Binder1 aug 28, 2014 by Newtelegraphonline

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Thursday, August 28, 2014 Vol. 1 No. 191

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Shell to net $5bn from sale of Nigerian oilfields Ayodele Aminu

ome Nigerian oilfields owned by a Royal Dutch Shell-led consortium are close to being sold for about $5 billion to domestic buyers, The Financial Times of London

reported yesterday. Last year, Shell put up for sale its 30 per cent shares in four oil blocks in the Niger Delta - Oil Mining Licences (OML) 18, 24, 25, 29 - as well as a major pipeline, the Nembe Creek Trunk Line.

The price of the four oilfields and a key pipeline co-owned by Shell, France’s Total and Eni of Italy has doubled since initial estimates towards the end of last year and the latest moves by oil and gas major corporations to

reduce their onshore oil presence in Nigeria. The Financial Times quoted sources as saying the sale could amount to $5.2billion, adding that the figure could still change as the companies negotiated the final details.

Reuters also confirmed that Shell had reached deals on some of the four Nigerian oil fields it has offered for sale but refusing to give details on the value of the deals nor when the full process would be comCONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Jonathan, Obasanjo hold talks to check insecurity lCameroun kills 27 Boko Haram militants in border clashes lNigeria’s sovereignty to be asserted in Gwoza, others soon, says DHQ Anule Emmanuel, Emmanuel Onani and Kunle Olayeni

resident Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun

Obasanjo yesterday met behind closed doors to find a way of tackling the security challenge bedevilling Nigeria. The meeting, which held at the State House,

Abuja, at the instance of the president, came just as Cameroun announced that its troops had killed 27 Boko Haram militants during a gunfight in the northern part of the country.

It was learnt that the two leaders, who have enjoyed a frosty relationship in the last few years, discussed the insecurity foisted on the North by Boko Haram, which has

killed about 3,000 people this year. Obasanjo had in 2011 seized the initiative to open negotiations with the outlawed group with a visit to Maiduguri, the

A cross-section of human rights activists during a candle light procession for the late Dr. Stella Adadevor, who lost her life to Ebola virus in Abuja…yesterday.

Borno State capital, where he met family members of Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf, a former leader of the Boko Haram sect, who was extra-judicially murdered CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

PHOTO: ELIJAH OLALUYI

Ebola: Danger not over yet, says Fed Govt LAGOS

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lJonathan condemns stigmatisation of Nigerians lUN commends Nigeria on fight against EVD Anule Emmanuel and Emmanuel Masha

he Federal Government yesterday dampened Nigerians’ celebratory mood over the

containment of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country with a warning that EVD traits are still prevalent in the country. Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu,

who had on Tuesday said Nigeria was close to winning the war against EVD as only one case was left,

however explained that although the country has recorded tremendous success in

containing the disease, the battle is not yet over. Chukwu told State CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

40 killed in renewed Nasarawa crisis }5

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

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FEC approves N4.2bn power transmission projects for Anambra

lDraft bill to strengthen medical centres underway Emmanuel Anule ABUJA

he Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved contract worth N4.2 billion two major power projects in Anambra State. Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, who briefed State House correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting which was presided by President Goodluck Jonathan that the first contract was for engineering design, manufacture, supply, construction testing and commissioning of the Onitsha -Ifitedunu 132 KV Transmission line and sub-station.

He said that the contract was awarded in favour of Messrs Sinotec-CCC international joint venture at the cost of $5.992 million, N1.141billion and another N271.9million. Nebo said that Council also approved the award of contract for engineering design, manufacture, supply, construction testing and commissioning of 2x60 MVA, 132/33Kv substation at Ifitedunu and 2x 132 line bays extension at Onitsha in favour of Messrs MBH Power limited at the cost of $8, 315,264.53 plus N864, 274, 352.96 inclusive of N431, 852,916.28 for the right of way compensation, 5 per

cent VAT and 19 per cent contingency. Both contracts are expected to be completed within 24 months. The minister noted that it has become necessary for government to execute the power project considering the importance of the area as a major industrial zone in Nigeria. The FEC also approved a new draft bill for an Act to establish Federal Medical Centres with uniform functions, managerial and administrative structures. The bill which aspect is expected to be fine-tuned by the Attorney General of the Federation would reposition medical centres in

the country to provide tertiary healthcare services within areas of operation and for connected matters. According to the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, “Since the establishment of the Federal Medical Centres, no Act has been enacted for them as they have been operating under the Act establishing the teaching hospitals, “University Hospitals” Act of 1985 CAP 463 with attendant difficulties and challenges in its application.” Due to rapid growth in professionalism in the health sector, he said it is now important to enact enabling laws specifically

L-R: National Conference Secretary, Dr. Valerie Azinge; Vice Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi; President Goodluck Jonathan and the conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, during a visit to the president at the State House, Abuja...yesterday

PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

APC has lost nothing with Ikimi’s exit, says party chief Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

he All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday said that has lost nothing “substantially or meaningful” with the exit of former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, from the party. The leadership of APC in Edo State stated that Ikimi’s exit will pave the way for better reorganisation of the party. State Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Godwin Erhahon, told New Telegraph that with the resignation of Ikimi and others from the party, “God has started clearing those perceived to be obstacles to the path of APC’s victory in the 2015 elections.” “We pray that whoever

that will constitute obstacle to victory in the 2015 presidential election that God will push him or her out and so we are not going to wait,” he said. Erhahon stated that the party is not losing anything with the exit of Ikimi from the party. His words: “For now the state chapter will not want to comment in details on the decision of Chief Tom Ikimi to leave us. At the appropriate time, when he settles down in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he is obviously going, we will have time to respond to some of his outbursts. We saw a lot of claims and counter-claims in the letter he wrote; we will address them in due course. “Even now in Igueben, the member representing

Igueben in the state House of Assembly is from the PDP which means even while he was with us he lost his local government to the PDP and therefore we cannot lose more than that now that he is gone. We are also hoping that with his exit, the party will be better organised at his local level and by the next election, we are going to be able to defeat the PDP in that constituency and that tells you that we don’t believe that we have lost anything substantial or meaningful.” According to him, “we don’t want to join issues with him at this level. At the proper time we shall reply him and when we reply him he will also know that we know what we are doing. And we wish him well wherever he is going but

we sympathise with him because if he said he is running away from crocodile in APC, he is running into the lion’s den. I wish him well by the proper time we will address him properly.” Erhahon, however, disagreed with public perception that all is not well with the opposition party. “Not at all; we see it (Ikimi’s resignation from the party) as a good omen. In every system, God will always help those who mean well. We pray that whoever that will constitute obstacle to victory in the 2015 presidential election that God will push him or her out. God is not waiting till these people did damage to the system before sending them out. All of them who want to leave we wish them well,” he said.

for these centres in order to maintain cohesiveness in the system. “The absence of laws

governing the Federal Medical Centres has led to arbitrariness in the system with the resultant interprofessional squabbles and industrial disharmony amongst the professional groups in these centres,” he noted. There are currently 21 Federal Medical Centres across the country.

Jonathan condemns stigmatisation of Nigerians CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

House reporters after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja that the country was not completely free from the risk of the deadly Ebola virus because there could still be fresh cases which may be a major threat. President Goodluck Jonathan who also spoke on the Ebola contagion when he received a Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. David Navarro, condemned the stigmatisation of Nigerians by some countries over outbreak of the disease in the country. Speaking further on his caution for Nigerians not to celebrate the containment of the EVD for now, Chukwu explained that what Nigeria has been able to achieve was to successfully contain the disease with a few cases of people under observation at an isolation centre. According to him, while there is no cause for Nigerians to panic over the Ebola virus, they should not also have the euphoria that the disease has been completely eliminated. “While Nigeria has successfully contained Ebola, it has not eliminated the disease because there is still a case we are managing and as long as there is one case in the world, every country is still at risk. “It is still possible that Nigeria may record between one to three new cases because there are people under surveillance. “There is a case we are still managing and even that case we are still managing must also have had her own third degree contacts, many of whom are part of this number of people that are under surveillance. “There is still a chance of that people under surveillance may fall sick and test positive. So, until we give a clean bill of health to every contact, we cannot even say we have eliminated the disease,” Chukwu stated. The minister also explained that the N1.9 billion released by the Federal Government was not money to be distributed to states to fight Ebola but an intervention fund for the Federal Ministry of Health and its agencies to combat

the disease. According to him, whatever is purchased by agencies of the Federal Ministry of Health will be distributed to states to also assist them contain the disease. Chukwu also disclosed that there was no panic in the country to warrant the closure of the borders. He, however, said government might consider closing the borders if absolutely necessary. “There is no panic to close borders but if it becomes necessary, we may close borders. Our borders are still opened but what we are doing is screening of people coming into the country,” he said. On his part, Jonathan denounced discriminatory actions such as that which forced Nigeria’s team to the Youth Olympics in China to abandon its participation over the outbreak of Ebola in the country. He said there was no justification for such stigmatisation of Nigerians since the Ebola virus had been effectively contained and had never attained an epidemic level. The president called for the cessation of discriminatory actions against Nigerians over the virus and urged the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, to support the call. Responding to Moon’s commendation of Nigeria’s management of the threat of Ebola, Jonathan praised the Ministry of Health, the Lagos State Government and Nigerians for the success achieved so far in containing the virus and avoiding a national epidemic. “All hands have been on deck to contain the virus here. I commend my team and the Lagos State Government. We have been able to set politics aside and work in unison to deal with a national threat. “All other Nigerians have played a part too by complying with the directives and advice we have issued to stop the virus from spreading any further. The success we have had is a testimony to what we can achieve as people if we set aside our differences and work together,” the president added. He assured the special CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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Cameroun kills 27 Boko Haram militants in border clashes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

by the police, an action that aggravated the discontent of the group. However, shortly after his visit, the spokesman for the family, Alhaji Babakura Fugu, who received Obasanjo’s delegation in Maiduguri, was shot dead by gunmen, suspected to be Boko Haram members. The former president had also in May met with people believed to be close to Boko Haram in bid to negotiate the release of over 200 schoolgirls who Boko Haram kidnapped from the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. The meeting, which took place at his farm in Otta, Ogun State, were attended by relatives of some senior Boko Haram fighters as well as intermediaries. The meeting between Jonathan and Obasanjo came barely four days after the former president criticised the state of the nation’s economy and its handling by the president. He had also drawn similarities between the Jonathan administration and the regime of the late General Sani Abacha, saying both almost wiped out the middle class. Obasanjo, on returning to his Abeokuta base from Abuja, told reporters that he had gone to see the president who had sought

audience with him to discuss the security challenge facing the country. He added that the president had wanted to come to Abeokuta to meet him, but in deference to his office, he had volunteered to meet Jonathan in Abuja where they discussed purely security matters. “Yes, I can confirm that I met with Mr. President on his invitation. In fact, he had wanted to come down to Abeokuta, but as a sign of respect to the Office of the President, I had to go. We had discussion on the country’s security issues and that is all,” he stated. Obasanjo, who expressed appreciation to the president for the invitation, said he would continue to make himself available in the services

of the nation so that peace could reign. Speaking on the Eggon/ Fulani crisis in the NorthCentral zone, the former president appealed to Benue and Nasarawa state governments to ensure that peace is restored to the warring communities. Obasanjo said the Eggon who are farmers and the Fulani who are herders must understand each other and accommodate their differences. “There is no way such (clashes) will not happen, but the two state governments should come up with lasting solutions. The farmers would want their crops to be protected, while the cattle men will also want their cattle to feed. So, the government should fashion out peace-

ful means to end the crisis,” he stated. Also yesterday, there was a report of Camerounian army killing 27 members Boko Haram during gunfight in Fotokol, a town in the northern part of the country. Reuters, in the report yesterday in which it quoted a state radio, said the gunfight showed a sign of growing cross-border activity by the militants. The Boko Haram fighters crossed the border into Cameroun earlier this week, after attacking a military base and police station in Gamboru-Ngala, a border town in Borno State. Some 480 Nigerian troops who were retreating from the war zone following the attack on the

town on Monday by Boko Haram insurgents had crossed over to Cameroun and were disarmed. Their retreat had triggered a controversy that pitted the Camerounian military authorities, which claimed the soldiers fled from Boko Haram attack and were disarmed when they entered the Camerounian territory. But the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), had faulted the claim, saying the soldiers were on a tactical manoeuvring. “Cameroun’s soldiers have killed 27 Boko Haram elements during an attack in a locality near Fotokol in the far-north,” the state radio, CRTV, said, adding that the deaths occurred on Monday and Tuesday. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido (right) with first military administrator of the state, Brig.-Gen. Olayinka Sule (rtd), at the 23rd anniversary of the state in Dutse...yesterday.

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Shell to net $5bn from sale of Nigerian oilfields

35o C 23oC Thunder Storms

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IBADAN

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CALABAR

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35oC 24oC Partially Cloudy

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AEROCONTRACTORS LAGOS-ABUJA (MON-FRI) 06:50; 13:30; 16:30; 19:45 (SAT/SUN) 12:30; 16:45 ABUJA-LAGOS (MON-FRI) 07:30; 13:00; 19:00 (SAT) 12:30 (SUN) 15:30

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

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

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

TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST ABUJA

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

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pleted. “We have signed sales and purchase agreements for some of the oil mining leases, but not all that we are seeking to divest,” a Shell spokesman said yesterday. Politics have also played a role, according to Reuters. The government is keen on putting indigenous operators in charge of onshore oil extraction, leaving the international majors to manage more difficult and capital-intensive deep-water projects offshore. Firms have also been hampered by uncertainty over the particulars of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) designed to overhaul the industry, which has been stuck in parliament for two years and looks unlikely to be passed before February 2015 elections. Other companies in-

cluding Total, Eni, and Chevron are also set to dispose of their assets. Last month, ConocoPhillips sealed a $1.5 billion deal with Oando, process that took more than 18 months to sign off. France’s Total and Italy’s Eni are also set to raise revenue from the sale of 10 per cent and 5 per cent stakes in the assets. Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC) is a Shell-run joint venture 55 per cent-owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), with the other 45 per cent split between Shell, Total and Eni. In March, Reuters reported that Nigerian firms, Taleveras and Aiteo, made the highest bid of $2.85 billion for OML 29, the biggest of the four oil fields. Two market sources said Aiteo had won that

bid, although it was not clear whether the two companies were still working as partners. One banking source said Aiteo might have gone in without Taleveras. A senior Taleveras official said the company could not comment until Shell makes an announcement. A senior Nigerian oil executive said a consortium headed by Pan Ocean Oil Corporation had bid for OML 24 at a price of about $1 billion. He said it worked out to about $10 per barrel of crude in the ground, similar to Oando’s deal, and that the price was “high, especially considering the issues with the trunkline”. The banking source said Crestar had clinched OML 25. It was not clear who had got OML 18, the sources said but The Financial

Times reported it went to Eroton, a consortium of Midwest Oil and Gas and Mart Resources. Cement and food tycoon Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man with a fortune of some $20 billion, was among the bidders on the blocks, although he did not win anything, the sources said. There is widespread speculation that Shell is also seeking to offload OMLs 11 and 17 in Ogoniland, where it has faced criticism from the United Nations Environment Programme and human rights groups for failure to adequately clean up decades of oil spills. A Shell spokesman declined to comment on this. Shell, along with many other oil majors, is undergoing a broad process of asset sales across the world in an effort to cut costs and boost profits.

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

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Akunyili: Gowon, Obiano, Anenih, Obasanjo’s wife pay tributes Tony Okafor AWKA

ormer Head of State, General Yahubu Gowon (rtd) yesterday declared that it would be rare to get Prof. Dora Akunyili’s replacement, noting that her legacy would live on. Gowon spoke at the Honours and Tributes Ceremony of the late Minister of Information and Communications held at the Women’s Development Centre, Awka, the Anambra State capital. He said the encomiums that had poured in since the demise of the former Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) were enough to console her family and Nigerians in general. He said what would be required of Nigerians now was to pray for the repose of the soul of the fallen am-

azon as well as keeping her legacies and ideals alive. In her tribute, the wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Bola, extolled the virtues and courage of Akunyili, stressing that her memory would linger forever. She described her as a model that impacted on so many lives. Mrs. Obasanjo said Akunyili would stick out her neck to ensure that justice prevailed. Governor Willie Obiamo of Anambra State, and his wife, Ebele, in their separate speeches on the occasion said the late Akunyili made great impact in their family lives, saying they would not forget her counsel, especially on how to govern the state. Obiano said he was on the verge of appointing her as the state’s ambassador plenipotentiary before death struck. In her tribute, Mrs Josephine Anenih used the fo-

rum to clear the air about some insinuations in some quarters that the former NAFDAC boss used her position in the agency to fight Ndigbo. She said: “The people Akuniyili fought were bad

people and murderers irrespective of their ethnicity.” Speaking, the widower of the late professor, Dr. Chike Akunyili, thanked the dignitaries that attended the event for the role they played since the

death of his wife. He restated that his wife did not hate anybody, group or tribe but that she was a stickler to principles, noting that as the DirectorGeneral of NAFDAC, the late professor had to sack

his younger brother from the agency for disobeying the rules. He enjoined parents to educate their children, saying that his late wife was able to do all she did because of education.

40 die in renewed Nasarawa crisis Cheke Emmanuel LAFIA

t least 40 people have been feared killed in a renewed fight between the Eggon and Alago people in Tudun Adabu area of Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. It was learnt that the renewed fight between Eggon and Alago was an escalation of the crisis between Fulani herdsmen and Eggon people, which began at Alingani but spilled

over to Tudun Adabu in Obi Local Government yesterday. The fight led to loss of lives on both sides and rendered thousands of people homeless. It was also gathered that the attack on Alago at Tudun Adabu by Eggon youths followed the allegations that the Alago youths had joined forces with the Fulani mercenaries to fight them. Senior Special Assistant to Governor Tanko AlMakura on Public Affairs,

Abdulhameed Kwarra, told journalists shortly after an expanded state executive council meeting presided over by the governor at the Government House, Lafia, that government had taken measures to nip the crisis in the bud. He said that the State Security Council meeting was discussing ways to contain the crisis and restore peace in the areas engulfed by crisis. Kwarra added that AlMakura had visited the In-

ternally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Awanga, Wamba and Nasarawa Eggon local government areas to see their conditions of living. According to him, the governor also donated relief materials to the IDPs. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Ismaila Numan, confirmed the story in a telephone interview with journalists. He was, however, silent on casualty figure, but said the police were on top of the situation.

UN commends Nigeria on fight against EVD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

envoy that in spite of the seeming success of its containment measures, the Federal Government and its agencies will remain vigilant to guard against further cases of Ebola in the country. Earlier, Navarro had commended the Federal Government for its efforts in curbing the EVD in the country. He said: “The point I made to the President of Nigeria is that this country and its people have performed excellently in their response to the Ebola Virus Disease. It has been a whole of country effort. All of the society is involved and the correct procedures have been adopted. “There will always be outbreaks of dangerous diseases in our world because of globalisation because we want freedom of movement between countries and between communities. And because there are viruses that move from the animal kingdom to the human population. “We also know that good health public techniques and the full involvement of the society, good leadership by all, whatever their political parties, can lead to successful control. “We of course regret that some people lost their lives. There may be someone who got sick and died as a result of this current Ebola insertion into Nigeria but I am confident that the government and the people are responding in a proper way and to ensure that the situation is kept under control by the way

they are paying full attention to the people’s rights and entitlement.” Meanwhile, there was panic in Port Harcourt yesterday following the report of the death of a suspected person infected with the Ebola virus. The unidentified patient was said to have escaped from a quarantined centre in Lagos and was admitted at a private hospital in Port Harcourt, where he succumbed to the virus. But the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Samson Parker, has dismissed the Ebola scare, saying there has been no reported case of the virus in the state since the LiberianAmerican Patrick Sawyer brought the disease to Nigeria. Parker, who spoke to reporters shortly after the news of the alleged Ebola victim’s death broke, said the state government had put in place measures to tackle the virus. He said his ministry was aware that a health worker died of diarrhoea in the state, but the cause of his death was not related to Ebola. “There has been no confirmed case of Ebola in Rivers State. People should take precautionary measures to refrain from unnecessary handshakes, kissing, embrace,” Parker said. He said the state government was working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Federal Government and some agencies to check the disease in the state.

L-R: National Vice-Chairman (South-South), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Uche Secondus; Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka and PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, at the State House, Abuja...yesterday. PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

‘Nigeria’s sovereignty to be asserted in Gwoza, others soon’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

The report was, however, silent on any Camerounian casualties. A Camerounian soldier in the region said the militants had been pushed back into Nigeria, with calm returning to the area by yesterday. Boko Haram, which is seeking to carve out a de facto Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has stepped up attacks in Cameroun, leading the country to increase deployments along its jungle border. But Cameroun has not always been successful in fending off Boko Haram raids. President Paul Biya dismissed two senior army officers last month following attacks in which at least seven people were killed and the wife of the vice prime minister was kidnapped. Meanwhile, the DHQ has reiterated the commitment of the military

to retake Gwoza, a town in Borno State and any other area that may have come under the control of the terrorist group. The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major General Chris Olukolade, gave the assurance in a telephone interview with Channels Television’s morning programme, Sunrise Daily, which New Telegraph monitored in Abuja yesterday. Olukolade also confirmed that the 480 Nigerian soldiers, who found themselves in Cameroun, after a “tactical manouevre” from a fierce fighting with the insurgents at Gamboru-Ngala, have returned home. Olukolade’s vow came in the wake of the declaration on Sunday, of an “Islamic Caliphate” in Gwoza, by the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, and the “tactical manouevre” of about 480

Nigerian soldiers into Cameroun, after a fierce fighting with the insurgents at Gamboru-Ngala, a border town with Cameroun. “We are definitely working to reverse all those tendencies; we are not conceding any portion of this country to a group of terrorists and the required operation to reverse that is ongoing,” he said. He added that the military was “working to ensure that not just Gwoza” is repossessed, but “its surroundings and other portions that terrorists seem to be moving around. We are sure we will accomplish this in a short while.” He also explained that the soldiers who had returned from Cameroun had returned to their units. He said: “As you observed, the soldiers are

actually back in Nigeria. “They have regained their units; they are back intact with their weapons and all their equipment, and they are continuing with their operations.” According to him, the military is also upgrading its equipment to put it in a better stead to defend the nation’s territorial integrity. On external assistance to the ongoing counter-insurgency war, Olukolade said: “At the moment, help from outside is improving. In many instances, we exchange ideas and we are exchanging intelligence. “In relation to cooperation in the neighbourhood, there has been improvement in various elements of patrol to enhance the capability of our men to join in the patrol to contain the various movements of terrorists, particularly in the Chad Basin area.”

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

Govt not fulfilling agreement, say resident doctors Obinna Odoh Abuja

he National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) yester-

day accused the Federal Government of failing to fulfil its part of the agreement which led to the suspension of the 55-day old industrial action em-

barked upon by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). Consequently, the association stated that the failure of government

has been responsible for the failure of its members to resume work. The President of NARD, Dr. Jibril Abdullahi, told New Telegraph

Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, flanked by his wife, Ebelechukwu and Chike, widower of former Minister of Information, Prof. Dora Akunyili, during a night of tributes for the late minister in Awka, Anambra State…yesterday

that since the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan and Senate President David Mark, resident doctors have been waiting for government to withdraw the circular restraining them from residency training and the sack of 16,000 doctors. He said nothing has been done in that regard. According to Abdullahi, government must fulfil its part before the resident doctors in all the Teaching and National hospitals will resume work. Abdullahi explained that “as you can see the strike has been suspended but doctors are not working in all the Teaching and National Hospitals” How can resident’s doctors who are sacked go back to work? Which work?” he queried. According to the NARD president, “Apart from the sack letters, the

Chief Medical Directors of The Teaching Hospitals and National Hospitals have been giving directives to ensure that only consultants are allowed to work. “So, this is the reason we have not resumed work. It is not our fault and also not in our hands. Government must fulfil its own part so that we can return to work. “Now that President Jonathan and Senator Mark have intervened on the matter, very soon everything will be resolved and we will return back to work. “The matter is with the Federal Ministry of Health but I assure you very soon the matter will be over. Some of our members have started working already, but very soon all the remaining doctors will resume work.”

We won’t succumb to illegality, Fashola warns motorcyclists Nigeria’s destiny threatened by Muritala Ayinla

overnor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has warned commercial motorcyclists to return to the inner city roads not outlawed for their operation. The governor’s warning came on the heels of speculations on purported plan to review the Lagos Traffic Law 2012 and the consequent return of the commercial motorcyclists also known as Okada riders to prohibited roads and bridges in Lagos. Fashola, who spoke at a meeting with leaders of commercial motorcycle riders’ associations and Community Development Committees on the implementation of the Traffic Law, urged motorcyclists to take the necessary steps about the identities of policemen who arrest them

unlawfully. The governor promised that his government was ready to fish out such policemen. He, however, emphasised that there was no going back on the enforcement of the law. Fashola argued that the issue of the implementation of the Traffic Law was not political but that of safety. While urging the operators to obey the Traffic Law, the governor said that even on the approved routes, motorcyclists must not carry more than one passenger and must not drive against traffic or ride without wearing crash helmets. He said: “Even in the approved places, the Traffic Law is still there, you cannot carry more than one passenger, you can’t drive against traffic and

you can’t ride without a helmet because I want you all to be alive. Those of you who cannot afford helmets, I would provide helmets for you but I want you to be safe. “You should know that in those places where you are allowed to operate, you must operate safely. Have you ever travelled before by air and you tell the cabin crew of an aircraft that you will not use the seat belt in the plane because you have travelled several times? Even people who ride power bikes still have accidents but are saved sometime by the usage of crash helmets.” Fashola also called for the setting up of Contact Committees across the various Police Area Commands, which should be decentralised so that the faces of those monitoring and supervising are well

known to the people. He added: “All of you representing the various constituencies will pick who would be your local government chairmen and local governments would pick area commanders and when you come back, you tie it back to the divisional police officers. “At least, the DPO supports the local governments here so there should be that interface at the grassroots where there is a report and a solution. “If it cannot be resolved at the DPO level, then we escalate it to the Area Commander. If we can’t solve it there, we will bring it to the Commissioner of Police level and it will get to us at the monthly Security Council meeting and if we can’t solve it there; it will get to the AIG.”

NNPC seeks partnership with Army, Police over assets

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has called on the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force to help the corporation guard its vital oil and gas assets. Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dawha, made this calls yesterday during courtesy visits to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah, at the Defence Headquarters, and the Acting Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, at the Force Headquarters. He thanked the security chiefs for their role in pro-

viding cover for the operations of the NNPC despite mounting challenges. The GMD, according to statement from the corporation yesterday, said the NNPC would continue to collaborate with the Nigerian Army, adding that the organisation had been providing security support for the oil firm’s assets in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. Dawha also highlighted the role of the Nigerian Army Engineering Corps in clearing and providing security for NNPC Right of Way across the country.

He enjoined the army to continue to provide security support in the fight against crude oil theft as this had impacted negatively on the nation’s resources in recent times. In his address, Minimah expressed satisfaction in the collaborative bond between NNPC and the Nigerian Army. He said the two organisations would continue to have common grounds of cooperation for the economic development of Nigeria. The army chief noted that the adequate provi-

sion of security to national assets including those of NNPC was one of the first lines of duty of the army and assured the GMD and his team of sustained support. The statement noted that Dawha, before the courtesy call to the Defence Headquarters, had visited the Louis Edet House where he paid tribute to the officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force for their untiring support in providing security to NNPC’s assets and facilities across all sub-sectors.

lack of electricity – Minister

inister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, has said that Nigerians’ destiny is being threatened by the lack of electricity. He said that with the increasing population in the country, there was the need for reinforcement of forces to avert the looming threat to Nigeria’s future as a result of inadequate power supply. The minister said the recent disqualification of some students by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board over deficiencies in ICT would not have occurred if there was adequate electricity for rural dwellers. According to him, the adequate supply of power would have helped expose the affected students to the use of computers and information technology. Nebo, in a statement issued by the Assistant Director, Press, Federal Ministry of Power, Mrs. Patricia Deworitshe, was quoted to have stated that “our common destiny is being threatened by lack of access to power.” He, however, expressed the Federal Government’s determination to eradicate darkness in Africa through sub-regional collaborations that would ensure an efficient transmission network super-power-grid across the continent. This, he said, would bring about cooperation from countries in the region as they would draw on their areas of strengths for the collective good of Africa. Nebo disclosed this

when the Under SecretaryGeneral and Special Rep of the UN Secretary-General, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja. The minister said the African Energy Leaders Group championed by the UN was a welcome development as it was targeted at the transformation of the region. He called on the group to give renewable energy a boost as this would make communities that were far flung from the national power grid to get adequately electricity, a development that would promote the citing of small scale industries in such areas. Earlier, Yumkella said his visit to the ministry was to intimate Nigeria on the need for the African Leaders Energy Group. The initiative, he said, was due to the vacuum observed in the Millennium Development Goals which mainly focused on social development without considering the significance of energy as a key factor in the sustainability of the programme. He said the aim of the group was to provide universal access to energy by 2030, improve energy efficiency and double the share of renewable energy mix globally. Yumkella said Nigeria was a case study for other African countries to emulate because of the success recorded in the privatisation of its power sector, adding that the country will head the West African sub-region of the group.

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Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Court adjourns suit seeking Nyako's reinstatement Appolos Christian vacation judge at a Asitting Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice

Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi (right), addressing the people of Rumuepirikom community, during his 'meet the people tour' of communities in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area…on Tuesday

CONTRACTORS Rivers governor lebels those opposing him as failed contractors

overnor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has shed more light on why he is the target of opposition from some politicians within and outside the state. Speaking at a meetthe-people tour of communities in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Amaechi said most of the people opposed to him are in the rank of those he assisted by contract awards but failed to deliver. At Oro-Igwe, he said: “If you check Obio/ Akpor, you will see how many persons that have grown through me. Almost 80 per cent of those fighting me today are people who I have given billions of naira in contracts and they have put the money in their pockets, they did not deliver and they claim they are Ikwerre people. “I have said that the road at Eneka was given to an Obio/Akpor son. The internal road at Rumuolumeni was given to a Rumuolumeni son. They gave it to one of Obio/Akpor sons to do. They have not done it. They have no fear, no shame. You know, the worst money to steal is the money belonging to your people. For me, go and check Ubima road, as an ordinary Special Assistant to Chief Rufus Ada George, the money he brought, we did the Ubima road and when I became Speaker, I got Dr. Odili to do the road and the road lasted until I became governor. “I did not touch Ubima money. I did not say ‘I want to be a big man, contractor, give me N40 million first’. The first

My detractors are enemies of Rivers people, says Amaechi road to Ubima was N40 million. One kobo, I did not see. All the roads in Rumuepirikom (community of Nyesom Wike) were done by this administration. I gave the contracts to your son and paid hundred per cent. But almost all the roads there have gone bad and they are not major traffic route. It is because of greed. As an Ikwerre man, what else can I do? Please tell me what else you want me to do that I have not done. I just did not do the road, I gave it to Ikwerre people to go and do. If you are not a good contractor, you look for the good contractor to do for you, is it not? Now, you are not a good contractor, you don’t want to go and hire a good contractor, you just buy one pay loader and you begin to scratch the ground." He thanked the people of Oro-Igwe for the opportunity of meeting with them and urged them to beware of those who would be dishonest or would betray people for selfish reasons: “Nobody should come here and lie to you. They are careless at talking. They lie a lot. Ask them, as Speaker for eight years, Governor for seven years, they should show you my property. They are buying people’s land all over, buying people’s properties all over, building houses without fear. Ask them, ‘where did they get the money from?’ If I gave them power, I gave them money, and they couldn’t build road for you, is it when they become governor that they will build it? “You know, it’s funny that all the roads we did around here are broken down. The Eneka-Rukpokwu road, we did it,

we gave it to an Obio/Akpor son...I am here making this assurance that I will do it again. I promise that before I leave government, I will do it and by latest October, a contractor will come to do it. “I am an Ikwerre son and I am the governor. If you know me, I have two qualities I don’t compromise, I don’t betray people. Anybody who says I betrayed him should come forward. I hate dishonest people because I try not to be dishonest. What I can’t do for you, I will tell you I can’t do for you. It’s good to sleep well, not tomorrow you wake up, and somebody is at your door saying, ‘you promised me this.’ I am not among those lot,” he noted. At Rukpokwu Community, Amaechi recalled how he empowered several indigenous contractors who simply collected mobilisation funds and either abandoned the job or performed poorly. Meanwhile, Amaechi has declared his intent to build more model primary schools in the area to meet up with the rising number of school-age children in the zone. “I have listened to you, it is compulsory for government to provide another school in Rukpokwu because of the population." The population is moving from Port Harcourt to Obio/Akpor to Ikwerre, now as the population continues to grow, the pressure on facilities and infrastructure will also continue to increase and the implication, therefore, is that in areas like here, where we have this kind of small school, we need to build a second one. We are building two in Igwu-

ruta because the population in Igwuruta is very high now. So, I think that all these communities in Obio/Akpor around this axis, you need more schools so that we can accommodate more children. It is our responsibility. No politics in it. If you like, you can vote for APC, or you can vote for PDP, but to meet your needs is my responsibility. There is no village you will go to that you won’t see either a primary health care centre or a model primary school. It is my job.” Amaechi said the tour was purely aimed at assessing the level of work done by his administration in all councils before the end of his administration. “We are not here to campaign. We are here purely for the reason of touring the state. As governor, I would go round and see for myself what I need to do before I leave and then the ones I have done that I am satisfied with. My children ask me, and you know, I have children who question me from time to time, and they ask me ‘daddy, if you leave office, what achievement would you say is the best that you can attribute to your development?’ and I said it’s in the education sector. I am proud that I will come out at the airport in Germany and children would come to me and say ‘Good morning sir, I’m a scholar of the Rivers State Government, you pay my fees’, I’m very proud of that,” he said. On their part, the people of Rukpowu community lauded Amaechi for his numerous achievements in the state and were particularly delighted with his presence.

Okon Abang on Tuesday adjourned till September 5, 2014 to entertain a suit seeking the reinstatement of the impeached Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako. A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje filed the fundamental rights enforcement suit on his behalf. Mr. Nelson Okedinachi who represented Ogungbeje in court said the suit was filed in the interest of the public. Before adjourning the suit, Abang had said he was convinced that the matter was urgent and deserved immediate attention. The judge who said his jurisdiction as a vacation judge was limited to the

South West zone, however added that the parties would still need to convince him that he had territorial jurisdiction to entertain the suit on the adjourned date. Joined as the first to sixth respondents in the suit are the Adamawa State Acting Governor, Umaru Fintiri, the Adamawa State House of Assembly, the outgone Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Ambros Mammadi, Chairman of the impeachment panel, Buba Kajama, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Inspector General of Police. While moving an application seeking the leave of the court to be heard during vacation, Okedinachi said the application was brought pursuant to Order 46 Rule 5(2) of the Federal High Court Rules.

Aregbesola: Dialogue hallmark of democracy Adeolu Adeyemo OSOGBO

overnor Rauf AregbeGterday sola of Osun state yesnoted that there

is need for a robust and constant dialogue and engagement which is the essence of democracy and federalism. The governor, who made the observation in a statement in Osogbo, argued that “it is an aberration in any democracy, federalism or republic to render the head of a unit ineffective even for a day let alone weeks as was done in terms of security in the state during the election.” He added that freedom is so central to democracy to the extent that its absence takes meaning out of that democratic system. "Freedom is so important in any democracy. In fact, it is superior to all other ingredients that

make democracy functional. Therefore, there is no democracy where there is no freedom. What separates democracy from other forms of government is the latitude of freedom it gives to the people", he stated. While receiving the management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Osogbo, Aregbesola said the joint ownership of the institution was not negotiable. He said: “Finance is key in the administration of a university but called for a rethink in the philosophy of how to fund the University with the meager resources of the two states.” He argued that there is the need for the two states to continue to jointly fund the university so as to uphold the dream of its founding fathers.

APC factions clash in Ibadan Sola Adeyemo IBADAN

here was a political clash Tsome between rival groups of All Progressives

Congress lawmakers yesterday in Ibadan, where about ten persons were reportedly injured. The fracas which happened in the afternoon at Ojoo area of Ibadan involved a fuji musician, Rashidi Ayinde, who was sighted at the Governor's office in blood- stained cloth. Eye witnesses told New Telegraph that the lawmakers, Temitope Olatoye (a.k.a Sugar) representing Lagelu State constituency

and Abiodun Adigun Ahmed (a.k.a Murphy) representing Akinyele II state constituency had been at each other's throat as both have been nursing same ambition of becoming federal lawmaker in the same federal constituency. Trouble was said to have broken out at a minirally held at Ojoo area when the Fuji musician sang praises of Temitope Olatoye describing him as a political big. The song was said to have infuriated the supporters of Abiodun Ahmed as two of them engaged in battle of popularity on the stage.

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

SSCE: Gombe students can’t access results Ugo Willies

GOMBE

housands of students TAfrican who wrote the 2014 West Examination Cer-

tificate (WAEC) in Government Schools in Gombe State have not been able to access their results as a result of government’s inability to pay the examination fees of the students, weeks after the release of the results. This was confirmed yesterday at the state Min-

L-R: Project Director, Ire Clay Products Limited, Mr. Biodun Adedeji; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Group Managing Director, Odua Investment Company Limited, Mr. Adewale Raji; Director General, Ekiti Enterprises Development Agency, Oscar Ayeleso and Head, Business Development and Strategy, Fountain Holdings Limited, Akin Oluwaleye, during a courtesy visit to the governor, in Ado-Ekiti… yesterday

Jonathan will not interfere in Adamawa guber polls, says PDP Anule Emmanuel and Onyekachi Eze he leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday allayed fears that President Goodluck Jonathan would interfere with the selection process of its candidates in the forthcoming gubernatorial by-election in Adamawa State. The statement from the party is coming amidst media reports that governors elected under the party may be putting pressure on the President not to allow the emergence of Acting

Governor Umar Fintiri, as the flag bearer. According to the reports, Fintiri emergence may send the wrong signal to Speakers of other state Houses of Assembly to choose the option of impeaching their governors on flimsy excuses. Briefing State House correspondents after a meeting between the party's National Working Committee (NWC) members, ministers and members of the National Assembly and President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chief

Atiku’s former aide to contest Adamawa governorship Ibrahim Abdul

Yola

ne of the political asOVice-President sociates of former Atiku

Abubakar and the former Chairman of Yola North Local Government of Adamawa, Alhaji Ibrahim Mijinyawa, has declared his interest to contest the governorship position of Adamawa State under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Formally declaring

his aspiration at the state party secretariat in Yola, Mijinyawa said he was motivated to join the race by the public in appreciation of his selfless service as a former councilor and local government chairman of Yola North metropolis. Mijinyawa, who described himself as an agent of change, said he has what it takes and would bring his experience to bear in transforming the state.

UNICEF deploys its largest emergency operation ever Shadrack Yusuf he United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has released no fewer than 1,000 metric tonnes of life-saving supplies for children caught in the world’s most urgent crises in Copenhagen, Geneva and New York. A press release delivered yesterday quoted UNICEF’s Director of Supply and Logistics Operations, Shanelle Hall,

as saying that it is vital to keep humanitarian corridors open so these supplies continue to reach the children, who desperately need them. According to the director, during multiple crises of this magnitude, children must come first. UNICEF is committed to staying the course. As long as children are in need we will continue to undertake these urgent, complex and vast supply operations.

Olisa Metuh, said the issue of the party's candidate was the sole responsibility of the NWC. He said that the meeting with the President was to ensure harmony among party members at both national and in Adamawa in particular. Metuh said that a committee had been established to enhance interface among members of the PDP in the three tiers of government. He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was yet to decide on waiver applications by three governorship aspirants on the platform of the party for the Octo-

ber 10 governorship byeelection in Adamawa State. The aspirants - the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Brig-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa and former governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (APC) in 2011, Marcus Gundiri, who joined the party from the All Progressives Congress (APC) recently, had applied for waiver to enable them contest the PDP primary.

Why I met with Jonathan – Obasanjo Kunle Olayeni

Abeokuta

ormer President, Chief Fterday Olusegun Obasanjo, yessaid he held talks

with President Goodluck Jonathan over the security situation in the country. The meeting came barely four days after Obasanjo criticised the president on the state of the nation, especially the economy and its handling by the president.

He also drew similarities between Jonathan’s administration and the regime of late General Sani Abacha, saying both almost wiped out the middle class. But, speaking with reporters in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, shortly after meeting Jonathan, the former president said the visit to the Villa was at the instance of the president.

istry of Education, where a senior director who refused to divulge her name, because she was not authorised to do so, told reporters that her superior had gone to the bank to effect the payment transaction many months after the examinations had been written. This situation has further endangered the ambition of most of these secondary school candidates to further their education in tertiary schools across the country.

Oyo govt gets 21-day ultimatum Sola Adeyemo

Ibadan

ational headquarters of NUnion the Non-Academic Staff of Educational and

Associated Institutions has given the Oyo State government a 21-day ultimatum to address its demand or face strike. NASU made this known in a letter addressed to Governor Abiola Ajimobi and made available to New Telegraph yesterday.

The union in the letter signed by its President, Mrs. Ladi Iliya, said that the ultimatum was effective from August 18 and at the expiration of which would be a total strike by its members in the state. NASU said the government has failed to implement the 37.5 percent peculiarity allowance it requested to its members in the State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM).

SUBEB chair visits schools in Adamawa Ibrahim Abdul

Yola

ewly appointed Adamawa Ncation State Universal Basic EduBoard (ADSUBEB)

Chairperson, Dr. Kaletapwa Farauta, has commenced familiarization tour of schools in the state. A statement by the board’s Public Relations Officer, Aishatu Tijani, said the familiarisation tour, which would take the chairperson round schools in the three senatorial zones of the state would help acquaint her with pe-

culiar problems of schools across the state. The statement said that the first leg of the tour started with schools in Demsa, Numan, Lamurde and Yola South Local Government areas. The statement said that in Demsa, the chairperson inspected dilapidated classrooms in Farai Primary school while in Numan, she inspected facilities at junior section of Numan Secondary School and Numan 11 primary schools as well as Pare Girls primary school.

NGO trains youths on skill acquisition

Benue Assembly intervenes in BSU land crisis

Yusuf Shuaib

Cephas Iorhemen

Abuja

non-governmental orAer-Child ganization, the “MothHealth Train-

ing Deventure” based in Makurdi, Benue State have commenced the training of over 100 youths in catering, fish/poultry farming,

beads making, computer and bag making. Coordinator of the organisation, Mrs. Mimidoo Aondongu, made the disclosure when New Telegraph ran into her in Abuja, shortly after the takeoff of the programme in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

Makurdi

BenueStateHouseof AsTthehesembly yesterday directed Ministry of Lands and

Survey to liaise with the state universityandinvestigatethe controversy over a parcel of land on which the institution is situated and report back

Police ban hoisting of party flags in Borno Ahmed Miringa

Maiduguri

orno State police Bbanned command yesterday the indiscrimi-

nate hoisting of political parties’ flags on road sides, roundabouts and

other public places other than party offices and secretariat complexes in the state. The police command in a press statement signed by its Public Relation Officer, Gideon Jibrin, said the indiscriminate hoisting

of parties’ flags has seriously defaced all roads and streets in Maiduguri metropolis. The statement warned the affected political parties to remove such flags from the roads and streets immediately.

to the Assembly within one month. The House equally directed the Ministry of Water Resources to extend public water supply to the university to cushion the problem of perennial water problem faced by the institution while government should commence the construction of central permanent administrative building to accommodate principal officers of theinstitutioninlinewiththe NigerianUniversityCommission’s benchmark. The House gave the directive in the committee of the whole during resumed debate on the report of its standing committee on education after its working visit to some agencies in agencies.

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Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Osun 2014: Tribunal grants PDP, APC order to inspect election materials Adeolu Adeyemo

OSOGBO

sun State Election Petition Tribunal yesterday granted the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) permission to inspect the election materials used for the conduct of August 9 governorship election in the state. The two political parties, which approached the tribunal almost at the same time at the state high court through their legal teams, sought for permission from the tribunal to inspect the materials and obtain Certified True Copy of all documents used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow them prepared grounds for their arguments. The three-man panel, Justice I. M. Bako, Justice Awulo and Justice Benson, however, unani-

mously granted their prayers with an affirmation from the Secretary of the tribunal, Mr. Adamu Mohammed Aliyu, that the 21 days required by law to file the petition will expire on August 30, 2014 and would not be compromised. He said the aggrieved parties may come today to file their petitions, but the motion ex-parte does not affect the law on the expiration of the petition. The PDP and Senator Iyiola Omisore’s legal team led by Afolabi Fashanu (SAN) and others appeared for the applicants and supported their application by an 18-paragraph affidavit with an exhibit, while Mr. Kunle Adegoke Esq; led the APC team. In their reliefs, the PDP and its candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, joined Governor Rauf Aregbesola, his party, the APC and INEC in the suit while APC joined INEC,

the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) and the State Returning Officer as respondents. Meanwhile, Senator Omisore yesterday threatened to expose the massive rigging, electoral malpractices, ballot stuffing and other vices that he said characterised the just concluded election in the state. Omisore, who said all the antics, pranks and antielectoral behaviours of the APC would not be covered, said the acclaimed victory of Aregbesola at the poll, was fraud vowing to reclaim the mandate he argued belonged to him in an interview with newsmen in Osogbo shortly after he approached the tribunal to challenge the governor’s victory. “It is a matter of time. I believe justice would ultimately prevail. There was obvious malpractices and substantial rigging during the election. It was an open robbery, which

cannot stand in the face of incontrovertible evidences that would be presented before the election tribunal. “The PDP is here to challenge the result of the election. We have come to expose the massive rigging, electoral malpractices, ballot stuffing and other vices that characterised the poll. This would further show the people that APC has no place in Osun.” Omisore, who said he has confidence in the tribunal, added that “what informed my confidence in the judiciary to upturn the victory of Aregebesola is that even in the declaration of the result on the 10th of August, the returning officer cancelled some elections in Ejigbo Local Government due to stuffing of ballot boxes. That was the pattern created across the board and we have caught them, trying to perfect their papers.”

Kwara NURTW endorses Ahmed for second term Wale Elegbede s the 2015 general elections draw nearer, the Kwara State council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers Union (NURTW) yesterday endorsed Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, for a second term in office. NURTW Chairman in the state, Alhaji Aliyu Isa Ore, made the endorsement on behalf of the union in a speech during the distribution of cars to branch chairmen of the union. Ore said the Abdulfatah Ahmed administration has shown courage and wisdom in meeting the yearnings and aspirations of the people. He noted that the state government had provided taxi cabs to members of the union on an inter-

Fate of 16,000 sacked resident doctors top NMA agenda in Awka Cajetan Mmuta

BENIN

he fate of the 16,000 sacked resident doctors in the country will today top the agenda of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) meeting today in Awka, Anambra State. The NMA yesterday said the professional competence of resident doctors remain an essential ingredient in the provision of medical services in the nation’s health sector. The body noted that all federal hospitals cannot do without the resident doctors and still aim to achieve the desired success in the provision of effective healthcare

delivery even in the face of the 55-day strike embarked upon by its members. Chairman of the association in Edo State, Prof. Afekhide Omoti, stated this in Benin, the Edo State capital, yesterday. He said members of the body will take the next line of action in a resolution at the end of their meeting today in Awka, Anambra State, especially on the Federal Government’s pending withdrawal of the sack letters to about 16, 000 resident doctors nationwide. “We will be having a meeting tomorrow in Awka. Following that meeting, we will know

what to do,” he disclosed. Omoti said though the Federal Government was yet to live up to its promise, but that medical services were still in skeletal stages in all federal health institutions due to the impact of the letters. “There is no difference, because the only people who the federal government has allowed to come back to work are the consultants, who constitute not more than 10 to 20 per cent of the total number of doctors.” He added that; "The government is supposed to withdraw the sack letters and allow the doctors in all the federal hospitals nationwide to resume.”

est free loan; rendered financial assistance to NURTW members, provided quality leadership and good governance to the state, among others. He said: “I equally wish to use this opportunity to assure Your Excellency that we will continue to maintain law and order and support all the laudable programmes of your administration. This government is ours and we will stand by it beyond 2015.” In his remark, Ahmed, said his administration will soon provide another tranche of 50 buses and 50 taxi cabs to transport operators across the state to expand their earnings, just as he pledged to assist the union in completing its ongoing projects.

