 (SAT) 12:30 (SUN) 15:30 MEDVIEW AIRLINES LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 07:00; 08:50; 12:00; 15:30 (SAT) 10:00; 15:00 (SUN) 17:30; 18:30 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 09:00; 14:00, 15:00; 18:30 OVERLAND AIRWAYS LAGOS-ILORIN (MON-FRI) 07:15 LAGOS-IBADAN (MON-FRI) 7:00 IBADAN-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:00 IBADAN-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 16:30 ILORIN –ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30 ILORIN –LAGOS (MON-FRI) 17:00 ABUJA-ASABA (MON-FRI) 10:00 ASABA-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 14:15 ASABA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 11:30 LAGOS-ASABA (MON-FRI) 13:00 ABUJA-ILORIN 16:00 ABUJA-IBADAN 15:00 ARIK AIR LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 07:00; 08:00; 09:00; 11:00 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00; 20:00 (SAT) 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 (SUN) 09:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00 LAGOS-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI)07:00; 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 (SAT) 07:00; 11:00; 15:00 (SUN) 09:30; 11:00; 13:30; 15:00; 17:30 PORT-HARCOURT-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 09:00; 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 (SAT) 07:30; 11:30; 09:00; 13:00; 17:00 (SUN) 11:30; 13:00; 15:30; 17:00 ABUJA-PORT-HARCOURT (MON-FRI) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30; 16:50 (SAT/SUN) 06:45; 10:10; 13:30 PORT-HARCOURT-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10; 18:30 (SAT/SUN) 08:30; 11:50; 15:10 AZMAN FLIGHT SCHEDULE WEEKLY SCHEDULE Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Abuja 10:30am Abuja-Lagos 12:40pm Lagos-Abuja/Kano 4:00pm Abuja-Kano 5:45pm Kaduna-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kan 10:10am Kano-Abuja/Lagos 12:40pm Abuja-Lagos 1:00pm Abuja-Lagos 2:40pm Lagos-Kaduna 5:00pm WEEKEND SCHEDULE SATURDAY Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Abuja 10:30am Abuja-Lagos 1:00pm Lagos-Kano 4:00pm Kaduna-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kano 4:00pm Sunday Kano-Lagos 8:00am Lagos-Kano 10:30am Kano-Abuja/Lagos 1:20pm Abuja-Lagos 2:40pm Lagos-Kaduna 5:00pm

Air France

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

Flight No. AF 513 AF 3822 AF514 AF513 AF514 AF3849

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

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

Amsterdam-Lagos Lagos-Amsterdam

KL587 KL588

13:15hrs 23:05hrs

20:00hrs 05:50hrs

Lagos-London London-Lagos Lagos-New York

W3 101 W3 102 W3 107 (Mon, Wed & Fri) W3 108 (Tues,Thurs & Fri) W3 103 W3 104 - (Tues, Wed &Thur) - (Tues, Wed &Thur) -

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

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

12:30hrs

16:00hrs

10:45hrs 09:35hrs 11:10hrs 13:25hrs 07:20hrs 17:00hrs -(Tue,Thur,Sat,Sun) 08:05hrs -(Mon,Wed,Fri) 13:35hrs 18:00hrs -(Daily) 17:00hrs 06:00hrs - (Wed,Fri,Sun) 08:00hrs 17:00hrs -(Wed,Fri,Sun) 08:00hrs -(Wed,Fri,Sun) 15:20hrs -(Wed,Fri,Sun) 21:00hrs -(Mon,Tue,Thur, Fri,Sat) -(Tue,Wed, 01:00hrs Fri,Sat,Sun)

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

KLM

ARIK AIRLINES

New York-Lagos Lagos-Johannesburg Johannesburg-Lagos Lagos-Douala Douala-Lagos Lagos-Accra Accra-Lagos Abuja-Accra Accra-Abuja Lagos-Freetown Freetown-Lagos Lagos-Banjul Banjul-Lagos Lagos-Dakar Dakar-Lagos

BRITISH AIRWAYS

hrs

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

BA075 BA074 BA 082 BA 083

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

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

Lebanon-Lagos Lagos-Lebanon

MEA 571 MEA 572

3:00hrs 14:00hrs

8:00hrs 19:00hrs

Middle East Airlines (Two flights weekly (Tues & Friday) to Lagos) EMIRATES AIRLINES

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

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

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

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

Lagos-Doha Flight Doha-Lagos Flight

QR 1414 (daily) QR 1415

14:55hrs 07:20hrs

23:45hrs 13:35hrs

Lagos-Atlanta Atlanta-Lagos

DL053 DL 054

22:15hrs 5:15hrs

05:32hrs 16:15hrs

Lagos-Houston Houston-Lagos

UA 143 UA 142

10:10hrs 19:10hrs

6:05hrs 15.15hrs

QATAR AIRWAYS DELTA AIRLINES

UNITED AIRLINES

ASKY AIRLINES

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

Flight No. KP 032 (Tue-Fri) KP 032 ( Tue-Fri) KP 033 (Wed-Sat) KP O33 (Wed-Sat) KP O40 (Sun-Sat) KP 040 (Sun-Sat) KP 040 (Sun-Sat) KP041 (Tue-Sat) KP 041 (Tue-Sat) KP 041 (Tue-Sat) KP O44 (Tue-Fri) KP 044 (Tue-Fri) KP 044 (Tue-Fri) KP O45 (Wed-Sat) KP 045 (Wed-Sat) KP 045 (Wed-Sat)

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

Departure 14:00hrs 16:30hrs 8:20hrs 10:35hrs 13:00hr 14:40hrs 17:00hrs 7:15hrs 9:35hrs 11:55hrs 13:10hrs 14:50hrs 17:10hrs 07:00hrs 09:20hrs 11:40hrs

Arrival 15:55hrs 18:15hrs 10:00hrs 12:20hrs 14:00hrs 16:30hrs 18:45hrs 08:55hrs 11:25hrs 12:45hrs 14:10hrs 16:40hrs 18:50hrs 08:40hrs 11:10hrs 12:30hrs

Lagos to Addis Ababa Addis Ababa to Lagos Abuja to Addis Ababa Addis Ababa to Abuja Enugu to Addis Ababa Addis Ababa to Enugu Kano to Addis Ababa Addis Ababa to Kano

ET900 ET901 ET910 ET911 ET930 ET931 ET930 ET931

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

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

Lagos-Madrid Madrid-Lagos

IB 3337 IB 3336

22:55hrs 16:00hrs

05:25+1hrs 20:20hrs

Lagos-Casablanca Casablanca-Lagos

AT738 AT 737

06:25hrs 02:15hrs

09:55hrs 6:00hrs

Lagos-London London-Lagos

VS 652 VS 651

11:00hrs 22:40hrs

17:00hrs 4:40hrs

Lagos- Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi-Lagos

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

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

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

Lagos-Cairo Cairo-Lagos

MS 876 MS 875

14:25hrs 08:30hrs

22:20hrs 13:30hrs

Lagos-Nairobi Nairobi-Lagos

KQ 533 KQ 534

12:30hrs 18:00hrs

19:35hrs 23:45hrs

Lagos-Kigali

AWB 201 11:15hrs (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) AWB 202 14:00hrs (Tue, Thur, Sat, Sun)

16:45hrs

332 333

06:00hrs 21:20hrs

IBERIA

air maroc

VIRGIN ATLANTIC ETIHAD AIRWAYS

EGYPT AIR

KENYA AIRWAYS RwandAir

Kigali-Lagos

Turkish Airlines

Lagos-Istanbul Nairobi-Lagos

22:35hrs 15:10hrs

17:30hrs

ASKY Airlines international travel tips Earning Miles on ASKY Airlines ASKY is a Lome -Togo based airline that provides an extensive route network within West Africa. The airline provides excellent connections with Ethiopian Airlines flights serving cities in West Africa. Ethiopian Airlines and ASKY provide an end-to-end service for frequent flyers enrolled in ShebaMiles. The airlines jointly provide full coverage of Africa providing full mile earning opportunity for a frequent flyer.

News

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

Banks mull funding withdrawal for $7bn oil assets Adeola Yusuf

lobal and local lenders have developed cold feet over funding oil assets in the divestment process, which climaxed last year in Nigeria with the sale of about $7 billion assets.

New Telegraph gathered at the weekend that some of the banks which are yet to sign lending documents with the buyers have been advised by their risk management units to reconsider their plans. This, an industry source said, was over the risk posed to investments

by the falling oil prices. "As banks are putting final touches to their financial appropriation in 2015 and expectedly the talk on some of these investments came up, we were told that the position of their risk management units is that the oil price rout has heightened the level of risk for the investments.

"It is true that this is happening but we are getting many of them through experts in the risk management units to know that these investments are long term and we take solace in the fact that the oil price, which has fallen to six-year low, will peak once there is a balance between demand

and supply," he said. Meanwhile, a consortium has paid N16 billion to acquire Ascot Offshore from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pan African International (PAI) Group; Ike Ejizu, Chairman, Skye Bank Plc, Tunde Ayeni, led the consortium, which comprises other investors in the acquisition process. AMCON confirmed that the deal was closed recently when the PAI Group paid N16 billion for 95 per cent of the equity interest in Ascot. Under the terms of the deal, AMCON said the group would also take

over the non-statutory liabilities of Ascot while AMCON would shoulder the company’s statutory liabilities amounting to some N6 billion. “Ascot has a tax liability of N6 billion, of which AMCON will pay N3 billion to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) while the balance will be paid to other agencies of government that Ascot owes,” EnergyNews reported the company to have said. AMCON stated that with the sale of the firm, its massive fabrication yard in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, will be refurbished and provide jobs for thousands of Nigerians.

House introduces 668, passes 101 bills in 3 years CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

President Goodluck Jonathan (left), with the Anglican Bishop of Ogbia Diocese, Rt. Rev. James Oruwori, at a church service at St. Stephen's Anglican Church, Otuoke, Bayelsa State…yesterday.

Nigerians’ll decide election outcome, says APC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The president will personally perform the inauguration with party leadership, governors, senators, ministers and top government functionaries in attendance. The president, who is the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is confronting his old foe and former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Valentine Day. The importance attached to the February 14 election is more than that of the April 16, 2011 where Dr. Dalhatu Tafida was the head of the presidential campaign committee. Already, Buhari had picked factional chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Rivers State helmsman, Rotimi Amaechi, as the Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation. The Jonathan’s team is

made up of veteran politicians, former and serving ministers, former governor and senators. Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, is the National Campaign Adviser to the council. Former National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, is to serve as the Director-General of the campaign. Unlike in previous elections, there will be three Deputy Directors General (DDGs) of the presidential campaign. Former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, will serve as DDG of the campaigns’ head office. The immediate past governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, and Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki (SAN) will serve as DDGs South and North respectively. Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, is the Director of Media and Public-

ity. Prof. Jerry Gana, a former Minister of Information and Orientation, will head the campaign’s Contact and Mobilisation Unit. Senator Nenadi Usman, a former Minister of Finance who recently lost her return ticket in Kaduna, heads the Finance Directorate. Aliyu Umar Modibbo, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), heads the Directorate of Administration and Logistics. PDP’s National Youth leader, Abdullahi Maibasira, heads the Youth Mobilisation Unit. Senator Nimi Amange heads the Directorate of Planning, Research and Statistics while Emmanuel Imohe will be in charge of the Directorate of Security and Intelligence. Nick Eze and Becky Igwe will head the Directorate of Civil Society and Support groups and Women Mobilisation Unit, re-

spectively. But the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Lai Mohammed, told New Telegraph that Buhari and his team are not bothered about the “so-called political heavyweights” President Jonathan has assembled to prosecute the February 14 election. “The outcome of this election will be decided by the people of Nigeria and not necessarily by the quality or lack of it of the campaign team of any political party. “And I can tell you that Nigerians have already made up their minds that only the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, can address the twin evils of corruption and insecurity facing Nigeria today. Nigerians say they have given Jonathan six years to prove himself and he has failed,” Mohammed told New Telegraph. Read full details on Pages 14 & 15

Hon. Abdulrahman Suleiman Kawu (APC, Kano), Hon. Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta), Hon. Rose Okoh (PDP, Cross River), Hon. Sekonte Davies (APC, Rivers), Hon. Hassan Saleh (PDP, Benue), Hon. Adeola Solomon Olamilekan (APC, Lagos), Hon. Peter Akpatason (APC, Edo), Hon. Babatunde Adewale (APC, Lagos), Hon. Faleke Abiodun (APC, Lagos), Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas (APC, Lagos), Hon. Yakubu Dogara (APC, Bauchi), Hon. Yakub Balogun (APC, Lagos), Hon. Ganiyu Olokolu (APC, Lagos), Hon. Fatai Akinderu (APC, Lagos), Hon. Mohammed Onawo Ogoshi (PDP, Nasarawa) and Hon. Joseph Haruna Kigbu (PDP, Nasarawa). Also on the list are Hon. Uche Ekwunife (PDP, Anambra), Hon. Victor Ogene (APC, Anambra), Hon. Charles Odedo (PDP, Anambra), Hon. Kaka Gujubawu (PDP, Borno), Hon. Benjamin Aboho (APGA, Benue), Hon. Umar Katsayel (Katsina), Hon. Mustapha Moshood, Hon. Sadiq Mohammed (Kogi) and Sylvester Ogbaga (PDP, Ebonyi). Deputy Speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha (PDP, Imo), Hon. Zakari Mohammed (APC, Kwara), Hon. Warman Ogoriba (PDP, Bayelsa), Hon. Friday Itulah (PDP, Edo), Hon. Patrick Ikhariale (PDP, Edo), Hon. Peace Nnaji (PDP, Enugu), Hon. Isah Dobi (PDP, FCT), Hon. Jisalo Zephaniah (PDP, FCT), Hon. Eddie Mbadiwe (APC, Imo), Hon. Jagaba Adams Jagaba (PDP, Kaduna), Hon. Bassey Ewa (PDP, Cross River), Hon. Yacoob Bush-Alebiosu (APC, Lagos), Hon. Shittu Galambi, Hon. Ahmed Baba Kaita and Hon.

Moruf Akinderu Fatai, Hon. Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi (PDP, Enugu) also sponsored more than a bill. Others with more than a bill include Hon. Musa Adar (APC, Sokoto), Hon. Odebunmi Olusegun, Hon. Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi (PDP, Imo), Hon. Emmanuel Ekpeyong (APC, Akwa Ibom), Hon. Jones Onyereri (PDP, Imo), Hon. Christopher Eta (PDP, Cross River), Hon. Shehu Garba, Hon. John Enoh (PDP, Cross River), Hon. Ibrahim El-Sudi (Taraba), Hon. Asita Honourable (APC Rivers), Hon. Dakuku Peterside (APC, Rivers), Hon. Daniel Reyenieju (PDP, Delta) and Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (PDP, Enugu). Also on the list of those who have sponsored more than a bill are Hon. Buba Jibril (APC, Kogi), Hon. T.J. Yusuf (PDP, Kogi), Hon. Arua Arunsi (PDP, Abia), Hon. Saviour Udoh (PDP, Akwa Ibom), Hon. Aminu Shehu Shagari (APC, Sokoto), Hon. Aishatu Dahiru AhmedBinani (PDM, Adamawa), Hon. Abdulrahman Terab (PDP, Borno), Hon. Evelyn Oboro (PDP, Delta), Hon. Nosakhare Osahan (Edo), Hon. Bitrus Kaze (PDP, Plateau), Hon. Beni Lar (PDP, Plateau), Hon. Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers). However, some of those who have not sponsored a bill were said to have sponsored motions. Bill sponsorship is the first step in law making, which is the core responsibility of the lawmakers. However, some lawmakers co-sponsor bills while majority are involved in committee work through which the legislature exercises its oversight function on ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government.

News

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Judicial workers’ strike to stall suits against PDP Tunde Oyesina ABUJA

arious suits challenging the outcome of primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) across the states pending before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja may be stalled. This is as a result of the industrial action to be embarked upon by Judiciary Staff Union (JUSUN). JUSUN had pzlanned to commence its indefinite strike last Friday but could not start because of the public holiday. The union is embarking on strike action due to the failure of the state governments to comply with the judgement of the court which granted judiciary financial autonomy. Several political cases arising from the primaries of the PDP in various states are pending before the court. The Chief of Judge of the court, Justice Ibrahim Auta had earlier stated that all political cases must be concluded before the general election slated for February. Such political cases still pending before the court

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST LAGOS

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are that of the Lagos State PDP wherein a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, is challenging the primaries that brought in Jimi Agbaje as the candidate of the party. The court had fixed January 17 for hearing in the matter. Also, the Niger State

PDP primaries legal battle is still pending before the court. The matter is slated for January 8. Slated for January 14 for hearing is Imo State PDP legal tussle wherein Ifeanyi Ararume is challenging the candidacy of the deputy speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha.

Also, the Ondo State PDP leadership dispute has been slated for January 15 for hearing. JUSUN had, however, stated that there is no going back on its scheduled strike. It is recalled that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had in January 2014, restrained the Federal Government and the

36 states from meddling with or holding onto funds budgeted for the judiciary. The trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, while delivering judgement in a suit filed by JUSUN, held that the workers have the standing to ask both the Federal Government and the states to comply with the provisions of the con-

stitution as they affected the funding of the judiciary. He ordered that funds meant for the judiciary should be released directly to the heads of court and not to the executive arm of government. However, 11 months after the judgement, the court verdict is yet to be implemented.

L-R: Former Governors of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili; Sir Celestine Omehia; Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) running mate, Dr. Ipalibo Banigo, and PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Nyesom Wike, at a church service to herald campaigns for the general election in Port Harcourt…yesterday.

TUC, APC push for fuel price cut CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

kerosene is N50 per litre; although fuel stations sell it at between N90 and N120 per litre. The TUC, in the statement by its President, Mr. Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary-General, Mr. Musa Lawal, urged the government to immediately order a cut in the prices of petroleum products to ameliorate the suffering of the people. It also urged the government to address the devaluation of the naira, which it said had brought untold hardship to the real sector and all other facets of the economy. The union, however, warned all tiers of government that it would not tolerate retrenchment as a way of managing the economic crisis. “On the recent drop in the price of crude, account has it that following the unexpected drop in the prices of crude government is planning to employ some austerity measures to cushion the effect on the economy. The labour movement and some fore-sighted well-meaning Nigerians have on uncountable times called on government to make utmost use of the excess dollar we got by diversifying the economy. Unfortunately, our politicians are only interested in rushing down to Abuja for

monthly allocation. Government of allocation, this is certainly not our idea of social contract. “Yes, our economy has just been rated the biggest economy in Africa. It would have been a laudable one if it had had a positive effect on the lives of an average Nigerian and the industrial environment. How do we agree with that when in practical terms: the lending rates, costs of living and of doing business unreasonably high! Additionally, the hasty and deliberate devaluation of the naira, which has also brought untold hardship to the real sector and all other facets of the economy, has to be addressed as congress will not tolerate cases of job losses arising from government’s insensitivity. “It becomes pertinent to warn against such move now to avoid worsening the spate of insecurity in the country today, which was occasioned by the gross mismanagement of the economy. No wonder, unemployment figures remain high; unimaginable crime rates, poverty, epileptic energy sector and inexplicable high tariff have become our lot. And it is yet a tragedy of national proportion that as parents we slept in the comfort of our homes when the over 250 Chibok girls and the series of other kidnapped

youths are nowhere to be found! “Congress expresses concern that government has refused to reduce the prices of petroleum product even though the price of crude has collapsed in the international market, which was the reason given when it wanted to increase the price of fuel in 2012. "We urge government to direct appropriate agency to immediately adjust the prices of petroleum products as it will ameliorate the suffering of the Nigerian masses. We have put the government on notice that following the devaluation we are going to ask for wage increase to cushion its effect on workers’ plight,” TUC stated. The congress also called government’s attention to a number of issues plaguing employers and employees relationship to ensure a friendly-working environment this year. “First and foremost is the impunity of politicians and mismanagement of the fortunes of the oil and gas sector. Congress laments the way and manner our politicians go about their politicking. What we could read on the wall can best be described as ‘I must get there no matter whose ox is gored’, which is an aberration. “They use power and

money because they lack the required ideas to transform the country and win them to the people. What is predominant today is government use of states coercive power; especially the police and resort to use of touts and idle youths to molest political opposition and journalists. In the 1970s, we had political parties with manifestoes. The likes of Awos, Ziks and Tafawa Balewas’ of this world chronicled what they planned to do and how they planned to achieve them. But what do we have today? We are wiser now! “We wish to inform politicians that the labour movement is not oblivious of the fact that we are in an election year. Meanwhile, while we make case a for free and fair elections, we also want politicians to know that we, the workers and masses are going to do the voting and that we are going to ensure that our votes count. Social contract this time must be reinvented. Waterloo to riggers. We have resolved that no retreat no surrender until our votes are allowed to count,” TUC added. The APC in Oyo State, also demanded a reduction in pump price of petroleum products, saying the reason for the high price is no longer tenable. APC Director of Publicity and Strategy, Mr.

Olawale Sadare, said in the statement in Ibadan that President Goodluck Jonathan had arrived at N97 per litre for petrol in 2012 because of the high prices of crude oil in the international market which affected the landing cost of imp. It said: “The oil price has fallen by 49 per cent from 2013 prices and Jonathan administration still claimed it spent a whooping N971 billion on its subsidy payment in 2014. Does it mean that Nigeria has been buying refined petroleum products at the same rate from nations with functional refineries despite the crash in crude oil prices? How come Ghana was able to implement a 13 per cent reduction in the prices of same products in its local market? “As much as we know that the present administration would never be transparent in its economic dealings with the citizenry since it has prioritised promotion of corruption and pursuit of parochial interests, we challenge the president and his economic team to be fair to Nigerians for once and implement a drastic reduction in the pump prices of petroleum products with a view to alleviating the suffering which the masses currently experience,” the party said.

News

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

2015: God has decided the winner, says Jonathan lIG: CPs will be redeployed based on exigencies

Anule Emmanuel and Emmanuel Onani Abuja

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday declared that God has decided the winner of the February 14 presidential elec-

tion. "God has written his decision on the next election; no one can change it. He wrote the decision long ago. "Election is the biggest thing we are expecting this year, we must stop exhibiting fear. We should be calm and abide by God's

Akwa Ibom choir group enters Guinness World Record Mojeed Alabi

n Akwa Ibom Statebased choral group has broken the world record for gathering the largest number of Christmas carol singers in the world. A statement yesterday by the Akwa Ibom State Government, said the record, which has been officially certified by the Guinness World Records and posted on its website, was broken by the Godswill Akpabio Unity Choir with its 25,272 man-choral group, in a concert at the Uyo Township Stadium on Saturday, December 13, 2014 with Guinness World Records representatives in attendance. The feat has consigned to the history books the former record of 15,674 carol singers, which was achieved in 2013 by a group known as CENTI, Bogota, in Columbia. The Guinness World Records adjudicator, Liz Smith, who did the announcement in Guinness World Record Headquarters, London, United Kingdom, congratulated the choir. Smith said: “It is now time to reveal the report of the official attempt to break the Guinness World Record of the largest group of carol singers. Our team of highly trained record specialists has reached a decision. The record to beat was 15,674. I can now confirm that your attempt to break the record has been successful. Congratulations on receiving a new Guinness World Records Title. The title of the largest group of carol singers has been achieved by Godswill Akpabio Unity Choir. You are officially amazing.” The government's statement quoted the Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, while breaking the news to the people as saying: “This month, we broke the Guinness Book of World Records, for the largest number of Carol Singers ever in the world. This momentous feat was

achieved when Akwa Ibom people drawn from all the nooks and crannies of the state came together in the spirit of love and brotherhood. I believe that if we imbibe the virtue of love and stand together in brotherhood in the New Year, we would keep setting records and the walls of division, which have been erected by some selfish politicians, would tumble down.”

decision," he noted. The president stated this when he worshiped at the St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, Otuoke, Bayelsa State. The president allayed the fears of Nigerians on the general election, saying there was no cause to panic on the future of the country. He further assured Nigerians that despite the challenges confronting the nation at the moment, Nigeria will get to the Promised Land. While acknowledging the huge potential that abound in all parts of the nation, President Jonathan said his administration will continue to tap into those potential in order to move the country forward. He added that the country's future was bright, despite the bumps and challenges. The president thanked

the church and Christians for praying for the nation, acknowledging that this period is a challenging one for the whole world. "I thank you for your prayers, especially at this period. This is a period the world is passing through challenges. “We have a lot of potential and I see a bright future for the country. Despite the challenges and bumps, Nigeria will move on and get to the Promised Land," he said. In his sermon, the officiating pastor, who is the Bishop of Ogbia Diocese, Rev. James Aye Oruwori urged the congregation to avoid committing sin and strike a strong covenant relationship with God to be able to fight all their battles. Oruwori used the example of David and Goliath in the Bible, saying the former's strong covenant with God gave him victory.

He urged Nigerians to remain calm ahead of the upcoming general election, adding that God had already taking a decision on the outcome. He said no one can alter the decision. Present at the service were Governor Seriake Dickson, his wife, Rachael, Deputy Governor John Jonah and presidential aides. Meanwhile, as anxiety heightens over the general election, the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Suleiman Abba, has assured that Commissioners of Police (CPs) in State Commands may be re-deployed, based on "exigencies of service." The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Emmanuel Ojukwu, an Acting Commissioner of Police, made the disclosure, in response to New Telegraph's enquiry. Though, Ojukwu argued that it will be too early to pre-empt the decision of

the IGP, he, nonetheless, noted that such postings may not be unlikely, owing to effective service delivery. His words: "It is too early to call. The posting of Police Commissioners will be determined by the IGP based on the exigencies of service and demands of effective service delivery to the nation, to which the IGP is sworn." Abba had, at different times, assured of the commitment of the Nigeria Police, to a violence-free and successful election, promising to work closely with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Shortly after his appointment, Abba said: "We have already commenced implementing our strategies for safety and security for the elections, and I am glad as chairman of the planning committee before now, to say we are on course."

L-R: Wife of the founder, Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Layide Bakare; her husband, Tunde and former National Publicity Secretary, pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, at a press conference on the state of the nation in Lagos…yesterday PHOTO: Suleiman Husaini

Buhari calls for religious tolerance Muritala Ayinla

residential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Major General Muhammadu Buhari yesterday worshipped with Christians in Lagos with a call on politicians never to use religion as excuse to divide Nigerians. The former Head of State said that Nigerians must begin to see themselves as brothers regardless of their religious or tribal differences, noting that is the only way to

achieve “Nigeria of our dreams.” Speaking at the Year 2015 Annual Interdenominational Thanksgiving Service organised by the Lagos State Government, Buhari commended the state government for organising a thanksgiving where Muslims and Christians gather, without discrimination, to thank God for His blessings. He said: "This is how it should be. Religion must never be used as an excuse to divide us, oppress others or gain unfair advantage.

All my life I have expressed the belief that all Nigerians must worship God according to their wish.” Buhari said the duty of any responsible government is to ensure peace and security of lives and property of the citizens and, not to divide with religious or tribal differences. This, the General said, must be the commitment of anyone who is aspiring to lead or rule Nigeria. He added: "The duty of government is not religion; the duty of government is to ensure peace and security of all Nigerians re-

gardless of tribe, race or religion. This is the commitment that we all must make especially on this day of thanksgiving. “The year 2015 will be a year of success and victory for us all." Also speaking, Governor Babatunde Fashola said there was no basis for Nigerians to allow anyone to cause religious crisis, adding that the time has come for Nigeria to begin to focus on humanity and other things that bound them together. He said: "We must focus on our common humanity,

and those things that we share together and focus less on those things that are different about us. Our languages, religion, ethnic origins are accidents of our birth and not the essential content of our humanity.” Fashola decried those predicting doom for the country, saying their predictions are heating up the polity. At the service, prayers were offered for a credible set of leaders to emerge in the February elections by the clerics from various churches.

News

Nigeria won’t disintegrate in 2015 —NLC scribe

he Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday said that the prediction that Nigeria would disintegrate in 2015 would fail. Mr Peter Ozo-Eson, the General Secretary of the NLC told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the country would overcome its challenges. “I am confident that the prediction will fall flat on the face; Nigeria will not disintegrate in 2015. “Yes, we have these challenges; we, however, have confidence that Nigeria will rise to the challenge and deal with these challenges. “Nigeria had faced challenges in the past, probably more severe than now and we did not disintegrate. “I believe that this country is so united and has created ties that are not easily dissolve-able; the prediction will not come through,’’ he said. The scribe, who expressed optimism that the country would overcome the current challenges, however, decried the failure of politicians to unite in the fight against terrorists. “We are worried that the country is at war but the body language of our political leaders does not suggest it,’’ he said.

NATIONAL

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Jonathan means well for Nigeria, says Kalu GEJ IS OK

Ex Abia gov hails transformation agenda of the president

minent business man and former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Kalu, has stated that the transformation agenda of the present administration is yielding positive results in various sectors

of the national economy. Kalu explained that in spite of the security challenges facing the nation, the economic management team deserves commendation for initiating policies aimed at driving the local economy. Speaking at a private luncheon with his colleagues of Harvard University Advanced Management Program (AMP) 153, at the weekend at Charterhouse, London, Kalu noted that the privatization of governmentowned companies was

not only the best economic decision but to the utmost advantage of Nigerians. He said: "Government has no business in business. For any investment to thrive, it should be privately managed as against the old way of wasting resources on government agencies that are not self-sufficient. I agree that effects of the positive impact of privatization may not be immediately seen but in the long run, it is in the interest of the country. I am also of the opinion that the Nigerian

National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) should be privatised for efficiency and effectiveness. According to the former governor, Nigerians should be encouraged to consume made-in-Nigeria products as our economy had been long dependent on import, resulting in the devaluation of Naira vis-a-vis other currencies. The Nigerian Ministers of Finance, Agriculture, Trade and Investment, with the support of others, deserve commendation for creating an enabling

Nigeria-India trade volume hits $17bn –Envoy

I Gombe Sate Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo (middle), with chairmen of 12 sector committees inaugurated in 2011 that designed a blueprint for the development of the state, at the Governor's presentation of the scorecard of his administration in Gombe…at the weekend

‘Sambo can't give Jonathan 2m ASRADI demands clarification on Buhari’s credential from INEC, military votes in Kaduna' Temitope Ogunbanke

ollowing the claim by former Head of State and presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) that his academic qualifications and credentials are in the possession of the military, Advocacy for Societal Rights and Development Initiative (ASRADI) has urged the Nigerian Army and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove ever confusion on Buhari’s credentials. ASRADI in a letter date January 5, 2015, signed by its Executive Director, Adeolu Oyinlola and addressed to the Chief of Army Staff, urged the Nigerian Army to provide the organisation with necessary information surrounding Buhari’s certificate within seven days. “Is it the Nigerian Army establishment’s practice or convention to keep original academic

environment such as tax concessions, export expansion grant scheme, and embargo on importation of certain items to support the growth of indigenous industries. As an entrepreneur, products manufactured in our plants in Nigeria are able to compete in price and quality in the international market. Many people are now setting up cottage industries with financing from microcredit institutions and government schemes. “Nigeria is blessed with arable land and we must all return to the farm if we want economic prosperity. After all, years back, our economy was predominantly agriculture. Eight years ago, I diversified into agriculture with hectares of cash crops and animal farming in Ugwu Ekwe, Abia State. I can testify that if every Nigerian has a productive farm, the country will be free from poverty.”

certificates of its personnel? Is the Nigerian Army establishment in custody of Major-General (RTD) Muhammadu Buhari’s original academic certificates? If so, when did the Army take custody of Major-General (RTD) Muhammadu Buhari’s academic certificates? “Is the Nigerian Army in possession of MajorGeneral (RTD) Muhammadu Buhari’s original West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) Statement of Result or certificate (specifically)? When (day/ month/year) did MajorGeneral Muhammadu Buhari (RTD) join the Nigerian Army? What was the date (day/month/year) of birth Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (RTD) supplied when he joined the Nigerian Army?” ASRADI asked in its letter titled ‘Application for Information (Grounded on the Freedom of Information Act 2011).’ ASRADI in a letter addressed to INEC chairman also implored the

electoral body to provide necessary information on Buhari’s age and academic certificates during the 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections. “Did Major-General (RTD) Mohammadu Buhari submit any academic certificate(s) when he contested presidential elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011? Has Major-General (RTD) Mohammadu Buhari submitted any academic certificate(s) in respect of the upcoming February 14, 2015 presidential election? “Does an affidavit in lieu of academic certificates not require a candidate to list their academic qualifications and certificates obtained? “Did Major-General (RTD) Muhammadu Buhari submit a birth certificate or sworn affidavit of age to the Commission in 2003, 2007 and 2011? Has Major-General (RTD) Muhammadu Buhari submitted a birth certificate or sworn affidavit of age in respect of the upcoming February, 14, 2015 presidential election?"

Ibraheem Musa KADUNA

ice President Namadi Sambo is only deceiving President Goodluck Jonathan by promising that he will deliver two million votes from Kaduna state during the presidential election, Comrade Shehu Sani said yesterday. Sani, who is the senatorial candidate of APC in Kaduna Central, made this known while addressing the leadership of Kaduna State council of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). According to him, the vice president was merely hallucinating when he made those remarks because PDP will be wiped out of the state owing to inept leadership at all levels. “I am here to tell you that we have all resolved to change politics of our country and state for redemption purposes. We will make laws that will protect your union and

general welfare. Nobody is against PDP or President Jonathan because of religion or region but because they have failed to deliver. We are tired of lies and deceitful promises. “Imagine the Vice President promising Jonathan two million votes. Where will he get the votes? They promised to revive our textiles; till today, there is nothing and the problems persists. There is no security; there is no any cogent development that tackled unemployment, crisis, insecurity and lack of cogent health, education and other critical sectors.” “Sambo packed to Abuja, forgetting the day of reckoning and now desperately ignoring reality. Whenever he calls people to Abuja to deceive Jonathan, they wear Jonathan’s clothes with pictures and portraits, but immediately they near Kaduna Toll Gate, they will change their dresses and disassociate themselves from Jonathan."

ndia’s Acting High Commissioner in Nigeria, Kaisar Alam, yesterday said the trade volume between Nigeria and India reached $17 billion from April 2013 to March 2014. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that India imported $14 billion worth of goods from Nigeria during the year while Nigeria imported $3 billion worth of goods from India in the same period. Alam explained that India was currently the largest importer of Nigeria’s crude oil, importing $12 billion worth of the product in the year under review. “India imported $14 billion worth of goods from Nigeria from April 2013 to March 2014, including $12 billion worth of crude oil,” he said. He also explained that with the reduction of U.S. import of Nigeria’s crude oil, India was currently Nigeria’s largest trading partner. According to him, a large number of Indian companies and businesses have footprints in Nigeria, which have made substantial investments in Nigeria. The envoy explained that the increasing trade relations between the two countries would boost trade volume in 2014-2015 fiscal year. He said that the relations between the two countries had always been friendly, noting that “Nigeria is a very important country to India.”

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

News

NATIONAL

APC‘ll form parallel govt if 2015 elections are rigged — Oyegun APC THREAT Party pledges to concede defeat if elections are free, fair...

Temitope Ogunbanke

he National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, yesterday said that his party will form a parallel government if the

2015 elections are rigged. Odigie-Oyegun, in a statement made available to New Telegraph yesterday said that APC will not hesitate to form a parallel government if the February elections are rigged either by the use of security agencies to harass, intimidate and cajole voters; or through the use of a compromised Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). “As a party, we assure you that we will congratulate President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if

our presidential candidate and party are defeated in free and fair elections and will not go to court. “However, as a party, we wish to reiterate that we will not hesitate to consider forming a parallel government if the 2015 elections are rigged either by the use of security agencies (police, military) to harass, intimidate and cajole voters; or through the use of a compromised Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We ask that you all remain calm, committed, hopeful but vigilant,”

he said. The APC national chairman while congratulating Nigerians on Christmas, Id-el-Maulud and New Year celebrations, also charged Nigerians to collectively insist on free, fair and transparent elections, noting that it is the only way to allow the wishes of the people to manifest. “We wish to extend our sincere compliments of the season to you for the Christmas, Id-el-Maulud celebrations and a Happy New Year 2015. We are aware that it has been

a bleak celebration for all of us because of the poor performance of the economy, litany of failed promises and general decay in governance in our dear country, including unpaid salaries which is as a result of the drop in the state and local government revenue. “The drop in state and local government revenue is as a result of corruption in government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and oil theft supervised by government. We ask all Nigerians to exercise for-

titude because the change we seek is almost here. “We wish to also remind you that the change we expect will be a consequence of your action. That action will be to vote massively for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next election to herald a new dawn and bid farewell to the failed leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “We ask you to collectively insist on free, fair and transparent elections because that is the only way to allow the wishes of the people to manifest.”

How our ideology enhanced business growth –PDP Mark: Politics is all about service to humanity Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it has in the last 15 years provided the enabling environment that empowered Nigerian entrepreneurs to enhance business growth and boost the economy. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement yesterday said meticulous application by successive PDP administrations of policies as

enshrined in the party’s ideology and manifesto has created and sustained an investment-friendly environment. “The growth of the private sector under the PDP has been phenomenal. This did not happen by chance. Our governments at all levels have been guided by our economic policy, which directs the creation of a dynamic economy in which market forces are combined with the forces of partnership, solidarity and cooperation for the benefit of the people," the

statement said. It noted that the hallmark of the PDP administration is the policy of transfer of wealth from the public sector to the private sector, noting that this has not only revived and empowered the private sector but also expanded the nation’s economic frontiers with an unprecedented growth in small and medium scale enterprises. This, he said, has helped in providing employment for our citizens across the country. “The fact remains that

UN may intervene on death sentence for 54 soldiers Akeem Nafiu

he Office of the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary or Summary Executions, Mr. Christof Heyns, has stated that appropriate action, including communication to the government of President Goodluck Jonathan is being considered regarding the possible execution of 54 soldiers in Nigeria. This development was disclosed by the

Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project(SERAP), Adetokunbo Mumuni, in a statement yesterday. The intervention was sequel to a petition submitted to Heyns by SEPAP in December 2014 in which the group asked five UN human rights independent experts to individually and jointly use their “good offices and positions to urgently request the Nigerian government

and its military authorities not to carry out the mass death sentences imposed on 54 Nigerian soldiers for what the government claimed was disobeying a direct order from their commanding officer.” According to Mumuni, “SERAP has been in discussion with Johel Dominique at the Office of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, arbitrary or summary executions both on the telephone and via email.

Aremu: Govt has no reason to owe workers Yekeen Nurudeen ABUJA

he Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and General Secretary of Textile Workers Union, Mr. Isa Aremu has lashed out at the federal and state governments over their inability to pay workers their December 2014 salaries. He berated the Federal Government for attributing its failure to pay workers' salaries to the dwindling oil prices

at the international market, noting that the law does not say government should not pay workers in the face of falling oil prices. Aremu, who was responding to the inability of over 70,000 workers in the state and federal ministries, departments, parastatals and agencies to get their December salaries and other arrears, told New Telegraph on the telephone that government has no reason to owe workers. He said, "Call the state workers and find

out. About 70,000 workers in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have not been paid. The law says workers should be paid, regardless of whether or not oil price falls. The bottom line is, for whatever reasons, those workers have not been paid. No reason to justify that from the point of view of law. The law says workers shall be paid as and when due. The law does not say because of dwindling oil revenue you shall not pay workers"

under the PDP, Nigerian entrepreneurs have fared better more than ever before. Under our government, more private businesses have sprung up. More banks have been opened and performing well; the telecommunication, oil and gas and manufacturing sectors have witnessed exceptional expansion; more transport companies, hotels, farms, schools and hospitals are springing up; more reputable international retail businesses and food processing concerns have opened in our country."

Chukwu David ABUJA

resident of the Senate, Senator David Mark, at the weekend challenged the political class and all public office seekers to make service to the society the primary motive of their ambitions. Speaking at Igumale, Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, after receiving the traditional title of Ogblonekwu-Egidi (the only tree big enough to cover the forest) from the paramount ruler of

Igumaleland, Ochapa of Igumale, Chief Joseph Ochili, he said: "Service to humanity is my driving force in politics." Mark pointed out that any political ambition not anchored on that premise of providing adequate security and welfare for the people was bound to hit the rocks. In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the President of the Senate, Mr. Paul Mumeh, Senator Mark said, "those looking for financial fortune in politics cannot go far because the people cannot be misled for long."

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Metro

45 vehicles gone in mechanic village fire

Muritala Ayinla

t least 45 vehicles, several shanties, lock-up shops and other valuable items were destroyed yesterday as fire gutted a mechanic village at Ebute-Metta in Lagos. Also, about 40 structures, especially the slum areas of the state, were razed across the state. The Lagos State Director Fire Service, Mr Razak Fadipe, who confirmed the incidents, bemoaned the high rate of fire disasters despite the warning by his organisation. He said: “Forty-five vehicles were completely destroyed in the inferno. The vehicles were new vehicles that the mechanics wanted to change their steering from right to left. “No fewer than 16 rooms were also burnt at Alaba village. There were also incidents

of fire at Kadiri Orile-Iganmu, Surule, Iju and other areas in the state.” In a similar incident on September 25, 2014, about 108 vehicles, 56 lock-up shops and other valuable items were destroyed when fire gutted Owode Onirin Scrap Market in Lagos. The September incident was said to have been caused by poor electricity connection. Fadipe said the agency responded to these and other calls in different parts of the state on Friday. He added that the Lagos State Fire Service also responded to fire incidents at Adeniji Estate in Ogba and Epe areas of the state. Meanwhile, at press time, Fadipe said in a text message that his men were still battling to contain fire incident which gutted a four-storey building, Adebola House, at number 224, Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi.

File picture of burnt vehicles

Relatives seek justice for accident victims Accident victims’ family Mojeed Alabi

he relatives of the family of three killed in an accident involving a lady in Ibadan on New Year’s Day have called on the police not to sweep the matter under the carpet. The three members of the same family were reportedly killed by a lady identified as Abimbola Popoola with her Honda Pilot SUV jeep with registration number LSD 483 CY. The relatives also accused Popoola of driving under the influence of alcohol when the accident occurred. The accident, which occurred in front of Theodolite House, Majerita Hotel Junction, Challenge area of the ancient city, reportedly occurred about 8:30pm on the fateful day while the victims - Yusuf Ojo Steven, 44, (husband), Yusuf Mary Idowu, 42, (wife) carrying a five-month pregnancy and their daughter, Yusuf Hanah - were returning home

having visited their friends in the neighbourhood. Their remains were said to have been deposited by men of the Challenge Divisional Police at the Adeoyo Hospital’s mortuary, while Popoola is currently receiving treatment at the Ibadan Central Hospital, also in Challenge. Speaking yesterday on the telephone, one of the lawyers to the family of the deceased, Mr Misbau Alabi Lateef, said evidence presented to the family by eyewitnesses confirmed that Popoola was drunk and that she was in the convoy of her friends who had driven recklessly along the road that fateful night. He said: “We quite understand that a police officer is already on guard at the hospital where Popoola is receiving treatment but beyond that, the family of the deceased would not want to take lightly the complete wipe-out of a promising family who had entered the New

Year with hopes and aspirations like every other Nigerian. “We know she is a daughter of an affluent man in the town and there are some efforts to sweep it under the carpet but the police have assured us that justice will be done. “We are pursuing this matter so that parents will know that their children must be offered adequate training so that they do not constitute nuisance to the society.” But one of the relatives of the accused, simply identified as Alhaji Ogundipe, told our correspondent that Popoola was not drunk. He said: “Only a test conducted by expert could confirm whether she was drunk or not but I can tell you that she was not drunk.” The Investigation Police Officer in charge of the matter, Mr Azeez Amidu, a corporal, said it was being closely monitored. He said two witnesses had also appeared to write statements.

threatens to sue police Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

indred of a family of four killed in a motor accident on Iwo-Ibadan Road in Osun State because of alleged illegal roadblock mounted by policemen on Christmas Eve have called on the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, to bring the perpetrators to book. Speaking through the Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASUU), Osun State University chapter, Comrade Isaiah Fayemi, the family also charged the state Police Commissioner, Abubakar Marafa, to investigate the matter and punish the offenders. Fayemi, who is an in-law to

Zamfara: 139 die in 230 road crashes Idris Salisu Gusau

ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

abiodun. bello@newtelegraphonline.com

The accident scene INSET: The car

the family, alleged that the deceased lost their lives because of the roadblock. The NASUU chairman said if expected steps were not taken on time, the family would not hesitate to sue the police. He said: “The accident happened on Oloba Bridge on IwoIbadan Road on 24th December when policemen stopped and searched vehicles plying the road before a trailer laden with bags of rice lost control and crushed the couple, Mr and Mrs Olumide Bankole and their two children to death around 4pm on the day.” It was, however, gathered that Bankole, who drove his Golf car, lost his life while heading to Ibadan to celebrate Christmas with his in-laws before the mobile policemen stopped his vehicle before the accident occurred.

he Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said it apprehended 2,059 offenders in Zamfara State in 2014 as part of efforts to reduce road crashes across the 14 local government areas of the state. The state Sector Commandant, Mr Amos Yakubu Thliza, disclosed this at the weekend while addressing journalists in his office. This came shortly after the lunch of Overview of the command’s Corporate Strategic Goals 2014 held at its headquar-

ters in Gusau, the state capital. Thliza said the command earlier in 2013 was arrested 3,026 offenders while 3,126 had been charged to court in the last two years. He added that the command recorded 230 road crashes which involved about 239 vehicles last year. According to him, 1,444 people were involved; 859 people were seriously injured while 139 others lost their lives. The sector commander disclosed that the aim of the Overview of the Command’s 2014 Corporate Strategic Goals was to interact with the stakeholders.

Metro 11

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

15 suspected robbers, cult members held in Rivers 60-year-old stroke patient dies in fire

olice in Rivers State said they arrested 15 suspected robbers and cult members during a raid on criminals’ hideout. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ahmad Kidaya Muhammad, said the arrest on Saturday was based on a tip off. Muhammad said a team of policemen raided Prana Hotel on Oboburu Road at Akabuka area of Onne Local Government Area and arrested the suspected armed robbers and cult members who were already about to go out and carry out their nefarious act. The PPRO listed the names of the suspects as Vincent Odum, Odinaka Amaechi Ogbugo, Chisa Peter, Emenike Ayodele, John James, Vincent Ikeguru Atumatu Isaac, Oliver Odum and Gift Odika. Others, according to him, are Collins Georgewill,

Babatope Okeowo Akure

The suspects

John Daniel, Uchechukwu Dimkpa, Emmanuel Solomon, Ogechi Okorobia and Obi Eze Okwu. He said: “Item recovered from them include seven firearms made up of three pump action, one English-made double barrelled, one locally-made

pistol double barrelled and two dane guns. “Other items recovered are 79 cartridges, four objects suspected to be explosives, two cutlasses, one military camouflage trousers, a walkie-talkie radio set and assorted charms. “The Commissioner of

Police while wishing the people of Rivers State a happy and prosperous year 2015 also expresses his profound appreciation to them for their uncommon support to the police particularly their efforts of volunteering credible and timely information.”

‘Only truth can move Nigeria forward’

igeria may not move in the right direction unless the people shun lies and deception, a promoter of a new Nigeria, Mr Tunde Araoye, has said. Araoye, an engineer and promoter of the Love of Fatherland Initiative (LFI), said a new Nigeria was possible if the citizens lived a godly lifestyle in which truth, trust and honesty were the hallmarks. The promoter spoke in Lagos at the launch of a five-point

work-list, which he said the LFI was planning to promote across the country in 12 zones. He said it negated the law of harvest to do things the same way and expect different results. According to him, truth and trust are two sides of a coin, warning that there cannot be peace and progress in the land once the sides are taken over by lies and deception. He said: “Nigerians want a honest leadership while the average citizen is dishon-

est. They want an engineer to render the services of a medical doctor without a reorientation. It is a malignant disease affecting the country. “Truth and trust are two sides of the same coin and they lead to societal peace and progress. Where these two are missing, there will be distrust among the people and without trust, no nation can experience progress.” Araoye listed five principles that would guide the country to greatness.

According to him, the fifth, which he identified as grace, is attainable with strict adherence to the first four, which he summarised as abstinence from a lifestyle of lies and extension of love to one’s neighbours. He said: “These are the expressly-needed ingredients in Nigeria’s prevailing circumstances. All these will improve boththespiritualandwell-being of the citizenry to generate a sound mind, a sound nation andimprovethequalityof life.”

Police attack vendors, burn newspapers over Christmas bribe Taiwo Jimoh

ewspaper sellers at Iyana-Iba Roundabout, Lagos State University (LASU) Gate, have accused the police of attacking them and burning their papers because they refused to pay N200 ‘Christmas bribe.’ According to them, the extortion had been going on for long, but penultimate Friday the situation came to a head after the vendors unanimously said enough was enough. They refused to pay. The angry and heavily armed policemen not only pounced on the vendors, but seized and burnt their papers. They also refused to allow them to sell those they salvaged. They claimed to be acting based on “orders from above”. Earlier, the policemen had sent their ‘tax collectors’ on Tuesday to threaten the vendors for refusing to ‘pay Christmas money.’ A vendor, who refused to give his name, saying that the policemen knew most of them by name, said: “The mobile policemen clamped

down on us for no reason. We have been at this roundabout before the mobile policemen were deployed in this area. They were supposed to prevent break down of law and order in the university, but instead they started extorting money from us. “After the newspapers were seized, I went to complain to one of the senior officers. But he told us that they were acting on orders from above.” “The mobile policemen are in the habit of seizing our newspapers at this Iyana-Iba without reason,” said another vendor. “The Lagos State Commissioner of Police should take them away from this spot. We are selling newspapers here in order to make ends meet. This is the only business we are doing to feed our family,” he added. A third vendor said: “I was displaying my newspaper that morning when the mobile policemen, numbering about 10, walked to my stand. The senior officer among them ordered others to pick my newspapers. They destroyed my table. While they were

60-year-old suffering from stroke, Mr Ige Oyinleye, was killed in a fire which gutted his apartment at Ita-Ogbolu in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State. Oyinleye was inside his bedroom when the midnight fire broke out at the weekend. The incident came barely two weeks after fire killed a a medical doctor in Akure, the state capital. A source told journalists yesterday that the fire started when a candle placed beside his bed fell on the bedspread and thereafter gutted the whole room. The source added that because of his health condition, the man could not get out of the room and there was nobody to rescue him. Oyinleye, a father of six, has been suffering from the ailment in the last two years. According to the source, that was why he relocated to Ita-Ogbolu, his hometown, from Akure where he lived with his family. His wife and chil-

LAWMA manager, four others die in Ogun road crash Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

A vendor’s stand at Iyana Iba INSET: The scene of the burnt newspapers

destroying my table, I tried to confront them. But they were armed to teeth. “These policemen have turned us to Automated Teller Machine (ATM). Every day, they send their errands boys to collect money from us. “When they were taking the newspapers away, I asked the senior officer where he expected me and my colleagues to get money to give them after they had burnt our source of livelihood.” Another vendor, whose table was also damaged, said: “Before we left on

Wednesday, the mobile policemen had sent some of their errand boys to threaten us for refusing to contribute to the ‘Christmas money’ other traders in the area given them.” When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kenneth Nwosu, who said he was not aware of such incident. He said: “We have warned our men to work according to the ethics and standard of the profession. The complaint of papers being burnt was not reported to the nearest police station by the vendors.”

dren remain in Akure while he lived alone in the building. However, it was learnt that his wife, identified as Funke, used to bring food for him on a daily basis. One of the residents, Bayo Isiaka, said he and some other people rushed to the house when they discovered that smoke was coming out of the late man’s room. Isiaka said they were able to save the building from burning completely but Oyinleye had already died before help could reach him. He said: “We learnt that the wife, as usual, came around to give her husband food. But before she returned to Akure, there was no light, so she lit a candle and placed it beside her husband’s bed. “It was in the middle of the night that the candle fell on the bed and since the man could not walk, the fire burnt him and the bed.” The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Wole Ogodo, said he had not been briefed on the incident at press time.

ive persons, among them a five-year-old girl and a manager with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Yakubu Bola Yussuf, lost their lives yesterday in a motor accident on Abeokuta-SiunSagamu Expressway in Ogun State. In the incident which occurred about 6pm, seven people also sustained serious injuries. The vehicles involved in the accident included a black Nissan Almera with registration number Lagos KSF 803 CX, Mitsubishi Space Wagon marked Lagos EPE 925 XD and white Toyota Hilux with registration number Lagos LSR 470 BB. According to witnesses, a lone occupant of the Nissan Almera, veered off his way and crossed to the lane of vehicles heading towards Sagamu. This led to a head-on collision with the com-

mercial Mitsubishi car, resulting in fatalities. It was learnt that the patrol Toyota Hilux had to swerve into the bush in order to avoid another collision with the two vehicles. At press time, sympathisers were trying to remove the mangled bodies of two drivers who were still trapped in two vehicles. Officials of the stateowned Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), who rushed to the scene, rescued some of the victims and took them to the hospital. Another vehicle belonging to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) was later seen heading to the scene. Some members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), who came to the scene, said that one of their members identified as Sekere, was among the dead. The driver was said to have left the Kuto motor park in Abeokuta 10 minutes before meeting his death.

News

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NATIONAL

Why I wanted Electoral Act amended, by Senator Ndume REFUGEE RIGHTS

Senator seeks to retain voting rights of displaced persons Chukwu David ABUJA

enator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District

has explained that his proposed amendment to the Electoral Act 2010 was motivated by the desire to retain the voting rights of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) all over the country in 2015 general elections. Speaking in a telephone interview with New Telegraph yesterday, Ndume said that if the bill had passed, it would have legally catered for those who were displaced from their homes as a result of the insurgency in the North East, who are cur-

rently scattered in many states of the federation as refugees. However, he expressed satisfaction with the decision of the Senate to drop the bill and reduce it to a motion, under which they made a resolution, mandating the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to create polling units at the various refugee camps in the country to enable the victim of the on-going terrorism in the country vote in their camps in the forthcoming elections.

His words: "The bill is seeking to cater for all the internally displaced persons nationwide, and not only in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states. My initial thought of amending the Electoral Act is to enable the internally displaced persons all over the country to vote wherever they are camping. But my colleagues, especially those who have legal background advised that besides that the amendment process can be cumbersome and now that we just have 60

days to election, it is better to do this by way of resolution, asking INEC to ensure the internally displaced persons wherever they are have the opportunity to vote and be voted for "I think that is a better proposal than the one I first initiated because after passing it, we have to go to the House of Representatives, and then it has to go to the President for assent. But now, looking at this resolution and the Electoral Act Section 42, which empowers the

Kalu commiserate with Jonathan over sister’s death

ormer Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has expressed his heartfelt condolences to President Jonathan over the death of his younger sister, Mrs. Nancy Jonathan –Olei, who passed away earlier today in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Kalu in a condolence message said: “It is with heavy heart and pain that I write to commiserate with Mr. President over the demise of his beloved younger sister, Mrs. Nancy Jonathan- Olei. She was a source of inspiration to the womenfolk. Our prayers and thoughts are with the first family at this sorrowful period. God Almighty in his infinite mercies will give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss''. The former governor noted that Mrs Jonathan lived a good life that was committed to the service of God and mankind. Kalu urged Mr. President to take solace in the fact that the deceased was a woman of virtue and selfless personality, who contributed to the growth of her community. Jonathan had yesterday announced the death of his younger sister, Mrs. Nancy Jonathan-Olei. A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the late Jonathan-Olei passed away in the early hours of yesterday at a hospital in Yenagoa after a brief illness.

Ahmed Mringa MAIDUGURI

unmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram terrorists on Saturday captured Baga town of Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State . The insurgents also took over the Multinational Joint Task

L-R: Head, Trade Marketing, Reckitt Renckiser, Nigeria, Mr. Emmanuel Ugwanyi; Managing Director, Tee one Ventures, Mr. Tayo Ojuri; Managing Director, Good Deal Supermarket, Mr. Emmanuel Kokobili and Brand Manager, Mortein, Reckitt Renckiser, Nigeria, Iku Ejiro, at the Mortein Automatic Trade Launch in Lagos. PHOTO:TONYEGUAYE

2015: Middle Belt Forum warns Asari Dokubo Onwuka Nzeshi ABUJA

he Middle Belt Forum has taken a swipe at controversial ex- militant of the Niger Delta, Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo over his recent comments declaring that President Goodluck Jonathan has already won the 2015 presidential elections and threats that Nigeria will be on fire should Jonathan lose at the polls. At a news conference yesterday, Patron of the Middle Belt Forum, Ambassador Yohanna Margif, warned Asari-Dokubo to be

cautious in his utterances during these trying times in Nigeria, particularly in the build up to the election as unguarded and inflammatory statements could trigger unpleasant reactions across the country. He described Asari-Dokubo's threats to Nigerians over President Jonathan's political aspiration as a slap on the faces of other Nigerians and an insult on their sensibilities. According to the forum, much as Dokubo has the right to support Jonathan for Presidency as a South South militant, many other Nigerians too have the right to do so for any of their candidate of their choice.

APC, NUT bicker over Fayemi Adesina Wahab ADO-EKITI

he All Progressives Congress, Ekiti State chapter, has condemned the statement credited to the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Samuel Akosile, that teachers in the state had no regret voting against the party's candidate in the June 21 governorship election, Dr Kayode Fayemi. The party said the state NUT boss was misrepresenting and misleading the teachers. In a statement in AdoEkiti yesterday by the State Publicity Secretary

of the APC, Mr Taiwo Olatubosun, the party described the statement as unfortunate, if it was actually signed by Akosile. "The statement does not represent the collective views of the teachers, who celebrated Christmas in hunger compared to the pomp with which they celebrated previous Christmas under Governor Kayode Fayemi," Olatubosun said. He challenged Akosile to deny the various welfare packages for teachers during Fayemi's administration ranging from salary increment four times to promotion of teachers which had been suspended by previous administrations.

Boko Haram takes over military base in Baga Force Military formation, killing scores of people. Houses and shops were burnt in a coordinated attack in three villages. A resident of Baga, Mallam Audu Labbo, who fled to Chad Republic, said the insurgents, who engaged the MNJTF in a gun battle, overpow-

ered them and took over the town. He said the insurgents, who came in their hundreds in Hilux vehicles, and motorcycles, started throwing explosive and Rocket Propel Grenade (RPG), killing scores of people, while houses and shops were also burnt.

“We ran for 8 hours before crossing to Chad Republic through boats and canoe, as the insurgents blocked all land routes. We had to swim through Lake Chad before some of us could get boat and continue to flee. Many have also drowned as only those of us that can

swim were able to escape. Another resident, who did not want his name in print told our correspondent on the telephone that the insurgents after overpowering the troops of the Joint Task Force, blocked all the land routes and anybody trying to escaped, they killed.

INEC to establish polling units, which is not very restrictive, that means administratively, polling units can be established where the internally displaced persons are so that they can vote for whoever they want and I am happy with that". The legislator also noted that Senators would work with INEC to ensure that the resolution of the Senate in this regard was adhered to by the electoral umpire, stating that the Upper Chamber would diligently achieve this through its oversight responsibilities on the Commission. "There is no need to set up a committee. It is just simply to ask INEC to make sure that the internally displaced persons are allowed to vote where they are. Of course, we are going to work handin-glove with INEC. Remember we have the constitutional oversight responsibility. Now that there is a resolution and the law is very clear, we will just ensure that the internally displaced persons are guaranteed that they will be able to vote where they are camping", he said.

Ajimobi challenges Ladoja, Akala, others to open debate

overnor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has challenged his opponents to an open debate on the gubernatorial contest. The governor said they should come out and tell the people of the state what they had done for the state that qualifies them for people’s mandate. The governor threw the challenge while speaking at a programme organized by the state government to herald the New Year at the Remembrance Arcade, Government House, Ibadan at the weekend. “For those who had not been there before, I really do not have problem with them. But for other contestants who had been governors before, I challenge them to an open debate. Let them come and tell the people of the state what they did while they were there that qualified them for a comeback. “For those who did not know, two of them are currently facing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for various charges bordering on economic mismanagement while they at the helm of affair.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

2015

General election

Those who will give Jonathan second term

Nigeria can’t afford unacceptable mandate – Idika Kalu

14, 15

16, 17

Politics Issues that will shape 2015 would shift to the judiciary where the outcome of the various elections would be subjected to further scrutiny under the lenses of the law. The experience from previous years has shown that this is a stage in our democratic process that can only be ignored by political neophytes. Elections have been won and lost in the court rooms and this year will not be an exception because the stakes are as high as ever.

As a new year unfolds, unresolved issues of the previous year are carried over and new challenges would also emerge. In this piece, ONWUKA NZESHI examines some of the issues that would likely shape 2015 in Nigeria

he decisive year 2015 is here at last. It is a milestone many Nigerians have been looking forward to for a long time, and for so many reasons. It is a decisive year for Nigeria considering where the country has been and where it wants to go. One does not need a crystal ball to know that a lot of the issues which would be on the front burner this year have their roots in the issues and events of the previous year(s). There are three broad issues that would determine the fate of Nigeria in 2015. These are the ability of the political class to allow a smooth transition in the leadership of the country, the ability of the economic management team to steer the economy away from its current woes, and the extent to which our security forces are able to curb the insurgency and terrorism threatening to tear the country apart. General election Nigeria is heading for a make-orbreak election in February. It is one activity that has been on the minds of every citizen and permutations towards it were largely responsible for much of the political drama that took place last year. The country is preparing for this election with a 10-year-old prediction of anarchy, doom and disintegration at the back of its mind. A study group in the United

AYODELE OJO

DEPUTY Editor, POLITICS ayodele.ojo@newtelegraphonline.com

Jonathan

States had in 2005 predicted that Nigeria may cease to exist as one entity by 2015. Almost all the scenarios painted in the doomsday prophecy seem to have played out, except that the resilient spirit of the Nigerian has continued to repel the forces of disintegration on a daily basis. According to the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the presidential and National Assembly Elections will hold on February 14 while the governorship and State Assembly elections will take place on February 28. Already, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) have emerged as the major contenders in the forthcoming elections. In the February 14 poll, President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP will be squaring up against the presidential candidate of the APC, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), a former Head of State who is seeking the presidential mandate for the fourth time. This is arguably, the single most important event of this year because its outcome would determine the direction Nigeria would go. If Nigerians go to the polls that day and cast their ballots for whomever they believe is the best candidate to lead the country, and INEC is able to play its own role effectively as the electoral umpire, chances are that the exercise will produce a leader the country deserves at this time. However, if the elections are not conducted under a peaceful, free and fair atmosphere, they are not likely

Jega

Elections have been won and lost in the courtrooms and this year will not be an exception because the stakes are as high as ever

to produce the right results. There is a looming danger that the elections might trigger some form of violent reactions even if it passes the integrity tests, but fails to tally with the permutations of some political parties and power blocks. Like every election in Nigeria, there are so many things at stake as political parties are in alliance with regional, ethnic and religious groups in the power game show. The APC recently served a notice of a possible state of anarchy during its Salvation Rally held at the Eagle Square, Abuja where Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State threatened that the party would form a parallel government if the main opposition party failed to win the 2015 elections. In the calculations of the APC, it has already won the election and any result to the contrary would mean a rigged poll. Under this scenario, INEC must endeavour to conduct free, fair and transparent elections while the security agencies must be on red alert to ensure that whatever misgiving any party might have on the result of the election does not degenerate into violence. Electoral disputes Usually, there will be people who will not be satisfied with the results of the elections and would seek redress at the tribunals and subsequently move to the courts when such disputes are not resolved satisfactorily at the tribunals. In other words, after the people might have exercised their franchise, action

Leadership turnover The year will witness a high turnover of persons who are currently in leadership positions. At least 20 state governors who were re-elected for a second term in 2011 would be quitting the stage on May 29. This will bring into the system some new kids on the block. They will be joining the rest of the governors who might secure their second term tickets either this year or later. Interestingly, some of the very influential personalities such as Governors Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Theodore Orji (Abia), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa) are among those who will be taking the exit door as state chief executives. One of the implications of this exodus would be that those who have served out their mandatory two terms as governors would be interested in who succeeds them and are more likely going to devote time working for their successors and their political parties. In other words, outgoing governors in the states who have no personal elections to contest could become the major determinant of the direction of the elections in their states as they will fight with everything at their disposal to keep their states. The second scenario of high turnover would be at the National Assembly where it is feared that many legislators might not return to their seats. If the casualty figures recorded at the just-concluded primary elections are anything to go by, the parliament is likely to be taken over essentially by a new breed of legislators. Following the gale of defections that swept through the polity last year, there were fears that the ruling party, PDP, was at the verge of losing the majority it had enjoyed in CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Politics

The inauguration of the Presidential Campaign Council today by President Goodluck Jonathan underscores his determination to win the February 14 presidential election. ONYEKACHI EZE takes a look at men and women who will pilot the president’s re-election bid

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Those who will give Jonathan second term

ith the inauguration, this afternoon, of the Presidential Campaign Council, the vehicle for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan is about to take off. Although 11 candidates have been cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest the February 14 presidential election, the contest is really a two-horse race. It is between President Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In 2011, Jonathan and Buhari also squared up in the presidential election. Although there were other candidates in the race then such as Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who ran on the platform of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the 2011 contest, just like that of next month’s, was really between Jonathan and Buhari. In 2011, the president was victorious, but Buhari despite going into the election without the control of a sitting governor, gave a good account of himself, securing a total of 12,214,853 votes, mostly in the North. This time, it is going to be a different ball game. APC on whose platform he is contesting the presidency is in firm control of 14 states; seven of these states are in the South that may be regarded as Jonathan’s political base. Again, to show his determination to win the election, Buhari, immediately after picking the APC presidential ticket late last year, constituted a powerful campaign committee that is headed by Jonathan’s kinsman, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State. No doubt, the president is regarding this election as a war. When Jonathan ran for the presidency in 2011, he made Dr. Dalhatu Tafida the Director General of his campaign organisation. Tafida, who is now Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, was the only notable politician in the committee. But this time, the president has gone for experienced politicians. He has not only appointed a director general but added three deputy director generals to assist him in the task. Above all, he added a National Campaign Adviser to the team. If the personalities listed are anything to go by, the president has indeed, gone for the best and most experienced hands available within the ruling party. Some of them have gone through similar paths before and are therefore on a familiar terrain. The roll call include veteran politician, Chief Tony Anenih; former National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali and Alhaji Kabiru Turaki (SAN) who is the only serving minister in the council. Also in the team are former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran; former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi; former Aviation Minister,

Anenih

Alli

Adeniran

Modibbo

Usman

(PDM). PDM, which later fussed into PDP, was a political machinery of late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. Anenih was appointed Minister of Works by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. He was also the National Coordinator of Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP, which later became NAPEP). In 2002, when Obasanjo was still undecided whether to seek re-election, Anenih was instrumental for his declaration for a second term in office. He was appointed Deputy National Coordinator of Olusegun Obasanjo Campaign Organisation both in 1999 and 2003 presidential elections. These are the experiences the man who is also known as “Leader” will be bringing into President Jonathan’s re-election campaign as National Campaign Adviser.

Federal Commissioner of Education during the Obasanjo era. Despite his numerous achievements as federal commissioner (now known as minister), the unfortunate riot by university students dented his image. This was the “Ali-Must-Go” saga. The students were protesting the introduction of tuition fees, and this resulted in the death of about five students. That was in 1978. With the return of democratic rule in the country in 1979, Ali left the Army, contested and won a senatorial position. He served variously as chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum and Energy as well as Internal Affairs. Before he became PDP national chairman in 2005, Ali held political positions in Nigeria’s nascent democracy. These include chairman, the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Board; campaign coordinator, North Central for the Obasanjo/Atiku re-election campaign and special assistant of SouthSouth Cooperation otherwise known as G77. However, the former PDP national chairman has been unable to make his wife, Mariam Ali a senator of the Federal Republic, after two attempts, even when he was serving as the party’s chairman. Under his watch as PDP national chairman, ‘garrison’ politics was

Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana; former Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Aliyu Umar Modibbo; former Minister of State for Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman (who is also a serving senator in the team), Senator Nimi Amange and former Minister of State for Women Affairs, Mrs. Becky Igwe, among others. A look at these men and women shows President Jonathan, indeed, went for tested hands in politics. Almost all members of the council have gone through the tedious task of electioneering and therefore, have been tutored in the art of wooing voters to cast their votes for them. Below is the profile of those who will convince Nigerians to repose their trust once again in President Jonathan. Tony Anenih Anenih who presently heads the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) has been active in partisan politics since he retired as a Commissioner of Police. He is a respected name in Nigerian politics. Popularly known as “Mr. Fix it” because of the widely held belief that he always gets what he wants in politics, Anenih will serve as National Campaign Adviser to the council. Anenih will bring to the council his rich experience in politics. His active participation in politics saw him elected as Bendel State chairman of the now defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1981. He saw to the successful election of Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia as governor of the defunct Bendel State in 1983 against the incumbent, Prof. Ambrose Alli. After the military cut short the political programme in December 1983, Anenih went into private life. He was able to resurrect again in the botched Third Republic when he became the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1992. Again, he assisted in the election of Chief M.K.O. Abiola as president, though this was annulled by the military. Anenih participated in the 1994 Constitutional Conference organised by the late General Sani Abacha With the dawn of the present political dispensation, Anenih played an active role. First, he was a leading figure of the Peoples Democratic Movement

Ahmadu Ali The former PDP national chairman will serve as the Director-General of the campaign organisation. A soldier turned politician, Ali was trained as a medical doctor and rose to become a Colonel in the Nigerian Army. Though, he was the first Director-General of the newly established National Youth Service Corps in 1973, Ali was remembered more during his stint as

Politics

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

Turaki

Obi

Fani-Kayode

Gana

popular. He is the chairman, Board of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

Governmental Affairs in 2011. He was a member of National Political Reform Conference of 2004. A foundation member of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP), Turaki later moved to United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP) before finally joining PDP. He contested the Kebbi governorship seat in 2011 on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). KTT as he is popularly known, will serve as Deputy Director General for the North in the council. His duty will be to convince people from his zone to vote for Jonathan for second term in office. This is, indeed, a difficult challenge. Turaki, a successful lawyer who has served as legal advisor and external solicitor for several banks, financial institutions and government agencies, has not been able to bring members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect to a negotiation table. He was appointed chairman of the Presidential Committee on the Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts in Northern Nigeria sometime in 2012. As DDG for the North, Turaki will have to sharpen his wits to be able to convince his people that presidency should remain in the South for the next four years. This could be done by listing the projects executed by Mr. President in the north.

Tunde Adeniran An astute politician and brilliant educationist, Prof. Adeniran will serve as the deputy director general of the campaign’s head office. The 69-year old Professor of Political Science had taught in many universities both in Nigeria and in the United States before he joined active politics in 1998. He was also a staff of the United Nations in the mid-1970s. He was rejected by the US government as Nigerian ambassador to that country because his step son, Damilola, was accused of rape by the police in Baltimore, Maryland. Adeniran was a member of the Political Bureau set up by former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida in 1986 to chart a political future for the country. He also served at various times as secretary and chairman, Directorate of Social Mobilisation (MAMSER) in the old Ondo State. He was PDP governorship candidate in Ekiti State in 1999. He served as Minister of Education between 1999 and 2001. These are the qualities Adeniran will be bringing into President Jonathan’s campaign council. Luckily for him, PDP recently recovered Ekiti, his home state. He will be banking on the assurance that the bulk of the votes from the state will go to Mr. President. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), is the only serving minister in the campaign council. He was appointed Minister of Special Duties and Inter-

Peter Obi Obi, also known as Okwute, is the immediate past governor of Anambra State. A shrewd businessman and dogged political fighter, Obi will play the same role as Turaki for the South. Before he ventured into politics in 2003, the former governor was chairman of over seven successful companies, becoming the youngest chairman

of Fidelity Bank Plc. But it was his fight to regain his mandate as governor that Obi made his mark. Obi has succeeded in re-defining the nation’s political direction. He was the first to reclaim his governorship mandate in court; he was also the first to win the extension of office in court, thereby winning staggered governorship elections for the country. Until recently, he was a member of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Obi was Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF). Immediately after he left office, his name was sent to the presidency by the Anambra State chapter of PDP to fill the state slot in the federal cabinet. It was believed that his non-membership of PDP that time robbed him of the opportunity. Now saddled with the task of wooing the South for Jonathan, Obi will have to tap from his reservoir as an experienced businessman to sell the president to the people. This is a task he might find not very easy given the fact that the opposition APC is in control of seven out of the 17 states in the region. In the South East, if Obi could convince his kinsmen especially the leadership of pan-Igbo cultural organisation, Ohaneze that Jonathan will attend to the bad roads in the zone in his second tenure, the votes will be his. The SouthSouth may not present a big challenge even though two states in the region – Edo and Rivers – are in the hand of APC. Politics of next-of-kin will likely come to play. The situation in the South-West is dicey. Apart from Ekiti and Ondo, Bola Tinubu might influence the other four states in the zone to vote for the APC candidate. Femi Fani-Kayode Though Fani-Kayode, a lawyer will head the media and publicity subcommittee of the council. His role as Obasanjo’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs between 2003 and 2006, might have influenced the position given to him. He was christened “Obasanjo’s attack dog” due to his aggressive and combative defense of Obasanjo’s policies. Fani-Kayode was at various times Minister of Culture and Tourism and later Aviation under Obasanjo administration. He was hounded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) when he left office, for allegedly mismanaging the Aviation Intervention Fund when he was minister. He later left PDP for the ACN but rejected the party’s merger with other parties to form APC. Last year, FaniKayode returned to PDP and became a vocal voice in the policies of APC. In choosing him as Director of Media and Publicity, the president and his party might have seen him as the right person to match Dele Alake, head of media of Buhari Campaign Organisation. Jerry Gana Popularly known as Mr. MAMSER, Prof. Gana will be drawing from his past experience as Director-General of the Directorate of Mass Mobilisation for Social Justice and Economic Recovery (MAMSER) as head, campaign contact and mobilisation unit of the council. Former Professor of Geography at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Gana has served in many governments since the Ibrahim Babangida era. He was at various times Minister for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Information and Culture, Cooperation and Integration in Africa and again for Information and National Orientation. Gana ran for the presidential primaries of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1992 and PDP in 2007. Before then, he was elected Senator

in 1983 before the military coup that brought Buhari to power interrupted his sojourn in the nation’s legislative house. Gana was a member of the 2005 National Constitution Reform Conference. He coordinated the PDP campaign fund raising dinner where over N21 billion was raised. Gana is reputed to be a great mobiliser of men and resources. His choice is therefore regarded by many well made. Esther Nenadi Usman Senator Usman is to head the Finance Directorate of the council. Before her sojourn to the Senate, Usman, a native of Kaduna State, served as Minister of State for Finance under Obasanjo administration. She later superintended over the ministry when Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was moved to the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Usman is a good manager of resources. She will add value to the council. She is not returning to the Senate having lost her return ticket in the PDP. Aliyu Umar Modibbo Dr. Modibbo, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) heads the Directorate of Administration and Logistics of the council. A seasoned administrator, Modibbo has held various appointive positions in government. He had served as Minister of Commerce before he was moved to the FCT ministry. He was also Minister of State in the Ministry of Power and Steel as well as Special Assistant in the Office of Chief of Staff to the President. Modibbo is well known as Chairman of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited where he served between 2003 and 2007. It is believed that all these will come to play in his new assignment. Abdullahi Maibasira Maibasira, the PDP National Youth leader, is the head, Youth Mobilisation of the council. A former Speaker of the Nigerian Youth Parliament, Maibasira won overwhelming victory at the 2013 PDP convention. He scored a total of 1,547 votes to beat his co-contestant, Baba Wakali, who scored only 421 votes. Maibasira was a student unionist who have served first as member of Students’ Representatives Assembly and later, President of the Student Government of the Usman Dan Fodiyo University Sokoto. Before his election as PDP Youth Leader, Maibasira had served as Senior Special Assistant to Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State on Public Private Partnerships (PPP). He was also credited to opening up the political space for greater participation of students when he served as SUG president. He is expected to use his past experience as student union leader to mobilise the Nigerian youths to vote for President Jonathan in next month’s election. Nimi Barigha-Amange Senator Barigha-Amange who served in the Nigerian Senate between 2007 and 2011 is the head of the Directorate of Planning, Research and Statistics. A lawyer and member of Nembe ruling family of Bayelsa State, Senator Amange is a close ally of Mr. President. He was one of the senators who aggressively canvassed for Jonathan to be made Acting President in 2010 following the prolong hospitalisation of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He could not return to the Senate in 2011 due to misunderstanding he had with the former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva. As a die-hard supporter of Jonathan, Senator Amange is expected to reach out to fellow SouthSoutherners to vote for the president next month.

16 Politics

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Nigeria can’t afford unacceptable mandate – Idika Kalu

Former Minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, believes that it would be chaotic if the forthcoming general election is disrupted. In this interview with FELIX NWANERI, he shares his thoughts on the polls, the state of the economy and other national issues. Excerpts: You’ve served in past administrations at both the state and federal levels. How would you access the present Federal Government? It is not always that fair comparing regimes. A regime takes over and a whole new set of problems arise. Every regime has its core priorities and principles; every era has its own peculiar set of parameters depending on resource availability and structure of the economy and demands of the constituent parts of the country, among others. Over the last 30 years, every regime has tried to tackle the country’s problems as they see them and the priorities may have different nomenclatures or different ordering in terms of listing, but essentially we are still facing the same issues. It was particularly instructive that despite the many mistakes that we have made over this period, the rebasing that occurred recently showed that Nigeria is indeed a potential giant in the continent. In nominal terms, considerably more than South Africa, which is number two despite the fact that we’ve had problems counting ourselves properly as we should. Roughly we are between 165 and 170 million or more. The fact that we still came out with a nominal GDP (Gross Domestic Product) three times higher than that of South Africa, despite the waste of resources, despite the inadequacies of management, despite the inadequacies of prioritisation – availability of basic needs like pipe borne water, power, housing, healthcare and perhaps jobs is a good development. Our GDP can be described as one big shell fish with lots of trails. We have a large economy but that rebasing showed us large holes in the economy. So, every government has to try to fill those holes, and it implies creating more interconnectivity within the various sectors of the economy. Agriculture produces food, but it also produces raw materials for the

pharmaceutical, textile and furniture sectors. If you go to the oil sector, there are all kinds of derivatives. So, you are not just producing crude, selling it and buying everything that comes out of crude. Those are the challenges that we still have, and if you have to judge the government by that, you will say that we haven’t done much because the share of the manufacturing sector outside oil and gas is just about four per cent. For many African countries, it should be seven times higher. The interconnectivity between the various sectors of the economy is still waiting to take off to fill those gaps, so that we are no longer talking of import substitution but producing for export on the basis of our immense endowment. So, there are still lots of tasks ahead and that is what structural reform is all about – to make sure that you provide the basic needs, so that all those empty cells that are filled by imports are filled by things that are produced locally. So, the GDP may not be growing or expanding as it has done but it is deepening and getting wider and the economy is much stronger. When we are doing this, all these special programmes of creating jobs become mere additives to the basic things of providing employment from the so-called real sectors. Despite the picture you painted, some people insist that there is need for change. Do we just need change for change sake or consolidation of the gains already made? I will speak my mind straight to the facts. We tend to focus more on the tangibles, but there are other intangibles, which are also important. We talk about what constitutes the pride of a nation, which is where you get the feeling that those who are up there think about those who are down there, and those who are down there think of those who are up there.