2015: Yoruba coalition drums support for Jonathan Yusuf Shuaib

Abuja

o fewer than twenty Nbrella groups under the umof “Yoruba Coali-

L-R: General Manager, Head, Listings Sales and Retention, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mrs. Taba Peterside; Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Oscar Onyema; Group Managing Director, Flour Mills Nigeria (FMN) Plc, Mr. Paul Gbededo; Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Jacques Vauthier and Company Secretary, Mr. Olalekan Saliu, during the Facts Behind the Figure of the company in Lagos… yesterday. PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

tion for Jonathan” (YC4J) have agreed to work together to realise the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, come 2015. This was contained in a press release signed by the group’s Director of Publicity, John Oluwaseyi, issued to newsmen yesterday in Abuja. According to the group, their coming together was powered by the ‘Yoruba Associates of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau’ (YAMIS) at a meeting held in Mapo Hall Ibadan, Oyo State. Newly elected president of the group, Chief Sola Familusi, who commend the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim

Shekarau, for making the amalgamation possible, also thanked eminent Yoruba elders, who provided wise counsel on why President Jonathan is the best candidate for the 2015 elections, and why Yoruba sons and daughters must support him. Familuyi recalled how Chief Obafemi Awolowo, of blessed memory, foretold that a time shall come when an Ijaw young man will one day be president of Nigeria, at the last executive council meeting of the defunct Unity party of Nigeria (UPN) in 1983. Earlier, the national co-coordinator of the group assured that the coalition will go the extra mile to ensure that most eligible Yoruba sons and daughters vote for President Jonathan in the 2015 general elections.

Ibidapo-Obe reads riot act to FUNAI students Charles Onyekwere ABAKALIKI

ice-Chancellor of the Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), Prof. IbidapoObe, has warned prospective students and personnel that the institution will not tolerate thuggery, cultism, examination malpractice and other social vices capable of tarnishing the image and status of the institution. The vice-chancellor, who handed down the warning while fielding questions from members of the correspondent chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ebonyi State Council,

at his office in FUNAI noted that the institution had, during its commencement, punished those involved in such acts. He expressed the determination of the institution to ensure qualitative education for its students and provide a conducive environment for both learning and teaching. He said FUNAI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with five foreign universities as a way of adding value to the acquisition of education for its students and the upgrade of the status of the institution. According to him, the

institution is facing the challenge of security, youth restiveness, infrastructural development, wrongful perception of Ebonyi State by foreigners, among others. “We need to have quality education in this country; universities are universal a property; we want our students to be at par with other institutions. We need to restore the confidence of university education. We want everybody to be employable that is our target as a university.” The vice-chancellor further appreciated the Federal Government for its financial contributions to institutions of learning in the country.

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ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES Editor

THURSDAY, August 28, 2014

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

0802 393 8212

10 die, 90 missing as boat capsizes in Kogi TRAGEDY

Camillus Nnaji Nigeria Association of Social TentsheWorkers (NASOW) has asked parand guardians to pay more at-

90 people are still missing while 10 are feared dead in a boat accident in Kogi State Muhammad Bashir Lokoja

t least 10 persons lost their lives yesterday when a 300-capacity wooden boat capsized at Ebe village in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State. Other passengers aboard the boat are still missing. Ebe is the home town of the former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon Abdulrahaman Dangana. Over 100 passengers, who boarded the boat, were said to have sunk into the River Niger as a result of turbulence allegedly caused by the clash between a security patrol team and a boat conveying oil bunkers. According to a source, the security patrol team chased a boat conveying drums of crude oil which

‘Parents must focus on children’s upbringing’

File picture of a boat mishap

was sighted on the River Niger about midnight on Tuesday into River Burara. The source added that the unfortunate incident was as the result of the diversion of the passenger boat from the original channel onn River Niger to River Gurara owing to the alleged poor dredging of the River Niger by the National

Inland Water Ways Authority (NIWA). The passengers were said to be coming to Lokoja market from Ebe village in Kuba-North community in Lokoja. The General Manager, Corporate Affairs of NIWA, Mr Tayo Fadile, refused to speak on the accident. After several calls, he only gave a terse re-

sponse through a text message which reads: “At meeting, will call you later.” Fadile, however, did not call at press time. A resident of Lokoja and a social critic, Shaaba Abdullahi, blamed the accident on the inability of the Federal Government to complete the dredging of the lower River Niger.

He said if the lower River Niger had been properly dredged and maintained, the boat would not have navigated to Gurara waterway. Abdullahi urged the Federal Government to set up an independent investigation team to dig into the last dredging contract along Baro in Niger State and Lokoja in Kogi State.

tention to the upbringing of their children to have a better Nigeria. The association made the call at an International Conference of Social Workers held in Lagos organised by a panel of social workers. The NASOW National President, Mr Nathaniel Olawale, observed that increase in social vices such as kidnapping, rape, insurgency, drug abuse, robbery and touting was a consequence of the breakdown of family values. He said: “Whatever we experience now has been with us, kidnapping, rape, child abuse, people killing others just to collect handsets, these are no longer issues in the Nigerian society because of repeated occurrences. These vices can be attributed to breakdown of family values.” In his own contribution, the NASOW National Vice-President, Comrade Olu Jacob, said that there was a generational shift on ethical values. He said: “What is being upheld now as lawful was a taboo in those days. Look at the issue of homosexuality dominating debate in many countries, the same sin God used to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, countries are legalising it now. “Pregnancy outside marriage was regarded as a taboo, now it has become very normal and teenage girl’s pregnancy has become a normalcy.”

Hoodlums injure youth leader after PDP primary

Violent clash claims six in Ughelli

GabrielChoba

Gabriel Choba

uspected party thugs Stacked at the weekend atand injured youth

t least six people were said to have been killed in Ughevwughe community, Ughelli-South Local Government Area of Delta State in a violent clash between groups vying for the president-general position of the community. Also, seven others, who sustained serious injuries, have been hospitalised, while property estimated at N20 million were destroyed. Hundreds of people have fled the community. According to investigation, the contenders are from Ohere District with three quarters Ekrevwere, Ekrovie and Ekropeki - where the position was zoned to. An indigene of the community, Mrs Ighofuela Ukre, alleged that one of the groups initiated the attack. She said: “It started because of the struggle for the position of the president-gen-

Ughelli

members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Otu-Jeremi, headquarters of Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. Speaking with our correspondent on the incident yesterday, the PDP Youth Leader in Ughelli South, Mr Hitler Sadiq,whowasalsooneof the victims, described the attack as shocking and unexpected, allegingthattheattackwasas a result of the recent PDP primaries held in the state. He said: “It all started on August 22 when (one honourable) came to my house to warn me, threatening to kill meandmyboys.Iunderrated the threats, believing that as fellow party member both of uscouldalwaysresolveanyissue bothering him. But to my greatest surprise, on August

Ughelli

A Sadiq

23, about 11.00pm, he mobilisedboysfromUgborikokoin Uvwie to attack me and other youth members of the party. “Theyinflictedseveralmachete cuts on me and one Mr ParadiseAkpodowho,leaving us in the pool of blood before wewererushedtoLilyClinic, Warri.Thecasewasreported at the Jeremi Divisional Police Station but up till now no arrest has been made.” When contacted, the state PolicePublicRelationsOfficer (PPRO), DSP Celestina Kalu, confirmed the incident, disclosing that one ‘Honourable’ was involved in the fracas.

eral between two contestants.… tween the groups include Col- Otunu who was also later Ughevwughe has a way of do- lins Andrew, Lucky Uti, Smart killed. “As you can see these five ing its things. The community Ogbemudia, Samuel Ogharaywill swear in new executives emre, Dennis Omagbemi, Efe motorcycles were burnt durcommittee to pilot the affairs Jite. Jite is seriously injured ing the fight and houses worth of the community for the next and is receiving treatment at N20 million were destroyed,” three years on September 23, the hospital. They used a car she added. while the election to the vari- to crush his legs. However, a police source ous offices will hold on August “Igbule died when he was said that one Godwin Sigbenu 10, 2014 in accordance with the being rushed to the clinic by had been arrested with guns community’s constitution. Obevukpora Christopher found in his possession. “The position of the president-general, zoned to Ohere District which comprises Ekrevwere, Ekrovie and Ekrokpeki quarters, according to the community’s agreement, will be rotated among the quarters. The incumbent president is from Emese District which comprises Iduvwughele, Uduvwoku and Ekrore quarters, from which he emerged.” Ukre said the clash between the two constants led to the death of one Efe Igbule (26) and Obevukpora Christopher Otunu (36). “Those injured as a result of the shoot-out be- One of the victims being attended to at the hospital

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Man robs, kills former employer in Kano

METRO

Drug: Task force arrests, prosecutes teenagers, in Lekki Muritala Ayinla

IG, Sulaiman Abba

Muhammad Kabir Kano

olice in Kano have arrested one PDaddy, Abubakar Abdurrahman aka who confessed to have killed

Alhaji Bello Akanbi, the owner of the popular GAP Hotel. This came as the police also two persons for parading themselves as police detectives. Daddy told journalists that he went to steal from Akanbi who was his former boss. But, according to him, on realising that the man was awake, he engaged him in a fight and stabbed him several times until he gave up the ghost. He admitted that he was sacked from the hotel for stealing. The state Police Commissioner, Akerele Shinaba, said the suspect was apprehended at Badawa town through an intelligent networking. Shinaba added that Daddy would soon be arraigned. He said: “Similarly, we have arrested three persons who faked themselves as men of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). “The two men were said to have duped somebody after tagging him an insurgent and threatened to take him to their office if he did not cooperate. “Already, these men are cooling their feet in our custody and soon they will be taken to court to face impersonation charges.” The fake detectives, according to him, were threatening people by tagging them as insurgents. He added that they collected money running into millions of naira from their victims. The suspects, AbduRazak Umar who posed as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Adamu as Superintendent of Police and Inuwa Muhammad as Inspector, went to somebody around Lebanon Road. After a series of negotiation, he gave them N1.5 million, but suspecting their action, he quickly reported the matter to the police. Shinaba said that as the men moved to dupe another person after tagging him a terrorist and already collected about N500,000, his men swopped on them. He said police arrested three of them while two others fled.

fficials of the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit have arrested nine persons in Lekki Phase 1 for selling illegal drugs. Among the suspects are two boys between the ages of 13 and 17 years. Their arrest followed complaints by the residents of the high-brow area. The residents had complained of the nefarious activities of the suspects said to be dealing in cocaine and other hard drugs. They were also accused of committing all sorts of criminal activities such as rape and vandalism in the area. It was learnt that the suspects were arrested at their den at Wole Olateru Street, Lekki Phase 1 when the task force officials swooped on them

and confiscated all the drugs in their procession. NT Metro also learnt that influential customers, with flashy cars, storm the area at night to patronise them. Others were said to be using power bikes to transport cocaine within the Lagos metropolis. Some of the items recovered at their hideouts included charms, Indian hemp, narcotics, analgesics and routine drugs used for treating common cold. It was also learnt that some analgesics were usually abused by the suspects to serve as hard drugs and have hard substance effect on them. One of the suspects, Buhari Muhammed, said he had been in the illegal business for about two years and had made a lot of money. He said: “I make thousands of naira every day from this business. Peo-

Suspected drug peddlers

ple come here to patronise me. Some come with big cars to this place to buy drugs. We even have youths and women coming here to patronise us.” The Chairman of the task force, CSP Bayo Sulaiman, confirmed that agency swung into action following complaints from the residents. Sulaiman described the exercise as long overdue, saying that the task force had to take its time

in investigating the case thoroughly before swinging into action ‎on Tuesday night to arrest the drug dealers. He said: “We are serving a warning to others that Lekki Phase I is not a ghetto, they must stay away from the area. The task force will not relent until activities of drug peddlers are halted in the state.” The chairman added that the task force would continue to raid other

bad spots. Meanwhile, the suspects were later arraigned at the Special Offence Court, Alausa and granted bail with stringent conditions. The suspects were granted bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties, who must be able to present evidence for one year tax payment. The sureties, according to the court, must not be local government employees.

20 years after: Pipe-borne water runs in Warri, Effurun Joe Obende Warri

Emmanuel Uduaghan, Detla State

fter over 20 years of work, public water supply has begun to flow in Warri and Effurun in Delta State. Water started flowing in Hausa Quarters, Enerhen Junction and other parts at the beginning of the week in the twin cities of Warri and Effurun. The project was Africa Development Bank (ADB)-sponsored. By yesterday, the

26-year-old man gets N10,000 fine for theft Dan Atori MINNA

Magistrates’ Court in Minna yesterday sentenced a 26-yearold man, Rabiu Umaru, to four months’ imprisonment or N10,000 fine for house-breaking and theft. Umaru was arraigned in court on a three-count charge of house-breaking and theft contrary to sections 347, 288 and 327 of the Penal Code. The police prosecutor, Corporal Haruna Aze, told the court that one Shaba Chado of Old Airport Quarters, Minna, reported the matter to ‘A’ Division Police Station, Minna, on August 5. Aze said the complainant reported that the suspect of Limawa area, Minna, broke into his shop and made away with

two bags of metal iron, 57 kilo of copper wire and broke the glass of his car. When the charges were read to the suspect, he pleaded guilty to the crime of house-breaking and not guilty to that of theft. He said: “I am guilty of trespassing into his house, but I did not steal anything from the house. Please forgive me.”In her ruling, the Magistrate, Hafsat Abdullahi, said the suspect could not give the court any genuine reason for his act and therefore sentenced him to four months’ imprisonment. She said: “After listening to you, you could not show this court why you should not be convicted of the crime; I therefore sentence you to serve a prison term of four months with an option of N10,000 fine.”

taps were running even though the water was said to be unfit for human consumption yet. To that effect, an announcement from the office of the Commissioner for Water Resources, Dr Chris Oghenechevwe, advised the residents to allow the taps to run for some days to flush out impurities. The water project, which commenced over 20 years ago, was abandoned several times by successive administra-

tions in the state until former Governor James Ibori revisited it. There were gridlocks in Warri and Effurun following excavations and dig-ups to locate age-long sunk leaking pipes and non-functioning valves when the test run was to begin. The situation was more so as the last part of the project went simultaneously with the construction of the about three-kilometre Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes in Warri and Effurun.

Jang relocates Gbong Gwom’s palace to Governor’s Lodge Musa Pam Jos

State Governor, Jonah Ptionlateau Jang, has approved the relocaof the palace of the Gbong

Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, to the Governor’s Lodge. The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Olivia Dazyam, disclosed this to journalists in Jos yesterday after the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting presided over by the governor. Dazyam said the decision to relocate the palace of buba, who is also the chairman, Plateau State Council of Traditional Rulers, followed the completion of the new Government House, Rayfield, where the governor would move to next week. The commissioner said after a careful assessment of the palace of the Gbong Gwom Jos,

the government saw the need to relocate the palace to the office being vacated by the governor. She said: “The decision was taken based on reasons among which are convenience, and adequate space with the strengthening of the security of the person of his majesty, the Gbong Gwom Jos and the institution of the chairman of the state Council of Traditional Rulers. “You would recall that Jishe Palace is historic for Plateau people. Many historical memories, one of the most significant, was the fact that the Queen of England, when she came to Jos in the 1950’s stayed at the Governor’s Lodge and Jishe.” Dazyam also disclosed that the present Gbong Gwom’s palace would be turned into a state museum where every local government would be adequately represented.

12 NEWS Dan Atori MINNA

he crisis rocking the All Progressives Peoples Congress (APC) in Niger State deepened yesterday, forcing some members of the party to conclude that they will be defecting to the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Reports said crisis of irreconcilable differences and scramble for funds among top officials of the party has continued to take its toll on the party. The PDP in a press statement signed by its Deputy Chairman yesterday in Minna, Tanko Beji, said already some of the APC chieftains are discussing with the rul-

74.25%

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

holds maiden Niger APC crisis deepens, NASWDEN delegates conference, elects exco chieftains to defect to PDP Kunle Olayeni

ing party, adding that the move is aimed at saving what is left of their political future. He said most members of the APC have no interest in the party’s electoral value, adding that there is no hope that the party will win next Saturday’s senatorial by-election or any elective position in the 2015 general elections. According to Beji, those who have made contacts to defect to the PDP expressed dismay over the political approach of their party members, saying

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Australia in 2009. Source: Itu.int

most of them are self-serving and have lost any iota of political relevance to give the party political goodwill in the state. “We have been contacted by some chieftains of the Niger State APC of plans to defect to the PDP and we are already making arrangements to welcome them to our fold. “We are indeed happy that some people in Niger APC have scruples and are ready to leave a party formed by people nursing political vendetta, a party without structure or developmental roadmap for

26,000

The number of people in refugee-like situation in Western Sahara at the beginning of 2010. Source: Blatantworld.com

the state. We wait for them with open hands.” The PDP boss expressed confidence that soon the Niger State APC will crumble like a pack of cards, adding that next Saturday is a make or mar contest for the opposition. He said most of the party members are dissatisfied with the level of preparation. Beji therefore called on the electorate to be guided, adding that the APC cannot organise itself and has failed to manage corruption even at the party level.

23.8%

The percentage of urban population of Afghanistan in 2012. Source: Un.org

ABEOKUTA

National Association TersheofEmployers Scrap and Waste Dealof Nigeria

(NASWDEN) yesterday elected Comrade John Egaji Obeh, as its national president. Obeh, who was hitherto the acting interim president, was elected at the first NASWDEN national delegates’ conference held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. He was elected unopposed with 24 other members of the national executive committee, which would run the affairs of the organization for the next four years. The two-day event, which continues today with lecture and inauguration of the new executive at the Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, is expected to be attended by Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ayo Olubori. In his address shortly before the dissolution of the former interim executive, Obeh said he had tried his best to expand the frontiers of NASWDEN over the years. While reeling out the achievements of the asso-

ciation, he said an 11-man committee had been set up on illegal touts, illegal scrap ticketing and declining scrap price/commission. He said: “We have been able to bring together the various factions of the union; we are now one body. We have been able to improve the price of scrap and fight for the welfare of members. “We have been able to inaugurate 22 states councils of the union, making the union stronger. We settled various cases between our members and outsiders totaling over N11.5million was recovered for the investors.” The new national president identified refusal of steel firms/end user companies to collaborate fully with the union and failure by members to pay dues as some of the challenges confronting the association. He called for the setting up of a committee to work out strategies that will compel all end users of scrap and government to cooperate fully with the union objectives. “Let us have focus towards our dream and take our union to the next level," he added.

Damboa: Wakil donates relief materials to insurgency victims Ahmed Miringa MAIDUGURI

inister of State for M Power, Hon. Mohammed Wakil, has distrib-

L-R: Chairman, National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers Employers of Nigeria (NASWDEN), Delta State, Comrade Orisejobo Daniel; National President, Comrade John Obeh and Otunba Olusegun Agoro, during the association’s National Delegates Conference in Abeokuta... yesterday. PHOTO: KUNLE OLAYENI

Traditional birth attendants warned against taking delivery Babatope Okeowo AKURE

ndo State government yesterday warned Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) in the state to refrain from attending to pregnant women instead of referring them to government approved hospitals. Commissioner of Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, said this at a health seminar tagged; “The Role of Traditional Birth Attendants in Maternal

DANGER

Cigarette smoking remains dangerous to health, even if it does not kill swiftly, as ebola Temitope Ogunbanke Tobacco ConNigeria trol Alliance (NTCA)

Health and Child Survival.” Speaking at the programme, which was organised by Hala Nigeria, Adeyanju said: “We don't tolerate the traditional birth attendants, who don't even have any technical knowledge, but are claiming that it is a call from God. “We have talked to their unit heads that birth delivery should mainly be handled by well-trained medical personnel approved by government.

“We know that we may not be able to do without them, but we have instructed them to refer any pregnancy issue to the nearest approved hospital. “We will punish anyone who fails to do this, especially if the woman eventually dies,” Adeyanju said. He added that there was a law backing the warning and if there was any pregnancy issue that was carelessly handled, such fellow would face the wrath of the law.

Also speaking, Chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Betiku Bamidele, said individuals must understand their roles. According to him, the traditional birth attendants are doing their best and have their role, which is to just refer. Mr. Olumiyiwa Jegede, the General Manager of Orange FM, Akure, said the issue of life was sacrosanct and sentiment should not be allowed.

uted relief materials to the displaced victims of Boko Haram insurgency from different communities in Damboa Local Government Borno State, now taking refuge in various camps in Maiduguri, the state capital. Speaking while distributing the items, the minister, represented by his Special Assistant (Political), Alhaji Lawal Kolo Gumsuri, said: “It is disheartening to see people who are able-bodied breadwinners as refugees, but I want you to regard this misfortune as an act of God.” Wakil, who engaged the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) in the intervention programme to cushion the

effect of the insurgency on the people, also recently visited Biu Local Government, where he presented relief materials to over 6, 000 Boko Haram victims, who fled from Damboa on behalf of the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan. Items donated include 100 bags of grains, 200 cartoons of Indomie, 80 cartoons of detergents, 600 pieces of blankets, 600 pieces of plastic plates, 750 bundles of women and men clothing materials and 2, 000 pieces of plastic buckets. The relief materials, which were personally procured by the minister, were distributed in Maiduguri to the victims at Alhaji Kaumi Damboa, Jiddari Polo, NYSC camp, School of Nursing, Indimi Mosque, NTA Majalisa and to those talking refuge at Babagana Dawa and Mallam Wakil Korede's house.

NTCA seeks reduction in tobacco consumption

yesterday condemned the British America Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) for attempting to sabotage tobacco control laws in Nigeria by marrying insurgency in the NorthEast to tobacco control. Addressing a press conference in Lagos yesterday, NTCA Alliance Manager,

Gbenga Adejuwon, said the Nigerian government must work towards reducing tobacco consumption to save the lives of many Nigerians, especially the youth. “The Nigeria for Tobacco Control Alliance is using this medium again, to urge for prompt passage of

the National Tobacco Control Bill at the National Assembly and its presidential assent. The bill will save Nigerians from the devastating tobacco hazards and ascertain a safe and healthy environment. “We also call on government agencies to be weary of partnerships, train-

ings and site visits being offered by the tobacco industry. They contradict the spirit and intent of the National Tobacco Control Bill and every other effort aimed at reducing tobacco consumption globally,” he advised. Speaking on the ban on smoking in public places

by the Lagos State government, Adejuwon said: “NTCA applauds Governor Babatunde Fashola, for his unreserved efforts at saving the lives of Lagosians from the hooks of the people in the tobacco industry by signing the bill for a ban on smoking in public places into law."

Why Niger must support PDP –Beji / PAGE 15 | Alabi: Mimiko’s defection to PDP, a mere speculation / PAGE 16

POLITICS

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Akrika: Obi’s resignation, a wake-up call for APGA

p-14

THURSday, August 28, 2014

Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe is a former Minister of Works in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Ogunlewe believes that it is only President Goodluck Jonathan who can stop the party from winning the Lagos governorship in 2015. In this interview with OLUWATOSIN OMONIYI in Lagos, he also said that the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are friends with the PDP and, as such, cannot pose an obstacle to Jonathan’s reelection. Excerpts: What do you think influenced the outcome of the Osun governorship election which your party lost? I don’t know because I am not a security person. I don’t want to speculate. I want to talk about facts and signs. Politics is signs, and you need four things to win an election; you need the party – the party that is cohesive; the party that is united, the party which members believe in, where after the primaries, everybody now works together. So you hold on the party which is number one. The ideology – are you a progressive? Are you a conservative, which doesn’t really matter in Nigeria today. Then, the manifesto – what do you want to sell to the people? What alternative do you want to provide? And then the candidate – is he controversial? Does he have the heritage? Does he have the history? Can he be trusted? Is he loved by the people? Which religious set is pre-dominant in that community? Take it or leave it, 60 – 75 per cent of the voters are illiterate, and they may be persuaded easily by religion. And that was what happened in Osun State. Basically Christian areas are Ife and Ijesha. Ikirun, Ede, Olorunda e.t.c, are mostly Muslims. So, how possible will it be to sell a Christian candidate to them? But, I thought you had put all of that into calculation before projecting the governorship candidate, Iyiola Omisore? Probably, the character of the candidate matters. Take it or leave it, the people did not like Rauf Aregbesola, but do we have an alternative? That was our problem with them. He has already damaged the entire economy of that state, to the extent that people wanted a new person, but we did not provide them with the appropriate person. So, why did your party not provide them with the appropriate person?

Ogunlewe

Lagos, Kano, Rivers’ll determine Jonathan’s fate –Ogunlewe We did not know.

Did you not do your homework? Why project the wrong person? We didn’t know. You know it is when you lose an election that you do a lot of post-mortem, so that you will not repeat the same mistake again. There was something that we didn’t get right. As we approach 2015, do you see PDP winning the Presidency again? Yes, very easily. How? The All Progressives Congress (APC) must pull themselves together and provide a credible alternative programme, manifesto and ideology to PDP. You know these abuses, insults, insurrection, make people believe and run away from them; that probably, they are behind all this insecurity. So, they must sit down and be scientific. What is the programme of PDP on education? What is our own programme? On provision of electricity; I heard one of the governors criticizing that there is no electricity. Suddenly now, in Lagos alone, we have 18 hours of electricity in this my house. Since yesterday morning, we have been having electricity. So, the companies have

been able to manage electricity properly. Transportation – what is the alternative? Social welfare – what is the alternative? So, sit down. That is why we give a lot of credit to somebody like the late Obafemi Awolowo. Awolowo will not go to an election and abuse people. He went into an election with a template and defended the cardinal programmes of the United Party of Nigeria (UPN) or Action Group. People love the party because of its manifesto. Then the candidate; which candidate do you think they should pick that will not divide APC? If you pick a candidate and Bola Tinubu is not the

I’m saying he is compromised, because he is a friend of PDP. We don’t regard him as our enemy. That is why we gave him that oil bloc. The man is APC in the morning and PDP in the evening

vice president, he will back out, and that is the end of APC. How will they manage him? He’s a factor in APC, but a factor to which extent? And the Buhari factor too? No, Buhari factor is in the populace. Tinubu’s factor is the provision of the money. Do you foresee a Buhari-Tinubu ticket in 2015? That will be a disaster, because it is a Muslim – Muslim ticket. How will you sell that? How will you persuade people? We did that in 1993 No, I’m just saying now. I’m not giving a verdict. I’m just saying how do you defend it? You must be ready to defend it. But it happened in 1993 with MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe. That was why they didn’t rule. That was why the military didn’t allow that democracy to survive, because it was a mismatch and we don’t want to repeat it; reason being that a Yoruba man and a Fulani man. You know Kingibe is from Borno and he was not a Fulani CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

14 POLITICS | THURSDAY INTERVIEW Hon. Chibunna Akrika is a former Commissioner for Land and Urban Development in Anambra State. In this interview with Chinedu Ekeja, the state secretary of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) speaks on the just-concluded National conference and the crisis in his party The National Conference has just ended with a proposal to adopt the resolutions of the confab as a draft amendment to the 1999 constitution. As a lawyer, what hopes does that hold for the future of the country? First, I will say kudos to the conference’s delegates for managing the apparent conflicts and differences in the Nigerian polity. We appreciate very well that unanimity of an opinion is a very rare attribute in any human organisation. Once you have one, two or three different persons gathered, there is the likelihood that they may not agree on a particular issue. So, the very fact that Nigerians from different works of life, ethnic groups with different political leanings and inclinations came together and discussed fraternally and came up with some resolutions calls for celebration. It means we are moving forward. But having said that, the next thing will be, what do we make of their resolutions? It is now left for the Presidency and the National Assembly to provide the veritable platform that will enable the implementation of the recommendations of the conference. They came up with so many things, some are political, and some are legal. Those that are political, which contain some quasi legal requirements, like state creation, will require political will. The Presidency and the National Assembly should look at the present Nigerian set up or political arrangement in the country and tell themselves the basic home truth. Our present structure is not the best, a situation where we have 36 states structure of six geo-political zones with one of the major tribes, having five states when others have six states with one having even seven does not call for equity. What I am saying in essence is that there is need for all stakeholders, the Presidency and National Assembly to evolve the political will to make sure that in terms of state creation, equity is ensured. In other words, if additional states are to be created, the South-East must first be given one or two before creating more where necessary. Some people have expressed reservations that when the reports get to the National Assembly, they may scuttle it given the fact that some of the resolutions were at crossroads with their views. Have you nursed such fears? That is why I said that some are political and that is where political will comes in. We are talking about moving Nigeria forward, and to that extent, the interest of one person or group of persons shall not impede or thwart our move to attain some national goals. The legislators, be them at the National Assembly or at the various state Houses of Assembly should not allow their personal or extant interest or ambition to impede the national growth. Put in other words, matters that require legislation should be tackled in the best interest of the nation by the National Assembly. When that is done, the state Houses of Assembly should make sure

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Akrika: Obi’s resignation, a wake-up call for APGA APGA. That he resigned as chairman of BoT of the party does not mean that he cannot be re-appointed or elected as BoT chairman or leader of the party. Like his media aide stated in that letter, he said that, after that appointment, steps have not been taken to articulate and situate, to anchor and deepen those two sensitive positions. Don’t you think it is an expression of grievance? No, it is an invitation on the national leadership of the party to do the needful, to make sure that certain national organs of the party are activated to do their works. It is a wake-up call, a call to duty. Peter Obi is a man of procedure and due process; what he is trying to say is, come let us put heads together; that I was given this position, but I have not been enabled to perform the functions of this position.

Akrika

that what the National Conference recommended, passed by the National Assembly is approved by them. Their personal or interim interest notwithstanding should not be allowed in. We have to appreciate the sole fact that what is paramount is the overall interest of the nation which shall not be subjected to any sectional, cultural or religious interest. Once there is the political will, every hand must be on deck as that is the only way we can attain the Nigeria of our dream. The recent defection of some lawmakers elected on your party’s platform to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), what implication do you think that will hold for the future of APGA? Let me start with the basics; politics is a game of number, it is all about people and interest, and to that extent, nobody is valueless. You cannot afford to discount anybody’s presence or importance. So, whether a lawmaker, a local government chairman or a ward leader, it is a minus for the party. I am a believer in the political parable of the lost sheep. If you look at that parable, the shepherd who had 100 sheep found out that one is straying, you know what he did, and he left the 99 and went in search of the missing one. So we in APGA believe that everyone is important, because that is in tandem with our motto: Be your brother’s keeper. About those legislators who felt aggrieved and left, I want to first of all say that it is their right to decide on how to exercise their freedom of movement. But I want to plead with them to reconsider their actions. Some of them have genuine reasons to do what they did; we cannot afford to sweep that under the carpet. Some of them felt marginalised, some of them felt maltreated.

They have only expressed their disenchantment. No political party grows by loosing members. No association, club or family, grows by losing its original members. So, we can only grow by maintaining our extant memberships and attracting more into our fold. The party cannot say, let them go, we have to sit down and study the problem, so as to look for ways and means to either get them back or avoid a repeat of such occurrence. Bearing in mind that everybody is important even as number is important, I will say the departure of the National Assembly members from the party is a call for sober reflection. The immediate past governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has just resigned as the party’s BoT chairman. Coming on the heels of these defections, will it be right to say that the party is standing at the verge of a cliff? His Excellency, the immediate past governor of Anambra state is a man of procedure. There is one thing I always call him; the political bricklayer. He has laid the foundation of what is happening in the state. In his letter, he cited personal and family reasons for taking such decision. But we are happy and fortunate that he is still a member of

We can’t pretend that all is well. APGA like every other party will once in a while have some issues, but what is important, is the ability to triumph

But with his large image in the party, do you think this would have been the right way to call the party to order? I think it is a question of modus, I am not holding brief for him. If you look at what Obi said, it seems that many people are blaming him for what is happening in the party, that he is not taking practical measures to tackle the problem holistically. And he said I cannot act because my position has not been fully activated. The party’s national leadership has to sit down and look at what he said, and if there is truth in it, convene the requisite party organ to take immediate action. Like I said earlier, unanimity of opinion is always rare. People cannot easily come together and say something like this, but since it has been brought to the court of public opinion, it is incumbent on the party leadership to wake up and do something, not just on Obi’s issue but other outstanding problems brought by some other members. Now talking about the procedure through which he resigned, he did what is normal and descent. One, he put it into writing and submitted it to the national secretary of the party. So, the party can look at the content of his letter and decide what to do. May be taking some steps to rectify some anomalies. I don’t know how the thing got leaked to the press, but from what they said, he wrote to the national secretary of the party, which I am not quarrelling with because that is a descent way of communicating to a political party. It is now left to the national leadership of the party to say, we have seen your complaints, we will do this or do that. We can’t pretend that all is well. APGA like every other party will once in a while have some issues, but what is important, is the ability to triumph. Since Obi has brought this matter to the court of public opinion, I believe the right thing will be done soon. What are you predictions on the 2015 general election? My prediction is that the election will be free and fair, even far better than what we had in Ekiti, Osun and Anambra states. With what happened in these three states where elections took place in the recent past, one can see a demonstration of the fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is moving from bad to good and hopefully with more improvement, it will move from better to best. INEC did so well in Anambra, they did better in Ekiti and Osun elections and I know it will do its best in the coming 2015 general election. So, in the over all, I foresee a better election come 2015.

POLITICS | THURSDAY INTERVIEW 15

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Beji: Why Niger must support PDP Barrister Tanko Beji is the Deputy State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State. In this interview with DAN ATORI, he speaks on why the electorate must continue to support the ruling party and vote its candidate in Saturday’s byelection for the Niger East Senatorial District. Excerpts: A by-election is holding on Saturday to elect the replacement for the late Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta. Why is the election so important? There is this common saying that the devil you know is preferable or better than the saint or angel you don’t know or see. This simple general statement is very relevant to the Niger East Senatorial zone of Niger State where the people of the senatorial district are to vote this Saturday to elect a replacement for late Senator Dahiru Kuta who passed on about two months ago. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed August 30 this year for the by-election to fill the vacant seat. Senator Kuta was a founding member of the People Democratic Party (PDP) and represented the zone creditably till he was called to the great beyond. His love for the PDP was unquestionable so was his determination to transform the fortunes of the people of his senatorial district and the state as a whole. Worried by the misfortunes of his people, most of who live in the riverine areas of the River Niger, Kuta piloted the move that translated to the passing of the Hydro Power Development Areas Commission bill which has been signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan though the implementation of the bill has not seen the light of the day. Kuta would also be remembered for the construction of several classroom blocks, boreholes and culverts. He gave scholarships to a large number of students and assisted the ordinary farmers with farm implements including fertiliser to alleviate the suffering of the people in the nine local government areas that make up the senatorial district as part of his constituency projects. The late Senators developmental strides in the zone is just a tip of the iceberg compared to the tremendous dividends of democracy people in Chanchaga, Gurara, Rafi Shiroro,Tafa, Munya Bosso Suleja and Paikoro local government areas have enjoyed under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 2007 or one will say since the country returned to democratic government in 1999. To what extent has the senatorial zone benefitted from the government? It is on record that succeeding PDP administration, in the state has appointed prominent sons and daughters of the senatorial zone to public and top civil service positions which has made it possible for them to touch the lives of the ordinary people. One cannot but mention the State Head of Service, the Commissioners for Education, Tertiary Education, and Science and Technology among others. In the area of education, the PDP government; especially under the leadership of Governor Babangida Aliyu has provided over 5,000 school blocks, furnished

Beji

these schools and provided them with materials for teaching and learning. This singular gesture of the PDP government has removed for good, the era of pupils and students in the senatorial zone sitting on the floor to receive lessons from their instructors and teachers sitting on the windows of their dilapidated classrooms in the absence of teachers’ furniture. No doubt the zone has benefited a lot from the huge number of teaching staff that the government employed to man these schools. Like in all institutions in the state, the PDP government has also made education free for all students, which to a large extent has removed some burden from the shoulders of parents who are mostly rural farmers. Why do you think the people should vote for the PDP in Saturday’s by-election for Niger East? One major issue which the people in the zone should consider when casting their votes is the decision of the government to establish the first University of Education in the zone specifically in Minna to accommodate the huge number of students seeking admission and to provide employment for graduates from the zone and the state. Also voters in the zone should also bear in mind that the PDP government has decided to construct a special school of nursing at the old field based in Suleja and encourage the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University in Lapai to establish a school in Suleja. These gestures by the PDP government will take educational facilities closer to the people of the zone. There is an advantage in belonging to the party at the centre as can be seen in the effort of the PDP government in the state which was able to attract federal presence to the state and in particular the zone especially the commencement

There is an advantage in belonging to the party at the centre as can be seen in the effort of the PDP government in the state which was able to attract federal presence of the reconstruction of the Suleja - Minna road, a project which has reached an advanced stage of completion. But for the relationship of the PDP government and in particular Governor Aliyu with the Presidency, this project would not have seen the light of the day. New visitors to Minna, the state capital, which can also be described as the capital of the Niger East Senatorial District find it difficult to believe the tremendous transformation the state has witnessed under the seven and half years of the PDP government of Governor Aliyu. Is it the dualised roads with streetlights which has made motoring in the day and night less herculean or the development of the three-arm zone to provide for a befitting place for the three arms of government and the on-going construction of the Minna city centre that one will talk about or the construction of the 5-star hotel which will provide accommodation for investors. But some people say all these achievements are part of government responsibilities? Though some politicians will want the voters to believe that it is the responsible of the government to develop the state capital, these critics have so soon forgotten that succeeding administrations have left the state capital unattend-

ed to, making it a glorified city until the arrival of Governor Aliyu. Before now the people of Shiroro in the Shiroro Local Government Area of the state found it difficult to visit their kith and kin in Erena and other towns and villages located across the river Kaduna. They even referred to this areas as Shiroro ‘overseas’ because you have to risk crossing the river to get to these places and often the journey ends in disaster and loss of innocent lives and property. Soon all these will become history because the state government under the PDP administration of Aliyu has constructed a bridge across the river. The project is to be commissioned soon and will bring the nightmare of the people to an end. I will want to bring to the attention of the voters in Niger East Senatorial District the prevailing peace existing in the zone like in other areas of the state because of the huge investment of government in this area which has transformed to ability of people to transact their businesses without looking over their shoulders. Both indigenes and non-indigenes are regarded as one; no discrimination against anyone on account of religion tribe or political belief. I have gone this length so as to let the people know the folly that will be behind their casting their votes for a party that is totally disunited, a party that has no chance of winning an election in the state or at the federal level. A vote for a party on Saturday other than the PDP may be wasted votes as such a representatives will find it difficult to attract investment to the zone and the state as a whole. A word is enough for the wise, the ‘devil’ you know is far better than the ‘angel’ or ‘saint’ you don’t know but can only imagine.

16 POLITICS | THURSDAY INTERVIEW Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Hon. Ebenezer Alabi, in this interview with BABATOPE OKEOWO, speaks on the 2015 elections and performance of Governor Olusegun Mimiko among other issues. Excerpts:

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Alabi: Mimiko’s defection to PDP, a mere speculation

different from what happened in 2011. We will work on our National Assembly and we would work for our presidential election, so nobody would come to claim that victory this time around and we will not keep quiet too. We were very docile then but this time around it would be taken care of.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the governorship election in Ekiti State but lost that of Osun. Has that dampened the morale of the Ondo state PDP members? It has not really, we were happy when we won Ekiti and we became very sad when we lost in Osun. But if you look at the performance of the PDP in Osun it is an improvement on what happened in the 2011 election. You will recall vividly that it was the only state in the South-West that we lost woefully during the presidential election. And for us to have garnered that number of votes and increase on the percentage of our performance of 2011, despite the fact that we did not win I still hold that we did better than before. So, for this singular reason, our morale has not been dampened at all. We believe that PDP is still the party to beat in the South-West and we are still working. What do you think made your party lose in Osun State? I was in Osun for some days and from the interaction I had with some people, they complained about the choice of our candidate. They said we should have picked somebody else instead of Senator Iyiola Omisore. I did not believe that but I believe the choice of the people should be respected in the process of picking a candidate; we went for the primary election and the man emerged. If that should be the choice of the party I have not seen the disconnect now between the choice of the party and the choice of the people of Osun state. Really, I am still very confused as to what really happened because in terms of mobilization we worked and we deployed all the resources that were required to win an election, it is now shocking. So, I cannot really say what exactly led to that loss. Ondo State is preparing for 2015 elections, what is PDP doing to improve on its performances? As far as PDP is concerned we are sure this time around we are winning the next set of elections in the state. We all went to the drawing board after the gubernatorial election in 2012. We realised that it was the division in the party that accounted for why some people worked for the opposition party. We approached them and we were able to bring them on board. We went into serious reconciliation and this is paying off now. You said that people are coming into the party, how would you manage the influx of the people into the party considering the fact that some of these people have ambitions? We know this and we did it in 2003 when PDP was to take power over from Alliance for Democracy (AD), this was exactly what we experienced then when people were coming on board, but we were able to protect their interests, and that was what led to the incumbent Governor being made the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) then. In PDP we believe in hard work, the more you work the more you get reward as far as PDP is concerned and the constitution of the party is so friendly to anybody coming on board at any time. Friendly in the sense that our primary election that will come, the bulk of

Odumakin

those that will determine the state of our candidate are yet to emerge. Few days to the primaries we will conduct congresses in all the wards to pick three delegates each, so these are the bulk of those who will decide who our flag bearers would be. So, those who are coming in now, if they have their number and work very well they would get many delegates as much as possible that would enable them to get the ticket of the party. There is also going to be a level playing ground for everybody whether you are just coming in or you have been there before. The fear of many PDP members, even some who want to join the party is the entry of Governor Mimiko into the party. How are you going to manage this? The issue of Governor Mimiko has been a rumour now for close to three years, people have been peddling the rumour that he is coming on board to join the PDP, as far as we are concerned in Ondo State we are not aware of this. He has never reached out to us and neither has anybody called us from the national secretariat to inform us that the governor would be coming. Yes, it is true that he has very strong relationship with the president, but that is just his relationship with the president that is very deep. But as far as the party is concerned he is very distance. We don’t do things together, we don’t greet, and we don’t exchange calls. So, I don’t know why people still fear that this one is having overbearing influence on the PDP. The President is the leader of the party no doubt about that, but the structure of the party is very intact and that was why we were able to come up with our candidate in 2012 election despite speculations that PDP would not pick any candidate in that election, and the next set of elections that are coming now we are going to pick candidates in all the constituency and we will slug it out again. Members of PDP in Ondo State are yet to get the desired patronage from the Federal Government. Some say that it is Governor Mimiko that has been blocking the patron-

The issue of Governor Mimiko has been a rumour now for close to three years, people have been peddling the rumour that he is coming on board to join the PDP. As far as we are concerned in Ondo state we are not aware of this age, do you share this view? Well, to some extent, but I would say that immediately after the 2011 election, PDP in Ondo State broke into crisis and that actually paved the way for Dr. Mimiko to claim the success of that election. You are aware of the fact that the National Assembly election was conducted before the presidential election and if you look at the quantum of votes that we were able to gather in the National Assembly election, you will see that there was very little difference in the figure recorded by the party, but because the governor had announced to the world that he would be supporting the president. And that is why to some extent the president believed that it was Mimiko that delivered Ondo state for him in that election. And because he won all the National Assembly election, he ascribed all the success in Ondo State to him. Like I said, we have realised our mistakes in the past. This time around we are more united and we are happy that the presidential election and the other elections will now come the same day and would go concurrently and with this one now it would be more difficult for anyone to come out and say I would work for another party, unless it is going to be at the detriment of that party. That has been the situation but this time around it is going to be completely

You seem to have so much confidence that PDP is going to win the 2015 election, what gives you such confidence? It is because of the saying of the people. In Ondo State, people’s opinions count a lot. They will tell you this is the turn of this party and before you know it they will move. During AD, it was made clear to everybody that they were projecting Yoruba agenda and they were going for AD and when the election came they voted for AD. At the time we were about to take over from AD, the wind just blew again, everybody was just saying it was PDP and before you know what happened they moved and by the time Labour Party came on board you see people resigning their appointment and moving to LP, and before we knew it, either genuine or counterfeit LP took over power. So the same thing is now happening today, people are moving to PDP and nowadays, elections are so structured that it is difficult for people to now hijack ballot boxes and run into the bush and come out with votes. It is the people’s votes that count. If people are moving to you that means you must perceive that victory is ahead because the votes of people does count nowadays, and that is why we are having the confidence that we are winning and we are quite sure people are coming here because people are decamping, and people are calling to join us and with this I believe we will win. Aside politics, how would you rate the performance of the governor in terms of projects and developmental achievement? You can measure performance in terms of quantum of money that has been available to government. You can measure performance in comparison to other states that receive the same amount of money. And also you can measure performance with what happened in the past and in the present. I am one of those that believe that the government of Ondo State has been found wanting in terms of delivery of dividends of democracy. Apart from the money he inherited, the allocation given to the state was so huge to the extent that we are getting up to N5 billion in a month. There was a time they got N15 billion, so if you look at the aggregate of the money that came to Ondo State and what we have on ground you can be convinced beyond reasonable doubt that he has not performed well. Ekiti State receives almost the lowest allocation in Nigeria, but if you go to Ado Ekiti today you cannot compare what is in existence in Ado to what we have in Akure. Whether we like it or not, the man there is an APC member but to the best of my knowledge he has performed well in terms of developing the state capital and he did not stop at that, he allocated particular kilometers of roads per local government. In Ondo State, I don’t know how many local governments can boast of certain kilometres of road that was started and completed by this administration. Even the ones that were done by his predecessors that just need asphalt overlay were all abandoned. Honestly speaking, he has not performed considering the things I have sighted.

POLITICS | THURSDAY INTERVIEW 17

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Obaisi Ovie Omo-Agege is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State. In this interview with Gabriel Choba, he spoke on his ongoing consultations and the force behind his ambition, among other issues. Excerpts

Omo-Agege: I’ll partner Jonathan to transform Delta am better prepared to add value to governance than anyone else in the race. That is the case I have been making to the people of Delta state since I started my consultations. Those who believe that they should be governor on the basis of power rotation are free to make their case to the electorate. Ultimately, the people will make the decision as to who should be the next governor of Delta State.

You have started consultation ahead of the 2015 gubernatorial election; how has it fared? The consultation has been going on very well. People are very excited about my message and the responses across the three senatorial districts have been encouraging. I am very happy with the state of the consultations, and I can tell you right now with confidence that I will contest and win the primaries of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for governor of Delta State. I have put together a formidable team and we are just waiting for PDP NEC to issue the guidelines so the campaigns can kick off. We are ready and I believe Delta State is ready for us. You have contested the governorship position of the state three times; what is the driving force? I contested for the PDP ticket in 2006 and twice for the governorship in the rerun and general elections of 2011. Some people misinterpret this to mean that Omo-Agege is desperate or over ambitious. They are mistaken. I have passion to serve and it is this passion that is the driving force behind my quest to govern Delta State. As Executive Assistant to the governor, Commissioner for Special Duties in Government House and Secretary to the State Government, I have seen first-hand what difference government can make in the lives of people. Four or eight years of governance can change a generation and through that generation you can change society as a whole. I want to change our society for good. I have ideas that will create a better society for our children and future generations. I am tired of people looking at the past with nostalgia. We must give hope of a better future to our children. Why do you think the outcome will be different this time around? There is time for everything. When God says it is your time nobody can stop you. I believe this is our time. It is our moment and I intend to seize it for the good of the people of Delta State. Should you become the next governor of Delta state, what are the things you intend do for Deltans? The PDP government in the state has done so well in infrastructural development, education, health and sports in the last seven years. We must commend Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan for the giant strides we have made. But we are not yet where we ought to be. Our people are still hurting because of lack of opportunities to make a decent living. It is my desire to expand opportunities for people by focusing on job creation. When our youths graduate from university and for years they roam the streets without jobs, or are under employed because they do jobs meant for school certificate or ordinary national diploma holders what does it say about our economy? It says the economy is not strong enough to provide the basic means of livelihood for our people. This growing opportunity gap must be closed by creating more jobs in the economy. How do you intend to create these jobs? Delta state is blessed with all the

How do you perceive the APC and the chances of the PDP in the 2015 elections in Delta State? The emergence of APC has altered the dynamics of elections in Nigeria and PDP expects more competition in 2015. In Delta State, the task is even more daunting because we do not just want to win the gubernatorial and presidential elections but we want to win in such a way that APC will be denied 25 per cent of votes in the presidential election which they desperately need in the state. Who flies the party’s flag in the gubernatorial election will be a determining factor in achieving this goal. I believe only my candidacy can make this possible.