Idika Kalu

I will not say that I will call for the elections to be put on hold, but we need to make sure that the elections are not disrupted

In other words, whether you live in Badagry, Chibok, Nembe, Enugu or Sokoto, that sense of commitment and equal protection under the law is there. We need to be more committed, it should not be that only members of the civil societies and advocacy groups should be crying about. The average citizen must feel that he is part and parcel of the society, and that he is not somebody to be brushed off or to be cordoned off. He should be a part player; he should be contributing. These are what give him a sense of self-worth as a full-fledged citizen of any country. So, those are the things we should continue to watch and make sure that those who occupy positions of power are fully seized with their responsibilities to protect the citizens wherever they may be. As you know, we have very many issues on the table as far as guarding the lives and properties of citizens are concerned. That is paramount. So, every effort must be seen to be addressing those issues that are important to the ordinary citizens. Government cannot afford to be complacent; it must be fully seized with the urgency of this situation. Do you see the present administration meeting these demands, given the disconnect between the leaders

and the led? It is always easy to look up to those in power, but in Nigeria, everybody will agree with me that somehow when you compare the level of expectation and awareness, the strength of persistence to individual rights, the sustenance of the demand for equality before the law, you will find out that the two sides have a lot to work at. People have to be better organised. When they are better organised, they send a strong signal to those who need to change their perception about how to relate with those who put them in office. Talking about those who put them in office, this is the time to assert more strongly the sanctity of the ballot box, the organisation and supervision of elections, free access of the citizens to the voting process. In the past, some people had this funny notion that they can hold on to results and give them out in bits, but in most free politics, the results are the property of the people. You can give it to them honestly, and if there is a mistake, you can come back and address it and they will understand you. You don’t withhold results, create tension and put people under stress. You don’t announce result on a Monday morning instead of a Sunday night. People must know what is happening and when we

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NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

taken by a caucus that knows the facts; that is privy to the plans being put in place to ensure that minimum safety precaution is in place for elections to hold peacefully. If a sizeable portion of the country is not part of the process, the rest cannot say ‘let’s ignore them and carry on.’ That would not be fair. What is likely to be the implication if elections fail to hold in the NorthEast, which has been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency; will a president still emerge? I think that would be a serious issue, but a president will always emerge. Like I said, we have enough crises. We are talking about security everywhere not just only in the North-East; we are talking about unemployment crisis; we are talking about crisis in the health and education sectors and to some extent infrastructural crisis. A situation where we have hundreds of thousands of our citizens as Internally Displaced People (IDP) is unacceptable. So, as I said the issue of election holding or not is not something some so-called radicals somewhere will wake up and start calling for a postponement or cancellation. The core leaders of the country, who are privy to the facts, should deliberate on it and take a decision, and in doing that, they should know that the generality of the people will be disappointed if by not stopping to take stock, the elections we spent billion preparing for are disrupted or even if they are not disrupted to the extent of being postponed or cancelled. When they are held, there would be litigations about the appropriateness of that mandate because a sizeable proportion of the electorate were excluded from the process.

demand to know what is happening, that puts people in power on their toes to make sure that they deliver. That is how democracy is built and nurtured. What are your thoughts on the forthcoming general election? I feel very strongly about it, but it is worrisome when the news is more about killing of innocent children, women, soldiers, policemen and traders. The views I have expressed is that when lives are involved, that becomes the number one issue. So, the custodians of peace and order must take cognisance of the enormity of that and its implication on the psyche of the citizenry. To that extent, we need to consider very deliberately what our priorities are. Do we just stride on to have elections for elections sake or can we say that this is something we have to trash out. Invariably, when you take such a decision, the chances are that we can nip a more serious situation in the bud, and avoid aggravating what could be handled in six months in one year. I have always been sceptical, putting it rather mildly, the tendency to brush aside the enormity of lives that have been lost. Most nations cannot tolerate the loss of one life, but it seems we have developed a thick skin to absorb

all these dastardly events. It is unheard of in most societies; one life alone calls the attention of a whole community not to talk about hundreds of lives on a weekly or monthly basis. It does say much about how we feel about fellow human beings. Irrespective of the cause, the responsibility of government; local, state or federal is to guarantee the safety of lives and properties. So, we have to bring to a tolerable halt the insecurity in the country before a peaceful contestation in politics. Does this mean that you are on the same page with those who are advocating for a shift of the general election? One cannot be holier than thou on this issue. One has to be practical; I have been saying this for some time now that we really need to consider it. But if you ask most Nigerians, they need the comfort that they are fully mobilised to contain the situation. It will not augur well if the elections are disrupted. That would be chaotic. So, I will not say that I will call for the elections to be put on hold, but we need to make sure that the elections are not disrupted. It is easy to say: ‘I call for the elections to be put on hold,’ but it is not a wise stand to take because the decision cannot be taken easily. It should be

How feasible is it for those you described as care leaders to agree on the election issue? There is a Council of State that has these people as members and they can add to emerging new players in the polity. Whether we like it or not, it is the Presidency and the National Assembly that have to take the lead in giving the rest of us the assurance that they have made a deliberate assessment and that they are comfortable with the decision of putting on hold or going ahead with the elections. Let the people know that those who are in charge have taken care given a fresh assessment given the facts they have. We cannot afford a disruption; we cannot afford to have an unacceptable mandate; we cannot afford to have a disrupted process. So, it is the group that has the facts on the issue that should deliberate on it and come out with a decision, and there is still time for that. How do you see a situation where the ruling party allowed its outgoing governors to anoint their successors? It is symptomatic of a very big problem in the democratic process, and the scale on which it is happening smacks of very poor leadership, very poor governance, very undemocratic structures and lack of growth in our democracy. How about attack on personalities instead of issue-based campaigns by the various political parties and their candidates? We should have grown beyond that. As far as I am concerned, we

should not be talking about the religious belief of any candidate. We shouldn’t be talking about Muslim/Muslim or Christian/ Christian ticket. We should look at people’s records and performance and their programmes. We are short of water; we are short of jobs; we are short of housing; we need a modern railway; we need a safe airspace. These are issues that should shape the campaigns and not religion or ethnicity.

We cannot afford a disruption; we cannot afford to have an unacceptable mandate; we cannot afford to have a disrupted process

There is the perception that the present government in Abia State failed in the area of infrastructure, particularly in Aba, which used to be the hub of commercial activities in the South-East. What is your take on that? I was a commissioner in the old Imo State and I recall visiting Aba in 1984. I was a Lagos boy, so I didn’t have much knowledge about the place until during the civil war, but one was excited by the little signs in the textile, leather and design sectors. So, naturally for a state that has that capacity for broad industrialisation, you will expect that with improved governance, that will grow. But for that to happen, you must have proper infrastructure, power and security. At some stage a few years back, all of a sudden, all kinds of vigilant groups sprang up across the states, including Abia, but that seems to have subsided. Of course, there is competition among the states, which is a very healthy thing. You look at the contiguous states; you compare Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Imo and Ebonyi and see how they are doing, so it is very easy for some people to say that a particular state has not done well as it ought to. It is a healthy thing to put pressure on leaders. As Nigerians go to the polls, what kind of leadership should they elect? We should be looking at a leadership that is totally connected to the people. No leader has all the resources to do all what he wants, but a leader will succeed to the extent that he consults with the vast majority of his people, so that they can see the necessity for some waiting period before their needs are fulfilled. But where they are in the dark, it can lead to social anomy. So, the kind of leadership we want is one that can convey confidence; one that can convey the real essence of limited resources for unlimited wants. You were recently reported to have endorsed a particular governorship candidate in Abia State. How true is that? I read the report and it was difficult for me to believe that such report was written because at the time the event was supposed to have taken place, I was nowhere in a position to have endorsed anybody. But, it is possible that I might have spoken to a candidate and said great ideas and so on, but that is far from a formal endorsement. I also understand that by presenting the picture the way it was, that can boost their position. I don’t have anything against that. It is left for the people to read in-between the lines, but we just need to encourage a lot of people to contest because that is what democracy is all about.

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Opinion Kalu, Orji, Ikpeazu: Bad, worse, worst! Ebere Wabara

et me define the conceptual prognosis of this end-of-year intervention in the dismal case of the governance of my state, Abia (also known as God’s Own State), which was created 23 years ago and has remained a toddler. The subject of this analysis as the headline hints is a superlative comparison of the tenures of the immediate past governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK), his successor, Chief Theodore Ahamefula Orji (Ochendo), and, anticipatorily by way of extrapolative presumptiveness based on dual predecessors’ pedigrees, his anointed lackey who is the controversial governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu. Despite my especial relationships with Dr. Kalu, I will try as much as possible to be dispassionate in this analytical contribution. I make this declaration because of my scholastic and occupational backgrounds which prescribe sacrosanct objectivity and professionalism. This assertion notwithstanding, there would always be oppositional juvenilities in the importunate reactionary mode! Just like my namesake, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, whose second term is inalienable, would affirm, I will not give a damn about such moronic interjections. From all that I have heard, read or known about my principal, the main allegations, in no particular order, against him are that he is autocratic, gallivants, practiced surrogacy between 1999 and 2007 when he was the Executive Governor of Abia State through the instrumentality of his mother (mischievously called “Mother Excellency” by Dr. Kalu’s vanishing clan of detractors), he ran the state like a fiefdom (a family enterprise), subjected his appointees to secret oath-taking, diverted the fortunes of Abia Newspapers to the establishment of The Sun, never brooked dissenting views, held his successor by the neck until Gov. Orji liberated himself (and Abia State, eh?) from his stranglehold after four years in office, he wanted his younger brother, Mascot, a potential House of Representatives member, to succeed him, laid no solid foundation for his successor, that he has no modicum of respect for elders, party stalwarts and other

stakeholders, and, finally most grievous, there is a suspicion that he amassed wealth by misappropriating state funds (which the vindictive EFCC under President Olusegun Obasanjo could not prove despite viral harassment and asinine intimidation). Accordingly, the only way to worm himself to those opposed to him and his brand of politics, his tribe of critics insists, is to show remorse by disavowing these idiosyncrasies of his and apologizing to all aggrieved persons and Abians generally for there to be any unqualified reconciliation. Thereafter, he will do a solemn appeasement of the gods for the forgiveness of his copious “sins” against the land! Until Dr. Kalu follows the foregoing peace route, his opponents demand, he remains a pariah in the scheme of Abia politics. Most of the foregoing issues are weighty and beyond my competency/mandate—and indeed anyone’s apart from the man himself. This palpable handicap notwithstanding, I will try and address some aspects of the charge sheet, as it were. A few of them, of course, are baseless and mere imbecilic pub gossip. Nobody, excluding the central figure, my boss, as I mentioned here earlier, can have all the answers. Constructive elucidations are welcome for edifying record purposes, if nothing else. As indicated, I will handle the matters that I am knowledgeable about while at the opportune time Dr. Kalu will further respond to grey areas as he is already doing in his Leadership Series column in Saturday Sun, which some people erroneously believe he is not the author! For purposes of clarification and civilization, even the greatest world leaders and captains of industry have speech writers and spokesmen who articulate their principals’ ideas and ventilate the same for public consumption. This, however, does not necessarily mean that such bosses do not have the cerebral capacity to embark on daunting communicative processes. The fluency or refinement may not be there, it does not imply brainlessness or intellectual vacuity as being impressed riotously and derisively. There is nothing suggestive of autocracy in my principal’s personality traits. Even in 2001 when I first met him during the Abia leg of the National Media Tour, he drove in unaccompanied by security details to meet members of the team where we were

lodged and exchanged pleasantries with all of us. The government officials who welcomed us said that was how he moved about occasionally without escorts because of his popularity and familiarity with the people. An autocrat does not have such credentials. The impunity of his successor is so vaulting that on March 28, 2014, he lawlessly sent 17 idiotic policemen to abduct me from my Lagos home and go by road handcuffed to Umuahia in an excruciating trip that lasted about 13 horrible hours! What informed the arbitrariness and effrontery? Suspicion of libel! Other instances would be listed presently. No elaboration on the abduction as the matter is already in the Lagos High Court. My boss is also accused of travelling a lot. He was (as governor) and still is an international businessman which necessitates exigencies of travel to meet partners and associates. He did not start it when he became a governor. Brazen critics should be considerate in condemnation of this penchant; the issue should be if such travels affected the business of governance. Was he travelling at state expense? Were there no auditors and vouchers? Is it possible to examine the books now? Of all the impolitic criticisms of my principal, the most virulent and propagandistic one is what his rascal hyper-critics call “Mother Excellency” and the fallout of “Mamacracy” used loosely in reference to Dr. Kalu’s mother’s exaggerated influence on the business of governance. I will not dwell on this because it belongs to the grand suspicious realm without any tangible evidential proof. What do we then make out of Gov. Orji’s surrogacy with his son, Chinedu, brutishly calling the shots in the state while his father watches hands akimbo? If at all “Mamacracy” existed, I will prefer it to Chinedu’s arrogant boyishness and his father’s bizarre haplessness. There is no basis for drunken comparison between the extremes in terms of intoxicating power control arising from satiation. The latter case is incomparably notorious and deleterious to the people’s health because of its noxiousness. Another vicious allegation is that Dr. Kalu subjected all those who worked with him to oath-taking for absolute loyalty at Okija shrine and other mundane places. • Wabara is the Media Adviser to Kalu

New year jubilee: The genesis of an odyssey Fred Nwaozor

rethren, it has almost become a cliché to say that someone is redrawing the map of the world. Same is applicable to seeing actors in their dramatic moods. For many years, several cultural and historic monuments have been destroyed which has tremendously jeopardized the progress of various historical jubilees that would had constituted many historic remarks. Most of these remarks that have existed in the past successively were lately misunderstood by the present generation, therefore, being observe as mere clichés.

Saturday penultimate week, one of my bosom friends residing in Abuja called to register his extreme anticipation in respect to the forth coming year, 2015 precisely. In his first sentence, he informed me that he couldn’t wait to see the New Year. I tried to find out the actual cause of the immeasurable anxiety, though which is most times usual amongst mankind. He further informed me that he had already set aside a very tangible resolution that would commence as soon as 2015 begins. At this juncture still on the phone conversation, I became more curious and my curiosity was accompanied with enthusiastic inquisition. Thus, I persuaded him to disclose

the resolution to me even though he wasn’t ready to let the cat out of the bag. And, he gladly succumbed to my humble persuasion. He told me that he had made a resolution that in the coming year (2015), he would never taste beer or any alcoholic drink again. Honestly, I laughed because the fellow in question has been known by all and sundry as one of those who believe that beer ought to always be in one’s tummy irrespective of the nature of the weather. And this is why he was not ready to disclose the resolution to me because he knew I would certainly consider it as a mere annual cliché being vomited (cited) by millions of youths scattered all over. But, he further let me see reason why his was a distinguished one by backing it up with some facts or experiences. I concluded by telling him “Bravo!” and he was so delighted to receive such gesture/exclamation from my person. In any perspective your observation or analysis might be standing on, the fact remains that any anniversary is consequential regardless of the nature or its area of interest. Sometimes the discrepancies between school records and examination results may not be considered necessary because both are found on academic environment. But notwithstanding, in any two or more existing similar materials or facts, there must be a distinct dichotomy among them. In other words, if many anniversaries or jubilees have been

in existed for donkey’s years, one or two of them must be definitely different or distinct. Let’s put it this way; if two babies are born simultaneously and they happen to be identical twins, there must be certain difference(s) lying between them. We are discussing New Year jubilee/anniversary. A ‘New Year’ is a certain different year that has just been encountered by mankind which the beginning takes place in every 365 days or 366 days as the case may be. In the world at large, the commencement of such year always calls for a jubilee among the entire mankind irrespective of religious or cultural affiliations. The world over celebrates the 1st of every New Year to mark a certain distinct journey that has just begun. Suffice to say; every New Year is regarded as a different odyssey that has just been embarked on, and each day that makes the year in question is seen as one of the steps that constitute the journey since any journey must begin with a step. Let’s ride on! Most people come up series of resolutions at the beginning of every calendar year; few end up actualizing theirs while most of them often fail towards the end of the odyssey. And these, failures and successes have been a point of attraction to many concerned souls in regard to New Year resolution(s). New Year jubilee is truly a welcome phenomenon that has resulted to many worthwhile histories or historic events. As we cele-

brate such day, courtesy or tradition demands for a certain useful individual resolution to be reached. And, the resolution ought to be seen as the essence of such jubilation. Having reached a certain resolution, there is optimum need for such decision to be accompanied with adequate practical-intensive support to ensure that its outcome becomes a success. Having backed up your decision with an intensive support, then you shouldn’t relent to couple such journey with tremendous prayers and faith. Any of the above tools or measure should not be taken for granted if you truly want your goal to be actualized. There’s no two ways about it. Thus, for success to be attained there must be a certain target or dream. And such dream or aim must be accompanied with hard work coupled with any necessary avoidance as well as adequate prayers and tremendous faith. But mind you; sometimes failure(s) might be consequential regardless of the amount of effort put in any of your objects (aims). And this is where nature comes in. Certainly, man proposes but God disposes. Having stated the above facts, frankly New Year jubilee or anniversary is surely the genesis of a certain odyssey therefore calls for adequate maintenance. Think about it! • Nwaozor ( frednwaozor@gmail.com), a Public Affairs Analyst & Rights Activist (+2348028608056)

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

EDITORIAL

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Improving the teaching profession

he Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, (TRCN), has said it is determined to tackle the rot in the teaching profession, especially as it affects poor quality of teachers. This was made known at the unveiling of teachers’ Professional Qualifying Examination Benchmarks that would guide registration of teachers in Abuja. The Registrar of TRCN, Mark Wokocha, who presented the document said the council would continue to pursue its mandate with zeal to see that the teaching profession in Nigeria regained its lost glory by weeding all unqualified teachers. He went on to explain that the council has put in a huge effort including sensitizing Nigerians about the dangers of engaging unqualified and unregistered teachers. “TRCN is tackling the rot in the profession from all angles, dimensions, and a huge effort has gone into sensitising the nation about the dangers of using unqualified and unregistered teachers,” he said. He added that it would yield positive results in terms of the successful registration of over a million teachers and the on-going licensing of registered teachers. Also speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, said the present administration had identified the teacher as a top input that de-

termines educational standard in Nigeria. She noted that in the past, individuals were registered as professional teachers merely upon the presentation and scrutiny of credentials they have received from the teacher education institutions. She added that it was a very well-known fact that the teacher was top among the inputs that determine educational standards and how far the country can go in actualising its educational goals and aspirations. “Therefore, every step taken to strengthen the quality of teachers and to enhance public confidence in the teacher is quite a significant development,” she said. She added that with the benchmarks individual teachers would now be able to additionally pass the requisite examinations which would help determine their suitability for registration. She reiterated that it was a quality assurance measure which meant that the screening for professional competence would not end at the point of exit from the teacher education institutions. The Chairman TRCN Governing Board, Greg Iwu, who also spoke at the event said that the board was confident that the public presentation of the PQE Benchmark would boost the quality of teachers in the country. He added that the board was confident that the PQE would encourage teachers to be on their toes and understand

they must be accountable and transparent in the demonstration of their knowledge and skills throughout their career. Mr. Iwu said TRCN would continue to partner with employers of teachers to continuously evaluate their developmental needs with the view to providing appropriate on-going professional development programmes. It is important to note that, teacher professional development makes teacher commitment reveal itself as a real driving force behind student success. By gaining exposure to various professional bodies of teachers, one is better able to discover the strengths and weaknesses one has grown up with even as a practicing classroom teacher. Years of experience notwithstanding, one is scarcely in a position to bring to the classroom everything that student success awaits and demands. Arrogance of years of being in the job most often is the real obstacle to attitude change in many cases where rigidity of teacher-centred teaching norms negatively affects student performance in academic institutions. Moreover, a leap to learnercentred classroom is possible with individual teachers getting enrolled as members of professional teacher bodies where sharing of experiences, exchanges on changing classroom needs, demonstration of effective and rewarding

innovative methods of teaching, research, testing, grading and evaluation, as well as updating knowledge are possible. Furthermore, classroom situation needs to be assured of the teacher help to lead them higher and farther in their achievements till the set learning goals are achieved , the teacher has constantly to rediscover the professionally ever growing learning individual in him who is bent on and keen about making every student reach the stage where the formal examination and evaluation system can finally certify the level of student success. To this crucial challenge every teacher has to wake up. Bracing properly to cater to the individual needs of the students in their heterogeneous learning attainment stages and rates and capacities is a need that every teacher has to meet with the clear objective in mind that the teaching profession justifies its relevance. To be a teaching professional is from the very start to be committed to the cause of student development. Hence, teachers could remarkably demonstrate in terms of qualitative and quantitative what commitment to deliver means in matters of transformed classrooms where students see learning and attainment of learning goals and mastery in learning as inalienably intertwined to ever increasing levels of commitment. This is a right step in the right direction.

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Politics

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Elections, electoral dispute, confab report to dominate 2015 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

the National Assembly. If the worst happens during the polls and the main opposition party (APC) wins more seats than the PDP, it would be a turning point in the political development of Nigeria. Budget 2015 Politics cannot be played on an empty stomach and the national budget would be one of the issues that would shape the polity in 2015. Amidst the crashing price of crude oil and the dwindling resources of the

Federal Government, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala presented a N4.4 trillion budget proposal to the National Assembly. Since the budget came rather late and coincided with the primary elections, the federal lawmakers were unable to attend to it before proceeding on their Christmas vacation. It is unlikely that they would pass the budget before the elections commence in February which is about six weeks from now. In previous years, the legislators had engaged the

Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office of the Federation in fierce battles over the issue of oil price benchmark. While the economic management team had consistently advocated for a low benchmark to take care of the volatility in the international market and save for the rainy day, the parliamentarians were always seeking a high bench mark and were never in support of the saving for the rainy day mantra. Labour unrest Apart from these major issues, Nigeria is likely to

face labour unrest in 2015 given the plethora of threats from the trade unions at the twilight of 2014. In almost all the sectors, workers seem to have one grievance or the other against their employers and they have threatened to embark on strike if their demands for better welfare package are not met in the New Year. About 22 state governments are said to be owing their workers and some have not fulfilled this basic obligation for several months. The states have attributed this lapse to the downturn in the economy occasioned by the crash in

oil earnings, and dwindling allocations to the various tiers of government in the country. Terrorism and insurgency The spate of violence occasioned by the activities of the insurgents in the North East is one issue that would dominate public discourse in 2015. Throughout the previous year, the Jonathan administration was under intense pressure to find a lasting solution to the menace of terrorism and insurgency, particularly after the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls at the

Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. The impact of this large scale insecurity to lives and property of citizens could make or break the polity this year. In the build up to the election, it will continue to reverberate in the campaigns by the two main political parties as they seek the support of the people. While the PDP would continue to appeal for the understanding of the electorate on this issue, the APC would continue to present the insecurity in the North-East as the height of the incompetence of the ruling party. The opposition will also continue to lampoon the efforts of the Jonathan administration in the area of instilling discipline in the Armed Forces as a form of inhumanity to man. The ongoing trial of hundreds of soldiers for alleged mutiny is already drawing negative reactions from the opposition and the latter would certainly capitalise on the sentiments and emotions of the populace in the course of the campaigns. Confab Report/Constitution Last year, there were two moves to re-configure Nigeria. One was the constitution amendment process undertaken by the National Assembly. In that process, the lawmakers attempted to make further alterations to the 1999 Constitution, a process that began by the Sixth Assembly. Having done their bit, the federal legislators had passed the baton to their colleagues in the 36 State Houses of Assembly for endorsement on the various clauses slated for alteration. Just before the parliament proceeded on its annual vacation, the state assemblies turned in their verdict on the constitution with some surprises. On the other hand, the Federal Government had on its own convened the 2014 National Conference during which it brought together about 500 Nigerians to chart a new course for the country. This process which gulped about N7 billion was completed in about four months and a report has been submitted to the Presidency. What the Federal Government does with the confab report and what the National Assembly does with the constitution amendment report would also shape what Nigeria becomes in the coming months. It is unlikely that anything drastic would happen to both documents before the elections in February but thereafter, the fate of these documents would be determined by whichever party wins the presidential election and forms the central government come May 29.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

Insurance

CACS: UBA, Zenith, FirstBank disburse lion share of N245bn

Stock Watch

Cutix: Profits shrink on harsh milieu

Money Line

Interview

Accounts: A&G, UNIC, others may lose licence –NAICOM

Government must encourage capacity building –Fuchs

42-43

Business Power generation shrinks, What's news

Aviation’s input to GDP rises

Aviation stakeholders have said that the domestic air transport industry is fast growing when measured by demand for air services.

dips supply below 3,500MW CHALLENGES Gas still poses challenge to generation

Hydro plants show early cyclical low water problems This, according to him, usually comes up in March, April and May of every year, “but the feelers we are having from

the plants is that they are beginning to show early signs of cyclical water level problem due to lack of adequate main-

tenance. “All five units in the 760 CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Adeola Yusuf

p.22

Estate surveyors raise service fee by 100% Professionals under the auspices of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) have commenced the implementation of a new range of fees for their services.

p.36

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

ndications emerged at the weekend that the three hydro power plants in Nigeria - Kainji, Shiroro and Jebba, have begun to show early cyclical low water problems, which has, in return, dipped the power generation below 3,500 Mega Watts (MW). New Telegraph learnt that this challenge, which usually comes up between March and May of every year, has also worsened the inability of the plants to produce at optimal capacity. Generation, which has since the third quarter of 2014 being fluctuating between 3,000 MW and 3,700 MW, had earlier dipped to 3,500 MW in November, 2014. That time, gas shortage was, according to the Senior Special Adviser on Gas to the Minister of Power, Mr Frank Edozie, responsible for the fall. Edozie who confirmed the generation shortage said that the drop to 3,500 megawatts was due to sabotage of pipelines and inadequate gas supply. The senior special adviser said that available power generation capacity currently stood at 6,000 megawatts while system capacity stood at 5,000 megawatts. “The situation has, however, worsened in recent years by poor water management and lack of maintenance of the hydro stations,” a source at the Ministry of Power told this newspaper.

L-R: Director, Brand and Marketing, Airtel Nigeria, Obinna Aniche; Producer, Airtel Touching Lives Programme, Patricious Spero and Director, Legal and Company Secretary, Airtel Nigeria, Gbenga Rotimi, at the premiere of Touching Lives TV series in Lagos

Dele Alao

otwithstanding the fall in the price of crude oil, the country’s biggest revenue earner, Nigeria’s economic growth is expected to hit between five per cent and six per cent this year, a latest report from the Financial Derivative Company (FDC) has said. “The decline (oil price) notwithstanding, Nigeria’s economic growth outlook re-

Nigeria’s economic growth to hit 6% in 2015 mains positive and is projected to range between five and six per cent in 2015, marginally below the estimated 6.4 per cent for 2014. The lower growth projection is largely due to the impact of oil revenue on funding of other sectors. The bulk of

this projected growth will be driven by the non-oil sector,” the report said. It added that the real sector would be affected by high cost of borrowing, as single CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Abdulwahab Isa Finance Editor

Kunle Azeez

Senior Correspondent

Chuks Onuanyin Energy

Nnamdi Amadi Reporter

Johnson Adebayo

Asst Production Editor

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE November 2014........................7.9% October 2014............................8.1% September 2014.....................8.3%

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

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parallel As at Dec. 28)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N180 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N290 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N238

l Foreign Reserves – $35.19bn as at 18/12/2014

Source: CBN

EXCHANGE RATE (Official As at Dec. 26)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N168 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N263.39 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N205.41

Business | News

PROGRESS Emerging economies’ growth will grow air transport as citizens become financially empowered Wole Shadare

viation stakeholders have said that the domestic air transport industry is fast growing when measured by demand for air services. They noted that for decades the aviation industry has played a significant role in developing economies globally. According to Aerospace Global Report, there are over two thousand airlines operating more than twenty-three thousand aircraft that serves about three thousand seven hundred airports around the world. This makes the industry the gateway to any economy aspiring to develop, enabling globalisation, trade facilitation

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Aviation’s input to GDP rises  Sector under-performed with over N190bn and tourism development. They told New Telegraph that aviation is very crucial in the promotion of foreign direct investment. Chief Executive Officer, Sabre Network Inc, West Africa, Mr Gabriel Olowo, stated that aviation in Nigeria has a very robust future, stressing that the country ranks among eight of the fastest growing economies in the world. He added that percentage in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to world economic growth is equally rising, coupled with the intimidating population growth rate (age 20-35). According to him, “the issue is how much of this great future will lie in the hands of Nigerians and Nigerian businesses? I see Easyjet, Jetblue, Rynair, Ethiopian Air exercising cabotage and fifth freedom rights tak-

ing over our domestic and regional routes, except our operators heed the wakeup call of the need for mergers, global distribution and technology.” He disclosed that the Nigerian aviation industry contributed N119 billion to the country’s GDP in 2013. He, however, projected that the sector, in 2014, may have contributed a little over N119 billion. His words: “While N59 billion directly came from airlines, airports, ground services, N34 billion came indirectly from supply chain; N26 billion from employees consumption and supply

chain, while N78 billion was earned from catalytic benefits through tourism, representing 0.4 per cent, according to Oxford Economic. Meanwhile, Spain contributed $78.8 billion (5.2 per cent); United Kingdom, $115 billion (five per cent); United Arab Emirate, $9.6 billion (3.5 per cent); Canada, $42.2 billion (2.8 per cent), Germany, $86.9 billion (2.6 per cent). Olowo, in his analysis christened: “The Travail of Nigerian Airlines,” described the aviation sector in Nigeria as a grossly under-performing industry with indebtedness of about

N190 billion. A former Assistant Secretary General of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Mohammed Tukur, noted that as the emerging economies grow, their demand for air transportation will grow as their citizens becomes more financially empowered with increased disposable income. To him, development of air transport infrastructures in these emerging economies will further fuel the growth of the industry. Tukur disclosed that even with the growth, less than 10 per cent of the population will still be able to afford air travel as the gap between the rich and the poor is rap-

idly expanding, which prompted him to call for more investment in the land-based transportation. He forecast that the Nigerian Civil Aviation industry will keep growing at an average of 15 per cent domestic traffic so that by 2019 an estimated 12,461,043 million passenger will be carried domestically. “An industry with this growth rate should be of great interest. Moreover, it is expected to be a crucial industry in general economic growth promotion for any nation. “Therefore, the level of the importance of this industry is best appreciated if its contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) is measured.

Power generation shrinks, dips supply below 3,500MW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

megawatt capacity Kainji Electricity Power Station could generate about 330 megawatts, while the 578 megawattcapacity Jebba plant has the capacity to generate between 418 megawatts at peak periods and 339 megawatts at off-peak. “The Shiroro Station generates between 409 megawatts and 380 megawatts,” the source said. According to him, the erratic power supply being experienced across the country was caused by recent vandalism of Transforcados pipeline that transported crude oil. “Inadequate gas supply and frequent sabotage of the pipelines had contributed immensely to lack of electricity supply in the country. “We are constrained due to the gas challenges and it has contributed to the drop of power generation to 3,500 megawatts,’’ he said. He maintained that power generation could drop by over 1,000 mega Watts in March, April and May, “when the yearly cyclical challenges usually rear their ugly heads. “Power generation will certainly drop by over 1,000 megawatts in the event of the imminent drop in the water levels at the stations.” Meanwhile, it was also

gathered that the adverse effects of the low water level at this period of the year was compounded by poor water management and inadequate maintenance of the stations, which has resulted in occasional leakage of water in the dams. This has also culminated in flooding of the power stations. Kainji, it was learnt, has yet to undergo complete overhaul since it was built in 1968 and “you don’t expect optimal performance from this plant,” the source added. “Power generation, as at today, stood at 3,500 megawatts; we have not gone below that, but we are gradually beefing up the generation to hit 5,000 megawatts as promised,” Edozie told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) penultimate week. But the Ministry of Power indicated on its website that 64.01MW of electricity was stranded on account of the weak and insufficient distribution equipment. The national electricity generation has dropped to 2,954.51 megawatts in the latest setback for the authorities to meet the expectations of consumers. The ministry said that 3,206.09MW was generated as at December 2, only to drop to 2,954.51 by December 11, a reduction of 251.58MW in nine days.

L-R: Country Manager, Intel Nigeria, Olubunmi Ekundare; Director, Bitflux Communications Limited, Biodun Omoniyi and Business Development Manager, Intel Nigeria, Stanley Muoneke, during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Intel Nigeria and Bitflux Communications Limited in Lagos.

Nigeria’s economic growth to hit 6% in 2015 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

interest rate is not expected throughout the year. “Interest rates to the real sector and their cost of borrowing will remain in double digit,” the report said. The report, which noted that headline inflation was expected to range between 10 and 12 per cent this year, said: “In a highly import dependent economy, some of the price effects of the devaluation will be passed to the consumer. This is based on the persistent decline in global food, energy and other imported goods and services prices. Although the devaluation of the naira is expected to increase inflation as a result of the passthrough effects on import costs, this impact is likely to be muted due to the low-

er global commodity prices and anticipated increase in local production of staple food crops.” “However, there is a marginal probability that inflation would temporarily spike above nine per cent due to the increase in electricity tariff, speculative trading around the elections and other policy developments,” the report added. Meanwhile, the report has said that there has been a general decline in commodity prices since the ‘commodities super-cycle’ (a period of sustained growth in commodity prices caused by the industrialisation of China and other emerging countries) peaked in 2011. It said: “Commodity prices have mostly been affected by weak demand and abundant supply. The strengthening of the dollar,

however, is expected to play a significant role in determining the trend of commodity prices in the near future. The expectation of higher interest rates in the United States will boost the attractiveness of the dollar as investors seek to benefit from higher returns in the country. As most commodities are priced in dollars, an appreciation of the currency will likely lead to a further decline in commodity prices. For countries like Nigeria that are dependent on export commodities, the resulting reduced revenue will hinder the free flow of economic activities, growth and development. However, lower commodity prices can also be helpful on the import side of the equation, as the lower prices help to control imported inflation.”

INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

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Sanctity of Truth

Restoring Forests to Fight Warming

ADRIANA ZEHBRAUSKAS FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Humans have cut down or damaged at least three-quarters of the world’s forests. Now some, like this one in Costa Rica, are being regrown successfully.

A Push to Slow Deforestation and Plant More Trees to Remove Carbon From the Air By JUSTIN GILLIS

LA VIRGEN, Costa Rica — Over just a few decades in the mid-20th century, this small country chopped down a majority of its ancient forests. But after a huge conservation push and a wave of forest regrowth, trees now blanket more than half of Costa Rica. Far to the south, the Amazon forest was once being quickly cleared to make way for farming, but Brazil has slowed the loss so much that it has done more than any other country to limit the emissions leading to global warming. And on the other side of the world, in Indonesia, bold new promises have been made to halt the rampant cutting of that country’s forests, backed by business interests with the power to make it happen. In the battle to limit the risks of climate change, it has been clear for decades that focusing on the world’s immense tropical

forests — saving the ones that are left, and perhaps letting new ones grow — is the single most promising near-term strategy. That is because of the large role that forests play in what is called the carbon cycle of the planet. Trees pull the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, out of the air and lock the carbon away in their wood and in the soil. Destroying them, typically by burning, pumps much of the carbon back into the air, contributing to climate change. Over time, humans have cut down or damaged at least three-quarters of the world’s forests, and that destruction has accounted for much of the excess carbon that is warming the planet. But now, driven by a growing environmental movement in countries that are home to tropical forests, and by mounting pressure from Western consumers who care about sustainable practices, corpo-

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Images from Costa Rica, where a jungle’s comeback is being documented: nytimes.com Search La Virgen forest

rate and government leaders are making a fresh push to slow the cutting — and eventually to halt it. In addition, plans are being made to encourage forest regrowth on such a giant scale that it might pull a sizable fraction of human-released carbon dioxide out of the air and lock it into longterm storage. “The public should take heart,” said Rolf Skar, who helps lead forest conservation work for the environmental group Greenpeace. “We are at a potentially historic moment where the world is starting to wake up to this issue, and to apply real solutions.”

INTELLIGENCE

WORLD TRENDS

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Kenyan quest for justice hits obstacles. PAGE 24

In Naples, espressos for the needy. PAGE 25

Close look at world’s shiniest eggs. PAGE 31

Still, Greenpeace and other groups expect years of hard work as they try to hold business leaders and politicians accountable for the torrent of promises they have made. Rich Western governments have allocated only a few billion dollars to help poor countries save their forests. Around the world, trees are often cut down to make room for farming, and so the single biggest threat to forests remains the need to feed growing populations, particularly an expanding global middle class with the means to eat better. Saving forests will require producing more food on less land. “For thousands of years, the march of civilization has been associated with converting natural ecosystems to crops that serve only man,” said Glenn Hurowitz of

Continued on Page 26

ARTS & DESIGN

‘Weird’ buildings irk China’s leader. PAGE 34

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

Sanctity of Truth

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

O P I N I O N & C O M M E N TA RY

EDITORI A LS OF THE TI ME S

Tunisia Wins Again With the election of its first freely chosen president, Tunisia has taken another important step on its post-Arab Spring transition toward democracy. Although the country faces many difficult challenges, it remains a symbol of hope and sanity in a region consumed by chaos and dominated by authoritarian governments. The winner, Beji Caid Essebsi, is an 88-year-old leader of the secular party Nidaa Tounes. Mr. Essebsi received 55.68 percent of the vote, while Moncef Marzouki, the interim president, received 44.32 percent. Mr. Essebsi served as interior minister under Tunisia’s repressive first president, Habib Bourguiba, and as speaker of Parliament under Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted in the 2011 revolution. During the campaign, he promoted himself as an establishment figure whose experience could help ensure Tunisia’s security. Mr. Marzouki, a former human rights advocate, embodied the ideals and fervor of the revolution. After the results were announced December 22, Mr. Marzouki conceded defeat, and Mr. Essebsi made a speech thanking his rival and promising to “work together without excluding anyone.” The importance of such gestures cannot be underestimated; in many countries, stolen ballots, bitterly contested outcomes and hostility toward political adversaries are all too common. While he will have to satisfy his secular, Western-oriented supporters, one of Mr. Essebsi’s biggest challenges will be cooperating with Ennahda, the country’s Islamist party, which has worked hard to prove that Islam and democracy can coexist. Ennahda swept to power in the 2011 post-revolution elections, led a coalition government for two years, then handed power — peacefully — to a caretaker government. This paved the way for Parliament to adopt a new, more progressive Constitution that expanded civil liberties. Building deep roots for the democratic institutions and values that can stand the test of time will take years. Still, Tunisia offers more hope than any other Muslim country shaken by the 2011 political upheavals and deserves support.

INTELLIGENCE/MURITHI MUTIGA

Fumbling Justice for Kenya Nairobi, Kenya When prosecutors at the International Criminal Court declared in late 2009 that they would pursue those most responsible for the violence that swept Kenya following the 2007 election, many people rejoiced: Kenyans, accustomed to seeing their leaders get away with almost anything, staked their hopes for a new accountability on the I.C.C. Unfortunately, those hopes have been dashed. In a curious irony, the Haguebased court has inadvertently stoked tensions in the Rift Valley, the ethnically divided tinderbox that saw the worst fighting in that 2007 period. On December 5, I.C.C. prosecutors announced they would drop their case against President Uhuru Kenyatta, admitting that they had no reasonable prospect of securing a conviction on charges of crimes against humanity during the 2007 bloodletting. That decision means that four of the six Kenyans the prosecution identified as bearing the greatest responsibility for inciting riots that led to the deaths of more than 1,100 people and the displacement of 600,000 others following the election never went to trial. Apart from the Kenyatta case, judges earlier threw out charges against a former police commissioner, a politician from the Rift Valley and a former head of public service. Send comments to intelligence@nytimes.com.

The years between 2008 and late 2013 were — relatively speaking — a rather benign period of big power politics and geopolitics. This allowed the major economic powers — the United States, the European Union, China, India, Russia, Brazil and Japan — to focus almost exclusively on economic rehabilitation. But now there are strong indications that our vacation from geo-instability is over. The last time the world witnessed such a steep and sustained drop in oil prices — from 1986 to 1999 — it had some profound political consequences for oil-dependent states and those who depended on their largess. The Soviet empire collapsed; Iran elected a reformist president; Iraq invaded Kuwait; and Yasir Arafat, having lost his Soviet backer and Arab bankers, recognized Israel — to name but a few. Admittedly, other factors

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I.C.C. prosecutors had been careful to indict six suspects, three each from the two major political camps vying for power in December 2007. The contest between the incumbent president, Mwai Kibaki, a member of the Kikuyu ethnic group, and his chief rival, Raila Odinga, a Luo, flared into weeks of violence after Odinga supporters accused Mr. Kibaki of vote rigging. Some of Mr. Odinga’s strongest support came from the Kalenjin community, which has long accused Kikuyu peasants of displacing them from the farms

Accountability starts at home; it cannot be easily outsourced. they have occupied for decades in the fertile Rift Valley. With the collapse of the Kenyatta case, the two remaining cases in The Hague involve only members of the Kalenjin ethnic group: William Ruto, Mr. Kenyatta’s deputy president, and a radio journalist, Joshua Sang, both accused of inciting mass violence. Though Mr. Ruto and Mr. Kenyatta were on opposing sides in 2007, the two men subsequently joined forces to form the Jubilee Alliance and went on to win the 2013 elections under the country’s revised Constitution. But their coalition, designed to

soothe ethnic tensions and promote national unity, could fracture if the court is perceived as pursuing selective justice. Mr. Kenyatta, whose case was seen as a crucial test of the I.C.C.’s legitimacy, has urged prosecutors to drop the charges against Mr. Ruto. So has the Rift Valley Council of Elders, which warned in a letter to the I.C.C. that pursuing the case against the deputy president “may cause conflict in the country if it was not withdrawn.” I.C.C. prosecutors have blamed the collapse of attempts to prosecute Mr. Kenyatta on a pattern of witness intimidation and bribery, and the refusal of the Kenyan government to comply with requests for information. They have made the same complaints in attempting to prosecute Mr. Ruto. In many ways, this suggests an effort by prosecutors to cover up for their own failures. From an early stage, prominent officials, such as the former United States assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Jendayi Frazer, had warned that the Kenyatta case was a “weak one based on hearsay.” And at least one judge at The Hague, Christine Van den Wyngaert, was severely critical of the prosecutions’ efforts. The Kenyan cases highlight the need for institutional reforms. The court needs independent oversight, and the means by which its judges are appointed need to be revised to emphasize merit over political

THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Is Vacation Over? were involved in these events. But, in each case, steep drops in oil revenues played a big role. If today’s falloff in oil prices is sustained, we’ll also be in for a lot of surprises. Some will have happy endings. Cuba’s decision to bury the hatchet with America had to have been spurred in part by Havana’s fears of losing some of the subsidized oil it gets from the now cash-strapped Venezuela. Others could be very destabilizing. Today’s world is much more interconnected than in the last oil price drop-off. And today’s world has so many more actors — superpowers and superempowered individuals and hackers who can destabilize companies and countries with cyberweapons. When I hear President Vladimir Putin of Russia bragging that lower oil revenues won’t affect the Russian people because they are stoic, my reaction is: “Mr. Putin, that was before there was a significant urban middle class in Russia, one you helped to build with trickle-down oil and gas revenues.”