Omo-Agege

resources it needs to be what it wants to be, to build the Delta of our dream. We have oil and gas, vast arable lands, water resources, hard working people, just name it. My vision is a state which economy, society, people and environment are properly developed, and where lives and properties are fully secured so that those who want to work can find jobs and those who want to set up businesses can find opportunities. To realise this vision of Delta State of our dream I will erect what I call four pillars of consolidation namely; strong and stable economy, strong and secured society, cleaner environment and new politics. To create jobs for our people, we need a strong and stable economy that is less dependent on the oil and gas sector that is capital intensive. This does not mean we will abandon the oil and gas sector. What it means is that we will use the resources from the oil sector to develop the agricultural and rural economy, agro-based industries, promote tourism, entertainment industry, and sports. We also need to modernise and expand our infrastructure. This is what Delta Beyond Oil programme of Governor Uduaghan is all about. I subscribe to this vision and I am committed to driving it forward. We also need to strengthen our society by increasing access to quality educational and health services and provide security for all and not just the privileged few. We also need to protect our environment from pollution, flooding, erosion and keep it clean. If we are able to erect these pillars, we would have created the enabling environment to compete and attract domestic and foreign capital to our state to establish businesses that will employ our people in the private sector. And to achieve these things we also need to change our politics so we can have open, accountable and ethical government that is responsive to the needs of the people. We also need to strengthen

If I am given the opportunity to serve as governor, I will partner with President Goodluk Jonathan to transform Delta State and our country our democracy by engaging our people in participatory democracy, promote viable civil society and partner with NGOs including religious bodies, media, trade unions and associations. Insecurity remains a big problem in Delta state. How will you handle this issue if elected governor of the state? Insecurity is still of great concern to the people. But we must also appreciate what Governor Uduaghan has achieved in this regard. In the last seven years security has improved significantly. Communal conflicts, robbery, murders especially ritual killings are down. Even kidnapping has declined. Nevertheless we can do better by improving and expanding the security framework of the Uduaghan administration. I am committed to reducing insecurity in Delta state further by adopting a two prong approach. We will be tough on crime as well as the causes of crime. No doubt you are aware of agitations from Delta north that it is their turn to produce governor of the state. How do you reconcile this aspiration of yours against this agitation? I am in the race not because of where I come from or the language I speak, but because I believe that I have a better plan to move the state to the next level. I offer a pan Delta agenda of transformation to create jobs for our people. I

Do you think President Goodluck Jonathan deserves a second term? Absolutely, the president has done well enough to deserve re-election. In the 2011 election campaign President Goodluck Jonathan promised to transform Nigeria economically and politically. Today, three years later he has achieved economic transformation and is on course to changing our politics. The president has introduced economic reforms to diversify the economy and reduce our dependence on the oil and gas sector. These economic reforms have resulted in impressive economic growth. And today international ratings agencies such as Fitch Ratings and Standard and Poor’s have revised our outlook from negative to stable and we are now the fourth largest growing economy in the world. On the political front, electoral reforms were introduced to restore credibility to our electoral process. Transforming a society that has long been bedevilled by structural defects is not an easy task. It is a long and painful process that cannot be achieved in four years. Mr. President would have chosen the easy way of business as usual but he chose to go the hard way of transformation because of his commitment to change. And despite the obstacles thrown on his way by those who do not want change, he has done well. What the president has achieved in only three years is incredible and he deserves four more years to finish what he has started. And if I am given the opportunity to serve as governor, I will partner with President Goodluk Jonathan to transform Delta State and our country. Finally sir, what do you think are the chances of Mr President in 2015? His chances are very bright. I do not have any doubt that President Jonathan will be re-elected in 2015 to continue with his transformation agenda. What is the alternative? Is it APC which claims to be a progressive party yet they are against the National Conference which will bring fundamental and structural changes to Nigeria. I don’t think so. Nigerians will vote for change that will bring about a better management of our resources for the good of the majority of the Nigerian people and not the status quo that has benefitted only a few. President Jonathan is better than any alternative that APC will offer and Nigerians know it.

POLITICS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Tinubu is a friend of PDP, says Ogunlewe

CO N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 3

the President has a stake too, because it is his election. I’m just saying he wants to contest election; he cannot afford to lose these three states, and win overall. Lagos is about six million voters, Kano – five million, Rivers – four million. If you add the three, it is so significant that it must be of concern to him. If I were one of his strategists, I cannot allow those three states to be held convincingly by the opposition. And it is his first election.

person. So, how do you have a structure in Nigeria at that time, when the first 10 people, no Fulani person there, and all the security agents are Fulani. So, all these factors count. If we look at the structure then, the Speaker of the House, the Senate President, the Chairman of the party, the Chief Justice of the Federation, everybody, there was no single Fulani person. But if you look at the security agents, all of them were Fulani. How do you think that democracy could have survived? That kind of thing also matters. If you pick a Buhari and you pick a Yoruba person, it means a Yoruba person after being the Speaker; after being the president, you are leaving out the South-South, South-East, and you are now changing to the Yoruba and Fulani combination. How will you sell it? How will an Igbo person or a South-South person perceive it?

Why I am repeatedly asking that question is, we have a situation where the presidential election will come up February 14, the governorship election will come up February 28. So, after the President’s election, you will be left with the option of winning Lagos for the state. The president at that point, his hands are off. You must have won the presidency by that time. So, the hope of PDP in Lagos is Mr. President.

It’s like many Nigerians are not very happy with the president; the candidate you want to present for next year. They are. Some are not because many of the promises made are not being kept. What are you going to sell? No, the most important one is the security, which people perceived is being masterminded by the APC people. How? Yes. They will blackmail them. If you are only going to hit on security, where is this thing all coming from? It is from you people. They are the ones that said this country will be ungovernable for Jonathan from the inception, before Boko Haram. But the president is finding it difficult to deal with the security challenges? That is not correct. How does he know who is compromised and who is not? Are you not reading in the newspapers that the soldiers are resenting to go on the field and fight. Is that Mr. President? They said instead of giving them N270,000 as salary, they give them N30,000. Is that the President? Instead of buying modern equipment, they bought second hand. Is that the president? They said they are even giving our own uniforms to the Boko Haram people. Is that the president? The way we see it, is not the way he is seeing it. Did you hear the US saying Nigerian soldiers do not want to learn? What is the meaning of that? So, if you are talking, it’s as if he is the one to go to the battlefield. He has to convince them that this country is in danger, save us. And you can never tell, the military may be happy. There is insurgency, so that there can be corruption. If there is no insurgency, what will the military be doing? What sort of achievements are you going to sell to Nigerians in 2015? We are going to sell the improvement in the Federal capital Territtory (FCT). We are going to sell aviation, because in the history of Nigeria, it has never been that good; our airports. The railway is now working, it just need modernisation. Our education system has improved tremendously. I am a pro-chancellor of a university. A university student in the federal university pays N15,000. But Lagos State University students pay between N150,000 and N300,000. But they’ve reversed the tuition fees? If you were in 300 level three years ago, and they reverse it to N12,000 now, are you going to start your 300 level today? Where are those ones? They’ve left. The university has been destroyed. A faculty has only eight students. It is totally bad. Let’s talk about your party’s achievement? If you talk about railway, railway is

If the president wins his election in these three states, and there is no negotiation, he will make sure that he delivers the governors too. Nothing will happen. Ogunlewe

moving now, not as fast, but it is moving. The roads are getting better. It is not unlike somebody that has not been in government. What will they sell, other than violence, other than bombs? They should sit down, get professors, and map out a strategy that will dazzle the entire nation. But there is no difference, No! What are you going to talk about? Is it PHCN? Half of your people bought from PHCN. If you see the names of those people that bought all these Gencos, Discos, they are there. They bought Oando. Who is Oando? It is Bola Tinubu now. If you are talking about mismanagement of our oil sector, Conoco Phillips, has just been sold to Bola Tinubu. So who is benefitting? Is that part of settlement towards 2015? I don’t know, because he has already collected it. So, what is our problem? How can APC win, when you have a prominent member of their party still purchasing property of the Federal Government? Is he not a Nigerian? Must he be in PDP to purchase it? I agree with you but I’m saying he is compromised, because he is a friend of PDP. We don’t regard him as our enemy. That is why we gave him that oil bloc. The man is APC in the morning and PDP in the evening. He has an airline. Who gave him the power to run airline? How many hotels does he has? How many private jets does he has? Where does he fly them to? All these things are deceit. The entire noise making is only for the newspaper. In the evening, they are PDP members. They are plenty like that. Governor Babatunde Fashola has just been given N40 billion to run secondary education in Lagos State, from the World Bank, two weeks ago. Is that one in an opposition? But as the President, he is supposed to be a father, and non-partisan in governance. That is right. But a father to a son; what is that relationship? Okay, it must be cordial. Yes, before I can approve for you, he must see me privately. Do you know what you are going to discuss? Or you just pass the file from the bush, and I will approve? Is it not you that will bring the file to me? What will you tell me when you bring the file? All these things na shakara. The PDP has laboured to govern Lagos since 1999 without result. Is 2015 the year you hope to get Lagos?

His strategists must sit down. We need the votes of these three states, and what do we do? That is all. I don’t have an answer It depends on the Presidency. Politics is a game. The more you look, the less you see. How does it depend on the Presidency? He wants votes, and he has three states that he cannot afford to lose; Kano, Lagos, and Rivers. Those are the states that produce his votes. Let’s look at them one by one. Rivers; he can hassle his way there; people will not desert him for APC where there will be vice president. I’m not saying that one is sure, but it is going to be a battlefield. I’m just mentioning battlefields. It depends on him. It is not mathematics. It is not as easy. He must sit down and map out his strategy to win those three states. I don’t know whether he is going to win it or not. We are just saying that his strategists must sit down. We need the votes of these three states, and what do we do? That is all. I don’t have an answer. I asked what is the hope of your party in 2015 for Lagos State? I have told you the hope. It is Mr. President Could you please be explicit on how it depends on the President? He wants to win election too in these three states. What are his plans to win them? In other states of the federation, is it the President that wins the elections for the party in the state? I’m talking about my own election. I mean, why will it be the president that will deliver Lagos State to you people? What then are your party members in Lagos doing? Who is contesting? I am talking of governorship, not Presidency No, before the governorship is the presidency first. Our performance at the presidential election might influence our performance at the governorship election. They can cooperate, but

So, Lagos State is on negotiation trench? The three. In 2011, he had 1.5 million votes in Lagos. It was the reverse during the governorship, and how did that happen? Again, will Lagos PDP just sit down and say let’s wait on what the president will decide? Yes, because he has an interest. In essence, the priority of Lagos PDP is the Presidency not the governorship. No. It is him that will want to take the two. If he decides to take the two, fine. What is your take on governance in Lagos in the past 15 years under the APC and its forbearers? If I tell you now, they will know our campaign strategy. We don’t need to tell anything. Everybody on the street knows. That is why they are reversing. They know that LASU is going to be an albatross, despite the fact that they’ve destroyed the life of over 100,000 students of Lagos State; they’ve reversed it. It is so ridiculous. You know how much money they are returning, N63 million and so, it is because of N63 million that they destroyed the lives of 100,000 students of Lagos State? Secondly, they banned commercial motorcyclists; they destroyed motorcycles, made sure that when they were contesting, they bought helmets for them, and immediately they won, they destroyed everything-the lives of thousands of people. Why do they have to destroy and compress? And only now, they went to import another one to come and buy at the rate of N50,000. If you go to Alausa now, there are over 40,000 vehicles there. People cannot reclaim them, because of demurrages, arbitrary starvation. There are so many things you can count for or against them. It’s not that they have not done anything, but there minuses are outrageous. They are issues for debate. It is not going to be an easy task, because they will have their own defence too. PDP must now provide a better solution. They are borrowing money to run education in Lagos State. That is why Lagos State is the highest debtor in the whole of Nigeria. They collect N28 billion as tax in Lagos State. They will only declare N23 billion. While N5 billion is shared. Their chairman buys houses everywhere in Nigeria. We have the facts; we have the figures. Those are the things we will debate. There was this money paid by students of LASU that is missing. We will ask about it. There is the Airtel that was formerly Econet that Lagos State bought for N4 billion. Lagos State sold it for N19 billion. There is so much money missing that they must account for.

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EDITORIAL

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Sanctity of Truth w w w.new telegraphonli ne.com

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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

The lingering scourge of slavery

he International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and its Abolition was marked on August 23, 2014, as a reminder of the horrific and tragic transatlantic trade and, more importantly, the rebellion of the night of August 22 to 23, 1791, on the Island of Saint Dominique (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic). This rebellion by slaves inevitably weakened the Caribbean colonial system therein, sparked an uprising that led to abolishing of slavery and led to the Island’s independence and, as it were, marked the beginning of the destruction of the slavery system, slave trade and colonialism. For Nigeria, the day provides great opportunity for sober reflection and indeed, a chance to think about the historic causes, the methods and the consequences of slave trade, while bringing into focus the issue of the modern day slavery. Therefore, while tribute should be paid to those men and women who worked assiduously to abolish the “old” system of slave trade and slavery throughout the world, a thought should be spared for the problem of human trafficking, the modern day slavery, and insecurity that led to the abduction of over 200 Nigerian girls by Boko Haram insurgents. Their rescue remains a sore thumb that stares us in the face as a nation.

Slave trade thrives in Africa as young men, women and children, some of who work 12 hours a day for little or no pay, are trafficked to different parts of the world. While people are no longer being shackled, put on the auction block and sold out like goats and fowls to the highest bidder, the cruelty and dehumanization remain. Hapless young women and girls aged between 10 and 21 years deceptively lured and procured by barons with promises of steady employment, are forced into commercial sex exploitation, domestic servitude and forced labour on getting to their destination. Some go make the tortuous journey through the desert by caravan, others are forced to cross the border on foot, and because the so-called jobs are unavailable, they cut corners to repay heavy debts for travel expenses. 45,000 Nigerian women are trafficked to Europe especially Italy, Russia and North Africa yearly to engage in a dehumanizing means of eking out a living, while young children are moved across borders to Gabon and Benin Republic to provide cheap labour, sometimes with family members as accomplices. Slavery is a crime against humanity, so also is trafficking in persons. The continued enslavement of women and children traps generations of Nigerians in vicious circle of slavery, illiteracy, and poverty. Given that problems such as greed,

poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, and desperation to relocate abroad for better life, are immediate factors, the porous state of Nigerian borders and engrained corruption also aid and abet the criminal network. We, therefore, expect all Nigerians, especially those in influential positions to take stock of shortfalls that impoverish and enslave majority of the people with a view to mapping out concrete developmental strategies. Besides we cannot afford to continue with the practices and policies that destroy the future of our youths. Human trafficking is too grave a problem to be treated with kid gloves. It is a crime and ought to be treated so. For example, the punishment meted out to offenders under the Act establishing the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in persons and other Related Matters [NAPTIP] is ridiculous compared to the seriousness of the crime. Granted the agency is doing a great job, it is handicapped in terms of prosecution of offenders as its Act stipulates imposition of a three-year sentence with an option of fine on a person convicted of procuring young girls for commercial sex activities abroad. To all discerning minds, this is a mockery of criminal justice system. This level of naivety portrays us in bad light to international community, which has classified Nigeria as a source, transit, and destination country for

trafficking in persons, especially as it relates to forced labour and commercial sex activities. Without further delay, such obsolete laws must be amended and other extant laws and policies such as the Child Right Act rigorously enforced. Not only that, slow judicial process and corruption also pose a huge challenge to the prosecution of offenders. The pernicious culture of silence surrounding this trade that labels Nigeria a notorious center for the heinous crime, must be broken, even as it is also necessary to take into consideration the role of family members in perpetrating this crime so that strategies aimed at addressing it will be all embracing. Of equal importance is the need to educate and enlighten every Nigerian on the consequences of trafficking in persons. In addition, the federal government should partner with faithbased organizations and non-governmental organizations in view of the role religion plays in shaping people’s opinions and influencing policies to mitigate the scourge of human trafficking. Equally worthy of note is the fact that slaves contributed immensely to the affirmation of Universal Human Rights; therefore, it is our belief that such rights and freedom must be respected. Victims of any form of enslavement must not be criminalized; instead concerted efforts must be made to track down the real perpetrators. GABRIEL AKINADEWO Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU Deputy Managing Director/DEIC SULEIMAN UBA GAYA Managing Editor YEMI AJAYI Editor, Daily LAURENCE ANI Editor, Saturday EMEKA MADUNAGU Editor, Sunday EMEKA OBASI Deputy Editor, Daily AYODELE OJO Deputy Editor, Daily LEO CENDROWICZ Bureau Chief, Brussels MARSHALL COMINS Bureau Chief, Washington DC SAM AMSTERDAM Editorial Coordinator, Europe EMMAN SHEHU (PhD) Chairman, Editorial Board GEOFFREY EKENNA News Editor TAIWO AHMED Advert Manager UCHEY OKEZIE Ag. Sales/Marketing Manager TIMOTHY AKINLEYE Head, Graphics ROBINSON EZEH Head, Admin.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

OPINION Coach Stephen Keshi deserves reappointment Chuks Iloegbunam

atching television news on Wednesday August 20, 2014, it was reported that 23 Coach-less Super Eagles players have been invited to camp in preparation for the qualifying series of next year’s Africa Nations Cup. Why are the Eagles still without a coach? In searching for an answer to this question, I remembered Time To Call Keshi’s Bluff, an Internet article published on July 25, 2014 by Olusegun Adeniyi, a friend and professional colleague. On re-reading Mr. Adeniyi’s article, I became firmer in my conviction that certain powerful forces are strongly against Stephen Keshi returning as Manager of the Super Eagles. My thinking is that the powerful forces are wrong and that Mr. Keshi deserves to be immediately reappointed so that he can continue the good work he started doing for the Eagles in 2011. But, let us first address the issues out of Mr. Adeniyi’s intervention. The man is the chairman of Thisday’s editorial board and has ample space to ventilate his views in the newspaper. Why did he instead opt to publish only in skytrendnews.com? That question may appear to be begotten of a separate mother, but it is actually tied to the author’s rather peculiar advocacy in the piece. Adeniyi wants Stephen Keshi out of coaching the Eagles for three reasons: 1) Keshi threatened to resign his job once he led the Eagles to continental victory in South Africa in 2013, and had to be persuaded to stay on. 2) Keshi resigned immediately after the World Cup in Brazil. 3) Keshi went about giving conditions under which he would accept a job that had not been offered him. For these reasons, Adeniyi concluded in this astonishing vein: “Now that Keshi’s contract with the NFF has ended, he should be encouraged to go. Given his rich CV in football management not only in Nigeria but on the continent, he will definitely not be lacking in lucrative offers. All factors considered, I do not think that Keshi is the manager that the Super Eagles need going forward.” Why is justice on leave? After South Africa 2013, Keshi threatened to resign because he felt he hadn’t been properly treated. Is that a good reason for a competent coach to be separated from his job? It is not true that Keshi resigned after the World Cup and, given his unlimited sources of information, Adeniyi would have

known this because Keshi himself refuted the report that claimed he resigned. His disclaimer was widely published in Nigerian newspapers and on the Internet. According to Adeniyi’s “news now”, Keshi “has started to give conditions under which he would accept a job that he has not been offered.” Well, the authentic news from the NFF and from Mr. Emma Ado, Keshi’s media assistant, is that a draft contract was handed Keshi. And it was on its strength that he spelt out the conditions under which he would continue as Eagles coach. What is outrageous in giving conditions under which a would-be employee feels he could best be of service? If a man were to enlist in his country’s armed forces or was to be conscripted for military service, the question of a prior discussion on the conditions of service would not arise because the authorities alone have the final say on such matters. It is not the same thing when an expert is to be considered for a top, non-military national assignment. In this circumstance the proper procedure is to examine every issue at stake point-bypoint, in order to determine whether there are aspects of the proposed conditions of service that could be deleterious to optimum performance. For instance, if Keshi asked for a salary of $1 billion a day, the NFF would reserve the right to say, “No, we can’t meet that demand. Our offer is N1 a decade.” Genuine negotiations are a matter of give and take. With time and good will, both employer and employee would arrive at a modus vivendi. And all systems are go! So, why should Keshi’s insistence on a mutually agreed contract be to his disadvantage? I thought Olusegun Adeniyi’s position was unfortunate and I have already contacted him to indicate my exception to it. There are many points in Stephen Keshi’s favour. His love for the beautiful game and his patriotism are not in doubt. As one of the earliest Nigerians to star on the international soccer stage, he was instrumental to the introduction of numerous Nigerian footballers into the European football scene. Many of the footballers in question lived in Keshi’s Belgian home when he was an Anderlecht defender, even without having any contracts with any clubs. Keshi’s debut with the Eagles was in 1981 when he was just 19. He had 64 caps with the national side over 14 years until his retirement in 1995. He captained the Eagles to Africa Nation’s Cup glory in 1994, and he repeated the feat as coach in 2013. Only he and Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary hold the distinc-

tion of winning the Nation’s Cup both as captain and as coach. As coach, he qualified Togo for their first and only World Cup finals, and he qualified Nigeria for Brazil 2014. Above everything else, Keshi commands the respect and admiration of his players. Against this background, is it fair to say, like Adeniyi, that “Given his rich CV in football management not only in Nigeria but on the continent, he will definitely not be lacking in lucrative offers. All factors considered, I do not think that Keshi is the manager that the Super Eagles need going forward.” Is it right for Nigeria to discharge a good coach simply because Keshi will be deluged with “lucrative offers” outside our shores? There is another question. Is it not true that Keshi was treated poorly as national coach? His right hand man, Silvanus Okpala, an Eagles veteran in his own right, was fired without justifiable cause and without Keshi’s knowledge or consent. When did it stop being the prerogative of a coach to choose his lieutenants? Keshi was owed eight months’ salary arrears in this country without his saying a word on it to the media. In which other country does this kind of thing happen? Keshi never had an official car and he never was given an official accommodation. Yet he made no noise about these shortcomings. Early this year, I paid Keshi a visit at an Abuja hotel in which the Eagles were lodged. At the reception, I was pointed to his room on the ground floor without anyone verifying my identity. There was no security whatsoever. I knocked and Keshi himself opened the door of the single room, not a suite. I was speechless. Was Keshi abandoned in what could pass for a hovel because Abuja had run out of suitable accommodation for the achieving coach of the Super Eagles? Should Coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi be punished because he is indignant to the idea of being supine, because we have in him a man that knows his rights and wants things properly done? Or is the new and rising agitation for a foreign coach the ploy of faceless agents with an eye for dollar-denominated commissions? I think the NFF should do the right thing by promptly reappointing Keshi on the basis of a mutually agreed contract. The man has a chance of winning the Africa Nation’s Cup back-to-back for Nigeria. • Iloegbunam (iloegbunam@hotmail.com) is a veteran journalist.

Now that Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is Emir… Andrew Iro Okungbowa

ll hail king Sanusi Lamido Sanusi - Mohammed Sanusi 1 – the new Emir of Kano. On the fateful day of his emergence, I found myself on the lookout for the announcement as I drove home from La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort at the outskirts of Lagos where I had gone for an assignment. Probably out of journalist instinct, I was delighted by the news of Sanusi’s ascension. And as I reflected on the new development, I was overwhelmed by two thoughts. One, that Sanusi had finally achieved his life-long ambition of becoming an emir. What a lucky man he is! Not everyone with such lofty, if not childhood, fantasy lives to lay his hand on the trophy as has happened with Mallam Sanusi. Two, that the new emir would perhaps be the most powerful and controversial to have graced the throne this century. Consider the developments leading to his ascension and the fact that the position itself was hotly contested. Without prejudice to the views of pundits on his rise, permit me to share my own thoughts on what should define Sanusi’s reign. My personal encounter with Sanusi was some years back when I boarded the same flight with him and some members of his family from Lagos to Kano. I was headed for the Katsina/ Kano Durbar of that year. He was quite friendly and interact-

ed with many of the passengers on the flight. I used the occasion to exchange pleasantries and introduced myself. On learning that I was a journalist and heading to cover the Durbar in Katsina and Kano, he was very impressed and invited me to visit his home in Kano. Kano occupies a special place in my travel odyssey being the first place I experienced a truly organised professional tourism business and tour package when I covered the Durbar in both Katsina and Kano, courtesy of Tess Travels. That was in the 1990s and since then, I have repeatedly covered the event in both cities with Kano etched in my memory because it had good tourist sites then and attracted a lot of visitors, especially expatriates who came in their numbers to savour the Kano Durbar because of its historical, cultural, colourful and aristocratic grandeur. They didn’t just stop at experiencing the Durbar but extended to exploring the city’s entrails. The state had quite a booming industry then with an established and efficiently-run tourism board, which was one of the earliest and the best in the country. The Kano Tourism Village on Bompai Road, which housed the tourism board, was a beehive of activities, attracting people of all colours and backgrounds. A visit to Kano without a stopover at the tourist village was not a complete one. At the height of its efficiency, the tourism board headed by one Mallam

Zubairu, a real technocrat and passionate tourism lover, regularly visited cities like Lagos and Port Harcourt to woo tour operators and travel agents and promote its tourism, particularly the Dubar, which it used as an attraction to lure many people to the city. Indeed, the most outstanding factor about Kano tourism is the intertwined relationship between the traditional institution--that is, the Emir in his palace and to promote the city’s tourism. It is not just the fact that Kano’s tourist attractions had (and should still have) traditional appeal but that Zubairu and his men and even those that came after he had long left the office, understood the powerful role that the traditional institution and the personality of the emir play in the city’s tourism drive. Hitherto, no city tour took place without a guided tour of the palace with the Emir and his chiefs most times on hand to hold court with the visitors. It was something quite impressive and many of the visitors, particularly Western visitors were captivated by the rich cultural display and sheer aristocracy and hospitality that were showcased. They cherished every second spent touring the palace, exchanging pleasantries and chatting with the Emir, viewing the trophies and treasured arts and craft of the palace. But somewhere along the line, interest in this city began to wane, no thanks to the state government and the tourism

board’s betrayal of their once-golden mandate as tourism was put in the reverse gear causing many of the tourists to also look away. This was not helped by the introduction of Sharia and of late the bombings. I can’t recall visiting the city in the last five years or so and, to tell you the truth, I have greatly missed the Durbar as I believe many other people have. Reflecting on this sad development and what could be done to return Kano tourism to its glorious past glory, it occurred to me that our new Emir, Mohammed Sanusi 1 could play a role in revitalising tourism in Kano. As he settles into his new office and looks forward to hosting his first Durbar, he should seek to use his good offices and towering personality to rein in his people. The office of the emir is highly revered and so he should apply moral, religious, political and economic persuasions on both the government and his subjects to once again give attention to tourism business and increase the tempo of security and arrest the growing religious bigotry that has crippled the once flourishing tourist industry in the ancient city of Kano. I look forward to visiting Kano again soon and lining up among the tourists to pay homage to the new Emir. Who knows, I may just have the chance to remind him of the promised dinner date that never held and savour a royal dinner this time.

LAW THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE JUDICIARY EDITOR

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'LET }p-22 NIGERIANS DETERMINE CONFAB REPORT'

Lagos CJ: Historic succession of two sisters Theirs is rare from the emerging trend in Lagos State Judiciary where children of retired judges occupy the positions once occupied by their parents. However, their case is peculiar because it took place for the first time since Lagos State Judiciary was created. Judiciary Editor, FOLUSO OGUNMODEDE writes on how Justice Funmilayo Olajumoke Atilade took over from her blood sister, Justice Ayotunde Philips as the Chief Judge of Lagos State

Lthough about 60 per cent of the 56 judges in the Lagos State Judiciary are children of serving and retired judges- Judges who at a time called the judicial shots in the state, the duo of Justices Ayotunde Philips and Funmilayo Olajumoke Atilade’s case, among them is peculiar. Their father, the late Justice James Oladipo Williams retired from the Lagos State Judiciary the same way the likes of the parents of Justices Samuel Adebowale Candide-Johnson, Olabode Rhodes-Vivour of the Supreme Court, Habeeb Adewale Abiru of the Court of Appeal, Olusola Williams and Christopher Balogun, among others served and retired from Lagos Bench. But the immediate past Chief Judge of the state, Philips and the newly swornin Chief Judge, Atilade, who are of the same parents on August 20 made an historic succession. Atilade, Philips immediate younger sister took over from her as the 15th Chief Judge and 5th female in the history of the state judiciary. The first female Chief Judge in the state was the late Justice Rosaline Omotosho. Omotosho, who was indeed the first female to become the Chief Judge, was sworn-in in 1995. She retired in1996, having attained the mandatory statutory age of 65. She was followed by Justice Ibitola Sotiminu, who was Lagos Chief Judge between 2001and 2004. Justice Inumidun Akande, who preceded Philips became the third Chief Judge. Her tenure began in 2009 until her retirement in 2012. Philips the fourth female and senior sister to Atilade, retired on July 26. She was however succeeded by Atilade, her blood sister on August 20. The two sisters were both born in England by the late Justice Jame Oladipo and Henrietta Aina Williams where they had their early preparatory years. Their father, Williams was appointed to the Bench of Lagos on June 1, 1975 and retired on May 22, 1987. Eleven years after his retirement, Justice Williams passed on. Precisely, he died on February 14, 1998. Barely seven and nine years after his retirement, Williams’daughters, Phillips

L-R: Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade and Former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Philips. More photographs on pages 23 and 25

I have confidence that her tenure would witness more positve reforms in the Lagos State Judiciary and Atilade, became judges of the state High Court in February 1994 and July 1996 respectively. While Philips was born on July 26, 1949 Atilade was born three years after. In January 1962, Philips was admitted into Queens College, Yaba, Lagos and obtained her West African School Certificate in 1966. She proceeded to Ibadan Grammar School, Ibadan and was awarded the Higher School Certificate in 1968. Phillips secured an admission into the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba and graduated with LL.B in June 1973. In 1974, she was called to the Nigerian Bar and participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Scheme as a pupil counsel at the Enugu State Ministry of Justice between June 1974 and June 1975. Her working career began at the Chambers of the late Kehinde Sofola (SAN) from November 1975 to September 1976 where she worked as a junior. In the same year, Philips took up an employment as a Legal Officer at the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) where she rose through the ranks to become its Secretary/Legal Adviser. In 1990, she transferred her service to the Lagos State Ministry of Justice and was elevated to the position of a High Court Judge on February 18, 1994. Two years after her elevation to the Bench of Lagos State Judiciary, her younger sister, Atilade joined her as a judge of Lagos State Judiciary. Atilade was born on September 24, 1952. Like Philips, Atilade was born in London, England, in the United Kingdom. They are both from Lagos and sec-

ond generation judges. Atilade spent the first seven years of her life in London, England where she attended Primary School until her parents decided to return to Nigeria. She completed her primary school education at Ladi-Lak Institute, Yaba, Lagos. Besides Ladi-Lak Institute, Atilade attended the Holy Child College, Ikoyi, Lagos between1964 and1965 before she headed for Lagos Anglican Girls Grammar School, Surulere, Lagos 1966 and Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos in1970. In 1975, Atilade bagged an LL.B from the prestigious University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1976. She had the mandatory National Youths Service Corps in Benin in 1977, where she served as a Pupil State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Benin. However, her career began at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Marina, Lagos, where she worked as a State Counsel from 1977 to 1979 before her employment as a Senior Legal Officer at the Nigerian Ports Authority in 1979. She rose to the post of a Principal Legal Officer before she transferred her employment to the Lagos state Judiciary in 1982 as a Senior Magistrate Grade 2. She became a Chief Magistrate Administration in Apapa, Lagos between 1993 and 1996. In 1996, Atilade was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Lagos State where she held several judicial positions including Chairman Electoral Tribunal until her appointment last week as the Chief Judge. She enjoys playing golf, going to the gym, and travelling. She is a member of National Association of Women Judges of Nigeria (NAWJN), International Association of Women Judges of Nigeria (IAWJN), World Jurist Association (WJA), Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association (CMJA), International Federation of Women Lawyers, International Bar Association (Judges Forum). Besides, Atilade is a member of Ikoyi Club 1938, W. M. U Ikoyi Baptist Church Lagos, Ladies Roundtable, and Interna-

tional Women’s Society. She became the Head Judge in June 2012, a position once occupied by her sister, the retired Justice Phillips before her elevation as the chief judge. At her swearing in last week, Fashola singled out Atilade’s family for an applause, describing her take over from her sister as historic, adding that he was confident that the Lagos State Judiciary would witness more positive reforms under her tenure as the new chief judge was a reformist and fearless judge. Atilade's appointment, according to Lagos Justice Commissioner and Attorney-General, Mr. Ade Ipaye said was germane following the ‘glorious exit’ of her sister, Philips. Section 271(1) of the Constitution provides that ‘the appointment of a person to the office of the Chief Judge of a State shall be made by the Governor of the State on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, subject to the confirmation of the appointment by the House of Assembly of the State. Following the recommendation by the National Judicial Council (NJC) and appointed by the State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, Atilade’s appointment was reviewed, found worthy and confirmed by the Lagos State House of Assembly. However, Fashola, described Atilade as a reformist and fearless judge, saying he was confident that the Lagos State Judiciary would witness more positive reforms under her tenure. Atilade viewed her appointment as an opportunity to give back to the society what she had been offered by the society. While eulogising her predecessor, Atilade promised to consolidate on Philips’ immense contributions to the growth and development of the judicial arm of the state while promising to continue from there. Besides, she promised to complete the computerisation process of the judiciary and make a case for the appointment of more judges to speed up hearing of cases at the court just as she vowed to make decongestion of prisons started by her predecessor a priority, especially with those awaiting trial.

22 JURIST Mobolaji Ojibara is the chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin branch. In this interview with BIODUN OYELEYE, Ojibara shares his views on sundry national issues especially as they affect the legal profession How are lawyers taking Ebola virus outbreak and the NBA Annual General Conference? The National Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association is the largest gathering of lawyers anywhere in the world. With every sense of modesty, the Nigerian Bar Association conference is the largest gathering of legal practitioners anywhere in the world. It is done every year where lawyers interact, discuss the state of the nation, discuss the affairs of the Bar, discuss about the development and practices at the Bar. This year it is happening in Owerri, the Imo State capital through the 24 -29 of August. Talking about the Ebola scare, I know the Nigerian Bar Association has put in place a lot of measures to ensure that we have smooth and scare free conference. The NBA has interacted with officials of the Federal Ministry of Health in a bid to ensure that all the relevant stakeholders and the interested parties are carried along to ensure that our members who are attending the conference in Owerri are well taken care of and part of the things that have been put in place to ensure that Ebola-scare free conference. There is the provision of sanitisers because of the Ebola scare. There is also stationery sanitisers which have been put in various places. There is emergency hospital team, which have been put in place. The Imo StateMinistry of Health, I understand, also has put in some measures in place. So, all necessary measures have been put in place to ensure that people have Ebola-free conference. Though some members called that the conference should be postponed, but it was not Keyamo postpone. How would you assess the federal government’s response to the Ebola outbreak? I quite appreciate the position of wellmeaning Nigerians who have expressed concerns and fears about the response of the Federal Government. Of course, we also have to commend the efforts of the government so far. I must also state here that the government can still do more. You are aware of the fact that when the index patient, Patrick Sawyer, came in, because he was a high profile individual, it came through the airport. He was identified but how many Liberians who come through the land borders are identify. And land borders are not being monitored. Every day people cross the border. They go in and out of the country to neighbouring countries. There are Liberians who enter the country virtually every other day through our land borders. These borders are not monitored and that is why some Nigerians have called for the closure of land borders and when they are calling for closure, it does not mean that there would be no movement along the borders. But it means that the borders if closed so to say will be monitored. People who are coming in will be screened. They will know the status of the people who are coming in through our borders. That is why some Nigerians have experienced concern that the government had not been proactive enough to control the spread. Of course, we also have to so far commend the effort because except for the high level of media coverage and enlightenment giving to the Nigerian public, I believe we would have more of the cases we are having now. There would have been more deaths. If not for the high level of sensitization and the support the media had given the government on this case, we probably would have had the worst case.

Sanctity of Truth

Ojibara: Let Nigerians determine confab report

I would suggest that the confab's recommendations be subjected to referendum We have to commend the efforts of the media in that regard. The just concluded National Conference discussed many issues in Nigeria. What do you think are the issues that affect Nigerians? The theme of this year’s NBA’s conference is looking at the 100 years of existence of Nigeria and you know a lot of water has gone under the bridge. A lot of things have affected the millennium ambition. We have seen how we have interrelated in the last years. How our relationship has affected our being as a nation. These are some of the things that the organizers of the conference have taken into consideration. For the first time, this year’s conference is taking another dimension. There is what they called parallel session for the first time. Some of these things will be discussed in addition to what the fora and sessions will be discussion within their session. What do you think are the major issues facing Nigeria as we celebrate our centenary? There are a lot of things. But basically, the core of the problem we are facing in this country with due respect, I believe is corruption. If for any reason the problem of corruption is adequately addressed, I want to believe that its effects will be multiplied to other facets of Nigerian economy. If we are able to eliminate, at least to certain extent the problem of corruption which is the base of major problems we have in this country, I believe we will have

Ojibara

some succor in the country. How in concrete terms will your profession bring peace when the country is in crisis? First of all, as an association, NBA which is the association of lawyers in the country promotes the unity of the country. We act as a watch dog between the government, not only the government, between the people and their approach in respect to their responsibilities in the society. We give out voice against the vices in the society. We give voice to those we consider as the oppressed in the society such that we fight their causes. The NBA is a pressure group and as a pressure group, we want to ensure that the government takes its responsibility with diligence. The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi accepted defeat in the Ekiti Governorship election and even congratulated the winner, Mr. Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party. Some people hold the view that the volte-farce of the All Progressive Congress must have been at the advice of some lawyers. How do you reconcile the above scenarios as it is said that the lawyers advised APC based on what they want to benefit? Let me first correct that impression that lawyers advised them based on what they want to benefit. When Kayode Fayemi came out after the election and said he was accepting defeat. Everybody said this is something from the blues or an unusual acceptance. Of course, the party which he represented probably felt they saw it in a different angle. They may have said, ‘do not just accept this issue. Probably there are other issues and they had to challenge the result of the election despite the fact that the candidate has accepted defeat and

Thursday, August 28, 2014

the voice of the people but the party said otherwise. So, it will be wrong to say the lawyers have come and they are the ones that have advised the party. It is not Fayemi himself that came back and said he is not accepting defeat and the outcome of the election again. So, if Fayemi had come out and said that his lawyers had advised him that he has a good case, so I will not accept. That is when you will come out to say that lawyers have advised him as such. Of course, it is the party that came out to say that the party is not accepting defeat, what Kayode Fayemi said notwithstanding, we have business to contest the election and we are contesting. So, it is not because Fayemi Kayode came out to say that some people have advised him not to accept the result. How do you look at the militarization during election as witnessed during the Ekiti and Osun elections? What is your assessment of that strategy by the federal government to handle those elections? What we read on the papers and what we saw on television, if the military was drafted to Ekiti to ensure that there was peace within the state during the election, nobody should have problem with that. We want to ensure that there is heavy presence of security to ensure that we do not have any problem during the election. But if what the APC are claiming is true which is that they used the military people to harass and intimidate them and they have evidence to that effect, they may have to go to court and prove that they were intimidated and that the presence of the military personnel in the state was not just to ensure that there was peace but to intimidate them. Of course, they claimed that when they came, they rounded up some of their principal officers to ensure that they were not available during the election. If they say these are some of the things that happened to ensure that there was no level playing ground for us within which the election took place, if they can prove all these things, they may have a case. But to us all these are hear-say because we were not there. But we all saw in Osun State the heavy presence of security personnel and how the election went. How do you see it? That is what I am saying that if the presence of the military personnel was to ensure that there is peace during the election, I repeat nobody should have any problem with that. If not for the fact that they won the election in Osun, APC before the election were already saying No! On the eve of the election some of the officers were arrested. At least we read from the papers that Alhaji Lai Mohammed was arrested for ‘wandering’ and that Adeleke was also wandering. If they had lost the election, probably these are some of the facts that we would also plead before the court to say that we were intimidated before the election. But if they had lost, they would say that for so so reason, we were intimidated and we are going to court. Some people are saying that the outcome of the national conference should be subjected to a referendum. So, are you saying that it is not necessary to be sent to the National Assembly? Ordinarily, I would have subscribed to the fact that the report of the confab should be sent to the National Assembly. But my fear is that if it gets to the National Assembly, it would be turned to another political issue that whatever position is going to be taken on it will be depended on political line. It will be between the APC and the PDP. To me, I do not see it as being in favour of the majority of Nigerians for which the confab is set up. We know everything that goes to National Assembly. They are there to represent the people that sent them but the truth is that what they do there are the biddings of the parties they represent. So, if this report is fair it is going to be on that basis that I would rather suggest that it is subjected to referendum and not to be sent to the National Assembly because you can be sure that it will basically be debated on political line and that is my fear.

LAW | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Sheriff alleges death threat by Bianca’s security men

EZEOBI: Exit of an outstanding lawyer

Joseph Onyekwere

sheriff in Lagos State High Court has claimed that Bianca Ojukwu's security guards threatened to shoot him should he post court processes on the wall of 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly 29 Queens Drive), Ikoyi,Lagos as ordered by the court. The sheriff, Ojo Adebola in an affidavit of non-service sworn to at a Lagos High Court, said he was unable to serve because 'security guard on duty threatened to shoot me if I should attempt posting on the defendant's wall'. Justice Akinlade had earlier granted the request by Ojukwu Transport Limited, the owner of the property to serve processes by posting them on the premises. In suit LD/362/2013

OTL, seeking to take possession of the property, is one of the five companies it had asked Bianca to return. The firm claimed that although one of its late directors, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu once resided there, he had moved to Enugu more than 12 years ago before his demise. The premises, the company claimed was in a state of disrepair and even the late Ikemba recognized this and authorized the company's agent, Massey Udegbe & Co to inspect same as far back as 2010. When contacted, a Director of OTL, Dr. Ike Ojukwu said he was awaiting a detailed report on the alleged incident, adding that it represents a disturbing level of desperation for the occupant of the property. He restated that no one is above the

law such as no one has absolute monopoly on weapons or armed guards. Dr. Ojukwu said their cases are going well and some tenants in the properties have regularized their tenancy with the rightful owners/landlord which is OTL. The other four properties the Ojukwus are asking Bianca to give up possession of, are 13 Alexander Avenue (13 Ojora Rd), Ikoyi, occupied by Clear Essence Spa which the Ojukwus have sued them for too. Others are 30 Gerrard Rd, Ikoyi,Lagos which is occupied by Bayo Kuku's firm WAOL-also in court with the Ojukwu's, 4 Macpherson, Ikoyi and 32 Commercial Ave, Yaba, Lagos occupied by Unity Bank of which they have been sued by OTL’s lead counsel, Chief George Uwechue SAN

Director,Legislative Drafting, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Mrs.Tola Akinsanya(left) and The New Chief Judge of Lagos state, Justice Oluwafunmilayo Atilade.

Oyebode to deliver 15th Mike Okonkwo annual lecture

oremost professor of Jurisprudence and International Law, Professor Akin Oyebode will on Thursday, September 4, 2014 deliver the 15th Mike Okonkwo annual lecture. The lecture, organized in honour of the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Bishop Mike Okonkwo, the globally acclaimed jurist will speak on the theme, “The power of your vote: A catalyst for a Stable and united Nigeria.” The event which is being hosted by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and chaired by a former Nigerian ambassador to the United States, Ambassador (Prof.) George Obiozor, will hold at the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre, Lagos. The event being coordinated by the Mike

Okonkwo Educational & Youth Initiative (MOEYI), the much anticipated lecture will also witness the presentation of gifts to winners of the 11th Mike Okonkwo national Essay Competition. Oyebode, a muchsought-after public speaker and delegate to the recently concluded National Conference, is a respected social critic whose views on key national issues often resonate with the common man. Formerly Dean of Law and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD), now Ekiti State University, Oyebode was a long-standing Head of Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG). He is currently the Chairman of the university’s Office of Inter-

national Relations, Partnerships and Prospects. A Harvard-trained lawyer, Oyebode has over 170 publications to his credit, including Theses and Dissertations, books and monographs, chapters in books and published proceedings, articles in journals, as well as technical papers and book reviews. In 2012 Oyebode was appointed by the Federal Government as a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA). He is a member of learned societies and professional associations such as the Nigerian Society of International Law, American Society of International Law, International Law Association, Nigerian Association of Law Teachers, Nigerian Bar Association and Nigerian Institute of Management.

TRIBUTE

Emeka Nwadioke he passing of Chief Theodore Anachuna Ezeobi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria came to many as a shock. Not because anyone expected the quintessential advocate to live forever but because it is quite difficult to imagine a gathering without Ezeobi’s zestful interventions. Everything about Ezeobi was electric and electrifying! Not one given to timidity or half measures, the real tragedy would have been if Ezeobi’s life and times did not generate debate, even controversy. His colourful life was decorated with both. And he would only be smiling down from heaven, knowing that human progress is greatly enhanced by same. I can vividly recall a session of Otu Oka-Iwu Lagos where Ezeobi was holding court as usual in the twilight of his eventful earthly sojourn. An issue arose and Ezeobi quickly and characteristically sprang to his feet, intoning: “Sue them, just sue them!” To say that those words made a strong impact on me, coming from Ezeobi as it were, is an understatement. It was immediately obvious to me that this was a classic jurist whose belief in the efficacy of his professional calling was total. It was even more poignant that this was a time when virtually everyone was bemoaning the hiccups and gaps in our justice delivery system. Apparently, Ezeobi was born to be a lawyer and nothing else. Indeed, his inroad into the legal profession was fortuitous. His childhood dream was to be a doctor. Thank God his plans were torpedoed, I dare say. As it turned out, medicine’s loss was an awesome gain for Nigeria’s legal profession and the Nigerian Bar. He left both better than he met them. If it is said that Ezeobi’s life was a mish-mash of contradictions, the critic would not be very far from the truth. Or how does one reconcile that a strict disciplinarian -who indeed was a member of the NBA Disciplinary Committee Panel B - was often the ‘rebel with a cause,’ challenging authority at every turn? Given his keen sense of justice and zealous disposition, Ezeobi was ever willing to speak truth to power. Indeed, he thrives in dancing ‘owambe’ where angels fear to thread. He simply does not mind whose ox is gored insofar as he is questing for truth, equity, justice and fairness. To say that Ezeobi and injustice are strange bed-fellows is to state the obvious. He belongs to that tiny band of iconoclastic advocates who are consumed more by the well-being of the majority than suffused in self-serving obeisance. A consummate Barman, no meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) was complete without Ezeobi’s lucid interventions. Indeed, the NBA leadership described him as a “very committed Barman,” adding that “NBA will sorely miss him.” Viewed by many as the ‘conscience of the Bar,’ Ezeobi was the voice of reason and rectitude in eras of trenchant moral turpitude. Inevitably, he was often viewed as an unwelcome irritant by reactionary forces. But Ezeobi

The late Ezeobi, SAN

carried his cross with dignity and equanimity, his candor and courage never flagging for a moment. His single-minded devotion to every cause he believed in was all the motivation he needed to forge on. For him, it was immaterial that the tide and the entire world were against him. His principled stand on issues has doubtless helped in pushing back the frontiers of tyranny both within the Nigerian Bar and elsewhere. Apparently, he took his civic mindedness from his late father, an acclaimed community leader and foundation catholic, and would later say that “I challenged myself not to be anything less a personality than my father.” His elder brother, Christopher was also a strong influence. Ezeobi took great pride in his alma mater, Government College, Umuahia, and would tell anyone who gave him a listening ear that that was the same school the late Chinua Achebe and some other greats attended. The first Nigerian Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of Standard Bank of Nigeria Limited (now First Bank of Nigeria Plc), the accomplished jurist was Chairman of NBA Lagos branch and NBA representative at the National Judicial Council (NJC). He was also a member of Nigeria’s Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), Body of Benchers, Council of Legal Education, Asia Pacific Lawyers Association, and International Bar Association (IBA). His expansive civic commitments also extended to his membership of Otu-Oka-Iwu and Ndigbo Lagos. He was a Patron of the association of Anambra State Development Unions, Lagos; Catholic Lawyers Association, and Catholic Youths Organization of Nigeria as well as a member of the Parish Pastoral Council, Holy Family Catholic Church, Festac Town, Lagos. Ezeobi, himself a distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria, would, perhaps naturally, cross swords with the awarding authority for the exalted rank when he asserts: “Why should a person who qualified in category A, B, C not be given the rank and you go and give it to somebody who qualified only in category B or you go and give somebody who qualified in category C or even why should you give it to a person who qualified only in category A, when there are people who qualified in categories A, B, and C, what argument do you have to support this other than impropriety.” Ezeobi has left an enviable legacy as one of the few persons in the world whose entire children – five in all - are lawyers. A devout Christian, he would say “that the glory of that first goes to God.” At the thanksgiving service, the presiding priest Monsignor John Aniagwu would also say about Ezeobi’s spirituality: “As Christians, they know that what they have achieved is the Lord's doing and that is why they come to thank God.” A stickler for discipline and excellence, Ezeobi is apparently a tough act to follow. But it would also be extremely difficult not to be persuaded by his prodigious talent and legendary advocacy skills. Little wonder then that his last son Jude would say: “Having watched my father, I became more interested in law.” Ezeobi loved gardening, watching football, listening to music, photography and travelling. He also loved his heartthrob Iyom Bernadette and their five children. With an unbridled love for the only profession he knew, Ezeobi upheld the best traditions of the Bar. His talent for advocacy was perhaps matchless. I can only hope that Saint Peter accords him with an expansive suite where he can hold court. Otherwise, the heavens may yet live to recall when the lawyer’s lawyer arrived.