A lot more Russians today have gotten used to traveling abroad, owning a car, consuming Western goods and seeing how the rest of the world lives. Let’s see how stoic they are today. The Western sanctions on Putin’s banks, combined with the drop in oil prices and capital flight, mean that Russia has a gap between the funds flowing in and what it needs to pay its debts and finance its imports. Putin can’t relieve the pressure without a lifting of sanctions. That would require him to reverse his seizure of Crimea and intervention in Ukraine. That will make him look foolish. If he doesn’t back down, Russians will pay a huge price. Either way, that system will be stressed, with unpredictable spillovers for the world. Remember: Russia’s 1998 economic collapse — also triggered by low oil prices and the moratorium it declared on payments to foreign debtors — helped to sink the American hedge fund LongTerm Capital Management, sparking a near-meltdown on

considerations. But what all this means for peace in Kenya is a more urgent question, particularly in the Rift Valley. The highlands have attracted masses of migrants, primarily members of the Kikuyu community. The Kalenjin people claim the Kikuyu have benefited from political patronage to appropriate what they see as their ancestral land. Kikuyus counter they bought the land legitimately. It’s easy to see why the I.C.C. was initially embraced by many Kenyans as a way to tackle the political impunity of Kenya’s leadership. But the collapse of prosecution efforts shows the limitations of expecting justice to come from abroad. Kenyans must learn that they need to take greater responsibility for their own affairs by pursuing demands for more government accountability within their own institutions. The problems caused by ethnic violence are best resolved domestically, not in foreign courts. We must refuse to allow our leaders to exploit citizens’ legitimate grievances for political ends. It is no coincidence that the ethnic violence in the Rift Valley in 1992, 1997 and 2007 all happened during presidential election years. To halt this deadly cycle, those inciting the fighting must be punished. Hopefully, the lesson Kenyans will draw from their disillusionment with the international court is that accountability starts at home; it cannot be easily outsourced.

Wall Street. A prolonged drop in oil prices will affect Algeria, Iran and Arab Gulf states, where aging regimes have used high oil prices to increase government salaries to buy quiet from their people during the Arab Spring. Also, what happens to the developing Arab states and Iran, which have used oil money to mask their deficits in knowledge, education and women’s empowerment? Egypt’s military-led government is highly in need of Arab oil money to get through its crisis. The Islamic State depends on oil smuggling. Meanwhile, Turkey’s increasingly tyrannical president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is looking like “Vladimir Putin Jr.” Erdogan did much to build Turkey’s economy into a powerhouse. But, today, according to The Financial Times, Turkey now “needs more than $200 billion of foreign financing a year, more than a quarter of gross domestic product, to maintain its current level of growth.” There will be less Arab and Russian oil money for that and the Turkish lira recently hit a low against the dollar. If oil prices stay low for long, a lot of leaders will have to pay retail for their crazy politics.

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Yemen’s Turmoil Leaves Millions of Children Hungry By KAREEM FAHIM

MILAH, Yemen — A doctor in a bare, rural clinic here decided to extend his workweek to five days from two, to cope with the rush of hollow-eyed children who kept showing up in the mornings. Last year, two severely malnourished local boys had been beyond saving. The doctor, Abdu Ali Saad, kept pictures of the boys, ages 2 and 4, on his phone: a reminder of the dangers facing children in Yemen’s long-neglected countryside, more forsaken these days than ever. “This is every day,” Dr. Saad said, motioning to the parents waiting on a recent day, some who had walked hours to reach the clinic, and who looked hardly better off than their children. Yemen is the most impoverished country in the Middle East. It has one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in the world. Political turmoil since the 2011 uprising against former President Ali Abdullah Saleh has left an already feeble government even less able to care for its indigent citizens. Chronic challenges have become emergencies as the state’s presence in much of Yemen has started to dissolve. One million children younger than 5, roughly a third of the age group in Yemen, are suffering from life-threatening malnour-

way to the capital this fall, seizing power and crippling the government’s authority. Yemen has become “a weak state that is unable to provide both security to its citizens and social services,” said Jamal Benomar, the United Nations envoy to the country, who has spent more than two years trying to shepherd a transitional plan backed by Persian Gulf countries THE NEW YORK TIMES that appears more imHuda bin Nasser’s four children, including Hadiya, were malnourished. periled by the day. The desperation was evident on a recent visit to several parts of southern ishment, according to Daniela and central Yemen. The trip was D’urso, the head of the European arranged by the International Commission’s humanitarian aid Medical Corps, a nonprofit orgaoffice in Yemen. About two million children are nization that supports dozens of chronically malnourished. Nearhealth facilities and trains comly 60 percent of Yemeni children munity volunteers who travel suffer from stunted growth, acto distant villages, beyond the reach of the clinics. cording to public health workers, The villages provide no comwho have noticed other worrying trends, including cases of malnufort. In Raqqa, a half-hour drive from Dr. Saad’s clinic, everytrition giving rise to other maladies like tuberculosis. thing was too precious to throw Yemen’s power struggles away: a tire turned into a bucket, have bled the country. The latcans fashioned into bird feeders or a boy’s ragtag toy. Most men est one started with the rise of were at home on a recent day, jobthe Houthis, a rebel group from northern Yemen that made its less and with no prospects.

While many men were idle, or spending chunks of the household income on khat, a popular stimulant, their wives were out working in corn fields, wearisome work that paid no salary except compensation in bundles of corn husks, used to feed sheep. From an early age, children are fed a steady diet of bread, rice and even tea, according to Munira Nasser, a resident there. Meat or fish is a once-a-month luxury. Vegetables are only slightly more

Poor nutrition is said to threaten a third of those under 5. affordable, and purchased once a week. “There are no jobs,” Ms. Nasser said. “Everything is tired, tired, tired.” Things may soon grow even worse. The country is facing financial ruin, with diplomats and officials saying the government may not have enough money to pay its civil servants. A currency devaluation may also be imminent. That would raise the prices of basic goods,

including food, that Yemen imports. Yemen has also been hobbled by shocks beyond its control, including a decision in 2013 by neighboring Saudi Arabia to deport hundreds of thousands of Yemeni expatriate workers, curbing a critical source of remittances and adding to Yemen’s unemployment rate of roughly 50 percent. Meanwhile, the Saudis have reportedly begun cutting off billions of dollars of aid to Yemen, in a sign of their consternation with the Houthis, whom they view as clients of Iran, the Saudi monarchy’s regional rival. The scale of the crisis was apparent in the cramped home of Huda bin Nasser, a young mother in the village of Sheikhain, outside Taiz, in central Yemen. The family received its staples — eggs and milk — from a cow and a chicken that lived in the kitchen, but other types of food were a struggle. All of Ms. bin Nasser’s four children were malnourished, with her youngest, Hadiya, suffering severely and receiving treatment from the International Medical Corps volunteers. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is “unprecedented,” said Ms. D’urso, the head of the European Commission’s aid office.

NAPLES JOURNAL

Anonymous Acts Of Generosity at a Cafe By GAIA PIANIGIANI

NAPLES, Italy — One morning in December, Laura Cozzolino arrived at her corner cafe in central Naples and ordered her usual: a dense espresso. She lingered over the aroma, then knocked it back in two quick sips. But instead of paying for one coffee, she paid for two, leaving the receipt for the other — a caffè sospeso, or suspended coffee — with the bartender for a stranger to enjoy. “It’s a simple, anonymous act of generosity,” said Ms.

Hard times revive a wartime gesture of solidarity. Cozzolino, 37, an employee of a medical device company. “As a Neapolitan who tries to restrict herself to four coffees a day, I understand that coffee is important. It’s a small treat that no one should miss.” The suspended coffee is a Neapolitan tradition that boomed during World War II and has found a revival in recent years during hard economic times. From Naples, by word of mouth and via the Internet, the gesture has spread throughout

Italy and around the world, to coffee bars as far-flung as Sweden and Brazil. In some places in Italy, the generosity now extends to the suspended pizza or sandwich, or even books. No one here seems to know precisely when or how the suspended coffee began. But that it started here speaks to the small kindnesses that Italians are known for — and also of the special place that coffee occupies in the culture. In a time of hardship, Italians can lack many things, but their coffee is not one of them. So it may be the most common item left at many cafes, as a gift, for people too poor to pay. More than 90 percent of Italian families drink coffee at home, and there is one coffee bar for every 490 Italians, according to Illy, one of Italy’s leading coffee producers, and a local organization that studies food and drinks. Espresso comes in many forms: ristretto (strong), lungo (more water), macchiato or schiumato (with a bit of milk or milk foam), or corretto (a kick of liquor added). Drinking one is an act performed standing at the counter for a few minutes. It is both an intimate and a public ritual. In 2010, an ensemble of small Italian cultural festivals created the Suspended Coffee Network. The purpose was to weather the severe cuts to the state cul-

GIANNI CIPRIANO FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

A Naples cafe that honors ‘‘suspended coffees.’’ Customers pay for two coffees at a time, leaving the receipt for one of the drinks for someone less fortunate to claim later. tural budgets by organizing and promoting their own activities together. But it also started solidarity initiatives for those in need. Encouraging a donated coffee was one of them. Now, across Italy, the bars that have joined the network display the suspended coffee label — a black and brown sticker with a white espresso cup — in their windows. In participating coffee bars, customers might toss receipts in an unused coffee pot on the counter, where the needy can pull them out and use them. In others, customers pay in advance for an extra coffee, and the cafe keeps a list or hangs the receipts in the shop window.

As the most vulnerable increasingly feel the pinch of Italy’s long economic crisis, bars in some southern towns have started inviting customers to pay for a sandwich — or more — for those in need. Last year, Feltrinelli, a large bookstore, encouraged clients to buy a book and leave it for destitute readers who could then go and collect it. Likewise, in 2012, a pizzeria in Naples, Da Concettina ai Tre Santi, created the suspended pizza logo and printed it on its paper tablecloths. Each week, it manages to deliver around 15 free pizzas for the poor. But in Naples, with its rich diversity of neighborhoods, coffee

bars hold a special place as gathering points for all: senators, families with grandchildren, street artists, businessmen and beggars. “Coffee in Naples is an excuse to dialogue, to tell stories, not like in other more hectic Italian cities,” said Bruno La Mura, one of the owners of the Spazio Nea art gallery, exhibition room and coffee shop, which has offered suspended coffees since it opened in 2012. “Here we don’t drink coffee, we ‘take’ it, as a medicine,” said his business partner, Luigi Solito. “To me, the philosophy of the suspended coffee is that you are happy today, and you give a coffee to the world, as a present.”

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WORLD TRENDS

Restoring Forests to Help Lock Away Carbon Costa Rica: A Success Story

Continued from Page 23

Costa Rica is considered a forest success. Much of the country’s old-growth forest was lost from the 1940s to the 1980s, but then new policies stemmed the loss, and forests have regrown to cover more than half the country. Serious threats persist, including a boom in pineapple farming that gives landowners an incentive to cut down recovering forest plots.

NICARAGUA Liberia

COSTA RICA

Climate Advisers, a consultancy in Washington. “What’s happening now is that we are trying to break that paradigm. If that succeeds, it’s going to be a major development in human history.”

Limón

San José

A large, intact forest area still exists in Costa Rica, extending to the south and east into Panama. The dense, natural forest remains unfragmented by roads and has not been used for timber production.

PANAMA

Forest cover in 2000

David

CHANGE SINCE 2000

Loss of forest cover Gain in forest cover 80 KILOMETERS

VENEZUELA

Brazil: An Improving Situation

GUYANA FRENCH SURINAME GUIANA

Manaus

Amazon

Deforestation was rampant in Brazil until a decade ago, but campaigns by environmental groups and the Brazilian government slashed the rate of forest loss by 83 percent. That means Brazil has done more than any other country in the world to slow the emissions leading to global warming. It has received relatively little financial help from richer countries.

Natal

BRAZIL

Salvador

BOLIVIA

Amount of deforestation in the Amazon each year, in thousands of square kilometers

Brasília 24 16 8 0

400 KILOMETERS

PARAGUAY

’90

’96

’02

’08

’14

MALAYSIA Medan Kuala Lumpur

SUMATRA

MALAYSIA Singapore

BORNEO INDONESIA

Indonesia: Still a Trouble Spot Indonesia is now the world’s hot spot for deforestation, losing more forest each year than Brazil despite being a much smaller country. The purpose of much of the clearing is to grow palm oil for use in Western consumer products like ice cream and soap. Companies and environmental groups have recently promised a bold new crackdown.

Sources: Matthew Hansen and Peter Potapov, University of Maryland; Google; U.S.G.S; NASA; Global Forest Watch, World Resources Institute; Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research

Jakarta Bandung

400 KILOMETERS

JAVA

THE NEW YORK TIMES

A Remarkable Comeback Deep inside a Costa Rican rain forest, white-faced capuchin monkeys leapt through the tree tops. Nunbirds and toucans flew overhead, and a huge butterfly, wings of an iridescent blue, fluttered through the air. Bernal Paniagua Guerrero focused on a single six-meter tree, calling a number out to his sister, Jeanette Paniagua Guerrero, who recorded it on a clipboard. With that, the tree, a black manú just over five centimeters in diameter, entered the database of the world’s scientific knowledge. Its growth will be tracked until it dies a natural death — or somebody decides to chop it down for the valuable, rot-resistant wood. The Paniaguas work for an American scientist, Robin Chazdon, helping her chronicle a remarkable comeback. Cuatro Rios, the forest they were standing in one recent day, looked as if it must have been there forever. But in fact, the land was a cattle pasture only 45 years ago. When the market for beef fell, the owners let the forest reclaim it. Now the forest is a study plot for Dr. Chazdon, of the University of Connecticut, who has become a leading voice in arguing that large-scale forest regrowth can help to solve some of the world’s problems. For the entire geologic history of the earth, carbon has flowed among the ground, the air and the ocean. Evidence shows that the amount of carbon in the air at any given time, in the form of carbon dioxide, largely determines the planet’s temperature. The burning of coal, oil and natural gas moves carbon out of the ground and into the active carbon cycle operating at the earth’s surface, causing warming that scientists believe is more rapid now than in any similar period. Though the higher temperatures are causing extensive problems including heat waves and rising seas, the increasing carbon dioxide also acts as a sort of plant fertilizer. The gas is the primary source of the carbon that plants, using the energy of sunlight, turn into sugars and woody tissue. Scientific reports suggest that 20 percent to 25 percent of the carbon dioxide that people are pumping into the air is being absorbed by trees and other plants. But when people damage or destroy forests, that puts carbon dioxide into the air, worsening the warming problem. Historically, forests have been chopped down all over the planet. Now they are actually regrowing across large stretches of the Northern Hemisphere, and the most worrisome destruction is occurring in poor countries in the tropics. Scientists concluded decades ago that deforestation must be stopped, both to limit climate change and to conserve bio-

logical diversity. They are now coming to understand the huge potential of new or recovering forests to help pull emissions out of the air. “Every time I hear about a government program that is going to spend billions of dollars on some carbon capture and storage program, I just laugh and think, what is wrong with a tree?” said Nigel Sizer of the World Resources Institute in Washington. “All you have to do is look out the window, and the answer is there.” Scientists are still trying to figure out how much of a difference an ambitious forest regrowth strategy could make. But a leading figure in the discussion — Richard A. Houghton of the Woods Hole Research Center in Massachusetts — has argued for turning some 486 million hectares of degraded or marginally productive agricultural land into forests. Researchers say that figure — equal to about half the land in the United States — would be possible if farming in poor countries became far more efficient. Dr. Houghton believes that if his target were pursued aggressively, and coupled with stronger efforts to protect existing forests, the rapid growth of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could be slowed sharply or even halted. That would give the world a few decades for an orderly transition away from fossil fuels. “This is not a solution, but it would help us buy some time,” Dr. Houghton said.

Finding an Effective Tactic The Amazon, spreading across nine countries of South America, is the world’s largest tropical forest. The majority of the Amazon is in Brazil, which for decades treated it as a limitless resource. Sometimes aided by United States government funding for development, Brazil encouraged road construction that opened the forest to settlement, including illegal land grabs. Crews harvested select trees for timber and then cut or burned the rest to make room for cattle ranching and soybean farming. By the middle of the last decade, 17 percent of the Amazon had been cut. Environmental groups sounded the alarm, as did people whose ancestors had lived in the forest for thousands of years. As deforestation peaked in 2004, Brazil came under international condemnation. In 2006, environmental groups found a way to bring marketplace pressure to bear. Crops grown on deforested land, notably soybeans, were being used to produce meat for Western companies like McDonald’s, creating a potential liability in the eyes of their customers. Greenpeace invaded McDonald’s restaurants and plastered posters of Ronald McDonald wielding a chain saw. That company and others responded by pressuring their suppliers, who imposed a moratorium on products linked to deforestation. The Brazilian government used satellites to step up its monitoring, cut off loans to some farmers and used aggressive police

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

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Bad Banker, Good Banker

MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

Protestors calling for emissions curbs in Rio de Janeiro. Below, howler monkeys in the Costa Rican rain forest; measuring a tree at La Selva Biological Station.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ADRIANA ZEHBRAUSKAS FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

tactics against illegal logging and clearing. Brazilian state governments and large business groups joined the efforts. The intense pressure resulted in an 83 percent drop in deforestation over the past decade. At the same time, the Brazilian ministry of agriculture began to focus on helping farmers raise yields without additional land. Not only were millions of hectares of forest saved, but the carbon dioxide kept out of the air by Brazil’s success also far exceeded anything any other country had ever done to slow global warming. Norway put up substantial funds to aid the effort, but otherwise, Brazil did it without much international help. Still, the gains in Brazil are considered fragile — especially if a future government were to lose interest in forest protection. Daniel C. Nepstad, an American forest scientist who has worked in Brazil for decades and now heads a group called the Earth Innovation Institute, said, “We could still see a huge slide backward.”

The Next Big Tests Indonesia is becoming a big test of the environmental groups’ strategy. There, people chop down even national forests with impunity. The biggest reason is to clear land for the lucrative production of vegetable oil from the fruit of a type of palm tree. Just a few companies sell the oil — used in consumer goods like soap, ice cream and lipstick — into global markets, and the environmental groups have

been targeting these big middlemen. Companies controlling the bulk of the global palm-oil trade have recently signed no-deforestation pledges, and Indonesia’s influential chamber of commerce recently backed a demand for new forest legislation in the country. But even if Indonesia takes strong action, there are fears that the gains could prove fleeting. The economic incentive to chop down forests remains powerful, and crackdowns can just send profiteers elsewhere. “Asian companies are rushing into Africa and grabbing as much land as possible,” said Mr. Hurowitz, of Climate Advisers. “That’s kind of scary.” Still, with progress seen on deforestation, attention for many is turning to the possibility of large-scale forest regrowth. Dr. Chazdon, who believes strongly in halting deforestation, said that many of the plots of old-growth forest that have already been saved are too small to ensure the survival of the plants and animals in them. Forest expansion onto nearby land could help to conserve that biological diversity, in addition to pulling carbon dioxide out of the air. But the strategy will require abandoning marginal agricultural land, meaning the remaining farms will have to become more efficient to keep up with demands for food and biofuels. Some scientists have warned that if the strategy is poorly executed, agriculture could merely be pushed into grasslands or savannas, which themselves contain huge amounts of car-

bon that could escape into the atmosphere. Costa Rica, a “green republic” known worldwide for its efforts to protect forests, shows how difficult a forest restoration strategy can be in practice. The workers who help Dr. Chazdon track her plots often see signs of illegal hunting and logging, and they say the authorities are lax about stopping it. At the same time, a wave of pineapple production to supply a growing world market is tempting many owners to reclear their land. Growing Chinese demand has raised the fear that “the whole of Costa Rica will be paved in pineapples,” said Carlos de la Rosa, director of La Selva Biological Station, a research outpost. But for now, the second-growth forests of Costa Rica, covering roughly 14 percent of the country’s land area, show what may be possible if the world gets more ambitious about tackling global warming. Brazil, too, is beginning to see regrowth on a large scale in the Amazon, and is spending millions to restore forests along its Atlantic coast. Dr. Chazdon has learned that, at least in areas that still have healthy forests nearby to supply seeds, human beings mostly just need to get out of the way. After all, forests were recovering from fires and other natural calamities long before people came along to chop them down. “The forests know how to do this,” she said. “They’ve been doing it forever, growing back.”

One of the enduring notions from the 2008 financial meltdown is that the bankers who caused the crisis mostly avoided punishment. But one London banker LENS learned last month that cheating on his commuter ticket was a different story. Jonathan Paul Burrows, a managing director at BlackRock Asset Management Investor Services in London, was barred from the financial industry for life by British regulators for underpaying his train fares over five years, The Times reported. The British regulatory agency overseeing financial professionals said Mr. Burrows, who earns about one million pounds a year (about $1.5 million) and owns a home outside London worth about 3 million pounds (about $4.5 million), was unfit for his job because he “lacks honesty and integrity.” The Daily Mail newspaper had a more colorful term for him: “the great train robber.” Mr. Burrows was stopped at a London station after traveling on a commuter train from East Sussex, where he boarded at a station without turnstiles. The London station requires that a ticket be scanned to exit, but he used a card for the maximum fare for a trip within London — £7.20 ($11.18) — less than the £21.50 ($33.39) commuter fare. Mr. Burrows admitted to not paying the full fare, and an investigation found he had not bought a season ticket since 2009. A railroad spokeswoman said he denied having dodged fares for five years but paid £43,000, or $67,200, in fines in March. Through a spokesman, Mr. Burrows said: “I have always recognized that what I did was foolish. I have apologized to all concerned and reiterate that apology publicly today.” Perhaps Mr. Burrows should have considered a career path that entailed tattling on bankers up to no good, a lucrative move for some in the United States. For comments, write to nytweekly@nytimes.com.

Edward O’Donnell, who became a whistle-blower, learned last month that he will get more than $57 million for helping federal prosecutors force Bank of America to pay a record $16.65 billion penalty for its role in selling inferior mortgages and securities. The payment to Mr. O’Donnell is because of a lawsuit he filed under the False Claims Act earlier this year and which federal prosecutors used to force Bank of America to accept a deal. “In my opinion, Edward O’Donnell is the person most responsible for bolstering the bank settlements and holding Wall Street accountable,” David G. Wasinger, his lawyer, told The Times. Mr. O’Donnell was an executive from 2003 to 2009 at Countrywide Financial, a mortgage lender that once ruled the industry and that Bank of America acquired in early 2008. Robert Madsen, another whis-

‘The great train robber’ loses out to whistle-blowers. tle-blower who played a role in the Bank of America settlement, will be paid $56 million for his trouble. A former employee of a property appraisal company that is a subsidiary of Bank of America, he told The Times that keeping secret his cooperation with federal prosecutors for nearly four years was difficult. “It’s not a fun and pleasant experience,” Mr. Madsen, 47, said. “You are under a court ordered seal and you have all this stress.” Neither Mr. O’Donnell nor Mr. Madsen knew until last month that their claims that Bank of America overvalued distressed properties for years would be verified. Mr. Madsen told The Times he plans to put some of the money back into the mortgage finance business, a career he said he loved. “I did not go into this with the mindset that I would get some money,” he added. TOM BRADY

ANDY RAIN/EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

A banker in London was barred from the financial industry for underpaying train fares for years.

Sanctity of Truth

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

WORLD TRENDS

Off Soccer Field, Into Suicide Vest, but Hoping to Live By TIM ARANGO

BAGHDAD — Before war convulsed his hometown in Syria, Usaid Barho played soccer, loved Jackie Chan movies and dreamed of becoming a doctor. His life took a detour. On a recent evening in Baghdad, Usaid, who is 14, approached the gate of a Shiite mosque and unzipped his jacket to show a vest of explosives. Then, rather than detonate the vest, he surrendered. “They seduced us to join the caliphate,” he said later, in an interview at the Iraqi intelligence site where he was being held. Describing how he had been recruited by the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State from a mosque in his hometown, Manbij, near Aleppo, he said he joined the group because “I believed in Islam.” “They planted the idea in me that Shiites are infidels and we had to kill them,” he said. But he also said he was threatened: If he did not fight, Shiites would rape his mother. He soon found himself in Iraq, but he had misgivings. His best

chance, he decided, was to volunteer to be a suicide bomber so he could surrender to security forces. Thousands of children have been killed or maimed in the wars in Syria and Iraq. Young girls from minority groups, especially Yazidis in Iraq, have been captured as sex slaves by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. Young boys have been given rifles and told to staff checkpoints or patrol neighborhoods — or have been recruited, as Usaid was, to become suicide bombers. Usaid says he was brainwashed. But he admitted he willingly ran away from home one morning and joined a training camp in the desert. Soon, though, “I noticed things I saw that were different from Islam,” he said. Back home he saw the group inflict severe punishments on men who were caught smoking, yet in the camp, he said, he saw fighters smoking. He said he saw men having sex with other men behind the tents. And, he said, he was increasingly put off by “the way

In an image taken from video, Usaid Barho re-enacted his surrender to guards at a Shiite mosque. they are killing innocent people.” At the end of the training, he was told he was going to fight in Iraq. He was driven, with other fighters, in a minibus to Mosul. There, the recruits were given a choice: be a fighter or a suicide bomber. “I raised my hand to be a suicide bomber,” he said. “If I were a fighter and tried to surrender to security forces they might kill me, with my gun in my hand.” Within a few days, he was taken, along with a German volunteer, to Baghdad. He said he was passed from one Islamic State operative to another and stayed at various safe houses along the

Rail Line Resumes After War

Kabul Residents Watch As Addiction Spreads By JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN

By ELLEN BARRY

KILINOCHCHI, Sri Lanka — Two men were riding the train known as the Queen of Jaffna as it rattled through the old battlegrounds of Sri Lanka’s civil war. One of them, Nisal Kavinda, a 20-year-old from the Sinhalese ethnic group, was jubilant. He had wanted to ride this train since 2009, when President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared victory over separatist rebels in the Tamil north. As the train approached Elephant Pass, he jumped down onto the platform with his camera. A burned-out rebel tank stands as a memorial to a government soldier who carried out a suicide mission by clambering up its side and throwing grenades into it. “Terrorism memories,” Mr. Kavinda said happily, as he scrambled back onto the train. Not far away sat the other man, Saravananuttu Subramanian, a 78-year-old retired accountant who watched the tourists from the south out of the corner of his eye. “They want to know how their soldiers defeated Tamil separatists, put it that way,” said Mr. Subramanian, a Tamil. Outside, the ruins of houses slid by. Thousands of civilians had died there, trapped between the government and the rebels. In October, after a 24-year suspension, the Queen of Jaffna resumed its regular service along the 400-kilometer route linking Colombo, Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese-dominated capital, Omar Al-Jawoshy contributed reporting.

way. Finally, he arrived in the early morning at an apartment in Baghdad, where he had tea and kebabs for breakfast. He was shuttled to another apartment, where he took a nap. Two hours later, he was shaken awake. “Wake up, wake up, it is time to put your vest on,” he was told. He was given his target: a Shiite mosque in the neighborhood of Bayaa. A few hours later, at dusk, he walked up to the mosque gate. “I opened up my jacket and said, ‘I have a suicide vest, but I don’t want to blow myself up.’ ” The chaotic scene that un-

folded, as a plainclothes officer snipped off the vest, was captured on cellphone video by a bystander and distributed over social media. “Keep the people away!” one officer yelled. What happens now to Usaid is unclear. The intelligence officer who has been interrogating him said he needed more time to investigate the case. Usaid said he missed his mother, and that the Iraqis had promised to return him to his parents one day. A few days later, though, Usaid appeared on state television in handcuffs and a yellow prison jumpsuit. The television host labeled him a terrorist, and he was made to re-enact his surrender. Yet Saad Maan, the spokesman for the Interior Ministry, described Usaid as a victim of the Islamic State. And the intelligence officer who has been interrogating Usaid said he and other intelligence agents would oppose any efforts to prosecute Usaid. “Even if he was brought to court, we would be on his side, because he saved lives,” he said.

ERANGA JAYAWARDENA/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ethnic Tamils gathered on October 13 to welcome the Queen of Jaffna as it returned to service after 24 years. and the Tamil north of the country. The train was celebrated as a sign that the wedge between the ethnic groups was now gone. But conversations on board the train made it clear that a psychological gulf still separates Sri Lanka’s northerners from its southerners. Visitors from the south, in many cases, are full of pride about what the government has brought to the north — peace, they say, and economic development. For many Tamils in the north, though, the relief of peacetime is mixed with feelings of defeat and humiliation. Twenty-six years of civil war devoured this train, known in Tamil as the Yal Devi. Tamil rebels pulled up rails and ties to build bunkers, and the Sri Lankan Air Force blew the roof off Jaffna’s train station. Silan Kadirgamar, 80, a Tamil historian, recalled waiting at the station in Colombo one afternoon in 1977 — his wife and two sons were expected from Jaffna on the afternoon train. His wife, having anticipated violence, had not boarded with the children. But he was standing on the platform when the train pulled into the station. The passengers were gone, except for a handful of injured people, he said, “and there were bloodstains all over the train.”

Five years into the peace, a ride on the Yal Devi is stunningly normal. Passengers line up at dawn with pillows and sleeping children. The landscape of Colombo’s postwar boom flies by. After that come slums. After that, jungle. The train, restored with the help of an $800 million line of credit from India, has made the journey a comfortable one. After the train pulls into Jaffna, which was in government hands at the end of the war, passengers stream off into a city adjusting to postwar tourism. Siva Padmanathan, 44, who offers auto-rickshaw rides from the station, said his conversations with southern customers were strange ones. “They ask me, ‘Now are things good here?’ And I tell them no,” he said. “They look at us as if we are exhibits in a museum. They think we are funny people. They think they won and we lost.” But little of that came across to Mr. Kavinda, who returned south again on the Yal Devi, thoroughly elated by his tour of the north. He said he wished that the Tamils he met had spoken better Sinhala, since, as he said, “Sri Lanka is a Sinhalese country.” But he was sure they were glad to see him. “When we went back to Jaffna, they were smiling,” he said, “so I think they like Sinhalese.”

K ABUL, Afghanistan — Each afternoon, spectators line a bridge in west Kabul. They have not come to stare at the Kabul River but at the figures huddled on its banks. Some of the men below rock back and forth. Others sit with blankets over their heads, shielding lit matches from the wind and their gaunt faces from the men on the bridge. This is where Kabul’s heroin addicts gather to smoke, inject and occasionally die — usually with an audience. As opium cultivation has soared in Afghanistan over the course of the war, addiction levels have followed. “We just watch them,” Ali Juma, 30, a construction worker, said. “We want to see the fate of these people.” On a recent afternoon, some observers focused on an addict, likely dead, whose twisted body had not moved for as long as anyone had been watching. Then they went back to looking at the living. “Look at that person and the condition he is in,” Abdul Qadir, 32, said, pointing to a man struggling up the riverbank to where another man smoothed out a piece of aluminum foil used to smoke heroin. “Why do people live like this?” Mr. Qadir had been on his way home when he decided to stop and watch the addicts, a part of his normal routine. “Not every single day, but I come here most days,” said Mr. Qadir, who works as a driver. An apple seller named Ahmed Javid said he felt only pity and believed the addicts Ahmad Shakib contributed reporting.

were the victims of larger societal problems. “They are suffering a lot.” Some, he said, had picked up the habit in Iran, working as migrant workers. “Others got it from bad friends.” Many on the bridge blamed the government for not doing more. “It’s embarrassing to see that the government is doing nothing to help all these hopeless people,” said Faz ul-Din, an off-duty soldier. “I wonder how the government officials sleep at night, not even thinking of the pain that their fellow countrymen are going through.” Government officials do plan to move addicts from encampments to a facility where they will be weaned off opiates. The center will be on the grounds at Camp Phoenix, a former United States Army base. United Nations officials have estimated that about 2.7 percent of adults in Afghanistan are opiate users, one of the highest rates in the world. Experts say the addiction rates are driven by surging poppy cultivation across Afghanistan, along with the proliferation of laboratories that refine the opium paste into heroin. For now, encampments of addicts out in the open are still a novel sight for many, and they seem to attract more attention than other forms of suffering. On a recent day, a woman in a burqa begged amid traffic as her toddler sat in a pothole, perilously close to passing cars. Nobody paid them much mind. But nearby, a teenager bent down to where an elderly addict was asleep on the street. Then he snapped a close-up photo with his cellphone.

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

Sanctity of Truth

MONEY & BUSINESS NEWS ANALYSIS

A Swoon In Commodity Boom By EDUARDO PORTER

SANTIAGO, Chile — Few people are as intensely worried about the slowing Chinese economy as Latin Americans. Not only does China buy nearly 40 percent of Chile’s copper, but its once-insatiable demand helped push copper prices from $2 to $9 a kilo. Meanwhile, Beijing plowed billions into Peruvian mines and fisheries and spent billions more buying soybeans from Argentina and Brazil. And it propped up the Venezuelan government to the tune of $50 billion in loans, to be paid in shipments of oil. China’s voracious hunger for Latin America’s raw materials fueled the region’s most prosperous decade since the 1970s. It filled government coffers and helped halve the region’s poverty rate. That era is over. “The commodity boom allowed governments and companies to avoid hard choices,” Andrés Velasco, Chile’s finance minister from 2006 to 2010, said. “For goodness’ sake, even Argentina grew by 5 to 6 percent per year for almost a decade.” Copper is back under $7. As commodity prices continue to swoon, driven in large part by China’s weaker demand, the going will get much tougher. That’s especially true of the major oil exporters, clobbered by a collapse in oil prices driven by faltering global demand and increased supplies from the United States and elsewhere. Venezuela, notably, is in free fall. The International Monetary Fund expects the Venezuelan economy to contract both this year and next. And it has been forced to limit its promised oil shipments to China, in effect defaulting on its Chinese debt. But the commodity decline isn’t sparing many. “Growth in Latin America should move

By MATT RICHTEL

It Can Wait. The buzz phrase, popularized by the American telecommunications giant AT&T in a public service campaign, urges drivers to show restraint with their phones. But a growing number of drivers can’t wait. These are the drivers for Uber and its competitors, who, to make money, must respond nearly instantly to their smartphones, without regard to road conditions or safety. When a service call comes in from Uber — by way of a loud beeping on the phone — a driver typically has 15 seconds to tap the phone to accept the fare. That can mean looking at the phone, seeing how far away the customer is and then making a decision. Failure to respond in 15 seconds means the fare goes to a different driver. You need not be a safety advocate to see the potential for danger when the phone, a potential source of driver distraction, becomes an essential means of transaction.

back to pre-commodity boom rates,” said Alejandro Werner, who leads the Western hemisphere division at the I.M.F. The fund expects the region to grow barely 1.3 percent in 2014, a third of its pace just three years ago. The bust underlines how Latin American economies have failed to overcome one of their historic weaknesses: a dependence on raw materials that has shackled the region’s development to an incessant sequence of booms and busts. From Brazil and Argentina in the southern tip of the region to Mexico in the north, officials across Latin America fretted for years that China undermined their decades-long efforts to build the manufacturing industries that, they hoped, would provide a ticket into the developed world. Not only did China’s cheap labor outcompete Latin American industry and draw most of the global manufacturing investment, but its appetite for Latin America’s minerals, oil and agricultural products also raised the value of currencies around the region, making their manufactured goods even less competitive. Manufacturing’s share in Latin America’s economic output has declined steadily for more than a decade, ever since China inserted itself aggressively into the global economy by entering the World Trade Organization. At the same time, the share of raw materials in Latin America’s exports, which had fallen to a low of 27 percent in the late 1990s, from about 52 percent in the early 1980s, surged back to more than 50 percent on the eve of the global financial crisis. China’s footprint on Latin America is contributing to what the Harvard University development expert Dani Rodrik would call its “premature de-industri-

OSCAR DURAND FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

A Peruvian town built by the Chinese company Chinalco to relocate people for a copper mine.

Riding China China’s insatiable demand for raw materials brought greater prosperity to Latin America. But it also stunted the region’s industrial development. Chinese imports from Latin America

Chinese exports to Latin America

$1.2 billion

TOTAL

1.0

0.8

0.8 RAW MATERIALS

0.6 0.4

0.4

0.2

MANUFACTURED GOODS

0.6

’00

’05

’10

’13

’00

Sources: World Bank; Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

alization,” shutting off the standard path of economic development followed by pretty much everybody since the Industrial Revolution. Mr. Velasco, 54, recalled when a 23-year-old student in Antofagasta asked him what the Chilean government would do with the nation’s copper riches. By the time the student was his age, Mr. Velasco responded, Chile would have no more copper. “The question,” he said, “isn’t what should we do with copper but what will we do without it.”

But Mr. Werner of the I.M.F. argues that the case for de-industrialization is overblown. “From a medium-term perspective, China is a plus, plus, plus for Latin America,” he said. In agriculture, for instance, exports to China are leading to lots of innovation and efficiency improvements. Demand for Brazil and Argentina’s soy — a principal source of animal feed — is unlikely to wane as the Chinese become richer and eat more meat. “Don’t bet against nature,” Mr. Werner urged poli-

The Risks of Ride-Hailing Services Safety experts say that apps may distract drivers. But Uber is not alone, given that a similar system is used by Lyft and, arguably, an even more demanding one is used by a growing number of taxi drivers. In San Francisco, the home of Uber and the hub of car-service innovation, taxi drivers use software called Flywheel that aims to allow competition against Uber. It works like this: When a customer calls for a taxi, a message goes out to a handful of cabs nearest the customer; the fastest to touch the Flywheel phone app in response gets the fare. If no one responds

TOTAL

$1.2 billion

within 20 seconds, the call goes out to another set of drivers. Scholars and policy makers who study driver distraction say the system puts drivers in a tough spot: answer or lose money. “It’s conditioned. You get a ding, you respond, you get a ride, you get money, you get paid,” said Deborah Hersman, the former chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, an American governmental agency. Responding to the device takes visual, manual and cognitive attention, she said. “There’s not a whole lot of debate this is distracting.” Even some in the industry say there is reason for pause. The chief executive of Flywheel, Rakesh Mathur, when asked whether this demand for instant attention by drivers could be a hazard conceded it could be. He added: “We’ve got to come up

with things that are safer,” like voice activated technology. He also said there had been no problems he knew of related to taxi drivers’ use of Flywheel. And there have not been widespread reports of accidents caused by Uber drivers. Uber released a statement that its app “was designed with safety in mind,” and that drivers do not have to look at the device to accept a fare but can respond to the audible tone by touching anyplace on the screen. Lyft, a competitor, said, “Safety is our top priority” and drivers are urged to use “hands-free navigation, a phone mount and safe-driving practices.” In December, misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges were filed against an Uber driver, Syed Muzaffar, who killed a 6-year-old girl in a San Francisco

’05

’10

’13 THE NEW YORK TIMES

cy makers in the region. And as Huang Haizhou, the managing director of the China International Capital Corporation, told the nervous Latin Americans at the I.M.F.’s conference here recently, despite any slowdown in growth, China’s long-term demand for commodities remained voracious. “China’s demand for commodities is more important for Latin American growth than exports to the United States,” Mr. Huang said, “and it will be more important for many years to come.”

crosswalk. It is a matter of dispute whether Mr. Muzaffar was using his Uber software at the time of the accident. Abdoulrahime Diallo, an Uber driver in New York, said that the app had never been “personally difficult for him” because “it’s just a matter of pressing and accepting it and seeing where the fare is.” At the same time, he added that Uber made it hard to resist because drivers can be penalized with suspensions for ignoring or declining calls. There is some logic to that, he said, in that “if you’re online, you should be willing to accept” fares. But David Bruder, 36, a parttime Uber driver in the Palm Springs area of California, said that while he had not had any distraction problems, he would prefer to be given more time. Even “an extra five seconds would be great,” he added. “I don’t think five seconds for a passenger is going to make all that big of a difference.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

Sanctity of Truth

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

MONEY & BUSINESS

Smart Mannequins, Watching Shoppers By RACHEL ABRAMS

These mannequins want to tell you something. Yes, they look like all the others: Lithe bodies with featureless faces. But these can beckon you from outside the store, sending messages to your cellphones and beaming pictures of their outfits onto them. They are one of the latest efforts by the struggling retail industry to lure customers away from the Internet and back into brick-and-mortar stores. “We decided we had to work out a way to bring the good old-fashioned mannequin into the 21st century,” said Jonathan Berlin, the managing director of Universal Display, an American company that is selling mannequins with electronic implants in their waists. Almax, an Italian company, even created a model with cameras embedded in the eyes

Implanted devices track and communicate. to better track shoppers and what they look at. About a year ago, Mr. Berlin and his partner, Adrian Coe, thought of outfitting their product with electronic beacons, small transmitters that can communicate with your cellphone. Mr. Berlin and Mr. Coe created a separate company, Iconeme, just for the beacons, which interact with users through the company’s app. Shoppers can see what a store’s mannequins are wearing, who designed the clothes and how much they cost. They can even buy an item through the app. It might seem as if Iconeme were designed to take all the fun out of shopping. But Mr. Berlin said people want to save time, love using their smartphones and could sometimes use a little extra help picking out an outfit. “Some people don’t have the confidence to put an outfit to-

gether,” he said. “I think a lot of people need inspiration.” Iconeme is not the only business trying to use technology to help people shop in stores. A company called MyBestFit created kiosks that quickly scan people’s bodies, analyze a database of clothes and make suggestions. Mr. Berlin and Mr. Coe, a sculptor, had to figure out where in the mannequin to hide their small, cylindrical beacon. They decided on the waist. The Universal mannequins can send a signal to people within a 30-meter range of the store, trying to entice them in. “Once they’re inside, half the battle is won,” Mr. Berlin said. Iconeme’s first beacon mannequin began in Britain in August. Since then, about 3,500 people have downloaded the company’s app, Mr. Berlin said. Beacon technology is already popular along Regent Street, a high-end strip of stores in London, where retailers use beacons to ping shoppers with promotions and advertisements. Universal sells about 35,000 mannequins a year, Mr. Berlin said, and business is up 42 percent from last year. But as the retail landscape has shifted, so have the mannequins. Competing to attract customers, some retailers have turned to provocative designs with unexpected poses, body shapes and faces. Silvestri California, a manufacturer of custom mannequins, sells mannequins with wild hair and others inspired by German expressionism. “Our pitch is probably about the same, but more people have been listening,” said Thomas Reistetter, Silvestri’s president. Designers originally used mannequins to help pin and tailor clothing. They eventually evolved into more lifelike forms, transitioning through styles as cultural tastes shifted. “Why do mannequins all look the same?” Mr. Reistetter said. “You can walk down Fifth Avenue, and stores have forgotten that to survive as a brick-and-mortar entity, you have to be different.”