LAW | INTERVIEW

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Ekpo: A six-week encounter with Obama changed my world She was at the United States of America to represent Nigeria at the African Youth Leadership training. Mfon Ekpo, an Abuja-based lawyer recalls her experience at the training. TUNDE OYESINA met her. by 2025 if the facts are correct. The young people are being treated by a minority all this while, though we at the majority, It is to get the young people into governance. It is to encourage the young people to learn the things that would engage them about policy, education, and how to set up structures to re-engineer Nigeria. What does it mean to you to sit with Obama and his team? It was a life changing experience. Not just meeting the President but learning about all the policies that can bring out the best of governance if the young and energetic people with ideas are given the chance, you know, from George Bush to Barak Obama, it makes you know that one person in their place can achieve so much.

Ekpo

How was your experience like at the just concluded Youth Leadership training at the United States of America where you were a Nigerian delegate? Yes, we are about 50,000 Nigerians but out of that they chose about 500 for the programme, and I was one of those chosen from Nigeria. We went for six weeks training and exchange programme, we had a one week meeting in Washington with the President Obama, the first lady, Mitchel and the Secretary of state, John Kery and other government officials. The centre point was to train young people in the act of leadership in every aspect of life's endeavor.

What are you bringing to Nigeria from the training? First, what I went there for is to engage the young people in governance, because we cannot ignore them anymore. The fact that we need to engage people in public service, governance, business and entrepreneurship, African is going to have about 45 per cent of young people in the world

How can you transform your meeting with Obama and his team including what you learnt to Nigeria situation? One of the things I realized is that the perception of Nigeria is changing. Before, what we thought we have is corruption but now the world seems to know Nigeria in terms of entrepreneurship, industry, in terms of the fact that they want to engage, they want to invest. We need to be ready for the world because they are ready for us; we need to prepare for them, they are prepared for us; we need to be prepare in what we know and what we do. The situation is changing and the young people are going to lead that movement like any other developing country. In other words, it makes me know that if the people are in the right place, we can reengineer a social change as

We are tired of saying we are the future, the future is here, it is time to engage us, it is time to listen to our ideas on how we want to change things

it were. How do you intend to bring what you learnt to bare in Nigeria considering the nation's complex situation? We were about 43 that represented Nigeria. The issue is at times when people travel outside Nigeria, what they bring is not tailor made for Nigeria. The fact is that, you cannot just adopt all, what you see out there in Nigeria, you must see down and see such things can fit properly and applicable to what is on ground, the people and the situation. If it is not, your tailor will make it to be applicable to what is on ground. You can bring policies from America to Nigeria which will work; it all depends on how you apply it. A lot of time we have just borrowed policy without tailor making it to fit our own situation. If I were to do anything, first of all, I will tailor it to fit in to our system as Nigerians. I will understand what is on ground with the people, the nation, our politics and then apply that, though not everything is applicable. So where do you think you can start for? I will start in my corner. Sometime, we look at this high level kind of solution and it paralyses we young people from doing certain things. I run a business and training outfit. I will start from there. I will start from the people I train, the people I invest in. I start from where I am, may be starting from person that represent me in the National Assembly. Sometimes we don't think that anything we do really move people but it does. Little things we do go a long way to affect and change situation. But what I will do is to start from my corner, start from the little things I will do, start from my integrity, from how i treat other people and what I pass on across to them. Can you tell us briefly about the training? I train young people in transformational leadership in the kind of leadership we want as people. I also train young people in the law of process. A lot of young people have the passion, the goal but they don't follow process; they just want to jump the queue and become the next millionaire overnight, forgetting that whatever one will become in life, it takes a process. There

is a process behind every success. I train youths in the process of training leaders, we don't lack leaders, but we lack people who can step up to the stage to say I will lead. We don't lack good leadership in Nigeria, they are sitting in the corners of their room, but they need to be encouraged and come to the limelight. What about the insecurity in the country? Hmmm! Threat or no threat, danger zone on no danger zone, I will play my part. How did you become a delegate? I mean, what is the parameter used to pick as Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s representative? First, they wanted people who have been involved in development programme in their communities for a consistent period of eight years, they did not want a flash in palm or someone who suddenly like Nigeria because if you have done it consistently for eight years, it means your heart is in your country. The second thing they asked is what problem you see in your community and how you intend to solve it. To that, my solution which I highlighted was to engage young person in training, educating them on what is the effect of their involvement in governance. People don't know that what they do or do not do affect their leadership one way or the other. So, we show them how their involvement changes things and how their noninvolvement makes things to be stagnant. Another thing was that we were asked to write essays, about five, they were vetted and we were asked to write again. The essays were sent to the department of state for them to be vetted. It was a thorough process. What did you take away from the training? I realize the importance of engaging young people in governance because before Obama met with African Heads of states, he had engaged us for six weeks and so we all as Africans asked ourselves: who are we for Obama to gather us together? It shows how African people take their young people as opposed to how the United States know that young people are the turning point. Though this is strange but I think some African leaders are catching up with this, including our President because we met in Washington as well. We are tired of saying we are the future, the future is here, it is time to engage us, it is time to listen to our ideas on how we want to change things.

LAW | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

FAILURE

Former head of state laments Nigeria's failure to record substantial achievement in its 100 years of existence Foluso Ogunmodede and Steve Uzoechi

former Nigeria’s military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon has cautioned those behind the country’s centenary event, asking them to halt further steps as Nigeria has nothing to show for its 100 years of existence. Specifically, Gowon said it was ludicrous for anyone to be excited at the nation’s attainment of the centenary age especially the country was yet to record any substantial achievement in its 100 years of existence. This, he said was unreasonable even as the country was incapable to exploit its full potential

Gowon to NBA: Rescue Nigeria from misgovernance after 54 years of its existence as an independent state. Gowon said this in Owerri, the Imo State capital where he was the Chairman of the 54th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). However, Gowon lamented the country’s underdevelopment, insisting that all hands must be on deck with a view to bringing the Nigeria project back on the right track as sectarian and religious violence could only worsen the situation. The former Head of state noted that the bane of the nation remains the conflict in ideologies and the existence of liberal democracy and Sharia Law. The ex-head of state urged lawyers to use their conference to find solution to most of the legal and ideological problems that were drawing the country backward. “We have a situation where the number of courts we have is greater

…As Tambuwal, Okorocha harp on credible elections than those in many other countries put together, yet justice is not as rampant. I’m confident that you will thrash out these ideological problems. I’m also certain that your discussions will proffer solutions on how to move this country forward in the next 100 years”. In his address, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal opined that what Nigeria needed the was a credible election if the nation must reap the fruit of good leadership. Tambuwal said for the country to make serious headway, the electoral system must be fair, transparent and free of intimidation. He sakid: “If the military regime could conduct election that was adjudged better than the ones done by civilians, then the leadership of the country must have to sit up and give the people a process that would guarantee

them good governance.” Also,Tambuwal deputy, Emeka Ihedioha tasked governments at the state level to ensure that development spread to the rural communities as development which was urban based hardly touched the lives of the people in rural communities. He however commended the NBA for being in the vanguard of guiding and safeguarding the nation’s democracy, expressing hope that the conference would raise more solutions than questions. In a keynote address, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha described bad leadership as being worse than the rampaging Ebola disease, and urged the NBA to endeavour to chart a way forward for the country. However, the outgoing NBA President, Mr. Okey Wali, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria seized the opportunity to take stocks of his tenure which would

expire tomorrow and applauded himself, describing his leadership as the best ever in the history of the association. Besides, Wali assured conferees that his leadership had taken necessary measures to ward off the deadly Ebola Virus Disease not only at the conference but throughout their stays in Owerri following the association’s partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and other experts. He urged members to also pay more attention to personal hygiene as part of the measures to have an Ebola-free conference. He said: “I implore you to please enjoy your stay here in Owerri and enjoy yourself within the ambits of the law and of course the fear of Ebola Virus Disease. “As you would have noticed, we have taken a lot of steps in ensuring your safety. We have taken many preventive steps,

including the provision of Sanitizers and other items, so you would have found one in your conference bags and also seen the standing dispensing non-contact sanitizers in select public places. “Let me say this, in the course of my interactions with the experts in preparing for this conference, I came off with the impression that it is important to use sanitizers and all other items that we have provided, but that it is paramount that we pay acute attention to our personal hygiene, particularly, the regular washing of hands. “We thank the Federal Ministry of Health and the Imo State Ministry of Health for their support, and I believe that in the course of the ceremony we will be addressed by officials of the Federal Ministry of health on efforts to contain the Ebola Virus Disease. The NBA with 109 branches all over the country is well positioned to assist in this effort and we shall.”

FACES AT THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY OF THE NEW CHIEF JUDGE OF LAGOS STATE, JUSTICE OLUFUNMILAYO ATILADE

L-R:Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice,Mr. Adeola Ipaye; Immediate past Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Philips; Lagos State Chief Judge,Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade and Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, SAN

Mr. Wale Atilade(left) and Archbishop Magnus Atilade.

Cross section of guests at the swearing-in-ceremony

Oba of Lagos,Oba Rilwanu Akiolu 1(Left) and Lagos state Commissioner of Police,Mr. Umar Manko

L-R:Permanent Secretary, Deputy Governor’s office, Mr. Ola Dawodu; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Nike Animashaun and Dr. Aderemi Desalu

Lagos NBA Chairman, Mr. Alex Mouka and Mrs. Funke Adekoya, SAN

L-R:Permanent Secretary, Education District 2,Mrs. Margaret Solarin; Permanent Secretary/Accountant General, Mr. David Sunmoni; Permanent Secretary, Home Affairs/Culture, Mrs. Omotayo Olabenjo and Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office, Mr.Olalekan Akodu PHOTOS: GODWIN IRHEKE

26 LAW

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

CON T INU ED F R O M LA S T W EEK

he time of the court is precious which is why the prosecution and parties to a matter must of a necessity do the needful to ensure that justice is achieved within a reasonable time. It is often said that “justice delayed is justice denied”. In Commissioner of Police .v. Olaoyewole (2014), the court struck out the case on the ground that the matter had lingered on for more than four years without significant progress. The Counsel to the first defendant argued the prosecution had shown sufficient lack of seriousness in prosecuting the accused person and that the complainant attitude is weak coupled with his blunt refusal to attend hearing as required by law. Her Honour, Chief Magistrate Fabamwo of Magistrate Court 1 subsequently struck out the case on the grounds that the prosecution had wasted too much of the Court without making reasonable progress in the matter. Time is of the essence in criminal justice administration. Justice should not be delayed without reasonable cause. The death of a principal or core suspect or accused person may also end a matter, depending on the nature and circumstances. I will now proceed to discuss some of the essential sub-topics under the subject matter. Police Interview is conducted at the police station after due cause in line with the provisions of the law. The suspect is entitled to remain silent and make his statement in the presence of his or her lawyer. Where the suspect is an illiterate, he or she is entitled to an interpreter without payment as provided under Section 36 (6) (c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and under Section 241 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA); affirmed in the court decision in Ogunye .v. The state as well as Udeh .v. The state. The interpreter must be competent and knowledgeable in the language of the suspect or the accused person. In Ajayi v. Zaria Native Authority (1963), two of the interpreters used in the trial were found incompetent to interpret satisfactorily and the Supreme Court of Nigeria, set aside conviction of the accused persons on the ground that the right conferred on them by section 33 (6) (c) of the 1979 Constitution (now section (36 (6) (c) of the 1999 constitution) was not fully accorded them in that trial. The right of the suspect or the accused person must be protected during interview and taking of the statement. Section 9 (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State (ACJL 2007) makes provisions for video recording of statements of suspects in the presence of his legal practitioner. This enactment seeks to ensure that statement of the suspect was not taken under duress or undue pressure by the IPO or such other law officer charged with the responsibility of taking the suspect or accused person’s statement. Police interview is to crosscheck the suspect’s side of the story with that of the complainant so as to determine whether or not an offence has been committed by the suspect or accused person. There can be no offence if a crime under investigation is not recognized by law or any enactment and punishment not provided. A crime is a crime if the law says so and nothing more. For example, “Bigamy” has been expunged from the Laws of Lagos State and it will be a futile exercise if a police arrest any man living in Lagos State or whose marriage was contracted in Lagos State over an offence boarding on adultery. Or instituting a divorce suit on the grounds of bigamy for a marriage contracted in Lagos State. Section (9) (3) of ACJL provides: “Where any person who is arrested with or without a warrant volunteers to make a confessional statement, the Police shall ensure that the making of such statement is recorded on video and the said recording and copies thereof may be produced at the trial provided that in the absence of video facility, the said statement shall be in writing in the presence of a legal practitioner.” It is clear that

*Dr. Oghenesivbe, is a member, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (M.NIIA), a political and socio-economic analyst.

time. There is wisdom in “politics of give and take”. Let’s put aside the so-called undemocratic “Uvbiamuge Declaration” which lacks the principles of equity and good conscience. With due respect, “Uvbiamuge Declaration” is repugnant to good conscience, equity and justice and at the same time threatens the peace, unity and prosperity of Delta State. It must not be allowed to happen. The world is not coming to an end yet. The Urhobos will still have opportunities to govern the state again and again but a rotational basis. Let’s not use our population strength to oppress the minority. And let’s not jealous the minority because of their unity and progress in politics and political power game rather we should emulate them so that we become greater as we engage in politics of “collective upliftment of our people.” Politics of “Self and family” is unprogressive and must be jettisoned. The several juicy political positions occupied by sons and daughters of Delta North occupy in government today is as a result of their “Push in Government” and taking their people along to the top in the scheme of things. Urhobos should learn to put their people in high government positions anytime they have the opportunity to do so. This is the style of Delta North. That is why their people are in government at the top. Urhobo should not be jealous of their achievements in power politics rather we should emulate the people of Delta North to uplift our people politically anytime we are in government.

anti; Abubakar v. the State. In Nigeria, the rules are applicable to Village Heads, Prison Warders and Police Officers. The rules are to the effect that when an accused is apprehended, he need not be told what to say. The investigator may accuse him or charge him or her of having committed a particular offence. Having been so informed of the offence for which he was apprehended, the investigators should endeavour to caution him as follows: “Do you wish to say anything in answer to the charge? You are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to but whatever you say may be put in writing and given in evidence in court.” However, an accused person may decide to write the statement himself or by someone at his direction in his or her presence in the language he or she understands. Alibi is a judicial mode of defense under which a suspect or an accused person proves or tend to prove that he or she was in another place or location within or outside the jurisdiction of the court when the crime was committed. The legal technicality must be dully followed and complied with by both the accused and the prosecution. In Nigeria, an accused may raise a defense of “Alibi” and once it is raised the prosecution must investigate it even at pre-trial stages by the IPO to find out if it is true that the accused was not at the scene of the crime when the offence was being committed or to rebut the alibi if it was false. The accused or suspect must also provide sufficient particulars as to his or her whereabouts for the prosecution to investigate as was decided in Madagwa v. The State, Ifeanyi .v. The State, R. v. Johnson, Ikemson v. The State and Idowo .v. Salami, in that order. Where the prosecution fails to investigate the alibi defense by the suspect or accused person and the accused person has discharged his evidential burden, a room for doubt has been created as decided in Ozaki v. the State. But where the accused person gives conflicting stories as to his whereabouts at the material time under consideration, there is no duty imposed on the IPO or any other law enforcement authority or officers to investigate the alibi as it will be assumed that no alibi was established. It is the law and must be stated that where an accused has disclosed in advance of the trial that he is relying on alibi and the police failed to investigate same, it will be inferred by the court that the prosecution accepted the accused story on the issue because alibi when established is a complete and valid defense which may lead to the discharge and acquittal of the accused persons. Complainant may be liable in civil litigation. Identification parade in pre-trial investigation of criminal matters involves the suspect being arranged in a line up among other persons having the same built, height, complexion, age and dress similar to that of the suspect. The idea is to ensure that identification is relatively perfect, giving room to near probability of identifying the proper accused person or suspect. This is done where the identity of the accused person is in doubt and is in issue. Under this arrangement as a procedure of the law, a witness is asked to identify the suspect out of these persons lined up before him or her and not guided in any way. Witness is not allowed to see the suspect alone and should never be shown the photograph of the suspect shortly before the identification parade as was decided in R. v. Dwyer; Sunday Omega v. The State and R. v. Halsman. Identification evidence is that which tend to show that the person charged for the commission of an offence or crime is the same as the person who was seen committing the offence as decided in Ikemson v. the State and Otti v. The State. Identification need not be made in an open because of the tendency to expose the witness to acute danger because the accused or suspect or his gang or relatives may attack the witness if they know his or her residence or other such places where witness that can be located.

TO BE CONTINUED

FredLatimore Oghenesivbe

Pre-trial investigation in criminal litigation Judges rules are aimed at ensuring that the statements made by the accused persons are voluntary. They are basically rules of administrative practice and not rules of law the statement must be taken either in the presence of the suspect’s or accused person’s lawyer or video recorded where the legal practitioner is not present. This provision is intended to curb the numerous cases of torture, forceful ex-

traction of statement by police officers anchored on humiliation, intimidating, torture and unlawful extortions inflicted on suspects on regular basis in some of our police stations across the country. Failure to comply with the procedure for obtaining suspect’s statement may fracture the evidence of the prosecution and subsequently set the accused person free at the trial. It is the law that confessional statements must be voluntary and free from forceful extraction even though obtaining statement by torture may be permitted while dealing with hardened criminals in capital offences. Judges Rules are aimed at ensuring that the statements made by the accused persons are voluntary. They are basically rules of administrative practice and not rules of law. Therefore, a breach of the rules will not render an otherwise voluntary confessional statement inadmissible as was decided in R v. Straften, R. v. Mel-

Delta 2015: Why Urhobo UPU Uvbiamuge must produce next governor

elta State is like a “Democratic Kingdom” which has three ruling houses, one to produce the king each time the stool is vacant. Normally, each ruling house will have to produce the next king on a turn-by-turn basis and rotationally. It will not be possible for one ruling house to produce the king several times more than the rest. This can only happen where one of the ruling houses lack a “male child” to take its turn. Again, it is impossible to say that since one of the ruling houses has more prominent sons and daughters “so to speak”, therefore it should not be allowed to produce the “King” once it is their turn to do so. To prevent a particular ruling house from taking its turn in producing the “King” will be repugnant to “Natural Justice, Equity and Good Conscience” and where Common Law is in conflict with Equity – it is the Law that “equity” must prevail. In the instant case, Equity must prevail over Uvbiamuge Declaration which seeks to produce an “Urhobo Governor in 2015” at all cost. This shouldn’t be. This is the position of a large reasonable number of Urhobo people including Olori Magage, Chief (Mrs) Faith Majemite, and other prominent Urhobo political stakeholders in Delta State. Urhobo must not use its population superiority to oppress Delta North in 2015; after all we are “inter-married” which makes us one united family either maternally or paternally. To keep Delta strong and united, it is strongly recommended that the Urhobo Nation should support the Tony Obuh project for 2015. Urhobo and UPU should learn to play progressive politics so that we have our full representation in any government in the State. Urhobo fought Udugahan to absolute dismay and we did not achieve our aims. Now again, Urhobos are getting ready for another fight. We should not be fighting all the time; we should be engaged in profitable politics all the

Obuh

HEALTH THURSday, AUGUST 28, 2014

PREVENTION AND EARLY ACTION KEY TO FIGHT HEART DISEASE

NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/health

}p-29 appolonia adeyemi appolonia.adeyemi@newtelegraphonline.com appoloniaadeyemi@gmail.com

Ebola: Role of food, fruits and vegetables Appolonia Adeyemi ince the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was imported into the country last month, the number of victims who have lost their lives to the ailment is almost at per with those that have survived, making the infection one of the most dreaded conditions locally and in the global world. To this end, citizens who are scared over the possibility of becoming infected with the deadly virus have been alerted over factors that can help prevent the disease and other things that can help to mitigate its impact on individuals with a view to averting death from the virus. The Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Lagos State Chapters, is one of the agencies that have highlighted the role of nutrition to check the EVD. The NSN has urged the public to always include fruits and vegetables in their daily meal to boost their immune system so as to fight the EVD in case of an outbreak. Chairperson of the NSN, Lagos State Chapter, Dr. Abimbola Ajayi, made the appeal at the commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week and inauguration of the Lagos chapter of the society in Lagos. Ajayi who is also a director of Nutrition in the Lagos State Ministry of Health, said that EVD, being a viral infection, attacked the immune system which provided defense to the human body. Immunity is the state of biological defenses to avoid infection, disease or other wanted biological invasion. It is the capability of the body to resist harmful microbes from entering it. Considering that there is no known cure presently for EVD. Ajayi said the goal of nutrition care therefore, is to protect and boost the immunity among other care provided for persons affected by the EVD and all others. ''People must ensure that they take foods that are high in antioxidants, majorly foods rich in vitamins and minerals in their daily meal. ''Take yellow fruits, red fruits and vegetables to boost immunity and fight Ebola Virus Disease in the country, ''she said. In similar vein, a professor of Community Health, Bayo Onajole who is in charge of Communication and Community Mobilisation for Ebola Control Programme, said the EVD or any other disease affects the level of immunity in the human body. However, he said people who are well nourished have better immunity and consequently able to fight the infection. Onajole of the College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL), advised everyone to improve their immunity well by ensuring they get balanced diet because. According to him, food affects level of immunity. “Building blocks for immunity in the body) are derived from proteins. He said people who are not well nourished are highly prone to infections generally.” The professor of community health

Experts advocate consumption of Natural Foods

said people who have poor nutrition are more at risk to EVD because the ability of their body to fight the infection is low as the prognosis will be poor. Onajole confirmed that nutrition has a role to play in the way individuals respond to infection generally. On specific type of food that could help individuals build their immunity, Onajole said what an individual chooses should be determined by his money. “But they should go for locally available food that is balanced. Even poor people can eat food that is balanced with protein, fruits that will provide vitamins, and others. He said a lot of fruits and vegetables contain anti-oxidants. If we eat balanced food, he said we can get our level

of anti-oxidants balanced. While food for building immunity is important, the professor of community health said, early presentation is the key to defeating the EVD. One of the things that positively affected those who survived in the course of their treatment for Ebola is early presentation. “If one presents early, a lot of the supportive management will be put in place, the person is more likely to survive than people whose EVD present late. Similarly, he urged people who have recovered from EVD to be on balanced diet to raise their immunity. Presently, there is no known cure for the EVD and no vaccine for its prevention.

Dr. Ajayi

‘Getting volunteers for Ebola patient care biggest challenge’ Ebola virus is a deadly disease that strikes fear into people and nobody wants to be associated with it. Unlike AIDS, it kills more instantly. Recently, Kaduna State was inundated with Ebola scare which the state government debunked. Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Thot Joseph Dogo in this interview with WALTER UBA discusses the readiness of the current administration in the state to fight the Ebola virus disease. Excerpts: Sir, What is the situation about Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Kaduna State ? ell, as it is in Kaduna State we do not have any case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The government has put in place measures to mitigate the disease. For instance, the government has trained all the medical workers. It has set up a task force which involves almost everybody including the security people, traditional rulers, journalists and all the ministries. So, everybody has been well informed. Kaduna is proactive, ensuring that everybody is well informed about the disease. We have an isolation centre in Kaduna where anyone that contacts the disease is to be treated. People are already receiving training like our medical workers and caregivers on how to handle the patients and also how to protect themselves in case we have an outbreak in the state.

and notification agency in the 23 local governments. We have ambulance, mortuary workers, laboratory scientists and pharmacists. So, it is a team work and all aspects of the medical team are involved and they are already undergoing the capacity building as you can see in the conference room.

How many of these health workers have been

Thot

recruited for training? As it is now, we are getting more volunteers. It is actually based more on volunteerism. However, we have the medical directors, and personnel from certain facilities including our disease surveillance

Has there been any move to acquire some vaccines or drugs for cure of the disease? As it is now, we do not have vaccines for the EVD. Neither do we have drugs that can cure it but people are being taught about factors that can cause it and therefore, we try to teach people how to manage it so that this thing does not kill our people. Are you saying that the state is fully prepared in case of anything regarding Ebola? The state is fully prepared because--I want to let you know this: I read in a recent C O N T I N U E D on PA G E 2 8

28 HEALTH

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Hepatitis B leads to liver failure, cancer lRoche to assist Taraba Govt. response

he Taraba State Government is worried about the increasing number of people infected with Hepatitis B and C in the state and are making efforts to address the situation. Personally leading this response is the acting governor of the state, Alhaji Garba Umar who himself has lost a son to Hepatitis B in 2005. This is contained in a statement from Health Communication and Development Initiative and signed by its founder, Mr. Kingsley Obom-Egbulem “I lost my first son, Major Umar to Hepatitis B in 2005”, said governor Umar in an emotion laden voice. “Umar was serving with the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Sierra Leone, but the disease was not diagnosed in Sierra Leone until he took ill and was admitted at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). By the time he was diagnosed and they found out it was Hepatitis, it was too late. So I know how it feels to be affected or even infected with Hepatitis B. If Roche had been around to render this assistance we are getting now may be my son would have been alive”, Umar added while lamenting the lack of access to information especially prevention, treatment and specialist care as major impediments to managing and response to the disease. Speaking during a formal ceremony to mark a treatment, prevention and capacity building partnership with Roche, governor Umar, said the state government would do everything possible to save the lives of the people of the state and rid the state of the disease. “I am happy Roche is partnering with us to address this disease and if the terms of the partnership is anything to go by, then we are on our way to making significant progress as far as Hepatitis B response is concerned”, he said. Hepatitis B virus is one of the most infectious viruses in the world and could singularly lead to liver failure, cancer and untimely death in infected persons”, said Dr. Aisha Adamu during a media training and capacity building workshop for journalists in Jalingo on Hepatitis reporting. “Unlike HIV, it can stay on a surface for

with Dr. Ihuoma Uko-Ndukwe

ada.ndukwe@yahoo.com

Healthy liver (Left) and a diseased liver (right) PHOTO www.wikihow.com

about seven days and it is 100 times more infectious than HIV and when an infected person can spread it in a household hence we say we are saying it is closer than you think”, she added. Although, no official figures currently exists on the prevalence of Hepatitis B and C in the state, findings from a facilitybased survey of blood donors in the state indicate that about four out of every 10 blood donors in that particular blood bank had hepatitis B or C -a situation that warranted the need for urgent steps to address the burden of Hepatitis facing the state while leveraging on support from pharmaceutical giant- Roche. Part of Roche’s support to the state would include provision of free Hepatitis testing for people who would be willing to screen for Hepatitis, provision of viral load testing machine, increased access to affordable treatment for those who would require treatment as well as capacity building for doctors on Hepatitis management, care and support. “Taraba State currently has one consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist in the person of Dr. Aisha Adamu” disclosed Chukwudi Ehibudu Roche’s Market Access Manager who represented Roche Nigeria Country Manager, Herman Addae at the press conference. “Considering the size of Taraba State and the number of patients to care for, there would be need for increased capacity. Hence, Roche would be conducting series of specialised training for doctors in Taraba State as part of this partnership”, he added.

‘No case of Ebola disease in Kaduna' C O N T I N U E D f r o m PA G E 2 1

newspaper publication that there was a suspected case of Ebola in Kaduna; but the rumour was credited to the commissioner of health, Lagos State Kaduna had some people that came from Liberia. As a matter of fact, we have the Kaduna Rapid Respond team and we have our surveillance that ensure that people coming from epidemic area are well surveyed and make sure that they are not down with the disease. One of the incoming traveler went down with fever and because he was from that area EVD epidemic area, we made sure that we immediately condoned off his house and in collaboration with some personnel from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) took his blood sample to Lagos for test and it came back negative. So, there was actually no news. But when the purported issue from the Lagos State commissioner for health had it that Kaduna had a suspected EVD case, we became surprised because in the first place, he is not the competent officer to announce that except the Minister of Health, although, we cannot affirm if he said it or not. Sometimes ago you went to Abuja on a mission on Ebola and thereafter, a medical personnel on Ebola from Abuja came to you. Sir what transpired in Abuja and what can you say is the federal government impact and position of Kaduna State as regards this EVD ailment?

It is a very serious issue. It is a disease that can affect everybody whether you are a president, a commoner, poor or rich. So, President Goodluck Jonathan took this thing personal and then, declared it as a state of emergency. That is why he has to call everybody---commissioners for health and all the governors in the council and everybody participated in the council meeting of that day; and a decision was taken to do everything possible to stop the spread of the disease. So, it is a fall-out of this meeting that all states have gone out to ensure they put everything in place to prevent this EVD in case the disease breaks out anywhere. So, the man you saw is from the federal ministry of health and has actually come to train our workers on care-giving and also to prevent themselves from getting the disease. What are your constraints with regard to prepare for Ebola containment currently? As it is now, we do not really see it as if we have much constraint. We are actually alert and our surveillance team is on. The biggest challenge that we have is getting more volunteers to participate in the caregiving when people come down with the disease. What is the welfare package for the volunteers? Certainly there is incentives, both financially and otherwise, attached to all those who have volunteered to do the job.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) causes of infertility in young women

olycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is diagnosed when there is ultrasound evidence of multiple ovaries and it is characterised by an accumulation of incompletely developed follicles in the ovaries due to lack of ovulation. It is common in first degree relatives. PCOS is a health problem that can affect a woman's menstrual cycle, fertility, hormones, insulin production, hair growth, heart, blood vessels and appearance. It is the most common hormone related problems among women of reproductive age and it starts from adolescence through menopause. Symptoms Some of the early signs of PCOS seen in young women might be irregular menses less than six in a year or oligo-ovulaton-- which manifests in various forms). Delayed menses, masculine looking female with lots of acne (pimples) lots of body hair, a lot of sweating, swellen clitoris, weight gain especially around the waist line(called central obesity), significant weight which gain starts in mid- teens and accelerates in the later teens and early twenties. Weight loss through reduced carbohydrates intake and gentle exercise is the most important intervention and results in increase in conception. People with PCOS also tend to have high blood pressure too due to high production of hormone from the adrenal glands. Some of the contributing causes are the body producing too much insulin and increased activity of the part of the body that produces male reproductive hormones (adrenal glands) producing too much testosterone and androgens in female. PCOS has along prodrome with early manifestations is in pre-puberty years that are sometimes overlooked. Long time lack or decrease in frequency of menses results in reduced rate of conception and when pregnancy is achieved, it frequently terminates in spontaneous first trimester loss or associated with diabetes pregnancy states. PCOS are ovaries with multiple small follicular cysts surrounding the ovarian structure. Nearly 80 percent of female with high androgen/testosterone levels have multiple (poly) cystic ovaries. In trying to get appropriate diagnoses, these two hormones that are commonly found in normal quantities in average normal reproductive women - the luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) are abnormal in women with PCOS Some of the early signs that might be ignored are ACANTHOSIS NIGRACANS-- dark raised spots associated with insulin resistance, found around the neck, armpits, cheeks (looking more like dirt around the neck but

cannot be washed off. They are also seen more in overweight/obese kids. MANAGMENT: the primary goal of managing PCOS is to suppress insulin-driven excess body hormone production. First line is weight loss which will decrease insulin resistance. Metformin which is used in diabetes to reduce insulin resistance has been known to be effective to facilitating conception. Clomid(clomiphene can be used in combination with metformin and the combination has been more successful than each alone. Oral contraceptives have also been used with moderate success and in some more resistant cases surgery has been used to decrease ovarian size.

Primary goal of managing PCOS is to suppress insulindriven excess body hormone production. First line is weight loss which will decrease insulin resistance

HEALTH

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Lifestyle, diet bane of heart disease – Expert Increasing incidence of heart disease has contributed its measure to short life expectancy and a couple of preventable deaths recorded in the country. Medical tourism by many of those facing this burden has not helped either. Bode Falase, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), in this interview with APPOLONIA ADEYEMI, discusses measures to prevent heart disease and highlights efforts of local health facilities to treat and manage the condition in Nigeria. Excerpts: Why are heart diseases rampant among Nigerians?

here is an epidemic of heart disease in Nigeria. Before, our major problems were ailments like malaria, tuberculosis (TB), typhoid or what is called communicable diseases but now, more and more, a lot of heart diseases are acquired from lifestyle, and diet. Our lifestyle and diet have changed in the last 10 years to 20 years. So, we are now more at risk of non-communicable diseases. Two to three major problems that push heart diseases are diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and overweight. More and more, we see these conditions increase in our population. As these things increase, heart disease too increases. So, heart disease is very rampant. Is there available data on the trend of heart disease this is in the country? Worldwide, Nigeria has one of the highest rates of hypertension and diabetes but we do not have data on things like chronic heart disease. However, in terms of chronic heart diseases, on cardiovascular disease, we do not have data yet on coronary heart disease (disease resulting from damage to the coronary arteries). In terms of the other non communicable diseases, almost four to five percent of most medical problems used to be much less. So, heart diseases are increasing. In a population of almost 140 million, five to 10 percent will be affected by cardiovascular disease. Majority of the patients with heart diseases travel outside the country to access treatment and often there are stories of lack of adequate facilities and skilled personnel in Nigeria to provide care for patients with heart diseases. What exactly do we have in terms of heart disease facilities? There are facilities but they are not enough. Right now in the country, we have the Lagos State Cardiac and Renal Centre that is due to start soon. The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has just got their heart disease programme started and the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu has been operating a heart centre in the last one year. Similarly, the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan and others have been operating a heart care services in the last one year. So, between UNTH, UCH, Lagoon, LUTH and Lagos, there are facilities to treat and manage heart disease in this country. On the whole, these few programmes in a country of 140 million is not enough. In Lagos city alone, we can have more than to five or 10 centres. We are still on the tip of the iceberg. Majority of Nigerians turn to medical tourism in tackling heart diseases, especially surgical cases. How can this be addressed

Risk Factors l Diabetes l Overweight and obesity l Poor diet l Physical inactivity l Excessive alcohol use

Do regular exercise and maintain your weight. Once you are over 40 years, go for regular check up at least once a year. If you are hypertensive, you must be on medication. Also, you must know your cholesterol as well as the level of your blood sugar

Falase

with a view to accessing care locally? That is why we need the assistance of the media. For instance, an institution like Lagoon Hospitals has invested so much in establishing a heart disease facility that is of high standard. We need more facilities like the one in Lagoon Hospitals that can do heart surgeries and if the media previous success stories done by Lagoon Hospitals and other centres, that will create the needed confidence. It does not happen overnight. Why does Lagos State have the Cardio and Renal Centre? It is because they know that the population needs this facility. Similarly, all these heart disease programmes have been created because we need to increase the standard of our health care. As we are working, the media need to

PROTECT YOUR HEART Lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol will reduce your risk of dying of heart disease. Here are some tips to protect your heart: lFollow your doctor’s instructions and stay on your medications. lEat a healthy diet that is low in salt; low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol; and rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. lTake a brisk 10-minute walk, three times a day, five times a week. lDon’t smoke. If you smoke, quit as soon as possible. Source: United States Centre for Disease Control website

report what we are doing so that people can know what is available. Quite often, there is no awareness. We have a lot of facilities that are available but Nigerians are not patronising them because they are not aware of these facilities. What can people do to prevent heart disease? Do regular exercise and maintain your weight. Once you are over 40 years, go for regular check up at least once a

year. If you are hypertensive, you must be on medication. Also, you must know your cholesterol as well as the level of your blood sugar. In addition, ensure increased awareness of the issues and look after yourself. When in doubt, consult a medical practitioner. If you are on medication, stick to your medications. Most importantly, a lot of heart problems can be dealt with here at home (in Nigeria). That is the awareness I would like to create mainly.

NAFDAC: Denaturing alcohol to evade tariff harmful

he National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has condemned the antics of unscrupulous importers of food grade ethanol (alcohol) who in attempt to evade the proper payment of tariffs on absolute alcohol denature it to pay lower tariffs. The Agency’s Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii who described the practice as potentially harmful said the importers denatured the alcohol with any substance which can cause health problems. Orhii made this charge while receiving the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Lateef Busari who led his management team on a courtesy visit to the agency as part of efforts of engaging relevant stakeholders in the implementation of the Nigerian Sugar Master plan (NSMP). The NAFDAC boss argued that if Nigeria was producing its own alcohol locally, it would be cheaper, cleaner, free of contaminants and easy to regulate and use in the food industry. He said, “Local development of sugar will solve a big problem for Nigeria in the area of food especially in the production of ethanol. This is because one of the problems we are facing as a regulatory agency is the issue of ethanol fraud.” He added: “We are all for the development of local sugar industry. For us, we want to ensure that sugar is adequately fortified with Vitamin A. We are in total support for the implementation of this master plan.” The Director – General commended the

sugar council on its concerted efforts to self – sufficiency in local production of sugar describing the yearly over N240billion spent on importation of the product as ridiculous and unacceptable. On his part, the Executive Secretary of NSDC said his agency has been meeting with relevant agencies that are critical to the success and implemention of the Nigerian Sugar Master plan, citing NAFDAC as one of the agencies that have proved effective in actualizing this goal. Mr. Busari said the goals of the master plan included total sugar production to 1.79MMT, ethanol production to 161.2 million litres, electricity generation to 400MW and employment generation of about 117, 000. Adding that the implementation of the master plan has been on for 19 months, he listed the successes recorded so far to include aggregate pipeline investment commitment of US$3.1 billion in 2013, with the Dangote Group accounting for US$2 billion of the investment commitment. Mr. Busari listed other achievements to include development in 17 project sites across nine states, creation of 2,640 new jobs in 2013 and the initiation of a Management Fund Agreement (MFA) with Bank of Industry and Bank of Agriculture to create funding facilities for the industry. He however said that continuous importation of sugar in retail pack sizes despite ban whilst the availability of several local alternatives that are better packaged, has been an impediment to the implementation of the plan.

30 HEALTH

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Ebola: Nigeria not yet free, says Tomori Shola Adefuwa igerians should not sing ‘uhuru’ yet, owing to the successes recorded by the discharge of some Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) patients. President of the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS), Prof. Oyewale Tomori said the nation is not out of the EVD burden despite the discharge of some EVD victims after they tested negative to the virus. This is contained in a state-

nregulated trash burning around the globe is pumping far more pollution into the atmosphere than shown by official records. A new study estimates that more than 40 percent of the world's garbage is burned in such fires, with emissions that can substantially affect human health and climate. Unregulated trash burning around the globe is pumping far more pollution into the atmosphere than shown by official records. A new study led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research estimates that more than 40 percent of the world's garbage is burned in such fires, emitting gases and particles that can substantially affect human health and climate change. The new study provides the first rough estimates, on a country-by-country basis, of pollutants such as particulates, carbon monoxide, and mercury that are emitted by the fires. Such pollut-

ment issued in Lagos recently. He said NAS recognised that much more needs to be done to check the EVD. . According to him, the Academy continues to provide advice on surveillance and laboratory issues, even as a fellow of the Academy serves as rapporteur on the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee Regarding the 2014 Ebola Outbreak in West Africa convened by the Director General of the World

Health Organisation (WHO). He further said, the Ebola outbreak had killed a lot of people life and also affects the World economy. “The response of the government, state and federal, has been commendable while the support of international development agencies, and local professional associations and institutions have contributed significantly to the current situation which has led WHO to commended Nige-

Trash burning worsens air pollution ants have been linked to serious medical issues. Published in Environmental Science & Technology, the new study was funded by the National Science Foundation, which is NCAR's sponsor. It was co-authored by scientists from the University of Montana and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency who were also involved in measuring the composition of trash-burning emissions. The researchers also estimated emissions of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas produced by human activity. Unlike emissions from commercial incinerators, the emissions from burning trash in open fires often go unreported to environmental agencies and are left out of many national inventories of air pollution. For that reason, they are not incorporated into policy making.

"Air pollution across much of the globe is significantly underestimated because no one is tracking open-fire burning of trash," said NCAR scientist Christine Wiedinmyer, lead author of the new study. "The uncontrolled burning of trash is a major source of pollutants, and it's one that should receive more attention." Quantifying the extent of burning trash may change how policy makers track emissions, as well as how scientists incorporate air pollution into computer models used to study the atmosphere. Because trash burning is unregulated and unmonitored, Wiedinmyer said that actual emissions could be larger or smaller than the study's estimates by a factor of two. Still, the analysis represents the most comprehensive effort to date to account for emissions

Ban E-cigarette use indoors – WHO

he World Health Organisation has said there should be a ban on the use of ecigarettes indoors and that sales to children should stop. In a report the health body said there must be no more claims that the devices can help smokers quit - until there is firm evidence to support this. Although, WHO experts warn the products might

ria’s response to the current EVD outbreak, noting that efforts to contain the cases in the country have paid off,” he stated. According to him, Nigeria has been battling to curb the spread of this dreaded disease in the most populous country in Africa. “Between 1976, when Ebola was first described in a twin episode in Sudan and Zaire, on either side of the Ebola River, and 2012, Africa had experi-

enced 24 episodes of Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (six times), Uganda (five times) Congo and Gabon (four times each), Sudan (three times)”. “The five known species of Ebola virus, the Ebola-Zaire species has been the most devastating, responsible for 14 outbreaks which resulted in 3,515 cases and 2243 deaths – killing two out of every three infected case. The Ebola-Sudan species was implicated in seven outbreaks, with 792 cases and 426 deaths, that is, a little more than one death in two cases,” he stated.

pose a threat to adolescents and the foetuses of pregnant women, campaigners said regulations must be proportionate. According to the WHO, legal steps need to be taken to end the use of e-cigarettes indoors - both in public spaces and in work places. And the report focuses on the potential for products to spark wider cigarette use in

children. The health experts call for a ban on advertisements that could encourage children and non-smokers to use the devices. Similarly, they said fruit, candy or alcoholic-drink style flavours should be prohibited too, while the sales of electronic cigarettes from vending machines should be heavily restricted.

Chairman, Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Lagos State Chapter, Dr. (Mrs) Abimbola Ajayi presents a gift to Dr. Bathlomiew Brai, a nutritionist with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and representative of the president of the NSN in Lagos at the weekend. With them is Vice Chairman, Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Lagos State, Akeredolu Ifeoma

from trash burning. Trash burning is a global phenomenon. But it is most prevalent in developing countries where there are fewer trash disposal facilities, such as landfills and incinerators. The amount of garbage

burned in remote villages and crowded megacities is likely on the rise, as more people worldwide are consuming more goods. The trash often contains discarded plastics and electronics as well as traditional materials such as food scraps and wood.

Open burning of trash in General Santos, Philippines is a global phenomenon that has significant effects on air quality. PHOTO: Global Environment Facility

Moderation on child meal size cuts obesity

ive your children their dinner on smaller plates to stop them from getting too fat, a top public official has said. Duncan Selbie, head of Public Health England, warned that unless young people ate less and exercised more, millions would suffer from poor health adults. More than a third of schoolchildren in year six now rank as overweight, according to official statistics, and the number of people with diabetes in Britain could treble in the next 20 years, warned Selbie. Selbie said he learnt a simple example of how to stop children getting fat from a Manchester mother who had been raised on the idea that one should always clear one’s plate. “The child (her son) was overweight at school and it was a definite problem,” he said. “The prescription was that they brought them smaller plates. The child was back on track: he went on to be ahead of the class.” Just last month official figures showed nearly one in 10 four to five-year-olds starting school in England were

obese, rising to almost one in five among youngsters getting ready to start secondary. The growing obesity crisis among the nation’s children has led to school uniform suppliers stocking XXXXXXXXL trousers with 50 inch waistlines to meet demand. Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said this week that their research shows that in the next 15-20 years, 50 percent of the entire United Kingdom (UK) population would be overweight. He said, “It really is an appalling situation we find ourselves in and very disturbing that we are seeing school uniforms going up to waist sizes of 50 inches. Unfortunately, a significant amount of adults do not eat properly and this is passed down to their children. Something drastic needs to be done to combat this.” The Health and Social Care Information Centre said 45.1million prescription items – including insulin, anti-diabetic drugs and monitoring devices for the condition – were handed out to patients in England last year. That is a more than 50 percent rise on the number prescribed in 2005/6.

BUSINESS

31 NEW TELEGRAPH

www.newtelegraphonline.com/business

Thursday, AUGUST 28, 2014

What's news Africa's key ICT investment destination The International Data Corporation (IDC) has said that it expects overall Information Technology spending in Africa to expand at a very healthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3 per cent over the next five years to total $33.4 billion in 2018, a 36 per cent increase from today’s figure.

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Real estate: 50% projected FDIs elusive Notwithstanding powerful statistics reeled out to support the emergence of Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy, analysts said the real estate sector is yet to see the 50 per cent projected Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs).

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Poor power supply: Why manufacturers are trapped This year, three events have been staged on the issue of poor power supply as it affects Nigerian business. This helps to emphasise the point that power supply is big issue. This helps to emphasise the point that power supply is big issue. Coming out of these real sector events is the fact that Nigerian business players should not be in a hurry to get out of its present poor power supply trap.

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

}p-37 ayodele aminu, Deputy Editor, business

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

Investment draught stalls N640bn gas projects WARNING Shell says two projects likely to be delayed beyond 2015

FG's effort to reduce flaring suffers

Adeola Yusuf

he dearth in gas investments has stalled $4 billion (N640 billion) gas gathering projects in Nigeria, New Telegraph has learnt. This came hours after efforts by the Federal Government to reduce $2 billion annual loss to gas flaring suffered a setback. An oil and gas industry source told this newspaper that Shell, which is at the fore-front of the gas gathering project, has reduced spending on these ventures due to what it blamed "on lack of pipeline safety." The source said: "The gas gathering projects, which is to gulp $4 billion, will run on pipeline and the incessant attacks on pipelines is serving as a serious discouragement for investments in the gas sector." Shell's pipeline has suffered repeated vandalism in Nigeria. Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr Mutiu Sunmonu, had earlier confirmed the delay in gas gathering projects. He said that two of the company's projects might not be delivered in 2015 as envisaged. "The Joint venture funding challenges have resulted in delays to some gas gathering projects, two of these projects, which were expected to gather an additional 35 per cent of associated gas by 2014 to 2015 are likely to be delayed,” he said. International oil companies (IOCs) and their local counterparts operating in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry flare about 1.2 billion cubic feet of gas on daily basis, adding to the ongoing massive air pollution in the Niger Delta. Aside from Shell, other IOCs in Nigeria are Chevron, Total, ExxonMobil and Eni (formerly

L-R: Head of Public Sector, Globacom, Mr Tunde Amunikoro; Chief Commercial Director , Mr Prabhat Aggarwal; Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali and Director of Consultancy services, Prof. Olugbenga Mokuolu, during a courtesy visit to Globacom's corporate headquarters in Lagos.

known as Agip). Nigeria is Africa’s largest gas flaring nation, but despite government bans, the federal authorities have been unable to force companies to stop. The Federal Government, which could not enforce the December 31, 2013, deadline

HIGH CHARGES The charges in Nigeria are very high, when these are put together, airlines cannot survive. Wole Shadare

he Federal Government has been urged to formulate an integrated policy that would accelerate the growth and development of the aviation industry. President, Aviation Round Table (ART), Capt. Dele Ore; former Secretary-General of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Capt. Mohammed

for erring IOCs and their local counterparts in the country, kept mum on the new deadline for the on-going environmental pollution. Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani AlisonMadueke, however, said that the new target for the country

DELE ALAO, Brands/Marketing Editor Abdulwahab Isa, Finance Editor Chuks Onuanyin, Energy Nnamdi Amadi, Reporter JOHNSON ADEBAYO, Asst. Production Editor

is not total stoppage of flaring but on the short-term to meet 22 per cent of gas flaring reduction by 2017. A document on Shell’s website however, showed that the company contributed 18 per CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

How to move aviation forward, by experts Joji and Managing Director, Centurion Aviation Safety Consortium, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), made this call in an interview with New Telegraph. Although, a former Minister of Aviation had last year formulated a policy for the sector, stakeholders kicked against the policy, which they said did not address myriads of problems bedeviling the aviation industry. They faulted Federal Government’s launching of the new National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) without inputs from the

WOLE SHADARE, Aviation Editor CHRIS UGWU, Capital Market Editor

How Glo Xchange aims to boost financial inclusion

private sector, including some aspects that were considered controversial. Capt. Joji had said that the global trend was to reduce functions of aviation ministries, noting that the new policy had enlarged responsibilities of the Federal Ministry of Aviation. Such policy, he argued, would enable the sector to achieve economic growth in the country. “We should know how to manage transport industry, particularly the aviation sector. CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

Rates Dashboard INFLATION RATE July 2014.................................8.3% June 2014................................8.2% May 2014....................................8%

LENDING RATE

EXCHANGE RATE

(Parellel As at Aug 22)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N170.50 InterBank Rate . . . . . . . . . . 11.57% Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N290 Prime Lending Rate. . . . . 16.93% Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N228 Maximum Lending Rate..25.83% • Foreign Reserves – $39.58bn as at 22/08/2014

EXCHANGE RATE

(Official As at Aug 22)

USD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N156.73 Pounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N259.43 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N207.57 Source: CBN

BUSINESS | NEWS

HIGH COSTS It costs 300% more to build in Nigeria than in the USA

Dayo Ayeyemi

otwithstanding powerful statistics reeled out to support the emergence of Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy, analysts said

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Real estate: 50% projected FDIs elusive –Analysts that the real estate sector is yet to see the 50 per cent projected Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs). The analysts, who spoke to New Telegraph, blamed inadequate infrastructure, high cost of land and the unfavourable

business environment among others, as factors slowing the flow of FDIs into Nigeria’s real estate sector. They noted that there is particularly strong appeal in the commercial segment of the market, where opportunities

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Tony Elumelu Foundation/ Director, AFEX Commodities Nigeria Limited, Dr. Wiebe Boer; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akin Adesina and Vice President, Namadi Sambo, during the commissioning of the new 100,000 MT Silo complex in Kwali, in Abuja.

Africa's key ICT investment destination –IDC HIGH COSTS It costs 300% more to build in Nigeria than in the USA

Jona Ibom

he International Data Corporation (IDC) has said that it expects overall Information Technology spending in Africa to expand at a very healthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3 per cent over the next five years to total $33.4 billion in 2018, a 36 per cent increase from today’s figure. According to a new report, the research body stated that Africa remained a key ICT investment destination if 50 African leaders were able to secure substantive investments in the field of ICT following the the recent US-Africa summit hosted by President Barak Obama . The Regional Director for sub-Saharan Africa at (IDC), Mark Walker, said he believed that many of the initiatives and opportunities presented at the summit were strongly dependent on the roll out of innovative technologies across the continent. “Just as the provision of communication infrastructure and services has accelerated the development of economic opportunity across Africa, so too will 3rd Platform technolo-

gies such as mobile, cloud, big data and social media drive the next wave of development in Africa,” said Walker. “While these technologies represent the foundation for innovation, the key to success will be successfully developing relevant answers to Africa’s requirements in the government, energy, finance, and commercial sectors, while simultaneously ensuring benefits to both local and American partners.” According to the IDC, six of the 10 fastest growing world economies are African, and over the last decade the average income in the continent has increased by 30 per cent. The report stated that South Africa is set to grow at a rate of 5.7 per cent, while Kenya and Nigeria will both show growth of over seven per cent. It stated

that the banking and finance, telecommunications, energy, healthcare, and transportation sectors would be responsible for the lion’s share of this IT investment growth. High demand for mobility solutions and a strong drive to improve network and data connectivity in key markets are going to contribute to IT investments in Africa. “Africa has played host to massive growth in mobile phone usage in recent years and IDC expects mobile technologies to catalyse investment, with mobile enterprise applications becoming a leading priority,” said Walker. “Governments will also invest in fibre-optic cables, public services, content, and governance and compliance oversight to ensure the security of transactions online.”

are compelling in retail and hospitality. Due to huge infrastructure deficits in the country and high cost of land, the experts observed that foreign investors usually find it difficult to take investment decisions on Nigeria because of business environment risks. Citing difficulty in registering property and doing business generally, they explained that as against 80 inter-regional private equity firms looking to invest in South Africa’s real estate market, 30 in Egypt and 40 in Kenya, only 16 of such companies are interested in Nigeria’s real estate market. For instance, to secure land in the city centre in major Nigerian cities, Managing Director, Alpha Mead Facilities Management Services Limited, Femi Akintunde, mentioned at least 12 steps an investor has to undergo in the registration process, which can take up to 824 days. He added that four of the steps carry their own associated costs, which on average translates to about 20 per cent of the property’s value. Akintunde noted that invest-

How to move aviation forward, by experts CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

Increase taxation, rising fuel prices and political instability have continued to challenge the economy system of the aviation industry in Nigeria,’’ he said. Ore stressed the need for the domestic airlines to adapt positively to a changing environment; otherwise the aviation industry would collapse. He said: “The charges in Nigeria are very high, when these are put together, airlines cannot survive. Intending airline investors should know the implication of what they are trying to get into. Successful airlines try to streamline their operations; they make money through hotel operation. “Government should invest more in aviation training schools and they should specialise in a particular area of study,” Ore said. Capt. Ojikutu (rtd) explained

Investment draught stalls N640bn gas projects CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

cent of the total flare. The document added that Sunmonu, who doubles as the Managing Director Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, said that his company was working with the Nigerian government and it’s joint venture partners to end flaring of associate gas as soon as possible. “Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), now accounts for 18 per cent of the 1.2 billion cubit feet per day of gas currently being flared in

Nigeria,” Sunmonu said, giving credence to the document. According to him, SPDC reduced flaring volume from its facilities by about 75 per cent between 2003 and 2012. It has also reduced flaring intensity, which is the amount of gas flared per barrel of oil produced by around 60 per cent over the same period. Sunmonu said these reductions were the result of a multiyear programme introduced in 2000 to install equipment to capture associated gas from its oil producing facilities, adding that

ment decision in real the estate space is highly capital intensive. He pointed out that the variables that needed to be considered are many, adding that these variables must be carefully analysed to ensure that all the risks are within manageable limit to be affordable. The facilities management expert, stated that factors affecting real estate investment in this environment are yet to be coordinated. According to him, they are yet to be coordinated well to give that comfort to an international investor to suddenly move his money to Nigeria. Akintunde further stated that it costs 300 per cent more to build in Nigeria than in the United States of America, and that the coming investor finds it difficult to justify the economics of the project. Also, General Manager, AMDC Real Estate Development Company, Akindolire Oludaramola, added that infrastructure presents a big question mark for foreign investors wishing to invest in Nigerian market.

when completed, these projects would take SPDC flaring to below current industry average levels. Oil flaring was formally banned in 1984 and declared “unconstitutional” by the Nigerian Supreme Court in 2005, but the new figures show companies on the Delta have only reduced flaring about 15 per cent since 2007. Figures released recently by the World Bank show gas flaring among major oil countries contributes as much to climate change.

that if the Federal Government must carry out reforms in the aviation sector, such efforts must not strangulate the operating environment by pushing operators out of business. He said such policies must address operational challenges. Ojikutu, a former Commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, stated that until the Federal Government establishes a cargo village at the Lagos Airport, efforts to sanitise the cargo section of the industry will not yield the desired results. He reiterated that as is the practice in other parts of the world, the establishment of a cargo village at the airport will boost trade facilitation, stressing that it will not only earn revenue for government, but also help to organise the business of freight by the air for goods coming in and out of the country. He explained that the major challenge operators in the cargo and freight arm of the aviation sub-sector face range from exclusion by government officials. Aviation analyst, Olumide Ohunayo, also said that the sector was the most international and borderless unit of the global market. He said aviation had proven to be a catalyst in promoting understanding and cooperation among its people. He noted that the demand for transport and logistics service is strong when economic activity is buoyant. Ohunayo noted that Nigeria’s strong economic diversity in the area of climate and population density made the country interesting for exporters and foreign investors to come in.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Poor power supply: Why FactFile manufacturers are trapped

l Nigeria underperforms her global and SSA peers along a number of contextual factors; most notable are financing, infrastructure and government regulations;

The truth is, real sector players must exercise some patience before they can enjoy regular power supply. This is because with the horde of problems, that need to be sorted out, it will take some time to get there, writes SIAKA MOMOH

l Nigeria’s key entrepreneurial strengths are found in more individualistic factors like the mindset towards entrepreneurship and a limited fear of failure.

l Addis Ababa hosts the African, headquarters of almost every major multilateral organisation

l Lagos is a megacity within Africa boasting a population of over 11.7m l Nairobi is arguably the best-connected city on the continent in terms of ICT l Accra in Ghana was recently flagged by MasterCard as next growth hub of Africa

his year, three events have been staged on the issue of poor power supply as it affects Nigerian business. This helps to emphasise the point that power supply is big issue. Coming out of these real sector events is the fact that Nigerian business players should not be in a hurry to get out of its present poor power supply trap. First forum on power One of the forums was Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s in Lagos. Manufacturers and other business people who gathered at the event got the shock of their lives when they were told by the boss of the Presidential Task Force on Power, Beks Dagogo-Jack, that power delivery in the country “may collapse if the market enters default.” According to him, currently, the level of energy produced is inadequate for market to generate adequate funds from customers to pay market overheads and maintenance. He explained: “Market participants fail to follow rules of the market and to meet the various obligations expected from them in market codes. There is drop in confidence of market and reforms. Level of money returned is inadequate to pay for cost of generating energy and the associated costs of transmission and gas and other market participants. Therefore, defaults occur and service delivery falls.” Why wouldn’t this be the case when a large number of consumers are not ‘metered’? In fact, the CEO of EgbinPower Plc, M.I. Uzoigwe said: “There is no way to do commercial distribution of electricity without metering...” Second forum Another forum was that of Ikeja branch of MAN - 5th Edition of MAN Consultative Forum. The Chairman, Infrastructure Committee/Electrical/Electronics Sectoral Group of MAN, Reginald Odiah, in a paper he presented at the event, said “poor electricity power supply is the greatest constraint Nigerian manufacturers are bedevilled with.” He explained: “In 2006, some 850 members of MAN randomly selected were asked to rank the severity of the four basic manufacturing components on their businesses on a scale of 1 to 3 viz No Obstacle, Moderate Obstacle and Major Obstacle. All of them ranked electricity power supply as their number one problem and a major constraint.” He said generally speaking, over 75 per cent of the electricity power needs of manufacturers are generated in-house.

l Entrepreneurship is seen as a good career choice by 76% of people in SSA (vs.59% in the Asia Pacific) l Furthermore, 70% of people in the region (as high as 82% in Nigeria) believe there are good opportunities for starting a new business l However, most of the new ventures are still mostly low margin and survival entrepreneurship (e.g. small vendors) As a result, the region has the highest percentage of new entrepreneurs in the world

Transmission line

Third forum relives problem Only on Thursday, the Apapa branch of MAN came up with another forum tagged ‘Improving Power Distribution and Generation: Experience and Expectation.’ It was brainstorming galore which robustly highlighted the power problem. Babatunde Odunayo, Chairman MAN, Apapa branch set the ball rolling by raising questions which he appropriately asked on behalf of the average Nigerian. He asked: “When are we going to have a reliable and sustainable power supply on which the development of this great nation depends? He argued: “Nigeria at say 170 million is the 7th largest country in the world. By United Nation’s statistics, Nigeria’s population will reach 232 million within the next 20 years. Nigeria is the largest country in Africa, accounting for nearly 15 per cent of Africa’s population, and nearly half of West Africa’s population. And about 65 per cent of the effective market in West Africa.” By this he is saying Nigeria is a big market, that Nigeria is big for business. He also raised the issue of Nigeria’s more than 40 per cent young population of less than 20 years old that indicates a strong vibrant market but also an urgent demanding voice for power reforms, and indeed political and economic reforms.

Level of money returned is inadequate to pay for cost of generating energy and the associated costs of transmission and gas and other market participants

A wakeup call Odunayo also noted: “Nigeria has the lowest per capita energy consumption in comparison to some of its peers - Nigeria 40kw/000, Indonesia 120kw/000, South Africa 270kw/000 inhabitants. And yet the recent rebasing of our GDP indicates that Nigeria has the biggest economy in Africa. It becomes clear that Manufacturing could not have formed a significant part of those economic activities, which constitute the rebased GDP. I would like to clarify that a significant part of our GDP comes from retail trade. We are an economy of traders not manufacturers, a nation of importers of finished goods. When will the Power Sector come to the aid of manufacturers?” Shortage of manpower Odunayo raised the issue of dearth of power manpower saying the Director-General of the Institute recently informed the Nation at an induction programme that the country requires 51,000 engineers to fast-track the power sector reform. He said the nation’s power sector has suffered a dearth of young and qualified electrical engineers due to employment embargo since 1998; and that the nation has only about 200 young engineers, craftsmen and fitters out of the required 51,000 engineers! This is a big issue raised by Odunayo. Who will run the turbines then? Who will fix and maintain the transmission lines? Who will fix faulty transformers? How can the Gencos and Discos run their technical outfits when the professionals to run them are not available? They should go out and get them like Coscharis is doing? If so, at what cost to the country? Inadequate transmission capacity Again, according to him, the National CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

l Entrepreneurship is seen as a good career choice by 76% of people in SSA (vs.59% in the Asia Pacific) l Indomie, an Indonesian brand of instant noodles, struggled to meet due to challenges associated with importing raw materials. The company integrated backward, developing local manufacturing capabilities for all raw materials. l Due to its ability to respond quickly to local demand, Indomie has captured 70 percent of the Nigerian instant noodle market l From its South African roots, it operates in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East. l To gain market share among low-income, rural Africans, MTN has made it easier for them to buy and use airtime, enabled its agents to reach remote areas, and created smaller airtime denominations. l Prominent retailer abandoned 100 stores in Egypt. It is estimated it was losing over $50 million a year l Large telecoms operator sold its operations at a loss of $70m after its east African entry in 2008 l Large global brewer exits Kenyan market after only year of entry due to stiff local competition l Global media house, pulled the plug on its East Africa division because of low return on investment l Fast food chain closed its outlets in Kenya amidst stiff competition from local players l Large telecommunications acquisition ended up costing the company over $695m in losses

BUSINESS | INDUSTRY

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Power: Suppliers may Enterprise with Strokes go transformer billing Bamboo as cash cow

Siaka Momoh

siakamomoh@yahoo.com 08061396410

...Consumers hooked to particular transformer to take up bills

want to believe most of us are very familiar with bamboo. We can excuse our brothers and sisters who were not born in rural Nigeria like us and so never got to know so much about the woods, about the forest, and farm and all that go with it.

Siaka Momoh

he wide metering gap in Nigeria’s energy consumption, put at 54.8 per cent in 2012, which translates to energy theft, is a worrisome problem to power suppliers and they are most likely to go transformer billing as initial solution to this problem. Speaking at Manufacturers Association of Nigeria’s Business luncheon in Lagos, MD/ CEO of EgbinPower Plc M.I Uzoigwe, said: “I cannot explain to myself talk less of others why our energy consumption is not metered. There is no way to do commercial distribution of electricity without metering. Whatever was the reason, good or bad, will soon be history because distribution companies in a commercialised or privatised network will not allow it. “At the worst, I am sure we may initially revert to transformer metering, giving the responsibility to collect bills to those connected to such transformers.” This is akin to how banks relate with loan-seeking business people in groups (cooperatives) instead of dealing with them individually so that they can leverage on the advantage of peer influence inherent in cooperatives. Uzoigwe argued: “The stories told of people paying for meters and waiting to be supplied is unbelievable. Whatever was the truth or difficulty like I said will be history. What I know anyway is that our people have their own fault." He explained that consumers connive with staff or thugs to bypass electricity meters, adding that some people have so perfected the act and unless you look deeply you may not get them. “Power is therefore consumed free and supplied energy is unaccounted for. May be that was the reason why some groups will rather have consumers placed on estimated billing, a system or alternative fraught with corruption and all manner of unwholesome practices.” For him, “as it stands now, there are factors that will mitigate against well structured metering. Even when the meters are available, there will be a lot of clean up before meters could be installed properly. Most corner shops and all manner of roadside mechanics and vulcanizers have structures that make them difficult to be metered.” The CEO of Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Ramesh Narayanan, said that his company was addressing the metering gap and that in six months and

Electricity transformer

earlier part of 2015, the problem will be solved. It would be recalled that the Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Sam Amadi, once reiterated the urgency and need to close the metering gap and urged for standardisation of customer estimation, avoidance of extortion and exploitation by both the utility companies and the customers. According to him, Customer Service Standard Regulation on meters stipulates that “if there is no electricity meter to record electricity usage at a customer’s supply address, the Disco must base customer’s bill on estimated energy consumption, which is calculated in accordance with a method approved by the Commission.” The Commission’s chairman stated that other basis for consideration in estimation is power availability and issues associated with system losses; that is, commercial losses. He asked the Discos to intensify metering programmes to reduce estimation over medium to long-term and warned against the practice by some Discos who apply the unapproved estimation method that is based on averaging billed energy.

Consumers connive with staff or thugs to bypass electricity meters ...some people have so perfected the act and unless you look deeply you may not get them

Based on the proposals submitted by the core investors in the Discos, 6.52 million new meters would be installed over the course of the five years. Discos, industry analysts argue are either reluctant to deploy prepaid meters to consumers because estimated billing is helping them to shore up their revenue or they are cashstrapped and so cannot fully deploy the meters in question. NERC had in May 2013 introduced a new metering scheme, the Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI), to address the slow pace of customer metering by the Discos as well as the high level of complaints received from customers and dissatisfaction with the current estimated billing practices. CAPMI provides a platform for willing customers to pay the cost of the meter into a dedicated account jointly managed by the Disco and meter vendor/ installer. Under the scheme, once payment has been effected, the customers would have their meters installed within 45 days by a NERC-accredited vendor/installer. But New Telegraph findings proved that some unscrupulous staffers in the Discos, apparently inherited hands from defunct PHCN ask for gratifications before meters are deployed. Monies taken range between N10, 000 and N25, 000 depending on the brand of meter required and your negotiating ability. Again, some Disco staffers hatch up with consumers to remain unmetered and such staffers get paid every month with consumers paying less than the value of electricity consumed. Only recently, the Federal Government stated that it C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3 5

Yam growing on trees? I remember quite well at the Federal School of Arts and Science, Ondo in Ondo State, when yours sincerely became the cynosure of eyes of his student colleagues from Lagos as he cleared the grass and tilled the soil with dexterity at the school farm. They had never handled the hoe and cutlass in their life. I remember quite well too that at the school farm in Oyemekun Grammar School Akure, some of our colleagues from Lagos confessed they thought yam grew on trees like oranges and other fruits do. So if we have any reader of this piece who does not know that rugged, multi-usable beauty of a wood called bamboo, they are quite excused. We cannot all be ‘butter’ or ‘pepper less’ like we call them in our UNILAG days. Many values of bamboo Bamboo is one wood timber that can be put to different uses. An Asia popular saying describes it distinctly. It says: A man is born in a bamboo cradle and goes away in a bamboo coffin. Everything in between is possible with bamboo! We have bamboo edible shoots, bamboo medicine, bamboo fabric, bamboo biomass or biofuel, bamboo architecture. We also have bamboo fibre for the garment and automotive industries, flooring boards, and veneers as thin as 0.2 mm. Bamboo architecture Bamboo is increasingly becoming popular among Western architects and engineers, yet for us here, it is associated with poor rural housing. According to industry experts because of the global demand for non-polluting, sustainable, and earthquake resistant building materials, the interest in bamboo construction among western innovative architects is now growing rapidly. Nigeria’s bamboo timber reserve is begging for exploitation and it can make a virile substitute to most wood species in the country, a study by A.A. Ogunwusi of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Maitama, Abuja published in December 2011 has stated. Nigeria’s industrial development policy is hinged on sustainable utilization of its locally available raw materials. However, as a result of overdependence on forest resources, various surveys have shown imminent shortages of wood

raw materials supply to the wood and wood products sector. Wood shortages The forest resources survey, 1996-1998, revealed that the forest cover in the country has decreased by 20 percent over the proceeding 18 years. In addition, the total useable volume of wood down to 30cm diameter cutting limits in the reserved forest areas is 293,775,500m3. When this is juxtaposed with total wood requirement projected at 59,955,000m3 in 2010, extreme wood shortages are expected in the near future. These developments have led to reduction in capacity utilization in the wood and wood products sector. The study argues capacity utilization, which was observed to be 58 percent in 1989, reduced drastically to 25 percent in 2004. This, it states, has necessitated development of an alternative or complementary raw material for use in the nation’s industrial sector. “One of the most promising alternatives is bamboo which has become a substitute to solid wood in most applications,” the study states. According to the study, bamboo, which is widely available in the Southern and Central parts of the country, is mostly currently used at mundane level, thereby, contributing very little to the volume of economic activities in the country. “If adequately developed through initiation of appropriate policies and measures, bamboo can become a veritable industrial raw material for the wood and products, pulp and paper, chemical and pharmaceuticals, construction, and textile, wearing apparel and leather industrial sectors,” it states. Saves biodiversity loss The study argues, “This will also lead to reduction in plant biodiversity loss as bamboo will save forests by replacing traditional wood and other plant species being exploited and converted to a number of industrial products. Also, with a 10 to 30 percent annual increase in biomass compared to 2 to 5 percent for trees, bamboo offers greater biomass for industrial use. As diversity makes bamboo adaptable to many environments and can be harvested in 3 to 5 years compared to 10 to 20 years in most softwoods, and, 30 to 50 years in hardwoods, bamboo is a very versatile plant to promote for industrial development aspirations of developing tropical countries such as Nigeria and to fight the adverse effects of poverty.” Turning around rural economy Nothing can be more apt that the comment of Olufemi Omiyale, an environmental C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3 5

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Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

POWER Experts claim Nigeria’s robust reliance on gaspowered plants is unwise Siaka Momoh

igeria’s ongoing robust reliance on gas-powered energy infrastructure is unwise and problematic; they are not sustainable, power experts said it loud and clear at the recent Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Apapa’s Business luncheon in Lagos. Said EgbinPower Plc’s Managing Director/CEO, M.I. Uzoigwe: “Gas plants are not rugged machines. They run at the speed of jet engines. They run between 6000 and 12,000 rpm. Gas plants are very sensitive to dirt, yet they need balance. Egbin plants are steam plants. They run slower, at 3000rpm. The gas plants we are building now will run down fast. And unfortunately, most of the new plants we are building now are gas plants. He said that he had spoken against it several times and would continue to do so as a

Bamboo as cash cow C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 4

consultant with Timber Farmers Association of Nigeria. According to him, Nigeria is a country with an economy in transition that over 80 percent of our population lives in rural environment where their subsistence depends on the forests. For him, the development, management and utilization of bamboo and rattan in the country will turn around rural economies if properly pursued. In this way, it will help to alleviate rural poverty. Bamboo development is therefore calling for attention.

Suppliers to go transformer billing C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 4

would extend a soft term credit of N33 billion to electricity distribution companies (Discos) to enable the firms close up the 2.8 million metering gap existing in the country. Vice President, Namadi Sambo, announced the federal government’s latest plan while inaugurating the National Council on Power (NCOP) in Abuja. Sambo’s address which was presented by the Minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo, read: “For the power sector to progressively grow in the direction in which government intends it to be, this metering gap must be bridged immediately. Indeed, adequate metering gap could play a multiplier role by shoring up the market revenues of the distribution companies themselves and also ensuring greater equity and accuracy in the billing of consumers.

Power suppliers say Nigeria’s gas plants not sustainable power professional. Yinka Balogun of Ikeja Distribution Company argued relying on gas is problematic - there is issue of frequent damaging of pipes by vandals. “Why not go for alternatives like coal, solar, wind and hydro?” he asked. Stories abound about damaged pipes by vandals and militants which bring about short supply to generating plants and plant shut-downs, he argued. Babatunde Odunayo, former top boss of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc and chairman, MAN, Apapa Branch earlier asked: “How can we achieve the 20.3GW power generation capacity by 2016 given the present unsupportive state of the transmission system? How about gas availability for the gas-to-power endeavour, so that investors can be attracted to our Power Sector, to take advantage of the US-backed POWER AFRICA initiative and other investment opportunities that exist?” Meanwhile, growing demand for electricity and falling costs for wind and solar power mean more renewable- energy projects will be commissioned this year in sub-Saharan Africa than were added from 2000 through 2013, yet Nigeria’s energy supply remains largely gas-powered. About 1.8 gigawatts of capacity, excluding large hydroelectric power plants, will be added in

2014, the London- based research firm Bloomberg New Energy Finance said recently in a statement. Investment in countries including South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia is estimated at $5.9 billion this year, and may reach $7.7 billion in 2016. Average annual investment from 2006 through 2011 was $1 billion. “What is different now is the breadth of activity, with wind, solar and geothermal exciting interest in many different countries and the potential for further growth,” Victoria

Cuming, a Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst, said in the statement. Geothermal, wind and both small- and utility-scale solar projects will lead the way as “renewable can represent a cost-effective alternative, particularly compared to diesel generation but also to power stations burning coal or gas,” according to the Bloomberg statement. About 3.9 gigawatts of renewable energy, mostly wind and solar, is estimated to be installed in South Africa from 2014 through

2016. Over that period, Kenya is expected to add 1.4 gigawatts while Ethiopia will install 570 megawatts of primarily geothermal and wind capacity. Last month, Seville, Spainbased Abengoa SA received loans of $142 million from the African Development Bank for Xina Solar One, a 100-megawatt, $884 million solar-thermal power project in South Africa. In March, Lake Turkana Wind Power Ltd. secured $650 million in funding for its 310-megawatt wind project in Kenya.

Gas infrastructure

Poor power supply: Manufacturers trapped C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 3 3

Grid- the Nations network of transmission lines – together with the related infrastructure, suffers from inadequate, aged and poorly maintained equipment. “When electricity that is passing through the systems goes beyond its installed capacity, the overloading leads to excessive power outages since the equipment becomes damaged or compromised...Manufacturers are eager to know when we can reach the Promised Land,” he said. This is a valid point raised since report have it that some 660 to 700MW of electricity is

Power transmission line

‘stranded’ because it cannot be evacuated into the National Grid, because the enabling investments in transformers and transmission lines by the Federal Government are still awaited. Another big question from Odunayo, former top boss of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc who knows where the shoe pinches: “How can we achieve the 20.3GW power generation capacity by 2016 given the present unsupportive state of the transmission system? How about gas availability for the gas-to-power endeavour, so that investors can be attracted to our Power Sector, to take advantage of the US-backed POWER AFRICA initiative and

other investment opportunities that exist?” EgbinPower Plc‘s MD/CEO Engr M.I.Uzoigwe, a core power professional, underscored Odunayo’s argument. Said he: “ The most worrisome issue of power development currently is our capacity to transmit generated power.” He listed the bottlenecks that inhibit efficient evacuation of power as including the following, among others: overloaded distribution feeders, inadequate power transformer capabilities, undersized conductors, single circuit transmission lines. Low power generation/poor gas supply Engr M.I.Uzoigwe told it all. He explained there is a basic problem of low aggregate power installed capacity in the country. He said even when the plants are available to generate power, there have always been issues of non-availability of gas to drive the thermal plants. He explained” recently, there has been a repeated sabotage of a major pipeline from the Niger Delta to the Western part of the country and most ports here are operating at half capacity. The Egbin plant has been running at a maximum output of 600 mw in the last six months. As repairs are carried out on blown up parts of the gas supply for contribu-

tory pipe work, other areas are attacked by unknown people.” The result, according to him, is that plants like the Egbin power plant with an available capacity of 1080mw is currently generating at half its capacity. He said same story goes for Papalanto and Olorunsogo plants: “The Geregu plant has never delivered its full capacity since its inception in 2007 due to shortage of gas. It has, at present, installed capacity of 414 mw from three units of 138mw each; it has been able to run a maximum of two of those units at a time giving a maximum generation of 276mw.” Obsolete power equipment Life spans of power stations range between 30 to 40 years but they must be maintained regularly. But according to Uzoigwe, culture of maintenance in Nigeria has nothing to write home about. He said budget for running infrastructure is cut down or never got approved in efforts to provide for other facets of the economy and national responsibility. So the truth is, real sector players must exercise some patience before they can enjoy regular power supply because with the horde of problems that need to be addressed, it will take some time to get there.

36 BUSINESS | INDUSTRY

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Industry chieftain He found out that it would be healthier, that it would be competitive to produce, and that it would have all the same vitamins and nourishment as fresh cow milk

Robert Rose: Found out fat-filled milk is close to fresh cow milk equity across the continent.

Huge opportunities Robert Rose worked for an international business, which is into food business for 26 years. He started working at the age of 16 and qualified as a chartered accountant when he was 21. He joined the international food business and worked in Zimbabwe. He worked very hard and was managing director when he was 28 and was in charge of Africa at 30. So he got to know Africa very well where there were huge opportunities and potentials that nothing was being done to develop it. He realised that if one invested in Africa, he would make better returns than in Asia or anywhere else. For him, the feeling today is that the opportunities in the continent are even bigger; that in the next 50 years, the opportunities will even be greater in Africa than anywhere in the world; that the Far East, especially China is growing very fast, at about eight per cent per annum but it does not have the resources that Africa has, which should grow faster. So he felt his company could work it out so that it could grow better.

Siaka Momoh

obert Rose is the Founder of the Promasidor Group. That was far back in 1979. He found out that fat-filled milk is very close to fresh cow's milk and far superior to other powdered milks that he had tasted. The product is made with fresh cow's milk where the butterfat was replaced with a stable vegetable fat. Robert Rose found out that it would be healthier, that it would be competitive to produce, and that it would have the same vitamins and nourishment as fresh cow milk. He found out one would not have problems of carting liquid over long distances in Africa with a requirement for refrigeration. He found out it would have a much longer shelf life than existing full cream milk powder where animal fat was unstable and went rancid after a number of months. Test marketing Test marketing started in Kinshasa in 1980 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), one of the most impoverished countries in Africa. Mobutu's policies had resulted in nearly all economic activity grinding to a halt and the shops were empty. He launched with a 100 grammes pouch which was packed locally in Kinshasa. There was little disposable income and 100g was a move in the right direction. Promasidor in Nigeria Promasidor (Nigeria) Limited, was set up as part of Rose’s African dream of making milk available to the continent following its successful incipient

lMyxxxx

Rose

operations in the DRC among other African countries. The company has been operating here since 1993. Over the years, it has achieved tremendous growth and has also reached out to the Nigerian people in several ways. One of the many things Promasidor is doing here is the mathematics competition. Opportunities and challenges Africa is two per cent of

Global Entrepreneurship Congress holds

Global Entrepreneurship TholdheCongress (GEC2) is billed to from September 22 to 26,

the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but it could be 25 per cent or more. It is one of the objectives of Rose to set up a foundation across Africa and in Nigeria which will encourage improved governance generally and which will grow

Raw Materials It is just not practicable for Nigeria to efficiently grow its own milk. At best it could meet three to four per cent of its dairy requirements. So Robert Rose had to depend on New Zealand because in both Northern and Southern Island of New Zealand, they have good rainfall and can actually grow crops better and cheaper than most countries of the world, so they have bigger cows that can produce milk. New Zealand can grow milk and cow at probably a quarter of the cost that can be done here in Nigeria and the climatic condition is conducive for the cows there and so the climatic condition encourages huge quantities of milk production. The plant where its milk is produced has become the biggest in the world. It has three towers and one produces 30,000 tons per hour of finished milk product. The other two produce 23,000 tons each per hour; so all together is 76,000 tons per hour. To produce this quantity of milk you need 760,000 tons of fresh milk per hour coming in to be processed and that plant works 24 hours a day; and it gets cleaned two or three hours every three days. Besides this, you have trucks and cranes, all other things a company needs to supply milk. So milk processing is huge operations. It is capital intensive.

Market share Promasidor has not reached its potential in Nigeria. One of the things it intends to do is to grow its market share in Nigeria. It started with powder milk but has added liquid milk and it is deep into building another factory before it runs out of space at its present plant. For Rose, Nigeria is Promasidor’s biggest market because

Business Advisory

Strategy and organisational capability indicators Akinyele Aluko

f you read me in this Industry Section on July 31, I discussed at length about the need for industries to strategise in order to survive the turbulent times. It is however important to note that it is no use designing a brilliant strategy unless there is the organizational capability available to implement it. It is obvious you would say but there are so many companies out there spending huge sums of money, time and energy in refining their strategies but to their disappointment the resources and motivation to deliver them were lacking. Regardless, it is possible to get a rapid and cost-effective view- and importantly to develop a common language within the organisation to make strategies work for the good of all. The following templates will assist in realising organisation-

al strategies: l Clarity of personal responsibility l Organisational clarity l Financial rewards l Personal rewards l Personal performance Indicators l Group performance indicators l Work quality perspectives l Organisational adaptiveness l Competitor orientation

l Customer orientation

In order to turn these templates into useful models for strategy realisation, four simple perspectives are required. These are: l Internal focus l External focus l Task focus l Social-emotional process focus. The diagram below puts the picture in clearer perspective.

INTERNAL FOCUS EXTERNAL FOCUS TASK FOCUS PROCESS FOCUS

2014, in Croatia in Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Split, a statement from Pan African University’s Enterprise Development Centre has said. The 2014 GEC2 is a joint effort by the GEW - an initiative of the Kauffman Foundation, GEW Host Croatia, the Zagreb and Split City Government, Dubrovnik – Neretva County, University MINERVA and supporter institutions of the National Government of Croatia, with main partner Ministry of entrepreneurship and crafts. GEC2 has emerged to fill a need for more in-depth collaboration. It is the first in a series of deep-dives into specific topics, ‘The Entrepreneurial Mindset’. As entrepreneurs are increasingly recognized as the prime drivers of job creation, innovation and economic growth, more

attention is being focused in Croatia and Europe on inspiring and empowering more citizens to start thinking like entrepreneurs and sharpening the underlying skills that enable them to succeed. Over the past six years, the Global Entrepreneurial Congress (GEC) has evolved into a premier annual gathering of startup champions from 153 nations dedicated to building and strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems that fuel advances in innovation and economic growth. During the GEC, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, thought leaders and policymakers work together to help new firms start and scale. The goal of GEC2 is to provide a framework for thinking and acting. It will inspire citizens by the performance and ideas of participants and offer policymakers and educators programs where those inspired can follow up and take action.

there are more people in Nigeria than any other country in the continent. Nigeria’s population is 170 million and at the moment Promasidor sells to about 600 million people in Africa.

Clarity of Personal Responsibility Organizational Clarity Financial Rewards

Work Quality Perspectives Competitor Orientation

Personal Rewards Personal Performance Indicators Group Performance Indicators

Organizational Adaptiveness Customer Orientation

LEADERSHIP & LEARNING CLIMATE

l Akinyele Aluko is a Business Development Specialist with Successory Nigeria. He can be reached on mail through: eyealuko2002@yahoo.co.uk

BUSINESS 37

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

he non-inclusion of large percentage of Nigerians in the formal financial system has long been a big worry to several Nigerian governments over the years. According figures released last week by the Ministry of Communications Technology, only 35 million adult Nigerians (about 46 per cent) are financially excluded. That means that over 50 per cent of Nigeria’s adult population do not have bank accounts. Regulator's view According to the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, the situation is unsatisfactory to government and to redress the situation, it (government) wants to promote greater financial inclusion using other systems. She said that one of the ways that had been identified to achieve this was through mobile money, which offer for adoption products and services not supplied by deposit money banks. She noted that since more people in Nigeria have a mobile phone than have a bank account, achieving mobile money in the country as it had been done in places such as Kenya and Uganda would result in the quick reduction of financial exclusion. So, when Nigeria’s telecommunication service provider, Globacom, launched its new mobile money offerings last week, it was hailed by many as one of the interventions that would fast-track the achievement of the financial inclusion goal of government. Experts' endorsement Two renowned economists described mobile money agent network, Glo Xchange, as the panacea for mobile money growth in the country. Glo Xchange was launched in partnership with four licenced mobile money operators, FirstMonie, Stanbic IBTC, Ecobank and Zenith Bank. Renowned financial consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane and macroeconomics expert and CEO of Economic Associates, Dr. Ayo Teriba, who spoke at the formal launch of Glo Xchange in Lagos, described the initiative as an essential ingredient for accelerating mobile money explosion in Nigeria. Rewane said that the initiative was consistent with the CBN’s policy thrust of developing and sustaining an efficient payment system that will drive an increase in the velocity of money and consequently stimulate economic growth. He described Nigeria as a mineral-rich and commoditydependent economy with a nominal GDP of $510 billion. According to him, it is 12 times the size of Kenya’s economy which has profited massively from mobile money service. He noted that Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and the 26th largest in the world.

How Glo Xchange aims to boost financial inclusion Globacom recently launched its mobile money offering in partnership with some local banks. The solutions have been touted as possible game changers in the mobile money industry. JONAH IBOMA examines details of the solutions the next five to six years, who will earn excellent commission monthly on sales.

Minister of Communications Tecnology, Omobola Johnson

Rewane said, however, that the economy is largely cashbased, a situation which he said constitutes a barrier to rapid growth. He said therefore that initiatives such as Glo Xchange that help to enhance the cashless policy of the CBN or aid the improvement of the velocity of money is bound to have a resounding positive impact on economic growth. Expatiating further, Rewane said that the potential GDP growth rate in Nigeria is 11 percent, whereas the actual GDP growth rate as discerned from the rebasing exercise recently carried out by the Federal Government is six percent. He said that since people don’t live on potential but actuals, it is of utmost importance to implement policies that will help Nigeria to actualise the potential growth rate. One veritable way of achieving this, he said, is to capture the money lying outside the formal sector. According to him, over 46 per cent of Nigerian adults currently have no access to financial services. He said that mobile money was a strong tool for financial inclusion of this huge category of Nigerians, stressing that initiatives such as Glo Xchange, which will help with the acceleration of mobile money service is therefore highly commendable. He added the initiative will contribute to the efficiency of Nigeria’s payment systems, lead to more efficient transactions and open a floodgate of opportunities for a lot of stakeholders from the top to the bottom of the mobile money value chain. Teriba on his part noted that

Chairman Globacom, Mike Adenuga

Glo Xchange would avail the mobile money sector the much needed agent network across the entire country, as well as the technology platform required for seamless mobile money transactions while Mobile Money service has been in Nigeria for over three years, it has failed to grow as expected because of certain reasons, including lack of an efficient and expansive agent

network. “Usually for such a service as mobile money, the bigger the network, the higher the chances of an explosion, and by extension, the bigger the benefits accruable to all the stakeholders, from the banks down to the customers,” he said. He added that Glo Xchange, with the nationwide network of agents as unveiled by Globacom, is just the ingredient the industry has been waiting for. Teriba noted that the potential for growth for the initiative is immense as the platform is open to other banks to plug into. He implored Nigerians looking for employment opportunities to see the avenues created by the initiative and utilize them for self-enhancement. At the launch of the platform, Globacom said it aims to recruit over 500,000 Mobile Money agents across the country in

CBN's perspective Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, in a statement he signed on the launch of the platform, said that the initiative marked the beginning of the deeper collaboration between the financial industry and the telecommunications sector. Director of Banking and Payment Services of CBN, Mr Dipo Fatokun, who spoke at the launch, commended Globacom for the initiative, saying that it would help deepen the cashless initiative of the CBN. Fatokun said that the collaboration would bring ease to financial transactions and further boost cashless economy, using various electronic channels According to him, the licensing of mobile money agents and banks in 2010 by the CBN has helped immensely to drive cashless transactions in the country. Globacom’s Head of Corporate Sales, Mr Kamal Shonibare, said Glo Xchange would avail the mobile money sector the much needed agent network across the entire country, as well as the technology platform required for seamless mobile money transactions. He said that the initiative would provide the partner banks on the project with the telecom company’s extensive network of 150 Glo World and Glo Zone shops, over 35,000 Glo dealer and sub-dealer outlets and over 400 Con Oil filling stations across the country, adding that this has positioned the Glo Xchange platform for phenomenal success from its first day of operation.

Airtel Africa, VeriFone form mobile payments pact

eriFone Mobile Money and Airtel Africa, part of the Bharti Airtel Group, have announced an agreement to offer VeriFone Mobile Money's merchant enablement applications for mobile Tap n' Pay across their 17 operating companies in Africa, according to a statement. According to the firms, consumers can use VeriFone Mobile Money's Tap n Pay applications to pay, buy, bank, bill and remit funds with their mobile phone at the point of sale, according to the announcement. "Airtel is excited to offer

VeriFone Mobile Money's applications to our teeming Airtel Mobile Money customers across Africa," Chidi Okpala, Director and Head of Airtel Money in Africa, said in a statement. "Using their Airtel Money Wallet with VeriFone's contactless / NFC point of sale terminals our customers will have a more convenient, fast and secure way to make multiple payment transactions utilising Tap n' Pay. "With this solution, we will be at the forefront of efforts to transform payments systems within the public mass transit and retail sectors in Africa."

VeriFone Mobile Money has signed a group master agreement for the delivery of its merchant enablement products to Airtel Africa part of the Bharti Airtel Group of companies with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, according to the press release. VeriFone Mobile Money will implement a full suite of retail enablement applications integrated to VeriFone's range of payment devices across the group, enabling the deployment of mobile point of sale, POS and biometrics for international remittance to Airtel Money customers.

BUSINESS | ICT

ALLIANCE Techno firms' partnership gave birth to world's fastest 300Mbps 4G LTEAdvanced service

ingTel, in collaboration with Samsung and Ericsson, have unveilled the world’s first commercial 300Mbps 4G LTE-Advanced service for smartphones. The service, according to a joint document from the firms is a world record and became available from August 23, 2014, when SingTel launched the Samsung GALAXY S5 4G d+, the first handset globally to be compatible with 4G LTEAdvanced networks. Another compatible smartphone, the Samsung GALAXY Alpha 4G+, will be available from SingTel next month. SingTel’s Managing Director of Networks, Mr Tay Yeow Lian, said: “From streaming

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

SingTel partners Samsung, Ericsson on world’s fastest smartphones videos to web surfing and uploading selfies (photographs), customers are doing more with their smartphones. With this launch, SingTel customers will be the first in the world to enjoy the benefits of the fastest phone on the fastest network. “We are constantly enhancing our networks with the latest technologies to provide our customers with the best possible experience for today’s increasingly bandwidth-hungry applications,” he said. SingTel has been working with its mobile network equipment provider, Ericsson, to rapidly expand its 4G LTEAdvanced network across Singapore. Street level coverage now extends to more than 55 per cent

of the island. Tay said: “We have accelerated our network roll out programme and are on track to achieve nationwide outdoor coverage by the first quarter of 2015.” Samsung said that it was proud to unveil the first 4G LTE-Advanced smart phones in Singapore. It stated that it recognised that consumers aspired to do more, and what mattered most to them is technology that

helped them live the lifestyle they desire and gives them the quickest access to their apps and social networks. “With devices like the Samsung GALAXY S5 4G+, consumers will be at the forefront of technology – and be able to use a smart phone that pairs powerful hardware with the fastest download speeds,” said Ms Irene Ng, Vice President, Regional Marketing, Samsung Asia Pte Ltd. Mr Raymond Soh, Head of

Engagement Practices, Singapore & Brunei, Ericsson, said: “By building high performance mobile networks, SingTel provides its customers with mobile services that enrich their lives. Apps on smartphones and tablets are increasingly becoming the way we navigate our day and carrier aggregation ensures that customers always get the best experience on-the-go, even at cell edges.”

MTN’s two android phones berth in Nigeria TN Nigeria has launched M two new affordable android smartphones: MTN

Sm@rt Mini 620 and MTN Sm@rt 720i. The mobile network operator said that the move was part of its continuous effort to create a bold new digital world and establish its leadership position in the ICT and telecommunications sectors. The move, which represents another bold step in breaking new grounds in the smartphone business in Nigeria came after the successful unveiling of its music streaming and download portal, the MTN Music+, which has recorded a very high rate of traffic on its site in recent weeks. According to General Manager, Consumer Marketing (MTN) Nigeria, Kola Oyeyemi, the strategic focus for the launch of the smartphones which sells for as low as N8000, is to afford Nigerians the opportunity to own a state-of-the-art android smartphone at the most affordable price. Oyeyemi said with the introduction of these new phones, the firm had made it unnecessary to buy second hand or inferior cloned smartphones, he said. “We are committed to the total satisfaction of our customers and Nigerians in general, as we continuously bring the bold new digital world closer to them. This we shall continue to do by breaking the barrier of entry to smartphones that deliver internet access and value to Nigerians”, he said. Oyeyemi further stated, “the new affordable MTN Sm@rt Mini 620 smartphone has a 3.5” screen and runs on android 4.2 OS with preloaded applications including BBM, Whatsapp, Music+, Facebook, Jumia etc, plus free MTN SIM card. “It has a processor speed of 1GHz, a 4Gig in-built memory

up-scalable to 32GB and a dual SIM slot. “For more advanced customers seeking wider display screen and higher processing power, the MTN Sm@rt 720i offers a 4.0” display and 1.3GHz processor”. The GM said that, with the launch of these smartphones users would be afforded the opportunity to chat with friends and family using several instant messaging and communication platforms including BBM, Whatsapp, Skype, LinkedIn, Facebook Messenger, Tango, Badoo, as well as enjoy up to 1 million apps and games. “There is no doubt that this smartphone is a game changer and a long-awaited revolution in Nigerian market. Most importantly, it is one of the various ways we are keeping to our vision of taking the lead in the delivery of a bold new digital world and making our customers lives a whole lot better, while making efforts in eradicating substandard phones in the country,” Oyeyemi enthused. With over 55 million subscribers, MTN Nigeria Communications Limited (MTNN) is a market leader in the provision of cellular network access and ICT solutions to millions of Nigerians, connecting whole communities with each other and with the rest of the world.

L-R: Country Manager, Intel Corporation, Olubunmi Ekundare; Chief Executive Officer, Chips, Bits & Bytes Limited, Tunji Ola; Executive Director, Access Bank, Victor Etuokwu; Major General Sunday Adebayo, An Barracks; Executive Director, Access Bank, Roosevelt Ogbonna and An Command Children School, Director of School, Cornel Joseph Iferi, at a partnership alliance meeting to launch an education solution in support of Yaba Command Children in Lagos.

Ebola: DEMO Africa organisers not deterred

he organisers of this year’s DEMO Africa technology startup conference have said the outbreak of the virus is not affecting planning of the event. According to Harry Hare, Executive Producer of DEMO Africa, the organisers are relying on the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO), US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as Nigerian authorities that Nigeria is still safe to travel to. “Both WHO and CDC still indicate that Nigeria is safe to travel, so [Ebola] has not affected our planning,” said Hare. “We follow their advisory and also information from the Nigerian authorities,” he said.