CHANG W. LEE/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Retailers are using smart mannequins, such as these by Universal Display, to draw shoppers back into their stores.

NOBLE ENERGY

Noble Energy, based in Texas, is giving cover for countries in the Middle East that want to buy natural resources from Israel. The Tamar platform off the Israeli coast run by Noble.

Israel’s Gas Offers Lifeline for Peace By STANLEY REED and CLIFFORD KRAUSS

THE TAMAR PLATFORM, Israel — Alarms rang out across the Tamar natural gas platform off the coast of Israel. The Israeli navy had detected signs that a rocket might have been fired by Hamas from the shores of Gaza. As a voice over the loudspeaker warned to take cover, the crew raced up the metal stairs to a small gym that doubles as an air raid shelter. It turned out to be a false alarm. Natural gas is both a geopolitical tool and a target in Israel, where a newfound bonanza of resources has the potential to improve ties with energy-hungry Egypt, Jordan and even the Palestinian Authority. But the key to this diplomatic push is not an Israeli official, a Middle Eastern king or an American ambassador. It is an oil company in Texas. Noble Energy, the company that runs the Tamar platform and is developing another field nearby called Leviathan, has struck a series of deals in recent months to sell gas from Israel to its neighbors, an export strategy encouraged by the Obama administration to help ease tensions in the region. Both Jordan and the Palestinian Authority have signed preliminary agreements in recent months, while Noble is in talks to supply larger amounts of gas to Egypt. The corporate connection is crucial. As the main negotiator and broker, Noble is giving cover to leaders who could otherwise face political consequences for buying gas in deals directly with the Israeli government. But officials have said they are concerned that Noble Energy and its Israeli partners have a lock on gas production. Israel’s antitrust commissioner, David Gilo, recently announced that he

was considering action to limit the dominance of the consortium, which controls “all the gas reserves on the coast of the state of Israel.” Noble Energy, which completed the development of Tamar last year for $3.5 billion, says that it has found more than 800 billion cubic meters of gas off Israel. The finds would be enough to satisfy current Israeli demand for about a century. Half of Israel’s electric power now comes from the natural gas that flows through Tamar, making the platform and an onshore processing plant a tempting focus for enemies. Security makes up about half the personnel on the Tamar platform. While Israel’s gas consump-

In a tense region, energy is viewed as a tool and a target. tion is growing fast, the domestic market is not large enough to fully tap Tamar’s potential, much less develop the much larger Leviathan. So Noble and its Israeli partners have focused on Egypt and Jordan as the nearest, cheapest-to-reach places to export. The Obama administration has quietly pushed the strategy. As American officials see it, the energy ties could strengthen the fragile peace between Israel and its neighbors, and perhaps offer Europe a way to lessen its dependence on Russia for gas. “With energy you are talking about something fundamental that really counts,” says Gideon Tadmor, chairman of Delek Drilling, one of Noble’s partners. While Jordan’s relations with

Israel have been tense lately, the country has been a receptive customer. Since 2011, Jordan, like Israel, has had its gas supply disrupted, as militants in Sinai repeatedly attack a major gas pipeline from Egypt. Industry experts say that Noble will need more long-term commitments to support the expense of Leviathan, which is expected to cost as much as $8 billion for its first phase. The most likely anchor customer is Egypt, which is blocking exports in order to meet high domestic demand and stave off power blackouts. A move by the regulator to break up the consortium would lead to further delays on Leviathan, which has already proved difficult to develop. This year, Noble reached nonbinding agreements with the owners of both of these facilities — BG, the large British producer, and a joint venture of Italy’s ENI and Spain’s Gas Natural Fenosa — to supply their facilities from Tamar and Leviathan. As part of the deals, the gas would also probably flow to the domestic market in Egypt. Participants in the continuing talks on Egypt, which usually are held in London, say that many details need to be worked out. Meanwhile, domestic businesses are taking advantage of the new gas. One Israeli company, Dorad Energy, recently built a $1.3 billion gas-fired generating plant near Ashkelon. The plant meets about 10 percent of Israel’s power demand. The company is planning to add another next door. “My dream is to sell electricity to Egypt, Jordan and even Syria,” said Moshe Cohen, the plant manager, as he showed a visitor the site, including a hole in the street left by a rocket. “Israel has the ability to provide a lot of energy.”

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

Sanctity of Truth

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

If Life Exists Elsewhere, Is God There Too? A star appeared in the East. Following it, so the biblical story goes, three Magi, urged on by a nervous King Herod, arrived in Bethlehem and discovered the news that the son of God had come to die for our sins. Peace on earth and good will to men is fine, ESSAY as far as it goes. But some astronomers and forward-thinking theologians wonder how the rest of the universe is supposed to get the message. Astronomers have discovered in the last two decades that there are probably tens of billions of potentially habitable planets in the Milky Way. Only last month, scientists at NASA, the American space agency, said that the Mars rover had detected methane, possibly from microbes. So it’s not so crazy to imagine other living creatures scattered through the billions of years and light-years of cosmic history. Did Christ come to die for their sins, too? Or as Geoffrey Marcy, an exoplanet explorer at the University of California, Berkeley, said not long ago in an email, “But do they know it’s Christmas?” Surely, earthlings were not the only beings in the Milky Way blessed in God’s eyes, he said. “Conversations about religion with intelligent beings from an exoplanet might jolt humanity into realizing how parochial our beliefs are,” he said. Pope Francis suggested in a homily in May that he would baptize Martians if they landed in St. Peter’s Square and asked for it. How, you may ask, might an alien have sinned? On Earth, violence and suffering are embedded in the Darwinian struggle for survival that produced us, says Ted Peters, a professor at the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences in Berkeley, California. If aliens are made of the same stuff we are, Dr. Peters wrote in the Philosoph-

DENNIS OVERBYE

ELWOOD H. SMITH

ical Transactions of the Royal Society in 2011, “might they also share the ambiguity between good and evil that we are familiar with?” But what if they are computers or other forms of artificial intelligence that might supplant us as masters of the universe? Christian scholars like Dr. Peters and indeed the pope agree that the possibility of redemption probably extends to all of creation, even perhaps the inanimate world. “How could he be God and leave extraterrestrials in sin?” asks the Reverend George V. Coyne, the former director of the Vatican Observatory and now a Jesuit priest, in the 2000 book “Many Worlds: The New Universe, Extraterrestrial Life and the Theological Implications.” “After all, he was good to us. Why should he not be good to them?” This has engendered an argument about whether Christ died for the entire cosmos, or whether the son of God or the metaphysical equivalent has to be born and die on every populated planet.

Distinguished theologians have come down on different sides of this issue; after all, it’s not up to us to say what God could or could not do. “God doesn’t seem to be limited by history and communication,” Dr. Peters said in an interview, playing the devil’s advocate, so to speak, for the notion of a single incarnation for the entire cosmos. In that case, the consequences would not be limited to “people who get emails about it.” Guy Consolmagno, now a Jesuit brother at the Vatican Observatory, spent 10 years working and teaching as a planetary scientist, specializing in meteorites. He said that Christmas for aliens could be a wonderful story, but that he didn’t have any answers and that that was part of the fun. Contrary to popular perception, he said, religion, like science, is not a closed book. “Science,” he said, “is stuff we understand about truths we only partially grasp. Religion is trying to get closer to truths we don’t understand.”

The more you know, the more you know you don’t understand, he said. “That’s called progress.” The challenge in any person’s or species’ life, he added, is how to learn others’ truths without giving up your own. Dr. Marcy jokingly evoked what he called “the multigod model of the universe.” There might be room in the universe for more than one truth, he said, if every inhabited planet had its own gods. The inhabitants might be as certain of their beliefs as we humans are of ours. “The deities have carved out their operating galactic territories,” Dr. Marcy said. “Only with SETI research,” he went on, referring to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, “will we learn whether our particular God is alone in the universe.” In the best of all possible universes, all these truths and gods would mysteriously and perhaps revelatorily overlap. But maybe that is wishful thinking and there is another, more chilling

answer to Christmas. Take that star in the East; it was the subject of a classic story by Arthur C. Clarke, a science fiction author and space visionary. In “The Star,” published in 1955, an expedition to the site of an old supernova explosion discovers the remains of an ancient civilization, carefully preserved because its members knew they were about to be obliterated. The story is told through the eyes of the astrophysicist onboard, a Jesuit. He is able to figure out exactly when the explosion that doomed this race took place, and exactly what it would have looked like 2,000 years ago from Earth. “There can be no reasonable doubt,” he concludes, “the ancient mystery is solved at last. Yet, oh God, there were so many stars you could have used. What was the need to give these people to the fire, that the symbol of their passing might shine above Bethlehem?” Brother Consolmagno knows the story. “That’s not the kind of god I’m happy with,” he said.

Eggs That Are Colored on Their Own By RACHEL NUWER

When it comes to shell color, most birds’ eggs conform to one of four motifs: colored with spots, colored without spots, white with spots or pure white. But there is a striking exception: the eggs of the tinamou, a bird native to South and Central America. Tinamous blend in with their forest environment by sporting drab plumage in shades of brown and gray. But they produce some of the most spectacular eggshells in the world, in colors like sky blue, lime green and rich chocolate and so glossy that they can reflect overhead trees and brush. Now a study in The Journal of the Royal Society Interface finds the eggs possess a unique structure and iridescence — the only known example ever found in eggshells. “Working with these eggs was, for me, like becoming

an artist,” said Mark E. Hauber, an animal behaviorist at Hunter College in New York and author of “The Book of Eggs.” To crack the structural secrets of the eggs’ ceramic appearance, Dr. Hauber and his colleagues first obtained green, blue, light brown and dark brown eggs from four species of tinamou kept by the Bronx Zoo, the Dallas World Aquarium and a private breeder. At first, the team hypothesized that tinamou eggs might possess a special pigment. But chemical analysis found pigments no different from those of other birds. So the researchers turned to the eggs’ cuticle, or outside layer. They quantified its smoothness down to the nanometer scale and measured the shininess of the mirrorlike surface, finding that tinamou eggs are up to 14 times as glossy as the average chick-

en egg. A spectroscopy test also revealed that the blue eggs were iridescent (the green and brown eggs were too shiny for the spectrometer to accurately measure). Finally, the team dissolved the cuticle using an acidic solvent, and found that the gloss and iridescence disappeared, leaving it duller than a chicken egg, though still vibrantly colored. Smoothness produced at the nanostructural scale gives the eggs their shine, the team concluded, and those same tiny structures are probably responsible for the iridescence. Why tinamous evolved such bright, glossy eggs is a mystery, but the authors suspect it may have something to do with mating behavior. Unlike most birds, male tinamous take sole responsibility for egg-incubating duties, and a single nest might contain eggs from several females. Eggs

FRED R. CONRAD/THE NEW YORK TIMES

The eggs of the tinamou are up to 14 times as glossy as average chicken eggs. seem to act as a sexual attractant, suggesting that the bright color may have evolved to catch a female’s eye. On the other hand, the females might produce brightly colored eggs to make sure the males continually guard the nest, which would otherwise be quickly spotted by predators. Or finally, the eggs’ gloss could just be a byproduct of defensive mechanisms that evolved to protect it from water or microbes, for ex-

ample. “It would be interesting to see more experimental work to look into this evolution, but such experiments are very difficult to design and test in the wild,” said John Bates of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, who was not involved in the study. Or as Dr. Hauber put it: “We need to find a way to ask the birds, ‘Do you care that the egg is shiny and bright?’ ”

Sanctity of Truth

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

When Everyday Noise Causes Unbearable Pain By JOYCE COHEN

Like many people, George Rue loved music. He played guitar in a band. He attended concerts often. In his late 20s, he started feeling a dull ache in his ears after musical events. After a blues concert almost nine years ago, “I left with terrible ear pain and ringing, and my life changed forever,” said Mr. Rue, 45, of Connecticut. He perceived all but the mildest sounds as not just loud, but painful. It hurt to hear. Now, he has constant, burning pain in his ears, along with ringing, or tinnitus, so loud it’s “like a laser beam cutting a sheet of steel.” Everyday noise, like a humming refrigerator, adds a feeling of “needles shooting into my ears,” said Mr. Rue, who was interviewed by email because talking by phone causes pain. Mr. Rue was given a diagnosis of hyperacusis, a nonspecific term that has assorted definitions, including “sound sensitivity” and “a loudness tolerance problem.” But hyperacusis sometimes comes with ear pain, too, a poorly understood medical condition that is beginning to receive more serious attention. “This is clearly an emerging field,” said Richard Salvi, a scientific adviser to Hyperacusis

For sufferers of one medical condition, it hurts to hear.

or from the tiny middle-ear muscles or joints, Dr. Salvi said. Sufferers can barely sit at a dinner table, where ordinary voices and clanking dishes can cause ear pain that lingers for hours, days or more. The pain is often accompanied by the feeling of pressure known as aural fullness, along with tinnitus. Three years ago, Ann Lesky, then a math teacher in Newton, Massachusetts, was subjected to a wolf-whistle mere centimeters from one ear. The pain was excruciating. Within an hour, the ringing started, resembling a whistling teakettle. Struggling with pain from classroom noise, Ms. Lesky had to leave her job. Pain, which she describes as “a steel rod stabbing and turning in my ear canal,” is always present in her bad ear. Tinnitus plagues both ears. Routine sounds, like the beeping from a store scanner or a vehicle that is backing up, can trigger hours of additional pain. “Louder noises hurt more and last longer,” Ms. Lesky, 57, said. “I feel like I am getting better, and then some noise sets me back.” She ma nages with earplugs, protective earmuffs and noise-canceling headphones. “It is difficult to communicate,” she said. “People think I am rude.” Surprise noises JONATHON ROSEN are the hardest to deal with, she said. “I am alResearch, a nonprofit group that funds research on the conways thinking, what noise will hurt, and how do I avoid it? The dition. quality of my life is almost unLoud noises, even when they aren’t painful, can damage bearable. Silence is my only both the sensory cells and sencomfort.” Like many patients, Ms. sory nerve fibers of the inner Lesky visited multiple docear over time, causing hearing impairment, said M. Charles tors seeking relief. None Liberman, a professor of otolohelped. One ordered a loud M.R.I, which led to months of gy at Harvard Medical School. increased pain and added anAnd for some people who are susceptible, possibly because other permanent tinnitus tone, of some combination of genes like breaking glass. that gives them “tender” ears, “Short-term improvement is noise sets in motion “an anomdeceptive,” said Bryan Pollard, president of Hyperacusis Realous response,” he said. The prevalence of hyperasearch, who seeks to educate audiologists and ear-nosecusis, with or without pain, is throat specialists about “the unknown. horrible facts of how a noise The auditory nerve contains injury typically behaves and myelinated fibers, which are what a patient really experiused to perceive loudness and to process speech, as well as ences.” unmyelinated ones. Though it “Significant relapses occur has not been proven, hyperacwith new noise exposure,” he added. “We continue to hear tivity in these unmyelinated from people who follow the bad fibers may be responsible for advice they receive and who go the increased pain sensation right back out into the world, in affected individuals, he said. confused and hurting themPain could also stem from pain receptors on the eardrum selves further.”

STUART ISETT FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Oren Etzioni, head of the new Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, says technology can’t be separated from its social consequences.

Innovators of Artificial Intelligence By JOHN MARKOFF

SEATTLE, Washington — Inside the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, known as AI2, everything is white — the walls, the furniture, the counters. It might as well have been a set for the space station in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” “The brilliant white was a conscious choice meant to evoke experimental science — think ‘white lab coat,’ ” said Oren Etzioni, the director of the new institute, which the Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen launched last year as a sibling of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, his effort to map the human brain. Yet the futuristic surroundings offer a paradoxical note: AI2 is an effort to advance artificial intelligence while simultaneously reaching back into the field’s past. While Silicon Valley looks to fashionable techniques like neural networks and machine learning that have rapidly advanced the state of the art, Dr. Etzioni remains a practitioner of a modern version of what used to be known as Gofai, for good old-fashioned artificial intelligence. The reference goes back to the earliest days of the field in the 1950s and ’60s, when artificial-intelligence researchers were confident they could model human intelligence using symbolic systems — logic embedded in software programs, running on powerful computers. Then in the late 1980s, an early wave of commercial artificial-intelligence companies failed. The field was seen as a failure and went into eclipse. In recent years, however, A.I. has come roaring back as speech recognition, machine vision and self-driving cars have made progress with powerful computers, cheap sensors and machine-learning techniques. That has started a Silicon Valley gold rush led by Google, Facebook and Apple, drawing outsiders like Alibaba and Baidu in China, all caught up in a frantic race to hire

the world’s best machine-learning talent. But the debate over how to reach genuine artificial intelligence has not ended, and Dr. Etzioni and Mr. Allen are betting that their path is more pragmatic. The power of the new techniques is not disputed, but there is a growing debate over whether they can take the field to human-level capabilities by themselves. “Think of it as Sherlock Holmes versus Spider-Man,” said Jerry Kaplan, a visiting lecturer at Stanford University, comparing Holmes’s deductive powers with the irrational “spider sense” that tingles at the base of Spider-Man’s skull and alerts him to danger. Dr. Etzioni says that the artificial-intelligence field has made incremental advances in areas like vision and speech, but that

A quest for machines with the answer, and the explanation. we have gotten no closer to the larger goal of true human-level systems. “Driverless cars are a great thing,” he said, but added that the field had given rise to “bad A.I., like the N.S.A. is using it or Facebook is using it to track you.” “We want to be the good guys,” he went on, “and it’s up to us to deliver on that.” Moreover, he says both he and Mr. Allen believe that technology cannot be separated from its social and economic consequences. They have added a social mission to the project that they call “artificial intelligence for the common good.” The success or failure of the project will ultimately hinge on whether Dr. Etzioni can create a new synthesis of artificial intelligence, weaving together pow-

erful machine-learning tools with traditional logic-oriented software. The current fad for big data, of which machine learning is a major component, has significant limits. “If you step back a little and say we want to do A.I., then you will realize that A.I. needs knowledge, reasoning and explanation,” he said. “My argument is that big data has made great progress in limited areas.” Even Watson, the brainy IBM computer whose intelligence the company wants to apply in complex applications like medical diagnoses and automated call centers with interactive speech recognition, will soon reach fundamental limits, he argues. “I really don’t want a system that can’t explain itself to be my doctor,” he said. “I can just imagine sitting there with Dr. Watson and the program saying, ‘Well, we need to remove a kidney, Mr. Etzioni,’ and I’m like, ‘What?!’ and they respond, ‘Well, we have a lot of variables and a lot of data, and that’s just what the model says.’ ” Some technology experts argue that self-aware computing machines are now on the horizon. “As for A.I. progress, we’re mostly haggling about a few decades,” said Hans Moravec, a leading roboticist who is the chief scientist of Seegrid Corporation, a maker of autonomous vehicles for warehouse applications. “I’m content to simply watch it play out, trying to do my part. I do want fully autonomous robots as soon as possible, to begin visiting the rest of the universe.” Mr. Allen and Dr. Etzioni are not so optimistic. Both are skeptical of claims that we may be only years away from machines that think in any human sense. “Full A.I., in the sense of something like HAL in ‘2001,’ ” Mr. Allen wrote in an email, “is probably a hundred years away (or more). In reality, we are only beginning to grasp how deep intelligence works.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

Sanctity of Truth

H E A LT H & F I T N E S S

More Runners Training Pregnant

NEWS ANALYSIS

The Ethics of Infection By KATE MURPHY

By LINDSAY CROUSE

When Paula Radcliffe won the New York City Marathon in 2007, nine months after giving birth to a daughter, Isla, she was considered an anomaly. Her intense training through her pregnancy was scrutinized and criticized. Seven years later, maintaining a top running career and a family has become relatively common. About a third of the women in the professional field for the New York City Marathon held in November had children. “I watched Paula win New York, basically leading from the starting gun to the finish tape, and afterward she picked up her baby,” said Kara Goucher, an American marathoner. “I realized I can do both.” Ms. Goucher, 36, finished third in the 2008 New York City Marathon, and ran the 2014 New York race with her 4-year-old son, Colt, cheering her on for the first time. She finished 14th. When she contemplated having a child, Ms. Goucher engaged in the strategizing common to elite female athletes, who consider precisely when to become pregnant so as not to risk missing out on an Olympic medal or a corporate sponsorship. As athletic peaks for these top runners have overtaken fertility peaks, with elite female distance runners now running competitive times well into their late 30s, the decision to combine motherhood and training has become increasingly unavoidable. Elite runners often try to squeeze in a pregnancy and recovery in the 16-month window between world track championships in years with no Summer Olympics. Pregnancies abounded in 2014, one such year. Because the athletes are in-

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CLARA HOROWITZ PETERSON

More top female runners, like Clara Horowitz Peterson, are having children and running during their pregnancies. dependent contractors, they are not covered by laws that protect employed women in pregnancy. After Alysia Montaño, a 2012 Olympian, ran an 800-meter race in June during her eighth month of pregnancy, her decision became the subject of scrutiny. “People sometimes act like being pregnant is a nine-month death sentence, like you should lie in bed all day,” she said. “I wanted to be an example for women starting a family while continuing a career.” Other women have chosen different paths. Clara Horowitz Peterson, a former top runner at Duke University in North Carolina, focused on starting a family in her mid-20s, aiming for a racing peak afterward. Now 30, she is pregnant with her fourth child. “I think if I’d chosen to train at altitude and log 120-mile weeks, I could have made it to the Olympics,” said Ms. Peterson, who typically runs 80 to 90 miles, or 130 to 145 kilometers, a week when not pregnant. She ran right up until the births of

her first three children. She qualified for the 2012 United States Olympic marathon trials just four months after delivering her second child, and she logged a 2-hour-35-minute time at the race four months later. To bounce back for the trials, Ms. Peterson said, she breast-fed her second child for only five weeks — finding hormones related to breast-feeding made her feel sluggish. The understanding of women’s physical resilience during and after pregnancy has also developed in recent years. “We still don’t have good science to guide us,” said Dr. Aaron Baggish of the cardiovascular performance program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “But unequivocally I think women should exercise through pregnancy, both for their baby and their own health,” he added. “The body has evolved that way. Your baseline fitness level is the best guideline: Elite athletes start out with a higher threshold, so they can do more.”

“Primum non nocere” or “First, do no harm” is supposed to be the guiding principle of health care workers. And within civil societies, at least, not harming others is considered every person’s moral, ethical and even legal responsibility. The debate over whether it’s responsible for health care workers who treated Ebola patients to go shopping or bowling or get on a cruise ship before the end of the disease’s 21-day incubation period raises a larger question: What is everyone’s duty to prevent transmission of infectious diseases? Is it ethical to go to the gym when you have a cold? When it comes to “do no harm,” the problem is defining harm and the risk of inflicting it, as well as what constitutes reasonable measures to minimize that risk. “Risk is a function of two things — probability that harm will occur and severity of that harm, should it transpire,” said Lawrence O. Gostin, a professor of law at Georgetown University in Washington. The more severe the potential harm, he said, the less probability, or risk, we are willing to assume — much less allow someone else to assume on our behalf. In the case of Ebola, even though the risk of transmission may be low, health law experts and bioethicists tend to agree that it’s incumbent on exposed individuals to do what they reasonably can to minimize that risk during the disease’s incubation period because the stakes (a horrific death) are so high. “I think it’s unethical and wrong to hop on a cruise ship or get on an airplane,” Professor Gostin said. But indeed, he continued, this is your ethical obligation whenever you have a fever and are vomiting or sneezing due to infectious illness. Judging from the large number of flights grounded or delayed during the past few weeks when noticeably sick

passengers triggered false Ebola alarms, “do no harm” is not an ethical imperative for many. “I just flew from Washington, D.C., to Tel Aviv and had to take care of six sick passengers — three vomiting with fever,” said Dr. Gil Siegal, a surgeon and professor of law at the University of Virginia. “People are not always rational actors,” he said. Opposing irrationalities perhaps explain the outrage on social media over the nurse Kaci Hickox of Maine, who resisted secluding herself after she returned from West Africa. The situation recalls the strident opposition to laws recently passed in Rhode Island and New York requiring health care workers to get flu shots or wear masks when treating patients during flu season. Vaccination rates among American

Should anyone board a plane with a fever? health care workers average just 45 percent, and the flu kills 36,000 people a year. Part of the problem is cultural, said Noel T. Brewer of the University of North Carolina. Americans tend to think more about individual than communal rights. Contrast this with many Asian countries where it’s common to see people wearing surgical masks in public. Americans tend to assume this is to prevent the wearer from getting sick. But it’s actually more often the reverse: The wearer is sick and the mask serves not only to prevent passing germs to others but also to alert people they should keep their distance. Professor Gostin said, “This me-first mentality is what I think promotes irresponsibility when it comes to public health.”

A Hallucinogen Shows Promise in Easing Depression By ANDREW POLLACK

It is either the most exciting new treatment for depression in years or it is a hallucinogenic club drug that is wrongly being dispensed to patients in a growing number of clinics around the United States. It is called ketamine — or Special K, on the street. While it has been used as an anesthetic for decades, small studies at prestigious medical centers suggest it can relieve depression in many people who are not helped by conventional antidepressants like Prozac or Lexapro. And the depression seems to melt away within hours, rather than the weeks required for a conventional antidepressant. But some psychiatrists say

A club drug may have therapeutic uses for patients. the drug has not been studied enough to be ready for use outside of clinical trials, and they are alarmed that clinics are springing up to offer ketamine treatments, charging hundreds of dollars for sessions. “We don’t know what the long-term side effects of this are,” said Dr. Anthony J. Rothschild, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Pharmaceutical companies

hope to solve the problem by developing drugs that work like ketamine but without the side effects, which are often described as out-of-body experiences. Because ketamine has long been approved for anesthesia, doctors are allowed to use it off-label to treat depression. Clinics charge from $300 to more than $1,000 per treatment. Critics say that severely depressed patients might be too desperate to adequately weigh the risks. Besides the psychoticlike effects, ketamine can raise blood pressure and heart rate. Evidence from people who abuse the drug indicates that it can cause a decline in brain function and bladder problems. Some patients say they are

ready to take that risk. “I look at the cost of not using ketamine — for me it was certain death,” said Dennis Hartman, 48, of Seattle. He had chosen a suicide date when he entered a clinical trial of ketamine at the National Institutes of Health two years ago. His depression lifted and since then he has gone to a clinic every two months or so for infusions. Dr. David Feifel of the University of California, San Diego, is one of the few academic psychiatrists to offer ketamine as a treatment. He said that what is essentially a psychedelic trip is over quickly after the treatment is ended. One of his patients, Maggie, 53, said that when she got her first infusion she was “transported into a completely different dimen-

SANDY HUFFAKER FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Some psychiatrists say ketamine needs more study as an anti-depressant. sion.” The trip ended quickly, but within hours, a lifetime of depression began to lift. “Never ever ever before have I felt like that,” Maggie said.

THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

Sanctity of Truth

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

ARTS & DESIGN

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT, MAD ARCHITECTS; REUTERS; KIM KYUNG-HOON/REUTERS

Unusual buildings may not be in China’s future. Clockwise from left, a rendering of the Chaoyang Park Plaza; the Guangzhou Circle; buildings in Beijing.

China Rethinks the Spread of ‘Weird’ Architecture By CAO LI

It’s the newest dreamscape in a country clotted with them. When it opens in two years on Beijing’s east side, Chaoyang Park Plaza, a ring of glass towers molded like mountains in a classic Chinese landscape painting and designed by the renowned architect Ma Yansong, will feature apartments, offices and shops. But in an unusual online ad campaign started in late October, the project’s developer is boasting that it “could be Beijing’s last abnormally shaped landmark building to enter the market in the coming 10 years.” At the site recently, a saleswoman eagerly warned that the government might not permit “this type of artsy shape” any longer. The warning was also a clear attempt to capitalize on President Xi Jinping’s recent call for an end to “weird architecture.” Ever since he issued his admonishment at a symposium on the

arts on October 15, officials, planners and builders across China have been scrambling to figure out what it means. A report carried on a social media platform under People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s mouthpiece, predicted that “in the future it is unlikely that Beijing will have other strangely shaped buildings like the ‘Giant Trousers’ ” — a colloquial reference to the China Central Television headquarters, designed by Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren. As Communist uniformity gave way to political and market forces over the past three decades, avant-garde foreign and overseas-trained Chinese architects have burst on the scene, making booming Chinese megacities staging points, critics argue, for radical visions that would be unbuildable elsewhere. Scandals over cost, corruption and safety have hounded the construction of Beijing’s new marvels.

Mr. Xi’s rebuke has reverberated among China’s architects and planners. Government planners said they have been asked by their superiors to apply stricter design guidelines on project approvals. Designers and developers said it has reignited debate over the financial and aesthetic excesses of urban design. Many wondered if it would dampen creativity more than curb freakish designs. Since Mr. Xi’s statement, Wang Kai of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design and other planners with state institutions have been exploring ways to translate his prescription into concrete measures. Beijing Deputy Mayor Chen Gang said the city would apply detailed planning requirements to “implement necessary rules on the size, style, color, form, shape and materials of buildings,” newspapers reported. Yang Shichao, deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial

Academy of Building Research, said the ministry is seeking to establish general standards. A building will not be deemed “weird,” Mr. Yang said, “if it does not consume excessive materials, if it suits the local climate, if it fits the local culture and if it provides the necessary functions.” Mr. Wang said that, based on discussions he has attended, the ministry probably will not define weirdness based solely on a building’s shape, color or materials. Instead, planners are focused more on controlling costs and constructing “green and low-carbon” buildings. But local governments also will set broad style guidelines, he added. Many “weird buildings” have been the vanity projects of officials, with insufficient regard for costs, Mr. Wang said. “Why does everyone have objections to certain buildings in Beijing?” he asked. “Because it’s public funds.”

Since taking power, Mr. Xi has waged a campaign against corruption and extravagance, and targeting strange architecture appears in line with that. Wang Shu, the architect who in 2012 became the first Chinese to win the Pritzker Prize, said that Mr. Xi was addressing a real problem. “The greatest quantity of strange buildings in the world has converged on China,” he said. But turning a leader’s remark into regulations could be equally problematic, Mr. Wang added. “No more weird buildings doesn’t mean we should have dull buildings,” he said. Unlike Chaoyang Park Plaza’s promoters, most developers have tried to avoid the “weird” label. The chairman of SOHO China, Pan Shiyi, whose firm is nearly synonymous with eccentric designs, declared that Mr. Xi was referring to “those ugly buildings” built by others, not his own, beautiful ones.

Mr. Hemsworth in a scene from Michael Mann’s “Blackhat,” a film about one hacker who tries to thwart another.

were similar elements in the attack on Sony. One of the film’s more striking messages, and a lesson that Hollywood has learned recently is that there are no international barriers to cybercrimes. Government officials have said the attacks on Sony appear to have been routed by North Korea through China and then conducted through servers in Singapore, Thailand and Bolivia. Mr. Mann, whose films include “Ali,” “Heat” and “Public Enemies,” said he became interested in a hacker-centered story after spending time in Washington with government cyberdefense officials. “What became apparent is that Washington knew — the White House, defense, law enforcement — how truly vulnerable we are to cyberintrusion,” said Mr. Mann, who wrote the screenplay with Morgan Davis Foehl. They were, he said, “frustrated in getting defense contractors, banking and infrastructure providers to act on the need for robust cyberdefense.” He added: “Generally, people have little awareness of how porous we are. That gap in awareness was fascinating to me.”

Hacking Reality: Art Imitates Technology By BROOKS BARNES and MICHAEL CIEPLY

UNIVERSAL CITY, California — In Michael Mann’s cyberthriller, “Blackhat,” after a naïve security guard slips a young woman’s thumb drive into his corporate computer, the camera lingers on the drive’s brand name: Sony. A few covert keystrokes later, the system is penetrated — one hacker, a good guy, is within reach of an illicit fortune stolen by another. If this is not exactly cinematic art imitating life, the release of “Blackhat” by Universal Pictures this month will at least show spooky synchronicity with the very real hacking attack on Universal’s crosstown competitor, Sony Pictures. Mr. Mann’s movie, produced by Legendary Pictures for $80 million, is one of the most authentic film treatments of malicious hacking in memory — and it has been given added cultural urgency by inadvertently crossing

paths with the Sony assault. Hollywood has always had a hard time turning computer code and venomous software into captivating cinema. But Mr. Mann, who won three Oscar nominations for “The Insider,” his 1999 story of a tobacco company whistle-blower, has spent years on “Blackhat.” “We’re not cutting-edge in tech specificity — we’re engaged in our story — but we are close,” Mr. Mann said of his film’s presentation of the hackers’ methods. (A “black hat” is jargon for a criminal hacker, in contrast to legitimate digital security experts, or “white hats.”) The attack on Sony ultimately led to terrorist threats on movie theaters and the cancellation of “The Interview,” a Sony comedy depicting the killing of Kim Jong-un, the ruler of North Korea. Later Sony released the picture to independent theaters and streaming services. “The hack on Sony gave emo-

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

tional stakes to the geeky hacking world,” said Hemanshu Nigam of SSP Blue, an online security firm. The mass audience, he said, realized, “This could be me, with my embarrassing personal email conversations and creative work in progress stolen for everyone to see.” “Blackhat” is the tale of one sophisticated, contemporary hacker on the trail of another. The film’s antihero, played by Chris Hemsworth, is promised his prison sentence will be commuted if he can stop a particularly malicious cyberterrorist who is using Mr. Hemsworth’s character’s own ingenious code. The stakes are even higher than those in the Sony attack. “Blackhat” begins with a hack-in-

duced explosion at a Chinese nuclear plant. The ensuing character-driven chase, grounded in Mr. Mann’s considerable research, involves cocky one-upmanship among hackers and stylistic touches to convey the invisible movement of malicious software (pinpoints of light creeping through a digital network, for instance, and typing shown from inside the keyboard looking out). “How you invade a system usually involves some kind of social engineering,” Mr. Mann said, like tricking an employee into enabling an attack. In another moment from “Blackhat,” a government agent is fooled into changing his security password. Some security experts have speculated that there

Business | Money Line

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

CREDIT Timely draw down on loans will boost projects that impacts on the economy

CACS: UBA, Zenith, FirstBank disburse lion share of N245bn

Godson Ikoro

Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said. At the end of October 2014, the total amount released by the CBN under the Commercial Agric Credit Scheme (CACS) to the participating banks for disbursement stood at N245.9 billion (for 326 projects). Available data showed that UBA disbursed

hree Deposit Money Banks, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank and First Bank of Nigeria, dominated the disbursement of N245.9 billion in the sector for 326 high yielding projects in quarter three, Central

N41.75 billion for 35 projects, Zenith Bank disbursed N40.21 billion for 27 projects and First Bank disbursed N29.22 billion for 73 projects. Others are Unity Bank, N 22.43 billion for 24 projects; Union Bank, N18.17billion for 21 projects; SterlingBankN15.28 billion, for 21 projects; Stambic IBTC, N14.43 bil-

lion for 30 projects. Furthermore, CBN said a total of N1, 332.1 million was guaranteed to 7,290 farmers under the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS) in October 2014. This represented a decline of 10.9 per cent below the level in the preceding month (September) but was an increase

Economic downturn to endure in 2015, says FDC Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

conomic analysts at Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) have predicted that the down turn that assailed Nigerian economy in 2014 will be carried over to 2015. Stating this in its December 2014 monthly bulletin, they noted that some of the economic mix that were active in 2014 would remain relevant for the better part of 2015, pointing out that the down turn was not peculiar to the Nigerian economy. The report listed countries like Russia, Venezuela as examples of

nations whose economy have come under heavy recession. The analysts said, “As 2014 draws to a close, oil prices are still plunging even after losing over 50 per cent this year (now $56bp). The naira is on the ropes trading at N193/$ and interest rates are strangulating at 22 per cent per annum. These are some of the issues that have made the second half of 2014 a rough and tumble period as well as one of the most interesting years this decade for Nigeria.” “Against this background, it shows that cyclical economic downturns and recovery are

inescapable, our findings reveal that the Nigeria macroeconomic environment will continue to be vulnerable to exogenous shocks in 2015. This is mainly because oil prices and international capital flow will continue to be dominant features in the Nigerian macroeconomic equation.” Some specific economic developments listed by FDC that will affect Nigerians as 2015 unfolds include increase in exchange rate between the nation’s currency, the naira, and the United States’ dollar. It affirmed that naira would cross N200 to $ in 2015.

The parallel market rate is expected to cross N200/ $ as dollar as dollar demand pressure persists. A N200/$ is only a 15per cent adjustment as against 45 percent devaluation in 2009. Although, projecting the value of naira is currently clouded by several domestic and exogenous factors, the fair value of the currency is expected to be between N180/$ and N195/$ at the inter-bank market. The naira adjustment by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is timely and the depreciation of the naira has reduced over time because the official rate is closer to equilibrium.

Economic Indicators As at M2* CPS* INF IBR MPR 91-day NTB DPR PLR Bonny Light Ext Res**

N14,737,618.7m N16,509,472.5m 8 0.0000 12 10.899 7.96 17.01 US$109.9 US$42,604,781,796.6

Description

TTM

4.00% 23-Apr-2015 13.05% 16-Aug-2016 15.10% 27-Apr-2017 16.00% 29-Jun-2019 16.39% 27-Jan-2022 10.00% 23-Jul-2030

1.21 2.53 3.22 5.39 7.98 16.47

Tenor (Days) Call 7 30 60 90 180 365

Rate (%) 11.9167 12.3333 12.6667 12.9167 13.2167 13.5000 13.7500

NIBOR

Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 2/5/2014 1/20/2014 11/6/2013 Dec, 2013 Dec, 2013 1/20/2014 2/5/2014 Source:CBN

FGN Bonds Bid Price 90.20 99.25 104.10 109.35 114.15 76.60

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

Bid Spot ($/N) 163.28 THE FIXINGS –NIBOR,NITTY and NIFEX of February 6,2014

NITTY

Yield 12.86 13.33 13.35 13.42 13.38 13.53

Money Market Offer 11.85 11.85 11.80 Offer 163.38

Open-Buy-Back (OBB) Overnight (O/N)

Rate (%) 11.33 11.63

NIFEX Spot ($/N)

Bid 163.4000

Offer 163.5000 Source: FMDQ

of 60.9 per cent above the level in the corresponding period of 2013. A sub-sectoral analysis of the loans guaranteed showed that the food crops sub-sector had the largest share of N593.9 million (44.6 per cent) guaranteed to 4,943 beneficiaries. This was followed by the mixed crops sub- sector, N348.0 million (26.1 per cent) guaranteed to 856 beneficiaries; livestock, N186.4 million (14.0 per cent) guaranteed to 724 beneficiaries; cash crops, N170.8million (12.8 per cent) guaranteed to 614 beneficiaries and fisheries, N19.4 million (1.5 per cent) guaranteed to 64 beneficiaries. Other sub-sector had N13.5 million (1.0 per cent) guaranteed to 89 beneficiaries. Also, analysis by state showed that 27 states (including FCT) benefited from the Scheme during the review month with the highest and lowest sums of N379.6 million (28.5 per

cent) and N2.3 million (0.2 per cent) guaranteed to Delta and Osun states respectively. The dominant agricultural activities in October 2014 included harvesting of various crops while in the livestock subsector, farmers intensified re-stocking activities in anticipation of increased sales during the end of year festivities. Available data indicated that agricultural sector remained generally affected by the negative effects of the insurgency activities and overall insecurity in the North East. Farmers in different parts of the country engaged in harvesting of various crops. CBN said that in the northern part of the country, farming activities were dominated by harvesting cereals and legumes. However, prospects of significant output increase in the region continued to be lowered by the security challenges in part of the region.