The DEMO Africa organizers announced that this year’s event would be held in Lagos – moving from the conference’s traditional host city of Nairobi, Kenya. The conference is due to take place between September 22 and 26, with startups from across Africa to be showcased. Meanwhile, this year’s DEMO Africa conference is set to host the first African Angel Network Summit, as well as the Swell Innovation Awards, the organisers announced. According to Evelyn Wangui, Project and Communication Manager for DEMO Africa, the numerous angel networks have already committed to attend the Angel Network Summit, which will be held on September, 24. “This is gaining momen-

tum and we have most of the networks confirmed to attend. This will be a day before DEMO Africa starts,” Wangui said. This year’s DEMO Africa will also play host to the Swell Innovation Awards, recognising exceptional startups, entrepreneurs and investors. Wangui said the awards would be given to startups making “a meaningful difference and investors that are driving industry transformation through start-ups.” Other events to take place at DEMO Africa include the LIONS Summit, bringing together senior representatives of the LIONS@AFRICA initiaitve, such as from the US State Department, Microsoft, InfoDev, Startup Weekend, and VC4Africa.

100-level student of the In- Delsu student wins car at Etisalat’ Cliqfest Ament, dustrial Chemistry DepartDelta State University, were passionate about the event recorded a large turn-out of The Students Union GovernPrince McCarthy, has emerged the latest winner of a brand new Hyundai i10 in Etisalat’s youth empowerment programme, Cliqfest. According to the Head, Youth Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Elvis Daniel, the firm is bringing Cliqfest to DELSU for the second time in about three years due to the success recorded at the first outing. He noted that the students of the institution

and displayed great knowledge of the EasyCliq package. “What we set out to achieve at each school we visit is to engage the students in activities that would develop them intellectually, physically and socially. Etisalat is equipping Nigerian youths with the requisite knowledge and skills to excel in every area of their lives after school,” he said. The two-day programme

students who came to participate in the different activities similar to previous campuses. A motivational seminar, novelty match, concert, comedy, dance competition and raffle draws were the memorable moments experienced by the students. Day one of the programme kicked off with the seminar facilitated by motivational speaker, Niyi Adesanya, and tagged ‘Success Activation’.

ment (SUG) President, Obaro Ohwojero, speaking after the seminar, expressed his gratitude to Etisalat for bringing Cliqfest to his school for once again. Despite the intermittent downpour on day two, the students trooped out en-masse for a novelty football match followed by a concert with headlining acts like Terry G, Solid star and Nigerian Idol season 4 winner, Evelle.

BUSINESS | ICT

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

StarTimes plans price slash with StarSaT TV launch PRICE WAR Terrestrial network provider vows to further crash the price of satellite television services Abdulwahab Isa Abuja

tarTimes, a digital terrestrial network provider, has added a new digital satellite television service, StarSat and has vowed to crash the price of satellite television services in Nigeria. Speaking in Abuja, Managing Director of the NTA-TV Enterprises, Mr Maxwell Loko,

said that the new platform with 100 premium channels will help to fast-track migration from analogue broadcasting to digital by June 2015 deadline provided by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). He said that the new addition in StarTime family will complement the existing Startimes television. “I am so happy to say that StarTimes has demystified what pay industry used to be perceived as an exclusive preserve of the well-to-do. Today the acceptability, more or less came about because we have done our homework and we have discovered that these services can be rendered to the low end of the society at the cost that is acceptable to him which

didn’t used to be so. These are people who are also entitled, by right, to watch not just any kind of television programming but digital television offering. I am glad that we are pioneering that acceptability digital television. Of course, the market is big enough competition. Competition is good for everybody. It keeps everybody on his toes. Now, we have let people know that you can watch this; you can get these services without letting people pay much like it used to be. I am sure the cost and price will continuously be driven down as competition continues to increase” he assured, adding that the highest bouquet with over 100 channels will attract N4,000 and the lowest bouquet will give you the

same N1,000 with DTT. “The highest bouquet in DTH which will give you over a 100 channels will cost you just about N4000. So what concession is better than that? The lowest bouquet will still give you the same N1,000 you are watching with DTT. The second bouquet will still give you N2,000 just as you are watching with DTT. So you are not really losing anything in terms of your finances. But rather you are still at the same level of expenditure. It is just that you are within the same services through a different technology” he said. Loko explained that the new platform removes the barrier

LG G3 Smartphone now in Nigerian market a global leader LhasGinElectronics, Mobile Communications introduced its G3 smart-

L-R: Showroom Manager, Fouani Nigeria Limited, Mr Ali Khrais; Managing Director, LG Electronics West Africa operations, Mr Deog Jun Kim; Country Sales Manager, First Choice Mobile Communication, Mr Christian Elega and General Manager, Mobile Communication division, LG Electronics West Africa operations, Mr Steve Seungeui Lee, during the official launch of LG G3 Smartphone, in Lagos.

Nokia Networks completes acquisition of SAC wireless

okia Networks has announced the complete acquisition of Illinois-based SAC Wireless, a premier self-performing provider of infrastructure and network deployment solutions. This acquisition builds upon Nokia Networks' existing network implementation service capabilities and is expected to increase its market share in this space. SAC Wireless will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nokia. The transaction is expected to bring clear revenue synergies. "We're seeing a trend in which operators are moving away from sub-contracting their network implementation services and opting instead for a direct service provider or 'self-perform' model," said Ricky Corker, Executive Vice President of North America for Nokia Networks. "SAC Wireless does this very well. With a national footprint and a proven track record of working with major telecom operators, SAC Wireless' capa-

bilities complement our own in-house expertise. We believe this will enable us to build an even stronger foundation for our U.S. services business and address a market opportunity to bring increased end-to-end efficiency to our customers." The firm said that operators were facing several challenges that need the expertise of network management firm, adding that SAC Wireless would help in achieving that. Nokia identified massive network expansions, new spectrum and more distributed antenna systems (DAS) and small cell implementations as some of the challenges. It added that others included complexities surrounding site acquisition, permitting, sub-contractor availability and quality often hinder network rollout and time to market. It said as s a result, operators want more direct control over their network deployments. "As new network densification technologies are in-

troduced, we believe there will be a need for shortened deployment timelines and the ability to self-perform will become increasingly critical," said Bill Koziel, President and CEO of SAC Wireless. "The teaming of Nokia Networks and SAC Wireless is a natural evolution of service solution providers in this industry. We look forward to expanding the reach of our network services technology as part of a global leader." SAC Wireless' services include the SAC Wireless Engine Room, a revolutionary process focused on managing site development, architectural and engineering, regulatory and compliance activities for national network programs. SAC Wireless also offers selfperform implementation of indoor and outdoor small cells and DAS, RF engineering and design, construction management and services, as well as turnkey program management of large scale network deployments.

of deployment of capital intensive transmitters to locations before viewers could get quality signals, saying “with a decoder and dish, you can receive signals from any part of Nigeria even in the remotest areas.” He said Starsat decoder boost faster many channels on high definition as well as comes at a promotional price of N12,600 and three month free subscription running from August to October, 2014. It also comes in three bouquets; Special with over 50 channels, Smart with 70 channels and Super with 100 channels . The subscription rates starts from N1,500 to N4,500.

phone into the Nigerian market. The device is the successor to the company’s well-received LG G2. G3 has received Red Dot “Best of the Best” Awards for Smart Keyboard, Knock CodeTM and the graphic user interface (GUI). The firm said that LG G3 was a culmination of consumer research based on LG’s product development philosophy, Learning from You. According to the firm, LG G3 is empowered with the best of what current technology has to offer, providing consumers with a user experience more ambitious than anything offered before by LG. “This is the best innovation in a fast evolving Smartphone market” said Mr. Steve Seungeui Lee, the General Manager, Mobile Communication division, LG Electronics West Africa operations. LG G3, he continued “is creating harmony between advanced technology and a simplified user experience which is the result of our effort to actualize that idea into a tangible product, and we are extremely pleased with the result.”

LG’s reputation in the display arena is second to none and the development of the G3’s breathtaking Quad HD display was the result of years of innovation in display technology. Details show that the phone has a pixel density of 534ppi, a Quad HD display that sets new viewing standard by producing images that are sharper and clearer than traditional smartphone displays. At 5.5-inches, LG G3 boasts of a screen ratio of 76.4 percent with thin bezels all around so the phone feels as comfortable in the hand as a smaller traditional Smartphone. LG equipped the G3 with a 3,000mAh removable battery and advanced optimization technologies to further maximize battery efficiency. The firm explained that this was to ensure that the high resolution display on the G3 is able to function optimally. It added that By replacing the metal in the battery cathode with graphite, LG engineers were able to extend the lifespan of the G3’s battery. The result is a battery that can keep up with the Quad HD display’s ultra-high performance without losing steam in the middle of the day.

Microsoft makes Opera default browser on feature phones icrosoft, now the owner of M what used to be Nokia’s handset operation, has se-

lected Nordic software developer Opera to make the opera Mini web browser the default across the company’s feature phone and Asha portfolio. The licensing agreement applies to mobile phones based on the Series 30+, Series 40 and Asha software platforms, which have a significant market share in developing regions. Users of these devices which use the current default browser, Xpress, will be encouraged to upgrade to the latest Opera Mini browser. Factory-new devices will have Opera Mini preinstalled. One of the often mentioned predictions is that many consumers in emerging markets will

have their first experience of the internet on a mobile device. “We continue to sell and support classic first and feature phones as well as the Asha range, which have performed well with millions of people who want new mobile experiences at lower price points,” said Rich Bernardo, head of legacy business, Phones, Microsoft. “The agreement with Opera will enable us to provide continuity of service as we transition from Xpress Browser to Opera Mini.” Opera Mini is popular because it features a built-in compression technology that allows users to save on mobile data and also helps operators keep network opex down. Opera Mini currently has around 250 million users, over 100 million of these on Android smartphones.

FEATURES

NEW TELEGRAPH

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ABIODUN BELLO FEATURES EDITOR

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

Corruption, poor funding, poor reading culture and use of the internet for wrong purposes, are some of the factors responsible for students’ poor performance in WAEC-conducted examinations, writes ELIJAH SAMUEL

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

Mass failure, reward for education sector’s neglect

he fallen standard of the education, especially in the last decade, demands a solemn reflection over the deplorable state of a vital sector considered the bedrock of sociodevelopment of any sane society. The mass failure recorded in the result of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) May/ June 2014 recently released by the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) is a testimonial that the deplorable situation of the sector and that the pragmatic solutions that could be mustered should now be fashioned to curtail the further downslide. According to the Head of National Office, WAEC, Mr Charles Eguridu, the result showed there was mass failure recorded in Mathematics and English Language. He said: “A total of 529,425 candidates, representing 31.28 per cent, obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics. “When compared to the 2012 and 2013 May/June WASSCE diets, there was marginal decline in the performance of candidates as 38:81 per cent was recorded in 2012 and 36.57 per cent in 2013.” From the result, the continued slide is seemingly not abating. The marginal difference between 2012 and 2014 is instructive. The deplorable condition in the education sector needs radical solution, and necessarily becomes a subject of national emergency, if the future of the country’s collective intellectual repertoire is considered of utmost importance to be protected. As it is now, many people are also worried about the unpleasant slide in the country’s education. Shades of opinion are being posited to find a way out of the doldrums. Tayo Olokuntoye, an educationist, bemoaned the fall in the nation’s education standard. The latest WASSCE results, he said, had only lent credence to his long-conceived apprehension about the deplorable state of variables in the education sector. He said: “I am fully aware of the trend. I am of the opinion that Nigeria’s standard of education is at the brink of a total collapse and could get to a point whereby rising from the enigma may be near impossible in many years to come. Nigeria is supposed to be the giant of Africa, and as such, should demonstrate this quality in all ramifications, the education standard inclusive. “Nigeria’s future would seem bleak and unpredictable despite her recent economic boost. A nation whose education is in the doldrums is bound to face a backlash resulting in socio-political unrest and instability such as we face in terms of terrorism, kidnapping and other similar atrocities.” Many factors are being identified as being responsible for the decadence in the education. Access to information technology, which ordinarily is presupposed as a

Students sitting for examination

blessing, has been identified as a significant factor in the education downslide. Its negative effect is one of the reasons blamed for the dwindling misfortune in the sector. Olokuntoye bemoaned the fact that “students now have more and easier access to play gadgets, internet-enabled devices and many more. Students who recently have been showing consistent apathy to studying now have more reasons to withdraw from constructive activities. “These days, anyone can subscribe for internet as low as N50. The likes of social media such as Facebook, BBM, Twitter, Instagram, 2go to mention but a few, have diverted the attention of young and old alike, the younger ones, worse for it. These days, it is common place to see students burn midnight candle on the internet chatting with their friends, lovers, etc instead of studying. Of course, failure is the outcome of poor or no preparation for exams. “Students, who know that their intellectual capacities are below the standard of examination and are desperate to gain admission, will stop at nothing to seek alternative means of escape. “Their parents, who are even more desperate, readily provide the necessary support to facilitate their children’s examination success, not leaving the examination coordinators, supervisors, invigilators and other examination officials out. Most of these people who are either poorly remunerated or greedy, compromise and abet, collude with students, parents, exam centres’ owners, etc in organising smooth examination malpractices.” Olokuntoye posited that inadequate funding and corruption on the part of the government were some of the major factors bedevilling the education sector. He added: “In most public schools, the necessary educational support and important instructional materials needed to enhance effective learning for the students to excel in school are lacking. And since most of the poor masses cannot afford standard private schools, the consequence is such as we see in mass

Olokuntoye

failure of Mathematics and English in WAEC. “The nation is bereft of true, patriotic and responsible leaders who would see education as a veritable tool for national growth and development. Rather, the legacy they leave behind for the future generations are greed for material wealth, ‘rat race’ for affluent life to mention but a few. These ideologies are based on accelerated formal education, economy and political opportunities, among others. “Consequently, everyone strives to enter into universities by all means possible. Since we live in a country that values credentials over credibility, university degrees are sine qua non for employment opportunity, vocational skills and technical know-how play second fiddle. These are the reasons for ‘mad rush’ for university admission and SSCE which is a visa into higher institutions has proven enigmatic, hence, these people must find an alternative means to survive in the rat race. “Poor preparation and general lack of commitment on the part of the students have contributed in no small measure to the situation on ground.” In all of these, Olokuntoye, an educa-

tion management expert, unequivocally expressed hope that the deterioration could still be arrested and restoration made. But this can only be attained on the altar of avowed sincerity and commitment on the part of the government to exterminate corruption and other vices; overhaul the curricular and education policies; ensure adequate personnel welfare enhancement and training; make provision of modern instructional facilities a priority. He said: “However, there is still a glimmer of hope if stakeholders are truly ready to salvage the situation. Corruption, which has become a hydra-headed monster defying solutions, must first be tackled if we want to eliminate the monster ravaging the education sector. “More importantly, our secondary school curricular should be made functional and design to address practical and real life situations. Our examinations should necessarily test the applications of concepts and not mere knowledge skills. This would in little way help prepare students for the exam. “Equally important, officials, who must be well-remunerated for the examinations, need to be thoroughly screened and retrained towards achieving credible conduct of examinations and orderly dispositions of students during examinations.” However, more proactive and pragmatic measures are being suggested in tackling the education standard rot. Wale Babatunde, a medical technologist and a scholar, advanced that students should be appropriately placed in classes to have the right orientation, according to academic performance. He said: “Admission and placement into the senior secondary school must be streamlined, ensuring that students are placed into areas that are commensurate to intellectual capability. “Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination result should be the sole factor to determine whether a student will be qualified for arts or science. This should be done without compromise and favour.”

business | MONEY LINE

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

In Africa a bright idea in banking leaves a trail of ruin

UNSECURED LENDEING The bank needed to provide new services, such as deposit taking, to reduce its reliance on unsecured lending

to salvage what it could. “He was one of banking’s brightest brains,” David Bullard, who worked with Kirkinis at UAL Merchant Bank in the 1980s, said in a phone interview. “Before creating African Bank, he did his research and for a long time it worked.” He pursued a path to riches that led through some of South Africa’s poorest provinces, and won the confidence of investors along the way. Styling himself a visionary for lending to South Africans ignored or deemed too risky by conventional banks, Kirkinis fueled profits making loans at annual interest rates as high as 60 percent. Like US subprime lenders half a world away, he overestimated his customers’ ability to repay their loans when the economy soured.

eon Kirkinis, described as one of the sharpest minds in banking, changed South Africa by expanding credit to the poor. He also underestimated the risks, wrecked his company, rattled financial markets and left many of his 3.2 million clients drowning in debt. Kirkinis, 54, co-founded African Bank Investments Ltd. in 1999 and built it into the country’s largest maker of loans not backed by collateral. He resigned Aug. 6, the same day the company said it would post a record loss and need 8.5 billion rand ($790 million) to survive. The South African Reserve Bank stepped in four days later

Kirkinis

Kirkinis left Johannesburg with his wife for a game farm far from the city shortly after stepping down, a person with knowledge of the matter said. He didn’t respond to phone calls

Naira gains as oil firms sell dollars

he naira firmed against the greenback yesterday, lifted by dollar sales from local units of foreign oil companies seeking to fund their monthend obligations. The local unit according to Reuters, closed at N162.05 to the US dollar, stronger than Tuesday's close of N162.20 naira. Dealers said the local units of ExxonMobil sold $50 mil-

lion and Italy's Eni sold $5 million yesterday to boost dollar liquidity, in addition to Total and Chevron, which both sold a combined $117 million on Tuesday. "We expect the naira to stay within this range this week as more oil firms sell dollars," one dealer said, adding that the liquidity provided support for the naira at the N162 level.

Nigerian units of foreign oil firms usually buy the naira towards the end of the month to meet their local obligations. Dealers also expect potential inflows from offshore investors buying local currency debt following news that Nigeria's 2024 bond will be added to JP Morgan's Government Bond IndexEmerging Markets (GBI-EM) tomorrow.

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

from Bloomberg News. ‘Stupidest Mistake’ African Bank’s “inherent flaw” was that it didn’t provision enough for bad debts, said Kokkie Kooyman, head of Cape Town-based Sanlam Global Investments, which oversees about $900 million. That left the lender, commonly known as Abil, vulnerable when its target market suffered “severe deterioration” from protracted mining strikes that began in 2012, he said. Beyond that, the “stupidest mistake” was buying the country’s second-largest furniture retailer, Ellerine Holdings Ltd., in 2008, according to Kooyman, who said he argued about it with management at the time. The consequences of the failure reverberated through the nation’s financial industry and beyond. Moody’s Investors Service lowered its credit ratings on South Africa’s four largest banks, cutting billions of rand from their market value. The bank’s demise may also bring closer a ratings downgrade of South Africa itself, Standard Bank said in a note on Aug. 20. Money-market funds, including those run by Cadiz Asset Management, Stanlib Ltd. and Barclays Plc’s South African unit, imposed losses on investors. Toyota South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., the nation’s top automobile dealer, was among companies that canceled bond sales as investors shied away. Unconventional banker Kirkinis projected an everyman image, eschewing the typical banker’s attire of suits and ties in favor of jeans, sport shirts and sneakers. He drove a yellow Jeep Wrangler to work, often with the roof off and music blaring. While some South African CEOs spend their leisure time in Plettenberg Bay, an upmarket seaside town in South Africa’s Western Cape, Kirkinis preferred to be in nature and away from people, he said in a Jan. 29 interview. He spent part of his December holidays last year at the Vaal Dam, a lake about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Johannesburg where he has a boat and sometimes goes wakeboarding. “I’m not one of these highprofile dudes,” he said. “Plett is the last place you would find me. I just like hanging out in my shorts and barefoot.” Rich list He projected confidence and ease in conversation with the press. Employees at the bank’s 1,000-seat call center in Johannesburg yelled his name and erupted into song when he visited with two Bloomberg journalists in January 2013. “He told a compelling story with conviction and that obviously would have swayed people into trusting his judgment,” said Royce Long, a fund manager at Obsidian Capital, which sold all of its shares in the lender after it published a profit warning in January of last year. As the company prospered, so did Kirkinis. In 2012, he was

ranked the 37th wealthiest person in South Africa in the annual Sunday Times Rich List, with his holding in the lender valued at an estimated 660 million rand. That same year, African Bank paid an annual dividend of 1.95 rand a share. By last November, when the company held a rights offer, the stake’s value had shrunk to 274.1 million rand. Following the rescue, shareholders will probably be wiped out. He hasn’t sold Abil shares in about seven years, based on stock exchange statements. ‘Robust’ business The lender’s origins go back more than 20 years to when Kirkinis, who had risen to become a general manager of UAL, set up Theta Securities with business partnerGordon Schachat in 1993. Theta, which initially financed and structured deals, bought the failed African Bank’s trading license in 1998 and changed its name toAfrican Bank Investments Ltd. a year later, following a combination with three small lenders. A chartered accountant, Kirkinis studied at the University of the Witwatersrand, ratednumber two in South Africa in the most recent Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Until recently, Abil didn’t take deposits, relying instead on stock and bond markets to fund its lending and Ellerine’s ensuing losses. The company increased net revenue every year for the past decade. In a 2012 statement, he attributed the company’s fortunes to having “built a robust, well capitalised and flexible business to position us as the market leader in a larger, more competitive unsecured credit market.” Platinum strikes Fault lines in the business began appearing that year. As strikes crippled South Africa’s platinum industry, miners began to default on loans. Schachat, who had reached the retirement age of 60, left the company. The bank delayed a debt sale in February 2013 amid charges of reckless lending from the credit regulator. In October, Abil paid 20 million rand to settle the case after the investigation found the bank advanced at least 700 loans without first carrying out affordability assessments. The company was forced to raise 5.5 billion rand in a rights offer last November. The central bank said in an Aug. 10 statement that it had told Abil in December to sell Ellerine, which was losing at least 70 million rand a month. Kirkinis had other plans. Abil wanted to keep Ellerine and the distribution network the retailer provided for loans, he said in the interview in January. After the furniture seller suffered six years of declining sales, Abil was still trying to fix it and searching for a retail partner, he said. A partner was never found, and Ellerine applied for business rescue, akin to Chapter 11 bankruptcy, this month.

42 BUSINESS | FINANCIAL MARKET

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

27-Aug-14

The FMDQ Daily Quotations List (DQL) comprises market and model prices/rates of foreign exchange ($/N) products, fixed income securities and instruments in the OTC market. The use of this report is subject to the FMDQ OTC PLC Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement on www.fmdqotc.com.

Bonds

Price

FGN Bonds Issuer

Rating/Agency

Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

28-Sep-07 23-Apr-10 16-Aug-13 27-Apr-12 27-Jul-07 31-Aug-07 30-May-08 29-Jun-12 23-Oct-09 27-Jan-12 14-Mar-14 28-Nov-08 22-May-09 20-Nov-09 23-Jul-10 18-Jul-14

9.25 4.00 13.05 15.10 9.85 9.35 10.70 16.00 7.00 16.39 14.20 15.00 12.49 8.50 10.00 12.15

100.00 535.00 530.27 452.80 20.00 100.00 300.00 351.30 233.90 600.00 281.35 75.00 150.00 200.00 591.57 70.00

9.25 28-SEP-2014 4.00 23-APR-2015 13.05 16-AUG-2016 15.10 27-APR-2017 9.85 27-JUL-2017 9.35 31-AUG-2017 10.70 30-MAY-2018 16.00 29-JUN-2019 7.00 23-OCT-2019 16.39 27-JAN-2022 14.20 14-MAR-2024 15.00 28-NOV-2028 12.49 22-MAY-2029 8.50 20-NOV-2029 10.00 23-JUL-2030 12.1493 18-JUL-2034

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

4,591.19

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,684.24

Rating/Agency

Issuer

Agency Bonds AMCON FMBN

***LCRM

Description

0.00 AMCON 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25 FMB II 03-APR-2017 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Maturity Date

TTM (Yrs)

28-Sep-14 23-Apr-15 16-Aug-16 27-Apr-17 27-Jul-17 31-Aug-17 30-May-18 29-Jun-19 23-Oct-19 27-Jan-22 14-Mar-24 28-Nov-28 22-May-29 20-Nov-29 23-Jul-30 18-Jul-34

0.09 0.65 1.97 2.67 2.92 3.01 3.76 4.84 5.16 7.42 9.55 14.26 14.74 15.23 15.90 19.89

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

Bid Price

Offer Price

10.74 10.95 11.33 11.26 11.27 11.27 11.30 11.34 11.42 11.78 11.98 12.43 12.45 12.48 12.15 12.17

9.07 10.11 11.25 11.19 11.21 11.15 11.20 11.27 11.34 11.73 11.93 12.39 12.41 12.42 12.10 12.13

99.84 95.70 102.95 108.60 96.53 95.20 98.15 116.95 83.09 122.35 112.40 116.95 100.22 73.14 85.00 99.85

99.99 96.20 103.10 108.75 96.68 95.50 98.45 117.25 83.39 122.65 112.70 117.25 100.52 73.44 85.30 100.15

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

# Risk Premium (%)

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

28-Dec-11 24-May-10 03-Apr-12 09-Dec-11 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12

0.00 0.00 17.25 0.00/16.00 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50

978.35 24.56 3.30 112.22 116.70 66.49

31-Oct-14 24-May-15 03-Apr-17 09-Dec-16 20-Apr-17 06-Jul-17

0.18 0.74 1.35 2.29 2.65 2.86

1.00 2.63 2.27 2.00 1.00 1.00

12.00 13.66 13.56 13.30 12.28 12.27

97.92 90.66 104.70 100.84 99.33 96.87

15-Oct-14 31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18 14-Feb-19 02-Oct-19 22-Nov-19 12-Dec-19 30-Sep-20 27-Nov-20 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 06-Jan-21

0.13 1.01 0.61 1.13 1.14 2.64 1.69 3.35 2.32 4.10 2.52 2.52 2.90 2.97 5.24 3.03 3.65 6.25 6.35 3.83 3.86

3.29 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 4.78 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.74 1.00 1.00 1.94 1.44 1.95

14.17 15.70 14.15 15.73 14.75 16.87 12.32 13.08 13.10 12.32 12.28 16.06 12.27 12.27 12.44 14.01 12.30 12.68 13.64 12.75 13.26

99.88 97.11 99.62 98.61 101.22 85.78 102.40 102.39 101.92 105.25 104.87 96.13 105.19 107.99 107.69 101.78 106.85 103.43 105.61 105.14 105.08

1,301.62

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,277.26

Sub-National Bonds A-/GCR A+/Agusto A/Agusto Nil A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro A/Agusto A-/GCR

NIGER KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE LAGOS *OSUN *OSUN LAGOS KOGI *EKITI *NASARAWA

15-Oct-09 31-Aug-10 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13 14-Feb-12 02-Oct-12 22-Nov-12 12-Dec-12 30-Sep-13 27-Nov-13 31-Dec-13 31-Dec-13 06-Jan-14

14.00 NIGER 15-OCT-2014 12.50 KADUNA 31-AUG-2015 13.00 EBONYI 30-SEP-2015 14.00 BENUE 30-JUN-2016 15.50 IMO 30-JUN-2016 10.00 LAGOS 19-APR-2017 13.75 BAYELSA 30-JUN-2017 14.00 EDO 31-DEC-2017 14.00 DELTA 30-SEP-2018 14.00 NIGER II 4-OCT-2018 14.50 EKITI 09-DEC-2018 14.00 NIGER III 12-DEC-2018 15.50 ONDO 14-FEB-2019 15.50 GOMBE 02-OCT-2019 14.50 LAGOS 22-NOV-2019 14.75 OSUN 12-DEC-2019 14.75 OSUN II 30-SEP-2020 13.50 LAGOS IV 27-NOV-2020 15.00 KOGI 31-DEC-2020 14.50 EKITI II 31-DEC-2020 15.00 NASARAWA 06-JAN-2021

14.00 12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50 14.50 14.75 14.75 13.50 15.00 14.50 15.00

6.00 8.50 6.08 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00 37.25 9.00 14.96 11.13 27.00 17.28 80.00 28.37 11.40 87.00 5.00 4.78 4.79

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Corporate Bonds

484.10 492.50

A+/Agusto; AA/GCR

LAFARGE WAPCO

11.50 LAFARGE WAPCO 7-OCT 2014

Aa/Agusto

GTB µ NGC

17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014

Nil

10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015

Bbb-/Agusto A-/Agusto

*UPDC

BB+/GCR

*CHELLARAMS

*FLOURMILLS

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR A-/Agusto

NAHCO

BBB-/GCR BBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR A/Agusto; A/GCR Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR BBB/GCR A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 14.00 CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 13.00 NAHCO 29-SEP-2016 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016

FSDH

A/GCR

13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014

UBA

13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017

*C & I LEASING *DANA#

MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018

*TOWER *TOWER

18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017

MPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

MPR+5.25 TOWER 9-SEP-2018

UBA

14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019

*DANA NAHCO

15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019 15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

07-Oct-11

11.50

11.80

07-Oct-14

0.11

1.00

11.81

99.91

18-Dec-09

13.50

13.17

18-Dec-14

0.31

5.21

16.32

99.05

01-Apr-10

17.00

2.00

31-Dec-14

0.35

8.71

19.77

98.94

17-Aug-10

10.00

3.61

17-Aug-15

0.73

4.88

15.90

96.20

09-Dec-10

12.00

13.62

09-Dec-15

0.80

1.00

12.08

100.49

06-Jan-11

14.00

0.60

06-Jan-16

0.88

2.63

13.78

100.69

29-Sep-11

13.00

15.00

29-Sep-16

2.09

1.00

12.33

101.18

25-Oct-13

14.25

5.53

25-Oct-16

2.16

1.34

12.66

102.88

30-Sep-10

13.00

20.00

30-Sep-17

3.09

1.00

12.28

101.79

30-Nov-12

18.00

0.73

30-Nov-17

1.91

1.88

13.21

109.13

09-Apr-11

16.00

7.20

09-Apr-18

1.87

3.48

14.81

102.22

09-Sep-11

18.00

3.27

09-Sep-18

2.04

5.20

16.54

102.67

09-Sep-11

16.00

0.90

09-Sep-18

2.04

5.06

16.40

101.70

22-Sep-11

14.00

35.00

22-Sep-18

4.07

1.35

12.67

104.11

18-Oct-13

15.75

2.70

18-Oct-18

2.14

2.29

13.61

104.22

17-Feb-12

17.00

0.41

17-Feb-19

2.47

6.11

17.39

99.33

01-Apr-14

16.00

4.50

01-Apr-19

3.35

2.16

13.45

106.67

14-Nov-13

15.25

2.05

14-Nov-20

6.22

2.76

14.43

103.24

11-Feb-18

3.46

1.00

12.29

94.24

Bid Price

Offer Price

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

142.08

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

144.80

Supranational Bond AAA/S&P

10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018

IFC

11-Feb-13

10.20

12.00

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION Rating/Agency

Issuer

12.00 11.31 Description

Issue Date

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

Maturity Date

Bid Yield (%)

Offer Yield (%)

6.75 JAN 28, 2021

07-Oct-11

6.75

500.00

28-Jan-21

4.65

4.50

111.54

112.38

5.13 JUL 12, 2018

12-Jul-13

5.13

500.00

12-Jul-18

3.89

3.67

104.40

105.17

6.38 JUL 12, 2023

12-Jul-13

6.38

500.00

12-Jul-23

4.99

4.88

109.80

110.61

FGN Eurobonds

Prices & Yields

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

FGN

BB-/Fitch; BB-/S&P

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

1,500.00

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,628.67

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

3.37

111.13

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC I

7.50 MAY 19, 2016

19-May-11

7.50

500.00

19-May-16

4.66

3.82

104.62

106.05

B+/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC

7.25 JUL 25, 2017

25-Jul-12

7.25

350.00

25-Jul-17

6.87

100.97

B/Fitch; B/S&P

FIDELITY BANK PLC

6.88 MAY 09, 2018

09-May-13

6.88

300.00

02-May-18

8.73

8.14

94.24

96.01

B+/Fitch; B+/S&P

GTBANK PLC

6.00 NOV 08, 2018

08-Nov-13

6.00

400.00

08-Nov-18

6.09

5.81

99.66

100.67

B/Fitch

AFREN PLC II

10.25 APR 08, 2019

08-Apr-12

10.25

300.00

08-Apr-19

8.23

7.78

107.58

109.40

B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P

ZENITH BANK PLC

6.25 APR 22, 2019

22-Apr-14

6.25

500.00

22-Apr-19

6.35

99.58

B/Fitch; B/S&P

DIAMOND BANK PLC

8.75 May 21, 2019

21-May-14

8.75

200.00

21-May-19

8.98

8.73

99.12

100.06

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK PLC

8.25 AUG 07, 2020

07-Aug-13

8.25

300.00

07-Aug-20

7.42

103.01

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

AFREN PLC III

6.63 DEC 09, 2020

09-Dec-13

6.63

360.00

09-Dec-20

7.38

96.25

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

ACCESS BANK PLC II

9.25/6M USD LIBOR+7.677 JUN 24, 2021

24-Jun-14

9.25

400.00

24-Jun-21

8.69

8.53

103.04

103.89

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK LTD

8.00 JUL 23 2021

23-Jul-14

8.00

450.00

23-Jul-21

7.54

101.40

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

8.63

8.45

99.61

100.56

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

4,760.00 4,849.78

**Treasury Bills DTM 8 15 22 29 36 43 50 57 64

FIXINGS Maturity 4-Sep-14 11-Sep-14 18-Sep-14 25-Sep-14 2-Oct-14 9-Oct-14 16-Oct-14 23-Oct-14 30-Oct-14

Bid Discount (%) 10.35 10.50 10.50 10.40 10.60 10.60 10.60 10.50 10.55

Offer Discount (%) 10.10 10.25 10.25 10.15 10.35 10.35 10.35 10.25 10.30

Bid Yield (%) 10.37 10.55 10.57 10.49 10.71 10.73 10.76 10.68 10.75

Money Market

NIBOR Tenor O/N 1M 3M 6M

Rate (%) 11.2500 12.5204 13.4059 14.2116

NITTY

Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards)

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.92

Tenor

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

11.17

Spot 7D 14D 1M 2M 3M 6M

161.90 162.25 162.51 162.62 164.25 165.54 169.22

162.00 162.51 162.85 163.78 165.42 167.17 172.84

O/N Tenor Call 1M 3M

REPO

Rate (%) 10.92 12.18 12.98

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

1,277.26

Sub-National Bonds A-/GCR A+/Agusto A/Agusto Nil A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR Thursday, August 28, A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto Aa-/Agusto; AA-/GCR A-/Agusto; BBB+/DataPro A/Agusto A-/GCR Sanctity of Truth

RECEDING

NIGER KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA 2014 NIGER *EKITI *NIGER *ONDO *GOMBE LAGOS *OSUN *OSUN LAGOS KOGI *EKITI *NASARAWA

14.00 12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00 15.50 15.50 14.50 14.75 14.75 13.50 15.00 14.50 15.00

6.00 8.50 6.08 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00 37.25 9.00 14.96 11.13 27.00 17.28 80.00 28.37 11.40 87.00 5.00 4.78 4.79

0.13 1.01 0.61 1.13 1.14 2.64 1.69 3.35 2.32 4.10 2.52 2.52 2.90 2.97 5.24 3.03 3.65 6.25 6.35 3.83 3.86

2.00

31-Dec-14

0.35

Stories by Chris Ugwu

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

he Nigerian stock market closed on the negative pathLAFARGE again, as A+/Agusto; AA/GCR WAPCO Aa/Agusto GTBshares of activities on the µ NGC Nil and gas slowed momentum oil *UPDC toBbb-/Agusto give the bears an enableA-/Agusto *FLOURMILLS ment to sustain their strongBB+/GCR *CHELLARAMS holds onA-/GCR the Nigerian capital A+/Agusto; NAHCO market. A-/Agusto FSDH A/GCR The dominance UBA led to a furBBB-/GCR *C & I LEASING ther drop of N37 billion in marBBB+/DataPro†; BB+/GCR *DANA# ket capitalisation. # A-/DataPro†; BB-/GCR Three oil firms *TOWER - Forte Oil AAA/DataPro†; A+/GCR *TOWER# Plc, Conoil and MRS Oil, along A/Agusto; A/GCR Corporate Bonds yesterday

BBB/GCR

14.17 15.70 14.15 15.73 14.75 16.87 12.32 13.08 13.10 12.32 12.28 16.06 12.27 12.27 12.44 14.01 12.30 12.68 13.64 12.75 13.26

99.88 97.11 99.62 98.61 101.22 85.78 102.40 102.39 101.92 105.25 104.87 96.13 105.19 107.99 107.69 101.78 106.85 103.43 105.61 105.14 105.08

8.71

19.77

98.94

business | FINANCIAL MARKET 43

UBA

with other blue chips shed weight, dragging the market southwards. This was due to profit taking by investors in the wake of the cautious optimism that had prevailed in the market in the recent times. 11.50 LAFARGE 7-OCT 2014 The twin WAPCO market perfor13.50 GUARANTY TRUST 18-DEC-2014 mance measures - the NSE 17.00 NGC 31-DEC-2014 ASI and market capitalisation, 10.00 UPDC 17-AUG-2015 dropped by 0.27 per cent as the 12.00 FLOURMILLS 9-DEC-2015 market slowed. 14.00 tempo CHELLARAMS 06-JAN-2016 At13.00 theNAHCO close of trading in the 29-SEP-2016 14.25 FSDH 25-OCT-2016 day, 16 stocks appreciated, while 13.00 UBA 30-SEP-2017 27 others constituted the losers’ table.18.00 C&I LEASING 30-NOV-2017 MPR+7.00 DANA 9-APR-2018 The twin market indicaMPR+7.00 TOWER 9-SEP-2018 tors,MPR+5.25 the All-Share Index fell by TOWER 9-SEP-2018 114.13 basis points or 0.27per 14.00 UBA II 22-SEP-2018 15.75 LA CASERA 18-OCT-2018

*LA CASERA *CHELLARAMS#

cent, from 41,235.25 the previous day to close at 41,121.12, while the market capitalisation dropped by N37 billion or 0.27 per cent, from N13.615 trillion to N13.578 trillion. Further analysis of the day’s trading showed that Seven-Up 07-Oct-11 11.50 day’s Nigeria Plc topped the 13.50 gainers18-Dec-09 table with N7.22 to close 01-Apr-10 at N134.00, while Beta 17.00 Glass Plc 17-Aug-10 10.00 added N1.74 to close at N18.85. 09-Dec-10 12.00 Oando06-Jan-11 Nigeria Plc 14.00 followed with 4529-Sep-11 kobo to close 13.00 at N25.50 per share. 25-Oct-13 14.25 30-Sep-10 13.00Oil led On the flip side, Forte 30-Nov-12 losers with a drop of 18.00 N11.56 to 16.00 close at09-Apr-11 N220.55, while Conoil 18.00 Nigeria09-Sep-11 Plc shed N3.50 to close 09-Sep-11 16.00 at N68.00 per share. 14.00 MRS fol22-Sep-11

lowed with N2.94 to close at N58.90 per share. On the activity chart, the Banking sub-sector dominated in volume terms with 223.5 mil484.10 lion shares worth N2.3 million 492.50 in 1,647 deals. The sub-sector was enhanced by the activities 11.80 0.11 in the shares07-Oct-14 of Access Bank 13.17and GTB 18-Dec-14 0.31 Plc Bank Plc.

MPR+5.00 CHELLARAMS II 17-FEB-2019 16.00 DANA II 1-APR-2019

Insurance sub sector also of financial services sector boosted by the activities on the shares of AIICO Nigeria Plc, followed with 52.3 million units, worth N42.3 million in 174 deals. In all, investors exchanged 1.00 11.81million 99.91 a total of 387.6 shares, 5.21 N3.9 billion 16.32 in 4,795 99.05 worth deals.

Access Bank sees 20% loan growth in 2014 3.61

17-Aug-15

0.73

4.88

15.90

96.20

13.62

09-Dec-15

0.80

1.00

12.08

100.49

0.60

06-Jan-16

0.88

2.63

13.78

100.69

15.00

29-Sep-16

2.09

1.00

12.33

101.18

5.53

25-Oct-16

2.16

1.34

12.66

102.88

20.00

30-Sep-17

3.09

1.00

12.28

101.79

0.73

30-Nov-17

1.91

1.88

13.21

109.13

09-Apr-18 ccess Bank Plc said 1.87 it is 3.27 2.04 targeting09-Sep-18 loan growth of 0.90 09-Sep-18 2.04 20 per cent in 2014, after a 35.00 22-Sep-18 4.07 172.70 per cent rise in the first half, 18-Oct-13 15.75 18-Oct-18 2.14 driven by increased 17-Feb-12 17.00 0.41 17-Feb-19 lending 2.47to its and investment 01-Apr-14 16.00 4.50corporate 01-Apr-19 3.35 14-Nov-13 15.25 2.05 14-Nov-20 6.22 banking customers. bank top-up into its Nigeria op- 142.08 According to Reuters News, Chief Executive Officer, Acerations to boost capitalisation the 144.80 cess Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe levels. Pan African lender, had said the bank’s loan book stood 11-Feb-13 10.20 11-Feb-18 recently announced it has ac- at12.00 N811 billion in 2013, up 333.46 per 12.00 from a year ago. quired a 96 per cent stake in cent 11.31 Banco ProCredit Mozambique "We would see some payoff previously held by ProCreditOutstanding fromValue the state governments but Issue Date (%) Maturity Date Bid Yield (%) Holding (PCH) and Coupon the DOEN it will be replaced by some pri(N'bn) Foundation. vate sector loans," Wigwe said, The lender said in a state- adding that he expected a slower 07-Oct-11 available 6.75 500.00 28-Jan-21 ment made that the growth of 15 per cent for 2015. 4.65 Foreign currency loans actransaction has received the 12-Jul-13 5.13 500.00 12-Jul-18 approval of the regulatory au- counted for 46 per cent of 3.89 total thorities in Mozambique and loans first-half, Wigwe 12-Jul-13 6.38 500.00 in the 12-Jul-23 4.99 has started trading as Ecobank said, adding he expected to grow Mozambique, effective from 1,500.00 the naira loan book in the second1,628.67 May 20, 2014. half to boost interest income and Helen Alexander of Pro- reduce currency exposure. Credit Holding confirmed that Shares in Access Bank, which 01-Feb-11 450.00 risen 2.101-Feb-16 per cent so far3.37 this the negotiations were11.50 held in a have 19-May-11 500.00 climbed19-May-16 2.04 percent to4.66 N10 frank and transparent7.50 manner year, 25-Jul-12 7.25 350.00 25-Jul-17 6.87 and that the transaction has each. 09-May-13 6.88 300.00 02-May-18 been concluded to the6.00 satisfacWigwe said08-Nov-18 the bank was8.73 tar08-Nov-13 400.00 6.09 tion of08-Apr-12 both parties. 10.25 “We are geting a return on equity (ROE) 300.00 08-Apr-19 8.23 pleased22-Apr-14 to have concluded this of 20 per cent22-Apr-19 this year, up from 6.25 500.00 6.35 transaction 18.3 in first half. ROE 21-May-14and are confident 8.75 200.00per cent 21-May-19 8.98 stood at 14.9 per cent in 2013. that we are leaving the bank 07-Aug-13 8.25 300.00 07-Aug-20 7.42 Access Bank Plc had reported in the hands capable 09-Dec-13 of a very6.63 360.00 09-Dec-20 7.38 3.85 growth in its 8.69 2014 partner. 24-Jun-14 9.25 400.00per cent 24-Jun-21 7.20

Ecobank Nigeria mulls raising extra capital BBB-/DataPro†; BB+/GCR

3.29 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 4.78 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.74 1.00 1.00 1.94 1.44 1.95

Oil & Gas stocks deflate NSE activities

Investment value dips further by N37bn

Bbb+/Agusto; BBB+/GCR

3.48 14.81 profit. 102.22 half-year pre-tax 5.20 16.54 102.67 The bank in a filing with Nige5.06 16.40 101.70 rian Stock Exchange (NSE) said 1.35 12.67 104.11 the2.29 pre-tax profit N27.1 13.61 rose to 104.22 billion up 3.85 6.11 17.39 per cent 99.33from N26.1 the106.67 compa2.16 billion during 13.45 2.76 period of 14.43 103.24 rable 2013. Also, revenue rose 15.2 per cent to N117.93 billion in the six months period under review from N102.4 billion posted in 1.00 12.29 94.24 2013. Based on the results, the bank declared an interim dividend of 0.25 kobo each, the same amount Offer Yield (%) Price Offer Price it paid a yearBidearlier. The bank’s profit before tax & Yields hadPrices jumped 20 per cent to N13.4 billion in its111.54 unaudited112.38 results 4.50 for the three months ended 31 3.67 105.17 March 2014. 104.40 The lender, which recorded 109.80 4.88 110.61 N11.1 billion PBT in the comparable period of 2013, also grossed N57 billion, representing a nine per cent increase in the period under review. 3.37 111.13 Similarly,111.13 its operating in3.82 104.62 106.05 come increased by 19 per cent to 6.87 100.97 N42 billion supported by100.97 a 12 per 8.14 96.01 cent increase94.24 in its non-interest 5.81 99.66 100.67 income during the period. In the 7.78 107.58 109.40 same vein, Access Bank’s net in6.35 99.58 99.58 terest margin99.12 rose to 6.2 100.06 per cent 8.73 compared with the 5.4 per 7.42 103.01 103.01cent it attained in96.25 the first quarter 7.38 96.25 of 8.53 2013. 103.04 103.89

A+/Agusto; A-/GCR

*DANA NAHCO

B-/Fitch; B/S&P

FIRST BANK LTD

8.00 JUL 23 2021

23-Jul-14

8.00

450.00

23-Jul-21

7.54

101.40

B-/S&P

ECOBANK NIG. LTD

8.75 AUG 14, 2021

14-Aug-14

8.75

250.00

14-Aug-21

8.63

8.45

99.61

100.56

15.25 NAHCO II 14-NOV-2020

TOTAL OUTSTANDING cobank NigeriaVALUE Plc is

considering raising additional TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION capital to boost its tier-1 Supranational Bond capital. AAA/S&P IFC Ecobank Nigeria's total capiTOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE tal adequacy ratio at the end of TOTAL the firstMARKET half ofCAPITALISATION 2014 stood at 13.3 per cent, according to sources in Rating/Agency Issuer the bank. The additional capital will FGN Eurobonds be a boost as the recent Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) draft BB-/Fitch;of B+/S&P guidelines categorised the bank BB-/Fitch; FGN as a systemically important BB-/S&P BB-/Fitch; bank, the source added. BB-/S&P The subsidiary of Ecobank TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE Transnational Incorporated TOTALrecently MARKET CAPITALISATION (ETI) raised $250 million in tier-2 capital, thereby Corporate Eurobonds lifting its capital adequacy ratio B/Fitch; B-/S&P AFREN PLC I (CAR) to 16.5 per cent. B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC I According to Adesoji SoB+/S&P ACCESS BANK PLC lanke of Renaissance Capital, B/Fitch; B/S&P FIDELITY BANK PLC "Considering the Central Bank B+/Fitch; B+/S&P GTBANK PLC ofB/Fitch Nigeria' (CBN's)AFREN preference PLC II for tier-1 capital for a bank of B+/Fitch; BB-/S&P ZENITH BANK PLC this scale, we thinkDIAMOND the subsidB/Fitch; B/S&P BANK PLC iary needs injecB-/Fitch; B/S&P a tier-1 capital FIRST BANK PLC tion." B-/Fitch; B/S&P AFREN PLC III Group ETI, B-/Fitch; B/S&PChief Executive, ACCESS BANK PLC II