‘Why we will bank with Sterling in 2015’

s business activities commence nationwide after the New Year break, customers of Sterling Bank Plc have assured of their continued patronage of the bank in 2015 based on satisfied and rich customer experience with the bank in 2014. Customers, who spoke with our reporters in Lagos and other parts of the country, hinged their position on the provision of quality banking and financial advisory services they got from the bank in 2014, the introduction of customized products and services across ages, its partnership with Arsenal Football Club with the sponsorship of fans to watch matches at the Emirates Stadium in the United Kingdom, the skill acquisition and empowerment programme instituted by the bank, promotion of entrepreneurship programmes through projects such as ‘Meet The Executive’ and ‘Get Ready for Work’ concert. Other reasons listed by respondents included the reward system instituted through activities such as the ATM activations, Retail Mobile Clinic, and Children Shopping Dash programme, its contributions to financial literacy programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria

as well as its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives especially in the area of health and the environment. All these will continue to serve as the right motivation to sustain the relationship with the bank in 2015’, they stated For instance, Dr. Felix Obiagbo, the Chief Executive of Ofelpaco Nigeria Limited, in an interview with one of our correspondents, described Sterling Bank as a reliable financial institution committed to the growth of the businesses of its customers in particular and the economy in general. He relayed his experience with the bank, “We are into fast food business. We have UAC Franchise and we run four outlets in Port Harcourt. With the support of Sterling Bank, the company has continued to grow. For instance, we started with just one outlet ten years ago and we now have four as we speak. Sterling Bank has remained our pillar of support in this business through the provision of credit facilities, which helped to grow our business. Its business combination with other financial institutions has strengthened its capacity to meet the demands of its customers.”

Business | News

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Estate surveyors raise service fee by 100% NEW YEAR GIFT Home owners to pay more for services Dayo Ayeyemi

rofessionals under the auspices of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) have commenced the implementation of a new

range of fees for their services. Speaking exclusively to New Telegraph at the weekend, Chairman of Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria, Mr Williams Odudu, confirmed that the new charges commenced on January 1, 2015. According to him, the new fee is over 100 per cent upward review. He disclosed that the last time the fee was reviewed was 2009, saying

that the new fee had taken into cognizance many factors as regards remuneration of services rendered by members. The implication of this upward review for service charge by estate surveyors means Nigerians, especially home owners, accommodation seekers, banks and other corporate bodies, will pay more for their services. It would be recalled that the Board had been on this issue since Octo-

ber last year. Odudu, however, vowed that no professional in NIESV’s fold would charge less than N100,000 for any job done going by the new scale of fee. To ensure that no member undercuts his colleagues in this regard, he warned that the board would apply its rules to ensure strict compliance. He disclosed that copies of the scale of fee had been sent to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),

Federal Government agencies and departments, state government offices, bank headquarters and corporate organisations for compliance. Odudu, however, tasked the professionals to ensure that they were up to date in the payment of their annual fee to the board, warning that by March 2015, “anyone that fails to fulfil its financial obligation to the Board will not be allowed to practice.” He added that the

Board would publish all names of professional members that are up-todate in their financial duty to the board, tasking them on the need to update themselves with relevant skills and trainings to be able to compete globally. The duties of estate surveyors include, among others, services such as property management, valuation of assets, feasibility and viability studies, estate agency and public lands administration.

Policy makers tasked on production for export Bayo Akomolafe

he Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) has said that policy makers must shift their focus towards boosting production of export commodities, especially non-oil items. The company explained that this would help to mitigate the impact of lower commodity prices on export revenues. It noted that the United States dollar was the most traded currency in the world and has become widely recognised as a ‘safe bet’. The gradual recovery of the US economy in 2014 was one of the factors that helped keep the value of the dollar strong against most currencies. “The attractiveness of the US dollar was also supported by weak demand and slow growth in Europe and Asia. In addition, the US Federal Reserve’s decision to stop its asset purchase programme, which signals a possible rise in interest rates in the near future, boosted investors’ confidence in the US economy and subsequently led to the further appreciation of the dollar. It stressed that the decline in oil prices has affected the currencies of most oil-dependent economies like Nigeria, thereby boosting the value of the dollar when benchmarked against these currencies. The company, in its recent research, also observed that there had been a general decline in commodity prices since the period of sustained growth in commodity prices caused by the industrialisation of China and other emerging countries in 2011.

Business | Stock Watch

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

Cutix: Profits shrink on harsh milieu RETRACTING

Share price movement of Cutix Plc

Revenue deflating on influx of substandard and counterfeit cables

2014 Jan 31

N2.05

Feb 28

N2.00

Chris Ugwu

Mar 31

N2.07

hallenges of erratic supply of public electricity, weak logistics, insecurity and other high costs of operations attributable to poor infrastructure has made the business operating environment difficult especially for the real sector of the economy. In spite of the aforementioned challenges, the high volume of counterfeit and sub-standard products in the domestic market has also remained a threat to Nigeria’s economy, raising serious doubts on current efforts by the Federal Government to resuscitate the real sector to contribute meaningfully to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, while it was accepted generally that the overall economic and business climate was a mixed fortune due to mounting economic challenges, Cutix Nigeria Plc was not insulated, its share price movements have also maintained downward trend, to remain susceptible to the challenges facing manufacturing businesses in Nigeria. The company’s bottom-line had soared during the third quarter ended January 31, 2014 and the financial year ended April 30, 2014, but began to dwindle from the first quarter of 2014 to what market watchers attributed to stiffer competition, influx of substandard, counterfeit cables and lack of accessibility to key markets in the Northern part of the country coupled with increased financing cost, which have resulted in slow growth of many fast moving consumer good companies. The sell offs that have pervaded the equities market also affected investors’ sentiments on the shares of the company as the share price has depleted despite the improved product rebranding following the new power cable plant built recently to increase market penetration. The share price, which closed at N2.05 per share in January 30, 2014, has declined in growth that when the closing bell rang on December 31, the company’s share price stood at N1.30, representing a decrease of 75 kobo or 57.6 per cent year to date.

Apr 30

N1.90

May 31

N1.82

Jun 30

N1.83

Jul 31

N1.90

Aug 31

N1.84

Sept 30

N1.90

Oct 31

N1.65

Nov 30

N1.50

Dec 31

N1.30

Corporate profile Cutix started production with one extrusion line in 1984 with staff strength of 20, and by 1985 it added a second line. By 1986, Cutix added several wire-processing lines to be at par with leading cable makers in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world. All machines were specified, installed and commissioned by Cutix staff. The company also incorporated as much locally fabricated parts as it could without lowering overall quality and efficiency. In

Ifezulike

1992, the company went ahead to become the first manufacturer to acquire a plastic compounding line. In 1999, the first machine built by staff of Cutix was successfully put to service. Financials Cutix finished its third quarter ended January 31, 2014 with a positive trajectory, as it posted a 16.2 per cent increase in revenue. In a filing with the Nigeria Stock Exchange, the company’s revenue grew to N1.684 billion in January 2014 to N1.410 billion during the comparable period of 2013. Its pre-tax profit firmed up by 16.56 per cent to N185.643 million in the Q3 from N154.886 million in the preview period of 2013. Also, post-tax profit equally increased 16.56 per cent in the third quarter as the company declared N120.668 million compared to N100.676 million reported in same period of 2013. The company had also ended the 2014 financial year on an impressive note as it posted a 26.8 per cent growth in profit during the financial year ended April 30, 2014. The unaudited financial result of the company showed a growth in profit before tax of N207.116 million in 2014 as against N151.423 million recorded in the comparable period of 2013, representing an increase of 26.8 per cent. Its profit before tax also firmed up by 13.42 per cent from N229.287 million in 2013 to N264.837 million during the period under review while revenue also increased by 13.65 per cent to N2.234 billion during the review period from N1.929 billion in 2013. However, the company’s dwindling fortune began with the first

Challenges have come majorly from criminally minded Nigerians in the persons of dubious businessmen and corrupt customs officials

quarter ended July 2014 as earnings were compressed leading to a dip in pre-tax profit by 37.6 per cent . In a filing with the Nigeria Stock Exchange, the company’s pre-tax profit declined by 37.6 per cent to N44.621 million in the Q1 from N61.411 million in the preview period of 2013. Also, post-tax profit equally decreased 37.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2014 as the company declared N29.004 million compared to N39.917 million reported in same period of 2013. However, revenue firmed up marginally by 4.2 per cent from N550.729 million in the Q1 of 2013 to N575.023 million in the review period of 2014. The decline in the first quarter, which signaled signs of worry to investors, were sustained during the second quarter as the company reported 74 per cent drop in pre-tax profits during the half year ended October 30, 2014. According to the company’s filing with the Nigerian Stock Exchange, its second quarter profit before tax decreased from N130.273 million in 2013 to N74.842 million accounting for a drop of 74 per cent. Its net earnings equally fell to N48.647 million down 74 per cent from N84.667 million in the same period last year. However, the company’s revenue increased by two per cent to N1.143 billion during the six months to October 30, from N1.118 billion recorded during the comparable period of 2013. Profit deflators Speaking at the 31st Annual General Meeting (AGM) recently, the Chairman of the company, Engr. David Ifezulike, noted that Cutix took advantage of the slight fall in prices of her major raw materials and increased efforts at selling. Disclosing that product counterfeiting was the company’s major setback, Ifezulike urged the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to increase its surveillance to curtail counterfeiters and also reduce the influx of substandard cables into the country. The Managing Director/ Chief

Executive Officer, Cutix Plc, Ifeanyi Uzodike, on the sidelines of the meeting had lamented that the lack of an integrated policy for the cable industry was the bane of Nigeria’s cable manufacturers. Stressing that traders and contractors were neglecting the quality cables manufactured in Nigeria for imported ones, he tasked regulators to seat up and draw up measures to tackle the menace. He noted that the Nigerian cable manufacturers were committed and had the interest of the country at heart, because if they should react to the various policies of government as it affects the cable industry, it wouldn’t bid well for Nigeria’s development. As an example, he noted that the cables used by contractors of the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) could be manufactured in Nigeria, but the Federal Government gave these contractors waiver to import these cables. He lamented also that none of the local cable manufacturers benefited from efforts to revitalize the power sector. Uzodike said challenges have come majorly from criminally minded Nigerians in the persons of dubious businessmen and corrupt Customs officials. “Other causes for concern are influx of substandard and counterfeit cables. Actually, some businessmen who want to cut corners would go to China and ask them to produce cables to specifications that are below international standards, with the hope of making more profit. When these goods get into the country through the ports, Customs officials at the ports turn a blind-eye, take bribes and allow the goods entry. This is bad for our business,” he said. Way forward In as much as government wants to promote free trade, Uzodike noted that it should ensure that traders do not import low voltage cables. “This is because almost every manufacture of cable in Nigeria can produce it. When this is done, it not only increases the capacity of the local companies, these companies will equally have cause to employ more Nigerians and the economy will be better for it. “To eliminate this trend, strong legislation should be put in place to punish and jail these corrupt individuals. With such strong laws, it is hoped that the incident of imported substandard cables will reduce drastically. For instance, when substandard goods are discovered to have made entry into the country, effort should be made to fish out the Customs official, who cleared the particular consignment. After they have been apprehended, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) should be empowered to prosecute them and if necessary jail them. Also, for the importers, their licences should be revoked, and other strong measures meted out to dissuade future occurrence,” he said.

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Fashola advises retirees to keep ‘working’ p.39

ADJUSTMENT The insurers are unable to adapt to the newly introduced International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

Insurance

Welfare insurance: Parents may be forced to withdraw children from unity schools p.39

Accounts: A&G, UNIC, others may lose licence –NAICOM

Sunday Ojeme

he National Insurance Commission is likely to lower its hammer on some recalcitrant insurance companies soon by implementing Section 8 of the Insurance Act for failure to submit their account details as at when due. The situation has become more glaring and disturbing as some of the firms failed to meet the deadline in two consecutive years. Section 8 of the Insurance Act empowers the commission to revoke the licence of any operator that fails to make his account details available within a period of time. At the end of 2014, eight underwriters defaulted in this regard. They include Alliance & General Insurance, Alliance & General Life Assurance, Goldlink Insurance Plc, Industrial & General Insurance Plc, Investment & Allied Insurance Plc, NICON Insurance Ltd, Spring Life Assurance Plc and UNIC Insurance Plc. Section 26(1) of the Insurance Act 2003 stipulates that every insurer shall not later than June 30 of every year submit to NAICOM, a balance sheet duly audited showing the financial position of the insurer and its subsidiaries at the close of the preceding year together with a copy of the relevant profit and loss account which the insurer is to present to its shareholders at its annual general meeting. The failure of the insurers is not unconnected with their inability to adjust to newly introduced International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by NAICOM. A source at NAICOM told New Telegraph that failure to render accounts constituted grounds to withdraw any defaulter’s licence. Although the source could not reveal when the operating licences would be withdrawn, it is, however, expected that the regulator would invoke the disciplinary measure as early as possible as part of its drive to restore confidence in the industry. Policyholders are usually expected to pay their premiums for cover renewal at the beginning of the year especially now that the regulator has put its foot down on the full implementation of Section 51 of the Insurance Act bordering on No Premium No Cover. In 2013, Alliance & General Insurance Company Limited, Alliance & General Insurance Life Assurance, Goldlink In-

Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel

surance Plc, Industrial & General Insurance Plc, Investment & Allied Assurance Company, International Energy Insurance Plc, NICON Insurance Ltd and Spring Life Assurance Plc also failed to forward their details as at when due. Apart from the fact that failure to comply constitutes a ground for licence withdrawal, a fine of N5, 000 per day is also attached to the failure. Out of the 59 insurance companies operating in the country, 46 have got approval for their 2013 financial reports. Apart from the eight operators, the accounts submitted by five companies were queried by the commission and responses were being awaited. The affected companies are Universal Insurance Company Ltd, UnityKapital Assurance Plc, Great Nigeria Insurance, African Alliance Insurance and International Energy Insurance Plc. New Telegraph recalled that the regulator and the Nigerian Stock Exchange had set the operators back with fines running into millions of naira between 2013 and 2014. While the penalty by NAICOM stands at N5,000 per day from June 30 when the deadline expires, the insurers listed at

Managing Director, Goldlink, Gbolahan Olutayo

Section 8 of the Insurance Act empowers the commission to revoke the licence of any operator that fails to make his account details available within a period of time

the capital market met with a more hostile partner in Nigerian Stock Exchange as they were made to pay their fines in millions of naira for their failure to do same in 2012. In a bid to reinforce its regulatory functions, about 21 listed insurance companies paid a total of N60 million penalties to the NSE for late submission of their 2012 financial accounts. The X-Compliant Report of the NSE pointed out that the affected companies filed in their financial statements to the exchange after the regulatory due date, which warrants such fines. Leading the pack was Universal Insurance Plc which had to cough out N4.2 million, African Alliance Insurance Plc paid N4 million penalty, even as Guinea Insurance Plc paid N3.8 million fines. The Exchange had to fine both Equity Assurance Plc and Niger Insurance Plc N3.2 million each while Great Nigerian Insurance Plc was equally fined N3.8 million. Staco Insurance Plc paid N3.5 million alongside Lasaco Assurance Plc that paid N3.6 million monetary penalty to the exchange. NEM Insurance Plc, on the other hand, got N3.5 million

sanction, as Mutual Benefit Assurance Plc paid N3.4 million. Prestige Assurance was made to pay N2.9 million, Law Union and Rock Insurance Plc paid N2.7 million fine, while Regency Alliance Insurance Plc got penalised for N2.5 million. Sovereign Trust Insurance(STI) Plc paid N2.4 million, Cornerstone Insurance Plc paid N2.8 million for the same offence, as Royal Exchange Plc got N2.6 million fine. Moreover, Unity Kapital Insurance Plc coughed out N2.1 million as fine, Custodian & Allied Insurance Plc paid N2.2 million monetary sanction, even as AIICO Insurance Plc got sanctioned for N1.5 million. Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc had to pay N900, 000 as penalty, while Wapic Insurance Plc paid N700, 000 fines. Among the firms whose 2013 accounts were approved early in 2014 include Mansard Insurance, Custodian General Insurance Plc, Custodian Life Assurance Ltd, Cornerstone Insurance, Zenith Life Insurance, NSIA Insurance Ltd and FBN Life Assurance Ltd. Others are Law Union and Rock, AIICO Insurance, Oasis Insurance, Leadway Assurance, Zenith Insurance and Niger Insurance.

Business | Insurance

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

Fashola advises retirees to keep ‘working’ SUSTAINABILITY Lagos promises to sustain payment of pensioners’ benefits Sunday Ojeme

agos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has advised retired workers from the state’s civil service not to give up in their commitment to the state and nation building. Giving the advice in Lagos last week during the 15th Bond Presentation to retirees in the state, the governor, who was represented at the event by the Special Adviser/Chairman, Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC), Mr. Babatunde Dabiri, promised that the state would continue to play its role by ensuring those who worked for the state received their due. He said, “Don’t relax. Continue to do something. We will continue to do our part. The dream of the governor is to ensure retirees have their money. The governor even wants them to have houses, that is why the state introduced the Home Ownership Scheme. The state will not abandon retirees. Lagos has done excellently well. That is why the state was rewarded with a trophy by the National Pension Commission.” Speaking to New Telegraph on the sidelines, the Director-General, LASPEC, Mr. Rotimi Adekunle Hussain, promised that the state government would do

everything within its power to sustain the process even after the administration of the current government. He said since the state had always operated on the foundation of continuity, the incoming administration would also take the welfare of the retires seriously. The state government last week presented another set of 243 retirees with a sum of N1.54 billion being their past service benefits prior to the commencement of the CPS in 2007. This happened within a space of one month after the 14th presentation that was held in November of this year. The director-general recalled that as at the 14th Bond Certificates presentation held last month, a total of 5,530 retirees had been paid a total sum of over N28.9 billion. According to him, “In a clear departure from what obtained in the old scheme, the beneficiaries are presently enjoying their retirement benefits under the Contributory Pension Scheme without any rancor or stress. “The feedback we get regularly about the well-being of our retirees shows that they are enjoying their retirement peacefully as all the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and insurance companies usually remit pension entitlements into their respective accounts at least by the 25th day of every month.” He also commended the initiative behind the CPS, which he said was established to right the wrongs associated

First Islamic insurance company unveiled in Somalia

he first Islamic insurance company has been launched in Mogadishu following decades of instability and civil war in the horn of African nation. The Takaful and ReTakful Islamic Insurance Company opening Ceremony was held in the Somali capital with cheerful representatives from key Somali financial institutes including well known business people and federal government officials. Speaking at the Ceremony managing director of Takaful Company Mohamed Abdi said the company was established to serve Somali people through Sharia law conduits saying Takaful have a business

relations with international Islamic insurance companies across World. “Takaful is ready to collaborate with other Somali financial institutes in the country, Somali people should trust us “Mohamed Abdi said. He thanked Somali Federal government officials for endorsing Takaful Company. Acting Somali Transportation minister Sacid Qorshel has called Somali people to welcome Takaful saying new companies will boost up country’s trade and infrastructure. In Somalia insurance banking system sector was collapsed when former Somali president Siyad Bare ousted from post in 1991.

with the Pay-As-You-Go scheme, adding that in the past 10 years of its operation there had not

been any case of fraud, embezzlement or misappropriation of funds. He pointed out that

the Pension Reform Act 2004, which was recently amended with the PRA 2014, came along with a

lot of improved benefits for workers and assurances of better future in retirement.

L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Secure ID Limited, Mrs. Kofo Akinkugbe; Managing Director/CEO, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa and Head of Operations, Secure ID Limited, Mr. Evans Agbamu, during an assessment tour of Secure ID factory in Lagos.

Welfare insurance: Parents may be forced to withdraw children from Unity Schools

he controversy being generated as a result of NICON Insurance Limited’s sole right to provide welfare insurance cover for students of Unity Schools in the country may compel the Federal Government to order the withdrawal of students whose parents fail to comply. New Telegraph gathered that the insurance policy, which is the intellectual property of NICON, has been made compulsory by the Ministry of Education for all the students. Since the news was broken about two weeks ago, parents and some stakeholders in the insurance sector have been coming hard on the decision of the government to hand the right to NICON without going through transparent exercise. A source, who confided in our correspondent, said, “There is little or nothing they can do about it. It is compulsory for the children to be insured. All the time, people complain that the government does not care but now the same government is showing concern and they are grumbling. Since it is compulsory, the only thing the parents can do if they are not ready to comply is to withdraw their children.” The management of NICON had flayed the outcry that the arrangement did not follow due process. A statement, signed by the

Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs, NICON, Mr. Ade Adesokan, stated that the new scheme, which is the intellectual property of NICON Insurance Limited, was presented to the Federal Ministry of Education and due process was followed before its appointment as the underwriter. Adesokan also affirmed that NICON was democratised and privatised in 2006 and duly acquired by Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, CFR as the core investor. According to him, the appointment of the company as sole underwriter was based on the recommendations of the Committee put in place by the Tender Board of the ministry where other insurance companies were screened. His words, “Despite the fact that the scheme is an intellectual property of NICON Insurance Limited, other insurance companies also participated actively before the company was finally appointed as the underwriter. “The Committee also noted that it was only NICON Insurance Limited that had regional and branch offices in all the 36 states of the Federation where the Unity Schools are presently located. “The Committee also affirmed that only NICON Insurance’s branch network could access the Unity

Schools all over the Federation within an hour.” “For the avoidance of doubt, the scheme was packaged under the normal Group Life and Personal Accident insurance cover.” He added that the statute that established NICON Insurance had not been repealed by any Act of Parliament, stressing that the company could insure the assets and liabilities of the Federal Government. “Other competitors in the insurance market should always think outside the box not relying on NICON Intellectual Property to reap where they did not sow,” he stated. Concerned with students’ welfare and continuity of their studies nation-wide, NICON Insurance Limited in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Education recently in Abuja packaged the Students Welfare Insurance Scheme. The scheme, which is aimed at bringing succor to students that may lose their parents or sponsors either through accident or by natural means, was packaged for students of the 104 Unity Schools throughout the country. “The Students Welfare Insurance Scheme for Unity Schools is a combination of Group Personal Accident and Group Life Assurance Schemes,” Adesokan added.

Business | Financial Market News

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

31-Dec-14

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

Bonds FGN Bonds

Price

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

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

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

535.00 581.39 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 414.68 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 178.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,783.63

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,366.10

Rating/Agency

Issuer

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

0.31 1.63 2.32 2.57 2.67 3.41 4.49 4.81 7.08 9.20 13.91 14.39 14.89 15.56 19.55

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

13.97 15.28 15.28 15.30 15.30 15.34 15.37 15.38 15.32 15.13 14.49 14.43 14.37 14.81 15.21

13.45 15.17 15.20 15.22 15.23 15.21 15.27 15.27 15.25 15.07 14.44 14.38 14.30 14.75 15.15

97.00 96.85 99.60 88.73 87.33 87.99 102.00 72.19 104.50 95.40 102.96 88.31 64.29 71.00 81.00

97.15 97.00 99.75 88.88 87.48 88.29 102.30 72.49 104.80 95.70 103.26 88.61 64.59 71.30 81.30

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

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

24-May-12 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

0.39 1.13 1.94 2.30 2.51

2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

16.20 18.04 17.31 16.29 16.30

93.95 99.17 97.95 95.70 92.54

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

322.97

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

309.18

Sub-National Bonds A+/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.67

4.44

18.48

96.36

A/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.51

3.23

16.37

99.26

A-/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

4.86

30-Jun-16

1.02

4.46

20.33

94.49

A+/Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

5.73

30-Jun-16

1.02

3.48

19.35

96.62

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR‡

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.30

5.59

20.88

80.83

A-/Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

25.73

30-Jun-17

1.57

1.00

16.42

96.52

A/Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

3.00

1.79

17.11

92.93

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

2.17

1.80

17.09

94.81

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

3.76

1.00

16.36

93.50

14.50

13.73

09-Dec-18

2.37

1.00

16.30

96.77 89.42

A/Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

A-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

10.20

12-Dec-18

2.37

4.78

20.08

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.56

1.00

16.30

96.53

A/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR‡

*GOMBE LAGOS

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

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019

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

15.50 14.50 14.75

16.23 80.00 26.62

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

2.81 4.89 2.87

1.00 1.00 2.74

16.31 16.38 18.05

98.46 93.79 93.07

A/Agusto

*OSUN

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

10-Oct-13

14.75

11.40

10-Oct-20

3.33

1.00

16.34

96.13

Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR‡

LAGOS

13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020

27-Nov-13

13.50

87.50

27-Nov-20

5.91

1.00

16.35

89.42

A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro

KOGI

15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020

31-Dec-13

15.00

5.00

31-Dec-20

6.00

1.94

17.29

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

31-Dec-13

14.50

4.55

31-Dec-20

3.66

1.44

16.79

94.21

06-Jan-14

15.00

4.79

06-Jan-21

3.52

1.95

17.29

94.25

96.66

A/Agusto A-/GCR

*EKITI *NASARAWA

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

91.67

461.14 424.21

Corporate Bonds Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto

*UPDC

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

17-Aug-10

10.00

3.61

17-Aug-15

0.39

4.88

18.51

*FLOURMILLS

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015

09-Dec-10

12.00

9.34

09-Dec-15

0.70

1.00

15.20

98.25

BB/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.60

06-Jan-16

0.54

2.63

15.95

98.76

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

1.75

1.00

16.37

95.00

A-/Agusto

FSDH

14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

1.82

1.34

16.68

96.25

A/GCR

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

2.75

1.00

16.31

92.84

BBB-/GCR

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.64

30-Nov-17

1.77

1.88

17.24

102.09

Nil

*C & I LEASING *DANA#{r}

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

09-Apr-11

16.00

6.30

09-Apr-18

1.77

3.48

18.84

96.21

A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

18.00

2.90

09-Sep-18

1.94

5.20

20.51

96.46

AAA/DataPro†; A/GCR

*TOWER#

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.80

09-Sep-18

1.94

5.06

20.37

101.82

A/Agusto; A/GCR

UBA

14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018

22-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

22-Sep-18

3.73

1.35

16.71

92.65

Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.40

18-Oct-18

2.05

2.29

17.58

97.29

BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

17-Feb-12

17.00

0.41

17-Feb-19

2.13

6.11

21.40

92.95

Nil

*DANA#{r}

16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

3.00

2.16

17.48

96.79

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

NAHCO

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.87

2.76

18.11

89.85

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

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

30-Sep-14

11.93

0.10

30-Sep-24

9.75

1.00

15.92

80.47

A/GCR

STANBIC IBTC

13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024

30-Sep-14

13.25

15.44

30-Sep-24

9.75

1.00

15.92

86.91

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

124.63

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

116.58

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

IFC

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

11-Feb-18

3.12

1.00

16.33

85.46

Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&P

AfDB

11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021

10-Jul-14

11.25

12.95

01-Feb-21

4.34

1.00

16.39

84.88

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

24.95 21.25

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

Issuer

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value ($mm)

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

6.38

6.12

101.83

103.16

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

5.46

5.02

98.94

100.34

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

6.69

6.48

97.99

99.31

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,493.78

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

30.85

26.63

83.38

86.63

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

7.00

100.63

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

7.47

99.48

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

11.21

10.58

88.16

89.77

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

8.21

7.48

92.82

95.11

B/Fitch

AFREN PLC II

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

23.60

21.10

65.25

70.42

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

7.49

95.50

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

13.31

10.78

85.20

93.03

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

10.01

92.00

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

AFREN PLC III ACCESS BANK PLC II FIRST BANK LTD

6.63 DEC 09, 2020 9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021 8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021

09-Dec-13 24-Jun-14 23-Jul-14

6.63 9.25 8.00

360.00 400.00 450.00

09-Dec-20 24-Jun-21 23-Jul-21

19.13 10.95 10.66

19.13 10.52 10.66

56.75 92.50 87.00

56.75 94.38 87.00

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

9.97

8.99

93.42

98.03

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,760.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,181.25

**Treasury Bills DTM 8 15 22 29 36 43 50 57

FIXINGS Maturity 8-Jan-15 15-Jan-15 22-Jan-15 29-Jan-15 5-Feb-15 12-Feb-15 19-Feb-15 26-Feb-15

Bid Discount (%) 12.99 14.14 13.91 13.50 13.84 13.94 13.52 12.76

Offer Discount (%) 12.74 13.89 13.66 13.25 13.59 13.69 13.27 12.51

Bid Yield (%) 13.03 14.22 14.03 13.65 14.03 14.17 13.78 13.02

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 10.9583 14.5226 15.2433 15.9265

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.00

O/N

11.00

Tenor Call 1M

REPO

Rate (%) 11.25 15.10

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards) Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M

186.00 185.29 185.58 186.26 187.51 188.77

186.10 185.39 185.72 186.71 188.50 190.25

Sub-National Bonds A+/Agusto

KADUNA

12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015

31-Aug-10

12.50

8.50

31-Aug-15

0.67

4.44

18.48

96.36

A/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.51

3.23

16.37

99.26

A-/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

4.86

30-Jun-16

1.02

4.46

20.33

94.49

A+/Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

5.73

30-Jun-16

1.02

3.48

19.35

96.62

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR‡

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.30

5.59

20.88

80.83

A-/Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

25.73

30-Jun-17

1.57

1.00

16.42

96.52

A/Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

3.00

1.79

17.11

92.93

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

2.17

1.80

17.09

94.81

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

3.76

1.00

16.36

93.50

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 A-/Agusto; A-/GCR NIGER

Business | Financial Market News

A/Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

13.73

09-Dec-18

2.37

1.00

16.30

96.77

A-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

10.20

12-Dec-18

2.37

4.78

20.08

89.42

A/Agusto; A-/GCR

*ONDO

15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019

14-Feb-12

15.50

27.00

14-Feb-19

2.56

1.00

16.30

96.53

A/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR‡

*GOMBE LAGOS

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

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

15.50 14.50 14.75

16.23 80.00 26.62

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

2.81 4.89 2.87

1.00 1.00 2.74

16.31 16.38 18.05

98.46 93.79 93.07

10-Oct-13

14.75

11.40

10-Oct-20

3.33

1.00

16.34

96.13

2015: FDC sees mixed year for equities

FLUCTUATION

Nigerian business *OSUN *OSUN environment Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR‡ to witness LAGOS A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro KOGI mixed fortune A/Agusto *EKITI A/Agusto; A-/GCR

14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019

A/Agusto

A-/GCR

14.75 OSUN II 10-OCT-2020

*NASARAWA

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Stories by Chris Ugwu

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

ollowing the uncer-

Corporate Bonds in the Nigerian tainty

Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto

*UPDC business environment, *FLOURMILLS a financial expert has BB/GCR *CHELLARAMS said that the year 2015 is exA+/Agusto; A-/GCR NAHCO pected A-/Agusto to be a mixed one FSDHfor the A/GCR equities market as theUBA outcome BBB-/GCR *C & I LEASING of a plethora of external and Nil *DANA#{r} internal events unfold. A-/DataPro†; B+/GCR *TOWER# The Managing Director, FiAAA/DataPro†; A/GCR *TOWER# nancial Derivatives Company A/Agusto; A/GCR UBA (FDC) Limited, Bismark Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR Mr. *LA CASERA

*CHELLARAMS#

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

BBB-/DataPro†; BB/GCR

13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 Rewane, who stated this in a 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 presentation he made at the 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 FDC monthly publication, 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021 said a possible interest rate hike in the US and the possibility of a sustained period of low oil prices were significant risks. 10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 He noted that the outcome 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 of the 2015 elections would also 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 determine investors’ participa13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 tion and sentiments, adding 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 loosening that the anticipated 18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 monetary stance of the CBN MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 post elections would also have MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 its impact on price and curMPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 rency 14.00 stability . UBA II 22-SEP-2018 “With currently 15.75stocks LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 trad-

27-Nov-13 13.50 ing at their multi-year lows, 31-Dec-13 15.00 we expect an upward trend in 31-Dec-13 14.50 the beginning 06-Jan-14 of the year. 15.00 The anticipated loose monetary stance will be expected to channel additional liquidity to the stock market. 17-Aug-10 10.00 “However, investors’ senti09-Dec-10 12.00 ment will be weighed down 06-Jan-11 14.00 by political tensions leading 29-Sep-11 13.00 to the 2015 general elections. 25-Oct-13 14.25 30-Sep-10 13.00 PeoThe tension between the 30-Nov-12 ples Democratic Party18.00 (PDP) 09-Apr-11 16.00 and its major opposition, All 09-Sep-11 18.00 Progressive Congress (APC) is 09-Sep-11 16.00 expected22-Sep-11 to lead to a lull in the 14.00 equities18-Oct-13 market as investors, 15.75

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

17-Feb-12

17.00

Shareholders task regulators on local investors’ confidence

#{r} 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 01-Apr-14 16.00 *DANA s a sequel to the mas15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020 A+/Agusto; A-/GCR 14-Nov-13 15.25 NAHCO sive sell off witnessed 182D T.bills+1.20 STANBIC IA 30-SEP-2024 A/GCR 30-Sep-14 11.93 by the nation’sSTANBIC localIBTC 13.25 STANBIC IB 30-SEP-2024 A/GCR 30-Sep-14 13.25 bourse in 2014, some STANBIC share-IBTC TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE holders have called on the coordinated enlightenment ficer of the Nigerian Stock TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION market regulators to do and people-friendly economic Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema, speaking at an more in the area policies. Supranational Bond of investinvestors’ forum, said the 10.20 ment education that will “The market we are seeing 10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018 AAA/S&P IFC 11-Feb-13 sustain a 11.25 boost positive today on a rally point hap- exchange would 11.25 AFDB 1-FEB-2021 Aaa/Moody's; AAA/S&Psentiment AfDB of 10-Jul-14 domestic investors.VALUE pened on its own and not be- zero-tolerance stance on dealTOTAL OUTSTANDING TheMARKET shareholders, under cause of a specific reform by ing member firms and listed TOTAL CAPITALISATION the aegis of Progressive the Securities and Exchange companies’ violations. Onyema noted that the ex- Coupon (%) Shareholders Association Issuer Commission (SEC) orDescription the Rating/Agency Issue Date of Nigeria (PSAN), noted Nigerian Stock Exchange change proposed several rules that the Nigerian Stock Ex- (NSE),’’ he said. to codify the accepted mode FGN Eurobonds change (NSE), the Securities Okezie said that it was necof engagement in the market 6.75 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 BB-/Fitch; B+/S&P 07-Oct-11 and Exchange Commission essary for the regulators to en- adding that of a particular BB-/Fitch; (SEC) and other stakehold- FGN sure that investors who exited proposed Re- 5.13 5.13 JUL 12, 2018interest was its 12-Jul-13 BB-/S&P ers needed to do more to en- the market after the financial lated Parties Transaction rule BB-/Fitch; 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 BB-/S&P courage domestic portfolio crisis were wooed back. and rules around12-Jul-13 the conduct 6.38 investment as against strong “They need to talk to these of AGMs. TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE presence of foreign investors investors and explain to them He said while the NSE’s TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION in the market. the reason why the market is focus from 2011 to 2013 had Corporate Eurobonds of PSAN, functioning the way it is,” he been on revamping corporate The President 11.50 FEB 01, 2016governance, improving B/Fitch; B-/S&P PLC I added. 01-Feb-11 Mr. Boniface Okezie,AFREN urged hu- 11.50 7.50 MAY 19, 2016man capacity, cleansing B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK 19-May-11 the NSE, SEC and the Min-PLC I Meanwhile, the Nigerian and 7.50 7.25effort JUL 25, 2017restructuring the B+/S&P of Finance to woo ACCESS 25-Jul-12 istry theBANK PLC Stock Exchange in an market, im- 7.25 6.88 MAY 09, 2018proving technology B/Fitch; B/S&Pback to the market FIDELITY BANKto PLCachieve a world class 09-May-13 investors capi, product 6.88 6.00 NOVits 08, 2018development, and B+/Fitch;itB+/S&P GTBANK PLC tal market had reiterated 08-Nov-13 since had survived beyond advocacy 6.00 10.25 APR 08, 2019 B/Fitch 08-Apr-12, “from 10.25 the holocaust days. AFREN PLC II commitment to maintain for changes to policy zero APR 22, 2019 B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P ZENITH BANK PLC 22-Apr-14 2014, we are determined to 6.25 He said that the current tolerance posture on 6.25 dealing May 21, 2019 B/Fitch; B/S&P DIAMOND BANK PLC 21-May-14 shift gears to drive innova- 8.75 reforms being undertaken member firms and 8.75 quoted 8.25 AUG 07, 2020 B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK PLC 07-Aug-13 8.25 by the regulators could not companies on violations of tions centered on increasing 6.63 DEC 09, 2020 B-/Fitch; B/S&P AFREN PLC III 09-Dec-13 6.63 restore lost confidenceACCESS in theBANK PLC rules global for the Nige- 9.25 9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021visibility24-Jun-14 B-/Fitch; B/S&P II and regulations. nation’s capital market, but a rian capital market.” The Chief Executive Of8.00/2Y USD SWAP+6.488 JUL 23 2021 B-/Fitch; B/S&P FIRST BANK LTD 23-Jul-14 8.00

Nil

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

14-Aug-14

8.75

1.00 89.42 of the sectors16.35 profitability . In1.94 17.29 91.67 vestors are likely to favor other 1.44 16.79 94.21 sectors,” he said. 1.95 17.29 94.25 Rewane said the CBN was likely to embark on a monetary policy easing in H2 2015 to stimulate the economy. 4.88 96.66 He said, “As18.51 the US economy 1.00 15.20 98.25 gains traction, we expect an in2.63 15.95 98.76 crease in interest rates in 2015, 1.00 16.37 95.00 this1.34 event is expected to96.25 have 16.68 1.00 16.31 on emerging 92.84 a negative effect 17.24 102.09 and1.88 frontier economies. As a 3.48 18.84 96.21 result we expect heavy portfo5.20 20.51 96.46 lio reversals, as investors will 5.06 20.37 101.82 opt for safety and security in a 1.35 16.71 92.65 much 2.29 developed 17.58 market.” 97.29

0.41

17-Feb-19

2.13

6.11

21.40

92.95

4.50

01-Apr-19

3.00

2.16

17.48

96.79

2.05

14-Nov-20

5.87

2.76

18.11

89.85

0.10

30-Sep-24

9.75

1.00

15.92

80.47

15.44

30-Sep-24

9.75

1.00

15.92

86.91

250.00

14-Aug-21

9.97

8.99

93.42

98.03

Afromedia reports N1.4bn loss

igital billboards and in124.63 door advertising com116.58 pany, Afromedia Plc, has recorded a loss of N1.429 billion, during the period end12.00 11-Feb-18 3.12 ed 30, 2014. 4.34 12.95September 01-Feb-21 In a filing with the Nigeri24.95 an Stock Exchange, the com21.25 pany posted a loss after tax Outstanding Value of N1.429 billion as against a Maturity Date Bid Yield (%) ($mm) loss of 851.3 million recorded during the comparable period of 2013. 500.00 28-Jan-21 6.38 Similarly, profit before tax declined from N850.941million 500.00 12-Jul-18 5.46 posted the previous year to a 500.00 12-Jul-23 6.69 loss of N1.705 billion during the year under review. 1,500.00 The company’s revenue 1,493.78 dipped 54 per cent to N341.02 million in the review period 450.00 30.85 of 2014 from01-Feb-16 N742.90 million 500.00 19-May-16 7.00 in the corresponding period 350.00 25-Jul-17 7.47 of 2013. 300.00 02-May-18 Afromedia 11.21 The Chairman, 400.00 Mr. Idowu 08-Nov-18 Plc, Iluyomade,8.21 had 300.00 08-Apr-1948th Annual 23.60 at the company’s 500.00 22-Apr-19 General Meeting in Lagos7.49as200.00 21-May-19 13.31 sured the company’s share300.00 07-Aug-20 10.01 holders of its full recovery 360.00 09-Dec-20 19.13 and to profitability 400.00 a return 24-Jun-21 10.95. According to him, this goal 450.00 23-Jul-21 10.66

will be achieved on the back of an overhaul of its operation and the introduction of new products. Iluyomade, 1.00 16.33who said 85.46the Afromedia’s turnover 84.88 fell by 1.00 16.39 54.8 per cent to N742.9m in the year ended September 30, 2013, explained that the delay in concluding the remodelling Offer Yield (%) Bid Price Offer Price of airports nationwide were mainly for the Prices responsible & Yields company’s challenges. 6.12 101.83 103.16 He said: “The company was 5.02virtually 98.94incapacitated 100.34 by this adverse regulatory 6.48 97.99 99.31 development as no business could be executed in any of the federal airports in Nigeria in 2013. This resulted in loss of over 75 per cent of the 26.63 83.38 86.63 company’s installed revenue 7.00 100.63 generating capacity . 100.63 7.47 99.48 99.48and Although the board 10.58 88.16 89.77 management of the company 7.48 92.82 95.11 explored all available options 21.10 65.25 70.42imtowards resolution of the 7.49 95.50 95.50 pediments in this strategic 10.78 85.20 93.03 transit business segment, the 10.01 92.00 92.00 year passed without achiev19.13 56.75 56.75 ing10.52 the much-desired restora92.50 94.38 tion of the advertising sites. 10.66 87.00 87.00

4,760.00

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

87.50 27-Nov-20 5.91 mostly foreign, evaluate the 5.00 31-Dec-20 6.00 electoral process and outcome 4.55 31-Dec-20 3.66 whilst fearing post-election 4.79 06-Jan-21 3.52 violence. FPIs are expected 461.14 to424.21 remain wary of the local bourse until the elections are concluded and possible violent 17-Aug-15 0.39 fall3.61 outs curbed,” Rewane said. 9.34 09-Dec-15 0.70 He noted that oil prices are 0.60 06-Jan-16 0.54 projected to trend between $5015.00 29-Sep-16 1.75 $70,5.53adding that this would1.82 be 25-Oct-16 20.00 2.75 negative for30-Sep-17 the Nigerian 0.64 30-Nov-17 1.77 economy and in turn the capi1.77 tal 6.30 market. 09-Apr-18 2.90 09-Sep-18 1.94 “We expect oil stocks to 0.80 09-Sep-18 1.94 bear the brunt of declining oil 35.00 22-Sep-18 3.73 prices thinning out 2.40 given the 18-Oct-18 2.05

31-Dec-14

4,181.25

The DQL contains data relating to, amongst other things, market and model prices, rates of foreign exchange products, fixed income securities and instruments in the financial market (the “Information”). The Information does not constitute **Treasury Bills FIXINGS Money & Forwards) professional, financial or investment advice. We attempt to ensure the Information is accurate; however, the Information is provided “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE” basis andMarket may not be accurateForeign or up toExchange date. We(Spot do not guarantee DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) Offer Discount (%) Bid Yield (%) Tenor the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, performance or fitness for a particular purpose of any of the Information, neither do we accept liability for the results of any action taken on the Rate basis(%)of the Information. NIBOR 8 15 22 FGN Bonds29 36 43 Rating/Agency 50 57 64 71 78 85 92 99 106 NA 113 120 127 134 176 218 246 337 351

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

8-Jan-15 15-Jan-15 22-Jan-15 29-Jan-15 5-Feb-15 12-Feb-15 Issuer 19-Feb-15 26-Feb-15 5-Mar-15 12-Mar-15 19-Mar-15 26-Mar-15 2-Apr-15 9-Apr-15 16-Apr-15 NA 23-Apr-15 30-Apr-15 7-May-15 14-May-15 25-Jun-15 6-Aug-15 3-Sep-15 3-Dec-15 17-Dec-15

12.99 14.14 13.91 13.50 13.84 13.94 Description 13.52 12.76 4.00 23-APR-2015 13.12 13.05 16-AUG-2016 12.80 15.10 27-APR-2017 10.76 9.85 27-JUL-2017 13.77 9.35 31-AUG-2017 13.55 10.70 30-MAY-2018 12.70 16.00 29-JUN-2019 12.76 7.00 23-OCT-2019 13.44 16.39 27-JAN-2022 13.23 14.20 14-MAR-2024 12.46 15.00 28-NOV-2028 13.50 12.49 22-MAY-2029 12.24 12.08 8.50 20-NOV-2029 11.55 10.00 23-JUL-2030 14.50 12.1493 18-JUL-2034 14.25

12.74 13.89 13.66 13.25 13.59 13.69Date Issue 13.27 12.51 23-Apr-10 12.87 16-Aug-13 12.55 27-Apr-12 10.51 27-Jul-07 13.52 31-Aug-07 13.30 30-May-08 12.45 29-Jun-12 12.51 23-Oct-09 13.19 27-Jan-12 12.98 14-Mar-14 12.21 28-Nov-08 13.25 22-May-09 11.99 11.83 20-Nov-09 11.30 23-Jul-10 14.25 18-Jul-14 14.00

13.03 14.22 14.03 13.65 14.03 14.17 (%) Coupon 13.78 13.02 4.00 13.43 13.05 13.13 15.10 11.01 9.85 14.23 9.35 14.03 10.70 13.15 16.00 13.25 7.00 14.02 16.39 13.83 14.20 13.02 15.00 14.20 12.49 13.01 13.02 8.50 12.52 10.00 16.74 12.1493 16.51

Bonds

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

Tenor O/N 1M 3M Outstanding Value 6M

(N'bn)

535.00 23-Apr-15 581.39 16-Aug-16 NITTY 452.80 27-Apr-17 Tenor Rate (%) 20.00 27-Jul-17 1M 13.5903 100.00 31-Aug-17 2M 13.7353 300.00 30-May-18 3M 13.8200 351.30 29-Jun-19 6M 13.8357 233.90 23-Oct-19 9M 14.6149 600.00 27-Jan-22 12M 14.8801 414.68 14-Mar-24 75.00 28-Nov-28 150.00 22-May-29 NIFEX 200.00 20-Nov-29 Current Price ($/N) 591.57 23-Jul-30 BID($/N) 178.00 184.7375 18-Jul-34 OFFER ($/N) 184.8375

4,783.63

OBB

10.00

Tenor

Spot O/N 11.00 7D 14D REPO Offer Yield Tenor Rate (%) 1M TTM (Yrs) Bid Yield (%) (%) Call 11.25 2M 1M 15.10 3M 0.31 13.97 13.45 3M 15.40 6M 1.63 15.28 15.17 6M 16.13 1Y 2.32 15.28 15.20 2.57 15.30 15.22 NOTE: 2.67 15.30 15.23 3.41 15.34 15.21 :Benchmarks 4.49 15.37 15.27 * :Amortising Bond 4.81 15.38 15.27 µ :Convertible Bond 7.08 Management Corporation 15.32 15.25 AMCON: Asset of Nigeria 9.20Government of 15.13 15.07 FGN: Federal Nigeria 13.91 Mortgage Bank 14.49 14.44 FMBN: Federal of Nigeria 14.39 Finance Corporation 14.43 14.38 IFC: International LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables Management 14.89 14.37 14.30 NAHCO: Nigerian 15.56 Aviation Handling 14.81 Company14.75 O/N: Overnight 19.55 15.21 15.15 UPDC: UAC Property Development Company WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

186.00 186.10 185.29 Price 185.39 185.58 185.72 186.26 186.71 Bid Price Offer Price 187.51 188.50 188.77 190.25 97.00 97.15 193.07 195.99 96.85 97.00 202.25 207.74 99.60 99.75 88.73 88.88 87.33 87.48 88.29 NA :Not87.99 Applicable 102.00 102.30 # :Floating Rate Bond 72.19 72.49 ***: Deferred coupon bonds 104.50 104.80 95.40 95.70 ‡ : Bond rating under review 102.96 †: Bond rating expired 103.26 88.31 88.61 N/A :Not Available {r} :Issuer in receivership64.59 64.29 71.00 71.30 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 81.00 81.30 UBA: United Bank for Africa

4,366.10

*for the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration #

Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums **ExclusiveRating/Agency of non-trading t.bills Issuer

Rate (%) 10.9583 14.5226 15.2433 15.9265Date Maturity

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 % Exposure_ 06-Jul-17 Mod_Duration

0.39 1.13 1.94 2.30 Implied Yield 2.51

2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 Implied 1.00 Portfolio Price

16.20 18.04 17.31 16.29 INDEX 16.30

93.95 99.17 97.95 95.70 YTD Return 92.54 (%)

Agency Bonds FMBN ***LCRM Modified Duration Buckets

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Sub-National Bonds

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 Total Outstanding 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017 Porfolio Market Value(Bn) Volume(Bn)

24-May-12 0.00 24.56 03-Apr-12FMDQ FGN 17.25 BOND INDEX 3.00 09-Dec-11 0.00/16.00 112.22 20-Apr-12 0.00/16.50 116.70 Weighting by Weighting by Mkt Bucket 66.49 Weighting 06-Jul-12 0.00/16.50 Outstanding Vol Value

1,014.06

1,034.18

32.63

34.27

3<5

1,380.93

1,365.98

43.09

46.67

564.19

769.57

24.28

3,169.73

322.97

0.33

13.91

15.28

116.6407

1,107.85

10.7849

0.43

46.24

15.26

119.5815

1,012.57

1.2571

19.07

0.24

39.85

14.91

86.1303

1,007.02

0.7015

100.00 31-Aug-10

12.50100.00

8.50 1.00

100.00 31-Aug-15

15.13 0.67

110.5005 4.44

1,055.18 18.48

5.5184 96.36

309.18

A+/Agusto

KADUNA Market

12.50 KADUNA2,959.18 31-AUG-2015

A/Agusto

*EBONYI

13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015

30-Sep-10

13.00

4.18

30-Sep-15

0.51

3.23

16.37

99.26

A-/Agusto

*BENUE

14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-11

14.00

4.86

30-Jun-16

1.02

4.46

20.33

94.49

A+/Agusto

*IMO

15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016

30-Jun-09

15.50

5.73

30-Jun-16

1.02

3.48

19.35

96.62

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR‡

LAGOS

10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017

19-Apr-10

10.00

57.00

19-Apr-17

2.30

5.59

20.88

80.83

A-/Agusto

*BAYELSA

13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017

30-Jun-10

13.75

25.73

30-Jun-17

1.57

1.00

16.42

96.52

A/Agusto

EDO

14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017

30-Dec-10

14.00

25.00

31-Dec-17

3.00

1.79

17.11

92.93

A+/Agusto; A+/GCR

*DELTA

14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018

30-Sep-11

14.00

34.14

30-Sep-18

2.17

1.80

17.09

94.81

A-/Agusto; A-/GCR

NIGER

14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018

04-Oct-11

14.00

9.00

04-Oct-18

3.76

1.00

16.36

93.50

A/Agusto; A-/GCR†

*EKITI

14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018

09-Dec-11

14.50

13.73

09-Dec-18

2.37

1.00

16.30

96.77

A-/Agusto

*NIGER

14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018

12-Dec-13

14.00

10.20

12-Dec-18

2.37

4.78

20.08

89.42

Business | Interview

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Government must encourage capacity building –Fuchs The Managing Director of Lagos Channel Management (LCM), Mr Danny Fuchs, has stressed the need for capacity building by the public and corporate organisations in order to improve the skills of their employees. He explained how his company’s human capital development has helped to improve ship traffic into the country with over 3,000 ships sailing to the ports with over 75 million tons of cargo annually. BAYO AKOMOLAFE met him. How has your presence in the maritime industry improved the port sector in Nigeria, especially the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority’s fleet of tug boats? We have a contract to manage the fleet of tugboats by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). We were called to take over and manage a fleet consisting of six tugboats, one pilot cutter and four vessels. Our major capital investment is our knowledge and expertise. In other words, the capital is the human being, the maintenance and the human resources to make the equipment work. So, we have been investing in the human resources to raise both the standard of the equipment and those who would operate them to the acceptable international standards. You may not always be able to find the people with the right competence and the right knowledge, but we took up the challenge. We have employed a multitude of local people. We have trained them and we are still training them. We have sent them to training schools in Ghana and elsewhere to raise their knowledge and competence. You don’t call it capital investment but capacity development. We train our employees, educate and retrain them and raise their level of certification. These have gulped a lot of money. Aside from developing their competence, we have also provided four additional pilot cutters in batches of two. Although, it is not our responsibility, but because we are partners to the NPA and we noted from time to time that there was stress and pressure, as a result of increasing demand in the port and that what they gave us to manage were not able to fully meet the increasing demands. This is why we bought four additional pilot cutters so that we can supply and meet their demand. But people must understand that we don’t have a service contract but a management contract; that is managing the fleet of NPA. So, the capital investment is basically in the human resources not in the physical assets. If you build a house and you hand it to a property manager, do you ask him to build you another house? If he

Fuchs

manages your premises perfectly, are you not going to pay him?

We are, however, training Nigerians because it is our belief that except we train them, they may not perfectly perform their jobs to the required international standard

Is this training part of the letters of the contract you obtained from you principal? It is not part of the letters of the contract. We are, however, training Nigerians because it is our belief that except we train them, they may not perfectly perform their jobs to the required international standard. Both the public and private corporate bodies should train their workers. This is why capacity building must be encouraged to meet best global practice. For instance, if you give me your taxi to manage for you, would you expect me to simply engage a roadside driver because he has a license to drive? No, you must expect me to engage him, send him to school to learn how to drive a taxi to international standards, to understand how to talk to a passenger he carries, to learn what exactly to do if somebody is injured in his taxi, But in real sense, our contract did not specify that we are to train Nigerians. Our contract is to manage the fleet of the NPA tugboats up to international standards so that they can operate. But we on our own believe that we must send those engaged to the mandatory courses, including teaching them, not just how

to swim, but also to know how to do life-saving; not necessarily because we like them, but because they must be competent in order to do the job perfectly in line with global standards. This investment, to us, is the real capital investment even though many would see it as capacity development. How do you maintain the boats in your domain? We procure spare parts, service and maintain the boats so as to ensure they remain in Lloyds Class. Take Ohafia, for instance, if you add up all the money we have invested on it, it would procure another tugboat. From the cost of our annual survey, the Intermediate ans special survey we did, with Lloyds if you add up this money, you can actually buy a new tugboat. But it is our responsibility. It is being alleged that your employees work under inhuman conditions. What in the situation? I am glad to recall that we always prioritise our workforce, because we have invested heavily in them. So, I want to tell you that your observation is bogus and frivolous! This is purely false information. Let me quickly remind you here, that there is a standard agreement between the Landfall management and the two in-house unions, in terms of the condition

of service. It also helps us to understand each other, not only in terms of boosting our indigenous capacity, but also ensuring that they are not neglected. About three years ago, we agreed on a condition of service, written in Landfalls internal conditions of service. If you look at that booklet, you would see that the agreements were both signed by the leadership of the in-house unions, and the leadership of their mother union and we have been following strictly, the letters of these agreements. I don’t want to tell you we have been following these agreements to the letter. I only want to tell you that if we have deviated, by now, you would have started witnessing industrial crisis. Right now, there is none. Now, if the unions are not complaining, the workers are not complaining; I should be interested in knowing who actually complained. I also want you to know that when our crew works six weeks aboard their ships, they also go home and rest for six weeks but they get paid for all the 12 weeks. How do you compensate your workers in line with Nigerian labour standard? We have certificates from the Pencoms, which means we do not

Business | Interview

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

play with their long-term benefits too, in line with the Nigerian Labour law. In addition, we also make sure they get good free food while on board and good salaries to back their efforts. I want to emphasize this again that we value our workers; because we have invested heavily in them. We believe that they are our capital investment, because they are attached to the vessels. We believe that the workers must be connected to their vessels for them to put in their best. So, when they are resting for six weeks, another group of crew members take charge, on shift basis. This is the international standard stipulation that they must not only work; they must also enjoy adequate rest. So, I honestly do not understand what you mean by ‘in-human’ conditions of service. Can you explain why there is constant upward budgetary provision in your company? Firstly, these figures were part of the agreement at inception, as presented by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to the company on the basis of some parameters at the planning stage. The first provision in 2007 was what everybody assumed was going to be the annual budget before the company started work. The other figures were also based on certain escalation parameters as provided in the contract based on the NPA who is the lessor, the owner and also the client and the Landfall as the management company. The tugboats were getting older and the cost of their maintenance would increase. NPA also understood that there was going to be major repairs within the period. But beyond this explanation, you must also realise that the basis for the calculation was largely based on the number of ships already coming into the country. This is because as at that point, nobody knew how successful the contract would be. So, all the statistics available then was on the availability of 2,072 ships coming into the ports. What that meant also was that since the calculation was based on a 12-month calendar and the company did not start in January, but April, it also means that the company would not have collected all the budgetary provision, probably about half. How did you collect the money from NPA? We collect money on budgetary basis and the budget was calculated on the number of ships that we handled within the period of the year. When the NPA management was going into the agreement, they were not concerned so much about the number of operation that would be undertaken because they wanted to play safe. So, the agreement ended up actually favouring the authority than the management company. As a result, they didn’t include the cost of shifting of ships, swinging or turning; salvage or even towage of a ship without engine or in distress. Many things were excluded, because they wanted to play safe on the number of ships that came calling. How true is the allegation that your company sometimes connive with

BIODATA Schools :

University of Michigan, USA; Technical University, Israel Certificates: Bachelor of Science, MBA Management, Master of Science in Naval Architecture. Work experience: Landfall Transport and Towage , Lagos Channel Management Previous jobs: Chief Engineer, Marine Engineer . Expertise: Naval architecture, mechanical engineering, marine engineering, planning and man power development.

the NPA management to hike the value of contract executed in order to share the surplus? We cannot change the mindset of some people. This is an allegation which no one can substantiate. This is a rumour and I don’t like attending to rumours. That statement is simply a mere allegation. But let me assure you that before we are paid anything, we always furnish the number of the ships we handled, their names, the date they came in or leave and other relevant data including the names of the pilot, the names of tugs that attended to it, what terminals it visited, what ships left to NPA before it berthed. So, let me assure you that in this arrangement, we talk of data, not of rumour. Do you charge based on your services? No. If we charge on the basis of services rendered, we would be collecting more money than we are presently paid. We only charge on the basis of the number of ships that we handled. Luckily, for the NPA, even when the number of ships that are coming may be constant, their sizes have changed. Larger vessels are now coming and that means that we are now putting in more services, more efforts and more tugs than before, even though the charges have remained same. Can you explain why Landfall is not extending its services to some areas of Tin Can Island Port and the Kirikiri creeks? Well, Landfall does not determine what areas constitute Lagos and which area is not. What you must therefore understand is that we only follow instructions from our principal, which is the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). You need to understand that NPA is the only authentic authority in the pilotage business for which it is collecting revenues. It is the one that put the pilot on board the ship and we need to adhere strictly to their instruction. We do not dictate to any tug boat. We only provide the habour master his working tools. So, we ensure that we make the tugboats ready for his instructions or assignments. So, if he decides to send the tug boat to Kirikiri or to Tin can Island Port, it is his decision, in so far as he is sending those tugboats to the navigational channel. This is part of what has been agreed on. Now, you must at this point understand that there are some areas

Fuchs

We cannot change the mind-set of some people. This is an allegation which no one can substantiate. This is a rumour and I don’t like attending to rumours

in Lagos that are not navigational channel because they have never been surveyed for wrecks or maintained or dredged. So, for such areas, nobody knows what their depth is or what is under them and nobody wants to take the risk. The tugboats are precious assets which belonged to the Nigerian public and it would be wrong to take a tugboat that has cost the Nigerian tax payers a lot of money and send it to a place you don’t know either its depth or what is there under and damage the boat. This is why the Habour Master consistently acts on a decision that ensures that the tug boats are only sent to places where he knows can be considered by anyreasonable person as a safe place to work. Unfortunately today, Kirikiri is out of the navigational channel. But as of Tin Can, if you go there now, you can see our tugboats working in line with the instructions of the habour master. Why is it that your contracts neither pass through the due process for clarification nor through the Ministry of Justice for scrutiny? It takes two to tango. I would have expected you to take that question to NPA rather than to us. I believe that you know that we are a private company and NPA is our principal and partner. So, I would expect you to know that it is the NPA that should go to the ‘Due Process’, not the Landfall—except you are expecting us to also go for due process on the same issues that the NPA has secured ‘due process’ endorsements. From an initial budget of about $13 million, we could understand that your budget has increased, yet you have not made any addition to the number of fleet you manage. Is this not cheating on the Nigerian economy? I said before that the budget of this company is based on the number of ships we handled. So,

if this figure, when compared to the initial earning have, has shown an increase, then, that should give you the clue that the number of ships coming into Lagos have also correspondingly been on the increase. Now, like I told you earlier, we started with slightly over 2,000 ships; and now that we are handling slightly over 3,000 ships, obviously, you should not expect us to still earn same revenue as when we handled 2,000 ships. Don’t forget that we manage the fleet, not the operation. So, every morning, the Landfall is supplying at least four tugboats to the habour master to enable him meet the demands on his hand. These he efficiently distributes so as to be able to do his job effectively. But we are not the one to decide which tugboat goes to which ship. Now, if you think we have been using only the same tug boats we started with at the beginning, then, you should also realise that they should be worn out by now. Or that we must have been doing something, consistently remarkable, to ensure that they remain functional and in class, because the wear and tear on these boats must have been going up. It means that we must have ensured that the tugboats are well maintained to override the tendency towards wear and tear; and we must have been spending more on fuel, because they must be working more and more to meet the increasing demands on them. In fact, our tug boats are working 24/7. And for both of this shift, we have more than 10 persons, every time, everyday, because you cannot ask a shift to work more than 12 hours. And from the record that the NPA has published, the incoming tons have been growing, from 24 million tons, a couple of years ago to over 75 million tons. Of course, the feat has mainly come from the basics of better towage, better services, better channel management, better dredged and cumulatively a better NPA!

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Leisure Arcade NUTS

By Kaycee

NTPuzzle

Word Search

MAMA LASISI

By Aliu Eroje

MOYIN & FRIENDS

By Ayo Oyerinde

SUDOKU - Answer to No 26

SUDOKU - No 27

NTJokes LAGOS DRIVER

How to play

SUDOKU

ALIU EROJE

CHIEF CARTOONIST aliu.eroje@newtelegraphonline.com

The objective is to fill a 9x9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3x3 boxes (also called blocks or regions) contains the digits from 1 to 9. A cell is the smallest block in the game. A row , column and region consists of 9 cells and the whole game consists of 81 cells. A region has thicker lines surrounding it. This simply makes it easier to play the game.

Talking about drivers...A man was driving his taxi from Port Harcourt to Lagos. He had a sticker in the car that said ‘’He will give his angels charge over me’’ By the time time he got to Warri, he was doing 135km/h. The passengers cautioned him, but he simply responded by saying...’’don’t you see the sign?, the angels are on guard’’. He approached Benin on a speed of 185km/h. By this time the passengers got very nervous and decided to get down. Everybody except the driver disembarked and he decided to continue the journey to Lagos alone. ‘’Mumu faithless people...they don’t believe that angels are on guard, despite my sticker’’...he said, as he drove on. Nearing Ore, he was comfortably cruising at 215km/h... when he heard people in his car shouting....’’abeg oga drop us o..we no dey go again’’...puzzled, he looked around...’’shebi I dropped all my passengers in Benin..so na who dey talk?’’ ‘’Oga, drop us o..na we be the angels wey dey on guard... this one don become suicide mission we no dey guard again ooo!!!’’ Needless to say, our man drove into Lagos with a reasonable speed of 35km/hr.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, january 5, 2015

Photo | News 45

L-R: Media Partner Milo, Ms. Modele Sarafa-Yusuf; Category Manager, Nestle, Mrs. Doji Ekewuche; Marketing Service Director, Nestle, Mrs. Iquo Ukoh and Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Manager, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Dr. Samuel Adenekan, during the Nestle Milo Media Champions’ Award 2014 Criteria/Luncheon in Lagos. PHOTO: TONY EGUAYE Chairperson, African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma; Chairman, Econet Wireless International, Ms Strive Masiyiwa and Managing Director/CEO, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, during the launch of ‘#AfricaAgainstEbola’ in Lagos.

Children on Street Walk, during the Eid-El-Maulud celebration, in Bauchi State.

President, Civil Rights Congress and APC Kaduna Central Senatorial candidate, Mr. Shehu Sani (right), addressing the Executive members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), in Kaduna. PHOTO-NAN

L-R: Team Leader, CSR, FCMB, Mrs. Temitayo Ade-Peters; Executive Director, Lagos and South-West of First City Monument Bank Limited, Mr. Femi Bakre; the President, Jakin non-governmental organization, Mrs. Olubukola Adebiyi and Baale of the Pedro Riverine Community, Chief Abraham Mesu, at the commissioning and handover of a bridge, six public toilets and two boreholes constructed by the Bank for the people for the Community in Lagos.

L-R: Vice Chairman, Owolewa Community Security & Development Committee, Mr. Ismaila Owolewa; Chairman Mr. Tajudeen Adekoye; member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Oluyinka Ogundimu; Divisional Police Officer, Elere Police Station, Agege, Mr. Musendik Orebiyi and Public Relations Officer, Comrade Abaja Abiodun, at a community forum on the assessment of the committee activities in Agege, Lagos. PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

L-R: Dean, Sacred Heart Hospital, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Rev. Father Raymand Adebowale; Chairman, ACTS Professional Limited, Mr. Ignatius Adegunle; Chairman, Ebi Initiative, Mrs. Bolatito Adegunle; Chief Matron, Sacred Heart Hospital, Abeokuta, Rev. Sister Rose Da-Silva; Assistant Chief Matron, Rev. Sister Patricia Anyanwu and Administrator, Rev. Father Simon Akinyemi, during the presentation of gifts to the orphans and less privileged children by Ebi Christmas Smile Initiative in Abeokuta.

L-R: Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Education, Hon Aminu Suleima; Director of ICT, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Orji Kalu; Chairman, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Board of Trustees, Dr. Musa Babayo; Acting Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Alhaji Kabir Mashi; Executive Secretary, TETFund, Prof Suleiman Elias Bogoro and Director, Corporate Planning and Development, Mallam Aliyu Na’Iya, during TETFund 2014 Taxpayers’ Forum in Lagos.

News

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

SOUTH-WEST

PDP frets over Obasanjo’s meeting with women leaders Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

meeting, scheduled for today in Abeokuta between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and traditional women leaders (Iyaloses) is giving concerns to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). New Telegraph learnt yesterday that PDP chiefs were rattled that Obasanjo could at the meeting,

52%

scheduled for his Presidential Hilltop Residence, seize the occasion to mobilise against President Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection bid. Obasanjo is opposed to the president’s re-election, saying it is wrong to seek second term after he promising that he will spend only one term in office. The president has, however, denied making any promise not to seek a second term.

According to the notice of the meeting sent out by the Iyalode of Egba, Chief Alaba Lawson, a copy of which New Telegraph obtained, the women delegates “are to assemble at Commerce House, Igbehin Hills, near Ibara Police Station, Abeokuta by 9 am to go in convoy to Baba’s House for the 10 o’clock appointment.” Though, the objective of the meeting was still

unknown, the discomfort among the PDP echelon was linked with the present position Obasanjo on the re-election bid of Jonathan which “as you all know is not encouraging,” a source in the party said. “Inasmuch as we are not privy to the meeting’s agenda, we are convinced that it cannot be anything than political, and since the body language of baba as far as PDP is concerned is against our plan to have

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President Jonathan back in office, we are worried. “It is no more a secret that the former president is more disposed to the opposition taking over the power from the current president and our party, though he is still a member of the PDP. So, we have to monitor his moves, especially as elections draw nearer in order not to be caught unawares”, the source said.

3,600

The percentage of trachoma account- The sex ratio of men to 100 women in The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions The number of adults and children estimated by Africa of the world’s total burden. the 60+ age group in Uzbekistan in 2012. per 100 inhabitants of Azerbaijan in 2004. ed to be living with HIV in Belize in 2008. Source: Unesco.org Source: Un.org Source: Itu.int Source: Blatantworld.com

L-R: Wife of Ondo State Governor, Olukemi Mimiko; Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju and mother of Ondo State’s Baby of the Year, Tayo Amaefule, at the presentation of gifts to Amaefule at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure

My opponents are confused, says Amosun Kunle Olayeni Abeokuta

s the February governorship election gathers momentum in Ogun State, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, has lashed out at his critics, saying they are overwhelmed and confused by his developmental strides in the state. Amosun, who spoke during an interactive session with journalists

in Abeokuta at the weekend, dismissed the allegations that his administration had plunged the state into needless debts. He also decried the dwindling allocation to states from the federation account, as well as the directive by the Federal Government to banks not to grant loan to states. Speaking against the backdrop of the allegation by opposition poli-

ticians, that the state’s debt profile had risen to N300billion, Amosun said the allegation was absolute false. The governor stated that the cost at which his government had awarded road contracts and other projects were not outrageous. His words: “Those people that are abusing us know the truth. They went to school; they know that it is not possible. Which

bank will give you N300 billion? No bank can borrow more than N25 billion. And those are premier banks. “They are overwhelmed; they don’t know what they are doing. They are confused. No state can match us in terms of the cost that we do our roads; we are the cheapest. “You can go through my model schools and check. How much did they build their own?

I gave N750 million for each of those model schools. To equip it may be N250 million.” The governor said he had decided not to respond to frivolous allegations from opposition politicians again. Amosun also flayed the opposition for allegedly politicising the recent delay in the payment of workers’ salaries by the state government.

Parallel PDP candidates’ posters flood Ondo Babatope Okeowo AKURE

he crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State over the selection of candidates for the February 14 and 28 elections may have worsened at the weekend as two posters of parallel candidates of the party laying claims to the same position flooded major towns in the state. Aside the posters, there have also been jingles being run in the local radio and television stations where rival candidates are canvassing for votes for the electorate votes, on the same party’s platform. Already, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has accepted the National Assembly candidates that emerged from the party primaries conducted by Governor Olusegun Mimiko led faction of the party. The candidates on display on the notice board of INEC included that of Dr. Bode Olajumoke, the Senatorial candidate for the North, Dr. Patrick Ayo Akinyelure; Central district and Pastor Mr Yele Omogunwa of the Southern senatorial district. For the House of Representatives, the candidates included Dare Aliu, Akure South and North, Prince Mike Omogbehin, Okitipupa/Irele, Hon Victor Kolade Akinjo, Ilaje/Eseodo, Hon Joseph Akinlaja, Ondo East and West and Mayowa Akinfolarin, Odigbo/ Ileoluji/ Okeigbo. Others included Debo Ologunagba, Akoko Southeast/Southwest, Dele Oshakuade, Ifedore/ Idanre, Munirat Folasade Tinubu, Owo/Ose and Hon. Michael Adenigba Akerele Akoko North West/North east federal constituencies. As earlier reported, the purported list of a faction of the party’s candidates published by INEC had effectively shut out another’s faction’s purported to be the Jimoh Ibrahim-led faction of the party.

Election: PDP exudes confidence, lauds Fayose ABUTH governing council calls for end to strike Adesina Wahab ADO-EKITI

kiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed confidence that it would win all seats in the national and state assemblies, as well as record overwhelming victory for President Goodluck Jonathan in the coming elections in the state. The party also passed a vote of confidence on Governor Ayo Fayose, saying he has brought

the state back to the path of progress. The party , in a statement by the State Secretary of the PDP, Dr Tope Aluko, in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend, during a special executive meeting marking the end of 2014, expressed confidence on the party’s performance at the polls. “We look at the main opposition, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and all we can see is that they can never recover from the thrashing they

got in the last governorship election. The people of the state have rejected them and their hypocrisy. “They will not win any seat in the February state and national assemblies elections in Ekiti State, while their presidential candidate will lose woefully. “Who is going to vote a party that does not have the interest of the people at heart? Their main stock in trade is to engage in fruitless propaganda.”

Adeolu Adeyemo OSOGBO

he Governing Council of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria under the chairmanship of Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, at the weekend charged the striking health sector workers to end their nation-wide strike, which has crippled the sector in the last few weeks. The board chairman, who made the call in an interview with newsmen

in Osogbo, appealed to the workers to end the strike, in the interest of all and the great contributions of President Goodluck Jonathan to the sector. Oyedokun, stated, “I want to appeal to the striking workers to positively take advantage of the ongoing collective efforts by the President to ameliorate their situation. “It is unfortunate that patients in federal government owned hospitals had been discharged prematurely with most of them

having no other option than to patronise quack doctors amidst attendant ill consequences ranging from untimely death to permanent disability.” “And since government is studying the report submitted by the committee recently set up to review the entire health sector, particularly the grievances of JOHESU, I am expressing confidence that every step being taken to move the health sector forward would definitely succeed.”

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

News 47

SOUTH-EAST

Only Jonathan can hold Nigeria together, says Onwuliri

inister of State for Education, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, has said only President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) can hold the Nigerian nation together in unity. Onwuliri, who expressed the position during the presentation of the late Professor Celestine Onwuliri Foundation, PROFOUND, and the 2014 Eze Cletus and Ugoeze Dorathy Oparaoji Memorial

754

The total area (in sq. km) of Dominica. Source: Worldfactsandfigures.com

Educational Foundation, ECUDOMEF scholarship awards for rural communities held in Mbaise, Imo State on December 31, called on Imo citizens and Nigerians in general to vote massively for Jonathan and the PDP in the coming presidential election. She stated that the Jonathan administration has transformed Nigeria beyond expectations through his transformation agenda, pointing out that the

administration has continued to promote the unity of the country, in all ramifications. According to her, the Federal Government has spent huge resources on education with Imo State topping the list of beneficiary states. The minister also explained that what the state government claimed to be doing on education and other sectors stemmed, largely from the large-hearted disposition of the Jonathan led

41%

The percentage of the population of Congo under 15 years in 2012. Source: Un.org

Federal Government. “The Federal Government has spent more money in education in Imo State, than the Imo State Government itself ” she stated. She urged the media to adequately report the federal presence in the states, adding that all Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and TETFUND projects in the tertiary institutions should be projected by the media. “Like all the twin sto-

7,926

The number of refugees in Macedonia at the beginning of 2010. Source: Blatantworld.com

rey buildings being built in primary and secondary schools across the wards of Imo State are Federal Government projects funded by UBEC.” She explained, that each of the school building projects cost N40.4 million, stating, “what the Federal Government does is to give the state the funds, they engage their own contractors, but unfortunately in Imo State you give them the money they engage their contrac-

63.11

The teledensity of Nigeria in 2010. Source: Ncc.gov.ng

tors, they claim responsibility for the Federal Government projects, nobody tells the people this is President Jonathan’s projects”, which is deceitful”, she said. Other projects built by the minister include, a town hall at Umuokoro Amuzi, Prof. Viola Onwuliri Library Conclave at Ibeku in Aboh Mbaise Local Government, as well as products of beneficiaries of PROFOUND Youth Empowerment Project she sponsored.

PDP chiefs rally support for Umahi Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

Minister of State for Education, Prof. Viola Adaku Onwuliri (left), presenting one of the products produced by PROFUND to the Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Akwa, Anambra State, Prof. Joseph Ahaneku, at the PROFOUND/ECUDOMEF youth empowerment programme in Amuzi, Ahaizu Mbaise, Imo State…recently.

he Peoples Democratic Party stakeholders in Ebonyi State, including the incumbent Governor, Martin Elechi, have commenced moves to give support to the party’s governorship candidate, Engineer Dave Umahi, on the back of the crisis that engulfed the party, after the recent gubernatorial primaries in the state. The indication to this development followed the appearance of both Umahi and the incumbent governor, at the State House of Assembly on the occasion of the presentation of the 2015 appropriation bill, which political watchers said was an indication that the duo were coming to terms with the realities of the current political state of affairs.

Elechi flays PDP leadership I remain APGA’s governorship candidate, says Ezeh sition that he remains the electoral act, noting that cation of the final list by the Steve Uzoechi over Ebonyi crisis party’s standard bearer for the development in no electoral body. OWERRI

Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

overnor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State, has blamed the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), over the recent crisis which led to the mass defections of loyalists from the party. Elechi, stated this at the weekend while he receiving over 200 Labour Party members of Edda community, Afikpo South Local Government Area of the state who paid him a courtesy call at the Governor’s Lodge, Gover nment House Abakaliki. The governor stated that the reason, himself and his teeming supporters boycotted the party’s primaries in the state, was that Imo State was among the four states

that were short listed not to have any primary election held while the state party executive went ahead to conduct election. He further reiterated his administration’s total support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection in the general election and advised the delegation to vote only PDP in the presidential election. Leader of the group, and Caretaker Committee Chairman of Afikpo South Local Government, Comrade Egwu Chima, said they came to felicitate with the governor in the new year and to seek his fatherly advice. It could be recalled, that Chima, was among the over 5,000 PDP supporters that defected to the Labour Party with others loyal to governor Elechi.

ne of the governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA), in Imo State, Mr. Okey Ezeh has insisted that he remains the party’s flag bearer in the state, despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognition of Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho as the party’s choice. Ezeh expressed the po-

the governorship election in Imo State in the February 28, governorship election in spite of the list of candidates released by the INEC on Friday. In a statement signed by Mr. Chidozie Achonwa, his media aide, Ezeh appealed to his supporters to remain calm and unruffled by the development, adding that what INEC did was in keeping with the provision of the

way means he is out of reckoning as the APGA governorship candidate. He reassured his supporters that he will be on the ballot on the election day, pointing out that he was not the only one who has issues arising from the list and that all the issues arising from the list would be sorted out as there is still ample opportunity provided by the law and INEC for the submission and publi-

Said he, “Mark my word; I will be on the ballot on the Election Day. INEC, in keeping with the electoral act has set January 18, 2015 as the last date for submission of names of candidates while January 27, 2015 has been slated for the final publication of the names of the candidates. This last date is to allow for the substitution of candidates either as a result of court judgment, death or resignation”.

Insecurity: Panic in Enugu communities over robbery Uwakwe Abugu Enugu

esidents of several communities in Igbo Eze North and Igbo Eze South Local Council areas of Enugu State have been in panic following robbery attacks, in the last one week. For instance, the Olido

Community in Igbo Eze North, has witnessed a situation of fears among residents, particularly indigenes of the area who returned home for the yelutide and new year’s celebrations. The situation has led to the community leaders and their subjects holding meetings on how to tackle the menace of armed bandits who have

laid siege to the area in the past three weeks, the latest being on December 26 last year. In one of the robbery operations, which occured at the Eguta axis of the community, hoodlums numbering over seven struck at about 2am in the house of an elder, Mr. Paul Iyida, carting away valuable items while they severely

injured him on the head. Also on December 30, 2014, another community, Uhunowerre, Igbo Eze South council, witnessed the robbers’ invasion which came with the use of sophisticated arms in a local road linking the two communities, causing stampede as people fled to other neighboring villages.

News

‘Buhari can't confront Nigeria’s problems’ Emmanuel Masha PORT HARCOURT

governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Chief Dumo LuluBriggs, has said that the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), lacks the energy to handle the problems confronting Nigeria. He said Buhari was too fragile to handle a complex country like Nigeria, 30 years after he truncated a democratic government. Lulu-Briggs, who is one of the aggrieved governorship aspirants opposed to the candidature of Nyesom Wike as PDP governorship candidate, said it was unthinkable to have Buhari as the face of the country at this time of its history. He said: “Thirty one years after, should we still have Buhari as the face of the country? APC is not sincere with Nigerians. Buhari does not have the energy to tackle the problems of the country.

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

SOUTH - SOUTH

CAMPAIGN

Leaders back Jonathan's second term bid due for violent free election Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

takeholders, leaders and elders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) drawn from Edo State and its environs, at the weekend, canvassed the need for the South-South and Nigerians to rally round President Goodluck Jona-

PDP leaders, stakeholders demand justice for South-South than’s second term bid in the spirit of equity, fairness and the unity of the country. They noted that doing otherwise would be detrimental and a denial of the oil rich zone in favour of other geopolitical areas, whose candidates in times past, had served eight years at the nation’s President. The PDP leaders, elders

and supporters made their position known at the flag-off of the campaign for President Jonathan’s reelection bid and election of National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly candidates of the party. Also, traditional rulers from the area, sued for peaceful and issue-based campaign and a violent free election that would ensure the emergence of

credible leaders and true representatives of the people, who would truly address the myriads of problems staring the nation in the face. Speakers at the ceremony, including the Chairman of the PDP in the state, Chief Dan Orbih, former Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tunde Akogun, ex-Chairman of

Okowa: We will partner pressure groups Etaghene Edirin

he governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party P(DP) in Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has assured all pressure groups in the state of robust partnership with the party in the campaign leading to the February 2015 general election. He gave the assurance when he received the Delta State executive and members of Women for Change and Development Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, led by Chief (Mrs.) Betty Efekhoda, who paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba. He said every PDP member has a role to play in the success of the party in the general election, urging the women to mobilise their fellow women and other Deltans across the state on the need to support and vote PDP. “We will be working with everybody in the cause of this campaign. Women are very important and cannot be ignored. I believe this group has a great role to play in sensitising our people, especially the women, to participate fully in the forthcoming elections and to vote for the PDP,” he stated.

Delta State APC governorship candidate, Olorogun Otega Emerhor (right), exchanging pleasantries with Urhobo traditional rulers, during a meeting in Ugheli, Delta State…recently

Akoko Edo Council, Chief Johnson Emasealu and several others, endorsed President Jonathan’s candidature. Orbih urged Nigerians to shun prophets of doom, ethnic and religious bigots as well as others with the belief that 2015 elections would bring crisis, assuring the people that country will survive in the face of her challenges. The chairman, who also delivered the President’s message to the monarchs and people, said the PDP under President Jonathan has remained a consistent party of choice, which seeks to promote peace, unity and purposeful leadership and development across all segments of the nation, adding that it would continue to accord a pride of place for traditional rulers. According to him, “It is no longer news that the 2015 elections will bring about the election of Mr. President, the Senate, House of Representatives and members of the state Houses of Assembly; for those who are prophets of doom, who think there will be crisis, there will be no crisis. “There is nothing new. Nigeria will survive the election that is coming. Voters should recognise the need for peace and stability, and the will of God."