Albert Essien, said recently that the bank expects South Africa's Nedbank to convert a $285 million loan to shares in the Lome10.20 IFC 11-FEB-2018 based bank before the end of the year. He was confident that Nedbank would exercise the converDescription sion option and also top up the conversion amount with $206 million, to give it a 20 per cent 6.75 JAN 28, 2021 stake in Ecobank. After the Nedbank deal, EcoJUL 12, 2018 bank expects its5.13 capital adequacy ratio to hit 18.7 per cent of 6.38 JUL 12, 2023 assets by year-end, up from the 17.5 per cent it was in the first six months of the year. "The Nedbank stake is capped at 20 per cent. If they 11.50 FEB 01, 2016 do convert I think that will MAY 19, 2016 strengthen the7.50business rela7.25 JUL 25, 2017 tionship that we have (had) 6.88 MAY 09, 2018 since 2008," Essien said. He add6.00 NOV 08, 2018 ed: "The conversion will trigger 10.25 APR 08, 2019 reciprocal board seats. 6.25 APR 22,We 2019 see it as very positive8.75and we2019 expect May 21, that it will happen." 8.25 AUG 07, 2020 Management6.63ofDEC ETI expects 09, 2020 to invest9.25/6M a portion of the USD LIBOR+7.677 JUNNed24, 2021

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

FMDQ Daily Quotations List

4,760.00 4,849.78

27-Aug-14

The FMDQ Daily Quotations List (DQL) comprises market and model prices/rates of foreign exchange ($/N) products, fixed income securities and instruments in the OTC market. The use of this report is subject to the **Treasury Bills FIXINGS Money Market FMDQ OTC PLC Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement on www.fmdqotc.com. Foreign Exchange (Spot & Forwards)

DTM Maturity Bid Discount (%) 8 4-Sep-14 10.35 15 11-Sep-14 10.50 FGN Bonds 22 18-Sep-14 10.50 29 25-Sep-14 10.40 36 2-Oct-14 10.60 Issuer Description Rating/Agency 43 9-Oct-14 10.60 50 16-Oct-14 10.60 9.25 28-SEP-2014 57 23-Oct-14 10.50 4.00 23-APR-2015 64 30-Oct-14 10.55 13.05 16-AUG-2016 71 6-Nov-14 10.00 15.10 27-APR-2017 78 13-Nov-14 10.60 9.85 27-JUL-2017 85 20-Nov-14 9.25 9.35 31-AUG-2017 92 27-Nov-14 10.75 10.70 30-MAY-2018 99 4-Dec-14 10.10 16.00 29-JUN-2019 106 11-Dec-14 10.70 NA NA 120 25-Dec-14 10.75 7.00 23-OCT-2019 134 8-Jan-15 10.85 16.39 27-JAN-2022 148 22-Jan-15 10.50 14.20 14-MAR-2024 162 5-Feb-15 10.50 15.00 28-NOV-2028 176 19-Feb-15 10.25 12.49 22-MAY-2029 190 5-Mar-15 10.35 8.50 20-NOV-2029 225 9-Apr-15 10.20 10.00 23-JUL-2030 239 23-Apr-15 10.30 12.1493 18-JUL-2034 253 7-May-15 10.15 344 10.40 TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE 6-Aug-15 *from the Amortising bonds, the average life is calculated and not the duration

Offer Discount (%) 10.10 10.25 10.25 10.15 10.35Date Issue 10.35 10.35 28-Sep-07 10.25 23-Apr-10 10.30 16-Aug-13 9.75 27-Apr-12 10.35 27-Jul-07 9.00 31-Aug-07 10.50 30-May-08 9.85 29-Jun-12 10.45 10.50 23-Oct-09 10.60 27-Jan-12 10.25 14-Mar-14 10.25 28-Nov-08 10.00 22-May-09 10.10 20-Nov-09 9.95 23-Jul-10 10.05 18-Jul-14 9.90 10.15

Bid Yield (%) 10.37 10.55 10.57 10.49 10.71 (%) Coupon 10.73 10.76 9.25 10.68 4.00 10.75 13.05 10.20 15.10 10.85 9.85 9.45 9.35 11.05 10.70 10.38 16.00 11.04 11.14 7.00 11.30 16.39 10.97 14.20 11.01 15.00 10.78 12.49 10.94 8.50 10.88 10.00 11.04 12.15 10.92 11.53

TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION

Risk Premium is a combination of credit risk and liquidity risk premiums **Exclusive of non-trading t.bills

Issuer

Agency Bonds AMCON NA

FMBN Modified Duration Buckets

***LCRM

<3 3<5 TOTAL MARKET CAPITALISATION>5 Market

TOTAL OUTSTANDING VALUE

Sub-National Bonds A-/GCR A+/Agusto A/Agusto Nil A+/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto A/Agusto A+/Agusto; A+/GCR A-/Agusto; A-/GCR A/Agusto; A-/GCR† A-/Agusto

NIGER KADUNA *EBONYI *BENUE *IMO LAGOS *BAYELSA EDO *DELTA NIGER *EKITI *NIGER

Description

Issue Date

0.00 AMCON 31-OCT-2014 (SR.5 TR.1) 0.00 FMB 24-MAY-2015 17.25Porfolio FMB II Market 03-APR-2017 Total Outstanding 0.00/16.00 LCRM 09-DEC-2016 Volume(Bn) Value(Bn) 0.00/16.50 LCRM II 20-APR-2017 0.00/16.50 LCRM III 06-JUL-2017

1,037.65 1,144.95 819.07 3,001.67

Tenor O/N 1M Outstanding Value 3M (N'bn) 6M

Rate (%) 11.2500 12.5204 13.4059Date Maturity 14.2116

100.00 28-Sep-14 535.00 23-Apr-15 530.27 NITTY 16-Aug-16 452.80 27-Apr-17 Tenor Rate (%) 20.00 27-Jul-17 1M 10.3664 100.00 31-Aug-17 2M 10.5803 300.00 30-May-18 3M 10.6411 351.30 29-Jun-19 6M 10.8915 9M 10.9981 233.90 23-Oct-19 12M 11.4401 600.00 27-Jan-22 281.35 14-Mar-24 75.00 28-Nov-28 150.00 NIFEX 22-May-29 200.00 20-Nov-29 Current Price ($/N) 591.57 23-Jul-30 BID($/N) 162.0500 70.00 18-Jul-34 OFFER ($/N) 162.1500

4,591.19

Tenor

Rate (%)

OBB

10.92

Tenor

Spot 7D REPO Bid Yield (%) Offer 14DYield TTM (Yrs) (%) Tenor Rate (%) 1M Call 10.92 2M 0.09 10.74 9.07 1M 12.18 3M 0.65 10.95 10.11 3M 12.98 6M 1.97 11.33 11.25 6M 13.71 1Y 2.67 11.26 11.19 2.92 11.27 11.21 NOTE: 3.01 11.27 11.15 3.76 11.30 11.20 :Benchmarks 4.84Bond 11.34 11.27 * :Amortising µ :Convertible 5.16Bond 11.42 11.34 AMCON: Asset of Nigeria 7.42 Management Corporation 11.78 11.73 FGN: Federal Government of Nigeria 9.55 11.98 11.93 FMBN: Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria 14.26 12.43 12.39 IFC: International Finance Corporation 14.74 12.45 12.41 LCRM: Local Contractors Receivables Management 15.23 12.48 12.42 NAHCO: Nigerian Aviation Handling Company 15.90 12.15 12.10 O/N: Overnight 19.89 12.17 UPDC: UAC Property Development Company 12.13 O/N

11.17

Bid ($/N)

Offer ($/N)

Price

161.90 162.00 162.25 162.51 162.51 162.85Price Offer Bid Price 162.62 163.78 164.25 165.42 99.84 99.99 165.54 167.17 95.70 96.20 169.22 172.84 102.95 103.10 176.96 183.94 108.60 108.75 96.53 96.68 95.20 95.50 98.15 98.45 NA :Not Applicable 116.95 117.25 # :Floating Rate Bond ***: Deferred 83.09coupon bonds83.39 122.35 122.65 †: Bond 112.40 rating expired 112.70 116.95 117.25 100.22 100.52 73.14 73.44 NGC: Nigeria-German Company 85.00 85.30 UBA: United Bank for Africa 99.85 100.15

WAPCO:West Africa Portland Cement Company

4,684.24

Rating/Agency

NIBOR

Bonds

983.07 951.30 872.92 2,807.29

Coupon (%)

Outstanding Value (N'bn)

FMDQ FGN BOND INDEX

Maturity Date

Avg. Life/TTM (Yrs)

28-Dec-11 24-May-10 03-Apr-12 Weighting by 09-Dec-11 Outstanding Vol 20-Apr-12 06-Jul-12 35.02

0.00 0.00 17.25 Weighting by Mkt 0.00/16.00 Value 0.00/16.50 0.00/16.50 34.57

978.35 24.56 3.30 Bucket 112.22 Weighting 116.70 66.49 0.35

31-Oct-14 24-May-15 03-Apr-17 % Exposure_ 09-Dec-16 Mod_Duration 20-Apr-17 06-Jul-17 16.38

0.18 0.74 1.35 Implied2.29 Yield 2.65 2.86 11.29

33.89 31.09 100.00

38.14 27.29 100.00

0.31 1,277.26

34.53 49.09 100.00

11.65 12.10 11.81

15-Oct-09 31-Aug-10 30-Sep-10 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-09 19-Apr-10 30-Jun-10 30-Dec-10 30-Sep-11 04-Oct-11 09-Dec-11 12-Dec-13

14.00 12.50 13.00 14.00 15.50 10.00 13.75 14.00 14.00 14.00 14.50 14.00

1,301.62 0.34 1.00

6.00 8.50 6.08 6.27 7.37 57.00 29.92 25.00 37.25 9.00 14.96 11.13

15-Oct-14 31-Aug-15 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-16 30-Jun-16 19-Apr-17 30-Jun-17 31-Dec-17 30-Sep-18 04-Oct-18 09-Dec-18 12-Dec-18

0.13 1.01 0.61 1.13 1.14 2.64 1.69 3.35 2.32 4.10 2.52 2.52

Risk Premium (%) 1.00 2.63 2.27 Implied 2.00 Portfolio Price 1.00 1.00 118.8452

135.7857 103.5037 119.8154 3.29 4.44 3.23 4.46 3.48 5.59 1.00 1.79 1.80 1.00 1.00 4.78

Valuation Yield (%)

Indicative Price

12.00 13.66 13.56 INDEX 13.30 12.28 12.27 1,128.79

97.92 90.66 104.70 YTD Return 100.84 (%) 99.33 96.87 12.8787

1,149.78 1,207.45 1,138.12

14.9781 20.7455 13.8119

14.17 15.70 14.15 15.73 14.75 16.87 12.32 13.08 13.10 12.32 12.28 16.06

99.88 97.11 99.62 98.61 101.22 85.78 102.40 102.39 101.92 105.25 104.87 96.13

Daily Summary as of 27/08/2014

Printed 27/08/2014 14:55:39.039

business | CAPITAL MARKET

Sanctity of Truth

Daily Summary as of 27/08/2014 Printed 27/08/2014 14:55:39.039

Daily Summary (Bonds)

Thursday, August 28, 2014

The Nigerian Stock Market Exchange as at August 27, 2014

No Debt Trading Activity

Daily Summary (Equities)

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

Symbol OKOMUOIL PRESCO

No. of Deals 57 18 75

Current Price 33.51 36.30

Quantity Traded 614,549 417,687 1,032,236

Value Traded 20,701,708.31 15,147,372.46 35,849,080.77

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 14 14

Current Price 3.14

Quantity Traded 777,259 777,259

Value Traded 2,440,598.76 2,440,598.76

1,809,495

38,289,679.53

Quantity Traded 17,067 23,075,005 629,543 23,721,615

Value Traded 25,474.50 133,663,308.76 37,084,856.76 170,773,640.02

23,721,615

170,773,640.02

AGRICULTURE Totals

CONGLOMERATES Daily Summary as of 27/08/2014 Diversified Industries Printed 27/08/2014 14:55:39.039

Symbol AGLEVENT TRANSCORP UACN

No. of Deals 4 293 54 Daily Summary (Equities) 351

A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals

CONGLOMERATES Totals Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Current Price 1.46 5.81 58.75

351

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals

HEALTHCARE HEALTHCARE Totals ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC Computer Based Systems Totals

No. of Deals 28 28

Current Price 1.08

Quantity Traded 1,097,476 Page 1,097,476

Infrastructure/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 11 11

Current Price 65.00

Quantity Traded 19,431 19,431

Value Traded 1,245,105.69 1,245,105.69

Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 23 23

Current Price 15.40

Quantity Traded 222,807 222,807

Value Traded 3,364,607.30 3,364,607.30

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Totals

Symbol UPDCREIT

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 8.70

Quantity Traded 15,000 15,000

Value Traded 124,500.00 124,500.00

1,354,714

5,928,521.59

Symbol DUNLOP

No. of Deals 3 3

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 50,000 50,000

Value Traded 25,000.00 25,000.00

Symbol CHAMPION

No. of Deals 2 21 23

Current Price 8.30 185.00 27.00

Quantity Traded 100,000 17,396 136,559

Value Traded 830,000.00 3,219,535.50 3,687,268.00

Symbol NB PREMBREW

No. of Deals 160 3 209

Current Price 174.73 1.81

Quantity Traded 501,382 50,700 806,037

Value Traded 87,568,981.11 91,739.00 95,397,523.61

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 28 28

Current Price 134.00

Quantity Traded 241,799 241,799

Value Traded 32,394,884.65 32,394,884.65

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR NASCON NNFM UNIONDICON

No. of Deals 34 54 53 41 38 21 2 243

Current Price 7.50 8.63 68.11 4.09 9.90 21.00 14.11

Quantity Traded 32,995,596 634,042 65,165 952,090 1,409,900 572,444 60 36,629,297

Value Traded 247,443,567.41 5,490,641.43 4,258,048.59 3,893,424.31 13,637,332.35 11,420,257.80 804.60 286,144,076.49

Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

No. of Deals 33 76 109

Current Price 59.85 1,079.99

Quantity Traded 160,900 73,217 234,117

Value Traded 9,632,699.82 76,225,726.73 85,858,426.55

Symbol VITAFOAM

No. of Deals 12

Current Price 4.15

Quantity Traded 213,500

Value Traded 886,278.50

Symbol

No. of Deals 12

Current Price

Page Quantity Traded 213,500

3 of 12 Value Traded

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

No. of Deals 49 44 93

Current Price 35.50 49.00

Quantity Traded 413,642 149,517 563,159

Value Traded 14,481,262.03 7,197,740.78 21,679,002.81

38,737,909

522,385,192.61

Quantity Traded 187,161,284 3,741,901 267,604 2,504,435 10,214,088 2,256,114 2,949,295 4,558,263 427,687 1,081,000 3,170,627

Value Traded 1,836,630,488.19 22,896,649.82 4,417,093.03 4,962,311.67 291,540,753.03 6,593,954.54 6,648,779.36 32,766,739.18 3,472,469.81 540,500.00 2,990,473.69

CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts Daily Summary as of 27/08/2014 DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC Printed 27/08/2014 14:55:39.039 Automobiles/Auto Parts Totals Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC.

Daily Summary (Equities) GUINNESS INTBREW

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Page

CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. PREMIER BREWERIES PLC Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals

Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. UNION DICON SALT PLC. Food as Products Totals Daily Summary of 27/08/2014

Printed 27/08/2014 14:55:39.039 Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals

Daily Summary (Equities)

Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG Activity Summary onPLC. Board EQTY

Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals CONSUMER GOODS Totals

697

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED Daily Summary as of 27/08/2014 FIDELITY BANK PLC Printed 27/08/2014 14:55:39.039 GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. SKYE BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC BANKon PLC. ActivityWEMA Summary Board EQTY

Symbol No. of Deals ACCESS 233 DIAMONDBNK 64 ETI 65 FIDELITYBK 59 GUARANTY 387 SKYEBANK 96 STERLNBANK 159 UBA 176 Daily Summary (Equities) UBN 58 UNITYBNK 8 WEMABANK 46

FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Published Banking by The Nigerian Totals Stock Exchange © Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CORNERSTONE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC. EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC MANSARD INSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC. Daily Summary STANDARD as of 27/08/2014 UNIC INSURANCE PLC. Printed 27/08/2014 14:55:39.039 WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals

Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC FBN HOLDINGS PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

Value Traded 3,954.00 3,954.00

IT Services COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. IT Services Totals

Symbol CWG NCR TRIPPLEG

No. of Deals 1 1 1 3

Current Price 5.00 13.50 1.88

Quantity Traded 2,000 2,198 96 4,294

Value Traded 9,500.00 29,673.00 171.84 39,344.84

Processing Systems CHAMS PLC Processing Systems Totals

Symbol CHAMS

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 355,000 355,000

Value Traded 177,500.00 177,500.00

366,444

220,798.84

Quantity Traded 230,046 200,508 114,808 187,583 634,739

Value Traded 7,585,309.01 1,735,838.02 4,484,094.08 2,695,258.55 142,846,021.79

Daily Summary as of 27/08/2014 INDUSTRIAL GOODS Printed 27/08/2014 14:55:39.039

Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC Activity Summary on Board EQTY

886,278.50

Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

Symbol CUTIX

No. of Deals 3 3

Current Price 1.84

Quantity Traded 11,667 11,667

Value Traded 22,517.31 22,517.31

Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC. Packaging/Containers Totals

Symbol BETAGLAS

No. of Deals 6 6

Current Price 18.85

Quantity Traded 2,377,516 2,377,516

Value Traded 44,798,376.60 44,798,376.60

4,110,876

243,847,174.53

Quantity Traded 118,811 118,811

Value Traded 651,084.28 651,084.28

118,811

651,084.28

Quantity Traded 3,109,594

Value Traded 1,575,616.79

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals

No. of Deals 6 6

Current Price 1.10

Quantity Traded 255,500 255,500

Value Traded 278,550.00 278,550.00

Symbol INFINITY

No. of Deals 3 3

Current Price 1.52

Page Quantity Traded 300 300

5 Valueof Traded12

Symbol AFRIPRUD CUSTODYINS FBNH FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 59 10 466 46 19 32 65 697

Current Price 3.30 3.85 14.10 4.30 0.57 30.00 2.15

Quantity Traded 3,727,527 101,976 13,169,682 3,779,521 730,776 773,765 2,636,061 24,919,308

Value Traded 12,281,297.87 395,503.38 185,295,170.65 16,078,969.60 417,024.14 23,208,899.47 5,684,154.94 243,361,020.05

301,037,285

2,624,503,337.29

Quantity Traded 51,916 3,181,823 69,008 430,179 287,400 1,360 4,021,686

Value Traded 103,042.20 10,564,270.57 4,356,280.22 620,758.96 313,911.00 3,087.20 15,961,350.15

Page

No. of Deals 7 7

Current Price 5.48

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol JAPAULOIL

No. of Deals 66

Current Price 0.51

Page

No. of Deals 66

Current Price

Quantity Traded 3,109,594

Value Traded 1,575,616.79

Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC Integrated Oil and Gas Services Totals

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 299 299

Current Price 25.50

Quantity Traded 5,021,775 5,021,775

Value Traded 127,105,272.57 127,105,272.57

Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PLC CONOIL PLC ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

Symbol BECOPETRO CONOIL ETERNA FO MOBIL MRS TOTAL

No. of Deals 1 58 26 119 19 5 8 236

Current Price 0.50 68.00 3.90 220.55 174.00 55.96 180.02

Quantity Traded 1,000 293,371 345,722 593,989 25,591 155,916 40,952 1,456,541

Value Traded 500.00 19,973,180.45 1,305,640.35 135,604,592.36 4,500,835.30 8,725,076.31 7,372,183.00 177,482,007.77

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 8 8

Current Price 680.00

Quantity Traded 2,085 2,085

Value Traded 1,419,592.75 1,419,592.75

9,589,995

307,582,489.88 Value Traded 83,122.58

Daily Summary as of 27/08/2014 Exploration and Production Printed 27/08/2014 14:55:39.039

Daily Summary (Equities)

609

Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 9

Current Price 0.88

Quantity Traded 91,038

Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals

Symbol

No. of Deals Current Price 9

Quantity Traded 91,038

Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals

Symbol REDSTAREX

No. of Deals Current Price 5 4.80 5

Quantity Traded 42,830 42,830

Value Traded 203,538.50 203,538.50

Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC. Employment Solutions Totals

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals Current Price 1 0.50 1

Quantity Traded 1,800 1,800

Value Traded 900.00 900.00

Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals

Symbol IKEJAHOTEL

No. of Deals Current Price 26 0.82 26

Quantity Traded 1,401,950 1,401,950

Value Traded 1,141,579.70 1,141,579.70

Media/Entertainment DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Media/Entertainment Totals

Symbol DAARCOMM

No. of Deals Current Price 1 0.50 1

Quantity Traded 2,500 2,500

Value Traded 1,250.00 1,250.00

Symbol No. of Deals Current Price ACADEMY 6 1.55 LEARNAFRCA 2 1.58 STUDPRESS 1 2.40 Daily Summary (Equities) UPL 21 4.25 30

Quantity Traded 68,000 2,404 10 369,153 439,567

Value Traded 105,155.00 3,654.08 22.80 1,563,482.29 1,672,314.17

Daily Summary as of 27/08/2014 Printing/Publishing Printed 27/08/2014 14:55:39.039

ACADEMY PRESS PLC. LEARN AFRICA PLC STUDIO PRESS (NIG) PLC. UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Printing/Publishing Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY SERVICES Road Transportation

Page

Value Traded 83,122.58

Symbol ABCTRANS

No. of Deals 5 5

Current Price 0.71

Quantity Traded Page 24,350 24,350

Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals

Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

No. of Deals 2 33 35

Current Price 2.08 4.90

Quantity Traded 3,050 644,963 648,013

Value Traded 6,380.00 3,187,234.94 3,193,614.94

Support and Logistics CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC Support and Logistics Totals

Symbol CAVERTON

No. of Deals 7 7

Current Price 5.32

Quantity Traded 81,510 81,510

Value Traded 434,779.90 434,779.90

119

2,733,558

6,748,147.29

EQTY Board Totals

4,795

387,602,388

3,936,891,416.01

Equity Activity Totals

4,795

387,602,388

3,936,891,416.01

471.00 471.00

Symbol BOCGAS

Symbol

SERVICES Totals

Value Traded of 12 17,047.50 17,047.50

Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund

Name Daily Summary as of 27/08/2014 Printed 27/08/2014 14:55:39.039 NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF

Current Price 2.02 3.33 65.99 1.44 1.09 2.38

254

Energy Equipment and Services Energy Equipment and Services Totals

Symbol NPFMCRFBK

Value Traded 550.00 21,040.00 50,052.00 39,608,117.17 199,026,280.62

SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R TSummary BRISCOE on PLC. Activity Board EQTY

Value Traded 26,222,064.80 2,604,548.34 8,342.00 175,000.00 136,148.00 51,596.00 406,695.00 10,429,809.48 5,500.00 6,212.00 100.00 1,000.00 744.00 2,065,734.72 42,113,494.34

Quantity Traded 500 13,000 10,010 330,499 1,721,693

OIL AND GAS Totals

Quantity Traded 32,745,011 2,682,222 14,400 350,000 272,296 20,710 752,900 12,842,464 11,000 12,424 200 2,000 1,488 2,645,188 52,352,303

Page

Current Price 1.15 1.60 5.00 120.00

SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals

Current Price 0.80 0.99 0.59 0.50 0.50 2.50 0.54 0.81 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.78

Current Price 32.00 9.00 39.05 14.45 225.00

No. of Deals 1 2 3 72 245

No. of Deals 20 19 2 1 6 4 15 35 2 2 1 1 1 65 174

No. of Deals 9 24 9 17 11 3 73

Symbol No. of Deals ASHAKACEM 44 BERGER 19 CAP Summary (Equities) 19 Daily CCNN 23 DANGCEM 62

Symbol DNMEYER PAINTCOM PORTPAINT WAPCO

OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME PLC Activity Summary on Board SERVICES EQTY

Symbol AIICO CONTINSURE CORNERST EQUITYASUR INTENEGINS MANSARD MBENEFIT NEM NIGERINS PRESTIGE SOVRENINS STDINSURE UNIC WAPIC

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH PHARMDEKO

NATURAL RESOURCES Totals

Quantity Traded Value Traded 5,177,576 125,289,589.58 4 of 12 223,509,874Page 2,338,749,801.90

2,527

Quantity Traded 7,150 7,150

NATURAL RESOURCES Chemicals Daily Summary as of 27/08/2014 B.O.C. GASES PLC. Printed 27/08/2014 14:55:39.039 Chemicals Totals

Current Price 24.30

Daily Summary (Equities)

Current Price 0.57

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials DN MEYER PLC. PAINTS AND COATINGS MANUFACTURES PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals

No. of Deals 296 1,647

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC PHARMA-DEKO PLC. Pharmaceuticals Totals

15,961,350.15

No. of Deals 2 2

Symbol ZENITHBANK

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

FINANCIAL SERVICES Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services INFINITY TRUST MORTGAGE BANK PLC

Current Price 10.00 6.10 16.50 1.98 28.88 2.93 2.32 7.19 8.10 0.50 0.94

Value Traded 1,194,308.60 1 1,194,308.60 of 12

4,021,686

Symbol COURTVILLE

ICT Totals

Symbol COSTAIN

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals

Exchange Traded Fund

Name Exchange Traded Fund Totals

Symbol NEWGOLD VETGRIF30

No. of Deals 1 6

Current Price 2,015.00 18.65

Page

Daily Summary (ETP) Symbol

Quantity Traded 17 15,585

No. of Deals 7

Current Price

Value Traded 34,255.00 290,531.70 11

Quantity Traded 15,602

Value Traded 324,786.70

ETF Board Totals

15,602

324,786.70

ETP Activity Totals

15,602

324,786.70

NEWS 45

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Ex- Anambra deputy governor, others condemn Onyebuchi’s impeachment COCK TALES

It is on record that chicken and poultry helped unseat Enugu deputy governor Chinedu Ekeja AWKA

ormer deputy governor of Anambra state, Chief Abolle Okoye Ago has condemned the impeachment of the deputy of governor of Enugu state, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi describing it as a childish impeachment done in bad fate. Speaking to New Telegraph in his private residence in Awka he said

that the impeachment was a bad way to pay a man who held the state together for so long when the governor was on a sick leave. “This impeachment was done in bad fate. Considering the role he played while the governor was on vacation for his health challenges. If he was that ambitious, he would have assumed the responsibility as the governor of the state like what happened in Taraba state. “He could have gone ahead to position himself as the de facto governor of the state. But he was calm during all that period, and distanced himself from all controversies but

still protected the governor’s interest. It is a disservice to pay him back in bad coins”, he stated. Ago also said that apart from stopping him from enjoying his entitlements as a deputy governor, the impeachment would have amounted to nothing because Onyebuchi has almost completed his tenure having stayed in the office for seven years. Also speaking, the director of research and publicity for All Progressive Congress (APC) in Anambra, Chief Charles Amilo described the impeachment as childish, saying that it is amazing that a whole House of Assembly of a state

could condescend so low as to consider rearing of chicken and goat as an impeachable offence. His words: “It amazed me. It is regrettable to hear that the decision to impeach a deputy governor should lie on whether he reared chicken and goat in his residence. Dr. Michael Okpara of the old Eastern Region reared his own chicken in his own residence. It is not a ground for anybody to look into. If the area smells of chicken faeces, it is his cross and not any body’s business." Why do you want to impeach a deputy governor because he wants to practice a little bit of agriculture?

Umeh's senatorial bid gets more support Yekeen Nurudeen ABUJA

politicians continue Anextspreparations for the year general elec-

tions, a group under the name, Anambra People’s Alliance for Progress (APAP) has backed the senatorial ambition of factional chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh. Umeh according to the group has demonstrated his political shrewdness, savvy, sagacity and acuity in leading APGA to three consecutive governorship elections victory in Anambra State. This, it noted was an uncommon feat in Nigeria’s turbulent political horizon adding that successive APGA governments

in Anambra state have performed excellently in implementing the party’s progressive manifesto. "It is an eloquent testimony of Chief Victor Umeh’s visionary, purposeful and dynamic leadership of APGA which Ndigbo adopted as their political platform. “Anambra People’s Alliance for Progress identifies with Umeh’s numerous achievements as APGA national chairman and endorses him for Anambra Central Senatorial seat in the forthcoming election. “We are optimistic that Umeh will effectively represent Anambra Central Sentorial Zone and contribute immensely in enacting people - oriented laws that will usher good governance and put smiles on the faces of long suffering masses."

Yuguda swears in first female chief judge

auchi State Governor, BJustice Isa Yuguda has sworn in Rabi Talatu Umar

L-R: Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji; his wife, Lady Mercy; wife of the Deputy Governor, Lady Nene Ananaba and Director General, Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Arunma Oteh, during the 23th anniversary of the creation of Abia State in Umuahia…yesterday

Kwara tasks private sector operators on economy Biodun Oyeleye ILORIN

he Kwara state government yesterday tasked members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to be more active in defining the economic future of the state. The state promised its commitment to the growth of the sector as a major driver of its economy. Senior Special Assistant to the state governor on Small and Mediumscale Enterprises, Alhaji Lukman Adam who gave the charge at a public/ private dialogue organised by Kwara Coalition of Business and Professional Associations (KWACOBPA) in Ilorin, said the state has made available various funding windows for OPS but expressed concern that

any of them were not accessing the fund. He said to further buttress the commitment of the present administration to the concerns of the OPS, the state last week signed a memorandum of Understanding to access N2 billion from the 220billion micro-credit fund scheme created by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for small and mediumscale enterprises (SMEs) across states of the federation. He said the credit facility would aid the growth of the SMEs sector and boost economy of the state and explained that the loan which is guaranteed by an Irrevocable Special Payment Order (ISPO) would be managed by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to be established

as the first female acting Chief Judge for the state with a promise his administration will ensure that the Judiciary as an arm of government remained independent. He also promised to ensure that the judiciary discharges its constitutional responsibilities. According to a release signed and issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Deacon Ishola Michael Adeyemi. The Governor who swore in Justice Umar as the acting Chief Judge explained that the move became necessary in order to fulfill the constitutional provision that there must not be a vacuum in the administration of justice in the state until such a

period that a substantive Chief Judge would be appointed. The Governor also assured that his administration will do everything administratively possible to ensure that the judiciary excelled, pointing out that the judiciary as an arm of governance must be seen to be dispensing justice to all manner of men without fear or favour but in accordance with all relevant laws of the land. He further declared that the welfare of the judiciary staff will not be compromised by his administration so that there will be no corruption among them because according to him, a compromised judiciary is a failed administration of justice which will not speak well of democratic administration.

2015: Employment, security my focal point, says Omo-Agege by the state government to guard against mismanagement. While pointing out the importance of the private sector, Adam said the future of Nigeria is in the hand of the sector stressing that no economy can grow without the sector being at the forefront. "When there is a preponderance of the private sector in any economy there can't be chaos but when it is preponderance of the pub sector there will be chaos," he said. The governor’s aide assured that the government would not be indifferent to the demand of the bill being sponsored by KWACOBPA which seeks to earmark, by law, one per cent of the state’s annual budget as microcredit fund for the SMEs.

Gabriel Choba UGHELLI

ormer Secretary to Fment Delta State Governand governorship

aspirant under the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agage has promised to make creation of employment and security of lives and property the major focus of his administration. Omo-Agege who is a serious contender preparing to succeed the incumbent governor, also expressed satisfaction with the level of work by Uduaghan’s administration. He stressed the need for continuity and consolidation on what has been done. In a similar development, a political pressure group based in the United Kingdom (UK)

known as UK Vanguard has endorsed the gubernatorial aspiration of the permanent secretary, Government House, Asaba, Mr. Tony Obuh as the next governor of Delta in 2015 general elections. The endorsement followed the resolution reached by the group at its recently-concluded general meeting held in London. The group, in a statement signed by its coordinator, Mr. Charles Obuh, noted that the lull and indirection in the governorship race in the state suddenly came alive with the entrance of Obuh into the contest, adding that Obuh has all the qualities required to move the state forward. Speaking during a consultation visit to leaders and delegates of PDP in Aniocha North, Oshi-

mili North and Oshimili South local government areas, Omo-Agege urged party faithfuls to select candidate base on credibility and track records during the forthcoming governorship primary of PDP. He maintained that the security threat posed to the nation by the Islamic sect Boko Haram and the recent outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the country was nothing compared to unemployment if not urgently addressed, describing the rate of unemployment in the country as disastrous. “Nigeria is a country where graduates are scrambling for jobs despite her wealth and natural resources that is more than enough to take care of the need of all Nigerians," he said.

46 NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Pro-Jonathan groups want Alkali’s appointment revisited Temitope Ogunbanke ro-Jonathan groups yesterday called on President Goodluck Jonathan, to revisit the appointment of his Political Adviser, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, for unilaterally hijacking the Peoples Democratic Party’s Jonathan support group and putting his loyalist in control. In a statement issued yesterday, Comrade Mike Newgent Ekamon, of Great Alliance of Civil Society Organisations, said since his assumption of office, Alkali, without recourse to the over 2, 000 pro-Jonathan groups, has continued to pay lip serve the cause

L-R: Director General, Nigerian British Chambers of Commerce (NBCC), Joyce Akpata; President, Prince Yemi Adefulu; Deputy President, Prince Dapo Adelegan and Treasurer, Mr. Uwami Igein, after a press conference to unveil the Anglo-Nigerian centenary celebration in Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: SULEIMAN HUSAINI

Workers lock out Ekiti varsity VC over unpaid allowances Adesina Wahab

Ado-Ekiti

he Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University, AdoEkiti, Prof. Oladipo Aina, was yesterday locked out of office by aggrieved members of staff over unpaid allowances and other labour issues. Aina and other members of the Senate of the university, who were supposed to hold a meeting at the Administrative Building of the institution, were caught unawares by the action of the workers. The unions that carried out the protest were the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the NonAcademic Staff Union (NASU) and the Nigerian Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT). Chairman of the local

branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Olufayo Olu-Olu, was also among those locked out. The action by the workers came barely 24 hours after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Pastor Kola Oluwawole; that the Governing Council of the school was engaging in a contract bazaar to the tune of N2.5 billion and that the projects were phony ones. It was gathered that NASU members had been at loggerheads with the management of the insitution over unpaid allowances and non-remittance of check-off dues to the purse of the union. Following alleged recalcitrant posture of the management on their plight, angry NASU members, massed on

the campus yesterday at about 7.00am, where critical decisions, including preventing the Senate members from entering the chambers for their statutory meeting, were taken. Senate members, who arrived at the institution immediately left to forestall possible attacks. When called on telephone, Chairman of SSANU, EKSU chapter, Comrade Ismail Falade, who confirmed the incident, said the action became inevitable as a result of management’s insensitivity to their yearnings and aspirations. Falade said: “The government has not been giving us subventions as and when due. The wage bill of the institution stands at N400 million while government is managing to release as low as N200 million

monthly. “Apart from that, the little the government is releasing has not been getting to us as and when due thereby causing delay in payment of salaries and other allowances.” The vice-chancellor, Prof. Aina, who responded to the bizarre scenario, said the issue had been resolved with the rampaging union members. He said: “I think they were after some allowances that were approved for them by the Federal Government. We started paying the allowance last month and they are requesting for us to pay up. Though, we have met and the matter has been settled amicably.” The ongoing second semester examinations of the school were not affected by the workers’ action.

LG poll: Burutu youth back Clark's son Gabriel Choba

Ughelli

head of the local govADelta ernment election in State, Coordinator

of the PDP Transformation Youth Forum (PTYF), Comrade Sunday Ekama Tialobi, has described the election of Hon. Ebikeme Clark as the flag bearer of the PDP in Burutu council, as the best decision ever to have been taken by the people of the area. Tialobi made this statement while fielding questions from newsmen immediately after a PDP youth meeting yesterday. According to him, Hon. Ebikeme Clark, son of Chief Edwin Kiagbodor Clark, the Ijaw national leader, is the most qualified candidate among all the contestants for the primary

Sokoto

okoto State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Shuaibu Gambo, has vowed that the command will stop the menace of thuggery and all forms of violence before and after the 2015 general elections. He spoke in Sokoto on yesterday, when members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), paid him a courtesy call in his office. “We will take every action and measure humanly possible to ensure free, fair, credible and ac-

ceptable polls in 2015. “We don't have any problems with the leadership of the various political parties in the state." He, however, added that "our problem is with their supporters, some of whom often tend to be unruly when we take certain actions." Gambo therefore warned members of the various political parties against taking the law into their hands. The police commissioner further urged the political parties to report all forms of intra-party and inter-party complaints to the police command for prompt action.

He also pledged that the command will provide a level-playing ground for all the political parties in the state. “We will also provide the needed security details for all their activities, which they should seek permission for,” he assured. Gambo warned the supporters of the political parties against harbouring any type of weapons during political activities. He urged them to rather use persuasion and not force to woo supporters for their parties, adding that peace is the most veritable tool for development, as well as a stable polity.

PDP Chairman in the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Milgoma, had earlier told the CP that the visit was aimed at solidifying the existing cordial relationship between the command and the party. He said: “We are not averse to any measures aimed at ensuring the peaceful conduct of all the activities leading to the forthcoming general polls, as well as the main elections.” He also appealed to the CP to ensure fairness and justice in dealing with all the political parties in the state, noting that this will help in ensuring political stability and peace.

election. He said: “The aim of our forum, the PDP Transformation Youth Forum, is the promotion of the transformation agenda in Nigeria. And Ebikeme Clark’s candidature is a welcome development, because he is capable of transforming Burutu council in accordance with our group’s objective. Chief Clark, father of Ebikeme, has served the country in all ramifications and his son deserves to be elected to serve in continuation of his father’s legacy.” He advised other groups against Ebikeme’s candidature to retrace their steps and work with him to achieve the goal of transforming the council area, when he assumes the chairmanship of the council.

UNPFA warns against pre-marital sex Clement James

Calabar

he United Nations PopuT lation Fund (UNPFA) warned young people Sokoto CP vows to stem violence before 2015 polls has against pre-marital sex,

Umar Danladi Ado

and has become selfcentered. Ekamon said his group had earlier written to the Presidency and had copied other authorities concerned to notify them of the politicking in the office of the Special Adviser on Political Matters, which they referred to as unpleasant and unhealthy for democracy. He noted that since all Nigerians, irrespective of where they come from, are stakeholders; that Alkali should be concerned and must work towards an enduring transition that will bring the required change needed to move the country forward.

noting that it was capable of truncating their future. Speaking at a training workshop on ‘Behavioral Change and HIV/AIDS Prevention’ in Calabar yesterday, a representative of the UNPFA, Mrs. Tochie Edele, said the UN body wants every young person to be free of HIV/AIDS. “UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every young person is free of HIV/AIDS,” she noted. The training, which attracted about 31 participants from the Com-

munity Health Workers (CHWs), corps members and Community Based Organisations (CBOs), was organised to familiarise participants with management and prevention strategies on HIV/AIDS. Talking on “Basic facts about HIV/AIDS,” Edele, who was one of the facilitators at the workshop, said it was important for participants to help those in the rural areas acquire skills in tackling the HIV/ AIDS pandemic, hence the workshop. She therefore, encouraged participants to be agents of change in their respective communities, explaining that the only way there could be behavioral change is when the people in rural areas understand the implication of HIV/AIDS by freeing themselves from in premarital sex.

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

South-West APC passes vote of confidence on Ajimobi ENDORSEMENT With encomiums coming from party chiefs, Ajimobi has every reason to rejoice

he South-West Zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has passed a vote of confidence in Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s administration in Oyo State, saying he has done the party proud through his brilliant performance in the last three years.

The party also commended the governor for the outstanding leadership quality which he had demonstrated in the running of the affairs of the state. The APC National Vice-Chairman, SouthWest, Chief Pius Akinyelure made the remarks when he took leaders of the zone on a courtesy visit to the governor in his office in Ibadan on Tuesday. Akinyelure particularly acknowledged the various laudable achievements of Governor Aji-

mobi as well as his unwavering commitment to the growth and development of the state and its people. “Certainly, no governor had done what you have done since you came in. You have particularly excelled in the area of exceptional leadership. You have demonstrated that you are very close to your people. “I was here during the last Ramadan and I witnessed the breaking of fast during which no fewer than 2,500 people were fed daily throughout the period. This is an evidence of your large heartedness and

care for the people of Oyo State,’’ he said. The APC leader further noted that there had been tremendous improvement in the provision of social infrastructure since the inception of the Ajimobi administration. “Under your leadership, the roads are better; communication has improved; education has also received a boost; children are now going to school in free buses; several markets have been built to cater for the traders removed from the streets while health care deliv-

ery has never remained the same again”, he remarked. Responding, Ajimobi said his administration had continued to make life worth living for the people through his restoration, transformation and repositioning agenda and provision of social infrastructure. “We have turned those roads built during the era of Macpherson and Lord Lugard in Oyo State into modern roads. We are not just doing roads, we are doing modern roads; we have achieved much in the

areas of health and water. While commending the APC leaders for their effort at ensuring the unity and progress of the party, Ajimobi said with the victory of the party in Osun State, it would win more states and take over from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at federal level. “With our recent performance in Osun State, notwithstanding all the efforts of the opposition, we have been able to show that our party is not only popular but very strategic,” he said.

Sada: FG targets 30% electricity from coal by 2015 Minister of Mines TMr.heandMusa Steel Development, Sada, has stated

that the Federal Government had targeted coal to contribute 30 per cent of power generation in the country by 2015. Sada told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the Federal Government was determined to address the country’s power challenge through coal. He said that the ministry was taking steps toward meeting the target by making effort to determine the amount of coal deposit in the country. The minister explained that the quantity and life span of coal deposit in the country would determine the basis for designing the coal power plant to generate power supply. He said the Federal Government would ensure that gas, solar and wind energy contributed to power gen-

eration, adding that all the countries that had steady power supply did same. “What we are looking at now is the targeted contribution from coal and we must take the right step towards achieving it so that we don’t get stock along the way. “It is very important that we determine the amount of coal deposit that we have because that is the basis for the designing of power plant itself, otherwise, our efforts will be speculative. “The problem in the gas power plant is that pipelines have not reached where some of the power plants are located and we don’t want that to happen with coal,” he said. Sada said that there were no coal power plants operating in the country currently because there were factors to consider in designing and running them.

OSN: Why we made Obasanjo Ambassador for Sight Sola Adeyemo

Ibadan

resident, Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN), Professor Sebastian Nwosu, yesterday in Ibadan said that the society decided to induct former President Olusegun Obasanjo as 'Ambassador for Sight' because of his national and international influence. Nwosu said his influence can go a long way to boost the advocacy for eye care and prevention of blindness in the country. The OSN president made the clarification at the 39th Annual General Meeting of the society held at the Premier Hotel, Ibadan in Oyo State capital. The annual meeting had the theme: "Universal Eye Health”. The society is also launching its advocacy programme tagged 'PASSION'. One of Obasanjo’s chil-

dren, Mr. Olujonwo received the induction award on behalf of his father. Nwosu said the project was conceived as a result of the society's passion to move eye care beyond the borders of Nigeria. "If Chief Obasanjo is passionate about something, he does it without subduing to any hindrance. With his induction today, I believe our mission will be taken to the United Nations. "Obasanjo is a very influential man in Nigeria. If only he can stand up and say something in favour of eye care, many people will listen. If Obasanjo speaks out in favour of treating the blind people in Nigeria, I think policy makers will listen and take action. That is why we need him and we are grateful he has accepted to be our 'Ambassador for Sight', the OSN President said.

L-R: Head Projects, Notore Chemicals Industries Plc, Mr. Bode Agagu; Managing Director, Energia Energia Limited, Mr. Felix Amieyeofori and Manager, Special Projects, Rivers Sustainable Development Agency, Dr. Frank Abamu, during the 3rd International Downstream Conference on Gas, Petroleum Refining, Petrochemicals and Fertilizers in Port Harcourt …yesterday

Kaduna resumes overseas scholarship programme Ibraheem Musa

Kaduna

wenty four years after it was last awarded, twenty nine indigent medical students of Kaduna State University (KASU) spread across the 23 local government councils of the state, yesterday earned overseas scholarships to further their studies to the tune of N150million. Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero who made this known at the flag-off of the overseas scholarship awards in Kaduna, said the objective of the programme was to re-build the damaged sector and to re-engineer a new transformation of the State through human oriented programmes. “Itisonrecordthatthelast time the Kaduna State Government awarded any overseas scholarship was in the eightieswhenHisExcellency, Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa was Governor. “At that time, students were mainly sent to Central Europe to study specific courses such as Engineering and Agriculture. With

the stoppage of the overseas scholarship awards and the corresponding instability in our University, the system had lost manpower and capacity in several areas. “In order to reverse this situation, government has identified specific areas of manpower shortages which include medical sciences, engineering, agriculture, and urbandesignamongstothers andisworkingwiththeCommittee to address the trend. “The State Government has paid all expenses connected to this, that is, tuition fees, accommodation fees, travelling expenses, personal upkeep and book allowance. Therefore, a total sum of N150 million has been paid to the University for this purpose”, Yero said. Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of KASU, Professor Barnabas Quirix said the development was a call to more responsibility from all stakeholders in order to impress the state government to do more, just as he urged the beneficiaries to reciprocate the gesture by facing their studies squarely and come out with the best results.

Orizu: Attacks on Umeh petty he women leader of TAssembly Awka North Peoples , Mrs. Florence

Orizu has described the recent attacks on the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Ume, by a few disgruntled elements as petty, and orchestrated by political hirelings whose major fear is Umeh's political sagacity and his envisaged victory in the 2015 Anambra Central Senatorial election. In a statement in Awka, Orizu said that Umeh remained a worthy ambassador of Ndigbo, as epitomized by his solid and unprecedented contributions at the just concluded National Conference where he left nobody in doubt that he was capable of representing his people at any national fora. According to Orizu, Umeh, throughout the Confab, stood in defence of his people and fought doggedly to secure a voice for Ndigbo, despite all odds. "It is obvious that his contri-

butions at the National Conference added impetus to his obvious rise to political relevance at the national level, hence the orchestrated efforts by political jobbers to rubbish his hard earned name and political eminence in the country", Orizu stated. She said the people of Anambra State should not forget in a hurry, the numerous contributions of the APGA National Chairman to the party's victories in Anambra State, particularly ensuring that the former governor of the state, Chief Peter Obi, survived various plots to remove him from office. "All these and more moved Ndi Anambra to call on him to represent them at the Senate. We therefore implore the good people of Anambra Central to forget their individual interests and support the clarion call for a devoted Igbo patriot to represent us at the Federal level", Orizu concluded.

48 NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Ex-PDP gov candidate set to join APC Muhammad Bashir LOKOJA

ndications emerged yesIgovernorship terday that the former candidate

of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State in the January 9, 2010, primary election, Alhaji Jibrin Isa Echocho, will defect to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) soon. Kogi State APC Chairman, Alhaji Haddy Ametuo, confirmed yesterday that the party is already making arrangement with its national leadership to receive the PDP chieftain. Echocho was the PDP governorship candidate for the 2011 gubernatorial election, an aspiration that was eventually scuttled by the Court of Appeal, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend election in five states, including Kogi. However, the Supreme Court eventually overruled the appellate court

and averred that the tenure of the five governors, including former Governor Ibrahim Idris, elapsed since 2011. Going by the apex court's ruling, the acclaimed winner of the January 9, 2010 primary election, Echocho insisted that he remains the PDP flag bearer and should have been allowed to fly the party's ticket in the December 3, 2012 gubernatorial election and that the second primary election that ushered in the incumbent Governor Idris Wada, was illegal. Ametuo, in a telephone chat with New Telegraph yesterday, said the party is looking at September 13, to receive the big wig, even though he added that the date have not been agreed yet. The movement of Echocho to the opposition party could eventually halt the much exaggerated reconciliation already achieved between him (Echocho) and Governor Wada.

Guber aspirant harps on budgetary discipline Steve Uzoechi OWERRI

aspiAof governorship rant on the platform the Peoples Demo-

cratic Party (PDP) in Imo State, Chief Charles Onyeagbako, has harped on the need for budgetary and fiscal discipline in the administration of the state. Speaking to newsmen in Owerri, Onyeagbako said the fight against corruption would remain cosmetic until government firmly resolves to entrench due diligence in budget implementation and as a matter of policy, cut deficit budgeting. He said: “If I am elected, I will enforce budgetary discipline and restore order and sanity in our budgetary system. Our people will have access to the budget and know where and when to ask questions. “For instance, if Ala-

dinma and Ikenegbu roads in Owerri are captured in the 2014 budget and by 2015, no work has been done on the roads, the question must be ‘where is the money allocated for the roads?’ “By doing this, we reduce deficit budgeting. I am not talking about this because I want to be governor, no, it doesn’t work that way it has to be part of you. I run my family; my office and my businesses on firm budgetary discipline.” While promising to run a government of partnership, the aspirant said: “We will work in partnership with the people. And on no account should any administration, anywhere, run a state like an extension of a private business. We shall respect our social contract with the people of Imo State; deliver on our promises and render service in humility.”