Omu: Insurgency not an easy war to win Lawmaker tasks INEC on use of voters' register Joe Obende WARRI

ormer Military Governor of the defunct South-Eastern Region, Major General Paul Omu (rtd.), yesterday confirmed that insurgency is a difficult war to win just as the insurgents themselves are among the people that the government seeks to liberate. Omu made this declaration in his country home in Isoko South Local Government area of Delta State while speaking with New Telegraph. The retired civil war

veteran said the casualty figure of the civilian populace was usually too high for contemplation when attempts were made to crush insurgency such as that of the Boko Haram. Aside that, he said the terrain where the insurgents were acting from was a wide one that could not be taken from any particular flank. He said those blaming President Goodluck Jonathan for not ending the insurgency did not have a grasp of the intricacies involved in the handling of such crisis. Omu appealed for un-

derstanding over the security challenges, particularly that of insurgency. He said the president was doing his best in the circumstance as there were no magic wands to end such uprising. Such peculiar wars, he said, were often not only by weaponry and tactics, but that so many other considerations would require to be factored into their handling. He said the genesis of the Boko Haram insurgency could be traced to illiteracy and joblessness of those who had become ‘gainfully employed’ by the development.

Environmentalist makes case for civil servants Chris Ejim YENAGOA

renowned environmentalist in Bayelsa State, Comrade Morris Alagua, has chided both the state and local governments in the state for neglecting the aspect of civil service rule that says civil servants should

be paid their duty tour allowances adequately. Alagua, who described the civil service as the engine room of any government, said the service has several rules guiding workers on how to go about their assigned duties, depending on the positions occupied by individuals. In a statement issued

yesterday in Yenagoa and made available to newsmen, the activist wondered why a civil servant should be made to travel from his/her local government for the on-going staff verification exercise without any form of allowance, even when such workers spend over N5, 000 on boat transportation.

Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

isturbed by the apprehension surrounding the registration of voters and the distribution of the Permanent Voters’ Cards in the country, Edo State House of Assembly yesterday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make use of voters’ register to accommodate those who cannot access permanent voters’ card for the elections. This, the Assembly said, is to enable Nigerians of voting age, whose identity is captured in the voters' register, to cast their votes in this year's polls. The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker, representing Egor state constituency, Mr. Paul Ohonbamu, made the appeal while answering questions from newsmen in Benin, the Edo State capital.

He said the use of the voters’ register, which holds the key to the credibility of any election, should be utilised rather than the insistence on the use of PVCs that are not available, to vote during the elections. It will be recalled that the PVCs recently distributed across the country by the INEC has come under heavy criticisms as many people could not collect their cards. The commission on its part, acknowledged hiccups with many whose names are on the voters register but could not get same for the allimportant exercise next month. The APC legislator said: “INEC has a way of determining genuine and fake voters. I think they have the voters' register, what they should do is to allow those who have the PVC and those who do not, but have their names on the register, vote in the February elections.”

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

News 49

NORTH

of Suswam: PDP will record 100% victory in Benue ‘Lack political will Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

enue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under his leadership has put all necessary machinery in place to win all the elective positions in the forthcoming general election in the state. The governor, who spoke in Makurdi at the

1.2m

inauguration of the Governorship Campaign Council and Directorate at the Aminu Isah Kontagora Complex, said the party had held what he described as the most transparent governorship primaries in which aspirants, who lost out, were pleased with. Besides, he said the former Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom and the other aspirants accepted the outcome of the primaries

The total population of Swaziland (rep. 0.017% of world’s population) in 2010. Source: Blatantworld.com

and have since congratulated the winner, Mr. Terhemen Tarzoor and are on his campaign train to ensure his victory at the polls. “Let nobody be deceived this time around. We are going to record one hundred percent victory as before. The opposition party is going to have nothing. We must return to the record of 1999, where we won all the seats in Benue State.” Speaking further, Governor Suswam said: “It is

1,031.1m

The estimated total population of Africa in 2010. Source: Un.org

better for the worst candidate in the PDP to win the election than to vote the best candidate in the opposition party,” expressing optimism that President Goodluck Jonathan will win the general election holding on February 14. According to him, Tarzoor, when elected, will build on the solid foundation his administration is laying, describing the Tarzoor/Ngbede ticket as the most solid one that has al-

N9.11m

The total capital importation value of the Fishing sector in 2009. Source: National Bureau of Statistics

ready nailed the opposition party, which at the moment is battling with crisis over imposition of candidates. Chairman of the party in Benue State, Dr. Agbo Emmanuel, who performed the presentation of candidates and inauguration of the campaign team, charged members and candidates to be effective and proactive in the course of selling their ‘products,’ which he said has marketed itself in previous assignments.

£1.2m

The monthly salary of Wayne Rooney of Manchester United. Source: Paywizard.co.uk

Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Sagir Saleh (left) and Managing Director, Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC), Alhaji Maigari Khanna, during the turbaning of Khanna as the new Village Head of Katabarwa in Shira LGA of Bauchi State …at the weekend

stalls admission to JSS’ Dahiru Suleiman DUTSE

ack of political will among other logistic problems, has stalled admission into junior secondary schools in the 2014/2015 academic year in Jigawa State. Investigation conducted by New Telegraph showed that some issues prompted the delay in the release of last year’s common entrance examination for new intakes into Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) across Jigawa State. The situation has affected many pupils and many parents are raising eyebrows about the proclamation by the Jigawa State government that it accords attention to education. One of the parents, Malam Sulaiman of Gida of Dubu Quarters said the issue has affected his child, who he said finished primary school education and had sat for last year’s common entrance examination with the zeal of advancing to secondary school, only to be weighed down by the new development. It was also observed that the Jigawa State SUBEB is confronted with problems of dilapidated schools as most public primary and junior secondary schools across the state are without qualified teachers and teaching aids.

‘Boko Haram insurgence will end in 2015’ Cephas Iorhemen Makurdi

hairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Benue State, Archbishop Yimam Orkwar, has prophesied that the current security challenges confronting the country, which is manifesting in the activities of the Boko Haram sect, will end this year. Orkwar, the General Overseer of All Nations Evangelism Ministries, who disclosed this in an interview in Makurdi

CAN chapter endorses yesterday, said the proph- God until peace is finally that the general election Pwajok in Plateau esy that Nigeria will restored for the overall is at hand, urged them break up in 2015 will not come to pass, adding that the country will even become more united and prosperous. “In this year 2015, God will put Nigeria back again, the battered economy, the insecurity in the land and all those things that happened last year, will cease in the course of this year,” he noted. He charged Nigerians, particularly Christians, not to relent in prayers and thanksgiving unto

growth and development of Nigeria. Orkwar, who also assured the nation of God’s readiness to restore whatever the devil has destroyed in the previous years, called on politicians to jealously guard democracy by following its tenets to ensure peace, stability and development in the land. The archbishop, who warned against divisive comments from politicians, especially now

not to cause problem in the nation’s democratic system through their provocative comments and partisanship. “The electorate must make their choice and should resist the use of any suspicious method of voting in the general election, so that rigging is ruled out,” he advised. Orkwar also urged Nigerians to continue to pray for a free and fair election for the stability of the nation.

Former minister rallies support for Yari’s re-election Idris Salisu Gusau

he re-election bid of Governor Abdul’azeez Yari Abubakar of Zamfara State, received a boost at the weekend, when the former Minister of State for Information and Communication, Ikira Aliyu

Bilbis, rallied round the governorship candidate, saying he deserved to be re-elected because his administration in the state has been people-oriented. Bilbis, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) middle last year,

was appointed director general and campaign coordinator by the governor, meaning that he will be leading the governor’s campaign team in the 2015 governorship election. The former minister told the mammoth crowd and supporters of the APC in Anka and Maradun Local

Government areas respectively during his tour of the 14 local government areas of the state to inaugurate campaign committees at local levels that the re-election of Governor Yari for a second term in office becomes imperative, which he described as transforming the state from its former shambles.

Musa Pam Jos

he youth wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Plateau State has endorsed the candidature of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship flag bearer in the state, Senator Gyang Nyam Pwajok. The body also pledged to work for the success of the candidate in the February elections. The youth group disclosed this in Jos yesterday during a courtesy visit to Pwajok at his Rayfield residence. Plateau State President of the group, Pastor Bistu Johnson, who led the other executives during the visit, said they decided to congratulate the senator and to assure him of their support ahead of the February general election. He said: “We will massively support and identify

with you as one of us during the February general election, and we are here to assure you that plateau youths will rally round your candidature and by the grace of God, our prayer will be answered.” The PDP governorship candidate, Senator Gyang Pwajok, while responding to the visit, assured the youth group that the February general election will be on the basis of uniting Nigeria, adding that all those that have made statements against the unity of the country concerning 2015, will be disgraced by God. Pwajok charged the Christian youth to bring all religious groups together for the unity and development of the state. “If we succeed in bring unity into Plateau State, surely we will succeed in uniting the whole Nigerian youth and the country at large.”

WORLD | News

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

Bad weather blamed for AirAsia crash

eather was the “triggering factor” in the crash of AirAsia Flight 8501 with icing likely causing engine damage, Indonesian officials said, as rough seas yesterday hampered the search for more bodies and wreckage. The Airbus A320-200 crashed into the Java Sea on December 28 carrying 162 people from Indonesia’s second city Surabaya to Singapore. Searchers are hunting for the “black box” flight data recorders to determine the cause of the crash. An initial report on the website of Indonesia’s meteorological agency BMKG suggested the weather at the time the plane went down sparked the disaster after it appeared to fly into storm clouds. “Based

on the available data received on the location of the aircraft’s last contact, the weather was the triggering factor behind the accident,” said the report, which referred to infra-red satellite pictures showing peak cloud temperatures of minus 80 to minus 85 degrees Celsius at the time. “The most probable weather phenomenon was icing which can cause engine damage due to a cooling process. This is just one of the possibilities that occurred based on the analysis of existing meteorological data,” the report said. It remained unclear why other planes on similar routes were unaffected by the weather, and other analysts said there was not yet enough information to explain the disaster. “It’s irrelevant to make an assump-

tion on the cause of the crash as we haven’t found the black boxes yet,” former air force commander Chappy Hakim told AFP. Five major parts of the Airbus A320-200 have now been found off the island of Borneo. But rough weather last week hampered the search, a huge operation assisted by several countries including the United States and Russia. During a momentary respite from bad weather, a team of divers went down to the biggest part of the wreckage Sunday morning and recovered one body, while another three were found floating in the sea, bringing the total number recovered

to 34. The divers “managed to go down but the visibility at the sea bottom was zero, it was dark and the seabed was muddy, with currents of three to five knots,” search and rescue agency chief Bambang Soelistyo told reporters. He said the fifth major part of the plane, located early Sunday, measured about 10 metres by one metre (33 by 3.3 feet). The search, focused on a site southwest of the Borneo town of Pangkalan Bun, has also been extended east because parts of the plane may have been swept by currents, Soelistyo said. The operation has prioritised finding the bodies of those on board the flight, of whom 155 were

Indonesian, with three South Koreans, one Singaporean, one Malaysian, one Briton and a Frenchman -- co-pilot Remi Plesel. Indonesian warship commander Yayan Sofyan told MetroTV Sunday that three of the bodies so far recovered had been found still strapped into their row of seats, detached from the main plane body. The daughter of the plane’s pilot, Captain Iriyanto, made a televised plea to the public not to blame her father. “He is just a victim and has not been found yet. My family is now mourning,” said Angela Anggi Ranastianis. “As a daughter, I cannot accept it.

Six killed in South Sudan fighting

t least six civilians have died in fighting in South Sudan in the past two days, rebels said, and both rebels and the government accused one another of planning a return to full-blown conflict after a lull in the rainy season. Civil war has killed more than 10,000 people in the world’s newest state, reopened deep fault lines among ethnic groups, caused more than one million to flee and driven the country of 11 million closer to famine. Diplomats and analysts have warned there could be a spike in fighting as the dry season approaches, after relative peace in the rainy season. Violence erupted in December 2013 in South Sudan after months of political tension between President Salva Kiir and his sacked deputy and rival, Riek Machar. The conflict pits Kiir’s Dinka ethnic group against Machar’s Nuer. South Sudan military spokesman Philip Aguer said government

forces were expecting another round of attacks in oil-producing Unity State, and Upper Nile State, which experienced fighting in recent days. He said fighters allied to Machar had staged attacks on Saturday near Bentiu, Unity state’s capital. “The SPLA forces in those areas are monitoring preparation of Riek Machar forces to wage attacks possible within this coming week,” Aguer told Reuters. Rebel military spokesman Lul Ruai Koang on Saturday accused government troops, police and pro-government militia of a series of attacks in the past two days in Unity and Upper Nile States in which at least six civilians were killed. The government denied that it had caused any deaths. Peace initiatives by the regional group of nations, the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), have so far failed to end the conflict. IGAD said last week it was also concerned with the resumption of fighting in the two states.

Republicans to challenge Obama on energy, Cuba, immigration

epublicans take full control of the Congress this week with an agenda of trying to force approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline and push back on President Barack Obama’s sweeping policy shifts on Cuba and immigration. After years of battles over the budget and other issues, further clashes loom as Republicans who already control the House of Representatives take over the Senate majority on Tuesday after wins against Obama’s Democrats in November’s midterm elections. Angry over the president’s moves last year to bypass Congress on issues such as immigration, Republicans have promised to fight him on a range of issues. Obama has vowed to use his veto pen if Republicans pass legislation he opposes, but he has said he believes he may be able to forge common ground with them in some areas, including free trade, overhauling

the tax code and boosting infrastructure spending. Reaching deals won’t be easy amid deep mistrust on both sides. “To suddenly claim you’re going to work with members of Congress after years of ignoring them is rather ludicrous,” said Kevin Smith, a spokesman for Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner. As the new Congress convenes, Obama will set out on Wednesday on a three-day road trip to Michigan, Arizona and Tennessee to tout his economic record and highlight his own agenda for 2015. Republican Mitch McConnell, who will become the Senate majority leader, has said the first item on his agenda will be legislation to force approval of TransCanada Corp’s Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline, which has been under review by the Obama administration for years, would help transport oil from Canada’s oil sands to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Members of an Indonesian search and rescue team collect a bag containing the body of victim from AirAsia flight.

100 killed in Burundi rebel attack

t least 100 rebels have been killed after a cross-border attack against the central African nation of Burundi from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a top military source told AFP yesterday. A general in the Burundian army, speaking on condition that he not be named, said the attack by the unidentified rebel group had been defeated after five days of heavy fighting in the border area north of the capital Bujumbura. “After five days of nonstop military operations, the ar med group which attacked Burundi has been wiped out by our security forces. In total, we killed 105 of them and captured four, out of a total of the 121 who entered Cibitoke

province from the DRCongo,” the general said. “We also seized a 60mm mortar, five rocket launchers, machine guns and more than 100 assault rifles,” he said, adding the Burundian army had lost two soldiers. Other military sources said around 12 soldiers were killed in the fighting. There was no further confirmation of the claim, with army spokesman Colonel Gaspard Baratuza declining to comment officially on the fighting “while military operations in the area are still in progress.” A previous toll given on Wednesday put the toll at 35 dead, including 34 rebels and one government soldier. Burundian officials and witnesses said the group of unidentified rebels crossed

into Burundi overnight Monday from DRCongo’s eastern Kivu region, a chronically unstable and resource-rich area that is home to dozens of rebel groups. Colonel Baratuza said troops had seized documents allowing the army to get information on the size of the force and the identity of their leaders, but he did not disclose the identity of the group. Security forces then fought to prevent the rebels from reaching the Kibira forest, an area used in the past by rebel groups as a base to stage further attacks inside Burundi. “The security forces, backed by the local population, surrounded the group in Murwi commune, and chased them without respite, giving them no time to recover or sleep,” said the military source.

Ebola: UK nurse in ‘critical’ condition

volunteer British nurse who contracted Ebola was in a “critical” condition yesterday, as the new UN mission chief on the disease insisted that ending the deadliest-ever outbreak was within reach. Nurse Pauline Cafferkey’s health has taken a turn for the worse in recent days, the Royal Free Hospital in London said in a statement. “The condition of Pauline Cafferkey has gradually deteriorated over the past two days

and is now critical,” the Royal Free Hospital said in a statement. On Wednesday, doctors had said the 39-year-old Scot, who had been working with the charity Save the Children in Sierra Leone, was sitting up in bed, reading and talking to staff from inside her isolation tent in the hospital. They said Cafferkey had agreed to be treated with blood plasma from an Ebola survivor, containing virus-fighting antibodies, and

also take an experimental antiviral drug. Cafferkey was volunteering at a British-built treatment centre in Kerry Town, not far from Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown, when she contracted the deadly virus. British Prime Minister David Cameron told BBC television that Ebola was “certainly the thing uppermost in my mind today with Pauline Cafferkey in hospital, and all of us are thinking of her and her family.

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

Sports News

Transfer News

NFF to investigate Eduok transfer saga

Sport

Juventus set to keep Pogba

FA Cup: City, United, Chelsea progress

Did you know? That Arsenal went the whole 2003-2004 season unbeaten, thus earning the moniker “Invincibles”

Siasia targets All Africa Games ticket

Charles Ogundiya

igeria U-23 coach, Samson Siasia, has said the major task ahead of him is to qualify the country for the All Africa Games football event later in the year in Congo Brazzaville. Siasia made this declaration when he was asked about his target for the team ahead of the qualifiers against Gabon U-23 team. The team resumes train-

Siasia

ing this week and the former Super Eagles coach said there would be a lot of physical sessions to knock the players into shape. “The target will always change as the team progresses but for now it is to qualify for the All Africa Games. We cannot think beyond that for now because that’s the biggest challenge we have at the moment. “Maybe when we qualify our target will change. But for

now, our target is to beat Gabon and get to the All Africa Games,” Siasia said. On how much knowledge he has of his opponent, the Gabonese, Siasia said the major thing was for his team to be ready for the encounter. He said: “I wouldn’t want to make that public information, but I can assure you that the NFF is doing its best to take care of the situation, and I’m sure we will be ready for them when the time comes.

Keshi hates me, says Martins Ajibade Olusesan

ormer Super Eagles striker, Obafemi Martins, has expressed displeasure with the way national team coach, Stephen Keshi, treated him, saying the tactician hates him. The Seattle Sounders’ forward played just twice under the coach as he was left out of both the 2013 Africa Nations Cup and the Brazil 2014 World Cup. The coach again overlooked him for the 2015 Africa Nations Cup qualifiers despite the former Inter Milan

The Sport Team Adekunle Salami Deputy Editor, Sports

Emmanuel Tobi Assistant Editor, Sports

Ifeanyi Ibeh Sports Correspondent

Ajibade Olusesan Sports Correspondent

Charles Ogundiya Sports Correspondent

striker being one of the best players in the Major League Soccer in the United States. The former Birmingham player who late last year announced his refirement from international football said in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos, that he was not ready to rescind his decision. He said he was proud to have served the country for many years and he realised the time was right for him to say goodbye especially when he was no longer appreciated. “I don’t think Keshi likes me, that is just the fact. I don’t have any problem with him, I respect him as a coach but one thing I found out was that he doesn’t like me. His decision has nothing to do with my football,” Martins said. But when reminded that the coach said he did not impress him when he (Keshi) invited him ahead of the 2013 Nations Cup, Obagoal said: He is the coach but I don’t think his decision to leave me out was about my football; like I said he just doesn’t like me.” When asked if he was going to quit retirement if pressured by Nigerians to do so, the former Levante of Spain hit man said he was not sure that would happen. “I cannot say anything about that now, the only thing I know is that I am no longer playing for the national team,” he said.

International Sport

We just have to get ourselves prepared for the challenge, and by the grace of God we will scale the hurdle.” The players are expected to arrive the Serob Hotel camp in Abuja on Wednesday January 7 while training will commence on Thursday January 8. The team is set for a friendly game against U-23 team of Tunisia, with the first leg in Nigeria and the return leg in Tunis after the cancellation of the international friendly game between the team and the Young Pharoahs of Egypt earlier billed to be played on the 15th and 17th.

I don’t think Keshi likes me, that is just the fact. I don’t have any problem with him, I respect him as a coach, but one thing I found out was that he doesn’t like me. His decision has nothing to do with my football

Martins however said he was sad that Nigeria would not be playing at the Nations Cup and just like many Nigerians he expects the team to bounce back from the setback.

Martins (right)

SPORT

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NFF to investigate Eduok transfer saga

lAs Pinnick promises positive changes Ajibade Olusesan

igeria Football Federation has said that it will investigate the transfer crisis involving Super Eagles striker, Emem Eduok. The Dolphins striker has been a subject of intense fight between Norwegian club, Sarpsborg 08 and Esperance of Tunisia. The two clubs are claiming to be the new owners of the player. Reports emerged last week that Eduok who scored 20 league goals last season had sealed a three-year deal with Esperance but Sarpsborg 08 Sporting Director, Thomas Berntsen, later claimed the player had already signed a four-year deal with them.

Although the player had said that the Tunisian club agreed a deal with Dolphins and that was where he would go, Sarpsborg are threatening to take the matter to FIFA. However, NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, has said that the development is embarrassing to the country and they will wade in with a view to resolving the issue. The NFF boss also hinted that the federation will pay greater attention to player transfers, especially internationally. “Look at the cloud of controversy over the transfer of one of our brightest stars, Emem Eduok. That is a shame and should not happen. We will investigate this matter and come up with recommendations. Whoever

Okocha, Kanu, Ikpeba for GLO-CAF Awards

x- Internationals and former Super Eagles Captains, Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha and Kanu Nwankwo will be among the generation of old Super Eagles’ players who will attend the 2014 Glo-CAF Awards gala night billed for the Convention Centre, Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos on January 8, 2015. In a statement from the organisers of the awards, Globacom, Okocha and two former African Footballers of the year, Kanu and Victor Ikpeba, are expected to grace the awards aptly labeled the Oscars of African football. Okocha is a two-time winner of the BBC African Player of the Year and was honoured with the

Legends Award along with ExMoroccan International Mustapha Hadji at the 2011 Glo-Caf Awards. Similarly, Ikpeba, a former player of Monaco FC, popularly known as ‘Prince of Monaco’ played for the France-based team for many years before moving over to Borrussia Dortmund FC in Germany. He won the African Footballer of the year Award in 1997. Ex-International, Kanu is rated as Nigeria’s most successful player and he earned global acclaim for his infinite capacity to score memorable goals. He won the African Footballer of the Year Award twice in 1996 and 1999.

is found culpable will have questions to answer,” he said. Pinnick also reiterated that the new NFF Executive Committee would not be discouraged by anyone or institution from effecting the positive changes in Nigerian football. Speaking ahead of this week’s meeting of the Executive Committee scheduled for Lagos, Pinnick said: “There are a lot of things that we want to do, and which we hope to seal at the meeting in Lagos. There is urgent need to buoy the domestic league, give it credibility and implement those measures that will bring back the glory days. We also must think of how best to prepare the national teams for competitions, while also looking intensely at developmental programmes that will assure the Eduok future of our football.”

Fenerbahçe reject Tottenham’s €10m bid for Emenike Emmanuel Tobi

ottenham Hotspur’s move to sign Super Eagles striker, Emmanuel Emenike, met a brick wall at the weekend as his Turkish club, Fenerbahçe rejected a €10m bid from the English club. Spurs Manager Mauricio Pochettino is hoping to bring in a new striker to White Hart Lane in the January transfer window and Emenike had been touted as a realistic target after the disappointing

Emenike

form of Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor. But Fenerbahçe president, Aziz Yildirim, re-

vealed that he had rejected the London side’s bid for the striker and is not interested in letting him leave the club anytime soon. Yildirim said, “Emenike offer came, they gave 10 million Euros. However I trust him. I therefore rejected the offer. I trust Emenike and Diego. Both of them will add to the strength of our team in the second half of the season. “They will give the perfor mance expected of them. They will make a major contribution towards our success. I have no doubt about this.”

2015 ITTF-Africa: Funds may stall Nigeria’s participation Emmanuel Tobi

igeria’s quest to participate in the2015 International Table Tennis Federation Africa Senior Championships billed for Cairo, Egypt, is hanging in the balance following the unavailability of funds to prosecute the outing. According to NTTF Secretary General, Chinedu Ezeala-Ogundare, the Cairo tournament serves as prerequisite for any team to be part of the 2015 World Championships in China while it will also

improve the country’s chances of getting a good rating in the world. “For now, we are hoping to assemble our best players across the globe so that we can have a strong team. We are using this medium to appeal to the National Sports Commission to support us financially in order to be part of this competition. “The performance of Aruna Quadri has now turned attention on Nigeria and for us, we need to be part of the competition to ascertain our status as continental power

house,” the NTTF scribe said. Ezeala-Ogundare added that, “The competition was scheduled to hold in Sudan last year but because of the Ebola Virus Disease, it was cancelled. But the African Table Tennis Federation just confirmed to us that the tournament will now be hosted by Egypt and this is a must for us, we must make it down there.” She however, lauded the NSC for its unflinching support in 2014, adding that she was optimistic that the country would make it to Egypt.

Ike Uche, Anichebe hit target Ajibade Olusesan

igerian strikers, Ikechukwu Uche and Victor Anicebe, opened Year 2015 on the best possible note after hitting target for their clubs in Europe at the weekend. Uche scored Villarreal’s second goal in the 17th minute in their 2-2 draw at Elche on Saturday. The 30-year-old striker has now scored five goals in 15 games this season and Villarreal are now sixth on the Span-

ish La Liga table with 31 points from 17 matches. Anichebe was amongst the goal scorers as West Brom pounded non-League side Gateshead 7-0 in their FA Cup Third Round Clash on Saturday. He scored the second goal for his team in the 45th minute. The former Everton forward was replaced by Claudio Yacob in the 53rd minute. Brown Ideye was an unused substitute for West Brom, while England striker Saido Berahi-

no scored four of the goals. Mikel Obi played 90 minutes of football as Chelsea secured a 3-0 win over Watford in the FA Cup on Sunday. Kenneth Omeruo was handed a starter’s shirt as Middlesbrough secured a 2-0 away win over Barnsley. In Turkey, Emmanuel Emenike was not in action when Fenerbahce defeated Istanbul 2 – 0, Godfrey Oboabona was also not used in Rizespor’s 1 1 draw with Konyaspor. John Utaka and Crisantus Macaulay were also not given opportunity in Sivasspor’s 2 - 0 win over Karabukspor.

Gbolahan Salami (left)

Eagles battle NYSC team in test game

lKeshi inspires team via telephone the UAE for the friendlies and to

Ifeanyi Ibeh

arring any last minutes change, the home-based Super Eagles will battle National Youth Service Corps soccer team in a test match at the Abuja National Stadium in the Federal Capital on Monday morning. The game is being packaged for the team to test its readiness for the two important friendlies coming up next week in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Director General of the NYSC, Brig. Gen Johnson Olawumi, obliged the Eagles despite the team’s tight schedule and the fact that the yuletide season just ended. The game will provide the technical crew a chance to see those players that will make it to

assess the overall fitness of the team. Meanwhile, embattled Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has encouraged the players to win their two test matches in Abu Dhabi. Speaking to the entire team through teleconference during their dinner Friday evening, Keshi who is currently holidaying in Benin City, told the players to take instructions from his assistants, Dan Amokachi, Houandonou Valere and Ike Shorunmu seriously and play according to the instructions. “The players you are going to play against don’t have two heads or four legs and they are not more talented than you, so you can beat them and tell them that football is not dead in Nigeria”, he said.

International Sport 53

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

FA Cup round-up:

City, United, Chelsea progress

ancehster City, Manchester United and Chelsea all won their FA Cup third round matches. A late brace from James Milner helped Manchester City come from a goal down to beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 at the Etihad in the FA Cup third round. Three goals in the final 10 minutes helped Stoke avoid a huge cup upset as they came from behind to

beat Wrexham 3-1 at the Britannia. A stunning strike from Ander Herrera and a superb breakaway goal from Angel Di Maria helped Manchester United to a difficult 2-0 win over LeagueOne Yeovil at Huish Park. Second half goals from Willian, Loic Remy and Kurt Zouma helped Chelsea to a comfortable 3-0 win over Watford at Stamford Bridge as Jose Mourinho’s side secured an easy passage to the fourth round.

Nadal shrugs off Murray‘s loss

afael Nadal shrugged off his 6-2, 6-0 defeat to Andy Murray at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships on Friday, insisting he’ll be fighting fit when his 2015 season starts in Qatar next week. The 14-time Grand Slam title Milner (right) winner was making his first appearance since undergoing an appendectomy late last year having also missed most of the second half of the 2014 season with a wrist problem. Jamal Campbell-Ryce scored The Spaniard’s rustiness was twice as Sheffield United humili- obvious against Murray, who ated QPR, taking yet another Pre- had played for more than two mier League scalp and storming into the fourth round of the FA Cup. Marc McNulty slotted in a 36th-minute opener for the League One side after being put through by Louis Reed’s pass, and Campbell-Ryce netted early in the second half after keeper Alex McCarthy was unable to claim Reed’s corner. Nadal

Redknapp laments QPR loss

ueen’s Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp said his team looked “sluggish” in comparison to the “much sharper” Sheffield United players who beat them 3-0 in the third round of the FA Cup at Loftus Road on Sunday. “They were bright, they were better than us today,” he said. “We looked lethargic, we didn’t look sharp, and they thoroughly deserved their win – they were the better team.”

McIlory eyes Abu Dhabi triumph

A Ronaldo (right)

Valencia end Real Madrid’s winning streak

alencia brought Real Madrid’s 22-match winning streak to a halt as they came from behind to win 2-1 at the Mestalla and blow the La Liga title race wide open. Leaders Madrid travelled to Mestalla to resume their season having won their last 22 competitive games, but were greeted by a fired-up, aggressive Valencia side not short on quality themselves. The home side was superb from the off, but the newly-crowned Club World Cup champions still took an early lead courtesy of a controversial penalty from their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo - his 26th Liga goal of the campaign. However, the hosts were undeterred and forced a thoroughly deserved equaliser shortly after half-time through Antonio Barragan’s first Liga strike since March 2007. And, roared on by a boisterous home crowd, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men edged in front on 65 minutes when Nicolas Otamendi rose highest to power a towering header beyond Iker Casillas from Dani Parejo’s excellent corner.

fter finishing last season on a high, world No. 1 Rory McIlory is looking to continue from where he left off in 2014. The best way, according to him, is to put himself in a position from where he can claim the elusive Abu Dhabi HSBC Championships — scheduled for the National course in the capital from January 15-18. “I hope that this year is my year as it really would be special to win the 10th anniversary tournament,” the European Tour’s Player of the Year last season told Gulf News in an email interview. “Having finished second a few times now, I feel like I have a great chance. The National course suits me, I always look forward to playing the tournament and I feel very at home in the UAE.

RESULTS English FA Cup Leicester 1–0 Newcastle Tranmere 2-6 Swansea WBA 7–0 Gateshead FC Barnsley 0–2 Middlesbrough QPR 0–3 Sheffield Utd Aston Villa 1–0 Blackpool Man City 2–1 Sheffield Wed Southampton 1 – 1 Ipswich Yeovil 0-2 Manchester Utd Chelsea 3-0 Watford

La Liga A. Madrid 3-1 Levante Sevilla 1- 0 Celta Vigo Elche 2 – 2 Villarreal Deportivo 1-0 Ath Bilbao Malaga 1-2 Almeria Getafe 1-2 Rayo Vallecano Valencia 2-1 Real Madrid

Juve battle Inter in Derby d’Italia J

uventus are set to host Inter in Serie A in the 215th Derby d’Italia at the Juventus Stadium on Tuesday. In spite of being a derby played between two of the most successful clubs in Italy, both teams enter the game on the opposite sides of the spectrum. The Bianconeri have achieved 11 points from their past five games with three wins and two draws, whilst the Nerazzurri have registered only one win and two draws in their past five encounters. This form perfectly reflects each

side’s place in the Serie A table. Juve are currently top of the table with 39 points, while Inter find themselves in a lowly 11th place, 18 points behind their rivals. Last season’s games saw Juventus grab a 3-1 win at the Juventus Stadium courtesy of goals from Stephan Lichtsteiner, Giorgio Chiellini, and Arturo Vidal – with Vidal himself scoring a late equaliser to salvage a draw for his side earlier on in the season at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

hours in seeing off Feliciano Lopez in his first match at the Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament on Thursday. “This was not the best

At St Mary’s, Tyrone Mings opened the scoring for Ipswich, before Morgan Schneiderlien pounced on a mistake to level for Southampton as the sides played out a 1-1 draw to set-up the only replay of the third round weekend so far. Christian Benteke pounced two minutes from time to fire Aston Villa into the fourth round as they beat Blackpool 1-0 in a dour encounter at Villa Park. start possible against a tough rival in Andy Murray,” the 28-year-old Nadal told the Gulf News. “But there are only small things I need to adjust.” “6-2, 6-0 is too much. I had a lot of chances to have a closer result.”

Transfer News Juventus set to keep Pogba

talian champions, Juventus are keen on Ibeen keeping hold of Paul Pogba. Pogba has linked with a move back to Man-

chester United in recent weeks. The Old Lady have aspirations to sign Man United’s on-loan forward Radamel Falcao and Chelsea’s Ramires, even if they choose not to cash in on £70million-rated Pogba. The Italian publication claims Massimiliano Allegri will look to bring in Falcao if Manchester United choose not to sign the Colombian on a permanent deal at the end of the season.

Origi close to Liverpool deal

FC look set to reach an Leriverpool agreement with Lille to bring strikDivock Origi to Anfield this month,

report the Liverpool Echo. The Reds signed the young Belgian frontman for £10million last summer but under the terms of the transfer they sent him back to the French outfit on a season-long loan. However, with Brendan Rodgers’ side in desperate need of more firepower in the second half of the campaign, Liverpool have sought to move forward his arrival. The Reds are prepared to pay up to £3million to secure Origi’s services six months earlier than planned.

Getafe confirm Contra exit

etafe President Angel Torres has conG firmed Coach Cosmin Contra is leaving the club for Chinese side Guangzhou RF.

Torres appeared in the Press room after El Geta lost the Madrid derby against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday and announced the Romanian was departing after weeks of speculation. Midfielder Michel is making the same move. “The reason for my appearance is that Cosmin Contra is to leave us,” Torres said, according to AS.

Roma target Iraqi Ali Adnan

oma are interested in Rizespor fullRRoma. back Ali Adnan according to Forza

The Iraqi international has also been closely linked with La Liga side Granada as well as Turkish giants Galatasaray over recent weeks. Adnan will however, not be joining da according to Rizespor press officer Aykut

GranaFerah. “Ali Adnan is a very important player for Rizespor,” Ferah said.

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015 NEW TELEGRAPH

NEW TELEGRAPH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015

Sanctity of Truth

On Marble

World Record

Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach.

– Aristotle

Reginald Fessenden: Invented radio broadcasting (1906).

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The problem with Akinyemi’s letter

GUEST COLUMNIST Adewale Kupoluyi

he open letter written by Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Nigeria’s former Minister of External Affairs and Deputy Chairman, 2014 National Conference, to the two major contestants in the next year’s presidential election; President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and MajorGeneral Muhammadu Buhari (retd) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will continue to generate mixed reactions in the polity because it touched on salient points that bordered on our corporate existence as a nation. Akinyemi, a Professor of Political Science, had made the following observations in the letter: Firstly, that shortly after the appointment of the late National Security Adviser to the President, General Owoye Azazi, at his own request, he met with him (NSA) to discuss the state of the nation on the eve of the 2011 general elections. At the said meeting, he allegedly told the General that he was neither worried about the conduct of the elections nor its outcome, which he expected President Jonathan to win. Rather, what really worried him was the management of the purported violence that would ensue after the elections, which he said would be massive. Secondly, he disclosed that he suggested to Azazi the ways, in which the violence likely to be ensued, could be contained but that his advice was not acted upon and at the end, elections took place, Jonathan won and “all hell broke loose” because the conflict-controlled measures offered to Azazi were not adopted. Thirdly, Akinyemi averred that now that the nation was “back at the same crossroads again” and this time, it was likely to be more precarious, dangerous and severe than the 2011 experience due to the “very notorious prediction from the United States of America’s semi-official sources that the world is expecting a cataclysmic meltdown of the Nigerian nation come 2015” and even though most Nigerians had shown disapproval and disdain at this prediction while many are, however, indifferent to what could be the possible outcome of the prediction and the devastation in terms of the plight of the vulnerable - youths, women and children - who would be victims of such a calamity, if it occurs. Fourthly, he warned of the envisaged post-election violence, which he stated could be higher and more severe than what was obtainable in 2011 because if “President Jonathan wins, the North would erupt into violence as it did in 2011. If Buhari wins, the Niger Delta will erupt into violence”. Akinyemi further expressed his worries that, should this happen - even though he does not “believe that we need rocket science to make this prediction” - it would be disastrous. Preparatory to the predicted mayhem, he alleged that there were allegations of illegal and massive importation of weapons into the country, which he

Jonathan

Akinyemi

noted, had reached alarming proportions by militants forces with the intention of battling the nation’s official armed forces, going by the reported cases of armed importation into the country lately and the sympathy garnered from some African and nonAfrican collaborators that may wish to dissolve Nigeria “into a theatre of bloodshed, gore and instability”. Akinyemi concluded his letter by offering two ways out of the gloomy situation. Number one, he suggested that both presidential candidates (Jonathan and Buhari) should meet and sign a Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) that would commit them to civil and peaceful campaigns devoid of threats by preaching the imperative of peaceful elections, taming of party supporters, preventing violent protests and holding of a pre-election meeting between the candidates and the assemblage of 10 “council of wisemen” that would assist in managing the envisaged post-election conflicts. While it will not be feasible to ascertain what actually transpired between the Professor and the deceased,

what remains incontrovertible about the fears nursed by Akinyemi, as an elder statesman and patriotic citizen, is that the upcoming elections would be a critical factor in what becomes of Nigeria in 2015 and beyond, as predicted in the United States’ “semiofficial sources”. Also, the build-up to the elections has been characterised by high level of politicking, provocative statements and bickering by gladiators. The nation’s declining security situation, unemployment situation and socio-economic downturn have promoted the loud call for a change of government, to offer the people an alternative in their quest for good governance. It is this power tussle between the ruling party and the opposition that may brew the tension and the do-or-die politicking that has become a regular feature of African politics. We recall the verbal exchange of words that once prompted the Department of State Security to invite a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Mujahedeen AsariDokubo over what the DSS termed their ‘inciting statements’. El-Rufai, the then Deputy National Secretary of APC and the party’s current governorship candidate in Kaduna State had warned that next year’s elections could be marred by riots and crisis, except the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies were determined to hold free and fair elections. Asari-Dokubo has also insisted that his kinsmen would only be peaceful on the condition that the government calls the opposition party, APC to “order” by threatening that the Niger Delta militia would make the country ungovernable if Jonathan failed in his re-election bid. Other prominent groups such as the Arewa Consultative Forum and the Northern Elders’ Forum have also clamoured that power should return to the North. Despite the stark reality that all is not well with us as a nation, the options propounded by the well-respected professor of Political Science in his open letter may, however, not be too helpful

The real solution to the nation’s problems include the practice of true federalism, good governance, promotion of the rule of law, conduction of free and credible elections and the smooth functioning of our public institutions as opposed to the glorification of individuals, personalities or “council of wisemen.”

in finding solutions to identified problems. Aside, we should ask; to what extent are the presidential aspirants truly liable for the conduct of their supporters? We should realise that under the existing laws, adults above the voting age of 18 years are solely accountable for their acts. Therefore, on no grounds should the aspirants be made to suffer for the actions of others. Secondly, the predicted North versus South violence is a product of social-political problems befalling the nation. Over the years, the various geo-political zones have never ceased to complain of one form of marginalisation or the other bordering chiefly on resource allocation, infrastructural and political advantage. That is why every ethnic or tribal group wants to gain power at all cost in a bid to redistribute national resources to regions. These agitations as pointed out by Akinyemi, did not just start now. So, why should the presidential aspirants sign any MoU and be held liable for the perceived injustice in the system? This dissatisfaction with the system allegedly caused Akinyemi his “low moments during the just-concluded 2014 National Conference was when, in an attempt to break an impasse, I painted a grim picture of devastation which would follow a breakdown of the Nigerian state, to which a delegate between 45 and 55 years old replied, ‘so what?’”. The real solution to the nation’s problems include the practice of true federalism, good governance, promotion of the rule of law, conduction of free and credible elections and the smooth functioning of our public institutions as opposed to the glorification of individuals, personalities or “council of wisemen”, with due respect, as recommended by Akinyemi. When public institutions like INEC, the judiciary, police and other law enforcement agencies are made to function efficiently and effectively, most of the problems afflicting us as a nation will be surmounted. This is what is obtainable in other progressive nations around the world. Finally, even though Jonathan has indicated that he will not sign such an MoU, but admitted in his 2015 New Year message that in the “2011 general elections, some unpatriotic elements embarked on an orgy of violence, resulting in the destruction of lives and property”, promising that this time, this will not be allowed to happen as his government will act decisively against anyone who disrupts the public peace, before, during or after the elections. While thanking Akinyemi for his patriotic letter that has served one major purpose - whistle blowing but beyond these symptoms, he should join others by ensuring that the identified problems facing us as a nation and the way forward - as highlighted in the report of the National Conference, of which he was an active player - are implemented without further delay. • Kupoluyi writes from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, vide, adewalekupoluyi@yahoo. co.uk, Twitter, @AdewaleKupoluyi

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