L-R: Minister of Environment, Mrs. Lawrential Laraba Mallam; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Maina; FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed and Minister of State, Trade and Investment, Samuel Otom, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja… yesterday. PHOTO: TIMOTHY IKUOMENISAN

81%

The percentage of individuals using the internet in Andorra in 2011. Source: Itu.int

ONITSHA

esidents of Anambra Rtheir State yesterday decried experience in the just concluded continuous voters’ registration exercise in the state, saying the exercise was marred by malfunctioning obsolete machines. The residents also said over one million people may have been disenfranchised by the exercise as they may not be able to participate in the 2015 general elections, following their inability to register.

New Telegraph learnt that the permanent voters’ registration, which took place in 4, 608 polling units in Anambra State, received not less than a hundred and fifty machines, some of which were obsolete while some vital materials like attestation forms were also in short supply. It was also gathered that a total of one million, seven hundred and eighty four thousand, five hundred and thirty six (1,784,536) people earlier registered were due to collect their permanent vot-

7.22%

The growth rate of air travel passengers of Benin airport (2012-2013). Source: National Bureau of Statistics

PDM fixes August, September for congresses UNIQUE

This is a departure from what obtains in other parties. PDM plans to stagger its' congresses Yekeen Nurudeen ABUJA

head of next year’s general elections, the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) has fixed August 30 and September 3, for its ward, local government and state congresses across 28 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The party said in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its National Secretary, Dr. Oluwole Ak-

inwunmi, that congress in the remaining eight states would take place in the second batch on a date to be announced, adding that the zonal and national congresses would take place in the third and final batch. The statement said further that the first batch of 28 states would hold their ward congresses on August 30, local government area congress on September 1, while state congresses would hold on September 3. It also revealed that the first batch of states, including Niger, Plateau and FCT in North Central, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe in the North-East and Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara in the North-West.

Others are Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo in the South-East, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa in the South-South and Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo in the SouthWest. Benue, Nasarawa, Kwara, Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Adamawa and Ekiti are in the second batch. National Chairman of the party, Mallam Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, had, at the end of pre-congress meeting of the National Executive Committee of the party held on Tuesday, explained that staggering the congresses and the national convention was to ensure quality and a better management. He added that the measure was also to avoid the mistakes of other political

parties. “It is the tradition of Nigeria's political parties to hold specific congresses in all the states of the federation on the same day.” This, according to Ibrahim, has not served Nigeria's democracy and the parties well as most of these wholesale congresses ended either inconclusive or of poor quality or both. “Nothing in our democratic experience and political party process management supports wholesale congresses such as has become the practice of political parties in Nigeria. The United States, with all its manpower, political experience and sophisticated communication infrastructure, staggers its congresses from state to state.

We’ll not recall expelled members, says Wike’s PDP faction Emmanuel Masha PORT HARCOURT

he Grassroots Democratic Initiative (GDI), a group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spearhead-

Obsolete machines mar voters' registration in Anambra Onah O. Onah

345,134

The number of refugees and people in refugee-like situation assisted by UNHCR. Source: Blatantworld.com

ers’ cards in six thousand five hundred and eighty one (6,581) voting points during the PVC exercise. Reports said many could not collect their cards and were sent back to their local councils. The continuous voters’ registration exercise, which lasted from Friday, August 20 to Monday, August 25, was also marred by inadequate machines that made it practically impossible for eligible voters, who besieged the registration centres to be captured and properly registered.

ing the governorship ambition of the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, in 2015, has said that it will not recall some members of the party that were expelled for anti-party activities. Some prominent members of the PDP had alleged that Wike and the state PDP Chairman; Felix Obuah, hijacked the party from the founding members, who sacrificed for the party, to pursue their personal agenda. The expelled members, including Anabs Sara-Igbe, Elemchukwu Ogbowu, and Lolo Ibieneye, among others, had dismissed the expulsion then, saying the executive lacked the power to do so. The suspended members have declared their readiness to work

against Wike and Obuah, who they accused of wanting to dump the zoning arrangement that has been on since the era of Governor Peter Odili. GDI General Secretary, Samuel Nwanosike, who spoke in Port Harcourt, said the suspended members were yet to show remorse for their offence against the party. Nwanosike, who is also the Assistant Publicity Secretary of the PDP, said the disciplinary committee of the party has reviewed the allegation of disloyalty against the suspended members and has given them time to defend themselves, explaining that they refused to appear before the committee. “We know those that formed the PDP in 1999 and we know those that

brought the PDP to Rivers State. We also know those that have been making the party win elections in the state. “Anabs Sara-Igbe has never been mentioned as one of those and I stand to be corrected. I can tell you with all authority that Sara-Igbe has always been a confused man.” But Sara-Igbe, who was one time adviser to former Governor Peter Odili, has described his suspension by the PDP as unlawful, saying that it was masterminded by Wike and Obuah, to execute their personal agenda. Sara-Igbe, who strongly opposes the governorship ambition of Wike, said he remains a member of the party irrespective of the expulsion saga.

AFRICA | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Zimbabwe police beat opposition marchers demanding jobs

imbabwean riot police have beaten opposition protesters who were trying to march to parliament to demand jobs. About 20 people were injured and two opposition MPs were among a dozen people briefly detained. The 100-strong crowd demanded measures to help reduce the unemployment rate, which stands at about 80%. Earlier this week, the central bank said foreign investment in Zimbabwe had more than halved this year because of negative perceptions of the country. The landslide victory of

President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party in elections in July 2013 has coincided with a rapid slowdown in the economy. The previous unity gover nment, when Zanu-PF shared power with the Movement for Democratic Change, saw Zimbabwe recover from hyperinflation and its economic free-fall. The country’s central bank chief John Mangudya blamed the decline in foreign investment on investors’ failure to understand the government’s policy to hand economic control to black Zimbabweans, a key

Zanu-PF campaign promise. ‘Unlawful demonstration’ The BBC’s Brian Hungwe in the capital, Harare, says MDC youths were marching towards parliament when riot police drove towards the demonstration beating drums on the back of open trucks. “We are demonstrating to demand jobs - demanding that the government put in place legislation that encourages job creation because the children of Zimbabwe are suffering,” one of the protesters, student leader Agency Gumbo, told the BBC. The protesters said they

wanted to present a petition to the speaker of national assembly with their demands. Our reporter says the police then sealed off a main road and began attacking the marchers with batons. In the chaos MDC youths started throwing stones. Fifteen people were arrested and later released - and about 20 people were treated in hospital for their injuries. A police spokesman said that officers dispersed “unruly elements” from the centre of Harare as they were blocking traffic and throwing

stones. “The constitution of Zimbabwe does not allow people to demonstrate unlawfully,” the AFP news agency quotes police spokesman Paul Nyathi as saying. Our correspondent says the new constitution approved last year expands civil liberties and allows for freedom of expression. Similar demonstrations, called for by the MDC leader, are planned for Thursday. Such cat and mouse games with the police are becoming a common feature in the capital, our reporter says.

South Sudan crisis: Rebels deny shooting UN helicopter

The protesters

Air France suspends Sierra Leone flights over Ebola

ir France said it was suspending its flights to Sierra Leone from Thursday because of an Ebola outbreak that has killed at least 1,400 people in West Africa. The French flag carrier announced the “temporary suspension” of its flight to Freetown that it runs three times a week but insisted it would continue to serve Guinea and Nigeria, other Ebola-hit countries. Wednesday’s announcement followed advice from the French government to stop flights to Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown given “the way the epidemic has evolved and the condition of the health systems”.

The lethal tropical virus which re-emerged in West Africa early this year has since infected more than 2,600 people. Liberia has been worst hit with 624 registered deaths. Guinea, where the current outbreak was first detected, has reported 406 deaths, Sierra Leone 392 and Nigeria five, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday. In Sierra Leone, it is the east of the country that is especially hard-hit but a death in Freetown has spread fear that the capital could be in line for a wave of cases. Air France’s decision came a day after British Airways said it was suspending flights

to Liberia and Sierra Leone until next year due to Ebola concerns. The United Nations Ebola envoy David Nabarro on Monday took a swipe at airlines who had “isolated” Ebolahit countries by scrapping flights. “By isolating the country, it makes it difficult for the UN to do its work,” Nabarro told reporters in Freetown on the fifth day of a tour of the region. “Pilots and others, as well as passengers, generally have very low risk of Ebola infection,” Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s Assistant Director-General on Health Security, told the same news conference.

Wife of jailed Mursi aide takes case to U.N

he Canadian wife of an exaide to Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, whose husband has been detained more than 400 days in solitary confinement, says she has brought a case to the United Nations this week, seeking support for his release. Khaled al-Qazzaz, secretary to Mursi on foreign affairs, was arrested in July 2013 along with the elected

president and eight other senior aides when Mursi was overthrown by the army. His wife, Sarah Attia, says his case is symptomatic of a broader malaise in Egyptian society. “It’s no longer about the Islamists anymore. It is about anyone that speaks up against the current regime, that should be a concern to the human rights community to end the violations,” she

said. Mursi was a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s biggest political force until last year. After Mursi’s arrest, hundreds of demonstrators at two protest camps were killed in what Human Rights Watch says probably amounted to crimes against humanity. Thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters were arrested.

ebels in South Sudan have denied an allegation that they shot down a UN helicopter near the oil hub of Bentiu. Three crew died and one survived when the Mi-8 cargo helicopter crashed. South Sudan’s military spokesman, Col Philip Aguer, accused rebel forces of shooting it down. Bentiu is one of the towns worst affected by fighting triggered in December when two factions of the ruling party fell out, but a ceasefire agreement is currently in place. Thousands of people have died in conflict that started as a political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar but escalated into ethnic violence. On Monday, the warring sides signed a deal reaffirming commitment to a ceasefire and were given 45 days to set up a transitional government. The rebels, who are loyal to Machar, said the allegations

were “unfounded and baseless”. Aguer had accused fighters under rebel commander Peter Gadet of shooting down the helicopter. But rebel military spokesman, Brig-Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, denied this and said that the rebels would fully co-operate with the UN investigation into the crash. Gadet faces US and European Union sanctions after being accused of leading a deadly attack on Bentiu in April despite a ceasefire agreement. Bentiu, the capital of oilrich Unity state, has changed hands several times in the conflict. The UN mission in South Sudan plays a vital role in getting food to the 1.8 million people who have fled their homes since fighting broke out. Many have sought shelter in UN bases around the country, including Bentiu. Up to four million people are at risk of food shortages because of the crisis, aid agencies say.

Kenyan rangers fingered in murder of poachers

or rupt Kenyan wildlife rangers are killing poachers to cover up the officers’ collusion with the criminals slaughtering the country’s elephants, a rights group alleges. The disappearances of 18 suspected poachers were documented by Muslims for Human Rights over the last three years around Kenya’s Tsavo National Park, a huge wildlife sanctuary that hosted 25,000 elephants in the 1970s but which has only 11,000 today. Eight of the alleged poachers were last seen in the custody of Kenya Wildlife Service officers. Their bodies were later discovered in forests after being eaten by animals, said Francis Auma, an official with the rights group. Ten others were shot dead by rangers, according to witnesses, said Auma. Rangers committed the murders to cover up their in-

volvement with the poachers in killing elephants for their ivory, according to the report which interviewed Kenya Wildlife Service rangers whose identities were not revealed. Muslims for Human Rights is one of Kenya’s most respected human rights groups. They have investigated and exposed human rights abuses by Kenyan authorities against those suspected of supporting Islamic extremist violence. The Kenya Wildlife Service “officers dealt with these men and helped them with their poaching and in return the poachers would give a share of the profits to the officers,” the report says. “The involved officers kill them to keep their mouths shut. They are usually afraid the poachers would inform on them. A Kenya Wildlife Service spokesman declined to comment on the allegations, saying the agency would respond once it had officially received the report.

WORLD | NEWS

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

IMF’s Christine Lagarde ‘under investigation’

rench authorities have formally opened a negligence investigation into Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She has been questioned about her role in awarding 400m euro (£318m; $527m) in compensation to businessman Bernard Tapie in 2008. She denies wrongdoing. Lagarde, 58, was finance minister in President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government at the time of the award.

Tapie supported Sarkozy in the 2007 presidential election. He was once a majority shareholder in sports goods company Adidas but sold it in 1993 in order to become a cabinet minister in Francois Mitterrand’s Socialist government. Bernard Tapie bought Olympique Marseille football club and Adidas before going into politics Tapie sued Credit Lyonnais over its handling of the sale, alleging the partly state-owned bank had defrauded him by

Lagarde

deliberately undervaluing the company.

His case was later referred by Lagarde to a three-member arbitration panel which awarded the compensation. Investigators suspect he was granted a deal in return for his support of Nicolas Sarkozy. Lagarde said last year that her decision to refer Tapie’s long-running dispute with Credit Lyonnais to a panel of judges was “the best solution at the time”. Although being placed under formal investigation does

not necessarily lead to charges, the development could raise questions about the rest of her term at the IMF, which is due to end in 2016. She told AFP news agency she had no intention of resigning from the IMF. Lagarde replaced Dominique Strauss-Kahn as IMF managing director in 2011. Strauss-Kahn - also a former French minister - resigned following his arrest in New York on charges of sexual assault that were later dropped.

Colombian drug hitman ‘Popeye’ released

ne of Colombia’s most notorious hired killers, John Jairo Velasquez, has been released from prison after serving 22 years of his 30-year sentence for murder, police and judicial sources have said. Velasquez, better known by his nickname “Popeye,” was paroled on Tuesday evening after helping prosecutors convict a former justice minister. He was the hitman and one of the most-trusted lieutenants of the Colombian drug kingpin, Pablo Escobar, and had boasted of killing 300 people and organising the killings of 3,000 others. Relatives of his many alleged victims protested in front of the Combita high-security prison in central Colom-

bia from where he was released. Velasquez was convicted for the murder of presidential hopeful Luis Carlos Galan in 1989, who took a hard line against the country’s powerful drug cartels and was the favourite to win the election. The assassination was carried out by gunmen loyal to Escobar, the founder of the Medellin cartel. Now aged 52, Velasquez has confessed in numerous media interviews to crimes ranging from kidnapping former president Andres Pastrana to murdering his own girlfriend, all on his late boss’ orders. He was granted “conditional release ... for a trial period of 52 months and 22.7 days,” said a judicial order seen by the AFP news agency.

Islamic State executes soldiers, takes hostages at Syria base

slamic State militants have executed Syrian soldiers and are holding a group hostage after capturing an air base in northeast Syria at the weekend, pictures posted on social media by supporters showed yesterday. Islamic State, an offshoot of al Qaeda, stormed Tabqa air base near Raqqa city on Sunday after days of fighting with the army that cost more than 500 lives, according to monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Tabqa was the army’s last foothold in an area otherwise controlled by the militants, who have seized large areas of Syria and Iraq. The United States has carried out air strikes on the group in Iraq and is considering its options

in Syria. In one picture posted online, a group of militants in balaclavas are seen gunning down at least seven kneeling men identified as army personnel. It was not possible to immediately confirm the authenticity of the images. Other photos showed groups of eight to 10 soldiers taken hostage, some with face wounds and three identified as officers. The photos appeared to show at least two dozen hostages. One picture reportedly shows the body of a pilot who had appeared on Syrian television before the attack on the base explaining how the army could easily defend it. Others show militants holding up knives next to groups of captured men.

Gazans returning home yesterday after the ceasefire

Gaza ceasefire: Thousands return home as calm returns

housands of Palestinians have begun to return to their homes after an openended truce with Israel was agreed. Celebrations carried on after dark in Gaza City on Tuesday, as people poured into the battered streets, clapping and singing, after the truce was announced. On Wednesday, fishing boats ventured out to sea as restrictions were eased. The ceasefire brokered by Egypt brings to an end 50 days of fierce fighting in which more than 2,200 people have been killed, most of them Palestinians. Hamas, the militant Islamist movement that dominates Gaza, said the agreement with Israel represented a “victory for the resistance”. But an Israeli government

official criticised Hamas, saying almost identical terms were available almost a month ago. Israeli Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz told the BBC’s Hard Talk programme that the reoccupation of Gaza was “seriously considered”, and that if Hamas were to resume rocket fire into Israel he says it would be the “only alternative”. Life in Gaza was returning to normal on Wednesday, as thousands of people began returning to their homes. Meanwhile, engineers struggled to repair infrastructure damaged by Israeli air strikes and shellfire. The BBC’s Kevin Connolly says while the streets were packed with celebrations during the earlier hours of the ceasefire, questions are now

Arizona shooting: Girl, nine, kills gun instructor

nine year-old girl in the US has killed her shooting instructor by accident while being shown how to use a highpowered submachine gun. The instructor was giving the girl a lesson at a shooting range in Arizona when the recoil from the automatic fire caused her to lose control of the Uzi. Charles Vacca, 39, was shot in the head and died after being airlifted to a hospital in Las Vegas.

The girl was at the shooting range with her parents, who filmed the lesson. The footage shows the instructor coaching her as she fires a single shot at a target at the Last Stop shooting range in White Hills, Arizona. The Uzi then appears to be switched to automatic as the girl pulls the trigger and loses her grip of the weapon. The video, edited and released by the Mojave County Sheriff ’s office, ends abruptly

before the instructor is shot. The website of the shooting range, called Bullets and Burgers, says children aged eight and older can shoot a weapon if they are accompanied by a parent. Range operator Sam Scarmardo told Klas TV that they had never had an incident in the 12 years it has been open. “We really don’t know what happened. Our guys are trained to basically hov-

er over people when they’re shooting,” he said. “If they’re shooting righthanded, we have our righthand behind them ready to push the weapon out of the way. And if they’re left-handed, the same thing.” Correspondents say it is common in parts of the US for children to be taught how to use firearms. Many firing ranges have strict safety rules on instructing children.

being raised by the price that was paid for it. The big question is whether this ceasefire will hold. The previous eight did not, lasting for anything from a few hours to a number of days. US Secretary of State John Kerry has said the ceasefire is “an opportunity, not a certainty”. It does not promise peace. It allows normal life to resume in Gaza. A lot of work needs to be done to ensure this is a lasting truce. More than a quarter of Gaza’s population has been displaced by the fighting Thousands of rockets were fired at Israel, killing civilians and causing damage to homes In Israel, sirens warning of incoming rocket fire were silent and the military said there had been no violations of the ceasefire since it took effect. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the end of hostilities, but warned that a brighter future for civilians who have been affected depends on a sustainable truce. “After 50 days of profound human suffering and devastating physical destruction, any violations of the ceasefire would be utterly irresponsible,” he said. The BBC’s Kevin Connolly in Jerusalem says any ceasefire only lasts up until the moment it is broken, but this latest deal does feel more durable than the ones that came and went before it.

SPORT

AUTHORITATIVE VOICE IN GLOBAL SPORT

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NEW TELEGRAPH

newtelegraphonline.com/sports

ADEKUNLE SALAMI, DepUTY Editor, SPORTS

kunle.salami@newtelegraphonline.com adekunles@yahoo.com

That after smashing the British transfer record to sign Angel di Maria, Man United have so far spent more than any other club in England this summer. £173.1m

tHURSday, August 28, 2014

NFF leadership crisis worries CAF Emmanuel Tobi

S Hayatou

equel to the current leadership crisis rocking the Nigeria Football Federation, the Super Eagles, run the risk of being stopped from defending the 2013 Nations Cup they won in South Africa, as the

world soccer football body, FIFA, may yet wield its big stick. New Telegraph can exclusively report that FIFA has asked the Confederation of African Football to furnish its secretariat with the latest development in Nigerian foot-

ball, which has been mired in crisis since the World Cup in Brazil. Two factions have been claiming leadership of the football body. The country is in danger of being suspended from world football for government interference which could affect Nigeria’s 2015 Africa Cup

of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa early next month. The disputes within the NFF have already led to a FIFA intervention, international suspension and the enforced return - twice - of outgoing NFF president CONTINUED ON PAGE 54

NFF crisis: Obaseki blows hot lSays gladiators are only fighting for money Ajibade Olusesan

F Obaseki

Osaze(left)

ormer chairman, Nigeria Premier League, Chief Oyuki Obaseki, has bemoaned the crisis rocking the Nigerian football, saying that the problem is motivated by selfishness and self-aggrandisement of gladiators in the football sector. The former 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Football federation said that it was unfortunate that football in the country has been dogged by crisis at a time stakeholders should have consolidated on some successes recorded in the game. He lamented that most of the people agitating for positions are doing so not to improve the fortune of the game but to exploit the system. Obaseki urged genuine stakeholders to speak against the shameless development in the football house. He said; “What is happening in Nigerian football is a shame. As far as I am concerned, all of them are fighting for their selfish interest, they are not fighting for the development of football in this country. “Some people are fighting to hold onto power others are fighting to come in, to come and do what? These people want positions to make money; they see football as an avenue to make quick money. “Let us ask ourselves a question, all of these people parading themselves, what have they done for football in this country. How many of them have used their money for the development of football? “When I was the chairman of the NPL, I spent my money; I spent my time and energy to develop football in this country. Can you tell me how many of these people are ready to make such sacrifices? In fact, all of those things that we built during our time, they are destroying them now.” He added that the Aminu Maigari-led board recorded some successes not necessarily because of its administrative savvy but due to element of luck. “I agree with you that there were some successes recorded during Maigari’s time but I told him that he has a good head. Maigari is a good man, but there are some people around him who are using him to their benefit. They don’t like him and they don’t like our football,” he added.

52 SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Sports Editors want Jonathan’s action on NFF feud

Thursday, August 28, 2014

…warns against NSC taking sides

he umbrella body for Sports Editors in Nigeria, tagged Guild Of Sports Editors met in Lagos on Wednesday to review recent happenings in Nigerian football and resolved that there was need for government at the highest level to take action on the ‘shameful happenings’ in football management in the country. The meeting which was chaired by the newlyelected President of the body, Tony Ubani, of the Vanguard newspapers, had in attendance such eminent personalities as Jide Alabi of the Silverbird Group, Ade Ojeikere of the Nations Newspapers, Ben Alaiya of SportsDay, Adekunle Salami of New Telegraph, Duro Ikhazuagbe of ThisDay, Ben Alozie of The Union, Ben Memuletiwon

of National Mirror, Dare Esan Of Complete Sports, Emeka Ezeugwu of the Newswatch Group, Femi Fasetire of SportsDay, Peter Edema of Daily Independent, Desmond Ekwueme of National Weekender, John Joshua Akanji of the Sun Newspapers group. The meeting was superintended by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the group and Weekend Editor of the Vanguard newspapers, Mr Onochie Anibeze. The group views with serious concern, the way Nigerian football has been riddled with crisis, which has put the country in international odium. “We view these issues as very unfortunate and want to ask those concerned to put an immediate stop to it, especially as we hear that

these issues are being orchestrated by some high powers in the sports sector.” “After taking a serious look at the issues we have no option but to call on President Jonathan, to use his good offices to call all his sports officers to order in the interest of the Nigerian people. Because his government has been an achieving government in the area of sports, we cannot allow unbridled personal interest and ambition to ruin his achievement in sports.” The statement jointly signed by President Tony Ubani and Secretary General, Dare Esan, says Nigeria has received enough insult from the international community and the idea of causing crisis after every World Cup year in Nigeria must stop forthwith. “We want to advise that the purported election of some officials recently cannot hold water because the congress held elsewhere and we cannot continue to use the apparatus of government to intimidate the very persons it is meant to protect,” the statement declared. The statement further added that the body was not siding with any of the parties, rather, it seeks for justice and peace and thinks that only the President can act quickly to stop the detour to anarchy in Nigerian football and sports.

Factional NFF president resumes Comfort Chukwu Abuja

he drama in Nigerian football Tfactional continued on Wednesday as the President of the Nigeria

Football Federation, Chris Giwa, ‘resumed’ at the headquarters of the football body. The NFF crisis took a more disturbing turn on Tuesday when two separate congresses were held. Election was held in the one that produced Giwa as the new President, while the other one which was presided over by NFF Secretary General Musa Amadu fixed fresh elections into the executive

committee for September 4. But while speaking with journalists at the NFF Glass House, Giwa, said the process that produced him as the new leader of NFF was legitimate despite the fact that there was no representation from FIFA at the Congress. “ FIFA has nothing to do with the election. It is not in the statutes of the NFF. It is what the Congress believes that FIFA will follow. It is not true that we had two congresses, in our last congress; we agreed that on the 26th of August there would be an elective congress. There was only one election and there will not be another,” he said.

SAFA announces ticket sales for Nigeria match

he South African Football Association has announced ticket sales for the 2015 AFCON qualifier between South Africa and Nigeria scheduled to be played at the Cape Town Stadium on September 10. Tickets went on sale at Computicket, Shoprite and Checkers Shoprite retail outlets on Tuesday, and are selling for R50, R100 and R150 each. The FA has urged supporters to purchase their tickets quickly to avoid disappointment.

Bafana Bafana will first travel to Sudan on September 5 for their opening 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match. They fly back soon after the game and will arrive on September 6 before heading straight to Cape Town to continue preparations for the match against African champions, the Super Eagles. The Group A qualifier between Bafana Bafana and Nigeria will commence at 7pm on Wednesday evening at the Cape Town Stadium.

I lost count of matches I fixed –Perumal match fixer, Raj PeNof otorious rumal, says he has lost count matches he fixed in the past as

he begins to help European police combat match-fixing. In his first-ever television interview, Perumal told CNN that he fixed well over 80 matches. “I never really counted, but I think it should be between 80 and 100 football matches,” he said. “I was on the bench at times, and telling players what to do, giving orders to the coach. It was that easy. There was no policing whatsoever.

“Officials were just as easy to target. No barriers when approaching selected referees, while certain football associations would “welcome you with open arms,” he added. In all, Perumal claimed he pocketed around $5 million himself from match-fixing. However, he lost it all gambling, perhaps explaining why the 49-year-old recently published an autobiography, “Kelong Kings,” recounting his journey from rural Singapore to football’s globetrotting Mr Fix-it.

Dedevbo wants Falconets in Super Falcons

Enyeama (left) in action for Nigeria

Enyeama keen on Lille stay after UCL exit Emmanuel Tobi

uper Eagles captain, Vincent Enyeama, has expressed optimism about staying with his French club, Lille, after their elimination from the Uefa Champions League on Tuesday. Enyeama has remained calm about his future, despite rumours that Lille could look to offload him after failing to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League. The goalkeeper said that although a switch is possible, he is not worried after becoming the latest key member of the squad to be in the transfer ru-

mour mill. “Leaving Lille? I can’t rule it out,” Enyeama told beIN Sports, in a response to a question about his future. “I like Lille, the club, the city. “If the club decides to sell me, that is their choice. Personally, I am not particularly looking to leave the club. I’m happy where I am. “But if the club woke up and said, ‘Vincent, you have to go’, I would thank them for what they have done and I will.” Rio Mavuba and Salomon Kalou have been linked with moves away from Les Dogues after being knocked out of the play-offs by FC Porto.

‘Superzee’ targets overseas club Dedevbo

Ifeanyi Ibeh

ComfortChukwu

igeria’s most outstandNcluded ing player at the just conFIFA U-20 Women’s

Abuja

of Nigeria’s Falconets, Ctheoach Peter Dedevbo, has called on handlers of the country’s se-

nior national team to give some of his outstanding players to the just concluded FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup an opportunity to feature for the Super Falcons. Players such as Asisat Oshoala, Chinwendu Ihezuo and Uchechi Sunday have already been capped at full international level but are only fringe players, while a few others have at some point trained with the Super Falcons. Asked if he would want to remain as coach of the Falconets, Dedevbo replied passionately, noting: “It is left for the federation to decide. The only thing I want is for them to give these girls a chance to play for the Super Falcons, especially those that have grown to play at that level. “They have worked very hard and should be recognised.” The Super Falcons lost 1-0 to Germany in the final, but Dedevbo insists he was proud of the performance of his side against the Europeans. “It is a good outing for me and the girls; I am proud of them,” said Dedevbo, in Abuja. “They did well, and we give glory to God.

World Cup, Asisat ‘Superzee’ Oshoala, has revealed her desire to take her football skills overseas, insisting she does not “wish to kill her talent” playing football in the Nigerian league. Oshoala currently plays for Nigerian champions Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt but, following her impressive displays in Canada, it is only a matter of time before she joins the long list of Nigerian players plying their trade outside Nigeria. “I don’t wish to kill my talent at home, I want to fly high internationally,” said Oshoala, humorously. She however added that she was yet to know if any deal was in the bag as she was yet to get in touch with her representative. “I have not spoken with my manager yet,” she said. “We were not allowed to receive calls during the World Cup. “But when I see my manager I will know if there are moves by any club to sign me.” Oshoala emerged as best player and top scorer in Canada. And even though she was delighted to have bagged

both individual awards, she couldn’t help wondering what it would have felt like winning the World Cup. Little wonder she appeared unexcited while receiving both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards at the end of her team’s loss to the Germans in last weekend’s final. “Before the tournament I promised myself that I was going to Canada to make a difference, and I am glad I did,” she said. “I also promised Nigerians that I was going out there to do my best to make my country proud. So it hurts that we did not return with the trophy. I felt so bad that we lost and that was why I was not so excited about receiving the awards,” she added.

Oshoala

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

MOMENT 53

54 SPORT

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

15-year-old stuns 12th seed Dominika Cibulkova

15-year-old Aa merican CiCi Bellis caused sensational upset

as she beat 12th seed Dominika Cibulkova at the US Open. Bellis, ranked 1,208 in the world, saw off the Australian Open finalist 6-1 4-6 6-4 on a raucous Court Six. The junior world number two only received a wildcard by winning the US girls’ national champion-

Bellis

ships. She is the youngest winner of a US Open match since Russia’s Anna Kournikova, who was 59 days younger when she reached the fourth round in 1996. At 15 years 152 days old, Bellis is the youngest player to feature in a Grand Slam main draw for over nine years. “I’m feeling amazing,” she said. “I’m still speechless. I’m still in shock about that match. “I went into the match thinking it was going to be such a great experience, but I never thought I would come out on top winning.” The teenager from California came back from a break down in the final set, fist pumping all the way and urged on by a home crowd that packed into and all around the outside court.

US OPEN

Jordan cheers Federer to opening day victory

Basketball legend Michael Jordan was in Federer’s box at Flushing Meadows

BA great, Michael Jordan, led the cheering team as Roger Federer launched his bid for an 18th grand slam title with a 6-3 6-4 7-6 (4) win over Marinko Matosevic to ease into the second round of the US Open. A five-time US Open champion, Federer, never appeared threatened by Matosevic but the 76th ranked Australian still forced the Swiss maestro to work up a sweat in front of an enthusiastic centre court crowd. Federer can count some of

the world’s great athletes as his biggest supporters, golfer Tiger Woods among those who have made the trip to Flushing Meadows to watch the 17-time grand slam winner. But Wednesday’s first round match was something special for the 33-year, who finally got the chance to meet his childhood hero and Nike stablemate, Jordan. ‘’He (Jordan) was just my hero of all sports,’’ said Federer, who will next meet another Australian Sam Groth. Even though they had just met it was clear that Federer and Jordan share a unique bond, their excellence uniting them in a way few could understand. ‘’His longevity, the way he made it look easy, his will to win, wanting to be the best, delivering under pressure, being a superstar in a team sport, carrying his team for so many years,’’ said Federer, rolling out a long list of superlatives that many would use to describe his career.

Winning start delights Serena

Williams was SUSerena delighted to start her Open with a convincing win after she beat American teenager Taylor Townsend. Williams is currently looking to put her poor form in majors behind her as she tries to win three straight US Open titles. She is trying to be-

Serena

come the first woman to win the U.S. Open three years in a row since Chris Evert took four straight trophies from 1975-78. The 32-year-old wrapped up a 6-3 6-1 victory over the 18-year-old, who Williams described as the future of tennis. Williams’ serve paved the way for the victory and she admitted after the match that she was delighted to return to Flushing Meadows and win once again. “I just come out and play. This was the first ‘slam I won and I love to come back. I never want to stop,” she said. “Taylor’s incredibly talented. She’s such a great person, I love her and I love that there’s so many great Americans. We have such a great future and we have so much to look forward to.”

Senate President hails Falconets

Comfort Chukwu Abuja

igeria’s Senate President, David Mark, has showered encomiums on the Falconets following their second-place finish at the just concluded FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada. Mark, in a congratulatory message to the team, said the girls gave a good account of themselves at the tournament, adding that “although we did not win the ultimate trophy, but it is clear that our girls made us proud in Canada”.

The Senate President also urged the Nigeria Football Federation to do all they can to ensure the core of the team gets to play for the Super Falcons in future, even as he enjoined the combatants at the football body to resolve their dispute so that the crisis would not affect the fortune of the nation’s football which, he observed, had started regaining momentum. He however expressed optimism that the growing momentum would be sustained and improved upon for Nigeria to remain a key player in global football.

Education minister for national U-20 football final DanAtori Minna

igeria’s Education Minister, IbraNdance him Shekarau, will be in attenwhen the final of the National

U-20 Football Competition takes place on September 20, at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna. A total of 28 teams from across the country participated in the champi-

onship and Umaru Bahgo FC, a team owned by the Emir of Lapai in Niger State, will trade tackles with Rima Academy of Sokoto in the final. Speaking in Minna on the level of preparedness for the final, the Executive Secretary of the Federation of Youth Soccer Clubs, Hon A. S. Luya said the football competition, which was in honour of the Education Minister, had produced players who have gone on to make the nation proud in

Falconets celebrating a goal

both CAF and FIFA competitions. “This is the third edition and Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau has always been in attendance since the competition began, and it has been a harvest of good football,” he said. “The first and second editions of the competition took place in Minna and Zamfara and the third edition is now scheduled for Kaduna and it’s going to be a huge success as the Minister has promised to kick off the final.”

Eagles may lose AFCON title defence C O N T INU E D F R O M PA G E 5 1

Aminu Maigari. “Nigerian football crisis is an embarrassment to CAF, and FIFA is very worried that Nigeria is losing its leadership role on the continent. The Super Eagles might not be allowed to participate in the 2015 qualifiers and this is another fixture crisis for CAF,” revealed a CAF Committee member who preferred anonymity. It would be recalled that Maigari who was to preside over the NFF Congress on Tues-

day was arrested along with the NFF General Secretary Musa Amadu and board member, Chris Green, and were detained for “general questioning” by the Department of State Services, while Chris Giwa was elected NFF president by a group of members backed by Sports Minster, Tammy Danagogo. The situation contravenes a directive by football’s world governing body FIFA, who said a in a letter to the NFF last week, that it must decide a new date for “an electoral process that is free and open to everybody”.

Women U-20: Globacom hails Oshoala, Falconets national telecommuNhasigeria’s nications carrier, Globacom, congratulated the Falcon-

ets for the team’s outstanding performance at the just concluded U-20 female World Cup in Montreal, Canada. Globacom said that even though they lost the cup, the girls gave a good account of themselves. The team qualified for the finals by defeating New Zealand and North Korea in the quarter and semi finals respectively. According to a statement issued from Globacom’s headquarters, “The Falconets, in spite of the loss in the finals of the competition, put up a spirited fight against the highly-rated German team. But for certain technical issues, the Falconets would have won the trophy. They displayed the Nigerian cando spirit and high-level of

patriotism.” Globacom applauded the handlers of the team for their dedication to duty, determination to excel and for making the nation proud. “We are proud of the Falconets and the coaching crew for distinguishing themselves as the best team in Africa and the second best team in the world. We will continue to support our national teams in every way possible,” the statement added. Globacom also extolled top scorer, Asisat Oshoala’s sterling performance which earned her the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards. The company charged her to go ahead and achieve more glory in the senior team. “Your career has just started and you have what it takes to be among the world’s best in football,” Globacom stated.

SPORT | EURO FOOTBALL

Sanctity of Truth

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Milan confirm interest in Torres

Eto’o gratefultoMourinho amuel Eto’o refused to take anSMourinho other swipe at Chelsea boss Jose when he was unveiled as

an Everton player on Wednesday. Eto’o labelled the Chelsea boss as a “fool” and a “puppet” after the Portuguese made a comment questioning the striker’s age during his spell at the London club last season. The 33-year-old former Real Madrid and Barcelona forward joined Everton on a twoyear-deal after much speculation over his future and could make his debut against Chelsea on Saturday. Eto’o was in no mood to start another row with Mourinho at a press conference on Wednesday, though, as he expressed his gratitude to his former manager. He said: “The only thing I have to say about Jose Mourinho is to thank him. It’s down to him that I had the opportunity to be accepted and integrated into the Premier League and I want to thank him for that. “I’m not particularly concerned that it’s against my [old] team [on Saturday]. The important thing is to integrate into my new team-mates’ way of playing and get ready for that match. If I don’t feature it’s just important to get ready.”

C Milan’s Vice President Adriano Galliani Anegotiating on Wednesday confirmed that his club is with Chelsea to sign Spanish striker Fernando Torres, Italian media has reported. “He is a great striker. Let’s see if he comes or someone else”, Galliani said. With only a few days before the closure of the summer transfer market, the Serie A team are looking urgently to sign a striker after the departure of Mario Balotelli to Liverpool, while media suggest a host of names to fill in the position. La Gazzetta Dello Sport reported that Milan’s chances with Torres are slim, as the Italian club seeks to sign him on loan without paying any fees to Chelsea, which does not look probable. Another hurdle in the Spaniard’s path to Milan is his wages. Torres, who signed from Liverpool for a staggering £50m fee back in January 2011, has only managed 20 goals in 110 appearances in the English Premier League for his current employers.

Di Maria blasts ‘Real’ lies

lClaims he was forced out of Bernabeu

M Eto’o (right) and Mourinho

anchester United signing Angel di Maria has written an open letter to Real Madrid fans claiming he never wanted to leave the Bernabeu. The Argentina midfielder made it clear he was forced out of Real and claims “lies” were told about him – although he also says United are the only club he

Liverpool to unleash Balotelli on Tottenham

Rodgers has confirmed Bhisrendan that Mario Balotelli could make debut for Liverpool at the week-

end. Balotelli sealed his £16m move from AC Milan on Monday but the transfer was not completed in time for him to feature against former club Manchester City later in the evening. However, the Italy striker is now available for selection to face Tottenham on Sunday after he was forced to watch the 3-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium from the stands. Manager Rodgers told the club’s official website: “I think by the weekend [he’ll be ready to feature]. “He’s been into pre-season and he’s played three 45-minute games. He might not be up to full match speed, but he’s looking fit. “We’ve done some analysis on him.

The medical and sports science team have worked with him already and he’s in very, very good condition. “He’s in to work and he’ll be available for the squad for the weekend.”

would have joined. “My cycle at Real Madrid has come to an end,” he wrote. “It’s impossible to capture everything I’ve experienced here in a few lines but I hope this letter communicates what I feel at the moment. “I had the honour to wear this shirt for four years and I feel nothing but pride for what I went through and achieved with my team-mates. “Unfortunately, I have to go but I

want to make clear that this was never my desire. Like anyone who works, I’ve always wanted to progress. “After winning La Decima (tenth Champions League) I went to the World Cup with the hope of receiving a gesture from the board, which never arrived. Many things and many lies were told. Someone may not like me. The only thing I asked for was something fair. “There are many things that I value and many of them have nothing to do with my salary. I hope to find them at Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world.”

Champions League draw

Zabaletta hopes for easy group

Balotelli

Van Gaal ‘not shocked’ by Dons defeat

Van Gaal

anchester United manager LouM is van Gaal was not surprised by his side’s humiliating 4-0 League

Cup defeat to MK Dons on Tuesday. With one point from two games in the top flight, Van Gaal called for patience as he seeks to rebuild confidence at Old Trafford following a difficult 12 months, which saw predecessor David Moyes depart after less than a season in charge. “I’m not shocked because I know what can happen,” the former Netherlands coach said. “We had nine injuries and played again within 48 hours [of Sunday’s 1-1 draw away to Sunderland]. So I had to look at the second team and youth players for this match. “It’s very difficult when you start as a manager in the Premier League with a home match loss, then a draw and you lose in a cup match.

ablo Zabaleta hopes Manchester City’s highP er Champions League seeding will prevent another ‘group of death’ when the draw takes

place in Monaco on Thursday. City’s current UEFA co-efficient will see Manuel Pellegrini’s side in the pot of eight second seeds in the draw, which should hand his club an easier group than in the last two seasons. City were drawn in the same group as Bayern Munich last season but still managed to qualify, while they finished bottom of an even tougher group in the 2012-13 season against Real

Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax. Argentina defender Zabaleta said: “We know we are Manchester City and have a strong squad to play against the best teams in Europe so we will see the draw and this time if we have a little bit more luck than the last few years. “We were in the group of death and it has always been tough for us in Champions League - but it is a competition we are looking forward to and hopefully we can do better. “The rest of the teams see Manchester City as a tough team to have in the group and I think that is the most important thing for us.”

World Record

On Marble

Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.

– Gilbert K. Chesterton

Sanctity of Truth

w w w. new tel eg rap ho nl i ne. co m

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth – Buddha THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

The longest moustache measures 4.29 m (14 ft) and belongs to Ram Singh Chauhan (India). It was measured on the set of Lo Show dei Record in Rome, Italy, on 4 March 2010.

N150

2015: Anyone for Jonathan’s seat? W TALKING TOUGH GABRIEL AKINADEWO ill President Goodluck Jonathan contest the February 14 presidential election? I think it is reasonable to answer in the affirmative. And if that is so, it is a foregone conclusion that he has already clinched the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Will he win? With the way we play our politics in this part of the world, it is likely he is already singing a victory song. I asked the above questions because of the attempt by some people and groups to ram it down out throats that they want to force Jonathan to contest. Since political aspiration is like an Ebola virus which you cannot hide for long, is this facade necessary? I want to be emphatic that it is absolutely unnecessary for anybody to try to convince Nigerians that Jonathan is being forced to run for a second term in office. Nigeria’s 14th Commander-in-Chief is running and everybody can see and feel it. It is within his democratic rights to contest, anyway. Nobody can force him to contest just as nobody can force him to drink Gammalin 20. If he is not running, I wonder what his Chief of Staff, Brigadier-General Jones Oladehinde Arogbofa; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; ministers and other loyalists were doing in Ibadan last weekend, campaigning for his re-election. The issue is not whether he will run but whether he will win or what his detractors can do to stop him from winning. In a democracy, what do you do to stop an incumbent’s reelection? Convince the electorate to swing votes. But are members of opposition parties doing enough of that? Instead of convincing the electorate, some elders in the North are telling him not to run. I was surprised a few weeks ago when these elders told Jonathan to either secure the release of the abducted Chibok girls by October or forget reelection. It is an open secret that in the country today, insecurity, acts of impunity, abuse of human rights, unemployment and other vices abound and the situation has led to frustration and violence. But by giving the president an ultimatum to rescue the girls, are these elders not, indirectly, giving Jonathan undue sympathy? Obviously, in a war situation, anything goes. Likewise Nigeria’s political arena. But will the ultimatum alienate the electorate from Jonathan or draw them closer? On the ultimatum, former Abia State governor and one of the founders of the PDP, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, said: “When I stepped down that I would not run for the presidency in 2015, I stepped down for President Goodluck Jonathan to run, so he must run, I don’t see any reason why he would not run. He cannot forget his ambition, Jonathan is the president and I know he feels the way I do. These are things countries go through, we should also know that that would not stop any president not to run for election. We love the girls so much, we appreciate them so much, they are our hope of tomorrow, but we should not, because of one incident, say the president should not contest election, it would look like a blackmail. Nobody can say Jonathan would not run

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Jonathan

because of Chibok girls unless if he is not interested in running. When 9/11 happened in the United States, it was a big tragedy, but that could not stop President George Bush from running for re-election. I think what our political leaders should do both North, South and East is to join hands with the president and find where these girls are and rescue them. It is true Jonathan is the president, yes, he is the Commander-in-Chief, yes, but he has to work with people. I know he is trying his best to find those girls and he should not be crucified. My only initial grudge was that government kept quiet for sometime when it happened, but now, the president is doing something commendable and I know he would do everything to get those girls out. People should support Jonathan to succeed because if he fails, Nigeria as a whole has failed and if that happens, it would be very bad for everybody”. Talking of elective offices, if the truth must be told, is there any Nigerian politician who will not react when you dangle a carrot before him? Look at what is happening in Adamawa State. Who says our politicians are not wonderful? Last Monday, when I saw the photograph of former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, submitting his nomination form for the governorship primary election of the North-East state to the National Organising Secretary of PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha, at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja, I just wondered why those shouting, especially from the North, that Jonathan should not contest are wasting their time. In fact, scores of

vehicles had been bought and branded by Ribadu to show his seriousness to occupy the office on the platform of a party he, hitherto, accused members of being killers, bombers and insurrectionists. Ribadu is an open copy. He contested the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and there was nothing he did not say about Jonathan who eventually defeated him. Even this year, he described the PDP and Jonathan as enemies of Nigeria. Today, he is doing ‘rankadede’ to the same Jonathan and PDP just because there is an opening for him to realise his governorship ambition. The acting governor of the state, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, is another wonderful politician as he had declared that nobody would displace him during the October 11 election. He boasted that he would win and complete the tenure of the impeached governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako, leaving the seat for his successor next year. Fintiri said: “I will win the October election. It is my wish that I wouldn’t contest the 2015 election but if it is the wish of the Adamawa people, why not? I am the right person to continue because I am the leader of the rescue team. I am not threatened by the ambition of anybody. They are the ones threatened. How can I be threatened by Ribadu? Where is his structure? What is his base in PDP that I will be afraid of him?” Fintiri, who was used by the presidency to remove Nyako, has tasted power for a few weeks and finds it irresistible. Now, he wants to contest the October 11 election. He even said if his people permit, he will also contest the 2015 election. Which people? Somebody who is yet to get the ticket and win the October 11 election already blabbing about the 2015 election. Fintiri and Ribadu are now singing war songs because of the election. If this can happen in Adamawa, a state in the North-Eastern part of the country which is not rich in oil, what happens in Abuja, the centre of power, influence, riches, manipulation and coercion? What Jonathan’s challengers should do is to look at his weaknesses and highlight these. Not that he should not run. If you want to muscle him out (how can you even muscle out a sitting president), he will entrench himself the more and you will make some Nigerians to be sentimentally attached to him out of sympathy. Less than six months to the presidential election, where is that power centre that will produce a candidate who will create an upset and defeat Jonathan? With the new coinage ‘stomach infra-

structure’ running wild in the polity, has objectivity and patriotism not taken a flight among politicians and electorate? Is it a deliberate policy that Nigerians must perpetually go hungry for them to fall for crumbs during electioneering period? If that is true, is it not right then to conclude that those at the helm of affairs, at the highest level and with the deepest purse, with always have their way during elections? On Tuesday, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi, resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ikimi was the chairman of the Merger Committee of three political parties that fused into APC - ACN, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). He said, in his resignation letter to APC Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, among others: “I am at the stage of currently critically re-examining the two dominant political parties in our country, which are the APC and the PDP, in both of which I have had close working knowledge. I have not ignored the other political parties but in the light of the foregoing, I must now search to really ascertain where indeed my true political friends exist. I need to be, at this time of my life, where I have friends who share a common vision with me and where my freedom, respect, honour and dignity would be guaranteed. Notwithstanding my enormous contributions over the past 12 years or so to building the alternative platform, after very deep thought and the widest consultations, I have made the decision to withdraw my membership from the All Progressives Congress (APC)” Many Nigerians remember the role Ikimi played on January 6, 2003 at the Eagle Square, Abuja when former President Olusegun Obasanjo got the PDP ticket for his reelection. While counting the ballot papers, he was shouting “Obasanjo, Obasanjo, Obasanjo”. He later left for the opposition party but now, he is back. Need I say more?

OMOBABA

SOLDERS WHO FLED FIGHTING RETURN HOME – News

– He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day!

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